28. Noelle

We werethe most popular people on Nebula Outpost, at least as far as station security was concerned.

Someone had given me a top, so at least there was that, but Ryklin was still covered in that smuggler"s blood. Astrid was in the medbay with Alice, the woman who"d come with her from the encampment. I was sure they"d be asked every question in the book once Astrid was conscious.

And she would regain consciousness. She had to.

Nebula Outpost couldn"t give the best medical care the galaxy had to offer. It was just a small space station on the edge of nowhere. But the doctors and medbots were competent. Astrid would be fine.

I hoped.

"You"re trying to tell me that people survived the mining explosion and have been living there for ten years?" The security guard was highly skeptical.

"Alice could tell you more. I literally just met them yesterday." Someone was off corroborating the fact that two escape pods had launched two days ago, and another person was confirming that Ryklin and I both were residents of Nebula Outpost.

I just wanted this to be over.

But it went on for hours. It had to be the middle of the night; my eyes were scratchy and dry, and I was about to slump in my seat. There was nothing more I could tell them.

And finally, they seemed to realize that. The leader of this security group came into the room. "You"re free to go right now. We"ll contact you when we have more questions."

"And you"ll send someone down to retrieve everyone on Nebula? Those smugglers were holding people as prisoners and mining illegally." I didn"t want to just leave them there, even if I was happy to be home.

"We have no intention of leaving innocent people trapped on the planet," he assured me.

But I was beginning to understand Nebula Outpost station security, and I"d be checking on that. A lot.

Ryklin was waiting for me in the hallway. Had it really only been two days since we crashed down on Nebula? Almost three now. I could freak out about how fast I"d fallen for the guy, or I could wrap my arms around him and just be happy that he was mine.

I chose that option.

His clothes were crusty with dried blood, and we both needed to bathe immediately, but I didn"t let go for several moments. And then I took his hand and led him to my quarters.

We passed by Pippa and Drex"s room, and I spared half a thought for them. Had they realized we were gone?

They could wait until later.

I wanted to get my hands on my mate, but we were both covered in grime and other people"s blood. And my shower wasn"t big enough for two. Ryklin, ever the gentleman, insisted I bathe myself first. And I would be lying if I said I didn"t spend a few extra minutes under the stream of hot water, reveling in the tech.

Astrid was right to miss hot water on demand. I hope she got her three-hour-long bath.

I slipped on a robe and left my clothes in a pile. There was no saving them. They"d be bound for the incinerator.

Ryklin"s eyes went red with passion when he saw me all nice and clean. But he kept himself away, as if afraid to get his dirt on me. Probably fair. I was going to take him the moment he got out of the shower.

Then I realized there were no clothes in my quarters for him to wear.

My alien boyfriend was going to have to walk around naked until I fixed that.

Another problem for later.

I grinned and lay back on the bed. I couldn"t wait to have my way with my mate, to feel him filling me up and taking me, claiming me, keeping me now that we were safe. There was nothing I could want more.

I didn"t realize I fell asleep until I woke up.

I faintly heard the bustle of the hallway outside. It was late in the morning. Unsurprising since we arrived back in the middle of the night. My body felt kind of strange, trying to adjust back to the false gravity of Nebula Outpost. I wasn"t sure if I liked that feeling or not.

What I loved was waking up to the hulking alien snoring softly beside me.

Ryklin looked different in sleep, relaxed in a way he never could manage while he was awake. The lines around his mouth had softened; his forehead was completely smooth. He looked at peace.

I shouldn"t disturb it. Now would be the perfect time to go get some clothes for him. I wasn"t sure where his quarters were, but Drex would doubtlessly have something he could borrow. Ryklin was a bit bigger, but it would work for today.

I kept looking at my mate. Then I trailed my fingers lightly over his lips.

Ryklin reached up and clamped his hand around my wrist, his mouth tugging into a wicked smile. "Didn"t anyone ever warn you not to wake a sleeping warrior?" Then he tugged me forward, and I landed on top of him with a yelp.

Our bodies lined up perfectly. I could feel him thickening between us, and my blood began to heat in response. My hips rolled, and I heard Ryklin groan, even as he shifted his legs underneath me, lifting me and putting us at better angles.

Then we were kissing, and it was everything I"d ever wanted. We had time now for lazy, exploratory kisses, the kind you only gave when you weren"t on a desperate trek for your life. Ryklin knew what he was doing with his mouth, and I leaned into it, luxuriating in the feeling of his arms around me and the evidence of his arousal pressed tight against me.

"I was going to go find you some clothes," I gasped, my lips dragging across his.

"Why would I need clothes?" He arched up his hips to punctuate the question.

I moaned.

He laid me back on the bed and started to kiss his way down my body. Everywhere his mouth touched, I felt the caress of fire. His hands smoothed along my sides as he untied my robe. He nipped lightly at my belly and my hip bones, driving me insane. I threaded my fingers through his hair and urged him lower, aching for his mouth on my core.

And he obliged.

Ryklin feasted on me with a moan of pure pleasure that only drove me higher. I writhed beneath his mouth as he sucked and licked, alternating between tiny teasing licks and the hard swipes of his tongue. He was going to drive me insane with want.

Not that I was complaining.

My fingers curled in the sheets and in his hair. His hands slid down, and I felt one of his fingers thrust inside of me. His rhythm matched his tongue, and I arched off the bed with a cry.

There were words in there somewhere, but I was too far gone to know what I was saying. Not that Ryklin seemed to mind. He growled against my skin and worked me faster and harder, my body wound so tight I was afraid it would snap.

But Ryklin showed no mercy. I shattered.

The world went white, and I heard myself shout, a wild cry that could probably be heard through the walls.

Ryklin"s tongue continued to lap at me, gentling me as he slowly brought me down.

When I was back in my body, he was nipping lightly at my thighs and the flesh around my core.

I was shaking from aftershocks and still my body heated again in anticipation of the main event.

I crooked a lazy, satisfied finger at my man. "Come up here. I need you now."

Ryklin surged up the bed and hovered over me. His eyes blazed red with emotion, and he looked just a bit possessed. I"d made this man look like this.

I reveled in it.

"You are mine," he growled. His mouth captured mine in a branding kiss, and I melted. He was going to consume me, and I welcomed it.

Ryklin pressed his length against my opening, and then he slid in, stretching me in a delicious way that I"d come to love. I savored the feeling as he seated himself inside me and began to move, one arm bracing himself over me as his other hand captured my thigh and wrapped my leg around his waist, changing the angle and allowing him to thrust even deeper.

I groaned as he rubbed against sensitive nerve endings that hadn"t yet recovered from my first orgasm. My nails raked down his back, and I was rewarded with his answering growl.

I lifted up enough to press kisses to his shoulder and his neck, biting down on the tender skin. "You are mine," I echoed his claim, needing to say it. "Never going to let you go."

Ryklin shifted his angle so that he was pressing against my clit with each thrust, working me back up towards a peak I"d never expected to climb.

His eyes stayed locked on mine as his hips moved faster, almost out of control. He looked fierce and beautiful above me, all rippling muscle and taut skin.

"Never," he said.

I could only gasp as he claimed me again and again. My body tightened in preparation. And then he shifted position again, just enough so that he could lean down and rain kisses down my neck as he pumped into me.

I cried out again as I came, my nails digging into his skin so hard that I was certain I left marks.

Ryklin groaned his satisfaction, and then I felt his teeth nipping at my throat, breaking the skin and marking me. It stung for just a moment before the heat began to spread, warmth radiating down my body as the bond we"d already sealed seemed to glow with satisfaction.

Ryklin lifted his head, and I pulled his mouth down to mine.

I was going to kiss this man forever.