12. Lis

12

LIS

H er hand once again tucked into Nox's, they walked down Toro's surprisingly cute main street. It reminded her of small towns on Earth, the ones in touristy destinations where the town center was tidy and sanitized, there was plenty of greenery and seating, and most of the shops sold useless knickknacks and homemade fudge. What lay beyond that didn't matter because either visitors never went there or, if they did, they'd only see massive gates surrounding the second homes of people who were never in residence, but no locals because they'd been priced out of the market, relegated to live three towns and two hours away.

She didn't trust it. It gave off the same vibes as a slow loris – innocent-looking and super-adorable but absolutely will defend itself with elbow toxin when disturbed. However, since she wasn't planning on staying in Toro long, she decided she'd stay alert, but not worry too much about it.

Besides, she had Nox by her side, and he'd just passionately declared he was her shield in this alien galaxy.

Him presenting himself as her protector raised her hackles. Independent to her core, Lis knew she could handle herself in almost any situation the universe threw her way, including wild wormholes. Normally, she didn't want or need someone swooping in to save her, even in such wildly unfamiliar terrain as an alien planet.

At the same time, though, it was sweet that he wanted to look out for her. She didn't know the dangers, the culture, the terrain… anything about this galaxy, really. His willingness to step up as sentinel, offering her his time, resources, and even a berth on his ship, made her insides all squirmy. The good kind, mostly.

She stole a glance at him through her lashes. The tall alien was content to walk quietly at her side, his thumb making torturously slow circles over her sensitive palm. Dressed again in his worn brown leather armor, he radiated dangerous capability that made her heart beat faster. It was damned hot. He was hot.

And he wanted her. All of her. The man was dead serious about this whole mate thing. He claimed to be all in with her, even before they had sex.

She had to admit, it was some absolutely mind-blowing sex. Afterward, she'd teased him about their experiment being "mostly" a success, but then she tended to use humor and sarcasm as defense mechanisms when emotions came into play.

What she felt with him was more than deliciously toe-curling orgasms. She'd felt a connection, the phantom touch of the bond Nox banged on about. If she closed her eyes and concentrated, she could envision the ghostly outline where it touched her heart, a glowing golden ribbon of the finest silk.

The practical, analytical side of her brain – the side she'd honed and depended on to make life-saving, split-second calculations when flying an untested aircraft – stamped its metaphorical foot and declared insta-love wasn't a thing.

Insta-lust was, however. A handful of times, she'd experienced the dizzying feeling of falling head-over-heels in lust with someone as soon as she laid eyes on them, starting with blond-haired Adam Jorgensen in the second grade.

But insta-love? That was made up by poets and power-ballad singers.

Except , the theoretical part of her brain postulated, what if insta-love and mates do exist, and yours is here, walking next to you? What if you leaned into this whole experience and discovered something amazing?

As if sensing the course of her thoughts, Nox smiled down at her and passed her a kelly green drink he purchased from a smiling young man who'd set up a stand under a tall palm tree.

Her heart squeezed tight, making it hard to breathe. To cover her reaction, she sucked in a mouthful of the thick liquid. It tasted like a blend of tropical fruits and ice cream. "Delicious," she managed to say.

"It's a breakfast freeze. All the vitamins and nutrients you need to start your day." Nox's throat worked as he drank his orange-colored drink.

She peered at the sky, the system's twin suns nearing the midway point. "Pretty sure we missed breakfast." A flush of heat swept through her as she remembered exactly why they were still on the first meal of the day, when most were already on their second.

"Lunch, then." He opened a bright cobalt blue door, gesturing for her to enter first. "I can pick you up something else, if you're still hungry."

"Oh, I'm hungry. Just not for food," she purred, skating a finger over his chest.

He growled and reached for her, but she dodged his hand with a sunny snicker as she sailed into the clinic.