9. Nox

9

NOX

T ormented all night by erotic dreams involving a very naked Lis doing all sorts of scorchingly hot things with him, Nox was unsurprised to wake with a hard-on that could pound nails into wood.

What did surprise him was that Lis curled up beside him stroking his bare chest was not a dream. He grabbed her wrist, stilling her motions, and growled, "What are you doing, mate?"

Her fingers flexed, her puny nails tickling his skin. "Exploring," she said with a cheeky grin. She watched him, her eyes hooded, hair sleep-tousled. A crease from the pillow wrinkled her cheek. His beautiful mate was perfection.

Easing his grip, he caressed her bare arm, marveling at her soft skin dappled with freckles. "Exploring, eh? And what did you discover?" He pulled her hand to his lips, kissing the lines bisecting her palm. He wanted to go slow with her, to learn every inch, but she was so damned tempting it was a mighty challenge not to strip off her wrinkled caftan, roll her under him, and plunge his hard cock deep into her heat.

"A warrior and a survivor," she said, her hand covering the three deep furrows carved across his left pectoral. "Did the thing that made those do this, too?" She touched his cheek, tracing the scar to his brow.

Heat flared as her fingers glided over his skin, his cock pulsing with need. He made a sound in the negative. "Both are from when I was with Starguard. My squad was sent to Melorn, a planet even more dangerous than Cinzia, to aid the locals in fighting invaders from another galaxy. Much like you, a wild wormhole sucked up their ships and dumped them in our system."

"Damned wild wormholes," Lis muttered, resting her chin on his chest. She draped a leg over his thigh and continued her provocative petting, driving him wild with need. "So you know, I have no plans to conquer the galaxy. Just find my place in it."

"Your place is with me," he said.

"Maybe." She traced around his nipple.

A low, possessive growl rumbled in his chest. Stroking the soft waves framing her face, he said, "If not for one of those damned wild wormholes, you wouldn't be here."

"Still haven't decided if that's a good thing. An adventure, yes. A good thing?" Her shoulders lifted in a shrug.

"It absolutely is. You're incredible." He tucked a lock behind her ear, his fingers trailing over the curve of her jaw. "I never expected to find a mate, but here you are."

She arched a brow. "Still haven't agreed to be your mate."

"And yet, here you are," he repeated, sliding a hand down her back. "In bed." He began gathering up her caftan, the silky fabric gliding over her legs. "With me."

"If I recall, this is where you put me last night. Though I'm not sure why you're also in this bed with me when there's a perfectly acceptable floor to be had." But she didn't seem irritated about the sleeping arrangements, and she wasn't kicking him out. She also wasn't stopping his slow removal of her clothing.

"Why would I sleep on the uncomfortable floor when my mate is in the bed?"

"Mate." She rolled the word around in her mouth as if judging a wine for its palatability. "A fascinating concept, the connection of souls. But what if the bodies that house those souls aren't physically compatible?" Her hand splayed over his abs.

His muscles clenched beneath her palm, the sweet heat of her touch scorching his skin. With the caftan's bottom hem teasing the curve of her ass, he paused. "That would be disastrous." Based on last night's kiss and his body's energetic response to her slightest touch, he could say without a doubt that wasn't a problem for them.

With a thoughtful hum, she nudged him onto his back and straddled his hips. "I say we conduct some experiments to make sure we're synergistic."

Gods, this woman made him so hot, he was shocked the bed wasn't on fire. He smoothed his hands over her silky thighs and cocked his head. "You're not hungover? No headache?"

She shook her head. "Drank a big glass of water when I woke up earlier and that seemed to do the trick. No need to stop our experiment."

"Good." He slid her caftan higher, his hands spanning her waist. "Then I'm game if you are."

"Glad we're on the same page." She raised her arms with a sultry smile, giving him tacit permission to tug the caftan up over her head. It was like unwrapping the best present he could imagine. She was stunning, with softly defined arms and torso. A small patch of light hair curled over the juncture of her thighs, piquing his curiosity. Her pert breasts fit perfectly in his hands, their pretty pink nipples stiff peaks that teased his palms as he kneaded them. Best of all, she was naked and in his grasp.

Some expanses of skin were darker than others, tiny pale shapes outlining her shoulders, breasts, and hips. He traced the silhouettes, making her shiver. "Why is your skin different colors?" he asked as he skated a hand down her torso and over the slight curve of her waist to her hips.

"When not flying, I spend as much time as possible at the lake." She cocked her head at his still-puzzled look. "You've never heard of tanning?"

He shook his head.

"Let's just say that the Earth's sun and pasty girls like me don't always get along and leave it at that for now." She slid her hands up his chest. "No need to worry about the weirdness of humans, okay? I'm more interested in other things right now." Leaning down, she brushed her lips over his. "I want to explore every inch of you.

She tasted as sweet as he remembered. Sweeter, even. Like a fresh-picked ripe berry still warm from the sun. With a growl, he rolled her under him, settling between her legs. Her soft warmth surrounded him, his sleep shorts a thin fabric barrier between the heat of her pussy and his throbbing cock. "And I you," he said before lowering his mouth to hers.