CHAPTER 4

Chloe cried out. One second she was marveling at the view from the flying limo and the next, she was flying herself. Toward the Gaenthian.

She crashed right into his arms, her face smashing into his chest. The guy must have a zero fat percentage: that chest was like a brick wall. Her nose hurt like a motherfudger.

Dazed for a bit, she had the stray thought that with a broken nose, her so-called fated mate might no longer want her. Men were all about the looks of a woman on a first date; surely that was universal across the galaxy?

With clarity came the realization that she was now sitting in the Subcommander's lap. Straddling him, to be exact. He must have pulled her against him to keep her from flying off, his hands on her hips and his wings partially closed around them both.

Chloe felt heat rise to her cheeks. She had never been held like this by a man. Her only boyfriend back in college hadn't been a cuddler and had felt too intimidated by her height to allow her to straddle him. And it felt nice.

Really nice.

The Subcommander was warm against her. His hands on her hips were big enough to span her thighs. The feathers of his wings felt exquisite against the bare skin of her upper arms. She felt safe in this little cocoon he had created for the two of them, despite the limo malfunctioning who knew how many miles away from the ground.

"Are you alright?" he asked softly.

Chloe was more than alright. She didn't mind staying where she was, his heart beating strong under her cheek and his seductive rumble making heat blossom in her core.

"Lady Hloe?"

Ugh. What had she been thinking, enjoying the closeness of a guy who didn't bother to learn her name? Who had left her without a permanent job on Earth? Who was delivering her like some lottery prize to another alien, no care for her feelings on the matter?

Angry at herself, Chloe used her hands trapped against his abs to push away from his chest. Only to end up with her face a breath away from his.

Their eyes met.

A soft gasp escaped her. From so close, the pull of his cobalt-blue gaze was irresistible. His eyes were like a dark pool she craved to dive into, knowing she might never find her way out but also knowing she would never want to.

His hold on her hips tightened.

Her fingers dug possessively into the hard plain of his chest.

If Chloe leaned in just a fraction, their lips would touch. She would know just how those plush purple lips tasted.

His eyes fixated on her lips, something igniting in the blue depths–

"Subcommander, my lady," boomed a voice inside the limo, "prepare for landing."

They both winced at the loud sound. With the harsh interruption came the realization of what they had been about to do.

Chloe scrambled off the Subcommander's lap at the same time as he picked her up by the waist to deposit her back in her seat. He moved so quickly to put her seat belt on and let go of her that she might as well have been a hot potato.

Chloe felt hurt. One moment he had been looking at her as if he would devour her and the next, he couldn't get rid of her fast enough.

But no, no, it wasn't hurt she was feeling; that would imply she cared about the Subcommander. It was relief she was experiencing. Had the driver-slash-pilot not interfered, she would have made a big mistake in her confused state. The impact with the Subcommander's chest had not broken her nose but must have given her a temporary concussion. There was such a thing, right?

"Officer Xiriel," he spoke sharply, a finger on one of the many buttons on his door handle, "why is the artificial gravity off?"

"Off, Subcommander?"

"Yes, it's off!"

Sheesh, the Subcommander was quite upset over some gravity malfunction.

"Oh. Apologies, Subcommander. I or Officer Burziel here must have unknowingly pressed the deactivation button. Turning it on now."

A rumble now familiar to Chloe sounded from the alien opposite her.

"All is in order back there, correct, Subcommander? The lady is not hurt?"

For the first time since their near-kiss, the Subcommander looked at Chloe. His gaze was stormy, as if this mess was somehow her fault.

"I'm fine." That came out snappy, but she couldn't help herself. "Let's get this farce over with more quickly so I can return to my safe life on Earth."

The Subcommander crossed his arms over his chest. "Do not pretend you were not excited about our flight before the gravity mishap, Lady Hloe. Your life here might be safe, but it could never offer you such excitement as the one you are experiencing and are about to experience."

"Oh, please." Chloe crossed her arms too. "Just because I was excited about flying in a limo doesn't mean I want what comes next. I'm not into adventure."

"I beg to differ."

"I'm. Not. I get scared easily. I'm prone to panic."

"There is nothing scary about the adventure that awaits you off Terra."

"Ha! We're not off Earth yet, and look what nearly happened."

His wings fluttered. His gaze shifted.

Was he nervous? "I'm talking about the gravity mishap, Subcommander."

"Ah." His wings visibly relaxed behind his shoulders. "It was a small, non-fatal mistake. There was no serious danger to you. I assure you, Lady Hloe, from here onward everything will be running smoothly."

Chloe winced inwardly. One should never tempt fate with such words. "How can you be so sure?"

A confident smile spread across his face, making him look even more attractive. Dang it. "Because I excel at my job, my lady. And I will be your only escort on the ship to the space station."

Chloe's heart did a little flip. Just great. She would be alone with the Subcommander for an entire day of space travel. It would be really hard to keep her hands off him.

In the sense that she wanted to punch him, of course. She couldn't stand the extraterrestrial guy.