CHAPTER 4

His sanity splinteredas his pent-up desire erupted. He wanted to devour her on the spot. Her lips were so sweet. Her breaths felt essential to his survival. He explored the heated depths of her mouth, their tongues entwining and sliding in the most sensual mating he had experienced in his life. This was so different from what he did with Elena. There was an energy, a feeling, he wasn’t able to catalog at the moment, but he was aware of it.

She moaned, and the sound sent a fresh wave of lust crashing through him. His hips rocked against her instinctively, and the blinding pleasure radiating from that spot surprised a groan from his throat. A delicate pulse throbbed at her neck, just under his fingers, inviting and tantalizing. Just like the subtle fragrance of her heated skin that rose to tease his nostrils. He needed to taste it.

In a daze of desire, he tore his mouth from hers and slid it down to her neck. He traced the pulse there with the tip of his tongue, then suckled softly on the soft skin at the juncture of her neck and jaw. She only threw her head back, giving him better access, and threaded her fingers through his hair, holding him in place.

In a distant corner of his mind, he knew he was acting unwisely and worried about the ramifications of their actions. But all the blood had rushed from his head to his cock, and he couldn’t seem to make his brain function enough to stop this madness. Couldn’t seem to remember the reasons why this was not a good idea.

Her voice in his ear, whispering his name, brought him back from the mindless trance he was in. “Dariux?” she asked, as she lifted her head enough to look into his eyes. Her own were drowsy with desire, which almost made him kiss her again. But there was a question in the dark depths, and he couldn’t leave it unaddressed, although he would be damned if he knew the answer. How would he explain his behavior?

“Yes?” he said simply, unable to come up with a more coherent response.

She took a deep breath, apparently trying to collect her thoughts. “Are we going to do this?”

“I don’t know. I’d be lying if I said I haven’t thought about it. But I haven’t been thinking with my higher brain lately.”

“Yes, I’ve been having similar thoughts. I even think it would be a good scientific experiment, but maybe I’m deluding myself.”

Her talk of scientific experiments was a shower of icy water on his heated emotions. So she wanted him as an experiment, huh? Well, he was no lab rat.

“We should tread carefully,” he said, getting up from under her. “Personally, I don’t like the idea of becoming a test dummy.”

“It’s not like that. It wouldn’t be dangerous. We would only follow our natural inclinations and see what the results are.”

“Exactly. We don’t know the results of following our so-called ‘natural’ inclinations. And don’t forget that passion and uncontrolled feelings are, in fact, dangerous.”

“Do you think love is dangerous?” she asked, a frown pinching the space between her brows while her lip curled in incredulity.

He laughed harshly. “Oh, I doubt what we are feeling is anything remotely similar to your elusive and precious love. Our generation has lost its ability to feel that emotion. And maybe it’s for the best. From what we have observed and learned of history, love is, at its worst, dangerous, and at its best, damned uncomfortable.”

“But essential. If we don’t relearn how to feel love, our generation will be the last.”

“Not necessarily. We can still procreate in an orderly fashion.”

“It hasn’t worked out so far. And I’m surprised to hear you speak like this. After all, that is the entire purpose of this mission.”

“For you, maybe. I am more interested in time travel for its own sake. For its power to potentially change events in the past and have a positive impact in our present.”

“You don’t think that relearning to love is something that could have a positive impact in our present?”

“Perhaps. Then again, maybe not. We have moved past a lot of the drama and conflict by arranging our affairs according to logic.”

“It is not working. You have seen the calculations. If we don’t do something now, humanity will have reached the point of no return in fifty years. By then there might not be any viable women to carry babies, and after that, it is just a few more years until there are no more humans on earth.”

“We now have the ability to time travel. We can always import women or babies from other times. Science will have found a way by then.”

Fury radiated from her as perceptible as heat waves. He understood her feelings. She had thought they were in accord, that they had the same ideals. He had eagerly sought to come on this mission. As the founder of the company and main science engineer in the development of the time-travel device, he could have sent someone else on the first trip. But he had insisted on coming himself.

During all the time they had trained together, he had not once implied that he did not share her values. She had gone on and on about the possibilities, about finding the key to love, and he had let her believe he wanted the same thing. But for him, it was only a matter of testing his machine.

Yes, he could understand her anger. But this was not the time or place to have an argument. The tent was small, and not entirely soundproof. The possibility of being overheard and discovered still existed, so they had to be very careful with their field expedition.

He tried for a conciliatory tone. “Look, Kalli, we should go back. We can continue discussing this at the inn.”

Eyes flashing, she retorted, “Fine, let’s pick up and go back. I think we have gathered enough information here. Anything else would just be redundant.”