Alien Paladin's Redemption - Mina Carter Page 0,43
her thoughts to mating.
Mating… His blood heated at the thought, swelling his cock in his pants. While he’d never been ignorant of the mechanics of the act, he’d never before seen the appeal. His brothers had often frequented the pleasure houses, despite their father’s growing fanaticism and dislike of non-Lathar females, but he’d never joined in on their trips…
Now he understood. Lady Goddess, did he see the appeal. Just that little catch in her breathing and the softness in her eyes as he lifted his head made him want to turn around and carry her back to the shuttle. Claim her all over again.
But it was more than that. He didn’t just want to claim her. He wanted to own her. He had a darker side to his nature that he’d always kept locked away, but it had always been there. It was like a darkness that lurked in his blood ready to pounce, and never closer to the surface than during battle. It was the reason he prayed, the reason he punished himself with a level of control most males could only ever dream of, and the reason he’d gone through the Vesh, convinced that if he could just rid himself of that darkness, all would be well.
But now that darkness had found a new obsession. Her. He wanted to claim her, mate with her in all the ways he’d heard tell of from his fellow warriors. But he wanted other things as well… to bind her to his bed, helpless and at his mercy. But not to hurt her as he’d once feared. He wanted to make her scream, yes, but with pleasure. For her to sob and beg… him for more.
To test the theory that had been building in his mind, he slid his hand up and gripped the back of her neck. He held her tightly as he tilted her head up to where he wanted. She gasped but didn’t fight back, her hands gripping the front of his jacket and her eyes darkening with desire. He had his answer. She liked it when he did this. Liked being held. Liked his darkness as much as that darkness liked her.
“We are not far from our destination,” he told her, looking up the slope as his thumb stroked gently over her pulse. It throbbed under his touch, a little faster than normal but not from fear. Good. He would never want her to fear him.
“I will approach first, and you will remain in cover. Understand? Your safety is my primary concern.”
She tried to nod but couldn’t until he eased his grip. “What could there be out here?” she asked, gesturing around them. “We’ve not seen anything bigger than a bloody sparrow.”
He had no idea what a sparrow was but nodded anyway. “Be that as it may, the local predators aren’t what worry me. The shuttle could have automated defenses as well.”
“It’ll be fine, Nyek.” She smiled, reaching up to pat his cheek before trying to pull away. He held on for a moment longer, not letting her go until he was ready and making sure she knew it. When she settled down again, looking up at him, he nodded and released his grip.
“You’re a pain in the ass. You know that?” she threw at him over her shoulder as she stomped ahead. “A sexy pain in the ass, but a pain in the ass all the same!”
A soft chuckle escaped him at the vibe. It hadn’t been delivered with anywhere near its usual venom, and the look in her eyes warmed him through. Especially when her gaze slid down his body to his crotch. He saw no point in attempting to hide the way she affected him, and so he raised an eyebrow, daring her to comment.
She didn’t, and they carried on making their way up the side of the hill toward the small ledge the crashed shuttle had come to rest on. Nyek put a hand out to stop Indra before they crested the rise.
“Remain here,” he ordered her, nodding toward a large boulder nearby. “I will approach and if necessary, disable the automated defenses.”
She looked mutinous for a second. He pulled her toward him, a quick, hard kiss putting paid to any arguments before they could fully form.
“Go,” he whispered when he lifted his head. Sliding his pack from his shoulder, he gave it to her. “Stay put until I call you.”
With a small nod, she did as he bid, although a look back told