still a virgin. And this was the male who smelled so good. He was right here, in bed with her.
Lila covered her mouth, trying to not freak out and wake him up. Humans were Xylan allies, so she was familiar with this species. The Xylan had freed her species from a century of Hurlian domination and the Gravians were assisting with nation building. Kayzon of Twenty-Six, a Xylan Bounty Hunter, had saved her life in the Singapore market. He’d rescued her from a Hurlian snatching. And now Kayzon was the Xylan ambassador to New Earth. Lila had known Kayzon, and his Bride, Kia Cho, back when her family was alive and they used to invite people to their home. Before everything went to hell and she turned into a shut in.
She’d ended up in bed with an unmated Xylan warrior? He had to be unmated because he was wearing gloves to protect his claws from touching her bare palm. She’d probably been more interested than most females in studying the mating habits of Xylan because of her rescue by a Xylan warrior. Yes, she was a bit of a Xylan fangirl, it was true.
Lila continued to stare at this male. She knew Xylan came in two pigment types—very dark-skinned “royal pigment” and the medium-toned Margol. The Xylan had a strange, very rigid caste system built upon these two skin types within their culture. The royal pigment Xylan were the elites and the Margol the working class? Something like that. She’d never understood since on New Earth humans came in all shapes, sizes and skin tones, and none of these mattered. The only thing that really conferred status on New Earth was youth, beauty, currency and/or power.
Her brow furrowed. Was this the Xylan homeworld? No, it couldn’t be. Chronos wasn’t wet and jungle-like. At least she didn’t think it was. This must be some kind of Xylan colony? She still had no idea where she was.
She swallowed hard. Oh hell, she’d thought this was an abandoned building, but clearly it wasn’t. This Xylan lived in this dilapidated dwelling and she’d accidentally fallen asleep in his bed.
And he wasn’t wearing a shirt.
She glanced at his wide chest and muscular abs. Oh. Was he naked too? She was naked in bed with this equally naked male?
Morning light shone through a small, dirty window that offered a distorted view of the jungle outside. She glanced at her own clothes and confirmed they were exactly where she’d left them, draped over chairs and hanging from hooks. At least there was that. Should she sneak out of bed and get dressed? She could be gone before he woke. Just because he’d left her alone last night and let her continue to sleep in his bed didn’t mean he’d continue to be this nice. Who knew what would happen once he woke up? Yes, he was an honorable Xylan. Everyone knew Xylan didn’t pleasure mate or rape, but this didn’t mean he was perfect. They had criminals in their culture, just like any other species. Plus, she was supposed to be in hiding. Was this male planning on alerting the peacekeepers to her presence?
She started to inch to the edge of the bed just as he flopped onto his side and faced her. So of course she turned toward him. She couldn’t help herself. Damn, he smelled good. There was that smell again, the one that had lured her into his room in the first place. The bedding had slipped down to his hips to fully expose every dip and curve on acres of muscular chest.
It was like he was posing for her. He was gorgeous. She was in bed with a gorgeous, naked stranger. And for once in her life, he was lighting up all of her girly parts. His veiny forearms, the fangs peeking past full lips. And those abs. She wanted to reach out and touch him so badly. She could lay here in bed with him and stare at him all day. Taking notes and making detailed sketches.
She’d never been in bed with a naked male.
Life as a shut-in didn’t exactly lend itself to date nights and heated encounters. She’d led a protected, rarified life on New Earth. Bruce Garabedian had been driven to build, create and leave a fortune behind to his children. He’d grown up desperately poor, living on a planet dominated by Hurlians who kidnapped humans for their terrible “experiments,” never to be seen again. Lila’s aunts and uncles had