Deeper than the Night - By Amanda Ashley Page 0,46

of his anguished cry tearingat her soul.

"Oh, Alex," she murmured, and slipping out of bed, she went to him without a qualm. Pressing his head to her belly, she stroked his hair. "I'm sorry, Alex. I'll never be afraid of you again."

For a moment, he let himself bask in her touch, pretending she was his, would always be his. He had been alone so long. The people of ErAdona were known throughout the galaxy for being a warm, affectionate people. Living alone, unloved and untouched, had been the hardest part of his exile.

He savored the touch of Kara's hand in his hair a moment more, and then he stood up.

"It won't work, Kara," he said, his voice as cold as stone. "I was a fool to think otherwise. The differences between us are too vast."

"No!"

He turned away from her then, his steps heavy as he walked toward the door. "Good-bye, Kara."

"I love you, Alex. Please don't leave me."

Her words stopped him, but he didn't turn around, only stood there with his head bowed, his back toward her.

Crossing the floor, she went to stand behind him. Slowly, gently, she brushed her lips over the raised ridge of flesh along his spine, felt him tremble at her touch.

"I love you," she said again. "I didn't mean to hurt you. Say you forgive me."

"I forgive you," he said quietly. But he still didn't turn around.

"Alex, please . . ."

"Please what? I can't change what I am."

"I don't want you to change. I'm not asking you to change.Only to love me, as I love you."

Slowly, he turned to face her. "Tell me what you want, Kara. But know this if I stay, it's for always. Not just until it's safe for you to go home. My people are not like yours. We mate for life, not for the moment or until we find someone new, but for always."

"For always," Kara murmured.

"Then I pledge you my love, my life, for as long as I live. From this night forward, you will be my woman. I will defend you to the death, and love you until my last breath."

They were the most beautiful words she had ever heard.

"Will you be my woman, Kara Elizabeth Crawford?"

"Yes, Alexander. And I promise to love you, and only you, for as long as I live. I'll stay by your side in good times and bad. I'll share your laughter, and your tears, and I'll love you until my last breath."

"Kara . . ." He whispered her name as he slanted his mouth over hers. She was his now, always and forever his. Where he came from, marriage was an exchange of vows between a man and a woman. No license was required. No minister or magistrate was needed, though some preferred to be married within one of ErAdona's magnificent cathedrals, to have friends and family in attendance. But the marriage itself took place in the hearts of the man and the woman. Kara was his now, always and forever his, bound to him by the words she had spoken, as he was bound to her.

Sweeping her into his arms, he carried her back to bed. "You must tell me if I hurt you."

"You won't."

He placed her on the mattress and sank down beside her. "It's been a long time since I've been with a woman."

"That's all right," she murmured, winding her arms around his neck. "It's been a long time since I've been with a man."

"How long?" Jealousy rose up within him, hotter than the boiling waters of the ErAdonian Sea. "How many?"

"None."

His eyes widened with disbelief. "You've never been with a man before?"

"No." Alex frowned. If she'd never been with a man, she probably wasn't using any method of birth control. On ErAdona, a woman took a capsule which prevented conception for a year; if she decided she wished to become pregnant before the year was over, she took a second capsule to reverse the effects of the first. A similar capsule was used by the men. But here on Earth, methods of birth control were less sophisticated.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I don't want you to get pregnant."

"Pregnant!" She'd been so caught up in the first blush of love, so eager for his touch, she hadn't given a thought to getting pregnant. Unwanted pregnancies were something that happened to other people.

Alex nodded. "It could happen, although I'm not sure it's possible."

"Why not?"

"We're from different worlds, Kara. It might not be possible for us to create a new life." He tucked