farther into her and she opened up to him, her lips parting with a soft moan.
Maybe time stopped.
He wasn’t sure.
It was just him, her, and this warmth within him that was burning through his veins, culminating right in his shaft.
This close, her scent was intoxicating, like freshly washed kusco berries, and every breath he took was filled with her. For once in his life, he dared imagine he could have more. More of this, more of life—to exist without the secrets that were holding him down, the same secrets that dictated why this kiss was a bad, bad idea.
Her eyes were slightly open, gazing at him with growing lust as her mouth moved against his and he knew it even before her hands curled around his neck, pulling him farther into her...
He’d passed a barrier he shouldn’t cross, and he wasn’t sure he had the strength to go back.
11
She’d kissed him.
No, he’d kissed her.
As Evren awoke, her fingers moved to her mouth, tracing her lips.
Like a ghost of a kiss, she could still feel his lips against hers, still feel how his hand had risen to caress her cheek as their kiss had deepened, still remember how soft and smooth his skin had felt.
She could still smell him too. That close, her nose brushing against his, she’d picked up the scent of whatever he’d washed with.
Pine.
He’d smelled like pine. It made her think of walking barefoot in a forest surrounded by a cool summer breeze.
Sitting up in the bed, she ran her hand over her face.
The memory of the kiss replayed over and over in her mind and so did the events that happened next.
Kyro had released her lips, easing away from her with a look of such torment, she was briefly rendered speechless.
He’d mumbled that the drink must have gotten to her more than she’d realized and that she would probably regret their kiss when she recovered from her “intoxication.”
He’d brought her to her room, lifting her in his arms effortlessly, and then he’d left. Just like that.
He’d left.
And in her stunned silence, she hadn’t been able to say one thing to stop him.
The kiss had surprised her more than she’d realized.
As she stared at the empty wall in front of her, she forced herself to come to terms with it.
Had she kissed him because she’d been drunk?
No.
She knew she hadn’t.
She’d been perfectly in control of her body, her mind, her actions.
She’d chosen to do it.
She’d wanted to.
And she’d loved every second of it.
There’d been nothing stopping her but her own inhibitions, and in that moment, she’d had none.
Slipping from the bed, she walked from the bedroom to the bathing area. The place was so quiet; it seemed even quieter than it had been the day before.
With Kyro there, even though he hadn’t been talking, she hadn’t felt the silence.
She’d forgotten about this quiet that came when she was alone. His presence had been comforting.
As she stripped and began cleaning herself underneath the spray, she bit her bottom lip with a slow smile.
They’d kissed.
Weeks ago, she wouldn’t have imagined such a thing happening and, under different circumstances, she wondered what would have happened if they hadn’t stopped.
How far would they have gone?
It had been a while for her. Her life had been dedicated to her work. There hadn’t been time for romantic relationships. And friends...well, she didn’t have many of those. Her cat, Nigel, had been her only company.
The feel of Kyro’s lips had made an ache go right down to her center, one she hadn’t felt in so long it had made her instantly wet.
Even now, the memory of it was making her hot and an encouraging throb pulsed between her legs.
As she hopped from out of the shower and pulled on one of the brown dresses she hated so much, she steeled herself for the inevitable itch of the material.
Maybe she should get some of the standard kit everyone else wore. At least she wouldn’t have to walk around looking as if she was meant to be carrying fresh produce.
She was just about to reach for her datapad so she could ask one of the other human women about it when the door chimed.
Her heart skipped a beat immediately.
Kyro.
Pushing her wet hair behind her ears she hurried to the door and peeked through the viewscreen.
The face she saw there made her feel a tad guilty for the disappointment she immediately felt. It wasn’t Kyro standing at her door. It was one of the other humans who’d been