Sinth Salvation - Pearl Tate Page 0,19

swirling lightly before I realize what I’m doing.

Jerking back, I’m relieved as he releases me. Most men wouldn’t, that’s for sure. I’m in his home … somewhere, and on his bed! That entitled male chauvinism has gotten me into more than one uncomfortable situation.

I stare at him warily as I stand, and he continues to sit on the bed. I shiver slightly, rubbing my tingling lips with my fingertips. Even now, I can still feel the way his kiss made my entire body light up with anticipation and want. This is highly inappropriate, and as I take another wary step back, Nikon holds up a hand, gesturing for me to come closer.

I’m already shaking my head no as he states, “I won’t touch you.” Nikon’s lips curl up slightly. “Come on, now. I just couldn’t help myself. Hasn’t anyone ever told you how irresistible you are?”

My shaking head continues as Nikon shrugs and picks up the strange device on the bed behind him. It looks like a narrow pen. Holding it up, he explains, “This looks like one of the Earth’s writing devices. Innocuous looking enough, but it’s extremely dangerous. I want to show you how to use it, and then we’ll take off, I promise.”

At his promise, I take a half step closer, curiosity driving me as I lean toward him. He demonstrates the equivalent of a safety on the side of the thin cylinder as he describes what it does. It sounds like a bunch of medical jargon I don’t understand. Something about disrupting the chemical balance of our cells and causing a rapid destruction which he assures me is instantaneous and deadly.

There’s no way to test his strange weapon, so when he stands and hands it over with a smile, I take a wary step back as I tuck it into the inside pocket of my jacket. Smiling, he reaches for me. “I need to touch you to phase … like before. No funny business … for now. I promise.”

CHAPTER EIGHT

- Nikon

I can’t believe how intoxicated I am by Lilibeth. Her honest and open reactions let me know exactly what she’s thinking and right now, she’s holding back.

I couldn’t resist kissing her earlier. The way she looked sitting on my bed … so tempting. I’d do anything to not have to deal with the chaos in Earth’s dimension right now. It’s so sad to watch so many people suffer needlessly, and things are only going to get worse.

Maybe … maybe, we’ve contained it. Maybe the only outbreak occurred at the Mosfellsbær Golf Club where Daniel Ingolfur went the day after setting Brad up in his temporary residence.

Maybe. But based on my own history dealing with the Wen virus, I highly doubt it. Everyone underestimates the small things you don’t notice that become infected by the disease. Like animals. There’s a possibility none have become infected, but that’ll be a first in my experience.

As much as I’d like to stay here, explaining to Lilibeth how all the controls in my pod here in my dimension work, I know we need to get going. Especially because I’ve promised to take her to her cousin’s school to check on her. If there’s one thing I know, this attachment is going to be the leverage I need to make sure she’s willing to get to know me.

I like children. I’ve honestly never considered having one—but that was only because the possibility didn’t exist. Now, thinking about Lilibeth carrying my child … the thought is tantalizing. Is this what all the newly mated males are thinking? No wonder Payak sounded happier than I’d ever heard before when I spoke to him last night.

As I suspected from our discussion earlier, she’s holding back for some reason. Our kiss showed that too, given the way she pulled away. Even now, her arms are crossed in front of her after tucking the trakoline into her coat. Under normal circumstances, I’d never give someone a priceless, one-of-a-kind weapon like my trakoline. Not only does this go against our Sinth Sovereign Guardian Pledge and agreement with the Alliance to not introduce alien technology into developing societies, but I wouldn’t want it to get misplaced, especially on an alien planet.

But now, there’s no doubt she’s my mate. Clearly, she has some kind of hang-up about me … or males in general, but it’s only a matter of time until she succumbs to the mating pull between us. Even now, my hands itch in anticipation of touching her.

I move