first step would be a pleasure. Quite literally.
Tigh loomed over Ginny on the wide bed, kissing her deeply as his hands roamed over her body. He tried to be gentle but still managed to tear some of her garments in his haste to be rid of them. She, in turn, used her dainty fingers to unclasp his robes of state, baring him with much more ease and grace than he was managing.
With a grumble of annoyance, he eased up, releasing her from his kiss as he struggled with the fastening of her lounge pants. The string had knotted and would not come undone. He was ready to find a knife and cut the darn things off when he heard her giggle for the first time.
The ultra-feminine sound nearly stopped his heart. Such a light-hearted sound would enchant any hardened warrior, but coming from his destined mate, the tinkle of her laughter sent bubbles of happiness through his soul. His breath caught as he met her sparkling eyes. She was laughing at his eager fumbling, and he didn’t mind one bit. He would act the clown to see that innocent, carefree expression on her face. For just a moment, he glimpsed the girl she’d been before the virus, and knew the boy she’d loved then had been the luckiest man in the universe to have this magical creature all to himself.
Tigh wanted her love, almost desperately, but he counseled himself against being greedy. She would love him—or not—in the fullness of time. He’d read enough to know that humans didn’t always recognize their true mates. Often, they lived their entire lives without ever realizing the other half of their soul was out there, just waiting to be found, and most never found them at all. It was a sad state of affairs. But Tigh knew, without a shadow of a doubt, Ginny had been made for him. Hopefully, she would realize the reverse was also true at some point in their lifetime together. He would wait for that day, and pray for it. On the day she gave him her love freely, he would be complete.
“Help me?” Tigh smiled at her as their eyes met and held. She was so open to him in that moment, he felt his heart cracking, widening to admit her into it. He knew she would remain there always, deep within his soul.
With a shy but eager nod, Ginny moved her dainty fingers to work on the knot he’d made. Meanwhile, he threw off the rest of his heavy robes and tossed them to the floor. The robes of state were necessary while he roamed among the humans, but damned uncomfortable. Luckily, they’d been designed to be easily removed should the need for combat arise. Tigh was left in his supple leather leggings that had been specially designed to allow a full range of motion and the bands across his chest that held a few primitive, bladed weapons that were his specialty.
A Zenain priest novitiate never traveled without his weapons, if he could help it. True, the humans had confiscated all of the more advanced weaponry he and his men had brought, or made them leave it locked up on their impounded ship, but they seemed to think nothing of the primitive blades and fighting sticks he habitually carried.
He could have done without them, of course—a Zenain priest is taught to use his entire body as a weapon—but practicality demanded that weapons be carried when possible. Against a laser pistol, a throwing knife could be surprisingly efficient. Close range combat would bring his hand-to-hand skills into play, but Tigh knew he could never strike a woman except under the direst of circumstances. However, if one was shooting at him, a well-placed, disabling throw of one of his blades wouldn’t offend his warrior sensibilities.
As the robes dropped away, he settled back at her side on the large bed. She was concentrating so hard on the knot he’d made in her drawstring, she seemed almost surprised when he moved one hand up from the strip of bare skin at her waist to work on the little buttons of her shirt. She smiled nervously up at him as the knot came free, and they ceased to move for a timeless moment, just staring at each other like lovestruck children.
“I’m going to prove to you that we belong together, Ginny. How can you doubt it?”
She tilted her head, and the moment was broken. The fire in him rose, though, as