trust in her had to be given with the same amount of fear, doubt, and uncertainty she was feeling. That he had wanted to do this with her since their first night together told Anji he believed in them, even knowing the very real backlash he’d take from his own people.
If that wasn’t love, she didn’t know what was.
She let go of him and framed his face, her fingers brushing the scales that traced his hairline. He was an alien, but she didn’t care. She hadn’t cared, since before the first time he kissed her. The thought of living tomorrow, and every day after that without him was like a fist pummeling her heart.
“I can’t—” She cleared her throat, and talked fast when she saw the despair in his eyes. “I can’t live another day not knowing you’re mine, Kiele. Forever—that’s what I want with you. Forever.”
He kissed her, his lips, his touch so tender tears stung her eyes. “Say the words, t’anling , and you will get exactly what you want.”
Anji took his left hand, looking into his eyes when she spoke. “We are one.” She brushed her lips over the inside of his wrist—and let out a cry as hot liquid filled her. “Kiele—”
He closed his hands around her hips and drove himself in to the hilt.
A different kind of heat filled her, like nothing she’d ever felt. It spiraled through her, and she could almost see the tendrils as they wrapped around her heart, pulling her into Kiele physically and emotionally, filling her with a kind of peace and joy she’d never experienced.
“You feel the joining,” he whispered.
“Is this what it’s supposed to feel like?”
She arched into him as he slowly stroked her. “Peace,” he murmured, brushing her lips. “Joy so deep it becomes part of you. Love.” He pulled her in, taking himself deeper.
“Yes—” Her fingers dug into his shoulders. With his cock so hot and thick inside her, surrounded by the cool water, her head was spinning. “Kiele—I can’t think—”
“No need. Simply feel, my heart.” He thrust into her, moving faster now. “Anji—I need to take you under the water.”
Panic shot through her and she stilled. “What?”
“Trust me, breathe into me. The joining has traditionally been finished while the couple is immersed.”
“You forgot that detail.”
He ran one hand down her back, cool and soothing against her hot skin. “Even in the water, you are so warm.”
“Stop avoiding, Kiele.”
“You were already nervous. I thought to—”
“Trap me first, then spring the happy news on me?”
“Bring you close to fulfillment, so we would need to spend as little time under the water as possible. Anji—I would never hold back information without good reason.”
Realization struck her. “This is why you asked if I was afraid of the water.”
“Part of it. For the rest—water is my life, and I could not share that life with you if you feared the one source that makes me who I am.”
“You could have told me. Sure, I might have been a little freaked out by it, but I trust you, Kiele. I seriously don’t think you would have gone to all this trouble just to drown me in a tub.”
Laughter burst out of him. “You never fail to surprise me, Anji.”
“Right back at you, T’An. Can I ask one favor?”
“Anything, love.”
She shivered, liking the way she felt when he said that. Loving the way he felt inside her. She had never been so comfortable talking to a man while he made love to her. And this was making love—not the vaguely unsatisfying sex she’d had with other men. An alien finally captured her heart, showed her that she could love.
“Can I kiss your wrist again? We already did the joining thing, so it’s not like I’d be tempting you—and I really need a distraction—”
“I would be thrilled.” He cradled her cheek. “I meant what I said before, Anji. You can breathe into me. I can give you the oxygen you need.”
“You can?”
“It is a technique we discovered, with other
If that wasn’t love, she didn’t know what was.
She let go of him and framed his face, her fingers brushing the scales that traced his hairline. He was an alien, but she didn’t care. She hadn’t cared, since before the first time he kissed her. The thought of living tomorrow, and every day after that without him was like a fist pummeling her heart.
“I can’t—” She cleared her throat, and talked fast when she saw the despair in his eyes. “I can’t live another day not knowing you’re mine, Kiele. Forever—that’s what I want with you. Forever.”
He kissed her, his lips, his touch so tender tears stung her eyes. “Say the words, t’anling , and you will get exactly what you want.”
Anji took his left hand, looking into his eyes when she spoke. “We are one.” She brushed her lips over the inside of his wrist—and let out a cry as hot liquid filled her. “Kiele—”
He closed his hands around her hips and drove himself in to the hilt.
A different kind of heat filled her, like nothing she’d ever felt. It spiraled through her, and she could almost see the tendrils as they wrapped around her heart, pulling her into Kiele physically and emotionally, filling her with a kind of peace and joy she’d never experienced.
“You feel the joining,” he whispered.
“Is this what it’s supposed to feel like?”
She arched into him as he slowly stroked her. “Peace,” he murmured, brushing her lips. “Joy so deep it becomes part of you. Love.” He pulled her in, taking himself deeper.
“Yes—” Her fingers dug into his shoulders. With his cock so hot and thick inside her, surrounded by the cool water, her head was spinning. “Kiele—I can’t think—”
“No need. Simply feel, my heart.” He thrust into her, moving faster now. “Anji—I need to take you under the water.”
Panic shot through her and she stilled. “What?”
“Trust me, breathe into me. The joining has traditionally been finished while the couple is immersed.”
“You forgot that detail.”
He ran one hand down her back, cool and soothing against her hot skin. “Even in the water, you are so warm.”
“Stop avoiding, Kiele.”
“You were already nervous. I thought to—”
“Trap me first, then spring the happy news on me?”
“Bring you close to fulfillment, so we would need to spend as little time under the water as possible. Anji—I would never hold back information without good reason.”
Realization struck her. “This is why you asked if I was afraid of the water.”
“Part of it. For the rest—water is my life, and I could not share that life with you if you feared the one source that makes me who I am.”
“You could have told me. Sure, I might have been a little freaked out by it, but I trust you, Kiele. I seriously don’t think you would have gone to all this trouble just to drown me in a tub.”
Laughter burst out of him. “You never fail to surprise me, Anji.”
“Right back at you, T’An. Can I ask one favor?”
“Anything, love.”
She shivered, liking the way she felt when he said that. Loving the way he felt inside her. She had never been so comfortable talking to a man while he made love to her. And this was making love—not the vaguely unsatisfying sex she’d had with other men. An alien finally captured her heart, showed her that she could love.
“Can I kiss your wrist again? We already did the joining thing, so it’s not like I’d be tempting you—and I really need a distraction—”
“I would be thrilled.” He cradled her cheek. “I meant what I said before, Anji. You can breathe into me. I can give you the oxygen you need.”
“You can?”
“It is a technique we discovered, with other
Similar Books
