Read Online Grady's Awakening by Bianca D'Arc - Free Book Online Page B

apologize?”
    The uncertainty in his tone touched her. She knew he wasn’t used to having feelings and probably had little experience with the minefield of emotion involved in male-female interactions at the best of times.
    This was the worst of times. She was leaving soon. She had no time to spare for an involvement like this. She shouldn’t start anything with him, knowing she was leaving. It wouldn’t be fair to either one of them.
    “No, Grady. It’s I who should be apologizing to you. I shouldn’t have let it go this far. It’s not right.”
    “It feels very right to have you in my arms, Gina. I have been with many women, but none have ever touched me as you do.”
    She wasn’t sure she liked hearing the part about him being with many women before her, but she did like the sincerity of that last bit. Still, she was probably just a novelty to him, now that he had shiny new emotions to try out.
    She backed away and he let her go, albeit reluctantly.
    “You heard the Patriarch. I’m leaving the day after tomorrow,” she said with finality. “My mission is a long-term one. I won’t be back this way anytime soon and I doubt out paths will cross again for a long time—if ever. It wouldn’t be right to start something I can’t finish. I hope you understand. Otherwise…” She had to pause to collect herself.
    She was this close to saying to hell with it and dragging him off the path into the loamy forest. She was that hot for him. That desperate. And the thought of it scared her. She was barely in control here and that was never a good thing for a woman who’d trained her entire life to be in control at all times.
    “Otherwise—” She tried again. “I’d enjoy getting to know you better, Grady. You’re an attractive man. In fact, you’re the first man I’ve been this attracted to in a long time, but circumstances are against us right now. I’m sorry.”
    “No sorrier than I am, Gina. I know you don’t realize the significance yet, but you could very well be my Resonance Mate. That’s a precious thing among Alvians. Among humans, too, if my observations prove correct. We could be each other’s perfect match. Are you willing to give that up before we’ve even discovered the truth of it?”
    His words shocked her. She hadn’t been thinking beyond a roll in the proverbial hay. Maybe a few. He sounded serious and almost possessive. While one part of her perversely liked it, the rest of her was jamming on the mental brakes.
    She’d only just met the man. She found him attractive. That didn’t mean she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. For all she knew, he could be a rat bastard, though she didn’t really think so. Still, she’d been proven wrong about people before. Most notably the men she’d traveled with those first few weeks in the wilderness who’d turned out to be no better than animals.
    “I have no choice, Grady.” She tried to stand firm. “I’m leaving soon.” The hurt in his eyes made her cut him some slack. “In human relationships it’s usual to take time to get to know a person before declaring that you want them to be your permanent mate.”
    “I didn’t say we were mates, just that we could be. We Hum. Everyone but you heard the evidence of that at dinner. If I’d had a tuned crystal handy a few minutes ago I’d bet anything we could have passed the other tests as well, but now…” He looked so forlorn she wanted to hug him.
    “How about this? If, after my mission is completed, you want to try this again, I’ll submit to your tests. All you have to do is send a message through Sinclair Prime. He’ll be sure to get it to me, if I’m back among the Brotherhood by that time.”
    “Compromise?” Grady Prime looked at her with those startling blue eyes. He was getting better at hiding his emotions behind that stoic façade, but she could sense turmoil within him.
    “It’s all I can give you.” She wished it could be otherwise. Unfortunately they