I looked away because her eyes made the words harder and because I felt like she was seeing straight through me, through the lies. The truth was, I left her because I hadn't known any better.
“But I couldn’t move on. I haven’t slept. I haven’t... felt right. My routines are off. The bridge is too quiet. I tried to convince myself it was just logistics, or guilt, or habit.” I met her eyes again. “But it’s you. It’salwaysyou. You’re the variable I can’t control. And I don’t want to.”
She still wasn't convinced.
“You make me feel things I’ve never let myself feel before. Irritation. Curiosity. Peace. Chaos. Desire. And... care—real, inconvenient, impossible care. I didn't know how much I’d changed until you weren’t there to argue with me. The drones didn’t stop glitching, and you know what? It's boring when they work like they're supposed to.”
Still nothing. Her silence was merciless. I thought that last bit was funny. Obviously, she didn't.
With a deep sigh, I laid my soul bare for her, “I need you on Darlam because I’m better when you’re with me. Not just as an engineer. As a person. I want you to be there when we discover what these mating marks are all about. I know I don’t deserve to ask, but I am. I’m asking.”
Alice, being Alice, drew her brows together. "That’s a lot of words forI missed you."
I huffed a quiet laugh, shaking my head. She wasn’t wrong, but I would be damned before I admitted that. "I’m not asking you to stay with me forever, Alice. Just to come with me to Darlam. Help me figure out what’s really going on. Why we’ve got these mating marks."
She moved the chair back and stood. "I need a really good reason to come with you, something more than I need an engin?—"
That was as far as my self-control lasted. She was so frygging close. Those damn kissable lips of hers were calling to me, tempting me. I jumped up so fast that the chair I had been sitting on toppled over with a loud bang, but I didn't care. I reached my arm out, clasped her back, and pulled her against my chest. Her fingers threaded into the top of my uniform, her eyes widened, her pupils dilated with desire, her lips parted, and I slammed mine down on hers.
She tugged on my shirt and balled the material into her fists while our tongues dueled, and my cock turned so hard I worried I would come right there.
ALICE
Rottvan wasbeyond anything I could have imagined.
When Silla and Garth offered me the opportunity to come help build a new outpost, I pictured metal scaffolding, concrete structures, and prefab barracks lined up in neat little rows. Maybe a few harsh floodlights cutting through the darkness, the smell of fresh-cut steel and construction dust thick in the air.
But this?
This looked like something out of a dream.
Golden light stretched across rolling green hills, reflecting off smooth, domed structures that seemed to have grown out of the earth rather than being built. The homes—or whatever they were—had a strangely organic look; their metallic surfaces mirrored the sky, the water, and the alien flora around them.
And the water—there was water everywhere.
Crystal-clear pools wove through the settlement, separating the rounded buildings like a natural moat; their surfaces rippled with the slightest breeze. Wooden or stone walkways bridged the gaps, creating paths that wound gracefully through the land instead of cutting through it.
The entire place glowed.
Not just from the golden hues of sunset but also from the warm light spilling from the round windows, illuminating the domes like lanterns. Hundreds of tiny golden orbs pulsing with life dotted the landscape like a constellation brought to the ground.
I had expected a settlement, a military outpost, something cold and utilitarian. But this was a small town of light. I had no idea how they built this, how it functioned, or how the hell I was supposed to help improve it. All I knew was that for the first time since landing on an alien world… I didn’t feel like I had arrived at a war zone. I felt like I had arrived somewhere I could actually live.
And then the damnalienappeared.
My heart had leaped in my chest when I realized the ship that had just landed was Xyrek’s. He had come for me! I was too excited to consider any alternatives and rushed forward, passing the soldiers aiming their guns at him. Right from the start, he showed his assholishness by antagonizing the Imperial Forces soldiers, and he didn't stop until they were all on the ground, wounded and beaten. I should have been put off, but the tiny little voice inside me was still singing that he came forme.
Not even his words later in the breakroom,because…it was getting too lonely.I could use an experienced engineer. Like I said, I could use your talents,deterred my hope. I could read between the lines that he had missed me—the same way I had missed him. But just because Icoulddo something didn’t mean Ishould.He wanted to hold onto his stubborn pride and not admit his feelings?
Well, too bad. No matter how much his story intrigued me… fine, how muchheintrigued me, I was still a woman. A woman who needed to hear something a bit more romantic thanI could use an experienced engineerif he expected me to leave Rottvan and the life I had begun to plan for myself.
He had to do better. A lot better. I wasn't a high-maintenance girl, but I wasn't about to leave my little supportive role and become a main character in a damn romance movie unless he was going to put some work in and woo me. And I mean, really woo me. "I need a really good reason to come with you, something more than I need an engin?—"
Without a word, he grabbed me. His lips descended on mine, and, oh, that kiss. That freaking kiss. The butterflies inside my stomach didn't just flutter; they rioted. I had to fist his uniform just to remain upright because my traitorous knees turned into melted butter. I held on to him for dear life while his tongue expertly explored my mouth and danced with mine. Above all, he tasted so fucking good. Like a man. Like him.
"Is that a yes?" He smirked when we came up for air.
"Let's call it a good start, Space Guardian," I retorted, catching my breath and doing my best not to let on how much he had stolen it. "What else you got?"
