“So what’s your plan?” Claudia asked, and then she perked up with interest as a K passed by them with a tray of cocktails. She took one and sniffed it like a scientist would, attempting to waft it toward her nose with her hand.

  “Better taste this first since you’re a lightweight.” Then she took a sip.

  “Well? Too strong?” Bianca asked, watching her with a little smile.

  “Not much alcohol. Mostly some kind of sweet fruit juice. It’s good—try some. So, Soren. How do we find him?” Claudia asked.

  “We don’t,” Bianca said. Her heart was hammering as she pointed to the dance floor. “I think he found me.” There in the midst of the crowd stood the man who’d haunted her dreams. He wore jeans and a black T-shirt, looking more like his brother, but his hair was shorter than Sef’s, and those brown eyes were now swirling gold as he caught sight of her. Somehow he had found her. Yesterday that would have scared her, but after what had happened between them, she wanted to run to him and bury her face in his neck and get drunk on the sweet scent of his dark aroma.

  Claudia intruded on her thoughts. “Okay, you found your K. What should I do, other than be a third wheel?”

  “Whatever you want.” Bianca walked toward Soren as though in a dream.

  She longed to touch him again, kiss him again, and this time there would be no going back. She could see that in his eyes. They would be on the run together, from his people and hers, and she was fine with that. She licked her lips, and soon she and Soren were only a foot apart. His hands were in his pockets, and he looked oddly relaxed. She was breathless, and her heart wouldn’t stop pounding against her ribs.

  “Tell me now if what Sef told me is true. Do you want me to leave you alone? This is your last chance to be free of me,” he said. Despite the music all around them, she heard his softly spoken words. She didn’t know how to respond. She wasn’t sure if she wanted freedom or captivity—she only knew she wanted to be his.

  “You won’t cage me up? You won’t take away who I am?” she asked. That was her true fear, that by becoming his, she, the woman Bianca was, would disappear.

  His golden gaze softened, and her heart fluttered in response. “Take away who you are? Never. Who you are is what I crave. Your body and your mind matter to me. I want to be the only male in your life, for the rest of forever. That is how I will own you, by giving you endless pleasure.”

  “And do I own you back? No other women for you? Human or Krinar?”

  He nodded without hesitation. “Of course. How could it be otherwise?” She sought out any hint of hesitation or deception on his face but found none.

  This was it. There was no going back. She wasn’t going to let her father dictate her life. She wanted the right to choose, and she chose Soren.

  “Then yes, I want to be with you.” She met his gaze as he slowly reached for her hand, but when she expected him to grasp it, he instead slipped a small silver cuff around her wrist. A strange tingle rippled through her body.

  “Soren, what was that? What did you do to me?”

  He curled an arm around her waist and pulled her flush against his body so he could whisper in her ear. “I’ve made you invisible. No one, not my people or yours, will be able to find us unless we wish it.” He guided her finger to a small grooved spot. “So long as you are wearing this and you press this button, no one will see you. Press it a second time and you’ll be visible again. Mine is tuned to the same frequency so that we can always see each other.”

  He cupped her face and brushed the pad of his thumb over her lips. A wave of excitement and arousal flooded her at the thought that no one here could see them.

  “This is amazing,” she breathed. “We won’t have to worry about the agents or anybody.”

  He nodded, smiling down at her. “It will only be us, lilana,” he promised. Something about the way he said that made her tremble with excitement. She and Soren now had a chance to be alone, and she knew what she wanted. She bit her lip and slipped her hand into his.

  “This way, little one.” Soren led her away from the dance floor. She looked back, only to see Claudia talking to an attractive Krinar male by the bar. She seemed safe enough. Then Bianca followed Soren into the darkness.

  As they descended into another lower level, she shivered with apprehension. The walls pulsed with colors, and the sounds and scents of sex were all around them. Soren pressed his hand to one of the walls, and it melted away in the air. Then he pulled her into the room with him. There was a circular bed that floated above the ground.

  “Oh my God.” She stared at the bed, fascinated. Lucy had been telling the truth about the floating furniture after all. “How?”

  “A simple gravitational field.” Soren touched the wall beside the vanished door, and it rematerialized, sealing them inside. Then he faced her, his eyes glowing in the dark, the soft neon colors of the glowing walls reflected in his eyes. He stepped toward her, and she took a step back, but her legs hit the bed and she fell back, landing on the bed. He kicked off his boots, pulled his shirt over his head, and unbuttoned the single button above his zipper on his pants, but he left them on. The prospect of doing that for him was intensely erotic. It made her think he was going to take his time with her, but the second he couldn’t hold back, he’d rip those pants down to be inside her.

  “No more running. You’re mine,” he growled. The wolfish gleam in his alien eyes made her shiver with awareness. She was his, yes, but for some insane reason she didn’t want to make it easy for him. She needed him to be wild, to be on the hunt, to demand her submission.

  “Prove it,” she growled back in open challenge.

  Surprise flashed across his eyes, then a primal hunger heated his gaze, and he lunged for her. She got onto her hands and knees, scrambling away from him. She made it only two feet before he trapped her against the wall. He didn’t hurt her, but there was no way she could get free. He fisted a hand in her hair, baring her neck so he could press kisses against her skin over the spot he’d bitten last night.

  God, she wanted him to bite her again, but being pinned against the wall made that impossible. She bucked her hips, which only ground her ass against his groin harder. She could feel the thick, impressive bulge of his shaft through his jeans. Soren pressed his teeth into her shoulder, not piercing the skin, but holding her in place like a tiger with its mate while he slid his free hand up her inner right thigh to cup her mound.

  He pushed her panties aside, slipping one finger into her and growling as he found the wetness inside. She continued to fight, trying to urge him to take over completely, to own her body in the way she now craved. He pinched the sensitive bud of her clit, and she squealed as a mixture of pleasure and slight pain blurred her thoughts. He shoved her dress up over her hips and slapped her ass hard. Then he tugged her underwear down to her thighs, leaving her exposed. She shivered and writhed, her belly clenching as she took the pleasure he gave her and pushed against him, wanting more. Every cell in her body stilled as she heard the zipper of his jeans.

  Without any warning, he pulled her hips out and thrust up inside her. She gasped and arched on her tiptoes, surprised by the sudden fullness. She turned her head to the side more as he kissed her. It blew her mind how he could kiss her while fucking her hard against the wall like this. Her legs buckled, but he held her up, filling her, making the pleasure build in steady yet almost violent waves as he took her. Blood throbbed in her veins, and she closed her eyes, absorbing every delicious sensation of his body and hers, spinning them deeper and deeper into a web of erotic desire.

  The heat of his hard chest pressed to her back, and his warm breath mixed with hers as their lips separated for a moment, sending her spiraling higher. Mindless ecstasy captured her, and she was lost in the throes of an orgasm so powerful she couldn’t even make a sound. She went limp as he thrust into her a few more times, and then she felt a wave of heat inside her as he came, which she welcomed with a heavy, contented sigh.

  “Lilana,” he purred as he withdrew from her and scooped her into his arms. He placed her tenderly on the bed, his masculine hands brushing the hair back from her face before she was stripped of what remained of her clothes. She stretched out like a sacrifice to a pagan god and loved every moment of it, loved seeing her K lover gaze down at her with open lust.

  “My lilana,” he repeated, then crawled up her body, trapping her beneath him. This time when he entered her it was slow and gentle, but each thrust was deliberate, as was each kiss on her cheeks, her closed eyelids, the tip of her chin, nose, and lips. Each time he kissed her and thrust into her, he whispered more sweet words in Krinar. She wished she could understand him.

  “Soren…” She breathed his name, too afraid to whisper more than that. Little thrills rippled through her like electric pulses each time he joined his body with hers and every time their lips met. She raised her hips, meeting him with equal vigor. And when she dug her fingers into his shoulders, he growled in approval.

  “Yes. Mark me, Bianca. Make me yours.” She dug her nails into him harder, holding him close, showing him how much she wanted this, wanted him. The climax that came this time was slower, deeper, reaching not just her womb but her guarded heart, which now trembled with an emotion she was afraid of, but it was too late to stop. It was inevitable.

  Soren went rigid above her, and at last he did what she’d been hoping he’d do to her all this time. He bent his head to her neck and bit down. She felt a shock of pain, and then it all blurred into endless pleasure. His words faded as she tumbled into ecstasy and oblivion.

  “My sweet lilana.”

  8

  Bianca stirred awake beneath gentle touches, feathery kisses, and exploring fingers. Sunlight teased the backs of her eyelids with a heady warmth. She wanted to moan at the sheer delight of so many wonderful sensations she was experiencing.

  A deep chuckle only furthered her delight, and she wriggled in the luxurious softness of whatever she lay upon. When she finally focused on the world around her and opened her eyes, she gasped. She and Soren lay on the bed floating in a wood hut above pure blue water.

  “Where are we?” she asked in a daze. She noticed the shore was a good fifty feet away. They weren’t at the X-club anymore?

  Soren cupped her face and brushed his nose against hers. “We’re exactly where we should be.”

  “But we were at the club…” She tried to piece together the scattered remains of her memories from the previous night.

  “We fucked until dawn, and then you collapsed in my arms and slept. I carried you to my ship and flew us here.”

  “Fucked until dawn? Shouldn’t I be sore?” She touched her thighs, expecting to wince, but she felt no pain.

  Soren lifted a small device and waved it at her.

  “What’s that?” She wrinkled her nose.

  “A jansha. It heals almost anything except major injuries. We have stronger, more advanced devices for emergencies like that.”

  “I don’t know if the idea of you being able to fuck me like that and then wave a magic wand to fix me is scary good or scary bad.”

  He set the device on the table beside the canopy bed and pulled her closer, their naked bodies sliding against one another. This place was so different than the dark basement room with the circular bed that floated off the floor. That place had been dark, erotic, this place was…sensual and relaxing. Soren knew just how to seduce her.

  “I would never truly hurt you,” he said, and the soft, earnest tone of his voice stirred her heart.

  “Soren, I still don’t understand how we got here. Why me? I mean, I’m just nothing compared to those beautiful Krinar women. I can’t understand why”

  He silenced her with a blazing kiss. Only when she was breathless and on the verge of forgetting her question did he answer.

  “I saw fire inside you when we first met. You were too young then for me to see you as a potential companion, but I saw that fire, that bravery, that belief in protecting your people and fighting against a force you couldn’t understand, let alone resist. Females like you don’t come along very often in the universe, and it is even rarer in your species. I have never felt this way with any females of my kind. They have been nice to be with, but you? It’s like I’m waking up for the first time in my entire life. No other female has ever made me feel alive as you do.” He stroked a fingertip down her cheek, his face full of tenderness.

  She stared up at him in drowsy delight as he continued to speak.

  “You are fragile and have far more to lose and to fear. Yet you challenged me without hesitation, without question. Not with violence or hatred or fear—rather, you responded with brave curiosity. You are the future that mankind should strive to achieve. Sons and daughters of this world should want to explore the stars, not destroy the planet beneath their feet. Life is not about taking what you want at the cost of others or living only for oneself. My people—all good Krinar, at least—believe that their worth is measured by what we do for others. Our greatness is built upon our kindness, our charity, our bravery to do what is right, not what is easy.” Soren brushed his elegant fingers along her cheek as she listened to his rich, deep voice, utterly spellbound.

  “You really think that I’m good?”

  His lips curved in a seductive smile. “Not good. Amazing. I know your dreams, little one. You wish to study the seas, to help the animals who live there. You want to protect and preserve the beauty of your planet. There is nothing more noble than that.”

  She started to smile, but it soon faded. “But I won’t be able to do that anymore, will I? Now that we’re running away?”

  “Oh, lilana, have you no faith in me?” He sighed in bemusement and stole a kiss from her lips. “The cuff I gave you will be our secret weapon. I will use mine to come to you and you to me. So I will return you to your dorm in a few hours, and your watchdogs will be none the wiser. You will finish your degree, and then we’ll move to the West Coast when you start your job in Monterey Bay. I will be with you in secret, and once it’s safe, once everyone is ready to accept us, we will be together in the open. I don’t want your life in danger from being seen with me until I’m certain I can fully protect you at all times.”

  Bianca touched her throat, trying to find the words to express how happy she was. But she couldn’t, so she did the next best thing. She kissed him back.

  An hour later, Soren pulled her from the bed and provided her with a pretty swimsuit, navy-blue with polka dots, like something a 1940s pinup girl would wear. He wore navy-blue trunks, and they leaped off the ledge of the hut into the water below to swim and splash about in the shallows.

  After they’d had their fun playing in the water, Soren caught her by the waist. She curled her arms around his neck as he carried her to the shore, and then they lay upon the hot sand, soaking up the sun.

  “Tell me about you. I don’t know anything but your name and that you have a brother.” She reached across the white sand and threaded her fingers with his.

  His eyes were closed, and she had a moment to study him unobserved, his handsome features, strong chin, sensual lips, straight nose, and enviable dark lashes. For the first time, she understood the power of falling in love and being able to watch someone you cared about and memorize every feature. She would never forget anything about him.

  “Sarket, my father, and Sarina, my mother, are about nine thousand years old, which is very old in our society. They still live on Krina, but once we have made Earth safe, they plan to come here. With our sun dying, my people will all eventually have to leave.”

  “Your sun is dying?” She hadn’t heard this before. So much about Krina and the Krinar was kept a secret.

  “It is far older than yours. It’s an ancient red god that is slowly lying to rest in our sky. It has but a few more million years before it dies and life on Krina will perish without its heat. That’s why we have come to Earth. We’ve been watching over you, careful not to interfere in your evolution too much. But it was time we showed ourselves. We need to establish good relationships with humans so that we can safely transition our population here without violence. We want no bloodshed.”

  Bianca moved closer and rested her cheek on his shoulder as the warm sun beat down upon their bodies. “Humans are afraid the Krinar will be in control forever, that we’ll be nothing more than slaves.”

  Soren’s lips twitched, and he chuckled. “I understand your fears, but the control is necessary for now. In a few hundred years, humans will see that control was to protect them. Once they are comfortable with us and we with them, we will not need to control them. We intend for humans to become our equals someday. You are a young race, making leaps and bounds, but still so very young. Right now, you are your own worst enemies. You must learn to trust us. Great things will come once you do.”

  She placed a hand on his stomach, feeling his corded muscles twitch beneath her palm.

  “So the Ks don’t really want to control humans?”

  “No, little one, we don’t.” He looked her way and smirked. “Except, perhaps, in bed. We are far more aggressive than humans.” He suddenly rolled and pinned her beneath him in the sand and covered her face with kisses while he trapped her hands on either side of her head. She moaned as her body responded wildly, hungrily toward him. His domination of her made her wet and aching.

  Their tongues dueled for a long, pleasurable moment before he let go of her hands. They got up, and he carried her back to the hut on the water. After he made love to her, leaving her sated and sleepy from the sun and sex, he simply held her close.

  “I know more about you than most people,” he murmured. “But all of what I know is from our files on you. Would you tell me what it’s like? To be the daughter of the leader of what you call the free world?”

 

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