Part 15 (1/2)
How stupid did he think she was? Struggling for patience, she clenched her teeth. ”I did. It's not opening.”
”The lever on the right?”
”The yellow one?”
”Yes.”
”Not working.” She glared as a bad feeling went through her. ”Did you do this on purpose?”
”h.e.l.l no!” He dared sound exasperated with her? Really? ”Why would I intentionally do something that I know would p.i.s.s you off?”
He had a point. ”You swear it?”
”I swear.” When he finally opened the door, he had his gaze locked to hers. But she saw the battle inside him not to lower it. His breathing ragged, he held a towel out to her like a bashful teen.
”You okay?” she teased.
”Not really.”
”Am I torturing you?”
”Yes.”
”Good.”
That brought a smile to his gorgeous lips as he swept a heated gaze over her body that she had yet to cover with the towel. ”You are a cruel, cruel female, Galene Batur. You sure you didn't do this on purpose to lure me down here?”
His charm stole the anger and irritation from her. She actually felt bad for accusing him of it. ”I don't mean to be cruel, Fain. I just don't want to be hurt anymore.”
”And that's why I'm standing here, harder than h.e.l.l, not touching you when all I want to do is make love to you until neither of us can walk straight.” With those words, he turned and started toward the flight deck.
Galene caught his arm. The moment his gaze returned to hers and she saw the raw hunger and need inside him, she froze in place. There was so much she wanted to say. But she didn't know where to start. Nothing made sense to her. None of her feelings felt right. The hatred and pain, the love and need. They tripped over each other and left her so confused.
His gaze softened as he dropped his hand to gently finger the old stretch marks left by her pregnancy. While Talyn had been born prematurely, the surgery from it had still left her scarred. In more ways than one. The physical marks had never bothered her. The close call with Talyn's life was never far from her thoughts. Three times since then she'd had a doctor tell her to pick out funeral clothes for her son and to prepare herself mentally for his loss. That had been the first time.
She prayed to the G.o.ds that her son continued to defy them all.
”I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you, Stormy. When was he born?”
”The first day of the year. A little after midnight.”
”Did you have a hard labor?”
She shook her head. ”He came nine weeks early. It was less than ten minutes from when I entered the hospital ER to when they had him in an incubation bed.”
His hand trembled against her waist. ”Were your parents there?”
”Only your yaya Hauk. Corinne had me hidden in her guesthouse during the last few weeks of my pregnancy. She's the only reason Talyn survived at all. I don't know what I would have done without her kindness.”
He frowned at that. ”Why didn't she adopt him, then?”
”Your grasparan refused. Once he found out we were staying there, he demanded we leave immediately.”
Fain cursed under his breath. ”How old was Talyn?”
”Six months. But it was fine. By then, he was old enough for me to take my turn in the military. Since I was no longer under the official protection of my family, I lost my waiver. Corinne kept us going long enough to get me off the street until I could enter military housing.”
He winced. ”So that's why you didn't go to medical school.”
”Actually, I did go. It took a while, but I finished. Third in my cla.s.s.”
”Then why didn't you leave the military?”
”By the time I was done, Talyn was beginning his service and I didn't want to abandon him to it. He never complained. Still, I knew how they treated lack-Vests. Had I left, he'd have had no one to do anything for him at all.”
Fain pulled her into his arms and held her like he used to when they were kids. He cupped her head with his hand and wrapped his arm around her waist. It was a hold of utter protection. The kind she'd missed most. Even though she felt his erection against her hip, he kept his word and made no moves on her.
A perfectly behaved Andarion male. Just as he'd always been. An honor to his lineage and family.
Leaning her head back, she stared up at his searing eyes and the torment that melted away all the hatred she'd nursed for him through the years. ”What about you?”
Fain brushed his hand through her wet braids as he refused to remember the bitter years he'd spent away from his Storm Dancer. They didn't matter and he didn't want to think about them right now. All he wanted was to savor this precious moment with her. He wouldn't let anything taint it. ”I survived.”
She arched a brow. ”That's it?”
”What do you want me to say? That I went through h.e.l.l? Yeah, I did. But the War Hauk family motto is... Indurari. Through blood pain we conquer and endure. Out of the bad, comes the good. By our challenges, we are strengthened. Ever strong. Forever onward.” He quirked a lopsided grin. ”f.u.c.k you, fate.”
She pulled at his braids and rolled her eyes. ”You are so aggravating.”
”So Dancer tells me.” And yet she beguiled him in a way no one ever had. Before he could stop himself, he lowered his head slowly, giving her time to deny him. When she didn't, he gently kissed her.
Every part of his body erupted as he breathed her in and tasted her lips. Growling, he deepened his kiss and pressed himself closer to her body, dreaming he was already inside her. Dizzy and breathless, he ran his hands over her velvety-soft skin, wis.h.i.+ng he could turn back time and redo his entire life.
If only it were that simple.
But dreams were for fools. And wishes were for better males than him. Males who didn't owe their souls to someone else...
Pulling back, he smiled down at her and rubbed his nose against hers. ”Will you have dinner with me?”
”Of course.”
”Will you have s.e.x with me?”
She snorted at him. ”Now you're pus.h.i.+ng it.”
”You're the one standing naked in my arms.”
”That's to punish you.”
”It's working.” He pressed her hand against his c.o.c.k. ”At this rate, I'm going to die of testosterone poisoning.” Which could actually happen to Andarions. It was a real concern for the males of their species.