Ugh! Stop that right now!Ashlyn hated herself for noticing how good he smelled, hated even more how much she wanted the hand on her ass to wander into more dangerous territory. She needed to snap out of it and get control over her hormones or she just might start begging for it, and that was unacceptable. “Fine. I’m sorry. Is that what you want to hear?”

Zade’s lips thinned angrily. He didn’t need to see her face to recognize the sarcastic tone. “You are not willing to say whatI want to hear, but feel free to continue with this sham of an apology if it makes you feel better.”

“Great. I’ll do that. I am sooo sorry my assessment of your character hurt your delicate little feelings. Now would you, pretty, pretty please with a cherry on top, put me down?”

He snorted in disgust. “That was worse than no apology at all. I am a warrior. There is nothing small or delicate about me.”

“Oh, get over yourself, you big bully.” She thumped his back again. “You kidnapped me and carried me off like a sack of potatoes. If anyone should be apologizing, it is you.”

He laughed mirthlessly. “Very well. I am sorry if carrying you like a ‘sack of potatoes’ was not enjoyable for you. Next time you can wrap your legs around my waist and ride my cock all the way here.”

“You call that an apology?!” Breath choppy and erratic, she renewed her efforts to squirm free. Damn. What was he doing to her? She had a great imagination and instantly visualized them doing exactly what he described. He would carry her across the room until he had her back against the wall, his shaft buried deep inside her, stretching, filling, stroking deep, hard and fast, until she was screaming in release. The image was so clear, her core throbbed and her panties became soaked. “Is that why you brought me here? I promise you, I’m not an easy target.” She grabbed his skin between finger and thumb and twisted. Hard.

“I have never taken an unwilling woman to my bed, if that was your meaning.” He scowled. “However, I will not allow anyone to repeatedly insult me without consequence, either. In addition to being soundproof, there are no windows in here and there is only one way in or out. We will have privacy here. I warned you what would happen.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” she hissed.

Zade growled in frustration.Fulack!He’d never met a more stubborn female. His senses were far keener than a human’s. Didshe think he could not smell her desire? The scent was unique to her and drove him wild, her need fueling his own primitive instinct to take, claim, possess; to spread her open and feast on her sweet nectar, then rut inside her like the beast he knew he was, rough, raw, ruthless, give no quarter, breed her, fill her with his seed until he was sure it had taken root, and never let her go. She chose another, so shut it down. You can’t have her. Do what you came here to do, then walk away.That’s it. One spank, then it’s over…

Her dainty hands came to rest on his belt, using it to balance herself. He waited for more insults, but she’d gone quiet. “Are you about done?”

“No. Are you?”

“Do you want me to be done,shenga?”

“I am not ashenga, whatever that is, and yes, I want you to be done,” she huffed into his lower back.

“No. Not yet.” He shifted her slightly on his shoulder. With iron control he’d spent years perfecting, he quieted his raging body and quashed every fantasy; mentally shoved them down, one by one, into a box and closed the lid. He was calm. In control. Ready. “If I release you, are you going to run?”

“It’s a distinct possibility,” she sassed.

“Then I shall be ready to catch you.”

“Don’t be so sure. I’m fast.”

“I’m faster,” he said without amusement. “You seem to forget I am not human. Do you want me to give you a head start or are you ready to accept the punishment you have earned?”

“There will be no punishment, which is why I said put me down about a hundred times! So. Put. Me. Down!” she huffed into his lower back, kicking and squirming.

He put his hand on her bottom and gave a squeeze. “If you don’t stop wiggling your ass in my face, I will do a lot more than spank it.”

She sucked in a lungful of air and held herself rigidly still, her bottom tingling where he touched her. He wouldn’t. Would he?“Fine. I’ll stop. But you have to let me go,” she replied imperiously, “and you can’t spank me.”

"I can.” His tone hardened to one of authority. "And I will." Her body tensed, ready to start fighting again at the smallest provocation. Nevertheless, he inched her down, his hands gripping firmly at her waist to keep her from falling too quickly, until her feet were planted on the ground.

The moment Ashlyn was down, she twisted free, and made a dash for the door, only to be blocked by one very large alien. She ducked to the side; there he was again. She switched directions. This time he beat her there. She let out a scream of frustration. “Ugh! Stop playing with me!”

“Stop running,” he countered, easily keeping up with her escape attempts. Caldorians were most definitely faster than tiny little human females.

“I’m not giving up, you big bruiser,” she warned with a feint to the left, then a jump to the right, her foot extended in a parkour move even a professional would be proud of, bouncing off two walls to get behind him. She was fast. Her legs, exceptionally strong from years of dance, gave her a much needed extra burst of speed. “I used to spend all day in the studio. I got there before sunrise and didn't leave until well after dark! I can keep this up all day long.”

Zade spun around, his arm whipping out to catch her around the waist and bring her close, chest to chest. One eyebrow quirked in surprise– she’d almost gotten past him that time. His eyes lit with challenge and his cock strained against his pants as he took in her full, kissable lips, flushed skin and labored breaths. “Is that all? I once spent three days on the battlefield with no food or rest.”

Ashlyn tried to pry his arm from around her, but he didn’t budge, as immovable as a mountain. With each tug, his hard-packed muscles flexed, and her heart raced faster. She was quickly running out of steam from exerting so much pressure. His forearm was like an immovable tree trunk, as big as her thigh, and that was saying something. He was all male. Dominant. Rock hard. Indestructible.

Normally she would have been all over that. She wasn’t exactly shy when it came to sex, but whether he knew it or not, he was forbidden fruit. She tried to keep her composure, but his presence was making it hard for her to think. It took her a moment to remember the thread of their conversation.Dancing. That’s right."I could have danced all night. I stopped because my parents made me quit. What was your excuse?" she asked, acutely aware of the arm wrapped around her, his muscles, his heat.

Zade snorted. “When the enemy is dead, no purpose is served by continuing. Had the enemy not been vanquished, with certainty I could have endured many more days.”