Page 7 of Protected By the Alien Knight

It’s crazy, reckless even, to be nurturing an attraction to my bodyguard. Crux has made it abundantly clear his sole priority is protecting me. A wry smile tugs at my lips. For the first time in a long time, I’m not thinking about negotiation tactics or my kids’ latest avoidable crises. I’m allowing myself to imagine a future with a different kind of partnership with the Avenian Knight.A woman can dream, right?I can’t shut off the part of me that longs for real connection, for the tenderness I haven’t allowed myself in years. Not since...

I push the thought of my ex away firmly, unwilling to follow down that path again. Unbidden, my mind drifts to thoughtsof Crux instead. Of the chiseled lines of his face and body, the striking colors of his exotic lilac skin and glowing tattoo markings. The surprising gentleness in his calloused hands.

My cheeks flush warm as images of us tangling together on this very cot flood my mind’s eye. I imagine the weight of his hardened body covering mine, the scorching heat of his intimate caresses. How would those full lips taste if I dared to capture them with my own?

The thought is so dizzying it awakens a deep hunger inside me. One I’ve neglected for far too long. Almost of its own volition, my hand drifts down to the hem of my thin shirt, fingertips lightly brushing the bare skin of my thigh. I shiver at the tingling trail of sensation, then freeze as a muffled sound comes from the next room.

My heart pounds wildly as I strain to listen.Is that...Crux?The unmistakable rhythmic squeaking of bedsprings reaches my ears and I feel myself flush hot with arousal and embarrassment. He must be able to hear every creak, every intake of breath from my side of the thin wall.

The thought of him so close, potentially participating in intimate activities of his own, is utterly thrilling in a forbidden way. I press my thighs together tightly, trying to ease the insistent ache building there. But I know the only relief will come from giving in to the delicious temptation.

With a shuddering breath, I allow my hand to slip beneath the fabric, fingers trailing lightly through my folds. I’m already slick with want, practically pulsing with need. As I begin to stroke myself in slow, deliberate circles, vivid images of Crux fill my mind, only heightening the fiery tension coiling low in my belly.

I have to bite my lip to stifle my cries of pleasure as my movements become more frantic, driven by an urgent hunger to reach that blazing peak. Every muscle in my body is exquisitelytense, suspended in delirious anticipation right on the knife’s edge of ecstasy.

With a startled gasp, I come undone utterly, waves of searing release crashing over me again and again. I ride out the storm of sensation until I’m finally spent, limp and sated against the rumpled sheets.

As the hazy bliss gradually clears, I realize the noises from Crux’s room have also ceased. My face flames hot with uncertainty and the first wave of regret.I’m too old for this to carry on. I have twin adult children for goodness’ sake!But a traitorous part of me wonders.What if he heard me and knew exactly what I was doing, imagining his hands on me while I touched myself?The thought is both mortifying and incredibly arousing.

Before I can dwell on it further, I force myself up and out of bed on shaky legs. I have to see him, have to know if things have now irrevocably shifted between us. I pause in the doorway, steadying my nerves with a deep breath before stepping into his shadowed bedroom.

Crux is seated by the circular window, his muscular back to me as he stares out at the moonlit alien landscape. Even in the dim lighting, I can see the taut lines of his powerful body, the defined musculature of his arms and shoulders tantalizingly bared.

I clear my throat softly to announce my presence. “Crux?”

He turns, and the look in his blazing eyes has me frozen in place. There’s an intensity there, a hunger I’ve only imagined till now. And with that heated gaze, I know he heard everything, knows exactly what I was doing and the wicked thoughts that consumed me.

My mouth has gone dry as cotton, but somehow, I find my voice. “I... I couldn’t sleep.”

Crux rises to his feet in one lithe, predatory movement, holding my gaze with laser focus. “Neither could I,” he rumbles in that sinfully deep tone that makes me shiver.

He crosses the space between us in two long strides, backing me up against the wall without ever laying a hand on me. My breath is coming in short, shallow bursts in anticipation, my pulse thundering in my ears. This is it, Annie, the moment when there’s no going back.

Crux leans in close until his lips are a hairsbreadth from mine, near enough that I can feel the hot moistness of his breath. “Tell me to stop,” he rasps, the words like a plea and a challenge all in one.

I search his blazing eyes for a long, aching moment, laying everything bare between us. Then, gathering what little courage I have left, I slide my hands up to cradle his ruggedly handsome face.

“I wouldn’t dare,” I breathe, rising on my tiptoes to finally, finally claim his lips with my own.

four

Crux

Annie’s lips are searedagainst mine in heated demand. I feast on her honeyed mouth with barely restrained hunger until primal need overrides sense. With monumental effort, I tear myself away and put distance between us.

“We cannot,” I rasp, chest heaving. “You are my charge.”

She holds my gaze for a tense moment, desire and confusion warring across her delicate features. Then she gives a tight nod, the professional mask slamming back into place.

“Of course. This was... a lapse in judgment. I’ll retire for the night.”

Without awaiting a response, Annie turns on her heel and disappears through the bedroom door. It closes behind her with finality as the phantom heat of her kiss still brands my tingling lips.

I lick away the lingering taste of her sweetness, the heady scent surrounding me in an accusing cloud.Maker, what possessedme to act so rashly?To let the tight leash of control slip so completely and indulge the cravings I’ve ruthlessly suppressed?

One minute I was vowing to maintain professionalism, and the next I had the beautiful ambassador pinned against the wall, ravaging her mouth like a starving man reunited with his last ration.

This will be a memory seared into my mind. The way her soft curves felt pressed against me, the breathless little sounds she made as our tongues tangled. How is it possible that she feels so perfect in my arms? Arousal swells low in my abdomen once more. I squeeze my eyes shut and lean my forehead against the cool window with a harsh exhalation.Get a grip, Crux. She is your charge, nothing more.The absolute last thing I should be entertaining are sordid thoughts of taking her to bed and—

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