Page 39 of The Alien's Private Redemption

The torchlight danced across his scales, making the colors shift and sparkle. They were beautiful in a way she couldn't describe and all she wanted to do was touch them.

She reached out and ran a hand down his chest, reveling in the deep breath he took when her skin touched his. It wasn't the first time she'd touched his bare skin, but it was the first time she'd done it with so much intimacy. His claws scraped along the floor as he struggled to stay still for her perusal.

She marveled again at how soft his skin felt, his tiny scales shifting as he flexed. He was hot to the touch, and she remembered the heat she'd felt while he held her. Her fingersmoved to his arms, the ones he'd carried her with all day, and they felt solid beneath her touch.

"You're so strong," she said, her voice breathy. He was staring at her, his fingers clenching as he tried to stand still for her to explore, but she knew she was making it difficult to restrain from touching her back.

That she knew it was a struggle, and that it was her who made it that way, sent a little thrill through her spine. There were few things that made her feel feminine and delicate. Zoric's very obvious reactions to her did both.

"You're strong, too," he said, voice choked until it was almost a growl.

She let her lips twitch up in a small smile. Her brows had fallen when she'd started focusing on him and her lips had straightened out. Not because she was angry but because she wanted to focus all of her attention on him, and she tended to look upset when she was focused.

"I am," she agreed with him. "But not all the time. For instance, when I think about your arms around me, I get weak in the knees."

Zoric moved, his arms wrapping around her to pull her into his chest. "Like this?" he asked. His hot breath teased across her ear and she shivered.

"Yes," she answered. "Just like this."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. Her lips ached to kiss him so she started at the base of his jaw and peppered little, gentle kisses down this throat to his shoulders.

The tip of his tail wrapped around her ankle and started working its way up the inside of her pants. It couldn't go far but the feeling of it against her skin made her shiver.

"I want to touch you," he said, his voice shaking with contained desire. "I want to peel you out of these clothes and taste your skin."

She bit on the muscle in his neck, his scales creating a shield so her teeth didn't do damage, and he spasmed against her. His hands clutched at her, his body bowed, until she was pressed against every possible inch.

"Please do," she whispered against his skin.

His hands came up her back and his claws raked downward on her shirt, shredding it into pieces around her body. She stepped back to let it all fall away and realized it was her uniform with her rank picked out in red thread, like a scarlet letter.

Her belt was next, followed by her trousers. He stared at her boots for a long moment, his breath coming hard, and he licked his lips.

"I kinda like the boots," he admitted.

Angela laughed and turned to unlace them. "We can indulge that little fantasy later," she told him. "Right now, I don't want any barriers between us."

His hand slid across her back and down her backside while she dealt with her boots. The touch on such delicate parts while she was in such a vulnerable position made her shiver with anticipation.

The sound of their breathing echoed against the stone walls. The scent of the mutual desire mixed with the mineral tang of the rocks surrounding them. Their Bond sang with the electric pulse of their desire, pushing her need higher in response to his.

"I didn't think you'd be so open to this so soon," he told her, his hands moving reverently across her skin.

She knew how he felt, what each of his touches meant, and it melted her a little more inside.

"It's a dream," she told him. "There are fewer inhibitions in dreams."

"I'm awake," he told her.

"And wearing far too many clothes," she said, walking back into his embrace, her feet bare. "But I'll allow it for now. Because this is my dream and I get to be vulnerable this time. When it's your dream, you can be as naked as you want."

"What if all I want in my dream is for you to be naked?" he teased.

His arms felt so good around her. The rough leather of the strange kilt contrasted with the soft feel of his skin, abrading her gently and making her aware of his every movement.

"Then I'll be naked," she answered. "As long as you keep touching me like this, I'll be as naked as you want."

Zoric's eyes sparked with desire and his tongue darted out to run along her neck, then her collarbone. Swift, gentle strokes that sent shivers of delight through her. Every lick stoked her desire until she could swear she was going to combust. Fire danced through her veins to settle as liquid heat in her core, as he worked his way down her body, setting every nerve alight.

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