Page 83 of The Alien's Private Redemption

"I'm afraid that's classified at the moment," Colonel Schuh told him.

The webbed harnesses were a far cry from civilian seatbelts, the straps rough against Zoric's scales. He finally had to set Angela down when she pointed out they couldn't share one, though he managed to slide his tail under her leg once they were seated. The metal bench seats transmitted every vibration from the engines, a steady rhythm that seemed to sync with his heartbeat.

"You could just hold hands like normal people," one of the soldiers on the plane remarked.

"Does any of this look normal to you?" Angela asked. Her tone was one Zoric had never heard before, though he remembered echoes of it from some of her memories he'd skimmed past.

A few more men hurried aboard, their civilian clothes and long beards standing out among the uniforms. The heavy thud of the cargo ramp closing sealed them in, the engine noise building to a roar that made conversation impossible. As they began to move, Zoric felt the subtle shift in his inner ear that signaled takeoff was imminent.

Beside him, Angela crossed her arms and dropped into sleep, her body automatically adjusting to the pitch and yaw of the aircraft in a way that spoke of long practice. Through their Bond, he could sense dozens of similar memories - the familiar discomfort of military transport transformed into something almost like home by the presence of her fellow Marines. When her dreams threatened to turn dark, he was there to guide them back to safer waters.

Then she noticed his presence in her dreams and smiled, the warmth of it cutting through the artificial chill of the cabin air.

Chapter 17

Years of practice and exhaustion from the last few days let Angela drop off to sleep just as the plane was taking off. With Zoric next to her, his leg tangled with hers, she was warmer and more comfortable than she'd been for most of her trips in planes like this.

His presence in the back of her mind should have been invasive and weird but she found it comforting. The voice in the back of her head was strangely silent about his presence and the silence was nice.

She couldn't say when she became aware she was dreaming, something that happened now and then, but the first person she was, was Zoric. While she liked the white button up shirt and kilt he wore to fit in with the rest of the human world, the clothes he wore in her dream made her grin. A Roman style kilt, made of strips of leather that moved with his legs and tail as he walked,and an open vest across his broad shoulders, which served only to highlight his muscular chest and abs, made her salivate.

A year ago, the idea that she'd be attracted to a lizardman would have been ridiculous. Now, she was trying to figure out how to get him out of his clothes. She already knew they were physically compatible but she didn't know how. Even with the images Zoric had sent her, Angela wanted a hands on explanation of how they would work.

Her first obstacle was not being able to kiss him without hurting herself. So, since this was a dream, she figured she could try that first.

"Well, hello there, handsome. Come here often?" She could feel the smile on her face turn downright predatory when he startled. He hadn't expected her to see him or talk to him if she did. That's okay, they didn't have to talk. There had been too much talking already.

As was the way in dreams, the room around them changed while she walked toward him. The living room from an old apartment melted away to become a cozy underground cave, with walls that had been carved out to remove jagged rocks and lights that flickered like torches.

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.

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