Page 12 of His Clever Captive

It’s a collision—hungry, desperate,perfect. She gasps and I drown in the taste of her, sweet as stolen nectar. Her hands slide over my chest, my shoulders, pulling me closer, a tiny whimper igniting every nerve. My hand tangles in her hair, angling her head. Her soft, wet tongue is so different from mine as I explore her mouth. She’s all heat and smoothness, while I’m coarse and thick. But I can’t get enough of her and I deepen the kiss until we’re both shaking.

Her nails graze the nape of my neck. “Vex…”

Vrek!I wrench away, chest heaving. “We can’t.”

She blinks, dazed. “Why?”

“Because you’re—quorr, look at you!” I gesture wildly. “You’re…starlight and glitter. And I’m?—”

“A pain in my backside?” She surges forward, catching my lips again, her kiss fiercer this time. Hotter. She nips my lower lip, and I groan, dragging her onto my lap.

“Lacey—”

“Please,” she growls against my mouth, as her hips grind down onto my aching erection.

Every coherent thought dissolves.

My hands slide under her tunic, skimming the dip of her waist, the maddening swell of her?—

Clang!

We jerk apart as Faylid stomps onto the bridge, yawning. “Can’t sleep. Gonna polish the canon gear if anyone nee—Oh.” He freezes, four hands flying up. “Uh. Carry on?”

Lacey buries her face in my neck, giggling. I glare at him.

He backpedals. “Yep. Yep, that’s—polishing can wait.”

The second he’s gone, Lacey collapses into laughter.

I study her—lips kiss-swollen, hair wild, eyes brighter than any sun. Xi’s warning echoes in my skull.She is the air.

I stand abruptly, setting her aside. “This was a mistake.”

Confusion flickers in her face. “Why?”

“Because you’ll leave. And I…”Can’t bear it.I scrub a hand over my face. “Go back to bed, Lacey.”

“Vex—” She reaches up to grab my hand and I step away.

“Don’t.” The word’s raw, jagged. “You want a love written in the stars. And it’s not here with me.”

She stares at me, hurt flashing in those jeweled eyes, before squaring her shoulders and standing. “Fine. But just so you know?” She pokes my chest. “You’re a worse liar than you think.”

I watch her storm off, the ghost of her touch branding me.

Fear takes hold.

Because right now, I want nothing more than to be the man she thinks I am.

CHAPTER 5

LACEY

The morning hums with tension thicker than the syrup Gwen’s Aunt Martha used to drown her Sunday brunch pancakes in.

Vex hasn’t met my eyes once since last night’s make out session.

He’s too busy barking orders at the crew, his voice edged with a growl that makes even Faylid skitter sideways like a crab. Berrix keeps shooting me sidelong glances, her tail flicking like she’s decoding the universe’s juiciest secret.

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