Page 13 of Mate for the Space Cowboy

It amazes me I can want her so swiftly. At the sight of her bent over, bared to me, my cock twitches even though I have just found my release. I lift her in my arms and sit on the bench with her on my lap. She presses kisses on the side of my neck as I lazily undo the buttons on her dress until it falls open. I drag it out of the way so she’s naked in my lap. I tease her breasts, sucking a nipple into my mouth, gratified when she cries outand arches up into me. Her thighs fall open when I slide my palm over her belly and dip between them. She’s wet from the mingling of our arousal.

“Again?” I ask as I catch her mouth with a kiss.

I love how I feel the curve of her smile against my lips when she nods. Her cheeks are pink when I lift my head. “Is it ever enough?” she asks.

“I don’t know,” I answer honestly.

Without prompting, she straddles me.

“Watch,” I say as I fist my length and notch it at her entrance. Her clit is hard and poking out. We watch together as I slide into her, and she sheaths me in her clenching core. Only moments later, she’s calling my name, coming all over my cock as I fill her once more.

On the last morning of our week alone, I sit across from her in our kitchen. Melody has her feet hooked around the legs of a stool. She’s tracing idle patterns on the counter with her fingertip as she looks out the window. The light from our planet’s sun angles through, casting a golden glow across the room and leaving shimmering streaks of gold in her hair.

My chest tightens, and it feels as if a fist is clenching my heart tightly. Now that I’m experiencing the infinity pulse, my old cynicism about it is completely gone. I feel sad for anyone who doesn’t get to experience it.

Yet it’s terrifying. Because I must leave her for work, for the calling I have carried within me my entire life. I have faith I will be safe, but I know I will miss her deeply, even for my brief travels away from her.

“We need to talk about my work,” I say.

Melody takes a swallow from her favorite morning drink, a sweet tea. Her lashes lift, her pretty eyes locking with mine. “I know you must travel. It’s part of your job, your life. Jane has already told me about that. Just like Asher and Kayden and any of the men who work to protect the royal family.”

I nod and reach for her hand across the counter. “You know I’m a spy.”

Melody nods. “I do. How much can you tell me about your work?”

“Tomorrow, I’ll need to go. I’m leading a group that will be monitoring in the town where the protests started and where they took Jane when they kidnapped her.”

“Will you be safe?” Her brow wrinkles with her question.

“I will,” I assure her. “Our people are not violent. Even those who are doing dangerous things.”

“But they kidnapped Princess Jane, and they tried to keep some of the men, like Kayden and the others,” she interjects.

“I know. They did, but they didn’t hurt them, and they didn’t hurt Jane. I’ll be safe. When I’m gone, protectors will always watch over our property and you. You are under that protection because I’m part of the royal team. The whole town is here.”

Melody blinks, and I can see the worry chasing through her gaze. “How long will you be gone?”

Chapter Eleven

MELODY

“He couldn’t tell me how long he’ll be gone,” I say to Jane and Nadine. “He said it wouldn’t be more than a week at a time, though.”

“He’ll be safe,” Jane says with more confidence than I feel.

“That’s what he said, but I worry.”

Just then, Romi walks into the room with Risa, Jenny, and Hannah, all from the newer group that recently arrived from Earth.

“Hi,” Jane says warmly as she stands to greet them, grasping each woman by the hands.

I haven’t actually met Hannah yet because she arrived while I was enjoying my week alone with Hunter. Jane glances from me to Nadine as she gestures in an arc, saying, “This is Nadine and Melody. Melody is just back from her week with her new mate.”

Romi sits down beside me, curling her arm around my shoulders and giving me a squeeze. I’m still adjusting to having friends like this. The bond I feel with the women who came here with me is powerful. On Earth, life didn’t leave much room for friendship. It was simply a scramble to stay alive. I had friends when I was younger, but depending on where we endedup working and what happened to our families, we couldn’t see each other often.

It’s so different here. Kindness and safety make it much easier to make friends and form those bonds on this planet.

“How was your week?” Romi asks before leaning forward to pour herself a glass of lemonade.

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