Page 48 of Shielded Heart

Samantha’s breath caught in her throat, and her eyes widened.

She lay on a huge bed with dark red bedding, and Alkorin was reclining beside her. He was atop the blanket—just like her—on his side, his torso propped up on one elbow. Fortunately, she was fully clothed, but Alkorin wore only a black loincloth.

This was the first time she’d seen him in person without a robe; during their visual call, his holographic image had ended just below his chest. For a few moments, she was unable to look away from the lean muscles of his abdomen, chest, and shoulders—orshoulder; his right shoulder was covered by the uppermost portion of his armored prosthesis, which somehow made himmorealluring. Her eyes followed the lines of hisqaluntil they settled on his lips.

He smiled; it wasn’t the sexy, seductive smile she’d come to crave—though she didn’t thinkanyof his smiles could benotsexy—but a relieved one.

“How do you feel?” he asked.

“Where am I?”

Alkorin turned his head to sweep his gaze over the ceiling and walls before meeting her eyes again. “My bedroom.”

“Your—”

His bedroom.

Samantha looked around. The walls were black, sporting the same ever-changing patterns as the ceiling, though they were restricted to smaller panels between cones of soft, white light. Dark, satiny cloths hung on the walls at regular intervals, shimmering faintly in the subtly changing glow. If she went by human standards, this bed would’ve been considered…well, a triple-king, or maybe anemperor. It was massive.

And comfortable.

Why was she here?Howdid she get—

The attack. She remembered the aliens who had questioned her, remembered Alkorin coming to save her, remembered gunfire. She remembered the ceiling falling…

Samantha raised a hand and touched the top of her head. There was no lump despite the crust of dried blood in her hair, and only one spot was a little tender. She felt perfectly fine, which was surprising considering she knew she’d suffered a head wound severe enough to have knocked her out—it had been more than enough to have caused a concussion.

Alkorin brushed his fingertips across the back of her hand. “We healed you in the medpod. Fortunately, your injury wasn’t serious, so it didn’t take long.”

“What happened?” she asked, lowering her arm. “Who were they? Why were they looking for you?”

His tail—which had been stroking her leg—curled around her calf. His smile tilted, becoming a gentle smirk. “Some people decided to use you as bait to lure me out, I don’t know, and I don’t know. But we’re working on figuring it all out.”

“But…why? You’re a…a…adocument verifier, aren’t you? What could you have done to have peopleshootingat you?”

Arcanthus’s smile shifted again, becoming downright rakish. “Well…you know how you’ve been somewhat vague in answering some of my questions? I might’ve been somewhat vague in explaining what I do. And…who I am.”

Unease bloomed in Samantha, rapidly thickening as it spread. She backed away from him.

No. Not again. Please no, not him.

He flattened his hand on the bed, pushed himself up, and curled his other arm around her waist. Her attempt to resist was futile; he dragged Sam closer and positioned himself over her, caging her between his arms. His dark hair fell in a silken curtain around his face, its tips tickling her cheeks.

Intending to push him away, Samantha flattened her palms against his chest—his warm, hard, enticing chest. Something small and hard pressed against her hand; his nipple piercing.

Her will to resist suddenly faded.

Still wearing his mischievous expression, Alkorin stared down into her eyes. “Just listen, Samantha. Allow me at least that much. I promise it’s not as bad as it may seem. Or at least Ithinkit’s not as bad.”

Samantha swallowed thickly. Despite her unease, despite the way he’d trapped her with his body, she…trustedhim. She wasn’t sure what to make of that. Was she doomed to repeat the same mistakes over and over? Was she doomed to suffer simply because she was a poor judge of character?

But he hasn’t done anything to hurt me.

Alkorin had been her lifeline since she’d met him, her protector, her…friend.

“Tell me the truth,” she said, forcing herself to hold his gaze.

His lips parted, and his tongue slipped out briefly. There was hunger in his eyes, and his body seemed to heat. The markings on his skin glowed a little brighter.

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