Page 19 of Fourth

His hand slid from her hip, trailing over her lower back in a slow, possessive stroke that left her skin burning through the thin fabric of her blouse. His mouth found hers again, not as frantic this time, but deeper, more purposeful, each shift of his lips like he meant to leave a mark she would never forget.

Maya shuddered against him, caught between the urge to pull away and the overwhelming need to get closer. Her fingers dug into his arms, nails scraping across the muscle, and still he held her firm, unyielding. His other hand traced up her spine, the heat of his touch sparking against her skin in a way that came dangerously close to unbearable.

He broke the kiss long enough to drag in a breath, his voice a low growl against her mouth. “You do not know what you are doing.”

“I know exactly what I’m doing,” she whispered, her own voice wrecked and shaking, but sure. “You’re the one who keeps telling me to stay away.”

His grip tightened, as if that single sentence pushed him to the edge of whatever line he had drawn. And then his mouth was back on hers, rougher this time, asilent admission of every unspoken thing neither of them dared say. His hand slipped beneath the edge of her blouse, fingers skating lightly across bare skin, tracing the curve of her breast. Her breath caught, asoft sound escaping her against his lips, equal parts shock andneed.

His hand glided over her, fingers splaying wide, the slow pressure of his touch sending another ripple of heat through her until she shuddered. Her hands clenched in his shirt, nails scraping over muscle, and still he did not break away. The heat wound endlessly tighter, breath and touch blurring together, his desire pulling taut like a thread stretched toofar.

Finally, with a growl low in his throat, Riv’En eased back half a step, his hand dropping away as if by force. His breathing was harsh, his expression locked down and unreadable again.

“Enough,” he said roughly. “For now.”

Maya’s breath stuttered, desire rolling through her. She backed up a single step, needing distance, her hands still trembling from where they’d been clutching him. Her skin was too hot, too tight, like every nerve had been strung out of place.

“What the hell was that?” she said finally, her voice husky and uneven, rasping more than she meant itto.

Riv’En didn’t answer right away. His stance had locked again, arms folded across his chest, but his eyes gave him away. Dark. Watching her like she was both threat and temptation. “That,” he said slowly, “was a mistake.”

Maya dragged in a breath, forcing herself to step farther back, giving herself a little space. “It wasn’t a mistake. It was...” She cut herself off, heat crawling up herneck.

God. What was wrong with her? Her entire body still buzzed with the imprint of his hands, his mouth, like every nerve had been rewired to respond to him and only him. It wasn’t just attraction. It was need. Sharp and bone-deep and wrong.

“I can’t...” she whispered, wrapping her arms around herself, barely holding herself together. “I don’t get it. Ishouldn’t want this. Want you.”

Riv’En’s gaze dropped for a fraction of a second, then returned to hers, darker than before. “There are things my people do not discuss. Reactions tied to old urges. Bonds that were supposed to have been bred out generations ago.”

Maya stared at him, every nerve tingling. “You’re saying it’s some kind of... instinct?”

“Not instinct. Directive. Hidden so well it cannot be undone. You feel it. Ifeel it. That does not make it safe.”

Her throat closed for a second, hard and dry. She shook her head, fingers clenching tight against her ribs. “I can’t stay here. Ihave to get out.”

She didn’t wait for him to answer. She just turned, forcing her legs to move even though they were shaky as hell, putting one foot in front of the other until she was out of the galley and out of his sight.

Her pulse still hammered in her ears, too loud, too fast. Her mouth burned with the taste of him, her skin aching like every nerve had been pulled too tight and left humming. What the hell was wrong with her? She wasn’t like this. She wasn’t someone who craved things she didn’t understand. But when it came to Riv’En, she did. God, she did. Every inch of her wanted to go back into that room and lose herself in him again.

Maya gritted her teeth, squeezing her arms tighter around herself as she stumbled down the corridor. No. She wasn’t doing this. She wasn’t letting this happen. Whatever directive or ancient alien bond was screwing with her head, she wasn’t going to let it decide her future.

She had to get off this ship. Had to figure out how. Before she really did lose herself to him, to whatever this thing between them was already becoming.

Time to find out exactly what happened when you pushed one of those red-is-dead buttons.

MAYA MOVEDthrough the corridor, footsteps light. Her pulse still hadn’t calmed. That heat under her skin, that restless energy coiled tight, hadn’t eased. And it wasn’t just from what happened with Riv’En. It wasn’t just from his hands on her, his mouth claiming hers like he owned every breath she took. It was from the wanting. From the aching, dizzy pull she couldn’t shake no matter how hard she tried.

That scared her more than anything else. Wanting him. Craving him. The way her body remained wired for him, skin hot and sensitive to every remembered touch. She didn’t want this. Didn’t ask for it. And yet every step she took dragged her in deeper.

She couldn’t stay here. Not trapped. Not this close to him. Because if she did, she knew—sooner or later—she wouldn’t have the strength to pullback.

Her gaze tracked the colored panels along the walls. Green meant safe. Green meant permitted. She didn’t want that. Red meant locked. Red meant dangerous. Red meant a way out. She definitely wanted a wayout.

Her fingers hovered over the panel, heat pricking the back of her neck—the same sensation she always got when Riv’En was standing too close. It wasn’t fear exactly, more like some sixth sense lighting up along her skin. That live-wire awareness she could never fully shake when he was near. Her breath caught now, sharp and automatic. She turned slowly, sure she’d find him standing right behind her. But there wasn’t anything, just an empty corridor. Only her own ragged breathing and the low hum of the ship. Satisfied, she pressed the panel again.

Nothing happened.

Maya tried again, testing the edges of the panel. Her fingertips traced along the seam, heat lingering on her skin fromwhere it had touched the smooth metal. It wasn’t just frustration building in her chest—it was need. The same restless, aching pull striking whenever Riv’En came too close. Even now, with him gone, his presence was stitched under her skin, woven in like some invisible thread pulling tighter every second she stood there.

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