Page 66 of Alien Mercenary's Wife
"Breath control," he said, though his own breathing had grown uneven. "Squeeze the trigger between breaths."
She nodded, settling into the firing position with fluid grace. But instead of taking the shot, she leaned back against him again.
"Like this?" she asked, voice pitched low enough to make his blood heat.
"Exactly like that." His hands tightened on her waist as desire overrode any tactical thinking. "Perfect form."
She fired in rapid succession, each shot precise despite the rifle's increased recoil. But he barely noticed the targets. He was too focused on her, how she moved with confident precision, andthe clean line of her neck exposed by the way she'd pulled her hair back.
"Better?" she asked, lowering the rifle.
"Much better,kelarris." His voice came out as a growl, rough with want. "Though I think we need to work on... positioning."
She turned in his arms, the rifle set aside and forgotten. "What kind of positioning?"
Before he could answer, she rose onto her toes and kissed him. A fierce, demanding kiss, full of the tension that had been building between them. He responded without thinking, one hand sliding into her hair while the other pressed her closer.
She tasted like coffee and determination, her mouth moving against his with the same hunger he felt. The kiss deepened, turned possessive, tongues sliding together as restraint crumbled under their mutual need.
He backed her toward the range wall, pinning her against the reinforced bulkhead with his larger, harder body. She went willingly, hands fisting in his shirt to pull him closer.
"T'Raal," she gasped against his mouth, the sound making him groan.
"Right here," he murmured, trailing kisses down her throat. "Got you right here."
His hands found the hem of her shirt, sliding beneath the fabric to explore warm skin. She arched into his touch, head falling back against the wall as he ran his fingers along the curve of her waist.
"Someone could walk in," she said, though her voice carried breathless anticipation rather than genuine concern.
"Let them." He nipped at the junction of her neck and shoulder, satisfaction coursing through him when she shivered. "Entire crew knows you're mine."
The possessive declaration made her hands tighten in his hair, pulling his mouth back to hers for another heated,desperate kiss. He pressed closer, pinning her completely against the wall, letting her feel exactly what she did to him.
The range door hissed open.
"T'Raal, I need to— Oh." Eric's voice cut off in surprise and what might have been amusement. "Sorry. Didn't realize you were... conducting advanced weapons training."
T'Raal didn't move, keeping Reese shielded against the wall. A growl rumbled in his chest, low and unmistakably threatening. "Get the draanth out, Eric."
"Right. Of course." The scientist's voice backed up. "I'll just... come back later. Much later. Maybe tomorrow. Yeah, definitely tomorrow."
The door hissed shut again, leaving them alone. Reese looked up at him, eyes bright with amusement and residual desire.
"Subtle," she said.
"Wasn't trying to be subtle." He leaned his forehead against hers, breathing hard. "Trying to keep you exactly where you are."
"I'm not going anywhere." Her hands moved to frame his face, thumbs stroking across his cheekbones. "At least, not right now."
The reminder of her planned return to Earth hit like cold water. Soon, she'd be walking back into danger while he waited helplessly for news. He tightened his arms around her, protective instincts firing up.
"We have more weapons to test," he said, though his voice carried reluctance.
"Later." Her smile was soft, understanding. "Right now, I think I prefer the equipment I'm already familiar with."
Heat flashed through him at the implication. "The range isn't exactly private."
"Your quarters are." She rose onto her toes to brush another kiss across his lips. "And I believe you promised to teach me about... handling alien technology."
