Page 28 of Stripe for the Picking
And I was about to kiss you senseless right here in the middle of Defense Nexus,his tiger snarled.Still want to.
"I just felt a bit embarrassed," he finished lamely, hating how inadequate the explanation sounded.
Wren's expression softened. "You would have figured it all out eventually. Though sometimes a fresh perspective helps. When you're too close to a problem, it's sometimes hard to see the obvious."
"That's... actually very true." Relief flooded through him that she wasn't holding his behavior against him. "So anyway, I was wondering if you would like to come over to my apartment tonight? I could make us dinner. My treat for all the help you've given me these past three days, and a thank you for agreeing to be my partner for the Trials."
Her smile was like sunlight breaking through storm clouds. "I'd really like that."
She said yes.His tiger practically surfaced right then and there.My mate in my territory.
For the rest of the afternoon, Rylan found himself completely unable to focus on work. Every time Wren asked him questions about the evidence they were building against Arvox, he managed to provide coherent answers, but his mind remained fixated on the evening ahead.
Wren in my apartment. Wren close enough to touch.
His tiger wouldn't sit still beneath his skin either, anticipating having their mate in their sanctuary in just a few short hours.
"You seem distracted," Wren observed around four o'clock, her voice carrying a hint of amusement.
"Just thinking about dinner preparations," he lied smoothly, though not entirely untruthfully.
As the twin suns began their descent toward the horizon, painting the sky in shades of lavender and rose, Rylan saved his work files and turned to face Wren.
"We should wrap up for the day," he said, standing and straightening his tall frame. "Head to the market off-base to pick up ingredients for tonight."
Wren's eagerness matched his own as she quickly logged off her systems. "What are you planning to make?"
"Something that'll remind you why Nova Aurora cuisine is superior to Earth food." He flashed her one of his rare genuine smiles. "Think you can handle a little culinary adventure?"
"Commander, I think you'll find I can handle anything you throw at me."
The challenge in her sweet voice sent heat rushing through his body.If only you knew what I really wanted to throw at you tonight,his tiger rumbled.
"Let's go find out," he said, gesturing toward the elevators.
Rylan's heart thundered against his ribs as he guided Wren through the streets of Nexus toward the market. Tonight could be the night—the night he finally told her what she truly was to him.
My fated mate.
The city around them transformed as the twin suns dipped below the horizon. Yellow and blue neon lights flickered to life, casting shifting patterns across Wren's beautiful face as she craned her neck to take in the futuristic architecture towering above them.
"So Kael really told you about the time I got stuck in the ventilation system during my first week?" Rylan asked, mortification heating his face as they approached the market's entrance.
Wren's laugh was like music. "He said you were so determined to prove yourself that you crawled into a maintenance shaft that was clearly marked 'authorized personnel only' and got wedged in there for an hour."
"One hour and forty-seven minutes," Rylan muttered. "And I was trying to fix a comm relay that had been malfunctioning for weeks."
"Did you fix it?"
"Yes."
"Then I'd say mission accomplished, Commander." Her green eyes sparkled with amusement. "Though Kael mentioned something about you emerging covered in blue dust that took days to wash out of your hair."
"Kael talks too much," Rylan grumbled, but he couldn't suppress his smile. This playful and carefree side of Wren was intoxicating. Away from the pressure of Defense Nexus and the looming Trials, she was simply... magnificent.
Inside the market, vendors called out their wares in melodic voices while holographic displays showcased exotic ingredients that didn't exist on Earth. Rylan selected items with practiced efficiency—crystalline spices that would enhance the Novian fish fillets, violet grains that would complement the protein, and bottles of Sidaii wine that glowed faintly in the artificial light.
"Are you going to tell me yet what you're making us?" Wren asked, examining a particularly luminescent vegetable with scientific curiosity.
