Page 28 of Touch the Stars
“But…” It wasn’t right, yet it was still more than she’d expected from him.“Okay.How long do we have?”
“Three days.”
That didn’t add up.“Don’t we have to be on Ghara in six days?”
“That is the time it takes to travel there.”He gave her a sheepish look.“It took small time to find you.I be ahead of schedule, so we have time to be finding your Kris.”
A giggle escaped her.“I can’t even be mad at you for abducting me, because I’m so happy we’re going to find her.Will three days be enough, though?”
“Imperial cruisers be fastest in the empire.Much faster than Bajiki freighter.”
“So, there’s a chance we’ll catch up with them?”
“Yea.”He jutted his chin outward in what seemed to be the Undetan version of a nod.“A chance.”
Baatar.
His intent had not been to build up Kaitlyn’s hopes too much, but the anguish in her expression had echoed his own internal pain over the loss of his brother.Now to see the light his concession brought to her eyes, it was enough to flood his heart with pleasure.
Her actions against him had never been personal, simply her only perceived choice.No one could fault her for doing what she felt she must do for the sake of honor and family.Had he not done the same by accepting the grand emperor’s mission, then ripping the little human from the life she had known for the sake of the empire?
I am the worst sort of fiend.
Kaitlyn turned her head and brushed her feather-soft lips against his fingertip.He sucked in a shallow breath.Best not to read too much into her gesture.It was a simple kiss that in her world might mean nothing more than “thank you.”
She closed her mouth over the tip of the digit and slid down, taking the entirety of his finger into her hot, wet cavity.There was no mistaking that action.Heat rushed from his chest to his brain, then straight down to his groin like a bolt of lightning.
Her gaze met his, then she sucked, her cheeks hollowing as she pulled up.His cock swelled inside his pants, and a groan rumbled in his throat.She already knew that, as grand empress, she would be untouchable by any lover.It was his fate to spend the rest of his life watching her from afar.
Yet, could one taste hurt?He slid his finger free of her mouth to cradle her head between his palms.Her eyes—several shades darker than his own brown skin—glazed over with expectation and desire.
Small, delicate, and fragile.These were words the ignorant might use to describe Kaitlyn Bergh.He knew better.The fire in her soul made her as much a warrior as he.
One taste, only.
He lowered his head and molded his mouth to hers.Full and lush, her lips parted in invitation to explore, to take a deeper taste.His best intentions trickled away, and he delved his tongue into the sweetness of probing the velvety recesses of her lovely mouth.
The hum of her gentle sigh filled him, and she pressed her soft breasts against his chest.Just a bit more.He skimmed one hand down her back, cupped her rounded bottom, then pulled her fully into his lap.Turning her until she was cradled in his arms, he nipped and licked her lips, her cheeks, her nose, then back to her mouth.
“Baatar.”The sound of his name whispered through her lips was more beautiful than the crystal notes sung by theolorbird of his home-world.
Alas, it was an invitation neither of them could afford to accept.
He sucked on her bottom lip until it slipped away with a pop.“I am sorry this can go no further, Kaitlyn.”
Very, very sorry.
Her frown was part confusion, part hurt.“Because of the whole ‘no royal sex’ clause?”
“Partly.”He held her close and moved to the edge of the bed “But mostly because, your sister is out there, and we have little time to locate her.”
He pushed to stand, lowered her feet to the floor, then took her hand in his.“Come.We will monitor the search from the command center.”
Chapter 10
Kaitlyn.
Shestaredatasmall console-top view screen, watching for any change in direction of the Bajiki freighter’s trail.Yup, even with something to do, space was still boring.It’d been two fucking hours of focusing her attention on the artificially enhanced trail of neon-green specks displayed on the screen.Even the yawns she’d been fighting to keep suppressed had started overriding her will.
