Page 19 of Kissed By the Alien
“Let’s get a drink. You can ask me any questions you have about Valentine’s Day, our customs, Earth... anything at all. A simple, casual discussion will make this get-together more like business. Which is what it is, isn’t it?
“Do you approach all problems this way?” he asks.
“What way?”
“Spin a story to manipulate people into doing what you wish?”
“First off, Lutan,” I say as my hand slides off the leather vest down to the top of his arm. “I don’t manipulate others.” Not precisely. Okay, maybe I do, but not to hurt anyone. “Secondly, coming here was your idea. You invited me to the ball.You, my dear alien, manipulatedme. You knew I’d say yes.”
“All to get that gun.”
“For protection, nothing more. And it’s my gun. I paid for it.”
“You’re admitting that you purchased an illegal weapon?”
“What if I am? Are you going to cuff me?” I bounce my brows. Yup, I’ve lost all common sense. This guy could easily throw his mag-cuffs on me and throw me in jail, skipping all the fun stuff.
His hand smooths down my back and stops a half inch above my ass. This dress has a peekaboo cutout along the lower back and he splays his hand across the exposed skin, touching as much of me as he can. There’s something about a guy holding a woman in that spot that feels more possessive than when he’s thrusting inside her. More intimate.
And with Lutan, so damnright.
One finger dips beneath the fabric.
“Going kind of low there, fella.”
“Is this not the custom? You moved your hand to my flesh, now it’s my turn.”
He doesn’t even attempt to hide his grin. The man has no shame.
I like that, but getting randy in public will draw attention. And I don’t really know Lutan. I have to be careful, especially since my last relationship ended with my dad’s guards burying a body at three a.m.
I reach back and move his hand higher. “Why did you invite me here tonight, Lutan?”
“To learn about you.”
There’d been a spark between us in that alley. It could have been all the adrenaline from the attack, but for a man who said he needed a guide tonight, he hasn’t asked any questions about the ball or our customs.
Unless he’s investigating me. Damn. Lutan probably thinks I have ties to Moses or the Brotherhood.
Of course, he does. I would if our roles were reversed. If he approaches my father…
I take a deep breath and calm my racing mind. Lutan doesn’t know anything about my father and I’m going to keep it that way.
Or I can leave my father’s employ and stop hiding who I am. Except I can’t. I have no other way of supporting myself, and this isn’t a safe city to live in alone. Or a cheap one.
“You never needed a guide for tonight. All this, inviting me, dancing… It was all because you want something from me.”
The low growl that escapes him moves through me like an earthquake. I can’t escape the rumble that reaches my core androcksme. I’m more than aroused. I’m troubled by how easily Lutan affects me.
Then I see the pain in his face. The struggle there. We’re standing in the center of the dance floor, the heavy base setting a slow beat for the couples dancing, and Lutan’s staring at me as if I’ve driven a knife through his heart.
I have.
I allowed my doubts and fears to twist what had otherwise been a nice moment between us. No one’s ever been this into me before, except for sex.
“I’m sorry, Lutan. I didn’t mean to insult you.”
“You did not.” He walks away. At the edge of the dancefloor, he stops, realizing I haven’t moved from my spot. As he turns, his eyes meet mine, the darkness lifting as I smile.
