Page 31 of Secretly Craved By My Monster Alien Boss

Nazyn felt the shift in her instantly. One second he was devouring her lips, in the next he broke the kiss, and tilted her chin to him. “Are you okay?”

Universe help her, his thumb was caressing her cheek even as the frown between his brows deepened.Hewas trying to sootheher.

She averted her eyes, which already stung at the corners with unshed tears.

“I can’t do this,” she whispered.Not again. She’d been a fool once. She couldn’t risk it once more. “I’m sorry.”

“I–I understand.”

Darcy wanted to scream.No, youdon’tunderstand. You don’t understand how much I want you.

But the ghosts of the past overtook her–and Darcy could swear they were laughing at her as she ran from Nazyn’s arms straight into the bathroom to cry her heart out.

She turned on the shower and slumped against the bathroom door, pressing her hand over her mouth to hide her sobs.

What had she done?

14

NAZYN

Nazyn had done something he’d promised himself never to do again once he left the cold halls of the Academy.

He’d slept on the Nines-damned floor.

Now his horns and back hurt like he’d been through the battle of his life. Perhaps he had. An emotional one at least.

He slowly rose, the blanket falling off his tired body. The room was cold. Darcy had already left an hour ago. She’d crept around the room so silently, it was obvious she hadn’t wanted to face him. So Nazyn had let her. He’d pretended to be asleep, but heard each one of her sighs.

If she wanted space, he would give it to her, no matter how much it pained him.

Last night, after the best kiss of his existence, she’d ran from his embrace. Nazyn had left the room, torn clothes and all, and had simply wandered through the cold. Luckily, the other Forum participants were still enjoying their night, and hadn’t bothered him. They were too preoccupied with watching Elias try to start a dance competition. By the exit, some people Nazyn hadn’t seen before kept looking at him, but didn’t say anything.

The cold had done nothing to numb the throbbing in his chest.

By the time he’d come back, Darcy was already sleeping in the bed. Nazyn decided it was best she didn’t wake up right next to him.

Maybe the kiss had been a mistake. It definitely felt like it.

He rubbed his eyes and stood up, every single one of his muscles protesting.

Whathadhappened?

He’d tossed and turned all through the night, trying to find a logical explanation. They were kissing and then she’d run away crying. It couldn’t have been the kissing part, she’d seemed to enjoy that. She’d told him she was attracted to him–while she hadn’t realized she was still alive, but it felt truthful.

Had he read the signs wrong? But Darcy was pulling him toward her and moaning. He hadn’t imagined that.

Perhaps she considered it a momentary lapse of judgment. Which was a problem, because for Nazyn, it had been so much more than that.

He’d felt alive, truly, completely, perhaps for the first time. The euphoria was only comparable to the moment he’d opened the portal, but even that paled in comparison, because now he’d felt free. A bit surprised, perhaps, but not because it had happened.

Because it had been soright.

So how could he go back to being simple colleagues with Darcy?

He growled out his frustration, the windows vibrating.

It couldn’t have been his dynasty’s rotten reputation. Darcy, unlike the females on Deruzia, didn’t know about that. Logically, she wouldn’t care about it either.

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