Star Mate Matched, Margo Collins [the unexpected everything .TXT] 📗

pulled her hand away from mine as if she had only now realized I could sense her mood through it. “You said we were going to get cleaned up?”

I allowed the subject change. There would be plenty of time later to discuss our feelings for one another. “I thought you might like to bathe before meeting the general. I will arrange for a change of clothing for you, as well.”

She nodded jerkily.

Keeping my voice soothing and calm, I continued speaking. “I would never do anything to make you uncomfortable. But,” I continued, stepping up and taking both her hands in mine, “I would very much like it if you bathed with me.”

At my words, a surge of desire flowed from her through the mate-bond. I savored the feel of it. “And I sense you might like that, as well.”

When she answered, Nora’s voice had turned husky. “But no sex, okay? I don’t know if I can stay with you. I’m not ready for that.”

“Define what you mean by sex?” I asked, wanting to make sure we had no misunderstandings.

Nora’s cheeks turned a pretty shade of pink and I felt her embarrassment through our link. “I don’t even know if our… If we… I don’t even know how your people…” she stammered.

“We are physically and genetically compatible,” I assured her.

“No penetration,” she finally managed to say. “Nothing that could end up with me pregnant.”

I pushed down an urge to smile. Apparently her definition of sex was fairly limited.

Good.

“I promise, no penetration, nothing that could get you pregnant.”

She swallowed hard and nodded.

“Give me a moment to put in a request for new clothing,” I said, and moved to the computer.

Letting go of Nora’s hands was almost more than I could do, and as soon as I finish inputting the commands, I reached for her again, and led her into my bathing suite.

Chapter Nineteen

Nora

“I thought cats didn’t like water.” I hardly knew what I was saying, I was so nervous about bathing with Dax.

And so very desperately excited. My whole body ached for him to touch me, no matter how much I might try to set limits on what we could do together.

You’re an idiot, Nora, my conscience—or something like it, anyway—said. Every single time he touches you, it pulls you closer to him. You’ll wind up getting hurt.

I knew the voice in my head was right. If I wasn’t careful, I would end up falling in love with this beautiful green tiger man.

Alien, the voice reminded me. He’s an alien.

But I didn’t care.

“Perhaps the felines on your planet hate water. But I love to swim. And bathing with you sounds like the perfect ending to a long and trying day.”

I hadn’t expected to find an actual bathing room in a spaceship. But this one was gorgeous in every way—except for the apparently ubiquitous orange walls.

The tub Dax led me to was Drovekzian-scaled, the size of a large hot-tub back on Earth.

Oh, what the hell, I thought, shoving my inner critic down. I’m here. I might as well enjoy it while it lasts.

I turned to face Dax, wrapping my arms around his neck and moving to kiss him, interrupting whatever he’d been planning to say next.

It didn’t matter what he said. I knew how he felt.

Because I feel the same way.

And also because every emotion poured through the mate-bond, leaving us with no emotional secrets from one another—at least not in this moment.

Dax returned my kiss with a passion I suspected his soldiers would be surprised to discover—but only because they had never paid enough attention to the intensity with which he tackled every task.

When he pulled away, he gazed down at me with those intense eyes of his, as if he could learn everything about me if only he studied me enough. The thought sent shivers running through my body, my nipples tightening beneath my now thoroughly trashed wedding dress.

He ran one hand down my shoulder, his touch sparking against my skin. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”

“Can’t you feel how ready I am?”

He grinned. “I can.”

“You feel…” For the first time, I actively searched out the mate-bond, tasted the emotions running through it. “Excited. A little nervous.”

“And more certain than I’ve ever been about anything before.”

His words sent a shiver of desire rolling across my skin.

He pulled me over to the recessed tub and moved behind me to unbutton my dress, his mouth following his fingers to kiss every inch of my back.

The remains of the wedding dress puddled at my feet and I kicked it away—that dress I had donned with such hope.

Now I hoped it had led me to something even better.

Under the dress, I wore white undergarments, including stockings and a garter belt. The garter was intact, but the stockings were in ribbons from running in my bare feet.

“What are these for?” Dax asked curiously, smoothing one hand over my leg.

“Nothing, anymore.” I paused, reveling in his touch as he continued to stroke my leg. “I love watching your hands,” I murmured.

He glanced at me with a smile. “I’m enjoying watching all of you right now.”

“I’d like to see more of you.” A hot blush crawled up my face. “Again.”

A surge of need swam through me, leaving me dizzy, and I wasn’t sure if it was mine or Dax’s.

I pressed myself against him, running my fingers through his hair as I kissed him, smoothing down the light fur that ran across his shoulders. Our tongues tangled, and a hot knot of desire settled in at the core of me.

He hooked his thumbs in the elastic of my panties, catching the garter belt, too, and slid them all down over my hips and down my legs, kneeling to remove them entirely before dropping them on the floor next to the wedding dress.

“And this?” he asked, frowning at my bra. “How does this contraption work?”

I laughed as I reached back to unhook it.

“Much better,” Dax breathed as he slid the straps down my arms, freeing my breasts. “You