His hands grasped her lower back, bringing her even closer to him. They shifted restlessly, sliding onto her hips and gripping her possessively.
His mouth lowered.
For a second they both paused, their breath mixing. Their lips inches from one another. Their noses brushed. His hand ran up her body to sweep along the curves of her neck before tilting her face up.
Her whole body ached and trembled as she grew wet. His lips were so close. His smell, rich and earthy, surrounded her. She was more aware of this man than she’d ever been of any other person in her life. Even though their bodies hadn’t yet come together, every inch of him radiated heat against her.
The chest beneath her fingertips was a gift, a piece of a godlike man, hard and strong. She dug her nails into him, standing up on her tiptoes until only an inch remained between their mouths. Nothing else mattered in that moment but capturing his lips in her own.
He groaned and closed the distance between them. His lips met hers in a flash of need. His were burning hot, threatening to consume her own beneath his touch.
She slid her hand into his shaggy hair, the strands running through her fingers, awakening every nerve on her hands. He growled, increasing the pressure on her mouth until she spread her lips.
He pressed her back against the door, his body conforming to her own. His tongue swept inside her welcoming mouth, and she felt a quiver run through her body. Heat pooled at her core.
Her hands were restless. There was too much she wanted to touch, needed to touch. Her fingers ran down the front of his shirt, fumbling with his buttons. When they trembled at his first one, she closed her hands around the material and tore.
Suddenly his skin was hers to explore. She grazed the lines of his muscles and let her fingertip brush one of his sensitive nipples, which hardened beneath her touch.
He swore.
Grabbing her ass, he lifted her up.
Her legs automatically wrapped around his waist. They both cried out against each other’s lips. His arousal pressed between her thighs, and she rubbed against him enticingly.
He broke their kiss, gasping. His gaze met hers. Need and disbelief filled his expression. “It’s never been this strong before. I need to be inside you,” he said, shifting his hardness.
She cried out, digging her fingers into his shoulders. “That feels so…so good.”
Her hips ground against him.
He threw his head back, grabbing her ass harder and pulling her even more tightly against him. “I could fuck you forever and never get enough.”
The world suddenly tilted sharply, and her thoughts grew foggy. Pushing him away, she struggled to fight the strangeness of her slowing mind.
After a moment, he drew back. “What is it?”
“Air,” she gasped, clenching her stomach. “Something’s wrong.”
It wasn’t that she was going to puke. It was that she felt herself pulling apart. It was the dance floor all over again, only this time, she thought she might pass out.
A second later, she was swept up in his arms.
“I’ve got you,” he murmured against her head.
He took her out of the room and up the stairs. At the end of the hall, he kicked open the door and, suddenly, they were hit by a crisp spring night. The flowery scents of the garden washed over her and she closed her eyes.
This was better. Right?
Why had she left the club again?
“Hannah!”
Whoever yelled her name, the voice was familiar…somehow.
“Give her to me,” the familiar voice demanded.
The man holding her tightened his grasp. “And who’s going to make me?”
Chapter Seven
The weakling pushed his huge glasses up the brim of his pale green nose. “She’s my friend. If she isn’t feeling well, I should care for her.”
Liam shoved past the little green man. “There’s no one better to watch over her than me.”
“You!” he cried, scrambling after him. “No way.”
“This is not up for discussion.”
He looked down at the woman in his arms. She looked pale. Her brilliant green eyes stared at the sky above, or perhaps more accurately, stared at nothing at all.
“How much did you drink?” he asked her gently.
Her glazed eyes focused and unfocused on his face. “One drink. Two maybe.”
Liam frowned. She wasn’t drunk.
“I’ll bring her to the academy doctor.”
“No!” Hannah and the tiny man cried in unison.
“If you bring me there, Father will know, and he’ll withdraw me—”
“You’ll get her into a lot of trouble,” the little man interrupted.
Liam looked between the two of them, feeling his annoyance rise. The woman needed treatment. Nothing you can’t provide yourself, a tiny voice whispered.
He nodded, not liking the panic in her dilated eyes. “I will not take her to the doctor. I shall care for her myself.”
“Just give her to me,” the other man whined. “We’ve known each other since we were kids. She’d want me to be the one to care for her.”
If he spoke the truth, Hannah might prefer the comfort of an old friend. But in her current state, the only person he trusted her with was himself.
“If you get in my way again, not only will I take her to the doctor, but I’ll break one of your bones, too.”
He shrank back, and Liam walked toward the gardens, a plan forming.
Leaving behind the noise and chaos of the club, he took her down the paths until he reached his ship. By then, she had passed out. Touching his palm to his ship, the door opened for him. He ducked and entered with her in his arms. The door closed behind them.
With quiet steps, he took her to the back of the small craft. Laying her on the ground, the rich green floor of his ship seemed to melt until it softened enough to cradle her. He selected a large blanket from a compartment and spread it over her.
In sleep, the woman looked more innocent than any woman he could imagine. Her features were soft. Her mouth opened slightly, curving her already full lips.
His cock twitched. Not tonight, he chided himself. First, he would care for her until she recovered, then he would bed her.
Chapter Eight
She stared at the pale blue bubble that signified a person’s dream. Frowning, she drew closer. Liam lay on the surface of a red rock. Blood pooled beneath him. His chest and face were drenched in scarlet. Overhead, a cloudless sky burned harshly down upon him.
Her mind felt fuzzy. She was entering the bubble of his dream, without her normal caution. Leaning over him, their gazes met.
“You?”He frowned. “You weren’t here. No one was here.”
She stared around her at the desolate planet, then crouched down next to him. “What happened to you?” Never before had she seen a human being torn to shreds like he had been. “Who did this to you?”
“They did. They left me for dead.”
She pushed the hair out of his face, realizing for the first time that he was younger than the man she knew. “But you’re not going to die. You know that now?”
He pressed his face into her hands. “No. I did die that day, and the man that was reborn is a man I fear.”
His expression wavered. The whole dream wavered. She stood. How was it possible that she’d Dream Walked into Liam’s dream? How was any of this possible? It took her months to grow close enough to a person to enter their subconscious without a great deal of effort.
And then, everything faded to black.
Hannah awoke hours later, feeling safer and happier than she could ever remember. She was warm, too. Slowly opening her eyes, she winced at the slight headache that pounded to life. Where was she? Everything was green.
It was as if she lay in a cocoon of vines.
No, that wasn’t quite right. It was as if she lay in an ancient ship, long forgotten, and swallowed by a greedy jungle. Metal peeked out, tangled in
rich green vegetation. White flowers grew, glowing softly, woven across the ceiling like a sky full of stars.
Wherever she was, it was beautiful.
The floor vibrated softly.
Her fingers curled, and she glanced at them, noticing for the first time the muscular chest of a man. What had she done? Slowly glancing up, she gazed at the man lying next to her. It was Liam, his eyes closed in sleep.
Her breath caught. He was the most beautiful man she’d ever seen. Not just hot or stunning, but in sleep, he seemed different. More real and less like a fantasy.
She slowly sat up. The blanket fell away, and she stared at herself, still fully dressed. They hadn’t had sex? The realization brought both surprise and relief.
Frowning, she tried to recall the events of the night. Everything was a blur, except the kiss she’d shared with Liam. She remembered nothing after that.
Nice one! She’d really gotten that shit-faced her first night at the academy. How embarrassing! She must’ve had, what, ten or twelve shots? The last time she had twelve shots, she’d ended up dancing on a bar top.
But she’d still remembered it all the next day. Never before had she been “blackout drunk” as her friends liked to say.
Rubbing her face, she tried to clear away the dark cloud that hung over her memories, but all of it was hidden in shadows. Wincing as she stared around the room a horrible realization hit her. She was in a Keltair ship.
Scrambling to her feet, her pulse raced.
“Hannah?” The man at her feet blinked into the morning sunlight.
“Quiet!” She hissed, “We’re in a Keltair ship.”
He sat up, the blanket falling away from his bare chest. Her gaze instantly went to the deep red scars covering his chest. A memory brushed along her mind, but fled in the face of the seriousness of their situation.
“Calm yourself. The craft is mine,” he whispered, following her gaze and frowning down at his scars.
It took her groggy mind a moment to process his statement.
“How is that possible? You’re human.”
He ran fingers through his dark, tousled hair. “Half human, to be exact.”
Fear overwhelmed her panic. “Have you kidnapped me? Are you holding me for ransom?”
He laughed, a harsh sound. “How much do you imagine one beautiful human is worth to my people?”
She inched toward the door.
Frowning, he started to rise.
“Don’t!”
He settled back down. “I thought you were joking. I didn’t kidnap you. I brought you here to keep you safe.”
“Safe?” she challenged, the word laced with sarcasm. “So I can walk out of here anytime I want?”
He pressed his hand to the floor. Behind her, the wall lowered, becoming steps down into a garden.
She turned to go, but his words stopped her. “You have nothing to fear from me, but someone decided to drug you last night. And if I were you, I’d try to figure out who it was. We can probably guess at why.”
Her stomach twisted. “I was drugged?” That’s why her memories were gone.
“I wanted to bring you to the academy doctor, but your green friend advised me against it.”
Thank goodness for William! “My father would’ve withdrawn me if he’d found out about this.”
Liam looked relieved. “I am glad. All night I watched you, debating about whether or not I’d made the right decision in bringing you here instead of to the medic.”
She stared at her hands. “It was the right decision. But we…we didn’t…do anything, did we?”
“Are you asking me if I forced myself on an unconscious woman?” His voice was cold.
Her gaze met his. “I just woke up with almost no memories of last night.”
His expression softened. “Other than our kiss at the club, nothing happened.”
Relief flooded her. “Thank you, and thank you for taking care of me.”
She turned back to the door.
“This doesn’t mean I’ve given up. I will have you.”
Her cheeks burned as she left the ship. She couldn’t think of that now, but she was sure it was all she’d be thinking about in the days to come.
Chapter Nine
The door to William’s room was open as Hannah walked past. She needed something to drink and a shower before being questioned to death by her friend.
“Hannah!”
She didn’t turn as William called her. Just a few more minutes. Typing in the code to her door, she entered, with him right behind her.
Sitting on the couch, she unzipped her boots and pulled them off.
“Where were you? Are you okay?”
Her head pounded with each shrill word. “I’ve been better, but I’m fine.”
She leaned back and stared as her friend nervously paced, wringing his hands. “I wasn’t sure if I should’ve let that guy take you, but I couldn’t stop him. Did he…are you…?”
“He didn’t hurt me. In fact, he was a complete gentleman.”
William didn’t look the least bit relieved. “Do you remember anything?”
“I…” It hurt to think about it. “Not really.”
He sat down, pulling his hat off and placing it on his knee. “Well, okay. I mean, don’t do that again, all right? No more drinking for awhile.”
“I don’t think it was the alcohol,” she said, the words slipping out before she could stop them.
He went rigid. “What do you mean?”
She stood and moved to her dresser, feeling restless. “Liam said something.” Pulling out clothes at random, she threw them on her bed. “He mentioned I might’ve been drugged.”
Silence met her statement.
And then, after a moment. “Hannah, you spent the night slamming drinks like there was no tomorrow. Could it be that you just overdid it?”
She turned back to him. “Honestly, I don’t remember.”
After a moment, he shook his head. “No, you don’t remember and that should scare you, because it scares me.”
“William…”
He met her gaze. “You’re guaranteed a spot working on a spaceship, but I’m not so lucky. This is my chance to be something great, and it’s going to require everything inside of me to do it.” He stood, turning and walking slowly to the door. “As much as I might want to put energy into watching over you, I just…I just can’t. So, you need to figure out what’s important to you—partying like last night or our friendship? You can’t have both.”
He walked into the hall and her door slid shut behind him. She stared at her own reflection in the mirror, dark eyeliner smudged, face pale. Was he right? Was all of this her own fault for drinking too much?
Or was Liam right? Had she been drugged, and if so, by whom?
She leaned against her mirror, her legs shaking. Her warm breath puffed against the glass, as she watched her blood-streaked eyes. There’d be time to consider things later. She needed to refocus. Classes were starting and, although William was right that she could work on any starship in the galaxy with her firsthand experience and family name, the only way she could become a captain of her own ship was to graduate from the academy.
Turning her head, she brushed aside the stray hairs along her neck to reveal the tiny scar left over from her experimental surgery. The one that had saved her life. She didn’t have time to worry about drinking too much or mysterious men—she would have her hands full. The academy would push each student to their breaking point, including her. But no matter what, she’d have to divide her attention between her training and continuing to serve the people of Earth. The two responsibilities together were daunting.
Her focus would be laser-centered on her goals. She wouldn’t walk in her mother’s footsteps. And the best way she could make sure not to fall into the same trap was to stay as far from Liam as possible.
With her resolve restored, she stripped off her clothes and headed for the shower. But with each step the tiny scar ached, almo
st as if to remind her of all the things she couldn’t remember, and how the loss of such memories might be dangerous.
Chapter Ten
Liam could think of nothing but Hannah. Her face. Her smile. Her laugh.
Should he be worried? Was this the beginning of the Bonding?
He shook the thought aside. Once he had her, hopefully he would be free of his new and unexpected obsession. There were two things he could be sure of: he would bed the female, and he would find the person who drugged her and make him pay.
His first week at the academy was already proving more interesting than he could’ve hoped for.
Chapter Eleven
Across campus, two men met in the shadows of the gardens.
“Imagine my surprise when I saw Hannah Stowe walking through campus this morning.”
The other almost choked on his reply. “I failed. I’ll do better next time.”
Only the sound of his racing heart filled his ears as he prayed for a miracle.
“You better. Once is a mistake. Twice will make us doubt your loyalty.”
The man felt a wave of gratitude. He’d expected a dagger to the throat. “Before the year is out, the fleet admiral’s daughter will be yours. I promise it on my life.”
“Good, because your life is the very thing we’ll take.”
Overhead, gray clouds blocked out the morning sunlight, a sure sign of the storm to come.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Here's a preview of the next story in this exciting series “To Touch a Warrior.
“To Touch a Warrior” Preview
Chapter One
Hannah stared from afar at the pale, golden bubble surrounding Liam’s dream. She lingered as far from it as she could, like a reluctant observer, torn between fascination and worry. Why was she here? Going into the dreams of others usually required a lot of work and as much of an understanding of the individual as possible. She slipped into dreams by accident only if she knew the person well. Until now.
To Kiss a Warrior: An Alien Rogue Romance (Starflight Academy Book 1) Page 4