Cold Attraction

by Zoe Ashwood

  The human chuckled. “I won’t cut you up if that’s what you’re afraid of. But I want to know how your body works, what your chemical composition is, how strong you are. Mostly noninvasive stuff.”

  “Mostly?”

  “I won’t do anything to hurt you, trust me.”

  “Hm.” Taron didn’t trust the doctor, but unless they imported another human on Rendu and convinced them to stay, he was Adriana’s best option. “Fine.”

  “It might take years to teach you all I know,” Ben remarked while he taped a large white bandage over Jean’s burn.

  “Fine,” Taron repeated. He wanted Ben gone so he could keep vigil over Adriana in peace.

  “You’d do that for her?”

  Taron glanced up. The doctor’s question was earnest, without a hint of judgment. If anything, he seemed sad. Wistful.

  So he answered with the full truth. “I’d do anything.”

  25

  Adriana

  Aw, man, I should really stop passing out.

  Adriana’s first thought was that she’d spent a month on Rendu and had been knocked unconscious more often than in her entire life before that. It spoke to the fact that she was insane for even thinking about staying here, but her resolution hadn’t wavered. Taron was stuck with her whether he liked it or not.

  Taron.

  She struggled to sit up. She needed to find him and thank him for saving her—

  “Aah!” A yelp escaped her lips. Her entire chest hurt like a bitch, and she slumped back on the pillow, clutching her side.

  “Adriana! What’s wrong?”

  Taron’s beautiful face appeared over her, pale and drawn with worry.

  “Where does it hurt?”

  She grimaced. Now that her body was waking up properly, it all hurt. But she had a sneaking suspicion that Taron would freak if she told him the whole truth, so she said, “My ribs, a little.”

  “They’re cracked,” Ben announced and stepped into her field of vision. “Give me a sec to check her over, Naals, then I’ll leave you two for a bit.”

  Adriana glanced around. She only now realized they were in Ben’s medical suite, with two other beds occupied. On one lay Jean, his eyes still closed, but his chest rose and fell with deep, restful breaths. On the other lay Mika and Kol, both passed out cold.

  “Is she—” Adriana began, then added, “Was he hurt as well?”

  “No,” Ben replied while he shone a light into her eyes. “But he was raging around, so I poked him with a small dose of epinephrine. I think it’s already worn off, but he’s still sleeping.”

  Adriana looked at Taron and raised her eyebrows.

  He nodded in confirmation. “Mika will be fine, she just lost some blood, and we haven’t had the time to change her stained clothes, so Kol saw her all bloodied up and went…a little crazy.”

  He rubbed his jaw then, and Adriana thought she saw a pale bruise there.

  “Did he punch you?” She stroked his skin, so smooth and cool.

  Her alien shrugged. “Eh, it’s nothing. I’m more worried about you.”

  She held his gaze while Ben gently pressed on her ribs and listened to her lungs.

  Finally, the Dutch doctor removed his stethoscope and grinned. “You’ll be just fine. Now I’ll go grab some food. I’ll be back in fifteen minutes.” He pointed at Taron. “She needs rest, is that clear?”

  To Adriana’s surprise, Taron nodded. “Got it.”

  Adriana didn’t wait for the door to close behind Ben. She wrapped her arms around Taron’s neck and pulled him down, using his surprise to press a hard kiss on his lips.

  He grumbled but kissed her back, his blue eyes drifting closed. His hand came to cup her cheek, and it felt amazing.

  She giggled against his lips. “I can use you as my personal ice pack,” she joked. “Though you’re not really portable, so that’s a downside.”

  A serious frown replaced his smile. “I thought you were dead,” he said. “When I crashed through the window and saw you lying on the floor…”

  “Wait.” Adriana pressed her palm over his mouth. “You crashed through a window?” She craned her neck to check him over, but he didn’t seem to be injured. “Are you okay?”

  Taron gingerly eased himself onto the stretcher next to her, and she let him wrap her in a careful embrace. “Well, I didn’t just accidentally crash,” he told her. “I drove the hover sled right into the chamber.”

  She squeezed her eyes shut in horror. “You could have been killed.”

  “So could you.”

  She opened her eyes and found him looking at her, his expression fierce.

  “In that moment, nothing else mattered.”

  She sensed his frustration that he couldn’t prevent her from getting injured, so she stroked his hair, his brow, until he gradually relaxed under her touch. “I’m okay now.”

  He let out a great sigh. “Just don’t expect me to let you out of my sight anytime soon.”

  With a smile, she replied, “Well, lucky for you that I’m staying here, then.”

  He stilled, his entire big body going rigid. His voice was gravelly when he spoke. “So you…didn’t change your mind?”

  Adriana shook her head.

  “And you’ll stay with me?”

  Silly alien. “Who else? I love you, remember?”

  He groaned and buried his face in her neck. Adriana hissed in pain. The bruises Gilmar had given her were very tender despite the painkillers Ben pumped into her system.

  Taron immediately jerked back—and tumbled off the stretcher.

  A round of cursing told her he was fine, and she giggled. When he reappeared by her side, he apologized for causing her pain.

  “I wish I could kill him all over again,” he admitted. “Once was not enough.”

  She smiled sadly at him. “I wish you didn’t have to kill any more people.”

  He drew back. “Did you not want me to?”

  His frown was fierce, but Adriana sensed more uncertainty than anger beneath it. Despite the pain, she struggled to sit up.

  “Taron, I’m grateful you saved me. You saved us all—the queen, me, your people. Probably the entire human delegation. Who knows what would have happened if Gilmar had had his way.” She extended her hand and waited until he entwined his fingers with hers. “He was a horrible man, and I’m not sorry he’s gone. The same goes for the soldiers who willingly followed him. They hurt the queen, Taron.”

  The memory from the bathroom had anger spiking inside her. That guard got what he deserved. So did the regent.

  “Thank you for understanding,” Taron murmured. He leaned his forehead against hers, then kissed her, his cool tongue stroking hers, until she was panting and clinging on to him.

  Adriana wished she could return to her room and have her way with him, but she suspected her bruised ribs would protest. She broke off the kiss and glanced at the other sleeping people in the room.

  “They’ll be fine, right?” she asked.

  Taron nodded. “So says the doctor.”

  “And the queen?”

  He sighed. “I had to leave her with your human, Steven, even though I wanted to kill him for leaving you at the palace.” He held up a hand when she started to protest. “I know, you told him to go. I’m still not happy with him. But he escorted Zeema to the safe house where Lhett joined them a little while ago. They took off her collar with the key Gilmar carried.”

  Adriana sighed with relief. The young queen was safe, and their mission was successful. “And the rest of the guards?”

  “They surrendered—they saw the broadcast and immediately threw down their weapons. I think they realized the people would have torn them to pieces if they’d resisted. They’ll be tried for treason after the dust settles.”

  This was all great. But she still wasn’t entirely convinced. “How about the villagers? The ones stuck inside the mines?”

  Taron chuckled. “You don’t have to worry about everyone, you know? But a
regiment of soldiers has been sent to the area to help close down the mines again, to seal them, and return the villagers safely to their homes.”

  Adriana melted back against the pillow. “Oof. That’s okay, then.” Tiredness washed over her in a wave, and she closed her eyes.

  Cold lips pressed to her forehead. “Rest now. I’ll stay with you.”

  She searched blindly for his hand and then squeezed his fingers hard. “Thank you,” she murmured, just before she drifted back to sleep.

  26

  Adriana

  Ben insisted on keeping her in the medical suite for another two days.

  “You can’t do anything strenuous anyway, and here, you’ll have company, at least,” he told her, indicating Mika’s and Jean’s beds.

  They were both recovering well, though Mika’s head was still wrapped in bandages, and Jean couldn’t put any weight on his leg. The Canadian engineer also snored like a chainsaw, a fact which Lieutenant Anilla, who visited him daily, found ‘charming.’ Adriana and Mika had exchanged a loaded glance at that and asked Ben to provide some ear plugs.

  Taron joined them for all meal times, bringing Rendian delicacies to Adriana. She thought it was a courting ritual of sorts and ate whatever he brought—she even choked down some of the slimy, cold jelly of dubious origin while Mika laughed her ass off in the next bed.

  More interesting still, Kol kept inventing reasons to drop by the medical suite. Ben had banned him from bringing his pet horeen into the room; the large, tame beast had been kept captive by the regent, who had known exactly where to strike to hurt the Naals brothers the most. Now the scarlet fox-like creature would sit in front of the door, yipping loudly until Kol left with her again.

  Mika blushed furiously every time he arrived and refused to talk to anyone about it. Adriana confided in her friends and told them she would not be leaving Rendu with them when the time came for humans to return to Earth. She hadn’t yet asked for official permission from the queen, but she didn’t think her request would be denied.

  Her friends weren’t all that surprised by her decision.

  “He can still fly you home later if you ever decide to return,” Mika said, ever practical.

  Hanne’s smile was surprisingly wicked as she added, “I’m not sure he’d let her go, though. Judging by the look he gave her just before…”

  Adriana’s cheeks flooded with warmth. Ben promised her she could leave the medical suite that afternoon, and Taron kissed her hard and left with a promise of a surprise.

  She couldn’t wait to see what he had in mind.

  If she had any say in it, they would be naked while he presented her with whatever it was.

  Her heart hurt at the thought of her two best friends leaving. She would have to create new bonds with Rendians, meet her new neighbors and perhaps Taron’s extended family. She wished she could get to know the queen better as well—the young woman surprised her with her strength and resolve.

  The door of the medical suite slid open, revealing Taron’s tall form. He was dressed in plain clothes and so handsome, she got a gut-punch feeling every time she looked at him. What did she ever do to deserve such a man?

  But he was staring at her with the same intensity. She trembled under the weight of his gaze. Taron crossed over to her in three long strides and completely ignored the other people. With great care, he helped her put on Rendian winter gear: the soft leather pants, the thick wool coat and hat. She laced up her boots, then climbed from the stretcher.

  “Thanks for everything, Ben,” she said, nodding at the doctor. “I’ll be back for—eek!”

  Her words were cut off as Taron lifted her.

  “What are you doing?” she squeaked. She grabbed on to him to keep from tipping over but relaxed a moment later.

  He held her tight and seemed completely relaxed. He would not let her fall.

  “I’m taking you home.” His deep voice rumbled against her.

  Adriana craned her neck, glancing back in time to see Mika and Hanne’s curious faces poking around the medical suite door. They both gave her thumbs-up and disappeared.

  Hmph. So much for good friends—they let her be kidnapped by this alien without so much as a protest.

  With a smile, she pressed a kiss to the underside of Taron’s jaw. “Hey, um, my room is that way.” She pointed in the other direction.

  He groaned. “I know. And believe me, I want to carry you there and take you up against the wall. But I have something better planned.”

  Out they went, into the cold evening. Wind blew fiercely through the snowy city streets, sharpened by the narrow passages between buildings. They passed the entrance to the large marketplace, walked down an avenue lined with shops, and rounded a corner by the school.

  A large white building came into view, and Adriana wondered who lived—or worked—there. It was a three-story mansion that seemed to be hewn all from one giant piece of blue-tinged rock: it glittered like ice in the last rays of the feeble winter sun.

  Taron came to a stop in front of it. He shifted her weight around and raised his wrist cuff to the tall double doors.

  “What is this place?” Adriana asked quietly as he carried her into the spacious entrance hall. Her murmur echoed around the chamber. The doors closed behind them, operated by some hidden mechanism, and the room immediately lost some of its chill.

  “It’s our home,” Taron replied. He took the stairs on the left two at a time, his long legs eating the distance without effort. “We’ll live in this wing.”

  Adriana blinked. “What?”

  They walked past several open doors now and met a number of Rendians who were busy tidying up.

  “This is my family’s house,” Taron explained. “When our parents died, Kol took over the family business while Lhett and I joined the army. But we all have apartments here. Ours will be in this wing.”

  Gaping, Adriana stared around her. Palace was a better description for the building. House simply didn’t do it justice.

  “Your room is in here?” She craned her neck and tried to peek through one of the doors they passed, but Taron’s stride was too fast.

  “Rooms,” he corrected her. “This entire wing is ours.”

  A wing. He had a whole wing of this enormous place.

  “Um. I guess that’ll have to do,” she joked.

  He growled quietly and picked up his pace.

  They reached the door at the very end of the corridor. Two men were moving around, dusting and putting the final touches on the room.

  “Out, now.” Taron’s gravelly voice brooked no argument. “Clear the floor.”

  The men nodded and left without a word, closing the door behind them.

  It was then that Adriana noticed an enormous bed that dominated the space. Taron set her down gently, still careful of her injuries. Though she’d improved over the past couple of days, her ribs were still very tender, while her face and neck were mottled with bruises.

  But Taron didn’t seem to mind.

  He took her face in his big palms and kissed her, gentle at first, but Adriana needed more. She rose to her knees and held on to him, opening her mouth and allowing him to plunder.

  “I don’t want to hurt you,” Taron groaned as she dug her hands under his coat and shirt to find the smooth, hard planes of his abs.

  Adriana hummed against his lips. “Do you trust me?” she asked.

  He dropped his forehead to her shoulder and let her undo the laces of his coat. “Yes.”

  “Then believe me when I tell you that I want this.”

  She peeled the clothes off him, one by one, until he stood in front of her in his pants, laces already undone. He was magnificent, his skin flushed a pale blue, his every muscle defined. The shoulder spikes added a rough edge to his physique.

  “You’re so—” she began but stopped the moment her gaze met his.

  He was looking at her with such intensity, her thoughts stuttered to a stop, but her heart picked up its pace, thudding aga
inst her ribs.

  “Taron?”

  He stepped forward and silently, gently undressed her, his white eyebrows drawn down as though this was a task that required his full attention. Her coat, sweater, and pants were discarded on the floor, followed by her socks and t-shirt.

  “This vision haunts me in my dreams,” her alien warrior murmured.

  She knelt on the bed before him, dressed only in her underwear—a plain black bra and panties, chosen for their practicality back on Earth, when she didn’t even know that Taron ad Naals would steal her heart.

  She might have to visit Vinsha in her amazing shop again and see if she could get some more…elaborate lingerie here. Taron would surely appreciate some lace.

  He ran his palms lightly over her, barely skimming her skin, but even that fleeting touch raised goosebumps all over her torso. Her nipples hardened into points, begging for his attention.

  “Take it off,” she whispered as he hooked a finger under her bra strap and caressed her collarbone with one rough pad.

  But Taron shook his head. “Not yet.”

  He lay her back on the soft pillows and lowered himself over her, keeping his weight on his forearms. With kiss after kiss, he drove her wild—without ever taking off her underwear. His cold lips traced a path from the hollow of her throat, between her breasts, down to her navel, yet he refused to touch her where she most needed him.

  Adriana burned for him. Her skin grew damp with perspiration, and she let her hands roam all over him—but he wouldn’t allow her to take off his pants.

  “Taron, please,” she begged. “I need…ohhh.”

  His mouth closed on her sensitive nipple, and he stroked her over the thin cotton. She was so close, so damn close… Adriana sneaked one hand down to her panties. One flick, maybe two, over her clit, and she’d go off—

  Taron grabbed her hand and pinned it on the bed beside her hip. Then he caught the other one and held her there, effortlessly, while he continued his slow sensual assault. Hours passed, or maybe just minutes, but Adriana’s entire world narrowed down to the feeling of his lips on her skin. His tongue drew erotic patterns over her heated body, always stopping just an inch shy of where she ached the most.