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He ducked his head, and, just when I thought I would get my wish, he stopped and glanced behind us. I followed his gaze to the guard stationed a mere dozen paces down the path. He’d propped a foot on a bench, seemingly enjoying the beauty of the garden, except for the hand resting on his stunner and the way his head pivoted to sweep the area.
“Come this way.” Lomax urged me up the walk. We skipped across a bridge traversing a placid pond. On the other side, a new species of tree dominated. Thick blue moss draped from their branches like veils. As we went around the curve, we momentarily lost sight of the guard. Lomax grabbed my hand. “Hurry!” he whispered.
We jogged up the narrow lane, and then he steered me into a copse of trees, their leafy branches and moss shielding us from prying eyes. Dappled sunlight filtered through the canopy to dance atop the fallen leaves. I leaned against a sturdy, moss-covered tree trunk and smiled up at him.
“Now, then…” He leaned in, and my eager heart skipped a beat when he pressed his mouth to mine, teasing my lips with the tip of his tongue. My body went liquid, and I wound my arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. He pulled me tight against him, thrilling me with his throaty growl. His tusks poked against my cheeks, but his mouth was gentle. Like an addictive exotic spice, his scent and taste ignited a craving for more.
“I missed you so much,” I murmured. “Missed this.” This was our first kiss since he’d departed the ship for Aurelia. Here on Araset, we’d never had an opportunity to be alone. Somebody was always lurking around. The darn guard.
He pressed butterfly kisses to my temples, my ear, and my neck. “Your skin is so soft, so smooth.” He sought my lips again, and I sighed with pleasure.
I jumped at the sound of an urgent shout.
“The guard,” Lomax said, his gaze regretful.
More shouting, urgent this time. “He sounds upset,” I said.
“He’s requesting—demanding—I show myself, or he will call for a search party and report my actions to the king.” Lomax lifted my wrist to his mouth and brushed his lips over my fluttering pulse. “I wish we had more time…”
As if on cue, the guard shouted again. He sounded close.
“We’d better go.” Lomax stepped back.
Our times together were so few and far between and were always cut short by something. I moved closer and slid my hand up his chest to toy with the fur poking out of his tunic. I smiled as seductively as I knew how. “Why don’t you come to my room tonight? We’ll be alone there.”
He shook his head. “That’s not…advisable.”
Urgent shouting now.
“Come. Let’s not worry the guard any further.” Abruptly, he took my hand and pulled me out of the trees.
The guard, several paces down the path, rushed over, his worried expression lightening with relief but then morphing into censure. I could hear in his tone he was respectfully admonishing Lomax as he addressed him.
Lomax nodded and said something back to him. Still holding my hand, he reversed course, leading me away from the trees and over the bridge.
The guard followed, this time closing the gap.
In a low voice for Lomax’s ears only, I persisted. “Why can’t you come to my quarters? You can go anywhere in the palace, can’t you?”
“It’s not a good idea.” His clipped reply hit me like a slap.
“Oh, I get it.” I extracted my hand from his grasp. “I misunderstood your intentions. How stupid of me to mistake amorous kisses and caresses for desire.”
“I do desire you. I burn with wanting you. I like you too much to take advantage of you.”
“You’re not taking advantage if it’s what I want.” I’d never had to beg a guy for sex before. Wasn’t it supposed to be the other way around?
“We must wait until after I’m deprogrammed.”
“Then the investigation will conclude, and I’ll be sent home.” We wouldn’t get a chance to be together! Didn’t he realize that? My shoulders slumped. What difference did the deprogramming make? I couldn’t help feeling he was making excuses to avoid sleeping with me. Maybe he doesn’t want to slum it with a human.
Since leaving New Terra, we’d learned humans were a protected but despised species. The League of Planets had placed us on the protected list because our numbers were so few, but everyone blamed us for the Great Nuclear War that destroyed Earth a couple of centuries ago. We were pariahs.
Lomax remained silent. Humiliation growing with every step, I sped up, racing for the seclusion of my quarters. I’d thrown myself at a man who wasn’t that interested in me. He’d only been flirting to pass the time.
We reached the courtyard with the fountain and its towering statues of the monarchs. “Well, thank you for…the nice afternoon, Your Highness.” I turned to leave.
“It’s for your own safety,” he growled.
