Page 38 of Rock Hard Alien

Maybe I was crazy to even consider this. I was a rational, down-to-earth sort of person. I made plans. I made pros-and-cons lists. My dreams had to be backed up by facts and planning.

And now I was throwing all that to the wind for him. Cairn. My winged Guardian.

He'd thrown his dry robe onto the sofa. The remains of the C-suit hung from his hips in black shreds over his battle wrap. One wing was still held slightly lower than the other, but the scanner had confirmed that he hadn’t broken anything either.

“So,” I said.

“So,” he repeated.

Neither of us moved.

This had been easier beside the wreckage, when adrenaline had been rushing through me and the possibility of dying had made everything seem simple. Now we were standing in my cottage, warm and safe, with my bed waiting on the mezzanine above us.

My bed suddenly seemed very small.

“Have you changed your mind?” Cairn asked.

“No.”

His tail flicked behind him as if he could barely restrain himself.

I smiled. “I’m trying to work out the logistics.”

“What logistics?”

I pointed upwards. “You. My bed. The mezzanine.”

His gaze travelled to the iron chains supporting the platform. “It held me last night.”

“You weren’t moving much last night.”

“I can be still.”

“That rather defeats the purpose.”

His fangs appeared as he smiled. “Then we shall discover how well your structure was built.”

He turned to the ladder, but I held up a hand.

“Wait. One thing. Small thing. Uhm. If... when we do this, what does it mean for this mate-thing?”

Cairn laughed. “Mate-thing? You mean the sacred, eternal mate bond that will bind us together until we return to the stone? The bond that led us to find each other across the stars, across the centuries? The bond that awakened me from my long sleep?”

I smiled wryly. “Yes, that one.”

He turned serious. “The bond is here and has always been here, but it is not fully developed yet. Imagine it as a plant that has sprouted and is growing, but hasn't come to flower yet. Only once our connection is strong enough does it grow into the beautiful flower that it is destined to be. For some gharrgoils, that will be their first mating. For others, it doesn't need any physical actions, while for others yet again, it can take many. There is no way to predict it. That said, I feel our bond is strong already. I have nothing to compare it to, of course, but from what I have been told I think it's well developed. Almost ready. If I feel the urge to... would you let me bite you? Not to drink your blood, just to harden the bond?”

The thought of his fangs once again piercing my skin made me all hot and bothered. I squeezed my thighs together.

“Yes. I would. Bite me. Please.” I laughed. “You can start with that, if you want.”

Cairn grinned. “No. Not yet. First, I want to taste you.”

He was doing things to my ovaries that shouldn't have been possible.

I headed for the ladder before my courage deserted me. My ribs protested as I climbed, but the pain was no worse than a bad stitch. Cairn stayed close behind me, one hand hovering near my back without touching.

When I reached the platform, I turned and caught him staring at my backside.