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“I’ll keep you warm,” Grath said unexpectedly. “If you want me to, anyway,” he added. “Though you’ll have to stay close to me if you do.”
“Well, wearegoing to be pretending we’re dating….” Mattie felt her cheeks getting hot again as she spoke. “So I guess it would be reasonable for you to keep your, uh, arm around me.”
“That should work,” Grath remarked. He gave her a thoughtful look. “You really think we can pull this off, little girl?”
For once, Mattie didn’t correct him.
“Wehaveto,” she said earnestly. “Ireallywant that assignment to Vi’ri’tex Delta—don’t you?”
“What I wantmostis just to keep you safe,” Grath said unexpectedly. “Though pretending to be your ‘date’ seems like a fucking weird way to do it.”
“Remember what Commander Sylvan said—if we can fool my family, we can fool the Vi’riens,” Mattie said firmly. She clapped her hands together briskly. “So—I’ll let you pack and I’ve got some packing to do of my own. And I have to call my mom on the Think-me and let her know I’m bringing a date for Christmas.”
“How do you think she’ll react?” Grath looked apprehensive.
“Are you kidding? She’ll beecstatic,”Mattie said dryly. “She’s been dying for me to find the ‘right guy’ and settle down for the past ten years.”
“Why haven’t you, then?” He arched an eyebrow at her.
Mattie shrugged uncomfortably.
“I don’t know—I’ve been busy earning my degree and then getting my career off the ground. That doesn’t leave a lot of time for love. Anyway…” She cleared her throat. “I’d better get going. Should we say we’ll meet at the Docking Bay in an hour?”
Grath nodded.
“Sounds good to me.”
“Fine. See you there. Don’t get up,” she added. “I can see myself out.”
Then, her heart still hammering in her chest, she left his suite to call her mom and let her know she was bringing a ‘date’ for Christmas.
FOUR
GRATH
Grath grimaced and rubbed his aching groin as the door slid shut behind the little female. Damn it, if only she didn’t affect him so strongly! Feeling her soft, curvy body against his own had nearly driven himcrazy. It was a damn good thing she’d been sitting on his left thigh and his shaft hung to the right. Otherwise she surely would have felt it when he started getting hard.
But it affected her too—getting so close,he thought and knew it was true. While she’d been sitting on his lap, all cuddled up against him, Madeline’s breathing had quickened and her heart rate had nearly doubled. He had heard it easily with his acute Hybrid senses. But those weren’t the only indications she was feeling the same thing he was.
Her scent,he thought, inhaling deeply. The warm, feminine fragrance of her desire still lingered in the air around him. It was the scent of her sweet little pussy getting hot and wet and ready and Grath wondered if she had any idea she was making it.
Probably not, he decided. Humans had exceptionally dull senses—at least compared with Kindred. He, on the other hand, was well aware that his own body had been making his Bonding Scent for Madeline—pumping it out like a cloud of pheromones to draw her to him and make her want him.
Grath frowned. He didn’t do it on purpose, anymore than Madeline’s sweet little pussy was getting wet on purpose when she was sitting on his lap. But it was going to be a problem if they kept on like this. A Kindred male’s Bonding Scent made him damn near irresistible to the female he was trying to attract—even if he wasn’t consciously trying to attract her.
That was the main reason he’d been keeping his distance from her all this time—because he knew that his body wanted her. That little tingle when they had first shaken hands had let him know they would be drawn to each other if given a chance.
Of course, his body didn’t know it couldn’t bond with her—any more than he hadn’t been able to bond with Ar’leenah. The attraction was purely a matter of chemistry and compatibility but it could never lead to anything, because he wasn’t going to risk another failed bonding.
Have to be careful,Grath warned himself.This is a tricky situation. I’ve got to keep my fucking head and remember that none of this can lead anywhere permanent. Madeline and I can never be together—ever! No matterhowmuch I fucking want her.
With a sigh, he went to pack.
He had a feeling this was going to be the hardest mission of his entire life.
FIVE
MATTIE
