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  She was hot and eager and wanted to haul him back to her room and shut out the rest of the world forever. And though her mind tried to come up with some reason why that wasn’t possible, she realized there was nothing keeping that from happening. They were alone and together, what could be better?

  She leaned back, keeping her arms clasped around him. “Come on, we can eat later.”

  Dryce’s dark chuckle washed over her, a sinful promise that she planned to make him keep. The memory of the time they’d stolen in the on call room was too tied up in the mission for Peyton to truly enjoy, but now they had time to make new memories, and she was going to hold tight to the opportunity.

  But steering Dryce was a bit of a challenge. He was too tall for her to see around, and she couldn’t stop herself from plastering kisses against him. That seemed to distract him and he bumped into her walls, sending a photo frame askew and almost knocking over another one. By the time they made it to her room, both of them a little bruised from their journey, they were laughing and seemed to be making a game out of it by some unspoken agreement.

  And then they were in her room and Peyton managed to kick the door shut behind them in a feat of dexterity that she doubted she’d be able to manage again. Though she’d never considered herself clumsy, her mind was so focused on the giant warrior in front of her that she was shocked she hadn’t yet tripped over her own feet.

  Dryce took advantage, twisting in her arms as if she wasn’t even touching him and somehow flipping her so she landed with her back on her bed and her mate looming over her, staring at her as if she were a feast and he hadn’t eaten in years. Centuries. His eyes shifted from black to red and he sucked in a harsh breath through his mouth. Looking up at him like she was, his teeth looked sharper than a human’s and she could see how he held himself like a predator. She’d hate to be his prey. Except for now when there was nothing she wanted more.

  The clothes she’d been so happy to slip on earlier were now annoying barriers she wished would just dissolve with a simple thought. If Dryce looked at her any hotter, they’d definitely melt off.

  God, he was a work of art. Her eyes clung to him, tracing over the sleek lines of his muscle, her mouth watering with the desperate urge to lick. If her eyes could go red, they would have already, and it wouldn’t be out of place. The rest of her was on fire.

  “When you look at me like that, denya...” Dryce trailed off, swallowing hard and taking a step towards her.

  “What?” Peyton rolled onto her side, propping herself up on one arm. She needed to touch him, to feel him deep inside of her, but she was almost as curious to know every thought that was running through his head.

  “When you look at me like that I have no idea how we let something as minuscule as the end of the world stop us from doing this earlier.” His voice was rough, husky and enticingly masculine.

  She shivered as the words washed over her. “Then let’s not waste any more time.” If she thought too much of the events of the past week she was going to freak out, and no way was she going to let that happen while she was in bed with this amazing man. Alien. Mate. It had sounded unbelievable when he first told her, when she first heard of the concept, but now there was nothing more natural, more right. She needed him beside her, inside her, more than she needed her next breath. And if they waited much longer she was going to combust with the wanting. “Take off your shirt,” she said. “Hell, take everything off.”

  If it was even possible, his eyes got redder, but the grin he shot her made her heart flip over, reminding her that Dryce wasn’t some dour man who only operated with an intensity that would drive her crazy. He was made of humor and honor and everything she’d always wanted in a partner but never dreamed of having.

  She’d never known that she could have Dryce. That she could keep him.

  “What are you thinking, denya?” he asked as he slowly pulled off his top, exposing all those hard won muscles.

  Peyton’s mind went blank as her free hand reached out as if it had a mind of its own. She laid it against his abs and bit her lip to bite back a groan. He was perfection made flesh and if there was any room in her mind for insecurity, she’d be wondering how she could ever measure up. But given the way he was looking at her now, she had nothing to worry about. He looked like he wanted to devour her.

  And by god Peyton was going to let him.

  But Dryce had asked a question. Her mouth opened and shut a few times as she tried to remember the answer, but nothing came to her. “Pants. Off.” Who needed thoughts when she could make demands?

  And from the way Dryce jolted as if electricity was arcing through him, he liked it too. Between one blink and the next, he was naked, standing proudly before her like an ancient statue, all of him at attention. Peyton’s mouth went dry and the sound that escaped her throat didn’t make sense in any language, but from the look Dryce shot her, he understood it just as well.

  She’d seen naked men before. Not a lot and not very often, but she knew what to expect when she crawled into bed with somebody. But not when that somebody was Dryce. Everything about him was built to be intimidating. Muscles that could tear buildings down by hand, legs strong enough to run dozens of kilometers without tiring, a broad chest she could cling to and never let got. And that cock. Damn.

  It didn’t look human, not quite, which shouldn’t have surprised her, given that he was Detyen. But she hadn’t gone searching for information about Detyen mating rituals just because she wanted to climb in bed with him. Okay, she’d checked to make sure they’d be biologically compatible, but nothing more. A girl had to have limits.

  It was long and thick, with uniform ridges she wouldn’t have expected. Her sex clenched as she wondered what he’d feel like inside of her. It was intimidating to think that she could fit that whole thing into her body, but she didn’t think she’d ever been more determined.

  She pulled her own shirt off, suddenly too hot and confined by the thin material. If Dryce was going to be naked with her, she wanted to return the favor. For a second, half a second really, a pang of self-consciousness threatened her. He’d seen so many people naked, had been with so many others, that there was no way she could match up to some of his partners. But she couldn’t remember the last time he’d mentioned anything about that part of his past, especially when she wasn’t the first to bring it up. He didn’t need to tell her that he wanted to be with her and no one else. She could see that in the way he looked at her and all the other things he said. He called her mate and she believed him. And she wasn’t going to let some niggling thought that ultimately meant nothing ruin this.

  Taking off pants while laying down required a lot more wriggling than she’d been prepared for, and by the time she had her pajama bottoms off, Dryce was right in front of her, tempting cock and all. Peyton reached out and wrapped her fingers around it, feeling the velvety heat of him. How had they managed to wait this long? She never wanted to get out of this bed again.

  She rolled her eyes up at him as she stroked his length from base to tip, her thumb brushing over the sensitive end. He groaned and his hips thrust towards her once, as if he couldn’t control herself, as if she had him completely in her power. It was a heady thought, and something Peyton thought she’d want to explore later.

  But not just yet.

  A part of her wanted to see him fall to pieces just from her hand, but that was another thing that could go on the list of future plans. She’d need to start a database. Cross referencing was definitely going to be involved. And a whole lot of experimentation.

  The scientific method rocked.

  “Should I fear that look?” Dryce asked. He threaded his fingers through her hair and cradled her head.

  Peyton grinned. “No, you’re going to learn to love this look,” she promised.

  “No need to learn.” He leaned in and kissed her, obliterating all thoughts, even as her mind spun, wondering about the implications.

  His knees trapped her on the bed as he
climbed on top of her, not crushing her with his weight, but holding her in place. Peyton let go of his cock, her fingers sliding up his chest until her nails dug into him, hard enough to leave a mark, to show the world, the galaxy, that he belonged to her.

  He tasted like home and sin and promise, and as his tongue swept across hers Peyton knew that she’d never had another choice when it came to him. From the second they’d met, the road had led to this moment. Maybe the denya bond had sped things up, but she couldn’t imagine a life where she didn’t have Dryce NaFeen in her arms, kissing her like it was the only chance he’d ever had, and he had to make it good.

  But it wasn’t only her mouth he wanted to kiss. She tried to hold him close when he pulled away, but he kissed a path down her chest and further south until he knelt between her spread legs and looked up at her with eyes on fire.

  She was going to grow addicted to that look. She could feel it.

  And when he set his lips on her, all she could do was feel. He used his tongue and his lips and his fingers on her like he’d been training his entire life to bring her pleasure. Peyton babbled at him, encouragement and direction to speed up and then begging him to slow down when she thought she’d come too quickly. Already Dryce seemed to know her body as well as she did, and he toyed with her like she was precious, but not breakable, giving no quarter when she thought she’d had enough but still needed so much more.

  Her fingers dug into the sheets hard enough to pull up one corner and slacken everything else around her. Some deranged instinct had her shifting away, even as she thrust herself down on him, his fingers reaching into her and hitting that spot just right so that she saw stars and forgot how to speak.

  A million promises and declarations might have flown out of her mouth if she had the ability to form words, but all that existed right then was sensation and Dryce. That was all that ever needed to exist for her universe to be complete.

  A twist of his fingers had her crying out, and when he pulled them out of her for a moment she begged for more.

  Her sex rippled around him and she was swept away by the pleasure as orgasm crested through her. Peyton panted, her fingers cramping from how tightly they clenched the sheets beside her, but she didn’t care. Her mind was clear, blank for the first time in forever, and every muscle melted to putty when Dryce pulled away, showing mercy for the first time.

  All she could do was stare at him while he petted her legs, rearranging her like she was his own model to move as he pleased. He wasn’t wrong. She would do anything for him in that moment, everything and beg for more. And it might have just been her sex addled brain, but she didn’t think so. That explained how sated she was, how her body felt like it could melt away and nothing would be better. But the hot, unfurling emotion in her chest was something bigger than pleasure, something she’d never felt for anyone before. Dryce was in her heart, firmly ensconced and never to leave.

  He had his hand on his cock and Peyton licked her lips. She wanted to taste him, wanted to give him the same pleasures that he’d just given to her, but she wasn’t sure she could make her body move. Everything felt too perfect.

  “Damn,” she murmured, unable to come up with anything more profound.

  For a moment, Dryce’s face scrunched up in confusion. “Is something wrong?” He might have sounded worried if his voice weren’t wracked with lust.

  “Not a thing.” Peyton grinned, almost giggling from how light she felt. She reached out, tugging on his arm until he was on top of her. And then somehow she managed to roll until she had her legs straddling his chest, his thick cock nudging at her entrance. Peyton moaned. This was it, what she’d been waiting for. And she was practically dripping, so hot that she knew she’d come again with almost no stimulation. She needed him inside of her. Now.

  And Dryce was right there with her. Their eyes met and they shared a secret, sexy smile, a promise of everything that they could be together. And when his cock breached her entrance, Peyton squeezed her eyes shut and breathed carefully to try and get a hold of herself. She’d already come once, and this next time she wanted to feel Dryce deep within her when it happened again. She wanted to see him lose himself and feel it all the way to her core.

  He was thick, even as ready as she was for him; she could feel the stretch as she eased herself down over him. But her body was ready, open and willing to take him all the way to the root. And once he was seated inside, it was like something in her chest clicked into place, reaching from Dryce to her and anchoring them together in a bond almost as physical as the one that connected them in sex.

  The denya bond.

  She’d known it was real. Known that it was something the two of them felt for one another, but she hadn’t realized that she would feel it while they were joined together.

  She wanted to kiss him, wanted to hug him tight and tell him that she would never let him go. But even more than that, she needed to move, needed the friction that only two bodies could make together in a dance recognized throughout the stars.

  And so she did. They found their rhythm, and Peyton set the pace, faster than she thought she’d be able to move in her sex dazed brain. Dryce thrust up into her, fitting her like they’d been meant for one another from their very creation. Sweat popped up on his brow and he grit his teeth as if it was an effort not to blow right then.

  His hand reached out and his fingers brushed against where they were joined, rubbing her clit until she was gasping and stuttering, her body losing control as it rippled around her.

  With a final few strokes, Dryce buried himself within her and came with a yell, his body arcing up off the bed and exploding with pleasure.

  The bond seemed to anchor even further between them and Peyton collapsed to the side, curling up against Dryce and brushing her lips against his shoulder.

  “Not bad for the first time,” she somehow managed to say with an air of contentment.

  Dryce huffed out a satisfied laugh. “Not bad at all, denya.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  A day stolen away from the rest of the world had to be paid back, and if Dryce weren’t so absolutely sated from the time spent with his denya, he might have been in a sour mood as they drove back to the SDA base. He’d been ordered to report back after he got his rest, and though he hadn’t received a call from Sandon or any other member of the Detyen leadership, he knew it would be coming if he didn’t show himself.

  Peyton had her own duties to see to and a team that was sure to be missing her, so she sat beside him in the taxi as they cut through the streets of Washington, DC. She also sat in his heart, the anchor of the denya bond practically a physical weight he could feel every time he moved. He’d heard his friends speaking of their bonds, but he’d never quite been able to imagine what it would feel like. Until now.

  “So what happens next?” Peyton asked. She squeezed his fingers, their hands clasped. If they were within touching distance, they couldn’t seem to keep their hands off each other. It would be painful to separate for the day, but they had lives they had to live, and they’d see each other in only a matter of hours. Still, it was probably good for Peyton’s sister’s sanity that she hadn’t come back to the apartment the night before. If seeing Dryce was enough to make her upset, she would be especially angry to know what they’d done on the couch. And the kitchen table.

  And the hallway floor.

  “Next for what?” They probably needed to have a talk about what their relationship would look like. Would Dryce move in with Peyton? Did she want to move to the suite he shared with his fellow Detyens? How many children would they have? When? Could they make love again right now? He shifted in his seat, trying to get a little relief from the memories that sparked his lust.

  “With that,” she rolled her eyes up and nodded at the ceiling. It took Dryce a moment to realize she was talking about the sky and the Wreetan and Oscavian fleet who’d been attempting to attack them.

  News of the skirmish had broken, but no one yet had the ful
l story. And Dryce was certain that the SDA and the Detyen Legion would be doing their best to make sure they never did. Already reports were filtering in that the enemy ships were retreating, their leaders captured. Dryce didn’t know if it was true or not, but he’d know once they were back at the base.

  “I suppose there will be a trial of some kind,” he responded. He’d never dared dream what would happen if they caught the man who destroyed Detya. It had seemed impossible until only a few months ago. And in that time everything had changed. They had answers, they had a home, they had a future, and a small part of Dryce was afraid that he was going to wake up and realize that it was all some fantasy and he’d soon need to make a decision about whether or not he’d sacrifice his soul to further aid his people.

  “Is everything alright?” Peyton asked, leaning in closer as if she sensed the dark turn his thoughts had taken.

  Dryce kissed her forehead and breathed her scent in deep. “Sometimes it is difficult to believe that everything that has happened in the past few months is real,” he admitted.

  She didn’t offer him platitudes, didn’t tell him that she could understand exactly what he was going through. Instead, Peyton held his hand even tighter and leaned flush up against him, physically reminding him that she was there with him, that she wasn’t going anywhere. It was more useful than any words she could offer.

  And it gave Dryce the strength to imagine what could happen next. “There will be some kind of punishment, probably execution.” Even though he knew it was the right thing to turn Yormas of Wreet over, a small part of him still wished that he was the one who’d ended that monster’s life. “And there will almost certainly be diplomatic ramifications. But for the first time in a century, we’re free to choose our own paths. I don’t know that anyone has planned for that.”