Nash stood outside Adelina’s doors and hesitated. He had never expected her to forgive his rash stupidity, let alone take the risk to invite him to her sitting room so they could spend some uninterrupted time together. Having a real conversation with Adelina, where she would focus the entirety of her attention on him made his palms sweat.

What was he, an untested warrior who had never seen the sight of blood before? Nash shook his head in disgust and phased through the wall into Adelina’s sitting room. Nash kept his sight shield up. Until Adelina was there to give him the go ahead it made sense to be cautious.

He took in the surroundings with a keen eye. The last time he’d been in her rooms they’d been pressed for time. A person’s private space always gave so much insight into their mind, and Adelina had clearly decorated the space. It was simple, but elegant. The true luxury was in the details. The balcony and the carved archway, the gold lattice shutters, and the spidersilk drapes all cost a small fortune on their own.

Nash wasn’t all that interested in the sitting room though. He walked silently towards her bedroom. It felt very much like spying, but Adelina had sent him here and she must have known he’d be curious. The massive bed in the center of her sleeping space made his mouth water. Nash shoved thoughts of what Adelina would look like naked and waiting for him to the back of his mind.

Just because she said she’d like to give him a chance did not mean he would have the right to seduce her. The last time they’d gotten close it had made her pull back from him and Nash wasn’t sure they’d make it through a second retreat.

Something glittered and Nash stepped closer to her massive closet. The space didn’t have a door which was strange. Jewels shimmered on her vanity like forgotten toys. He toed the line, but he didn’t cross into that space. It felt too personal.

His eyes did skim over the dresses, the shoes, and the tools of her trade. The items she needed to uphold her role as princess. It was rather sterile of her personality even if the items did say something about her. Nash craved to know more, to find out what he could about Adelina.

Marrying her had been a whim, a means to an end, and a half-formed thought. The attraction to Adelina was real, but the marriage was a promise of salvation. Better him than some awful male she didn’t know, right? Nash smirked. He was such a fool. Now he wanted that marriage more than he’d ever thought possible, or rather the chance to find out if they could have a good one.

He closed his eyes as a thought of her in the traditional Corinthian wedding gown came to mind. Blessed Fate was trying to ruin him. His control was tenuous already when it came to her. His nature was fierce, protective, and possessive whenever he caught her scent and her rooms were saturated with it. It wasn’t something he’d ever been able to help around her. Adelina triggered his instincts hard.

A soft noise caught his attention and he turned to inspect the room. The washroom was empty, but there was another door and it was open. He caught movement in the adjoining room before the door in Adelina’s sitting room opened. Nash moved to get a better look and then froze.

A small, sweet maid backed into the sitting room and the hov-cart of tea and snacks made him smile. Adelina could be adorable in ways he could never anticipate.

Steps sounded behind him and Nash leapt into the sitting room, whirling around but his nose caught the scent first and he barely kept himself from snarling. Nadyah walked past him, her skirt brushed against the toe of his boot and Nash froze in alarm. Did she know he was there?

Nadyah didn’t appear to notice and she thanked the maid before escorting her out of the room. Adelina’s delicious scent started to disappear under the stink of courtesan and he bared his teeth even if she couldn’t see him.

The courtesan started to set up the tea at the low table in front of a couch and chaise. The dining table was the smarter choice as there would be more room. Nash cocked his head as he watched her and wondered what thoughts went through her crafty mind.

Once the maid’s footsteps disappeared Nadyah’s nostrils flared and her shoulders stiffened. “I can smell you, Corinthian,” she snapped. “Take the damn shield off. No one but Adelina and I know you are here and it will stay that way.” She paused when he did no such thing. “You have my word,” Nadyah said, narrowing her eyes in his general direction.

Her sense of smell and warrior’s instincts impressed him enough he deactivated his tech and studied her. “How long have you known I was here?” he asked. Nash ran a hand through his hair and shrugged like her answer didn’t matter.

“I can smell your arousal from across the palace,” she snorted, bending to arrange the plates to her liking. “So the moment you stepped into my Mistress’s rooms.”

He grunted in annoyance. “Is this a courtesan thing?” Nash crossed his arms. He refused to sit and make small talk with the female who clearly disliked him as much as he disliked her. Perhaps if her scent wasn’t so offensive he wouldn’t mind her obvious sexuality.

“Yes,” she admitted. “Adelina cannot tell by your scent when or how much you desire her.” The glittering look in her dark blue eyes unsettled him.

“And you disapprove?”

Nadyah finished and wiped her hands on her dress. She shook her head and gave him a crooked smile. “Not anymore.”

Strange, but she didn’t bother to elaborate and he refused to ask for clarification.

The awkwardness was alleviated when Adelina entered the room. His position allowed none to see him from the hall which had been a strategic decision, but now he wasn’t sure what to do. Suddenly he was nervous and Nash felt sick, like the first time he’d gone into the fighting pits. He had thought he would piss himself or vomit before he stepped onto the hot sand. This was nearly as bad.

Nadyah cleared her throat when neither Adelina nor Nash said anything. The two of them simply stared at each other. “Do you need me for anything?” she asked her Mistress.

Adelina clutched tattered books to her chest and shook her head without breaking Nash’s gaze. “No thank you Nadyah, you are dismissed.”

The courtesan didn’t bother trying to hide her smile. She simply went back into her room and the door closed behind her. A second later he heard the lock activate.

Nash lurched forward, reaching for the books. “Let me help you with those,” he said.

What an idiot. That was something he should have done the moment she walked into the room. He cursed internally as his hands brushed against her soft skin. Thoughts of what she would taste like wormed into his mind and he felt his cock stir.

They needed to talk about something, anything to distract him. Nash set the books next to the pot of tea and waited for Adelina to sit. The way she moved across the room – his gaze tracked her, noting how the fabric of her dress moved and showed bits of skin, and then her scent hit him.

He bit the inside of his cheek as she settled gracefully on the couch and then reached for the teapot. That dark jasmine washed over him as he sat next to her but with plenty of space between the two of them. The strain he felt to keep his hands to himself was nearly painful. Everything about the way she smelled demanded he make a claim and mark her for all to see. His sharp incisors would break that delicate skin with hardly any pressure at all and the taste of her blood…

The first time he’d tasted that heady blood almost pushed him over the edge right then and there in the gymnasium. The spice of it was delicious and dominating. It nearly sent Nash to his knees so he could properly worship her. It had taken every ounce of warrior’s training he possessed to walk away that day.

She spoke. Her lips moved but he couldn’t make out the words over the blood roaring in his head. “I’m sorry, can you repeat that?” he asked, feeling like a fool.

Adelina blushed and glanced down at the cup in her hands. Right, she had poured tea. “Do you like honey or milk?” she repeated.

Nash shook his head. Tea was a strange obsession on her planet. They didn’t drink tea, or have a special time each day to sit down for it in Khara. “Neither, please.” He took the tiny cup from her and felt ridiculous with the dainty yet beautiful glass in his hands. She watched him long enough he mentally sighed and took a sip of the bitter liquid.

This particular brew was fruitier than he’d anticipated. Nash took another sip to please her and then set the cup down while he watched how she prepared her own tea. He filed it away for future reference. If she ever married him he would have to make sure to have this stupid tea at all times. It would please her to have something familiar. Nash would make sure to prepare it exactly how she liked and bring it to her whenever she asked. One day he might know her well enough he wouldn’t even have to be asked.

Nash almost laughed out loud at himself. He’d never had such romantic thoughts in his entire life, but every part of him demanded he properly care for this exquisite female before him and treasure her for as long as she allowed him to.

“What books are those?” he finally asked.

Adelina sipped the steaming liquid and set it down before reaching for the book on the top of the stack. “I managed to find the royal library, and thankfully Father didn’t disapprove. He was already reading these and then handed them over. They all cover the reign of King Beo. How he pushed the Neprijat back should be in here, somewhere.” Her excitement and the gleam in her eyes as she opened the book to flip through the pages made him smile.

The book itself was of no interest to him, not when he could sit and watch how animated she became as she explained it to him.

“Pushing the Neprijat back only worked temporarily,” he reminded her. “Somehow we need to find a way to eradicate them as a threat. Once we have that I believe it would be relatively easy to convince the Drakesthai to ally with us,” Nash said. He leaned forward to peer at the book in her hands, a wonderful excuse to get close and feel the warmth from her skin.

Her shoulder was bare and it would be so easy to press a kiss there. Internally, Nash groaned. He wanted to keep his distance until she made the first move. Adelina was giving him a second chance, but it was not easy to resist her. The summers on Draga Terra were hot and she dressed accordingly with a dress that had no sleeves or straps – Fate help him. There was entirely too much delicious skin for him to touch and taste.

Adelina turned to face him so suddenly Nash had no time to pull back and her eyes lit up like glittering stars. She was so close he could kiss her with barely an effort. “Are you really going to travel to the Hai galaxy?” she asked. “How do you plan to get in? They’re notorious for sending back emissaries.”

Nash put some distance between them with the excuse of a small sandwich. The tiny snack irritated him more than anything. If he was truly hungry he would have to eat a hundred of them to feel even remotely satisfied. It was so inefficient. He popped the tasty morsel into his mouth anyway and shrugged a shoulder. “If they won’t listen to reason I’ll force my way through.”

The dragons didn’t have the tech he did. They were big and brutish. A bit bigger than him in breadth as they had those wings to cart around, but he knew they were monstrous fighters and worth their weight as allies. If only he could convince them to join him. He slid a look to Adelina.

If Adelina were married while he was away there was nothing he could do short of murdering the male on his return. He stared up at the ceiling as he contemplated such a possibility. It would please him to rip the male limb from limb, but Adelina would no doubt disapprove.

There was a small frown on her face and it drew him in. It was a treat to see how open she was with him. The difference in her demeanor was clear as day. When she walked around the palace and performed her duties as Princess Adelina she was meek and silent. When she let the mask crack he could see her true self underneath. Only in private and with select few did she ever let that mask fall away completely to reveal a truly glorious wonder.

“How will you get back?” she asked.

Nash shrugged. He didn’t like where this conversation was headed. “I would have to cross the border into the Hai galaxy before it closes, knowing Raena may refuse my return, but she could say nothing if I leave from Seprilles to Hai. Her control doesn’t reach that far no matter what she may think. It would be too late for her to put a bounty on my head by the time word reached her I’d left the Draga galaxy,” Nash explained.

It was something he needed Adelina to consider. If he left in the next day or two there was a good chance he may never see her again. Nash’s heart thundered in his chest and he turned to face Adelina. He couldn’t resist touching a silky-soft curl as he sighed.

Her lips parted as she realized the gravity of his words and Adelina reached for his hand. This was still so new and strange after the rocky road they’d had that Nash flinched at her gentle touch.

She leaned forward and pressed her forehead against his. The small action spoke volumes and Nash enjoyed the touch while he could. “I understand how important this is,” she whispered. “No matter what my heart may want.”

Somehow he felt heartbroken despite never truly having Adelina as his own to cherish and love. It was over before it could even start. Her obligations wrapped around her, heavy like chains, as did his own. It felt as though those wicked sharp nails of hers had plunged into his chest and gripped his heart so she could keep it with her when he left for Seprilles.

“Then this attempt at a secret relationship is pointless,” he said. His lips barely touched hers when he spoke, but Nash held back. Saying goodbye would be worse if he kissed her.

Adelina’s hands slid into his hair and held him as she scooted closer. She was practically in his lap and he tensed. That scent of hers clouded his mind and demanded he say a proper goodbye, long and luxurious.

Her sharp nails pricked his scalp. Did she just growl? Nash’s eyes flew open and his pants felt tight when he saw her snarl of irritation. He’d never wanted her more than he had in that moment, to throw her down on the couch and ravage her until she was properly his…

His thoughts were cut off by her sharp words. “This was never pointless,” she snapped at him. “To acknowledge how we feel and then try to explore that? That is not pointless. We both knew this was never going to be long term. There is simply no way for that to work.” She crawled into his lap and held him close.

Nash closed his eyes in bliss and pressed his face into her neck, breathing her in. It was too much to resist. He then pressed a kiss to the hollow of her throat, convincing himself that’s all he would allow himself to do. Adelina tasted like salty sweat, jasmine, and something delicious he couldn’t identify. It made him want to taste her more to see if he could find out exactly what it was while he still could.

The desire to learn her taste shattered his control.

She gasped when his lips moved to the hollow of her collarbone and he gently kissed the skin there. It was a sweet taste, subtle and difficult to identify. Nash licked her neck up to her earlobe and nibbled softly. The sharp metal tang of her earring hid some of that sweet taste. He smiled as she started to tremble when he rubbed his cheek along her jaw, stubble scraping across her delicate skin.

Finally his lips found hers and he took his time kissing the corners of her mouth, her bottom lip and then he pressed his mouth fully against hers. The entire time she had let him adore her, Adelina had held as still as a statue but when he kissed her rough and hard she opened for him and devoured him in return.

Her tongue demanded entrance. The way she sucked his bottom lip made his cock hard enough to throb and Nash groaned, pulling her as close as he could. He wanted her so bad it hurt. The last time he’d nearly taken her on the terrace and Adelina had pushed him away. It hadn’t just left him feverish and wanting, it had hurt him emotionally, more than he’d anticipated when she’d rejected him. As if he somehow wasn’t good enough for her.

That thought was enough to make him pull back despite his desire. “Maybe this isn’t a good idea,” he managed. Nash had to physically hold her away from him. Adelina was a lot stronger than she looked.

The way she saw through him made him shudder. “I’m so sorry for the last time,” she whispered, touching his cheek with such tenderness his chest ached. “I wasn’t sure of what I wanted then, but now I am.”

“What is it you want?” Nash asked. His voice came out husky and deep with his desire and wanting. Every muscle strained against his careful control. All he wanted was to strip her out of that dress and show her how he felt.

Adelina stood and pulled him to his feet. She wrapped her arms around his neck and stared up into his eyes. The intensity made his breath catch. Adelina looked at him like he was the only male in the universe that she could ever trust and his hands gripped her waist, fingers flexing into her soft flesh.

“I want to have this one day with you, one more night to be with you Nash,” she said. “I may never see your beautiful face again. There may never be another chance for you to frustrate me.” Her laughing smile made her eyes twinkle as she teased him.

The feeling of her pressed against his entire body was almost too much. Nash took a deep breath and focused on her words. This was too important to be distracted.

“But we can have this small amount of time while it’s still available. This way I’ll know what I’m missing out on, rather than having to wonder for the rest of my life.” Her smile was sad, but she meant every word. “I’m done letting life pass me by. I’m an adult and can make my own decisions about my own life where I’m allowed.” Adelina rose up on her tiptoes and kissed him sweetly, softly.

Nash could feel her nipples harden against his chest through the thin fabric of her dress and he groaned. Before he went one step further he had to be sure. “You’re positive you want me?” he asked. “I don’t want you to feel pressured because of my own desires.”

Adelina’s fingernails pricked his shoulders hard enough to hurt and it made his back arch it was so delicious. Her breasts rubbed against his chest with the movement and there was no doubt in his mind she was aware of exactly how hard his cock was against her.

“I want you for myself,” she growled against his throat. “I want you for me and no one else.” Adelina actually bit him, breaking the skin of his shoulder through his shirt.

Nash completely lost control with that claiming, whether she knew what she was doing or not. He scooped her up with a growl and carried her to her bedroom. There was no turning back at this point, even if he tried.

He kissed her all the way to the bed, loving how she wrapped her legs around his waist. The friction made every step send a spark of pleasure through him. She moaned into his mouth when he laid her down. Nash never once broke the kiss as he climbed up.

Nash held himself above her, rubbing his hard cock against her clit slowly in circles; he could feel how it drove her wild. Adelina clutched at him and groaned when he kept the pace steady and slow. He wanted more than anything to bury himself inside her, but if they only had a little while together he wanted to make it count.

Nash would make sure she would never forget him and every male after him would pale in comparison. “I plan to take my time,” he told her, kissing a trail down her neck and over the curve of one of her luscious breasts. Nash looked into her flushed face. “Are you comfortable?” he asked.

Adelina gasped when he nuzzled against her nipple and the sound shot straight to his cock. He could barely move in his leather pants and involuntarily his hips pressed between her legs. Gods he wanted her so badly.

“I am,” Adelina said. Her sharp intake of breath when he brought her nipple into his mouth pleased him. “There is – something I want you to know.”

Instantly he stopped. Whatever she had to say he would give her his undivided attention. Nash wanted Adelina to enjoy his ministrations without distraction. “What is it?” he asked. “Did I hurt you?” Nash cursed internally. He had to pay more attention. His body mass was much denser on Draga Terra and he could easily hurt Adelina.

“No,” she said with a smile, caressing his cheek. “I simply wanted you to know I’m not very…experienced.”

His eyes widened in surprise and Nash propped up on his elbow so he could get a better look at her. Adelina blushed under his scrutiny. Holy gods, she was telling the truth. “How?” he asked. “Never mind I don’t want to know. I’ll be careful, I promise.” Nash bent down to kiss her sweet lips. Vanilla, he decided. She tastes of jasmine and vanilla.

“It’s not just that.”

Her breathing quickened as Nash turned his attention back to her nipple. He sucked it through the light fabric, teasing and nipping gently before turning to her other one.

“I don’t want to disappoint you,” she breathed as her hands clutched his shoulders.

Those deadly, sharp nails of hers pricked his skin and he loved how he could make her lose control. Nash made sure to gently roll one nipple between his fingers while he sucked on the other. Her words meant nothing to him. There was nothing she could say or do at this point that would disappoint him. Nash was already too lost in her scent, in the sounds she made under his attention and the way she rocked against his cock. If he wasn’t careful he’d lose control before he could even slide inside her.

“You can’t disappoint me,” he finally replied. He grabbed the top of her dress with both hands and yanked. The fabric tore in half down her body, exposing her to him fully. He groaned when he saw she was completely naked underneath the dress. “Do you always prance around the palace without underthings?” he demanded in a teasing tone.

Adelina wriggled under him and he pinned her wrists down before he took her right then and there. “It’s too hot to wear much,” she said. “If I’d known it wasn’t customary in Khara I might have said something if only to tease you.”

Nash bared his teeth at her as his gaze roved over her luscious curves, the swells of her breasts, the sweet dark areolas with her nipples at attention, the curve of her waist and the flare of her hip. He pressed a kiss between her breasts and breathed in deep. Definitely vanilla, he thought as he licked a path to her soft belly. Adelina moaned when he bit her hip and then licked the hollow there as well. He turned to the other, settling between her thighs.

Adelina’s hips bucked against him and he wanted to bury his face in her, but he had promised to take his time. Suddenly she shot up and reached down. He felt those nails of hers slice through his shirt, tearing it into ribbons as she laid back. The shirt fell in tatters until he was bare to the waist.

When he looked up at her in astonishment she smiled at him with enough heat to set him on fire. “I didn’t think it was fair I was the only one who lost an item of clothing today.”

Nash threw his head back and laughed. “Remind me not to piss you off,” he said, tossing the rags to the floor. The black lacquer on her nails made her a veritable demoness as she writhed beneath him.

He went straight for the lovely folds of her nether lips and licked long and slow. She bucked against him but one arm across her hips held her to the bed and he gave her all the attention and skill she deserved, every ounce of his control and desire went into every lick and suck. He planned to tease her for as long as she would allow. Nash knew under the surface of her flushed skin she was dying to take control of him and he wondered as he sucked softly on her clit how long she would hold out.

Adelina’s legs trembled and her hands clutched the bed sheets. Nash kept his pressure steady, his rhythm slow until she was practically screaming at him. She rode his face hard and he took it, wanting to make sure she came for him before he filled her. It had been a while, and he wasn’t sure how long he could hold out.

Nash sucked on her clit, on her lips and then slid his tongue inside her before slipping a finger deep inside her. Adelina breathed his name. It was a plea, a demand, and told him exactly what she wanted. He licked and sucked while he slid in and out of her wet center. When he slipped a second finger inside her she screamed as she came against his tongue. The sweet taste of her drove him wild and Nash gripped her hard enough to bruise while she thrashed.

He kept the rhythm slow, riding out her orgasm. When she lay still, shuddering with every flick of his tongue he pulled his fingers out. Nash kissed her thigh up to her hip and then the slight curve of her belly. Without warning she pushed against his chest hard. Nash flipped onto his back and her hands worked at the clasp of his pants. They were yanked down just enough his cock sprang free.

It was a shock, but he’d expected her domination at some point. Nash grinned up at Adelina; her hair was wild and her gaze half-lidded as she sank down on him. He groaned so loud no doubt someone had heard. Nash didn’t give a damn. The feel of her was exquisite, soft, and she clamped around him with the aftershocks of her last orgasm.

Her thighs were exquisite as she slowly rode his cock, taking her pleasure from him. Those nails raked down his chest and Nash grabbed her ass and squeezed, dropping her down on him hard. He lifted her again and slammed her down, over and over until she shuddered around him again, screaming his name. Nash roared as he came, filling her as his entire body seized. It was delicious pain mixed with so much pleasure his vision blacked for a moment.

Adelina collapsed onto his chest, breathing heavily. Nash stroked her hair back as he tried to catch his breath. That had been everything he’d wanted and more for their first time.

He held her close and closed his eyes so he could remember this moment exactly as it was. The smell of sex and salty sweat mixed with her sweet jasmine and vanilla. He sighed in contentment.

Nash had never been in love before, but if he could hazard a guess he’d assume it felt a lot like the feelings he had for the secretly wild female on top of him.

He kissed the top of Adelina’s head and wrapped his arms around her while they both dozed off. She was pure bliss against his skin and Nash planned how he would wake her as he drifted.