“Put your clothes on.” Not the words a red-blooded man should ever use when confronted with a gorgeous, naked woman.

“That will make it harder to consummate our marriage.”

“There will be no consummation. I told you the captain is going to annul our marriage.”

“What if I don’t want him to?” She hopped to her knees and crawled to the edge of the bed, forcing him to avert his gaze.

“You don’t want to be married to me.” He was damaged goods. A man promised to another. A cyborg that had no business fucking royalty.

“Actually, I do want you as my husband. I can’t think of a better choice.”

“I’m not a fucking elf. I’m not even human anymore.”

“No, you are cyborg, which makes you strong. And you are special, which is why you were chosen by the nanotech to survive.”

“Obviously a defective batch,” he hastily refuted.

“On the contrary, I think they made the right decision. You are very complex, husband.”

There was that word again. A word that, for some reason, didn’t draw the guilt he expected but rather a deepening hunger.

For his wife.

Not Sky. A woman he’d always love. But his wife here and now.

The one naked on his bed. Begging him to take her.

How could anyone think with such temptation on display? “Put some clothes on.”

“Make me.” She smiled. It was the kind of smile that promised wicked things.

Especially since they both knew he could force her to dress. But it would involve him getting close. The last time they were close he…

Sank into her welcoming heat. Moved inside her, their hearts and minds and even their damned souls—because he still had a fucking soul—moving in time.

What of Sky?

He twisted the ring on his finger. The loose ring.

Not even the one she’d given him, more a symbol of the past he kept trying to hold on to. He knew Ghwenn was right when she said Sky would not have wanted him to live in shadows forever.

“I’m not asking you to love me.” Not yet was the whisper. “But if I am going to die no matter who I marry, then can’t I at least choose who’ll bed me? Can’t I choose pleasure over pain?”

As if he’d let anyone hurt her. He didn’t recall moving, and yet she was in his arms. Her frail form made to fit against him. Her luminous gaze mesmerizing.

“I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

“You can’t promise that.” No one can protect me.

The faint words weren’t meant for pity. He wasn’t sure he was supposed to hear them at all.

He wrapped her tighter against him. He wanted to lie to himself and blame his feelings for her on need. Pure and simple animal instinct to mate. To relieve himself.

What a big, fucking lie.

There was something happening between them. Something he couldn’t deny.

He swept her into his arms. Crushed his mouth to hers, lifted her off the floor that he might plunder the sweet recess of her mouth.

Her legs wrapped around his waist, the most natural thing in the world. The heat of her pulsed against him.

He wanted to take it slow, to take his time.

But she drove him wild. The rake of her nails down his arms as he suckled her breasts, teasing each tip, the nipples finally their natural forest green color.

Everything about her was fresh.

He would have licked her to orgasm again. Planned to, but she wouldn’t let him go down.

The compulsion teased at him. Take me. It didn’t order. It begged. Make me yours. Let me feel you inside me.

The will wasn’t there to resist. The head of him pressed, feeling the moistness of her core. There would be no turning back.

If he did this.

…then she’ll be mine forever.

That sounded just fine to him. He thrust, and her nails dug as she cried out. She arched under him, her body bowing as he invaded her sheath.

He paused, giving her time to adjust. Her breathing went from ragged to soft and measured. The fingers stopped their deadly digging.

She relaxed and murmured, “More.”

That he could do. He stoked her to the edge, letting his lips tug and his tongue lap at her sensitive nipples. He ground himself against her, stretching her channel, shoving deeper into her, not knowing if her kind enjoyed the same thing as a human. But given her increasing cries and the tightening of her sex, he did something she liked.

Her excitement drew his own, and his cock vibrated, pulsing within her channel, forcing her muscles to spasm around him.

Her hips began to rock in time with his, drawing him deeper, urging him on.

When his pleasure came, he gave a shout and spilled. Spilled inside her, and then he collapsed heavily on her body, the scent of her surrounding him. The heat of her flexing like a hot glove around his sated shaft.

It was good. Too good.

And the next time he took her was even better.

The third…

By the next morning Crank was in a foul mood.

He left his new wife, who smiled lazily from bed. He stomped around yelling at people, making a few ensigns cry until Jameson tracked him down and barked, “What the fuck is the matter with you? Would you just screw the woman already?”

“That’s the problem,” Crank snapped. “I did.” He’d had a glorious night. And now when he thought of his wife… It wasn’t a ghost he saw or a memory he craved.

Green eyes filled his mind.