When Kash started barking orders in his strange, sharp-toned language, she gave up trying to pretend everything was normal. The reality of her situation came back in a rush, swamping her in doubts and making her question her sanity. She’d let herself be taken away from her planet by an alien. God, she’d even kissed him!

Worse, she wanted to kiss him again.

Every growly, grumpy syllable he uttered made her heart race and filled her with needs so intense it hurt not to reach out and touch him. The only thing that made her ache worse was knowing that he didn’t want her. Or maybe he did, since he’d kissed her, but he didn’t want to want her. Why else wouldn’t he have told her she was his mate?

She followed Kash out of the hangar and down a brightly lit corridor. The floors were a pale yellow, and the walls had a hint of orange to them. Every few meters, panels were set into the walls, and she recognized them as being similar to the one Kash had used to open the door to the airlock.

They passed several crew members along the way, all wearing military-style uniforms of black and orange, and everyone greeted Kash with a hand-to-heart type of salute as they went by. Both the men and women were tall and fit. They looked surprisingly human, with similar hair colour and features, though they all seemed to have varying shades of golden skin instead of the wildly varied hues of humans, and she noticed that some of them had golden eyes.

“In here.” Kash stopped outside another panel. A portion of the wall vanished, and she was ushered inside.

Apart from the beds, it didn’t look like any hospital she’d ever been in. She breathed a soft sigh of relief. Hospitals were far from her favourite places. The sharp, medicinal odours and hushed sounds reminded her of the family members she’d lost.

Her mother had battled her cancer for three years before it finally killed her. Gwen had spent so much time in hospitals, she’d actually taken her first steps in a cancer ward. Her Gran had spent the last few days of her life in a hospital bed, too. The stroke stole her ability to move and to speak, but Gwen had stayed with her until the end.

That was when the nurses had discovered that the little girl haunting their halls had lied about having anyone to take care of her. The next day, with only a bag of clothes and a handful of treasures she’d managed to sneak into her things, Gwen was placed in the system and sent off to a foster home.

“This is a hospital? Where’s the equipment? The patients?” She gestured around at the empty beds and comfortable surroundings. The walls were a warmer shade of yellow in here, the lighting was soft and soothing, and the air was clean of any scent at all.

A tall, blonde man walked into view, his brows raising in surprise as he spotted her. “Human?” She recognized the first word he spoke, but the rest of his comments were in the same language Kash had uttered while they were in the hangar.

He and Kash spoke for a bit, and she got the impression that Kash wasn’t happy about whatever he was being told. She was also fairly certain that she was the topic under discussion since she heard her name mentioned more than once.

Eventually, she got tired of being talked about and interjected. “It’s not polite to talk about someone when they can’t understand what you’re saying.”

The blond gave her an apologetic smile. “I am sorry. You are correct, this does concern you. My name is Torel, and I am what you would call a doctor. Would you show me your burns? The Commander would like me to treat them for you.”

She held out her hand, palm up. “It’s really nothing. They’ll be gone in a few days.”

“She treated them with water and plant sap, Torel. I trust we can do better for our guest.”

“It’s aloe vera gel, and it’s very good for burns. It’s the best we primitives can manage, Commander.”

The doctor carefully inspected her burns, his touch gentle. “And I’m sure it works very well. My mother has an herbal remedy for respiratory ailments that’s as effective as anything ever synthesized on my world. However, we have developed some very effective technology for regenerating injured tissue. I can have this healed in a matter of moments if you will allow it?”

“I’m not Pyrosian, though. Will it work on me?”

He nodded. “All lifeforms are similar at the cellular level. It will work. You won’t even feel it.”

“Then you have my permission.” The doctor kept hold of her hand and led her to a simple white table with a single chair beside it. “Sit there, and place your hand on the surface with the injured side facing up.” He moved her hand into position.

She looked at the ordinary table with some doubt but followed directions. “Now what?”

Kash loomed over the table, arms folded over his massive chest, and scowl on his face. “Now Torel lets go of you before he’s the one who needs treatment.”

“That’s the second time you’ve threatened someone since we got here. That’s some leadership style you’ve got, Commander.”

“Torel knows better.”

The blond chuckled. “He’s not normally quite this…I think the word is grumpy. He’s having a most difficult day.”

Kash growled something in Pyrosian, and the low, guttural tone sent a surge of lust coursing through her. Her nipples tightened, her clit began to swell, and heat flowed over her as if she’d been dipped in molten honey.

The doctor glanced up at her, and she could read the concern in his expression. “Are you feeling heated? A sudden rise in your body temperature?”

“Yes.” That much she could admit to without embarrassing herself.

Torel looked past her to Kash and said something to him in Pyrosian. Kash shook his head, and the two argued for several seconds before Kash finally barked out a single word and stalked away.

“Why is he so angry with me?” She asked, pitching her voice to a mere whisper.

“It’s not you he’s angry with. He’ll explain once I’m done here.” Torel waved his hand over a corner of the tabletop, and a keypad appeared out of nowhere. He typed in a few characters, and gave her a reassuring smile. “You’re going to see a golden glow appear around your hand. Try not to move until it dissipates. It won’t take long.”

“Okay.” She tried to ignore Kash’s brooding presence as he watched her from the far side of the room. Instead, she kept her eyes and her attention focused on her hand. The glow appeared exactly as Torel said it would. She couldn’t feel anything, but as she watched, the redness faded, the blisters grew smaller and then vanished as if they’d never been there at all. In a matter of seconds, it was over, and she lifted her hand to stare at it in amazement.

“You’re fully healed. If you feel any tingling or itching in the next few hours, have the Commander contact me.” Torel looked over at Kash. “She’s all yours, Commander.”

“Apparently.” Kash didn’t sound at all pleased about it, either. “Come with me, Gwen. There are matters we need to discuss.”

Torel lowered his voice again. “Disregard his temper. The Commander is not used to being told no. That’s all.”

He walked away before she could ask Torel what he meant.

“Gwen Hudson, you need to come with me. Now.”

“You might be a Commander, but you’re not my boss. I don’t answer to you.”

“Kaheya. Please.” He held out his hand to her.

She joined him, but instead of taking his hand, she passed him her bag, weighed down by the tin of cookies she’d stuffed inside. “Where to, now?”

“My quarters.”

Why would he want her in his quarters? “Lead the way.”

Kash felt like he’d been sideswiped by a comet. His life was spinning out of control, and every time he got close to stabilizing things, something happened and it all went up in flames again. He had convinced himself that Torel would be able to stop the onset of the Scorching, and things could return to normal.

Torel had sent that hope crashing into the heart of the nearest star. There was no known way to stop the Scorching. The mating fever was irreversible. Resisting it would only cause pain and possible madness. He’d been willing to accept that risk for himself, but Torel had noticed Gwen’s symptoms. If they didn’t give in to the Scorching, she would suffer, too.

The Gods were playing games with him. They’d given him the one thing he’d always wanted, but to claim it, he’d have to forsake duty and defy his king.

He strode through the ship, driven to haste by the needs of the Scorching. He was so caught up in his thoughts, several minutes passed before he realized that Gwen was struggling to maintain his pace. Her legs were far shorter than his, forcing her to jog to keep up.

He stopped, pivoted, and scooped her in his arms without a word.

“Hey! What are you doing? You can’t carry me.”

“Are you questioning my strength again? Have I not made it clear that I am more than able to support your weight? You are small. Your legs are shorter than mine. This way will be faster.”

“You’re at least a foot taller than I am, but that doesn’t mean I’m small. I’m five-foot-four. Maybe you’re just too big. Did that ever occur to you? You could have slowed down a little. Why the sudden hurry to be alone with me? The last time we were alone, you said I was a mistake. That being matched to you was some kind of glitch.”

Anger, regret, and desire blended together into a maelstrom that threatened to snap the last shreds of his control. “No. You said you were a glitch. I said that matches were made by the Gods.”

“What’s the difference? God, Gods, or computer. Someone made a mistake. You don’t want me.”

He cradled her against him and broke into a jog. “You’re about to learn how wrong you are about that, kaheya. Wanting you was never the problem.”

“Then what is your problem, you big jerk? Because so help me, if you kiss me and then reject me again, I’m going to—to—” She waved her hand in the air between them. “I’ll do something, and you won’t like it.”

He laughed. The entire crew of this star cruiser obeyed his orders without question. Grown males would go out of their way to avoid causing him displeasure. His scars caused unease and distress to any who looked on him. The only being in the galaxy who wasn’t afraid of him was the small, furious female in his arms.

She huffed at him and poked a finger into his chest. “Don’t you dare laugh at me! I’ve had a miserable day. I lost my job, got told I’m too old to date, found out the two people I care about will be leaving me to go live on another planet, and now the hottest man I’ve ever met can’t decide what he really wants.”

“We’ll discuss this once we’ve reached my quarters. This is not a conversation you want to have in public.”

She lapsed into silence. Crewmen gawked at them as he jogged past but he ignored them. For the first time in his life, he didn’t care what others thought.

They finally reached his quarters, a door appearing automatically after reading his biometrics and confirming his identity. No one else could leave or enter this room without his express permission.

The second the door sealed them in, Gwen twisted in his arms. “You can let me go now.”

“No. I’m never letting you go. I can’t.” He set her back on her feet, then walked her backwards until she was pressed between him and the nearest wall.

“You said…”

“Forget what we said before, and listen to me now. The Spark between us heralded the beginning of the Scorching. I thought that if I brought you here, Torel would be able to administer something to stop its progression. You’d be able to make your own choice. I’d be able to obey the orders I was given.”

She tipped her head back to stare up at him. “You asked him to undo this thing between us?”

“I did.”

“That’s what you were arguing about. You wanted to be free of me, and he told you it wasn’t going to happen.”

“I wanted you to have a choice.”

She frowned. “If you meant that, you’d have asked me if I wanted to be matched with you. You didn’t. This wasn’t about my choices. It was about yours.”

He wanted to argue with her, to tell her she was wrong, but the truth was, she might be right. At least in part. And now wasn’t the time for anger. They’d have a lifetime for blame, recriminations, and regrets. “Maybe. But that doesn’t matter anymore.”

“Why not?” She leaned into him, wetting her lower lip with the tip of her tongue. Desire glowed in depths of her eyes, betraying her need for him.

He cupped her soft cheek in his hand, stroking his thumb over her mouth. “Because there’s no cure for the Scorching. We’re going to be bound together for the rest of our lives, starting now.”

She opened her mouth to continue their argument, and he stopped her words with a kiss. The time for words had passed.

Heat streaked through him, leaving trails of desire blazing in its wake. He had tried to convince himself this wasn’t real. That he could live without her. One taste of her lips and he knew he’d been lying to himself. She tasted sweet and decadent, like the cookies she’d offered him back in her residence. She was temptation made flesh, and he’d reached the end of his resistance.

She uttered a soft little moan that made his cock turn to stone in a heartbeat. His fingers moved from her cheek to her hair, tangling themselves in her curls. He tugged her head back, and she rose on her toes to kiss him back as she opened her mouth to his.

His tongue danced with hers, hearts racing, mouths mated until there was no breath in his lungs and he felt as if he’d been dipped in a pool of rocket fuel and set on fire.

“Tell me you want this. That you accept me as your mate.”

“Promise me that when this Scorching thing ends, you won’t blame me for what happened,” she retorted.

He gave her the only answer he could, by uttering the words of a vow he never believed he’d make. ““I vow by the Flames of the First One, to protect and cherish my mate—you, Gwen Hudson of Earth. You will be my lover and my beloved companion, every day, from now until we return to the Flame that gave us life. And I will never blame you for coming into my life.”

“I believe you.” She reached up to caress the scarred side of his face, tracing the wound across his cheek and into the thin line of white hairs that marked its path. “I accept you as my mate. You are handsome, kinder than you pretend to be, and I believe you’re a good man--male, even when you’re being a grumpy ass. So yes, I want this.”

An unfamiliar sense of lightness overcame him, and he burst out laughing. “You must be my true mate. No one else would dare to say such things to me.”

“You’re even sexier when you smile. You should do that more often. On second thought, maybe not. I only just found you. If you start smiling, I might have to fight to keep you. I’ve seen the women on this ship. They’re gorgeous, and they all look like they could kick my pudgy butt.”

“Did I not just promise to protect you? No one will kick you, or harm you in any way. There will be no other females, my kaheya. Once we have mated, I will desire no one but you for the rest of my life.”

“And how will they know that? Do we wear rings? Matching hats?”

“My eyes will change to gold, and I will gain the ability to summon and manipulate flames. It is a power the Gods only grant to us once we are mated. No one will doubt my status.”

She smiled. “Then I vote we get onto the mating bit. It’s getting difficult to think. All I want to do is…” she stopped talking and bit her lower lip.

A surge of lust washed over him. “Tell me what you want, kaheya.”

“You. I want you. I can’t believe I’m saying this. I want you naked. With me. Touching me. Kissing me. Anything. God, I want everything.”

“That, I can do.” He pressed her against the wall with his hips, his lips on hers as he tore off every shred of her clothing. His own clothes took longer, the tight-fitting fabric resisting all attempts to remove it by force. Frustrated, he finally released her.

“Let me help.”

Kash groaned aloud as Gwen sank to her knees in front of him, her soft hands removing the garment far faster than he could have.

When his legs were bared, she wrapped both hands around his cock, stroking it from base to tip. Her touch sent him into high orbit. There would be a time for slow, leisurely touches and exploration, but it wasn’t going to be now. He needed her too badly to take things slow.

He caught her hands and drew her back to her feet, then lifted her into the air carried her to his bed.

“But I wasn’t done with you.”

“The Scorching lasts for two of your days. We’ll do that later.” He settled her gently in the center of the mattress then stood there, staring at her. She was breathtaking. Soft. With generous curves that reflected her kind and compassionate heart.

“Two days? How? I mean, don’t you have a ship to run? A mission?”

“It’s against procedure for me to retain full command while in the thrall of the Scorching. For the next two days, my only mission is you.” Torel had made it clear that if Kash didn’t hand over command voluntarily, he’d file the reports to make it happen anyway. It was something else they had argued about while Gwen was being treated. He’d sent a message to his second in command before they’d left the medical bay. While Kash was still nominally in charge, he was not expected on the bridge until the Scorching had passed and his judgment was no longer compromised. Not unless there was an emergency the others couldn’t deal with.

The light in her eyes dimmed a little. “I cost you your command?”

“You didn’t cost me anything.” He’d hurt her again. He joined her on the bed, consumed by the need to hold her and reassure her that this was not her fault. If anyone was to blame, it was the Gods, and they didn’t answer to their creations.

He nuzzled a soft point beneath her ear and whispered a piece of advice he’d been given more than once in his life. “Stop thinking so much and let go, little one.”

She smiled a little. “I will if you will.”

“Agreed.” He ran the tip of his tongue over her skin, needing to taste her.

She turned her head so that her lips were next to his ear and whispered. “I ache, Kash. Make the hurting stop.”

That, he could do.

He blazed a trail of open-mouthed kisses along her throat and down to her collarbone. She swept a hand over his hair, and that simple contact made his entire body hum.

“You’re so beautiful.”

“That’s the Scorching talking. Are you sure you’ll feel the same once it passes?”

“I will feel this way about you for the rest of my life. That isn’t going to change.”

“You’re sure?”

Her lack of confidence made him wonder who had convinced her that she wasn’t worthy of such compliments. Someone had lied to her because she was more than worthy.

He cupped one of her breasts in his hands, her nipple tightening as he brushed his thumb over it. “You’re still thinking too much.” He caught the tight nub of her nipple between his fingers and pinched it lightly. She gasped, and he did it again, determined to bring her into the moment with him.

She shifted to her back, coaxing him to come with her until they were both sprawled across the bed, lips mated in a heated kiss. She coiled one leg around his thigh and rocked into him in silent encouragement. They didn’t need words any longer.

He nipped at her lower lip, released it to kiss his way down her body, stopping to nibble and suck at her breasts until her moans filled the air. He drew one pert nipple into his mouth and was rewarded with a keening cry of need.

“Again.” Her breathless plea nearly broke him, and he groaned her name against her skin as he suckled, his thumb and forefinger echoing his actions with her other breast. She arched beneath him, offering him her body, and her actions sent his libido into overdrive. His cock throbbed, thicker and heavier than he’d ever been before. He needed to be inside her, soon. He had to make her his forever, no matter what the cost.