Her taste in his mouth was like warm honey. Faron could kiss this human for hours. She was wrong for him, and what she said made no sense about his upbringing, but he didn’t care. He would never get bored with this taste and the way her lips melded against his.

Faron felt Kendra stiffen and squirm in his grip, her tongue sliding away from his. Something was wrong. Reluctantly, he dropped his hold on her collar.

Her lips were swollen, and her breath shot out in short gasps as she straightened the collar of her jumpsuit and looked around the room. “This isn’t the best time to do that.”

“Why not?”

“The cameras.” She gestured with her hand.

Faron turned to see a camera bot hovering close by. “It is bothering you?”

“Of course! It’s watching our every move. Nobody likes to be scrutinized, especially when they’re doing something like this.”

“Stay here.” He strode from the booth, drew back his fist, and slammed the camera bot out of the air. It smashed into a dozen pieces on the ground.

The feel of Kendra’s fingers against his chest still burned on his skin. Faron traced a hand across his muscles, longing for that touch again.

He strode back to the booth and stood by the table. “Better?”

She stood there with her mouth open. “I didn’t expect you to do that.”

“The bot made you uncomfortable. It was an easy solution.”

Kendra laughed, the sound low and sultry. “I guess it works.” Her gaze drifted down his chest and froze at his groin. She cleared her throat and looked away. “You might like to adjust yourself.”

“What do you mean?”

She kept her gaze averted and pointed a finger at him. “You might have gotten a little excited when we kissed.”

Faron looked down and smirked when he saw his erection proudly poking out the top of his thong. “It is not something I’m ashamed of.”

“I can imagine not. Most men with something that size would be happy to show it off to everybody. Maybe not during a dinner date, though.”

Faron smiled as he tucked himself away and joined Kendra back in the booth.

He picked up his steak and continued to eat. “I enjoy your mouth.”

She bit her bottom lip. “Yours isn’t so bad either.”

He nodded. “I know.”

She snorted a laugh. “But you might like to take a course in how to manage your ego.”

“What’s wrong with my ego?”

“It’s on the large side, much like the thing you’ve got flapping around inside that thong.”

Faron grunted as he finished his food. His ego was nothing special. If Kendra considered him arrogant, she should meet his father and Bartlek. They took arrogance to a whole new level.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Ivy strode into the restaurant and over to the booth, her mouth set in a thin line. “You destroyed the camera bot.”

“It was bothering us,” Faron said, not glancing up from his food.

“It was nowhere near you.”

“It was a bit intrusive, Ivy,” Kendra said. “We’re trying to have a nice dinner and get to know each other. I couldn’t relax with the bot being so close.”

Ivy sighed and shook her head. “Fine, we got some great shots before you destroyed it. Don’t do it again.”

“I’ll do whatever I want if the cameras bother Kendra.” Faron did not like the sharp tone of this dark-haired female.

Ivy glared at him, but a slow smile spread across her face. “You’re having a good time?”

“We were,” he said.

“I’ll have amazing footage for our audience, thanks to you. Some of it will be too X-rated for daytime viewing, though.” Her gaze skimmed over his muscles.

He didn’t respond. Why was this annoying human bothering them? He didn’t want her on this date. He only wanted Kendra.

“You might like to try a second kiss,” Ivy said. “I’d love to get extra angles of you in action.”

“And I’d like you to get lost.”

Kendra grinned and ducked her head at that comment.

Ivy’s smile faded. “I will keep recording. Remember what this is for.” Her attention was on Kendra as she spoke.

“You need to leave.” Faron stood from his seat and glared at the small, pale human. She was bothering his potential conquest. His urge to protect Kendra surprised him. It was too strong, considering he wanted a simple thrust and plunge with this female. He shouldn’t care either way if this human bothered her, but it did. He wanted Kendra happy and content. He didn’t want to see her being threatened.

Ivy shot him a glare. “I’m gone. Enjoy the rest of your date.”

Faron watched her leave. Although he hated to admit it, his emotions were winning. He felt something unsettling for Kendra. “What would you like me to do with that female?”

“Ivy!” Kendra laughed. “There are plenty of things that should be done to her.”

“Let me know, and I’ll make it happen.”

“No, I’m joking.” Kendra stood from her seat. “Are we done here?”

“I have finished. You barely ate.”

“I got distracted by the company.”

Faron wrapped an arm around Kendra’s shoulders. He felt a slight tremor run through her as they touched. “I have an idea. Let’s get out of here.”

“Where are we going?”

“Somewhere without any cameras.” Faron led Kendra along the corridor and into a quiet bar tucked away in the service tunnels, making sure to shut the door so no bots could enter.

“That woman bothered you.” They walked to the bar, and he ordered two strong shots of Tolong whiskey.

“Ivy bothers everybody.”

“You more so than others?”

“She can be mean.” Kendra looked at the ground. “She reminds me of someone in my past, a kid who bullied me.”

Faron knew all about bullying. “She should be taught a lesson.”

Kendra shook her head as she accepted the whiskey glass from Faron. “It doesn’t matter. It’s in the past. Everyone has an Ivy in their lives. You learn to deal with it.”

Faron brushed a hand down Kendra’s arm. She might not have the external scars as he did, but there was damage. Damage that kept her from living the life she dreamed.

Kendra was intriguing. He wanted to keep this strange little human in his life. His family would be outraged, and he wasn’t certain Kendra truly desired him, but his mind was made up. He would take this farther than a single night of pleasure.

He would pursue a formal step in their courtship. He’d come on this date desiring a simple rut, something to feed the empty feeling in his stomach, but he wanted more. He needed Kendra to see he had value and could offer her something that might make her life better.

Faron didn’t have to complete all the courtship rituals if he decided Kendra wasn’t right for him. But taking things to the next level gave him an opportunity to resolve the strange emotions churning in his gut, so he could deal with them before they became a problem.

She glanced at him and raised her glass. “Here’s to the future, whatever it may hold.”

Faron nodded and downed his whiskey. He knew what it held, and his future would involve seeing a lot more of Kendra. His main concern was whether she would want that too.