His throat was ash, caked in dust. His lungs singed worse than that time he’d almost left the transport hold too late and gotten caught in the incineration blast.

Holy Dragath hell, what the hell had he done this time?

The sound of a soft sigh caught his attention. He froze. Registered for the first time the small form curled up an arm’s length away.

Ava.

The memories slammed back into him, including her covering him with soaked rags.

He’d thought he was Dragath dust. That he’d never hold her again.

Slipping his hand beneath her waist, he dragged her closer, savoring the feminine scent of her, the softness of her skin against his. She fit perfectly. The warm curve of her spine curling into his front. Her slow breathing a soothing balm.

Somehow, they’d ended up in the small, private enclave he’d ordered carved out for Barrett so he could have some privacy while he struggled with his illness. But the younger soldier wasn’t here now. Instead, it was only Ava and a nest of tattered fabric beneath them. Her ass pressed up against him. Both of them alive and intact.

His cock hardened.

“Valdus?” A sleepy murmur floated upward.

“Mmmm.” His hand traced the length of her side, relishing the dip of her waist and the flare of her hip.

He was still alive. Still holding her. Touching her.

He cocked his head as his hand slid forward, across her hip bone, and he listened. Outside he could hear the low murmur of teammates’ voices and the snore of others. But if they were very quiet…

“Oh, Janus,” a shriek of relief pierced the air. “You’re awake.” No longer sleepy, she swiveled without warning, batting his hand to the side as she leapt to her knees to stare down at him. “You’re really awake.”

A flare of guilt shot through him. The tense lines at her mouth and eyes suggesting how much she’d been worrying.

“I’m fine.” He reached up to pull her to him. Intent on showing her just how fine he really was.

She seized his hand, clasped it to her cheek. “Thank the gods. I thought…I thought…” Her voice broke.

“Is he up? What’s happening?” The clatter of giant footsteps rumbled outside the entrance. Bain stuck his head in. Ryker poked his in as well. “Is he a vegetable?”

“I’m more than fine,” he told his teammates, proud of the patience he managed to muster. “No pain. All parts in working order. Now—”

“That’s a relief,” chirped Bain, even more animated than usual. “You scared the shit out of all of us. Ava most of all.”

Ryker shook his head. “You turned such an ugly shade of red. Even uglier than usual. Flopping around like you were having a seizure. I was sure you’d used up your last life.”

Beside him, Ava had gone still. The sheen in her eyes spilling over to roll down her cheeks in one big, fat droplet.

“Ryker, Bain,” he growled, “shut the hell up.” He reached up and brushed away the tear. “I’ve got plenty more lives to spare.”

Her breathing hitched.

His gaze stayed locked with hers. “I appreciate the concern, but I’m fine. You can let the others know. Let them know, too, that we’d like some privacy now.”

Ava’s emerald eyes went wide. He hadn’t bothered to hide the hunger in his rasped last command.

“But—” protested Ryker.

“Leave us the hell alone.” This time he went for blunt.

“Got it.” Both heads disappeared fast, Ryker’s chuckle impossible to miss.

“Valdus!” It was easy to hear the embarrassment and uncertainty in her tone.

But if he waited for the timing to be perfect, he’d be waiting until he was dead.

Which he wasn’t.

Buoyed by another surge of relief, he rewrapped his arms around her shoulders and dragged her to him, rolling so that she was beneath him, the majority of his weight supported by his arms.

He stifled a groan. She was softness, light, and curves beneath him. Perfection.

“Valdus!” Her palms pressed against his chest. “You need to be careful. Bain and Ryker weren’t exaggerating.” She reached for his pulse, her two fingers at the ready.

He caught them in midair. Pressed them against his lips. “I’m fine. I promise. We can go over my vital signs and check if the serum worked in a few short heartbeats, but all I want now is to hold you. To remind both of us that I’m alive and not going anywhere.”

Her breathing hitched, her teeth gnawing at her lower lip as if she could keep in the words. Her eyes glittered once more, the unshed tears making them glisten sea green.

She was so beautiful. He didn’t know how he’d gotten so lucky.

“I’m here. I’m fine,” he repeated.

A small sob escaped.

He knew well a wound needed to be lanced.

“I’m sorry I gave you a scare, but we both knew there would be a reaction to the serum. Whatever it was, it’s over now. I’m fine. You did great. Just as I knew you would.”

With a wail, she launched herself toward him, wrapping her arms around him, burying her nose into the hollow of his neck. “I…I was so scared.”

Her shakes turned to sobs, her words soon unintelligible.

He hauled her closer, his palm sliding up and down her back.

His chest tightened with every sob. She was always so tough, so full of bravado, refusing to admit weakness, hating to ask for help. It touched him to know she trusted him enough now to let him in. Plus, he was fairly certain it was the first time someone had cried for him. His men, he knew, cared for him, but this was different. More personal. Intimate. Something he hadn’t even known he’d wanted. But now that he had it, wanted never to give up.

Before her, he’d just existed.

Now, even down here, he lived.

“It’s okay, Ava.” He purposely used her name, knowing how that grounded her. “You did so well, baby. So well.”

She sobbed harder.

Shit. He knew she had to be exhausted. She’d been through more in the last few rotations than most people experienced in a lifetime. She needed sleep. She needed time to just breath and relax.

But that was time they didn’t have.

“Hey.” He tilted her chin upward. “I really am okay.”

“I…I was scared you’d died. I thought…I thought I’d killed you. I thought it was my fault.” Her words were intelligible again, her sobs slowing.

“We decided together to take the risk. We knew going in what could happen,” he reminded her.

She curled tighter against him.

He wished he could keep her like that forever.

All he wanted was to protect her. Keep her safe.

He hated knowing that down here, with what was coming, that was impossible. That he could never guarantee these would be the last tears she’d shed for him or herself. Her skills, her strength, were still to be tested.

It would be so much easier if he didn’t care. If she were still just bait.

But going back to that was impossible.

He inhaled deep, drawing more of her into his lungs. Somehow, somewhere along the way, she’d gone from being his captive to capturing all of him.

And he wanted inside her now. Wanted to remind them both of just what she was to him. Of the fact that they were still alive and fighting.

Still had a chance to succeed.

He pressed a kiss to her neck. “I love the way you taste. Right here.” He licked at the hollow of her collarbone. “Like sunshine and fresh air and hope.”

She stilled, her gaze darkening with need. “The things you say.” Her mouth claimed his. Her tongue tangling with this.

His cock went hard as stone.

Then, harder still as she pushed him onto his back and leaned over him. “My turn,” she whispered. “To show you the stars. To remind you what it is to want.”

Blood roared in his ears as she pressed kisses down his chest and stomach, nipping, sucking, her beautiful body undulating over him as she slid farther and farther down his body until her mouth was aligned with his cock.

Warm, wet heat surrounded him, his dick hitting the back of her throat as she took as much of him as she could fit between her lips.

He lost his mind, his back bowing as he roared with pleasure. The suction of her sweet tongue up and down his shaft and head sending pre-cum leaking from his tip.

Always in the past, he’d sensed a part of her holding back. Reluctant to surrender all. But not right now.

At this perfect moment in time, she willingly gave him everything—and so he took. Reveling in her light and softness and beauty, until he knew he couldn’t take another strong pull of that gorgeous mouth without coming then and there.

“I need to touch you, too.” Pulling her upward, he pressed her swollen mouth to his. Got lost in the glazed look in her eyes as he slid downward until her sweet center was poised over his tongue.

His hands moved over every perfect inch of her as he fucked her with his mouth. Giving back as well. Reveling in her soft, sweet moans. The trusting way she slid her legs apart, rubbed against him. Thrust her hips forward for more.

Dracken hell.

The last thing he wanted to do was risk this extraordinary woman more.

Yet, Hollisworth was coming—and his team was counting on the two of them to see his plans to fruition. And he’d promised to let her try out her serum to neutralize the heat technology. A stronger version than the one that had almost killed him.

It could be him hovering over her writhing body next. Him watching the light fade from her eyes.

“Come inside me, Valdus. I want to feel you inside me.” Her breathless words brought him back to the moment, the tight clasp of her legs wrapping around him making him groan with a different kind of agony. Especially when she slid downward, lifted her hips, fitted her wet slit against his cock, and whispered against his ear. “Show me our stars.”

Chest tight, he drove deep. “Hold on tight, baby.”

White-hot pleasure slammed through his balls and up his spine as heat surrounded him, bringing him home. Offering him everything he’d never known he wanted.

He only hoped he was strong enough to give her everything she deserved in return.