It was absolutely impossible to avoid Kor’ven after that rather explosive moment in the lab.

Addison would’ve gladly done so. She didn’t need to be in the same room with him. Not when she could remember the hard contours of his body, the scalding heat that radiated off of him, and the pure need that vibrated through her entire being. Not when she very clearly understood what would have happened if Ash hadn’t walked in when she did.

She’d spent so much of her life focused on her work. Even her formative years as a teenager were dedicated to academia and scientific pursuits. She’d had no time for boys, and very little time for sex. But when Kor’ven was around, all she could think about was… fucking.

Not making love. Not tender, gentle caresses from a lover who whispered sweet nothings in her ear. No, what she wanted--what she ached for--was to be fucked. Taken by a man who knew how to use what he had; by a man who would bring her to climax effortlessly.

Kor’ven had a biological advantage at that, and she knew it was the implant making her want such things to begin with. Biology didn’t have time for soft assurances and deeper feelings. Biology just wanted him to knock her up as quickly as possible. Even if that wasn’t what the Karuvar believed was at work, every imperative the implant exacerbated was strictly related to procreation.

Addison’s feelings on the matter were… complicated, but either way, it wasn’t something she could think about right now. Kor’ven scarcely factored into the equation. There were just larger things at stake, and he thankfully seemed to get that. If he’d pursued her the way Verkiir pursued Meg, she would never get anything done.

Though even without Kor’ven actively pursuing her, Addison had an awful time staying focused. Once Ash left, they made an unspoken pact to work on separate sides of the lab, testing different theories and sharing results from as far away as reasonably possible. That worked. Somewhat. Except for every time Kor’ven glanced over at her. All she had to do was catch his violet gaze for the barest of seconds and she felt her heart seize in her chest, her body overheating as all blood flowed southward.

It was worse when he needed to get something on her side of the room. In the time it took him to retrieve a beaker, she could almost feel the heat rolling off his body. She could smell him, too. An intoxicating mix of old books and stardust, which was quite possibly the most foolish description she’d ever had for anything, but it was true.

Late that night, when she realized they were getting nowhere, Addison was forced to call upon a lab assistant. Ashley would have been her preference, but she wasn’t about to call the Cauthrans’ home to summon a teenager out of bed. Especially on a school night.

And that wasn’t even mentioning the fact that Ash would tease her mercilessly.

The assistant provided a buffer though, and with no sleep and little to no food, Addison and Kor’ven were able to come to a consensus that did not, in fact, involve fucking. They both believed the problem was that the implant had been designed for a human’s body, but Vazik was not human. So rather than remove the implant and create unnecessary work for everyone, they created a cocktail of drugs that would hopefully level out Vazik’s reaction and allow the implant to take.

It was nearly five in the morning by that point, and sunlight was just beginning to stain the horizon. Addison’s limbs felt heavy, her body sluggish even if her mind was still racing. One look at Kor’ven told her he was in much the same state, and their assistant had checked out as soon as an agreeable solution was found.

“Meg and Verkiir won’t be here for another three hours,” she told him, stifling a yawn. “You should get some sleep.”

“I am fine.”

There wasn’t anything that arrogant in his tone, but still Addison bristled. More of this? Really? The macho science posturing was so not attractive. But then, maybe she should wish for him to do more of that.

“As much as I appreciate your dedication, Kor’ven, you and I both know how dangerous it is to go without sleep for so long.”

“I have not yet been assigned temporary housing,” he said simply.

She blinked at that. That seemed… a gross oversight. Surely Drol’gan had offered. But then, perhaps he had assumed someone else would handle it, and Kor’ven certainly would not have said anything.

“There are a few pull-out beds in storage,” she said. “I can help you bring one… in here, if you like, or one of the classrooms that won’t see use ‘til the morning.”

Some terrible, awful part of her almost volunteered her own office, where she’d spent many a night sleeping on the pullout couch. There was not room for two there, but then she supposed they wouldn’t be doing much sleeping.

No. Addison squeezed her eyes shut and banished the image from her mind. God. She was so tired. How could her body still think of fucking at a time like this?

“Are there not cots available?” he asked, unbuttoning his coat. “I shall be fine in one of those.”

Addison watched as his long, deft fingers undid the buttons, her mouth growing drier and drier. She had assumed he might have a shirt on underneath, but no. He wore what the other Karuvar males wore. A harness made of leather, the straps criss-crossing over his chest. His muscles weren’t as pronounced as a warrior’s, but they were still very much defined.

And so enticingly touchable.

She shook her head, hoping to force the thoughts away. Maybe he should sleep on a cot. He’d be in the medical wing, far from her. And she wouldn’t have to worry about going with him to retrieve something comfier.

“Whatever is easiest for you,” she demurred with an unsteady smile.

Kor’ven merely nodded, and Addison took the chance to excuse herself. As she headed to her office, she already knew it was going to be impossible to sleep. Her mind was still wide awake and now, thanks to Kor’ven’s little striptease, her body was, too.

So long as the injection worked, it would all be worth it. Vazik would be able to adapt as he should, they could send the update out to the other Waystations and then… what? She’d assumed Kor’ven would return to Selene, but deep down, Addison knew that was going to cause her problems--ones she might not be able to recover from.

As she settled down on the couch, the portrait of her mother caught her eye. Like her mother, Addison had dedicated her life to science. But unlike her, she had no plans to give that up for a man. It didn’t matter if Kor’ven was her mate. It didn’t matter if he turned out to be incredibly tolerable--or even likable, beyond the strong sexual attraction she had to him.

When this was over, he would return to Selene, and Addison would do whatever she had to do to stay productive.

* * *

Addison was able to doze for about a half hour. Long enough to at least work some of that deep ache out of her muscles. Ash had fixed up a timer from the old civilization and given it to her as a birthday gift last year, and she had never hated it more than the moment it rang incessantly just as she was falling into a deeper sleep.

But she turned the thing off and rose, heading over to the bathroom to splash some water on her face. God, she looked awful. Dark bags under her eyes, the hint of wrinkles etched in her face, her hair dull and coming undone from her ponytail. A bit of makeup only did so much, and she told herself the same lie she always told: once this was done, she would get some decent rest.

Changing into fresh clothes--because she always kept a change of clothes in her office--Addison made her way to the entrance of Waystation Helios, greeting the Cauthrans and Verkiir as they arrived.

“Ash said you had a very interesting night,” Meg said, her voice low enough so that only Addison could hear.

A faint blush colored her cheeks, but she refused to rise to the bait.

“It was interesting. I may even tell you about it, if you think you can contain yourself while I’m at work.”

Meg snorted. Their friendship had grown over the past couple of years, and Addison knew the woman understood just when she was aggravated with her… and when she wasn’t.

“Hey, I’ve already been through that whole song and dance, thank you very much. And if I had to deal with a very demanding alien at my workplace, so do you.”

As if on cue, Kor’ven made his presence known. He wore his lab coat again--buttoned to the collar--and Addison was torn between a feeling of disappointment, and being pleased that no one else would get to see him the way she had. Mostly she felt envious of the fact that Kor’ven looked fresh-faced and ready to work.

Just one more thing to annoy her about him.

“I’d like to get started as soon as possible,” Addison told them, gesturing toward a more private exam room. “Kor’ven and I made a real breakthrough, and we believe Vazik’s implant will activate after a simple injection.”

She led them to the quiet room, flipping on the lights. She and Kor’ven took turns explaining what they had done and what it all meant, as if they hadn’t been at each other’s throats less than twenty-four hours earlier. When the Pathfinder came to bear witness, she could feel the tension in the air. But as they summarized once more for his benefit, some of it seemed to ease.

“He just needs an injection then?” Drann asked, once again accompanying his father.

“That is the hope,” Kor’ven said.

“If it works, will you go in and alter his implant? As a more permanent fix?”

That was a valid question, and one Addison had planned on addressing as soon as they determined the validity of the injection. She had never edited the internal structure of an implant before--she didn’t deal with the intersection between the implant and the genes of its host. But Kor’ven did, and she assumed he would take point on that when the time came.

“I would prefer to avoid altering the implant further if we do not have to,” he said, and there was something in his voice that caught Addison off-guard.

He was more than just firm on that point. It sounded like a deep conviction. Her brow furrowed and she tucked that bit of information away for later. Maybe he had some other method. Perhaps he was right about human science being outdated.

Either way, Ash helped ready Vazik for the injection, Meg holding him all the while. He squirmed as Addison approached, and she tried to conceal the needle as she drew the cocktail of medicine from the vial Kor’ven had prepared.

Though she wore an easy, pleasant smile, her heart was racing. A mix of anxiety and anticipation swirled through her, just as it always did on the verge of a massive success--or a devastating failure. Usually she planned for the former, but the implant not taking had made her a bit gun-shy, and she found her gaze seeking out Kor’ven.

She might have expected condescension from him; an arrogant regard that told her he was certain if he hadn’t been involved in this, it wouldn’t work. But what she found was almost a perfect mirror for her own feelings. He too seemed anxious and excited and that, ultimately, was what made Addison administer the injection without any further fuss.

Vazik wailed, and she spoke soothingly to him, though only his mother was able to calm him. Addison was too on-edge to be of much help, in any case. She watched with bated breath, her gaze fixed on the toddler’s arm, waiting for a sign.

For several long moments, his pale gold skin remained clear and smooth. She could see the ridge above the implant, but other than that, the skin was flawless.

Slowly, though, a hint of black snaked beneath his skin, like ink being dropped into water. It radiated outward from the implant site, etching a unique and permanent line just below his skin. As soon as it set, others followed the same pattern, painting a faint set of lines all the way around the implant.

Addison let out a shaky breath. Her gaze lifted to Kor’ven and she smiled, warmth blossoming in her breast when he smiled back.

Adrenaline and euphoria swept through her in a wave she rode all through her conversation with Meg and Verkiir. Her good mood was contagious, it seemed, because both parents--as well as Ash, Drol’gan, and Drann--celebrated the success.

Even speaking to the reporters did nothing to quell the sense of exhilaration that surged through her blood. This was why she did what she did. This was what she loved about science. There was always a solution. You just had to dig deep enough to find it.

And as much as some part of her wanted to believe Kor’ven wouldn’t understand that, she could tell he did. He was still himself, but more approachable. Enthusiastic. He took as much pride in their work as she did, and that was why she fairly beamed at him when he found her later, after everyone else had gone home.

She was in the hall, heading toward her office when he rounded the corner. She could feel the energy coming off of him in waves, and it spoke to something deep inside of her. That joy that thrummed through her veins, that high of scientific success morphed into something else in a matter of moments. Her smile slid into a sober but no less intense expression, and she found herself approaching him without even having to think about it.

Addison knew he was drawn to her, just as she was drawn to him. He crossed to her in a few long strides, grabbed her arm, and pulled her toward the nearest room which just happened to be a supply closet. Once the door was shut behind her, his large hands cupped her face and his lips crashed down on hers just as her arms wrapped about his neck.

His kiss was confident; a fire that begged to consume her. And for several blissful moments, Addison allowed it. She moaned into his mouth as his tongue met hers, teasing so deftly that she had no recourse but to melt into him, her body pressing to his as he pinned her back against the door. His hands moved over her body, and God how she wished she was wearing less clothing. She wished he was, too, and that she could feel him, skin to skin; that she could actually feel the hot, heavy weight of his cock against her stomach, instead of just the insinuation of it through his pants.

But that was the very thought that set off alarm bells in her brain. If they were less clothed, she would sleep with him. She would let him claim her. She would probably beg him for it. And then where would that leave them?

Addison tore her mouth away from his, panting heavily as she tried to catch her breath. His violet eyes burned with desire, all of it for her, and it was so tempting to return to him. But the memory of her mother’s face flashed through her conscious mind, and she remembered. She remembered every good reason she had to keep herself from getting too close to this Karuvar.

“G-good work today,” she managed, the words sounding ridiculous to her ears.

Even more ridiculous was the way she patted him on the arm after easing out of his embrace. But it was so ridiculous that it startled both of them, and Addison used that to gain even more distance.

They’d done what they set out to do. That should be enough.

And now…

Now Kor’ven was free to return to Selene.

Addison felt that thought as if she were gasping for air beneath the surface of a frigid lake. Knowing what he tasted like, knowing how well his body fit to hers, denying the obvious felt like the worst sort of physical blow. But it was for the best. No matter what happened, it was all for the best.

Reaching for the door, she let herself out of the supply closet and fled to the sanctuary of her office.