“These things?” Boone touched the black leather strapped to K’s slender arms gingerly.
Mom nodded. “Yes, those. She made me go get them for her. Said it was the only way. I guess…guess she was right.”
“I guess so.” Boone frowned. “But if they’re anything like the rest of that damn suit of hers, they could be hurting her right now.” Carefully, he unstrapped the gauntlets, being very, very cautious not to touch the firing mechanisms embedded near the wrists. As he pulled them off, he noticed bloody puncture wounds on the insides of her delicate forearms. Damn the Purists, couldn’t they make anything that didn’t damage the user?
As he laid the lethal black leather on the seat beside K, her eyes finally fluttered open and focused on him. “Boone?” she whispered. “What? Where…?”
“K!” Unable to stop himself, he crushed her to him, holding her slender body tight and breathing in the warm feminine scent of her hair.
“Boone…” She seemed uncertain of what to do at first and then her arms crept around his neck and she hugged him back, as tightly as he was hugging her. “I saw you on the viewscreen and I was so afraid,” she whispered, pressing her cheek to his. “Fear is a terrible feeling—I don’t like it at all!”
“Of course you don’t—no one does.” Boone didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “But you came to save me anyway, didn’t you, darlin’?” Pulling back, he studied her face and then stroked her cheek gently. “You came even though you were afraid.”
K blushed, her pale cheeks flushing deep red. She looked down, as though unable to meet his eyes. “Of course I came.” Her voice was stern, as though she was trying to purge the unwanted emotions that seemed to be flooding her. “I came because…because…” She lifted her eyes. “Because no one is going to get the privilege of killing you but me.”
“Is that right?” Boone said softly.
“Yes, of course.” She frowned. “If you think that I came to save you because of any kind of emotional attachment I might have to you, let me assure you that—”
Boone shut her up with a kiss.
It was crossing the line and he knew it but somehow he couldn’t help himself. Part of it was the cloud of pheromones still hanging heavily in the air and part of it was his relief that she was alive and well. But mostly he’d been wanting to do this—even if he hadn’t admitted it to himself—almost from the moment he’d first laid eyes on K. She was slender and deadly and completely different from any female he’d ever been with—a strange combination of child waiting to be awakened and adult who has already seen far too much. And at that moment, Boone wanted her as he had never wanted any woman before.
The moment his lips met hers, she went rigid in his arms. Her slender body was as stiff as a board and for a moment Boone feared he had overloaded her system and she was losing it because of the extreme level of ‘contamination’ he was putting her through. Then suddenly, to his surprise, she slid her fingers into his hair and kissed him back.
The kiss lacked expertise—clearly it was her first, which Boone had known anyway. But there was a hungry, almost desperate quality in the way she kissed him which made him pull her even closer, eager to have as much of her skin against his as possible.
Her mouth tasted sweet—as though she’d been sipping hot chocolate before she came to save him and her body, so tense in his arms a moment before, was suddenly as pliable as silk under his hands. Her fingers in his hair pulled him closer, urging him to take more, to give more of the sweet sensation of their mouths meshed together. Encouraged, Boone licked delicately at the seam of her lips and to his surprise, she parted for him, inviting him in.
“God, darlin’,” he groaned softly before slipping his tongue inside her.
K stiffened anew at the feeling of his tongue invading her mouth, then she pulled him even closer, pressing up to offer more as he explored and owned her gently but thoroughly.
Mine, Boone thought deliriously, as he held her tight and tasted those lush lips at last. You’re mine now, K. I don’t care where you came from or where you’re going because now that you’re here with me I’ll never, ever let you go…
“Well, well, well. If it isn’t a case of the horny heteros.” Loki’s voice, tinged with amusement and disgust, cut through the fog of pheromone-induced lust which seemed to have clouded Boone’s brain.
“What?” He pulled back at once and K let go of him at the same time.
“Boone?” The expression on her face was one of wonder and concern. “What happened?” she asked. “What is that awful smell in the air? And why do I feel so weak? So…so strange?”
“That’s because you are fucking strange, Princess Paladin.” Loki smirked at her. “And awfully eager to play kissy-face with Boone here for a cold, emotionless Purist, if I may say so.”
K flushed again, her cheeks going dull red. “I don’t know what came over me. I would never…have never…”
“Of course you haven’t. It’s the pheromones.” Boone cursed himself for a fool. No wonder she’d responded to him so eagerly. The hormone soup that passed for air around the dead saurian would be enough to challenge even the strongest moral conviction. K probably would have kissed Loki in this state—if he’d wanted her to, that was. Though from the look on his face, that was the furthest thing from the Erian’s mind.
“Well, you’ve done it now, one kiss is all it takes.” Loki was still smirking.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean? And what are you doing here anyway?” Boone snarled as K hurriedly put some distance between them. “From the way you were whining earlier I thought you’d be somewhere getting your itch scratched.”
“Oh, don’t worry about little old me.” Loki batted his eyelashes and grinned. “I already got fucked just a minute ago by that big, strapping young man over there.” He pointed to a man who’d been in the crowd watching from the other side of the fence. Loki waved at the man and he waved back uncertainly, a look of confusion on his face. “I’m not entirely sure he knew he was gay.” Loki gave his conquest a bright smile and turned back to Boone. “But he sure as hell does now. What a beastly top. Love it!”
“Loki, can you be serious for once?” Mom had joined them and she was giving the Erian a look of disapproval. “We all nearly died out here—you and Boone especially. Instead of engaging in carnal activities, maybe you should thank the Goddess you’re still among the living.”
“I was giving thanks,” Loki snapped, putting a hand on his hip. “That’s the way we do things on Eros. And apparently the way they do things on Athena, too.” He gave K a derisive glance. “Boone and Princess Paladin were going at it pretty hot and heavy too but I don’t see you lecturing them.”
“I have never engaged in that type of…of activity before,” K protested, wrapping her arms around herself. “It is not typical on Athena. I don’t know why I…I…” She put a hand to her head and her eyelids fluttered. “I don’t…”
Suddenly she sank to the ground in a dead faint.
“K!” Boone scooped her up and ran for the RTV. “Hurry, we have to get her back to the ship!”
He settled his large form gingerly in the passenger seat, still cradling K’s limp body in his arms. Mom gunned the engine and he stared anxiously at the Paladin’s pale features. What was wrong with her? Was it an after-effect of using the powerful weapons to save him? Or had he overloaded her system with his foolish, ill-conceived kiss? Had he killed her?
Please, no—let her be all right. Let me be able to save her, Boone prayed, crushing her to his chest. Please don’t let me lose her now!
Chapter Thirteen
K woke up feeling very strange. No, not just strange…wrong. There’s something the matter with me, she thought and struggled to sit up.
“Whoa, darlin’, not so fast.” A big, warm hand pushed her down gently, forcing her to remain on the sleep platform.
“Boone?” K tried to make her eyes focus but it was difficult—her eyelids felt like someone had tied lead w
eights to them. Not only that, her whole body was burning and her skin felt hot to touch. “What…what happened to me?” she asked, her voice sounding slurred in her own ears.
“I’m not sure.” Boone sounded worried. “You seem to have gotten overloaded somehow. Don’t worry—you’re safe now. We’re aboard the ship.”
“Did we get the hyperdrive fixed?” K asked, wishing her voice didn’t sound so weak. “Can we…go on now?”
“Ilesca is finishing it up—against Abrahams’ wishes.” He sounded grim. “He seems to think we violated the terms of our agreement by killing Sweetie instead of collaring her.”
“There was no choice.” K shook her head weakly. “Although I…regret the way she died. I’ve never shot anything so big with my gauntlets before. Normally the plasma vaporizes whatever it comes in contact with instantly. But she was so huge…”
“It wasn’t your fault.” Boone stroked her forehead soothingly and wiped her cheeks with a damp cloth. “Not your fault, darlin’. You did what you had to do and I’m damn grateful you did. If you hadn’t, I’d be in the belly of the beast right now—literally.”
“Couldn’t let her kill you.” K closed her eyes again. The damp cloth felt wonderful or maybe it was just his hand on her skin. It seemed to reduce her fever though she still felt weak. “Didn’t…want you to die. I know it’s wrong but…”
He chuckled softly. “Yeah, I know. You were just saving me so you could kill me yourself.”
K frowned and opened her eyes again with effort. “I advise you not to take my threats lightly, Boone. I still have every intention of killing you.”
“I don’t take you lightly, K.” His deep voice was suddenly serious. “I would never do that.” He leaned over her, his blue-green eyes searching hers and for a moment she thought he was going to do that strange mouth thing again—the lips pressed to lips which had made her feel faint and dizzy and excited all at once.
K’s heart started to pound as she looked into his Impure eyes which were somehow so strangely beautiful. Did she want to let that happen again? It was the worst kind of contamination. Well, not quite the worst but almost. The only thing more invasive and intimate would be if she let him actually—
No, she thought, almost panicked by the thought. No, I would never. Sexual reproduction is the lowest, the worst form of contamination. I would never let him do that, never let him put his body within mine for any reason.
But she’d let him slip his tongue into her mouth, hadn’t she? And why did the memory of that moment, the taste of his tongue, the feel of his lips on hers, make her chest ache and give her a strange, hot, throbbing sensation between her legs? Why did the idea of his big body covering hers make her heart beat so fast?
What in Purity was wrong with her?
“Boone…” she whispered uncertainly.
“Yes, K?” He was so close she could see the flecks of gold in the depths of his blue-green eyes. So close she could have reached up and guided him down with her fingertips to let their lips press together again—if she wanted to.
Is he waiting for me to do that? Is that what he wants? Is that what I want? The moment stretched between them like a sweet, fragile thread of honey and K felt she was drowning in a gold flecked sea until—
“Boone?” The voice from the com shattered the strange spell which seemed to have been cast over both of them.
Boone cleared his throat and sat back. “Uh, yes Mom? Is everything all right?”
“It’s that cat-woman mechanic, Ilesca.” Mom’s voice sounded mildly disapproving. “She says she’s finished with the ship but she wants to talk to you—to thank you—before she goes. She wanted to come straight to your sleeping quarters but I wouldn’t let her.”
“Thanks, Mom.” Boone sounded relieved. “I’ll come out and see her instead. Just have her stay around the engine room and I’ll be there in a minute.”
He started to get up from the side of the bed but K reached out to touch his arm. “Wait.”
“What is it, darlin’?” Boone spoke softly, his eyes fixed on the place where her fingers touched his bare skin.
“I don’t like you going out there alone.” K frowned, wishing she felt stronger. “I want…want to come with you. I know what she probably has in mind when she says she wants to thank you.”
He laughed. “There’s that green eyed monster again.”
“The green eyed monster? What are you talking about?” K demanded.
Boone grinned and shook his head. “Never mind, it’s not important. Listen, K, you have nothing to worry about. I’m not interested in Ilesca in the least, I promise.”
“So you won’t…do anything with her?” K couldn’t help asking. “You won’t…do that mouth-on-mouth thing with her?” She felt her face getting hot as she spoke but she couldn’t seem to help it.
“You mean a kiss?” Boone murmured, his eyes half-lidded as he looked at her. “You want me to promise not to kiss her?”
“I…yes.” K’s cheeks were burning and it wasn’t from fever this time. The tension between them was back and thicker than ever. His gaze burned into her but somehow she couldn’t look away. “Will you promise?” she whispered.
“If you’ll promise to let me kiss you again instead.”
K’s eyes flew wide. “I don’t…we shouldn’t…”
“Take it easy, darlin’,” he said softly. “A kiss doesn’t always have to be on the lips.”
“It…it doesn’t?” For some reason this idea sent K’s heart into overdrive. “Then…where…?”
“Anywhere. Anywhere at all.” He smiled at her and nodded down to where her fingertips still brushed his arm. “You realize this is the first time you’ve ever reached for me and touched me on your own? Without me touching you first, without me holding you?”
“No.” K felt absurdly flustered. “I…I didn’t.”
“Well, it is.” Lifting her hand, he turned it over and pressed his lips to the inside of her palm.
K had to bite back a gasp. His hot breath seemed to burn her and his lips felt incredibly soft and gentle against her skin. Her heart was thundering so loudly she felt sure he must hear it. What’s wrong with me? Why am I reacting so strongly to something which should make me recoil? Why do I want more?
“Boone…” she whispered in a trembling voice. “Boone, I…I can’t do this. I don’t know how or why or—”
“Don’t worry about it, darlin’.” His voice was deliberately light as he placed her hand back down on the coverlet. “See? Now I’ve had my kiss and I promise to keep my mouth far away from Ilesca’s lips—not to mention her whiskers.” He laughed.
“All…all right.” K’s heart was still pounding too hard—it made it difficult to think. Stupid emotions, she thought, angry with herself for getting so flustered. I shouldn’t feel this way—shouldn’t feel at all! But now that she had started, it seemed almost impossible to stop.
“Boone? She’s getting impatient.” Mom’s voice from the com sounded impatient as well. “I think you’d better get out here.”
“Coming, Mom.” Boone gave K a little smile and stood with much more grace than should have been possible in such a large man. “I’d better go give Ilesca her meow-mix before she and Mom get into a cat fight. No pun intended.”
And before K could say anything in reply, he went out the door and was gone.
* * * * *
Boone cursed himself angrily as he strode down the ship’s narrow silver corridors. What had gotten into him, treating K like that? She was sick, for God’s sake. In fact, she’d been burning up until he started wiping her face with the damp cloth. Then she’d seemed to come back to herself a little but still, she was helpless and in no position to counter any kind of sexual proposition.
She’s a virgin, he told himself. Completely inexperienced. Not to mention the fact that she’s repelled by the idea of any kind of sexual contact. But she hadn’t seemed repelled when he kissed her palm. Her breathing had quickened and her pulse had
been going crazy, while her eyes, those lovely, black and white eyes in which the black was receding daily, had been open wide with surprise and some other emotion Boone couldn’t quite read. Could it have been desire?
Doesn’t matter if it was, he told himself roughly. This isn’t the life she wants for herself. She needs to stay as she is, at least until I give her the suit back. Then she can decide if she wants to go back or stay or what.
“Doctor Boone.” The purring voice of Ilesca, while not exactly welcome, at least had the effect of shutting down his inner monologue of guilt.
“Ilesca.” He nodded at the cat woman as she came slinking toward him. “Mom said you’d finished the repairs?”
“I have.” She nodded and took a step toward him, as though to repeat the intimate, cheek-rubbing welcome she’d given him when they first met.
Boone stepped hastily back. “I, uh, want to thank you for finishing things up despite the…disagreement I had with your father.”
“No, Dr. Boone, it is I who must thank you.” She nodded gravely. “My father was deluded in this matter. He thought he could save Sweetie, turn her into something calm and domesticated. But he was wrong.” Her cat’s eyes turned hard. “She killed my lover, you know. He was her first victim.”
“I’m so sorry.” Boone shook his head. “Abrahams said Sweetie killed your brother too. To lose both of them in such a horrible way…”
“They were one and the same.”
“I’m sorry, what?” Boone was certain he’d misunderstood.
“I said, My lover was my brother.” Ilesca shrugged. “It’s not unusual among my species. We are half animal, you know and animals never worry about such things.”
“Oh, well…” Boone wasn’t sure what to say to that. He’d encountered some strange customs on different planets but…
“I want to thank you for avenging him,” Ilesca continued. “My father would never have seen the truth. He would have kept trying to save Sweetie at the expense of everyone around him. He never wants to admit to failure—even when it’s staring him in the face.”