Illicit Mate (Abducted 4)

She nodded, steadying herself from the dizzying affect of being so close to him in such a small, intimate space. She had to fight hard to stop herself from moving in close to him until their arms touched just so she could connect with him in some physical way.

“I know this is difficult for you,” he said.

“What?” Her gaze darted to his. Had he read her thoughts?

“You and your friends being brought here from your planet.”

“Abducted you mean.”

“Yes, I’m sorry it has to be this way.”

She sighed. “I know some of the other women are upset, but I’ve always believed in soul-mates. At least, I always hoped they were true, but—”

The door opened and a uniformed woman waited for them to exit. Darrick pressed his hand to Jenna’s lower back to guide her through the door, but at that light touch, an explosion of heat surged through her and her knees went weak. His arm slid around her waist, stopping her from stumbling as he eased her forward.

Not even noticing, the woman entered the elevator and the door closed behind her.

Jenna gazed up at Darrick and saw the same dazed look in his eyes as she felt. His deep, almost glowing, amber eyes with glittering flecks of silver, like diamond dust.

She felt herself drawn to him. Tipping her face up and drifting closer. Wanting… needing… their mouths to meet.

He seemed caught in the same spell and anticipation swelled as his mouth moved closer to hers, but when their lips were a whisper’s breath away, he jerked back.

“This way.” His tone had turned business-like.

He guided her down the corridor. After a few turns, they entered a room with tables and cozy booths. A host led them to a softly-lit table in an intimate corner.

“Casey made the arrangements for dinner,” Darrick said as they sat down.

Jenna pursed her lips. Casey had clearly gone for a romantic setting. Jenna gazed at the handsome man across from her, her heart thumping. But she’d wound up here with Darrick, not Casey.

“Do you have many restaurants on the ship?” she asked.

“There are a few places, all with different atmospheres. This one is where people generally go for a nice, relaxed atmosphere and more upscale food. It’s nice for special occasions.”

“Like a date.” She smiled at him, loving the way the candlelight flickered in his amber eyes.

He frowned. “Jenna, you and I are not on a date. You’re Casey’s tanash’ae.”

The waiter appeared and set a plate of food in front of each of them, along with a tall, slender glass filled with a dark, violet liquid.

“Casey pre-ordered the meal. She would have based it on things she knew you like.”

The aroma made her mouth water. Jenna pushed her fork into one of the bite-sized chunks of food in front of her and put it in her mouth. When she bit into it, a savory flavor burst across her taste buds.

“Mmm, this is delicious.”

“Try this,” he said, gesturing to her glass. “It’s like wine.”

She sipped the liquid and… oh, her whole mouth tingled in an effervescent rush of delight as the tart but fruity flavor combined with the echo of the taste of the food to create a whole new delightful experience.

“In the elevator, you said that you hope soul-mates are real, then you were interrupted. What were you going to say after that?”

She nodded. “I always hoped there was one special person for me. But I always assumed it would be a man.”

“Casey is a wonderful person. Believe me, you’re very lucky to have her as a partner.”

“If I were into women, I’m sure that would be true. But I’m not.”