The X-Club (The Krinar Chronicles 0.50)

Mentally jotting down that tidbit, Amy gave Vair an encouraging smile. “How amazing. And what prompted you to open one in New York? I thought that you don’t like our cities—”

“Why wouldn’t I like your cities?” He quirked his eyebrows.

“Not you personally. I’m talking about your people. The Krinar.”

“I can’t speak for the Krinar as a whole, darling.” He looked amused. “Just like you can’t speak for the entire population of Earth. I’m just one individual, and I happen to like this city of yours. I find it very . . . stimulating.” His eyes slid down Amy’s body again, leaving no doubt about the kind of stimulation he had in mind.

Amy felt a treacherous warmth in her cheeks as her body reacted to that look again. “Right, of course,” she murmured, racking her brain for a way to turn the conversation to a less sexually charged topic. “So why—?”

“Why don’t we dance?” Vair interrupted, and Amy realized that nearly everyone around them was swaying and gyrating to the music—including Jay and his Barbie on the other side of the room.

And before she could figure out how to refuse, Vair closed the remaining distance between them, pulling her into his embrace.

Chapter 4

As Vair’s powerful arms closed around her, drawing her against his muscular body, Amy’s breathing turned fast and irregular. She could feel his warmth, smell his clean masculine scent, and a wave of heat spread through her, making her inner muscles tighten with need.

Shocked and embarrassed by the potency of her reaction, Amy attempted to pull away, splaying her palms on Vair’s chest to keep him at a distance. “Wait, I’m not good at dancing—”

“You don’t need to be.” He smiled down at her, ignoring her weak attempts to push him away. “I’ll lead.”

“But—”

“Just relax, darling,” he murmured, beginning to move to the pulsing beat of the music. The steely muscles in his chest flexed under her fingertips, and his thigh brushed against her legs, causing her heartbeat to spike. “Isn’t this what you came for?”

Amy drew in a shaky breath, her mind racing as she stared up at his dark, sensual gaze. No, she wanted to scream. No, it wasn’t. “I just wanted to see how things were,” she whispered instead, hoping the half-truth wouldn’t get her kicked out. Her voice sounded breathless, as if she’d sprinted a mile. “I’ve never seen one of you in person, and I was curious, like I told you . . .”

“Ah, yes, that infamous curiosity of yours.” His smile took on a mocking edge. “You do know what this place is for, don’t you, little human?”

Amy moistened her lower lip, willing her frantic heartbeat to slow. “Of course. But I’d like to just observe this first time. I hope it’s not a problem.” If it was, she’d have to leave, as she had no intention of sleeping with anyone to get a story.

She wasn’t that dedicated to her career.

At her response, Vair’s eyes darkened, and the smile faded from his lips. “I see.”

Amy waited for him to say something else, but he didn’t. Instead, he kept his hold on her, leaving her no choice but to move with him to the music. His hands were gentle on her waist, yet every time she tried to pull away, his grip tightened, making it clear he wasn’t quite ready to let her go. After a couple of attempts to discreetly extricate herself from his embrace, Amy gave up, not wanting to cause a scene.

Just a dance, she told her

self. It’s only a dance. She was fine with a dance if he didn’t insist on anything more—and he didn’t seem inclined to, for now at least. He held her at a careful distance, close enough for her to be acutely aware of his warm, muscular body, but not so close that she’d be plastered against him. A couple of times, she thought she felt something hard brushing against her belly, but she couldn’t be sure as the contact was brief.

Still, the idea that it could’ve been his erection—that he wanted her like that—was nearly as exciting as it was scary.

Article. Focus on the article, Amy. “So, Vair, tell me a little bit about yourself.” She kept her gaze locked on his face, hoping that talking would distract her from the growing ache in her core. “What made you decide to come to Earth?”

He smiled, his eyes gleaming. “I was bored.”

“Bored?” She hadn’t expected to hear that. “Why?”

“Because I ran out of ways to amuse myself on Krina. I require a lot of amusement, you see.”

Amy wet her lips. She had a feeling they were again venturing into dangerous territory. “What did you do on Krina? Professionally, I mean?” Did the Ks even have jobs? She wasn’t sure, but it seemed like a safer topic than whatever it was Vair did to “amuse” himself.

“Professionally?” His smile turned sardonic. “Not much. Or too much. Depends on your perspective, I guess.”

“Oh.” Amy stared at him, puzzled. “You mean you changed your career?”

“You could call it that.” He laughed softly, looking down at her. “What about you, little human? What is it that you do . . . professionally?”