“What are you doing over there?” Nate frowned, his eyebrows narrowed. “Why aren’t you lying on the table for your massage?”
Ava propped herself up on one elbow, giving him the most seductive gaze she could muster, running her fingers along her side, between her breasts. “I’m all massaged out, but there is something I do want.”
With a mischievous grin, he stepped toward her. “And what would that be?”
As he strolled closer, his thick cock caught her gaze. Once she could reach, she wrapped her hand around his shaft, drawing him closer.
He threw his head back and groaned. “You shouldn’t do that.”
“Why?” She leaned forward, flicking her tongue along his swollen tip. “You don’t like it?”
Clasping her shoulders, he guided her up to his level, capturing her mouth in an intoxicating kiss. He tasted and teased, his tongue tangling with hers, running along the top of her mouth, sweeping away her thoughts. She wrapped her arms around the back of his neck, pulling him down onto her. She couldn’t wait any longer, needing the carnal connection they’d once shared.
He tried to slip down her body, but she grabbed him under his arms to halt his retreat.
He stared at her, his face a mask of emotions. “Ava, I can’t. It’s… too soon.”
Too soon?
They only had tonight and she planned to spend the rest of it with him inside her. “Please, Nate. It has to be now.”
With a sigh, he pushed off the bed. “Fine. Give me a minute first.”
A vise gripped her chest. Did he not want to have sex with her? Had he changed his mind?
But when he joined her on the bed again, the lust in his eyes had returned. He stroked the side of her face then reclaimed her lips, lying on top of her. She reveled in his familiar weight, the warmth and love she hadn’t felt since he’d left. Moaning into his mouth, she held him tight until no space existed between them.
His cock pulsed, so hard and ready. She craved him deep inside her. As he kissed her jaw, her neck, he left her body tingling, fueling her need. Gods, she couldn’t take it any longer. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she lined up her entrance to the tip of his cock. She tried to move under him, but he was too heavy. “Please,” she begged. She’d go crazy if she had to wait any longer.
Nate pushed against the bed, lifting his upper body. Gazing at her, he plunged inside, filling her like no other man could. She arched to meet each possessive thrust, wanting all of him. His body. His heart. His soul. She’d given herself to him all those star cycles ago. And now that they’d reunited, as lovers, she was complete.
She gripped his arms as he rocked above her, sending her closer to the edge of oblivion. As he made love to her, the pressure built toward that glorious moment. But then he stopped, his cock pressed against her vaginal wall. The right spot. Unbelievable pleasure. He twisted his hips, not moving in or out. Just around, still touching the same place, leaving her delirious. She grabbed his hips, never wanting him to pull out. Then he quickened his movements again, releasing a deep grunt with every driving thrust.
Her heart thudded. Her ears pounded. She gripped him tighter, matching his erratic movements.
Yes, right there
.
He hammered into her, his face contorted in concentration. As close as she was to orgasm, she couldn’t find her release. The pressure continued to build, leaving her ready to explode.
“Oh gods, Ava, I’m sorry.”
He slammed against her, his cock swelling, sending her into orgasm. A flash of heat swept over her. “Nate,” she screamed, closing her eyes, searing heat racing through her body. She became lost in the maddening overload of sensation, Nate’s weight the only thing keeping her from shattering into a million pieces. Her head spun. She quivered underneath him as the tension subsided. She opened her eyes, still panting. Nate stared down at her. On fire.
She gasped, struggling to get out from underneath him. “Nate, get off of me. You’re on fire.”
He rolled off of her, standing up, but not with the speed she expected. Why wasn’t he concerned? She grabbed the blanket from the bed, wrapping it around him. Smother the flames. That’s what she’d learned during emergency training aboard Star Spirit. But the sheet charred into ash without any effect on him.
What on Earth?
She stared in confusion as the flames danced across his skin. Yet, he didn’t seem to be in any pain. Instead, he frowned, his eyes wet and dull.
“This wasn’t supposed to happen.” He diverted his gaze as the blaze died down. “You weren’t supposed to see this.”
“See what? You catching fire as we had sex?” Her heart raced. Had her mind played a trick on her? The flames had disappeared completely, leaving no red welts or a mark of any kind on Nate’s skin to indicate any burns. But at his feet, the blanket lay in ashes. She glanced at her body. She’d felt the heat, too, assuming it all part of another intense orgasm.
Nothing. No read blotches. No blisters. Only a light sweat across her skin.
Nate wrung his hands. Never, in all of their time together, had she ever seen him so downcast.
“I…I told you I’m part Claustrian.”
She nodded, anxious for further explanation. She’d never seen, nor heard of a person catching fire and coming out unscathed.
“Well, I don’t have the full power of my ancestors, but….” His cheeks flushed. “I ignite every time I orgasm.”
Every time?
Releasing a heavy breath, she covered her mouth to hide her grin. Sure, she’d had her own explosive release, but she hadn’t expected Nate to combust.
He spun away from her, rushing to the other side of the room, gathering his clothes.
Shit!
Had she offended him? “Um, Nate? What are you doing?”
“Getting ready to leave. The date’s over.”
“No.” Her knees buckled. She fell to the floor. He was leaving her again.
He spun around, rushing to her side. “Are you okay?”
She shook her head. How could she be okay when she was about to lose the only man who’d made her happy? Her body quaked. Just when she thought she had everything—at least for one night—he decided to leave early.
“I’m so sorry. I tried to resist, to think of something else, but I couldn’t help myself. It felt so good to be inside you again.”
With his last whispered words, she reached out to him, trying to think of a way to convince him to stay. “It was good for me, too. Better than good. Amazing.”
“And then I had to ruin it.”
“But you didn’t.” Strength back, she lifted his chin so she could gaze into his eyes. “You didn’t. Sure, it surprised me a bit, seeing you on fire, but you’re okay. That’s what worried me. And Nate? I want you to stay. I don’t want you to leave.”
He raised his eyebrows. “You don’t?”
“No.” She smiled as relief flooded the features of his face. “But I want to know why neither of us burned while the sheet did.”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. There’s no one around to ask anymore. I assume you didn’t because of our connection, our joining.”
“But why didn’t you react like this when we were together on Earth?” She gasped, covering her mouth as a new thought flashed through her mind. “Is that why the military forced you to leave?” If such was the case, he had to have slept with someone else at the same time as her.
“No.” He brushed his thumb along her lips. “No, Ava, don’t think like that. I never slept with anyone else back then but you. This fire, it didn’t start until two star cycles after I left Earth. Again, I don’t know why. I guess I still hadn’t come into my powers.”
He kissed her forehead then climbed onto the bed. “Now, the one drawback to this
power
is that it drains my energy. I’m dead to the world for hours afterward. Come join me, please, because in a matter of minutes, I’m going to crash.”
She crawled onto the bed, curling up in his arms, wanting to spend every last second with him before their date ended. “Will we see each other again?”
He stroked the side of her face. “I want more than to see you again, Ava. I want you to stay with me. Ride through the universe by my side.”
“I don’t know if I can.” She had so many things to consider, especially her parents. Who would take care of them?
He pressed his lips to hers in a sweet, gentle kiss. “Promise me you’ll at least think about it. I don’t want to be away from you again.”
She didn’t want to leave him either, but she’d never gotten everything she wanted. The position aboard Star Spirit had come along only by chance. And somehow Madame Eve had worked her magic to find Ava’s long lost love. But would her luck run out if she remained with Nate? Would she ever be able to return to Earth?
“Yes, I’ll think about it,” she said. But his sleepy breaths tickled her neck. He’d already dozed off.
Ava lay beside him, satisfied and tired, yet unable to close her eyes. In the next couple of hours, she had to give something up.
***
Nate groaned, brushing hair from his face as he returned to consciousness. With little time left before Ava returned to the mother traveler, he had to find a way to convince her to come along with him. Or maybe he could allow her sleep, let her miss getting back to Star Spirit. She would have no other choice but to stay with him. He leaned over to curl up with her, but found the other side of the bed empty. He whipped his eyes open, bolting out of bed. Glancing around the room, he prayed Ava hadn’t already left, that he’d find her somewhere in the suite. Yet, his gut told him otherwise.
He rushed from room to room, examining every closet, every corner. His heart ripped apart as he found each one empty. Ava had left him without saying goodbye. The same as he’d done to her all those star cycles ago.
He pounded his fist against the minnica wall. He’d had no choice. She did. She could have waited until he woke before she tore his heart from his chest and stomped all over it.
He sighed. Maybe it
was
easier this way. He didn’t have to watch her walk away from him. Besides, had he really expected her to give up her job and the chance to return to Earth, to her family?
No, he’d wished for too much. He ran his hand over his face. At least he’d had one night of wonderful memories and the most fulfilling sex with Ava, without the painful goodbye.
Yet, without closure, he would pine for her as he had before their one-night stand. Gods, why did he have to be part Claustrian? Why did the universe hate him so much? He yearned to yank out that part of his DNA.
But what could he do? He had to face the inevitable. Except for his best friend, he’d never have anyone he could count on. One day, Wyn would leave him, too.
***
Ava rushed into the communications booth, tears streaming down her cheeks. She’d made the hardest decision of her life. And now she had to tell her parents. She wiped her tears with a tissue then blew her nose. No need to make them think she regretted the choice she’d made. With a deep breath, she punched in their address then waited for the satellites to connect, for her parents to appear onscreen.
Her mother came on first, chewing her bottom lip. She wouldn’t look into the camera. Oh gods, had something happened to her father? She never should have left Earth in the first place.
“Mom? What’s wrong?”
She wrung her hands together then glanced up at Ava’s father.
Phew!
He was okay, but stared at her with the same nervous apprehension.
“Ava, it’s good to see you,” her father said. “How are you doing?”
“I’m good.” She managed a faint smile. No way would she tell them about her decision until she found out why they appeared so distraught. She could always change her mind. Nothing was final yet.
“Honey,” her mother said. “I know we should have waited until you returned, but we’re moving.”
“What? Why?” She couldn’t leave Star Spirit now. They’d need her income even more with rent rates always on the rise.
“I hope you understand, Ava,” her father continued. “But we don’t want to be a burden on you anymore. We’ve found co-op housing for just the two of us. Your Aunt Ruth said you could stay with her when you’re not traveling.”
“We’re sorry, Ava,” her mother interjected. “We couldn’t pass up this opportunity. We want you to come visit us, though.”
She took a deep breath. Their news made her decision a little easier, but it still hurt they hadn’t included her in the decision, hadn’t even mentioned they were considering moving the last time she’d talked to them. “I have something to tell you, too. I’m resigning from Star Spirit.”
She cringed at their collective gasp.
Her mother leaned closer to the camera. “But what will you do? Where will you stay? Are you at least coming home first?”
She turned away then glanced back at them.
No time to chicken out now
. “I’ve met someone.”
“Are you sure that’s such a good idea? Throwing everything away for a guy?”
Her father’s glare left her on edge, but she was an adult, and they didn’t need her anymore.
“Daddy, I know him from Earth. I’ll be sure to keep in contact wherever we go.”
“You mean you’re not staying on Elatia?” Her mother’s eyes grew wide.
“No, we’ll be on his ship. Listen, I have to go. I have a lot to do.” She hated for their conversation to end so soon, but she had to get back to the hotel before Nate woke up.
Her parents sat back. “Okay. Be sure to stay in touch, though.”
She nodded. “I will. I love you.”
After their goodbyes, she cut the connection, rushing to the elevators to get to her room. Once she’d tossed all of her belongings into her bag, she ran to the door. She gave the space one last glance. Michelle. Shit, what would she tell
her
?
Without time to wait around for her best friend to return, she left the room aboard Star Spirit for the last time. She’d email Michelle before leaving the planet. If anyone would understand her need to be with Nate, her friend would.
As the elevator zipped around and then up to the main level, Ava penned her letter of resignation.
***