Forget Me Not (5 page)

“I didn’t mean to insult you or anything. We don’t have any way to share memories like you do, so people lie all the time. Especially criminals. Someone like Grynar could just say that he found the knife and pulled it out of her, hoping to save her.”

“If he were to say such things, the council would seek the truth from his own mind. There is no way he can hide this so long as there is at least one witness to accuse him of the crime.”

“You,” she guessed.

“No one else was there. If I do not accuse him, no one else will. He will remain a free man.”

“And assholes like that rarely stop with destroying one life.”

In that, at least, their people were the same. “Grynar’s temper was always easily provoked. I should have been there. I should have stopped him. If I had…”

“You can’t second-guess yourself like that. I felt how much you loved her. I know you would have done everything in your power to save her.”

“And now I must do everything in my power to return home.”

“Even if that means turning my head into the
Gong Show
. I get it,” she said, sounding resigned. “I should get up and start looking for more stuff you need. The sooner I’m done, the sooner you can go home.”

Toren was not convinced she was well enough yet to continue her search. As much as he wanted to return home, he had no way of knowing if Adreeahbenwah could harm herself by pushing too hard. If she did, he would never forgive his abuse of her.

Besides, holding her like this had soothed some of his rage. He wasn’t sure what it was about her that eased him, but he was reluctant to let go and risk being tossed back into that maelstrom of grief and anger so soon. This peace was a welcome respite—one he was loathe to abandon.

Without realizing what he had done, Toren had slipped his hand beneath her shirt and splayed his fingers across her abdomen. The end of one finger was tucked beneath the top of her pants, molded to the slight swell of her belly. Their skin tones contrasted sharply—his pale and frosty against her warmer, darker coloring.

She lifted her head and stared down to where he touched her. “What are you doing?”

Toren probably should have pulled his hand away, but he liked the feel of her skin too much to move unless she requested it. “Does my touch bother you?”

Her cheeks darkened, flushing a deep red. “Bother isn’t exactly the word I’d use. Still, you shouldn’t go around groping women you don’t know.”

It suddenly occurred to him that a woman as beautiful as Adreeahbenwah would have countless men wanting to claim her. She would have her pick of them, and it was not likely that she would be free of attachments. “You are bound to another,” he said, knowing it had to be true.

“No. I’m single, but I generally don’t let strangers paw me.”

He was not sure he liked the term
paw
, but considering his hand was still on her, his fingers kneading gently, it was an appropriate description.

Toren moved his hand and tugged her shirt down to cover the temptation she presented. “How do you feel?”

“Better. The dizziness is gone. I can sit on the couch by myself.”

He catalogued the word she used for the narrow bed, but ignored her request. He had just given up the feel of her bare body under his hand—it was not fair of her to ask him to give up more. Instead, he leaned back, stretching out his legs, giving her more room atop him.

“Do you know where to find the other items I need?”

“I’m not even sure how I figured out that you needed silver. And to be honest, the reaction my puny human brain had to helping you was a bit… intense. I’m not sure I’m ready to go through that again right away.”

“I hate that you suffered, but I do not have much time. Perhaps if I try again to implant the knowledge, I can make it easier for you to bear.”

He reached for her head, but she jerked back. “Uh. No. We’re good. Just give me a minute and I’ll try again.”

Toren wanted to tell her not to rush, but he did not have the luxury of time. She was the key to his going home, and if that meant he had to watch her suffer, then he was going to have to harden himself against it. Every moment he stayed here was one of suffering for his entire family. He could not sit back and allow that to happen any longer than necessary.

“I will fetch food for you,” he offered. “Nourishment will help.” His quest meant letting her go, but it seemed fair that he suffer at least as much as she did.

* * *

Adria wasn’t sure what was making her shake more—the mental explosion she’d experienced or Toren’s touch.

It had been years since a man had touched her like that—not since before the big C had stolen William and changed the course of her life. She’d first focused on getting him well. Then when she failed to do that, she focused on her career. Every minute she spent working was one she didn’t have to grieve for what she’d lost before she’d really even been able to enjoy it.

Maybe it was better that way. There was no way to know for sure, so she did the only thing she knew how: she worked. Hard. Endless hours, countless weekends. Even her time off had ended up with her back at the office, putting out some fire or other. She was good at what she did, but the pace was killing her.

This vacation was supposed to be her first real one in years, and here she was, searching for things she couldn’t even name in order to save some alien’s life—an alien who made her feel more human than she had in years.

Funny how life turned out.

“There’s a bowl of soup in the microwave,” she told him to get him to release her.

As much as she enjoyed having his hands on her, the way they made her feel was nearly too much to handle. Her body was overheated, her blood pumping through her too fast. Heat radiated out from her skin, and a line of sweat formed along her brow.

He set her on the couch and stood, towering over her. His glower was a clear warning to stay put—one her spinning head intended to heed. The last thing she needed was to fall and knock herself unconscious. The sooner she found the things Toren needed to leave, the better.

As he walked away, she couldn’t help but stare. His body was the stuff of daydreams. Clad only in those too-small shorts, she could easily see the way his muscles shifted as he moved. She could watch a sight like that all day and never get bored.

Too bad he wasn’t human. A little R&R with a man like him could do wonders for a woman. But he
wasn’t
human, and she had no idea if he was even capable of the things going through her head—wicked, shamefully delightful things that made a blush burn in her cheeks.

He came back with an apple and the crooked knife. Her eyes lowered to his groin, and from what she could tell, he had all the right parts.

A low growl seeped from his chest, forcing her eyes upward. Heat suffused her face, and she knew she had to be glowing with embarrassment.

Adria cleared her throat and forced herself to concentrate on his face. “You have no idea what a microwave is, do you?”

“None.”

“It’s our own kind of magic that heats foods in seconds.”

“Magic cannot exist here—at least not for long. Your world eats it.”

“Our magic is called technology, and it works great.”

He didn’t even try to hide his skepticism. “I doubt that.”

She held out her hand for the apple.

“You are shaking and will slice yourself open. I will feed you.”

“Yeah, that’s really not necessary.”

He ignored that and sat next to her, cutting small pieces of the fruit for her to eat. She drew the line at letting him feed her, but took what he offered.

His brows were lowered in concentration as he worked. The knife seemed tiny in his hands, and he moved as though he wasn’t used to using such small utensils.

Firelight flickered off his rough features, and she swore she saw hints of deep purple glowing in his black hair as it swayed around his shoulders.

He handed her another bite of apple, then watched her mouth as she ate it. All this male attention was making her a bit self-conscious, but his expression was not one of curiosity, but of hot, intense interest. If she didn’t know better, she would have sworn that he wanted her.

Adria had to stop staring, so she moved her gaze to the fire. “So, what now?” she asked. “How do I find the other things you need?”

“I don’t know. Your mind is different from mine. Predicting how it will function seems beyond my ability.”

“So I just sit around and wait for another brain blast?”

“Is it really so unpleasant? I do not wish you pain.”

“It’s not painful, really. Just incredibly… aggressive.”

“Aggressive brain blast. That sounds like pain to me.” He stood in a rush, his intent to leave plain.

“Where are you going?”

“I will find another human to aid me.”

“Are you serious? You’re just going to walk out in the middle of the night in this freezing weather and go find someone else? Do you have any idea how isolated we are? We’re miles from the nearest… anything.”

“How far is miles?”

“A long way. Too long for you to walk in one night. Especially in those shorts.”

“I will use my power to run fast.”

“And just how much power do you have left before my world eats it, as you so eloquently put it?”

He stood in silence, his jaw tight, his posture defiant and rigid.

“Sit down, Toren. I’m happy to help you. Really. It wasn’t all that bad. Besides, what makes you think that another human would have it any easier than I do?”

“I will care less what happens to another human.”

If she wasn’t mistaken, that was his way of saying that he cared about her. “You don’t even know me.”

“I touched your thoughts. I… felt you. I won’t make that mistake with another.”

She wasn’t sure exactly what he was trying to say, but him feeling her seemed to be a big deal to him. Maybe that was taboo in his culture or something. Hell, for all she knew it meant they were married. That idea should have bothered her a lot more than it did.

“Fine. If it bothers you so much, then there will be no more touching or feeling.”

His gaze slid down the length of her body and back up again. He licked his lips, and his irises shifted from blue to red to dark purple. “I do not know if I have that much control.”

Oh, yeah. He was definitely into her. There was no mistaking that expression, no matter how long it had been since she’d seen a man look at her like that.

Her body warmed, and something deep inside her abdomen—right under where his hand had been—clenched hard.

Adria had thought that feelings like this were lost to her. She hadn’t wanted a man since William. She was unwilling to lose someone else she loved, so why take even one step on that path? What was the point?

But now, watching him stare at her like he was starving for a taste, she realized what she’d been missing. People had sex every day with people they didn’t really know. She’d never done that before, but maybe it was time to give it a shot. For her it had always been about love, but it didn’t have to be, did it? It didn’t have to be about permanence or a future together. It could simply be about feeling good—something she hadn’t done in a long time.

With Toren, she didn’t have to feel guilty or worry that he’d develop false expectations. He was leaving. He wouldn’t be around long enough for her to really learn to care for him. It was temporary. Fleeting. Safe.

But not meaningless. To her, feeling this again—feeling alive again—had more meaning than he would ever know.

Deep, aching want unfurled inside of her, giving her courage she never would have otherwise had. For all she knew, he’d be gone in a few hours. She wasn’t going to waste her one chance for a guilt-free fling.

“Are you married?” she asked.

“No.”

“Seeing someone?”

“I see you, Adreeahbenwah.” The way he said it, the way he looked at her as if she were the only thing that mattered, made her toes curl and her heart beat a little faster.

“I mean is there another woman in your life? Someone back home who would be upset with you for the way you’re looking at me now?”

“There is no one.” A dark smile drew her attention to his mouth. The indentation in his upper lips was deep, accentuating its fullness.

The need to run her finger along that dent and feel if his mouth was softer than the rest of him sent an itchy restlessness speeding through her.

Her insides trembled. She hadn’t yet done anything she couldn’t take back. A bit of teasing, a whole pile of lust, but nothing irrevocable.

Adria so desperately wanted to do something irrevocable with Toren.

His gaze had not left her while she warred with indecision. “And how is it that I look at you, Adreeahbenwah?”

She loved the way he said her name, like it was all one word—the way he lingered over each syllable as if enjoying the feel of it against his tongue.

“You look at me as if the rest of the world could fall away and you wouldn’t notice.”

“That sounds like a dangerous way to feel,” he said, but he didn’t deny it.

“It’s certainly a dangerous way to look at me.”

“And why is that?”

“Because you’re making me consider things I should not be considering.”

He lifted a dark brow. “I would like to hear these things.”

Maybe, but she sure as hell wasn’t going to say them. He made her quiver inside. He stole her breath. She wasn’t going to give him the added ammunition of her fantasies.

“I think that’s a bad idea,” she told him.

He loomed over her. She needed to stand and close the distance, but she worried that her traitorous knees would buckle. If they did and she ended up in his arms again, she knew how this would end. She’d take what she so desperately wanted—what he seemed willing to give—and nothing else would ever be the same again.

Was that such a bad thing? Was her life really such a pile of roses and sunshine that a change—nearly any change—wouldn’t be an improvement?

Not even close.

Before Adria could change her mind, she surged to her feet and launched herself at him. He caught her easily, not even swaying as her body met his. She had no idea what would happen next, or how he would react, but that merely added another layer of excitement.