away. Once they broke
through the clouds she saw the sun. It wasn’t yellow like the sun she was
used to. It was white. Pure white.
‚Where am I?‛ Did she just step into the twilight zone?
‚You’re home,‛ he said, pointing to a floating space ship. The metal
gleamed in the bright sunlight. The ship was easily hundreds of times
larger than the tiny can they were on.
She ground her teeth together. ‚And where is that?’
‚Wherever I am.‛ He reached out and touched a button on the
watch-like thing on his wrist.
A large bed filled the center of the room. Alycia shook her head.
There was no bed in the small ship. They were no longer in the ship. They
were in someone’s room. Someone’s bedroom.
She turned around and around but didn’t see a door. No way out.
‚The door is voice activated. My voice.‛
‚Look. I am not your mate. I don’t know how else to say this. How
to make you understand.‛ She moved around the room, trying to keep him
at arm’s length.
‚There is only one way to tell if we are mates.‛ He moved slowly.
Stalking her.
‚I don’t think so.‛ She kept moving, trying to stay exactly opposite
him. The bed was proving to be a better blocker than the chair on that
damn matchbox of a ship.
‚If we do this and we’re not mates, I will take you back home.‛
That brought her up short. Back home. One time and she could go
home. If she didn’t take him up on this, he might decide to just not take her
home at all. One time. Just one time and she could go home and forget this
crazy day ever happened.
‚One time and you take me home.‛
‚If we’re not mates. If we are mates, this will be your new home.‛
He leveled a gaze on her. This wasn’t an agreement so much as a
command.
28
The Diamond Heartstone by Leila Brown
‚What if you think we’re mates and I don’t?‛
‚There is no mistaking a true mating. No denying it.‛ He took
another step towards her.
She took a step away. If she was going to do this, she needed to stop
backing away. No matter how much half of her disagreed. He said he
would take her home. She had no choice but to trust him.
‚Okay,‛ she said, taking a deep breath.
He rounded the bed and walked to her. She didn’t move. Didn’t try
to run away. She’d made her decision. One time. And one time only.
He stopped right in front of her. ‚You will enjoy this.‛ He stroked
her chin and tilted her face up to him. His lips dipped down and covered
hers. Funny, she didn’t feel any whiskers. No fur. His lips were soft and he
tasted like pure decadence. She pulled in a deep breath. Her nostrils filled
with his overpowering male scent with a hint of a deep forest smell.
Stop. She refused to enjoy this. Refused. He bit her lips softly. Small
tiny bites. Not enough to hurt, but enough to entice her into opening her
mouth.
His slipped the shirt off her shoulders. The only thing between her
breasts and him was her lacy red bra. His hands traced down her sides,
stopping at the top of her work khakis.
‚Stand still.‛ He pulled up a hand. His fingernail elongated and
curved down. Like a claw. The hard nail hooked inside her pants and
underwear at the same time. He pulled down and ripped them all the way
to her feet. Once he finished with one side, he did the other. The clothes fell
into a pool at her feet.
Moving a hand up, he ripped the back and shoulder straps of her
bra. Her last shield fell to the floor.
‚Beautiful.‛ He lifted his head to stare down at her. His eyes
darkened to an emerald green. They were so large and clear, her own
reflection stared back at her. His erection poked her in the stomach. He
rubbed up and down against her. The short fur along his chest tickled her
skin. Mmm… softer than any blanket she’d ever owned.
He picked her up, dropped her on the bed and crawled on it behind
her. His hands gripped her by the hips and he ground his erection against
29
The Diamond Heartstone
Serenity King, Pepper Pace, Aliyah Burke, Erosa Knowles, Latrivia Nelson, Tianna Laveen, Bridget Midway, Yvette Hines