Purity Read online

  “No.” Boone shook his head. “No, you shouldn’t have to be in pain.” He stood abruptly.

  K looked up at him. “Where are you going?”

  Boone frowned. “To get some answers.”

  * * * * *

  Boone strode down the metal corridors of the ship, trying to get the enticing sight of K naked out of his mind. God, she gorgeous. She’d always been beautiful with her sharp, delicate features and her air of barely leashed danger. But seeing her naked had never bothered him before. Now it was a whole different matter. Her breasts were full and heavy, the tight nipples a deep pink. And the cleft of her sex was swollen with need, the ripe button of her clit on full display when she parted her slim thighs. It was enough to make a strong man weak at the knees with desire.

  But it wasn’t just the beauty of her newly developed body that drew him. K still had an innocence about her—she truly had no idea how lovely she was. And she certainly didn’t seem to have a clue about the effect she had on him. There was no artifice in her—nothing coy or artificial. That mixture of innocence and directness drew him even more than her lush new curves. Drew him so much that Boone had to talk to himself sternly as he marched down the corridor.

  She’s innocent. Not only that, the idea of sex scares her to death. I have to be professional here—treat her as I would any patient. Can’t let myself get distracted. Unfortunately, ignoring her new body and acting like he wasn’t attracted to K was easier said than done. Still, he had to try, he told himself as he stopped in front of Loki’s door.

  “Loki, open up.” He pounded briskly on the metal door, producing a hollow booming sound. “Come on, get out here.”

  “What do you want at this time of night?” Loki yawned and blinked owlishly. “The ship’s on autopilot. Is there some kind of problem?”

  “Hell yes, there’s a problem and you’re gonna help me solve it.” Boone pushed his way into the pilot’s sleeping quarters and stood against the door with a frown on his face.

  “What problem? What are you talking about?” Loki asked peevishly. Whatever it is, make it quick—I need to get plenty of rest to look my best tomorrow. I can’t go down to my home planet looking like Hades and expect to find an attractive touch partner.”

  “Well as it happens, you’re not the only one who might be needing a partner,” Boone growled. “K’s having a hard time and I need to know what to do about it.”

  Loki’s bright green eyes with their thin, single ring of gold narrowed speculatively. “Why should I care?”

  Boone leaned forward, getting into the other man’s personal space. “You should care because she saved your ass on Minotaur. If she hadn’t come riding to the rescue you and I both would be dead meat—literally.” He leaned even closer. “Now K is in a bad way and I need some information. Are you going to help me or not?”

  Loki sighed. “All right, I’ll help—but only because you’re so sexy when you’re angry.” He batted his eyelashes at Boone who stared stonily back at him. Loki shook his head. “No sense of humor. Fine, what do you mean by, ‘in a bad way?’”

  Boone ran a hand through his hair. “I mean she’s changing. In the past two weeks she’s gone through puberty and had her first menstrual cycle.”

  “Ah.” Loki nodded. “I thought I smelled first blood on her.”

  “First blood. Right.” Boone frowned. “Anyway, so now she’s complaining of feeling hollow inside—like she needs to be, uh, filled. And having pain in her, uh…”

  “In her naughty bits?” Loki’s gold ringed eyes danced mischievously. “You have no one but yourself to blame, you know.” He shook a finger in Boone’s face.

  Boone sighed. “I know, I know—K said the same thing. It’s because I took away her suit.”

  “No—the suit was only part of it. You kissed her—and it was a deep kiss too—at least that was what it looked like,” Loki said. “Remember? Back on Minotaur?”

  “I’m not likely to forget,” Boone growled. “What with all the pheromones that damn saurian was pumping out, I probably would have kissed you if you’d been around.”

  “No, you wouldn’t have,” Loki said waspishly. “I practically threw myself at you in the heat of the moment and you turned me down. No, you wanted to kiss K, Boone. And now you’re paying the price—or she is, anyway. That kiss tripped her system into overdrive. Our little Princess Paladin is going through her first sex cycle.”

  “Isn’t that dangerous?” Boone demanded. “Can’t it kill her?”

  “Not now that we’re going to Eros. She will need a touch partner soon. Don’t worry, Boone,” he said, smirking. “You don’t have to be the one to fuck her. Just take her out in the Market of the Heart the minute we land and her hormones will do the rest. Het males love having first sex with newly ripened females—they’ll be drawn to her like flies. Ugh.” He shivered and made a face.

  Boone’s heart clenched. “I can’t just throw her to the wolves like that. Besides, I thought I was the one she imprinted on,” he protested.

  “Yes, but you’re not Erian.” Loki raised an eyebrow at him. “No offense, Boone, but her DNA will draw her to another of her kind. Don’t be hurt when that happens—just accept it. It’s simple biology.”

  Boone frowned. “I don’t know that K is ready to have sex with anyone, let alone some horny stranger she meets in the love market, or wherever it is you guys hook up.”

  “Well, she’s not going to have a choice once her cycle reaches its peak. Don’t worry—she won’t be too picky once that happens,” Loki assured him. “That hollow feeling you mentioned? That’s her body telling her she has to get fucked or die. That kind of biological imperative tends to trump any little issues she might have about screwing a stranger.”

  “But how do I know he’ll treat her right? That he’ll be as gentle as…” Boone trailed off.

  “As gentle as you would be?” Loki finished for him, one eyebrow raised. “Look, Boone, it’s just better to have another Erian as a touch partner. The first sex cycle can be a long, drawn out process. Only another Erian has the, ahem, stamina to keep up.” He sighed. “Besides, there are sacred customs to be followed—rituals too complex for a non-Erian mind to comprehend. It’s really quite beautiful.”

  “All right, all right—beauty and custom and stamina—not to mention the biological urge to get with your own kind, I’ll keep all that in mind,” Boone said grimly. “Though I have no idea how I’m going to break the news to her.”

  “Don’t tell her anything,” Loki suggested. “Just let nature take its course.”

  “I have to warn her,” Boone insisted. “I just…don’t know how. Isn’t there any way to back off the cycle? Just for a little while in order to let her get used to the idea?”

  “Tell her to get herself off,” Loki said. “Oh come on, Boone—don’t look at me like that. Having an orgasm helps satisfy the sexual cravings—at least for a little while. It won’t work forever but it should stop at least some of the pain she’s having until we get to Eros.”

  Boone ran a hand through his hair. “But she’s so innocent, Loki. I mean, she’s never done that before. I just don’t know—”

  “Boo-hoo, poor little Princess Paladin.” Loki’s eyes flashed angrily. “She’s sooo innocent and pure. She doesn’t even know how to touch herself and she’s too delicate for sex. Let me tell you something, Boone.” He poked a finger in Boone’s chest. “She’s going to have to get over all that delicacy and innocence pretty damn fast. The Erian sex drive is a monster and it will eat you alive if you don’t give it what it wants.”

  “I understand that, Loki, but—”

  “No, you don’t. None of the other Earth-normals in the system do.” Loki crossed his arms over his narrow chest. “But you’re about to get a crash course, especially if you stick with Little Miss Purist.”

  Boone clenched his jaw to keep from spitting out an angry retort. “All right, Loki, I get it—you have to have sex or die. The problem is, how is K supposed to