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  That’s right, sweetheart, he thought, so hot he could barely articulate the words, even to himself. Go ahead and give it up for me. Come for me—come all over my face.

  Finally, he felt her inner muscles clamp down on his fingers, tightening rhythmically as she found her peak. At the same time she gasped his name and arched her back, crying for him, begging him not to stop.

  Immediately, he withdrew his fingers and replaced them with his tongue. The feel of her tight channel spasming around him as he pressed deeply into her wetness made his cock surge.

  “Reddix!” she wailed, bucking her hips up as though trying to pull him in deeper. Reddix was happy to oblige her. Hooking his arms around her thighs, he pressed his face between her legs, thrusting his tongue deep into her hot, wet pussy tonguefucking her, just as he had promised. Gods, he wanted her! Wanted to taste her every day for the rest of her life, wanted to never let her go.

  Feeling his tongue insider her seemed to drive Nina wild. With a low moan, she started to come again. Reddix tasted fresh wetness as he rode out her orgasm, loving every minute of it, reveling in his pleasure as she shook and shuddered against him. She was so beautiful, so perfect and right. If only she could be his forever instead of just this one last night.

  But even in the heat of the moment, he knew that could never be.

  * * * * *

  When the pleasure finally ebbed and Nina was able to relax, Reddix climbed back into bed with her and held her tight with her back to his front, as though he never wanted to let go.

  “Reddix?” She tried to turn to look at him, but he wouldn’t let her.

  “Just let me hold you.” His deep voice was harsh with emotion. “Let me hold you, at least for tonight.”

  “What is it?” she asked gently, stroking one muscular forearm which was wrapped around her waist.

  He was silent a long time, but then finally, he spoke.

  “You know. You said it yourself—this is our last night. And I don’t…don’t fucking want it to be.”

  “I don’t either.” She tried to turn to him again and this time he let her. The look in his eyes was one of such deep sadness Nina felt her heart twist. “Is it really so important?” she asked. “I mean, you becoming the next OverChief if your people won’t accept Saber?”

  He nodded. “If the line of succession is broken, they’ll go to war. It’s happened before—nearly wiped out the entire fucking race.”

  “Really?”

  He nodded. “Touch Kindred are hotheaded bastards.”

  “Just tell me one thing, then.” Nina snuggled against him, pressing her face to his chest, breathing in that warm, masculine spice that always made her feel dizzy with desire for him. “If all that was taken care of—if you didn’t have those responsibilities hanging over your head—would we be together?”

  He gave her a long look. “There’s more standing between us than you know, sweetheart. But yes, if I could be free of this place and these obligations, we’d find a way to be together.”

  Nina’s heart rose into her throat. “Then…if by some miracle the clans do accept Saber and Lissa as their leaders…”

  “I’ll kidnap you again and take you someplace far, far away with just the two of us,” he promised hoarsely. “I swear it.”

  “Oh, Reddix…” She lifted her chin and kissed him, tasting her own secret flavor on his mouth. The words I love you rose to her lips, but she swallowed them back down. Time enough to say them if things worked out for Saber and Lissa at the gathering tomorrow night. In the meantime, she just wanted to enjoy being with him…hopefully not for the last time, after all.

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  A loud pounding on the bedroom door woke Reddix up. He blinked in the orangish sunlight flooding the room, wondering why he was sleeping in the guest bed. Then Nina stirred beside him. She had put back on her blue gown, but just seeing her reminded him of everything that had gone on the night before. They hadn’t made love, but Nina had insisted on sucking him—tasting him as he had tasted her—and then they had fallen asleep in each other’s arms. It had been the best and most bittersweet night of his life—knowing that she cared for him and wanted to be with him as much as he wanted to be with her.

  But even if by some miracle the clans accept Saber and Lissa, how will you make love to her properly? How can you bond her to you without a working Touch Sense? whispered a pessimistic little voice in the back of his brain.

  Reddix shook his head. He would manage. If they were granted a miracle and he was freed of the onerous obligation of being the next OverChief, he would find a way to make things work with Nina. He had to.

  The pounding on the bedroom door was repeated, reminding him what had woken him up in the first place. Reddix frowned, who could that be?

  “Reddix?” screeched a high female voice. “I know you’re in there! I’ll give you one more chance to come out or I’m coming in.”

  Beside him, Nina sat up and rubbed her eyes sleepily. “What time is it? Who’s shouting?” she murmured.

  Reddix was beginning to get a very bad feeling. A feeling that something he had forgotten was going to come back to bite him in the ass. Speaking of things he had forgotten, the lthss on his wrist was itching and throbbing abominably. Sometime before the gathering of the Clan leaders and people tonight he would have to go and settle his account with Xandra.

  But it wasn’t the swamp witch who was pounding on his door now.

  “Reddix!” shouted the shrill, familiar voice again. He opened his mouth to answer when the door suddenly popped open, and Tilla appeared in the doorway with Lissa right behind her.

  “I’m sorry,” Lissa apologized. “I tried to keep her out. She just barged right past me.”

  “I have a right to enter my betrothed’s house if I want to.” Tilla crossed her arms over her chest, her many blue and green vivium bangles clashing against each other. “And what do I find when I get here? Another female in his bed.” She glared at Nina who stared blankly back at her and then turned to Reddix.

  “Reddix, who is this person?” she asked in a low, dangerous voice.

  He opened his mouth to answer but again Tilla spoke before he could.

  “I am his fiancée—the one his parents picked for him. The one he is promised to join with as soon as he ascends as OverChief. And who exactly are you?”

  Nina didn’t answer her. Instead, she looked at Reddix again.

  “Is this true?”

  “I…yes,” he said heavily. “But I never—”

  “Don’t say you never agreed to our arrangement because you did. You know you did,” Tilla accused shrilly.

  “I did,” Reddix acknowledged. “But things have changed. I’m with Nina now.”

  “Oh, no you’re not.” Nina moved away from him and suddenly Tilla’s anger and betrayal poured over his head like a box of hot coals.

  “Damn it!” Reddix jumped out of bed and turned to Nina. “I’m with you now, sweetheart. I swear I am!”

  “It doesn’t sound like you bothered to inform her of that.” Nina had gotten out of bed too and her arms were crossed over her chest. Even though Reddix couldn’t feel her emotions, her eyes were cold. Ice cold.

  “He most certainly didn’t,” Tilla said, putting her hands on her hips. “I didn’t even know he was back from the Mother Ship until I heard from some people this morning who said they saw him going into his house last night with a strange alien female. A strange alien female with an extremely large ass.” She cocked one skinny hip as though showing off her own boney, narrow behind and glared at Nina.

  “Now, just a minute.” Nina held up a hand. “I’m sorry Reddix cheated on you, but I didn’t know anything about you until just now so there’s no need to get nasty.”

  “I didn’t cheat on her,” Reddix roared, losing patience. “I’ve never been with her—never even kissed her, I swear.”

  “That’s right.” Tilla scowled at him. “You told me you couldn’t kiss me—even to seal our jo