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  “Sophie—”

  “I’ve been so busy dwelling on the past, I haven’t allowed myself to enjoy the present or look forward to the future,” Sophia continued. “And I haven’t let myself love because loving someone means pain.”

  “That’s doubly true in this case,” Olivia sent dryly. “Remember Sylvan’s fangs.”

  “I remember,” Sophia sent calmly. “They’re out right now. But you know what? I’m not afraid of them anymore. I’m not afraid of him or of letting myself love him. I want him, Liv. And I don’t care if it hurts.”

  “Sophie, you’ve just been through a lot. Maybe you should take some time to consider—”

  “Do you remember when you told me you had to get to the place where you were more afraid of losing Baird than of letting him bond you?”

  There was a long silence and then Olivia said, “Yes. Yes, I remember.”

  “Well I’m at that point with Sylvan now,” Sophie told her. “I want him and I know he wants me. Only he’s afraid to do anything about it—afraid he’ll hurt me.”

  “I’m a little afraid of that myself,” Liv sent. “I’ve never seen him look so scary as when you called on the viewscreen a little while ago. Those red eyes. And his fangs look so sharp.”

  “That’s because he needs me,” Sophie sent simply. “As badly as I need him. I just have to convince him to…to take me.”

  Olivia sent a mental sigh. “All right—I trust your judgment. So what do you want me to do?”

  “Stall him. Meet us at the suite and tell him you’re out of glucose on this side of the ship and you’ll have to send for some more. Or better yet, offer to go get some yourself. Just say anything that will keep him in the suite with me while you ‘locate’ another supply.”

  “My, my, my. Aren’t we devious?” Liv’s mental voice was filled with admiration. “Okay, I can do that.”

  “Thanks, Liv. I owe you one.”

  “I’ll be sure you pay up later. Because you know Kat and I are going to want all the juicy details.”

  “How is Kat? Sylvan said she went back to Deep and Lock in order to locate me. Is she all right?”

  “I haven’t talked to her. According to Lock she’s resting in her suite. Apparently she left him and Deep as soon as she was able to, after they, uh, located you. Of course the minute she wakes up we’ll want to talk. We should get together later on tonight.”

  “We’ll see.” Sophie cast a sidelong look at Sylvan who was currently busy landing the ship. Besides the obvious signs of rage—the red eyes and extended fangs—there was a strained look on his face. She remembered what he had said to her before…My blood was burning. And I had no way to quench the flames. His blood was burning now, she was certain of it. He was on edge from wanting her—needing her. There would never be a better time to convince him to bond her to him. She just hoped she could manage it.

  “What do you mean, ‘We’ll see?’” Liv demanded.

  “I mean this might take a while. I think you know what I mean—or you should, anyway.”

  “Oh.” Liv laughed. “Of course, what was I thinking? Especially if you, uh, succeed in your little mission.”

  “I’ll succeed, all right,” Sophie promised her. “I’m not letting him out of that suite until he bites me. And does…everything else he has to in order to bond us together.”

  Liv laughed again. “Okay, forget tonight. Kat and I will see you next week.” Her voice was suddenly sober. “Just be careful, Sophie. I hope you know what you’re doing.”

  “I do. For the first time since Burke hurt me, I know what I want—what I need—and I’m not backing down now. I’m not missing another chance to be with the man I love,” she told her sister.

  “Okay, okay—you’ve convinced me. I’m behind you one hundred percent.”

  “Thank you,” Sophie sent.

  She just hoped she could convince Sylvan as well.

  Chapter Thirty-six

  Sylvan frowned as they walked into his suite. “I can’t understand how we could run out of glucose solution. Whoever has been doing the ordering at the main med station must be completely incompetent.”

  “I’m sure it will be fine,” Sophia said, closing the door behind them. “Liv said she can get some from the other side of the ship in an hour or two.”

  Sylvan tried to repress a sigh. An hour or two sounded like an eternity at the moment. Especially when he wanted Sophia so badly he could almost taste the salty-sweet flavor of her skin. When all he wanted to do was take her to bed and part her thighs while she offered him her throat. Stop it, he ordered himself. Stop thinking that way. You’re only making it worse!

  Sophia shivered. “I’m chilled to the bone. Do you mind if I take a quick bath?”

  “Of course not. Be my guest.” Sylvan was relieved. Maybe she would spend the next few hours soaking in the bathing pool. And though the thought of her naked and wet would be a torment, at least she wouldn’t be in the same room with him, where he could see her beautiful body under the thin tharp and smell her devastatingly feminine scent.

  Sophia headed for the bathroom but then she hesitated and turned back. “You could join me, if you want. You look really tense. I could, ah, rub your back.”

  Sylvan raised an eyebrow at her. “Join you naked in the bathing pool?”

  “Well…” Her cheeks were suddenly pink again. “Yes. Why not?”

  Because I want you. Because even the thought of you slippery and wet and naked makes me feel like I’m losing my mind with desire. “It’s a bad idea,” he said shortly, frowning. “A very, very bad idea.”

  “Oh.” Her face fell. “I just thought…never mind. I’ll just be a minute.” Quickly she went to the bathroom and shut herself in.

  Sylvan felt terrible for turning her down so abruptly but it was obvious she didn’t understand. He was right on the edge of reason, his blood burning for her as it never had before, even after the second time he’d tasted her. If he allowed himself to get too close…I have to keep my distance from her until I can get to the sacred grove. Have to keep her at an arm’s length until the priestess can cool my blood. Otherwise I’ll do something we’ll both regret for the rest of our lives.

  * * * * *

  “Okay,” Sophie muttered to herself, shedding the tharp and draping it carefully across a shelf. “This is not working. Time for plan B.”

  The only trouble was, she had no plan B. She’d never tried to seduce anyone before and she had no idea how to go about it. Obviously just offering herself wasn’t going to work. Sylvan was on his guard against her. He was so certain that he would hurt her that he wasn’t about to touch her with a ten foot pole. And that’s what I need, she thought as she dipped her foot in the bathing pool. His hands on me. And his mouth. If I could get him to go that far, I’m pretty sure I could get him to take me all the way. But how could she get past the wall he’d erected between them and get him to touch her?

  The bathing pool was beautifully hot and having no answers, Sophie decided to take a soak and think about it. Liv had promised to stall for as long as she could, so Sophie figured she had a good two or three hours to work on Sylvan before he finally got fed up with the situation and went to fetch the glucose himself. In the mean time, she had to think up some kind of plan for the seduction—even though she had no idea what she was doing.

  She hissed as she lowered herself into the pool. The hot water felt wonderful on the rest of her body but it stung the small wound Xairn had made on the inside of her knee fiercely. Ouch! Wish I’d had Sylvan heal that before I got into the pool. I should’ve asked him but—Wait a minute! Suddenly, it clicked. She’d been wondering how to get his hands and mouth on her—asking him to heal her knee was an excellent start. But only a start, she thought. I’ll have to get him to go further. But how? An answer popped into her brain. Of course! That should work. It’ll take a little subtlety but I think I can pull it off…

  Sophie spent a little more time in the bath working out the details an