Page 64 of On a Rogue Planet
She couldn’t go out in public like that. He didn’t want any man looking at her.
“Well, sweet cousin, Malin—” Dare raised a brow “—you certainly polish up very, very nicely.”
She blew him a playful kiss, then her gaze was on Xander.
“You have to get changed,” he said.
Her face fell. “What?”
“Find something else to wear. With more fabric.”
Zayn shook his head. “Man, for a super-enhanced cyborg, you are dense.”
Justyn grinned, munching on a hydroponic apple he’d grabbed from the galley. “You have a lot to learn about women.”
Malin pressed a hand to her hip. “What’s wrong with my dress?”
“There isn’t anything to it.”
“That’s the point, Xander. To showcase what’s under it.”
His mind went blank. Vaguely, he was aware of all Malin’s cousins drifting away. Either to give them privacy or to get out of the line of fire.
Looking at the fury flickering in Malin’s eyes, he guessed the latter.
“I don’t want other men looking at you. Wanting you.” He didn’t want her to see other men, normal men, who could offer her all the things he was incapable of.
The fire in her face ebbed away. “I’m wearing this for you, stupid man.” She stepped closer and pressed her palms to his chest. “Don’t you think I look nice?”
“No.” He wrapped an arm around her and yanked her up off her feet until her face was close to his. He buried his face in her neck and pulled in the sweet scent of her. “You look incredible. But I still prefer you in cargo pants.”
He had to taste her. When he took her mouth, the way she leaned into him and kissed him back made his cock go rock hard. Giving in to the urge he’d had since he’d seen her damn backlessdress, he ran a hand down her spine. And lower, letting his hand dip below the fabric to the upper curves of her ass.
He made an unsettling discovery and stiffened. “You aren’t wearing anything under this.” His voice sounded hoarse.
She smiled. “Nope.”
“I think you want to share more…experiences with me later.”
She licked her lips. “I hope so.”
“Xander?”
Niklas’ voice jerked them both out of the little sensual cocoon they’d woven.
The other man was standing near the corridor to the cabins. “We need to get changed. The party’s starting and we have an invite to steal, remember?”
Xander heard the dry sarcasm in the man’s voice, but he felt too good to let it bother him. With a nod, he left Malin, his fingers trailing one last time over her bare back and followed her cousin.
Half an hour later, Xander, Nik, Justyn, and Malin walked toward the door of Ecstasy, Blon Arar’s nightclub. Loud music blared from inside, and at the ornate metal doorway, a large syndroid bouncer stood with his arms crossed over his wide, metallic chest.
As they reached him, his fluorescent blue eyes scanned them and he held up a hand. “You are not on the list.”
Xander touched a hand to the droid’s shoulder. He quickly interfaced with the machine and reworked the droid’s programming.
The droid stepped back. “You’re free to enter.”
“Handy,” Justyn murmured.
