Page 74 of On a Rogue Planet
Rising up on her toes, she cupped his cheek, pressing her body in close to him. Even now, with a current of fear inside her, she loved the hard heat of him, the scent of healthy male sweat.
“Xander. Let him go.”
Xander released his hold. Dathan dropped to the ground, sucking in air.
“Go,” Mal said without looking away from Xander.
“Mal—” Dathan started coughing.
She waved at him and Nik with one hand. “Go. Now. I’ve got this.”
She felt their disagreement vibrating off them, but she continued to stare into Xander’s eyes. He stared back, head tipped to the side, studying her. The neon glow hadn’t faded yet.
Dathan whispered a curse, but she felt him move away.
“You’d better be right about this, Mal,” Nik said darkly.
Their footsteps echoed across the bay, then the door whooshed shut behind them.
“Xander.” She ran her fingertips over his eyebrow, then traced his cheekbone. “What happened?”
She thought—hoped—the neon faded just a little.
“Lost…control.” His voice was strained.
She smiled a little. “Yeah, I got that bit. Why?” Even if Dathan was taunting him, Mal knew it wasn’t Xander’s style to lose it.
The neon died away. He let out a shuddering breath. “My emotional filters…they’re in tatters. Burned out.”
She blinked, her hand clenching in his T-shirt. “What does that mean?”
“I’m completely inundated by feelings, emotions, everything.” He clamped one hand hard around her waist. The other he ran over his hair. “I’m feeling everything and it’s magnified. I’m not used to dealing with all the sensation. I usually feel nothing, or just the barest taste of it.”
She patted his cheek. “Is it so bad to feel?”
His hand whipped up and circled her wrist. “This is dangerous, Malin. I could hurt someone. I almost hurt Dathan.”
“But you didn’t.”
He lowered his head, nuzzled her neck. “I could hurt you. I’m stronger, can kill in a hundred different ways.”
“You won’t,” she breathed. Every nerve was on fire, wanting him.
He rubbed a thumb over her lips. “I can’t fight you anymore, fight what I feel.”
She moved against him, her hips rubbing against the hard length she felt swelling at his crotch. “Good. I don’t want you to.”
He smashed his lips against hers, his tongue thrusting inside. She gripped him, kissing him back. Sweet scrap, he tasted so good.
Then he was lifting her up and lowering her to the mats. His big body followed her down, pinning her to floor. His hips fell into the cradle of hers, and she circled her legs around his waist.
He groaned. “You feel so good. Soft. Curvy in the right places.” He plucked at the top of her coveralls. “I love how you look in these. Competent, hard-working. Makes me crazy trying to guess what you have underneath.”
Mal laughed, pleasure flooding through her. “Coveralls are not sexy, Xander.”
“They are to me. But only if you’re in them.”
He kissed her again, and she went wild. Her hands ran over him, her nails scoring what skin she could find. He reared back, and she helped him yank his shirt over his head.
