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Authors: Pauline Baird Jones
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The guy could really move his big feet—but he didn’t want anyone to know it. He’d push her harder than the toughest sparring session and if she wasn’t careful, mash her feet.
She didn’t dare look at Fyn to see his reaction to this unusual ass kicking.
Briggs liked to do a mix of jitterbug, jive and quickstep—and do them at top speed. They did some quick steps. Sides and kicks, their feet missing each other with flashy precision. Lots of spins and jive stepping.
A big finish as the song finally came to an end. She rolled across his shoulders, then he caught her and lowered her part way to the ground. When the music stopped, he dropped her on the mat like she was on fire.
Sara lay there, trying to catch her breath.
“Not bad, Donovan. Faster than the last time.” He bent over her again. He was barely breathing hard. “You all right?”
Sara gave him a thumbs up. She couldn’t talk yet.
“Good. See you tomorrow. Chewie.” A sharp nod and he left.
There was a short silence. Sara managed to sit up. A good thing she healed fast. Fyn came over and handed her a towel. His expression was complicated. He crouched down in front of her.
“That was…”
“Yeah.” She was getting her breath back. “He likes to dance and it’s actually a good work out, but it doesn’t go with his tough guy image.”
She mopped at her face, covering her eyes so she wouldn’t have to look at him for a minute. Amazing her body had anything left, but it did. Despite the double thrashing, desire was trying to kick up again. Even with her eyes closed, she could feel him close to her.
She was human. She’d felt…interest in guys in the past, but she could usually work it off. No point in fueling any fire, since guys usually didn’t notice she was a girl, let alone try to strike sparks off her.
But she’d behaved so badly last night. And the truth was, she did have…secrets—the other reason she avoided sparking. The only person who ever knew about her was Evie and she hadn’t known it all.
She leaned forward, until her chest was on her knees, her head down, trying to get herself together before she looked at him again…wondering what he was thinking…and feeling…especially what he was feeling…
Fyn looked at her bent head, watching the rise and fall of her shoulders as her breathing quieted.
What they’d done…he didn’t know what to think. He’d never seen anything like it. She could pretend it was a punishment, but it was clear both of them had a great time doing it.
Had he ever enjoyed something like that even before…he couldn’t think of a time. Even when he was a child, the shadow of the Dusan had always been over them.
She still looked tired. Had she had trouble sleeping last night? He had. He’d close his eyes and see her face. And watching from the shadows was Kalian.
She’d rubbed the sweat from her face like she could rub tired away—
He froze, realizing something was missing.
Her injury.
First it was a gash, then it was a scratch and now it was gone. As if it had never been.
Maybe it was something common to her people…but if they healed, why have a doctor on board? There’d been nothing in his check up to indicate anything but a healing rate similar to his people.
“I’m sorry.” Her voice was muffled.
“About what?”
She looked up. “About last night. Are we still…friends?”
She looked ready to retreat behind her wall if he blinked. She’d given him a reason to retreat. He should take it. Instead, he reached out and grabbed her hand, rubbing his fingers across her palm as he lifted it and pressed his mouth to the inside of her wrist for a long moment. He felt her pulse beat against his lips and she shivered.
Friends?
She took back her hand, but reluctantly it seemed. Desire put tiny flames at the back of her eyes, but she was also trying not to smile.
“This is supposed to be a cool down.” She stared at him for a long moment, her gaze turning sober. She reached
She didn’t dare look at Fyn to see his reaction to this unusual ass kicking.
Briggs liked to do a mix of jitterbug, jive and quickstep—and do them at top speed. They did some quick steps. Sides and kicks, their feet missing each other with flashy precision. Lots of spins and jive stepping.
A big finish as the song finally came to an end. She rolled across his shoulders, then he caught her and lowered her part way to the ground. When the music stopped, he dropped her on the mat like she was on fire.
Sara lay there, trying to catch her breath.
“Not bad, Donovan. Faster than the last time.” He bent over her again. He was barely breathing hard. “You all right?”
Sara gave him a thumbs up. She couldn’t talk yet.
“Good. See you tomorrow. Chewie.” A sharp nod and he left.
There was a short silence. Sara managed to sit up. A good thing she healed fast. Fyn came over and handed her a towel. His expression was complicated. He crouched down in front of her.
“That was…”
“Yeah.” She was getting her breath back. “He likes to dance and it’s actually a good work out, but it doesn’t go with his tough guy image.”
She mopped at her face, covering her eyes so she wouldn’t have to look at him for a minute. Amazing her body had anything left, but it did. Despite the double thrashing, desire was trying to kick up again. Even with her eyes closed, she could feel him close to her.
She was human. She’d felt…interest in guys in the past, but she could usually work it off. No point in fueling any fire, since guys usually didn’t notice she was a girl, let alone try to strike sparks off her.
But she’d behaved so badly last night. And the truth was, she did have…secrets—the other reason she avoided sparking. The only person who ever knew about her was Evie and she hadn’t known it all.
She leaned forward, until her chest was on her knees, her head down, trying to get herself together before she looked at him again…wondering what he was thinking…and feeling…especially what he was feeling…
Fyn looked at her bent head, watching the rise and fall of her shoulders as her breathing quieted.
What they’d done…he didn’t know what to think. He’d never seen anything like it. She could pretend it was a punishment, but it was clear both of them had a great time doing it.
Had he ever enjoyed something like that even before…he couldn’t think of a time. Even when he was a child, the shadow of the Dusan had always been over them.
She still looked tired. Had she had trouble sleeping last night? He had. He’d close his eyes and see her face. And watching from the shadows was Kalian.
She’d rubbed the sweat from her face like she could rub tired away—
He froze, realizing something was missing.
Her injury.
First it was a gash, then it was a scratch and now it was gone. As if it had never been.
Maybe it was something common to her people…but if they healed, why have a doctor on board? There’d been nothing in his check up to indicate anything but a healing rate similar to his people.
“I’m sorry.” Her voice was muffled.
“About what?”
She looked up. “About last night. Are we still…friends?”
She looked ready to retreat behind her wall if he blinked. She’d given him a reason to retreat. He should take it. Instead, he reached out and grabbed her hand, rubbing his fingers across her palm as he lifted it and pressed his mouth to the inside of her wrist for a long moment. He felt her pulse beat against his lips and she shivered.
Friends?
She took back her hand, but reluctantly it seemed. Desire put tiny flames at the back of her eyes, but she was also trying not to smile.
“This is supposed to be a cool down.” She stared at him for a long moment, her gaze turning sober. She reached
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