Closing his eyes, he wrapped his hand around Cara’s fragile wrist, then smoothed it slowly up the length of her arm to her shoulder. He gulped a breath. Bleeding gods, no substance in his world or hers had ever felt so soft. He skimmed two fingers across her collarbone and rested them at the base of her throat, feeling the pulse of her heart beating through the delicate skin. He’d touched her there a dozen times in his dreams, but it didn’t compare to reality.
“Your heart rate is eighty beats per minute,” he said quietly, trying not to let his voice tremble.
“Why does that matt—”
“Shh. Don’t talk.”
With his other hand, he swept Cara’s silken hair out of the way, lightly brushing her neck with his fingertips. Her breathing hitched, and he paused for a moment, stunned by her reaction. Had she actually liked that? Was it possible she wanted him? There was only one way to find out.
He nestled his cheek against hers, indulging in the feel of her bare skin. Keeping one hand at her throat, he flattened the other against her back, where heat radiated from beneath the thin fabric of her top. He stroked the length of her spine from top to bottom, his fingertips massaging, teasing, and trailing lightly, leaving her skin covered in goose bumps.
He whispered into her ear, “By monitoring our partner’s heart rate, we know how they’re reacting to our touch. The body doesn’t lie. This is the truest test of physical attraction. For example,” he said, stroking the base of her throat with his thumb, “your pulse is ninety beats per minute and increasing very quickly.” She did want him. He couldn’t believe it. The soft curves of her body rose and fell against him as the pace of her breathing accelerated, his own pulse quickening in response.
Aelyx brushed his lips back and forth against her ear and whispered, “One-ten now.” But he hoped they could do better than that. He continued to caress her back, pulling her body even closer to his and brushing his lips down her neck to the top of her shoulder. A quiet murmur escaped the back of her throat and fire pulsed through his veins.
More. He wanted more. He traced his fingertips along the outline of her hip, continued across the top of her thigh, and then back up to her waist. Slipping his thumb underneath the bottom of her shirt, he stroked the warm skin of her lower back, then flattened his palm and pulled her hard against him. Her quick, erratic breaths tickled the side of his neck.
“One-thirty now,” he said in the faintest whisper.
It was too much. The most deliciously animalistic thoughts filled his head, and he knew he’d lose all control if this continued a second longer. He abruptly removed his hands and stepped back before he did something he’d regret later. He gazed at Cara—sunset hair framing her scarlet-flushed cheeks, lips parted, eyes closed, lost in the moment. By the gods, she was exquisite. His heart swelled inside his chest. This human had captivated him, and her body’s response gave him hope that she felt the same way.
“I’d better stop.” He tried to hide his elation, but his face probably glowed like a neutron star. “I don’t want to send you into cardiac arrest.”
Cara’s eyes shot open. Aelyx stood there wearing the smuggest expression she’d ever seen. Cardiac arrest? Was this some kind of challenge to prove he could master her body the way he mastered every game in her collection? Like an idiot, she’d thought he was really into her. Suffocating desire transformed into embarrassment. Then anger. But two could play this game. She’d show him a heart attack.
“Well, that wasn’t too bad.” She cleared her throat and tried to steady her breathing. “I guess I should reciprocate, Earth-style. It’s only fair.”
“I’m ready,” he said with a cocky grin.
Prickles of anxiety spread through her core, but she couldn’t back out now. She couldn’t let him win again—damn it, she was sick to death of losing. “Let’s sit down.”
“Feeling weak in the knees?”
“Real funny.” But he didn’t know how right he was. “Just do it.”
Aelyx sat cross-legged on the carpet, and she knelt in front of him with her feet tucked beneath her.
“Okay, buddy.” She swallowed hard. “Prepare to have your world rocked.”
Oh God, what was she doing? She’d imagined kissing him a thousand times, but she never thought it would happen. Her heart sprinted, and she was glad he wasn’t taking her pulse anymore. A kiss could change their friendship. What if this made things weird between them? Or worse—what if he didn’t like it? The humiliation might actually kill her.
“I’m waiting . . .” he said.
“Close your eyes.”
He obeyed, and she took a deep, shaky breath. Summoning all her nerve, she inched forward, close enough to smell his warm, spicy scent. She hesitated, and then Aelyx opened his eyes and gave her a look that would set ice water aflame. This was no game to him. That realization gave her the courage to eliminate the tiny sliver of air between them.
She cupped Aelyx’s face, stroking the smooth skin with her fingers, and brushed her lips lightly back and forth against his. His mouth was every bit as soft as it looked, the sensation hotter than her wildest dreams. She took his bottom lip between hers and sucked it gently, tasting the orangey tea, and then captured it with her teeth to pull his mouth closer.
When he slid the tip of his tongue between her lips, warm tingles danced across her chest. How did he know to do that? He tilted her face to the side to deepen the kiss, teasing and exploring her mouth, sending those warm tingles spreading out in every direction.
She broke away, gasping. “Are you sure you’ve never done this before?”
“Yes.”
Without wasting another second, he curled his hand around the side of her neck and pulled her mouth right back to his with a little too much force.
She pulled away again. “Hold up.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Softer,” she said, “like this.” Then she showed him how lethal a gentle kiss could be.
He caught on quickly, which didn’t surprise her. Like most things in life, he was good at making out, too. The prickly heat intensified with every warm sweep of his tongue. She unclasped his hair, feeling the cool strands between her fingers, and then she slowed things down even further, moving her mouth deliberately, taking her time and focusing on every stolen breath and quiet sigh, cherishing each sensation before it was over.
It felt too good, almost unearthly, and even though his lips never left hers, she felt the kiss everywhere. Powerful hands moved to her shoulders, slid down the bare skin of her arms to her thighs, and then tugged her forward.
Heart pounding out of control, she climbed into his lap, straddling his thighs. She wrapped her arms around his neck and claimed his mouth again, feeling his hands on the small of her back pulling her impossibly close. Somewhere in the recesses of her mind she knew things were going too far, but she couldn’t bring herself to care.
In a flash, he rolled her to the floor, knocking the air from her lungs. The weight of his body pressed her into the carpet, and she felt his heart hammering against her chest while his hands roamed the length of her rib cage. No matter how tightly she wrapped herself around him, it wasn’t close enough. He murmured something in another language and reached a hand between them, tearing at the button of her jeans. Instead of pushing his hand away, she arched her lower back to help him with the zipper. But he suddenly bolted upright and knelt above her, panting.
It took a moment to adjust to the shock of their separation. She cleared her throat and propped up on one elbow, fighting for oxygen. “What’s wrong?”
“Listen.” He glanced toward the far end of the house. “I think Eileen’s home.”