Chapter 8
EIGHT
What the hell was she doing? Jessa stood there with her hand an inch from Virak’s beautiful body. Behind them, a hulking training robot stood poised to attack. She had just listened to a Virilian king tell her things she was pretty damn sure he hadn’t uttered to another living soul, ever.
Jessa wasn’t a therapist. Well, bartending at a pub with a stable of regulars wasn’t that different, sometimes. And yet, she stayed. She’d wanted to hear more.
Distress was etched on every line of Virak’s face. He stared at her hovering hand like it was a hot ember. “I will disappoint you, Jessa.”
“I’m not going any further, Virak. This is as close as I am getting.” Tonight, she thought to herself.
She tilted her head and let her gaze follow the lines of his expression. He was wary, and vulnerable. If she wanted to, she could hurt him. The moment was fragile, thin as glass. Not just for him, if she was honest, but for both of them.
With slow, deliberate movements, she moved her hand. She caressed, trailing fingers through air warmed by the closeness of his skin. She moved over his chest, down his abdomen, back up his arms, all without actually touching him.
Virak remained tense. His gaze was fixed on hers. He was trusting her by holding perfectly still, except for the rapid rise and fall of his chest.
Jessa had no idea what she was doing. This was instinct and nothing more.
She wanted to help him—not just because she needed to in order to get him into bed.
Something in her connected with him. His story wasn’t so different from hers.
The foster system had been no picnic. She’d dragged her secondhand belongings from place to place in a plastic garbage bag.
She’d learned to use her fists, too, and her wits, to survive.
Maybe he lived in a palace with every luxury, but she had been placed with a few families who had been kind and nurturing.
“Relax,” she murmured. “You have no reason to trust me, but do it anyway.”
He said nothing as she began to walk around him. Jessa concentrated hard on keeping her hand off his skin. A single mistake would ruin everything and destroy his trust.
She wanted to touch him. She could feel his heat, his discomfort, and yes, his longing. A lot of it echoed within herself. Her breasts swelled and her nipples tightened at the thought of exploring his beautiful body. Awareness sent heat and a cloying ache between her legs.
Her hand skated just over the rippling muscles of his back, down his spine and over the firm globes of his gorgeous ass and long blue tail.
She really wanted to grab hold of those firm cheeks.
Definitely not today, though. He held his tail as still as the rest of him.
She imagined sliding her hand down it and exploring its ridged length.
The barbed tip curved down and away to avoid scratching her.
She continued to move around him, taking her time and making sure she had covered as much of his body as possible.
When she once again faced him, she raised the other hand and brought them both to the sides of his face.
Still, she didn’t touch him. She simply let him feel the warmth of her hands as she kept them suspended less than an inch from his skin.
He closed his eyes and let out a shaky sigh.
Right there, she thought. He had finally relaxed—finally chosen to trust her. A glance down revealed his arousal. His cock boldly propped out the front of those loose black pants. His chest still heaved—not with fear, or the aftermath of fighting the robot, but with desire.
But the bartender in Jessa knew when someone had had enough for one night.
It wasn’t just Virak who was aroused, but her, too. Her hands trembled. Her breath came fast and her pussy had gone slick and tingling with need.
Jessa pulled her hands back before she lost control and gave in to her own desire to touch him. With his eyes still closed, she turned and fled the training room.
She knew he would not come to her room that night, but now, she knew why.
Her hands burned as she slipped into the silent corridor. Damn, she hadn’t come here expecting to like the Virilian she was matched with, but as she walked back to her room, all she could think about was how hot for Virak she was and she hadn’t even touched him.