SavingAttractions by Rebecca Airies Page A

certain that she’d be safe. When he’d decided to talk to her, he’d sent
his men to patrol the area. No one was near it. They’d keep watch over the
humans in the camp, especially the men. His men would keep track of them and if
any of them disappeared or there was trouble, they’d contact him through the
mind link. He needed time alone with Ada, but he didn’t want her in any danger.
    “So how far are we going? Do you really think the discussion is going to get that loud?” The way she stressed the word discussion, he knew
she expected an argument to occur.
    “Not too much farther. There’s a spot up here with a nice
grassy area that isn’t too overgrown.” Jagger held back a smile at the
attitude. He wasn’t going to let her push him away. There wasn’t going to be an
end to this relationship regardless of what else happened.
    She shot him a glare but stayed by his side. He stopped at
the grassy area in the trees. It was near the river but not right next to it.
The trees would offer them shelter and the privacy he wanted. He’d prefer a
room, but this would have to do. The shuttle would have been perfect, but he
knew that it would have drawn too much attention and someone could have
interrupted.
    “Do you want to sit?” He gestured to the ground and spread
the blanket.
    She sat on the far side of the blanket. That wouldn’t last
long. His scent would draw her close even if she was furious with him. The
attraction burned between them. Even now, he could smell her arousal. It was
low but would rise, drawing her to him. He’d just have to find a way around her
attitude about relationships. Jagger didn’t fool himself that it would be easy.
He settled on the other side of the blanket.
    “This is getting too intense.” She licked her lips and sat
up straighter.
    He thought he knew what she meant but wanted to hear her
complete explanation. He knew what he had to say wasn’t going to make her
happy. “What is too intense?”
    “This thing between us. You’ve been watching me as if
there’s more between us than there is. More than there can be.” She took a deep
breath and met his eyes. Her brown eyes narrowed and her lips firmed in
determination.
    His eyes locked on those lips and his thoughts immediately
went to the feel of her lips on his skin and how he wanted to feel them wrapped
around his cock. He forced his mind away from that tempting path and back to
the matter at hand. She thought there shouldn’t be this much intensity between
them. A partial explanation wasn’t going to satisfy her.
    “What we have is more than you think is there.” He knew it
wasn’t enough information for her. He wanted to provoke her and make her think.
    She shook her head sharply. “It can’t be more. Jagger, we
only have a little more time together. I heard your men. They only expect a few
more days until the ship comes for us.”
    “And you think that after that our relationship will be at
an end.” He raised a brow. Their relationship was only beginning. He drew in a
slow breath and kept a firm grip on his temper and the Zarain within him,
preparing for her answer.
    “What can there be? I’ll be going back to Central Command
Space and back to running the trade routes. I don’t know if the ship has been
recovered, but I have to have a job. Even if it’s not with my old captain, I’ll
have to sign on with someone, at least for a short time.” She shook her head.
    He didn’t know if she’d deliberately stopped herself from
thinking about a future between them or if she was so set in her beliefs that
it never occurred to her there could be more. Whatever the reason, he was going
to show her their relationship was more than a temporary, convenient liaison.
    “There is a mating,” he said flatly. He wanted to
tell her a little more gently, but now, she wouldn’t recognize anything but the
blatant claim.
    “No.” She jumped to her feet and shook her head. Her eyes
darted almost as if she was looking