Free Beyond Galaxy's Edge by Anna Hackett Page A

flames in his eyes. A muscle ticked in his jaw.
    “No. You’ll hate me after.” His gaze collided with hers. “I don’t want you to hate me.”
    He wasn’t going to help her. Despair rocketed through Nissa. Her hand dropped to her own breast, rubbing, her nail flicking over hernipple. But it didn’t give her any relief.
    His eyes went straight to her hand, and the muscles in his arms flexed.
    She trailed her hand lower, over her flat belly. Lower, and dipped insider her panties.
    He groaned. “Nissa.” He shoved a hand through his hair. “Jesus. Fuck. Shit.”
    The touch of her fingers wasn’t enough. Another sob broke free. “Justyn…please. Help me.”
    ***
    Justyn wasin hell.
    Of all the many and varied fantasies he’d ever had about having a naked Nissa Sander laid out on a bed in front of him, this situation had never, ever starred in them.
    Whatever he did here, she’d hate him for it. Hell, she’d hate the fact that he’d seen her like this.
    But as he watched her body shaking, burning up with need, his resolve weakened. A tear rolled down her cheek, destroyingthe last of his control. There was no way he could leave her like this, hurting and in need.
    He’d never deny this woman help when she needed it.
    He sucked in a breath and banished all the clamoring voices in his head. He pushed up, circling her thighs with his hands.
    She arched up into his touch. Her tongue flitting out to lick her lips.
    Damning himself to hell, he stood and scooped herinto his arms.
    Confusion flashed over her face. “What are you—?”
    “Not on the bed.” The temptation was far too great. No way could he control himself from going too far if they were both on the bed. He wasn’t a man used to denying himself anything, but this was too important for him to screw it up with a lack of self-control. Already his cock was like a steel rod against the fastening of histrousers.
    He strode into her living area. Setting her on her feet, he pushed her toward the back of the sofa. Maybe if he couldn’t see all the expressions flitting across her face or her gorgeous breasts, he had a chance to control himself.
    He bent her over the back of the sofa. And stared at the smooth golden skin of her back, the delicate knobs of her spine and her damn fine ass lifted upto him. That sexy diamond-scale pattern traced over her shoulder blades and her lower back.
    His cock throbbed. Okay, not better at all. But deep down he knew nothing much was going to help him. He liked every part of Nissa Sander, from what was on the outside to what was on the inside.
    When she reached an arm back, trying to grab him, he caught her wrist. He moved behind her, pressing herarms out along the back of the sofa. She arched her back, her bare breasts bobbing in front of her and her ass pushing back against him. A groan tangled in his throat.
    “No.” His voice sounded like rusty nails on steel. “I’ll touch you. But you won’t touch me and I will not fuck you.”
    She writhed. “Justyn—”
    “No. You really would hate me. But I’ll help you, Nissa. I promise.” He leaned downand pressed his lips to the elegant sweep of her shoulder blade.
    “Yes.” The word hissed out of her.
    The skin on her back was smooth and that delicious honey-golden color. He traced a path down her spine, luxuriating in the taste of her, taking his time to lick over her patterned skin. If only things were different…
    Justyn stopped thinking and focused on her. He let one hand drift over herside, down the outside of her thigh.
    She was making incoherent cries, her entire body trembling. Her hands gripped the sofa, clenching it tightly.
    “It burns,” she whispered, looking back over her shoulder.
    He looked up the sleek length of her. Her yellow eyes were glittering with her burning need. “I know, sweetheart. I’ll make it better.”
    She bucked against him. “It’s getting worse.”Another choked cry. “I feel so empty inside, as though the flames are eating