Free Daughter of Destiny by HC Playa

She
and Zane ate in stiff silence. He watched her and she pretended
that his gaze didn't rattle every nerve she possessed.
    In far too little time Zane
pushed his plate away. "The food was very good. It definitely beats
the meal packs on board ship."
    "Pizza is one of life’s
guilty pleasures." Katarina stood up, knocking the chair backwards
to the floor in her haste. She righted the chair. The guilty
pleasures she thought of had nothing to do with cholesterol and
everything to do with the man across from her. She snatched the
dishes off the table, and escaped to the kitchen. She dumped them
into the sink and placed her hands against her heated cheeks. Where
was her control? A small sound of distress escaped her.
    She fumbled with the tap
and started to wash the dishes by hand instead of putting them in
the dishwasher. She didn’t think she could handle anything that
required brainpower, even if it was as minimal as pressing a couple
of buttons.
    What if I hurt him? What
if this blasted energy inside me explodes? With her control
fractured, any little thing might set her off.
    She clasped a dirty glass
in her hand and stared at the soap bubbles forming under the
running water. What the hell was I thinking? No matter how much
I want him, I can't do this!
    Zane entered the kitchen.
He didn’t make a sound, yet even without using her telepathy, she
sensed his presence. Katarina’s heart pounded in her chest loud
enough to rival an army of demolition droids.
    "Katarina," Zane murmured
as he reached around her and took the glass out of her hand. He set
it on the counter and turned off the water. He took her hand and
turned her around. Trapped between his body and the counter with a
hand’s width of space between them, her hormone addled brain
resented that space.
    "Zane, I'm trying to wash
dishes." Katarina winced at the husky sound of her voice. His gaze
focused on her mouth.
    "Dishes can wait. I've been
dying to see if a real kiss can match what we shared last
night."
    A small portion of her
brain screamed at her to stop him. Almost as terrifying as the
thought of her harming him was the realization that he could hurt
her. She already cared far too much for the man. His lips lowered
to hers and the kiss carried her will away like a riptide. When
Zane pulled back and leaned his forehead against hers, his uneven
breath matched her ragged panting.
    "I don’t make a habit of
seducing women on every planet I visit. I told myself I wouldn't do
this, and yet here I am tossing my sanity to the wind." Zane threw
his head back and gave a small laugh. "Mio Yawaha! I'm a fool, but
I want to embrace insanity."
    His doubts gave her the
strength to remove her hands from around his neck. She could not
recall when they entwined in his hair. Fear knifed through her. She
extricated herself from his arms and put several feet of space
between them. "I can't do this. I'm sorry."
    Zane frowned and studied
her face. "Why? You want this as much as I do."
    She paced the small room.
"Yes. I know." Katarina took a deep breath and turned to face him.
"I just can't!" Her voice broke as she fought the physical ache
demanding she let him hold her.
    "Talk to me, Katarina. What
are you afraid of?"
    She stopped pacing with a
jerk. "Afraid? Who says I'm afraid?"
    "Your eyes say it." Zane
approached her slowly, as if nearing a trapped animal. "You're
trembling, and not from desire. Your muscled are rigid and your
gait is stiff."
    Katarina closed her eyes
and desperately sought her inner calm. "It isn't you, Zane. Believe
me, please. It isn't even the fact that you'll leave and I'll never
see you again."
    His hand brushed hers and a
wave of fire washed through her. He brought one of her hands up and
pressed a kiss on her palm. "I won't hurt you."
    She whispered, "But I might
hurt you." She cringed, expecting laughter. A finger under her chin
tilted her head up and she opened her eyes. His dark eyes held
patience and confusion.
    "Why do you think you'd
hurt