Free THE OFF WORLD COLLECTION (Short, Steamy Science Fiction Romances) (Off-World Series) by Rebecca York

exclaimed, quickly moving to assess the extent of her injury.
    “I’m all right,” she told him, then slumped against his shoulder in a dead faint.
    He managed to lift her, managed to carry her into the house without the leg giving way. His bed was the closest place he could lay her. Turning on the light, he examined the wound. It looked as if she’d been hit by a flying chunk of the building. Quickly he soaked a towel in water and cleaned the blood away—and sighed in relief when he saw that the cut wasn’t deep. While he was dabbing on an antibacterial, her eyelids flickered open. She seemed confused for a moment. Then her beautiful green eyes focused on him.
    “Did we stop them?” she whispered.
    He nodded, captured by her gaze. “Yes. I thought I was through with killing, but. . . .” He drew a ragged breath. “ Kasi, I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe.”
    “We did what we had to,” she answered, her gaze steady as it met his.
    He had thought he knew her strength, but he realized he’d only scratched the surface. “You have more courage than half the men in my patrol.”
    She gave a little shrug. “I wanted us to be the ones who survived.”
    His throat ached as he found her hand and clasped it. “Yes. Us.”
    Her fingers tightened on his. “Stay with me.”
    “Here? In my bed?”
    She tried to nod and winced. “Yes.”
    “You’re sure?”
    “Yes.” This time the answer was stronger.
    He turned off all but the small light in the corner and unstrapped the plastic leg before easing onto the bed. He planned to stay awake in case she needed him, but he was too exhausted to manage it.
    When his eyes opened again, he could see a faint glow in the western sky. Kasi was awake.
    “How are you?” he asked softly.
    “Better,” she said, her gaze fixed on the wall across the room. When she offered no more, he lay beside her in the big bed, listening to the thumping of his heart.
    After a long time, she began to speak in a barely audible voice. “At first, I was afraid to tell you what happened to me. I was afraid you wouldn’t want me here, in your home, if you knew.”
    “I hope, by now, you’ve figured out you were wrong.” He turned toward her, his urgent gaze catching hers, holding. “I want you. For my wife. If you’ll have me.”
    Tears gathered in her eyes. “Your wife?”
    He nodded, but when he spoke, he couldn’t quite keep the anxiety out of his voice. “Will you? Would you marry a Dorre?”
    “Link . . .” She smiled. “I would follow you to the end of the world.” With a laugh, she added, “I did follow you to the end of the world. But what if . . . if I can’t . . .”
    The question went unfinished, but he knew what she was asking.
    “I want to know you’re mine,” he assured her. “On any terms I can get you.”
    “Oh, Link.”
    “Say yes.”
    He saw her even white teeth clamp her bottom lip.
    “Say yes,” he urged again. “We’ll worry about the rest later.”
    “I can’t . . . not until . . .” She swallowed audibly. “I want to . . . to love you. Your body joined with mine.”
    The words might be halting, but the look in her eyes told him she would only surrender on her own terms.
    “I need to do everything—give you everything,” she continued. “And I want to do it now.”
    “We will. But we don’t have to do it all today,” he answered, wishing she didn’t have to push herself—or him.
    “What are you afraid of ?” she suddenly asked, and he knew she had read the hesitation in his expression.
    He managed a rough laugh. “Not much, except that I haven’t been with a woman since . . . the leg. It could make things a little awkward.”
    “Oh,” she answered in a breathy whisper, and he knew that his doubts gave her a measure of confidence. Good. Score another one for the damned stump.
    He turned toward her, gently stroking his knuckle across her lips, looking into her trusting but anxious face. “You’re sure you want to do