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

this?”
    “Don’t you?”
    “Only if you make me a promise—that you’ll tell me if I do anything that frightens you.”
    “I promise.”
    He kissed her tenderly, then drew back and deliberately began to open the fasteners down the front of her tunic, watching her face, ready to call a halt.
    She said nothing, but he saw the edge of panic in her eyes.
    “Does it worry you when I reach for you, with my hands?”
    “Yes.”
    “Then I’ll show you how much pleasure I can give you with just my mouth.”
    Dipping his head, he kissed her neck, then the slender ridges of her collar bone, before edging toward the tops of her breasts.
    Delicately he pushed the fabric of the tunic apart with his face, his kisses gliding over the soft warmth of her breasts until he captured one distended nipple between his lips.
    She made a strangled sound, and her hands came up to cradle his head and hold him to her as he took his pleasure and gave it back to her in kind.
    He kept the pace easy, demanding nothing of her. Between kisses, he talked to her quietly, ardently, as he stoked the fires of her arousal— first with his lips and then with only the lightest of fingertip strokes.
    Her body was long and lithe and so beautiful. He could barely breathe as he watched arousal bring a warm flush to her pale skin.
    Aroused or not, when his hand drifted over the soft curve of her abdomen, downward to the triangle of fiery hair that covered her mound, she stiffened.
    “Okay?”
    Her face was tense.
    “It’s all right. We can stop any time you want,” he promised, his words denying the clamoring of his body.
    “I’m scared, but I don’t want to stop.”
    “Good. Because I’m just going to touch you,” he murmured. “Just my hand, stroking you, making you feel good.”
    “Yes . . . I already feel . . .”
    “How?”
    “Like a kriver flying too close to the sun.”
    “I promise, I’m not going to let you get burned.”
    “I know.” Still, the breath hissed out of her, and she squeezed her eyes shut as his fingers slid downward, parting her silky folds and stroking her soft, sensitive flesh.
    She was hot and wet to his touch, and he made a low sound of appreciation as he dipped one finger into her, moving his hand to give her maximum pleasure.
    “That’s good. So good,” she gasped.
    “Yes, love. Yes.”
    She was panting, rocking against him, and he whispered low, encouraging words while he pushed her higher, closer to climax, until all at once he felt her body go tense and ripples of sensation beat against his hand as she cried out his name.
    He cradled her against him, feeling the aftershocks flicker through her. Gently he tipped her head up so that he could brush his lips against hers, seeing the wonder in her eyes.
    “I didn’t think I could let you get that close to me,” she whispered.
    “But you did. And it was . . .”
    “A trip to the center of the sun—and back.”
    He smiled down at her, glad that she had given him her trust. Yet it was impossible to completely hide the tension still gripping him.
    She drew back, studying his face. Then, in a rush, she slid her hand down and found his erection. When she moved her palm against him, he couldn’t hold back a shuddering gasp.
    “We need to do something about this thing that’s had me so worried,” she whispered.
    He gave a short laugh. “If you keep your hand there, it’ll take care of itself.”
    She raised her head and searched his eyes. “Is that what you want?”
    He thought about lying. Instead, he shook his head. “Not if I have a choice.”
    “Then what should I do?”
    “Nothing complicated. Just let me kiss and touch you some more.”
    “But . . . I think I’m having most of the fun.”
    He chuckled. “I guess you don’t know what a man in love considers fun.” Leaning down, he nuzzled his lips against her breast. “The thing I want most,” he breathed against her skin, “is to give you as much pleasure as I can, because my pleasure is