Protector:A Scifi Alien Romance(42)
He sat back in his chair, pulling her into his lap. “Dushla.” His voice cracked.
“I’m okay.” She shivered.
He pulled her more tightly to his chest. Somewhere, a door whispered open. A Hermia healer appeared.
“Please, put her on the bed so I can examine her.”
Lore just tightened his arms around her, and stared at the healer. He felt Madeline’s fingers clench on his shirt.
The healer gave a quiet sigh. The Hermia were very used to dealing with gladiators. “Very well.” The healer lifted a handheld scanner and ran it over Madeline from head to toe. “Your health is optimal and your injuries are healed. You just need some rest.”
With a nod, the Hermia left, and Lore tucked Madeline’s head under his jaw. “Never again.”
“Not your decision, gladiator,” she said, quietly. “Thank you for saving me.”
They stayed there for a long moment before he picked her up and carried her out of Medical. As he strode down the corridor, he spotted Harper, Regan, and Rory. The women looked like they wanted to talk to them, but he shot them a look, and they backed away. Only Rory’s mechanical dog, Hero, held his ground, growling.
Soon, Lore strode into the bedroom. His.
“You’re moving into my rooms,” he said.
“Lore—”
“No arguments, Madeline.” He strode into the bathroom and flicked on the shower. He slipped the blanket off her and helped her step under the spray. He stepped in behind her, fully clothed. “You’re mine.”
“I don’t belong to anyone—”
He soaped up his hands, running them over her body and hair to wash away the remnants of the regen gel. “You do.” He nuzzled her neck. “I’m sorry I gave you orders. I just wanted to protect you.”
He felt her relaxing slowly against him.
“I was afraid,” he murmured.
He finished washing her, then flicked off the shower and wrapped her in a drying cloth. After sitting her on the edge of the stone tub, he stripped off his wet clothes and wrapped a drying cloth around his hips. He lifted her again and strode into the bedroom. He laid her down, then climbed on the bed beside her. He fitted his body around hers, holding her tight.
“I need you here,” he murmured. “I need to hear you breathing. I need to hear your heart beating. I need to feel your warmth against me.”
She sighed, turning to face him. “I’m fine, Lore. Perfectly healed.”
He swallowed, feeling like a rock was lodged in his throat. “But for a while there, you weren’t.” He tried not to let the horror seep into his voice, but she must have heard it.
Her face softened. “Okay.”
“Okay?”
“I’ll move in with you.”
He grinned, his chest expanding. He touched the delicate shell of her ear, and held out an item for her.
Madeline eyed the small, dark square.
“It’s called grezzo. Regan tells me it tastes almost as good as chocolate from Earth.”
Madeline touched the small treat. “You found me chocolate?” There was amazement in her voice.
“For you, anything.”
She popped the grezzo into her mouth, making a small humming sound. Then her eyelids fluttered. “It’s so good.”
He smiled at her, touching her lips. Now, he saw her eyes droop.
“Tired,” she murmured.
“Rest, dushla.”
She dropped into sleep quickly, but Lore didn’t. When she snuggled into him, trusting him, fully relaxed in his arms, his chest loosened.
He stayed there in the darkness, holding her tight. He’d fallen in love with this tough woman from Earth, with her prickly shell and her wounded heart.
Lore moved so his head rested against her chest, and fell asleep to the sound of her heartbeat.
***
Madeline opened her eyes. She felt so toasty warm.
She stared at the unfamiliar covers on the bed, and felt the unfamiliar warmth behind her.
Lore’s room. Lore’s bed. Lore.
She stayed there for a second, absorbing it all—the scent of him, the strength of him, and the steady sound of his breathing.
Energy hummed through her veins. She hadn’t felt this vibrantly alive in so long. Shifting against his hard body, she felt vicious need nipping at her. A need for him.
Madeline rolled over, her gaze raking his big, solid body. Every inch of it was so easy to look at, perfectly formed and honed by the arena. From the handsome face, to the muscled chest, to the tempting ridges of his abdomen.
Her gaze dropped lower, to the hard part of him that she was very interested in giving some extra-special attention.
Desire flared hot, like a supernova, and she cupped his heavy cock. She started to stroke it and then slithered down to wrap her lips around him. She loved that she had to stretch her mouth wide to take him all in. And it grew under her licks and sucks.