Page 34 of A Kiss of Frost

She shivered in remembered pleasure and the movement reverberated through their still joined bodies. His eyes heated, going back to the bite mark.

“It requires tending.”

“I suppose so.”

She assumed he meant that the wound would need washing, but instead he bent his head and began licking the mark. An unexpected streak of desire speared through her. It almost felt as if he were licking her clit instead of simply her neck and she found herself tightening around him. He groaned and she felt his cock flex and begin to harden. He quickly lifted his head, an odd look on his face.

“I have heard of such things, but I did not believe them to be true.”

“What things?”

He hesitated, then slipped free of her body and rolled to his back, pulling her against his side.

“The Tandroki have a turbulent history. We were always fierce fighters - too fierce - but the Prophet Moroz taught us the value of restraint and control. This type of mark is from those earlier times, but Moroz argued against it and it is no longer practiced.”

“What does it mean?” she whispered.

He hesitated for a long moment and she could feel the tension in his body.

“It is a mating mark,” he said at last, his voice absolutely neutral.

Did he sound like that because he regretted what he had done? Or because he was afraid she would reject him? The thought that he had claimed her warmed her heart, but her practical side still wondered if there was any future for them. Knowing that she was being cowardly, she chose not to respond to his comment. Instead, she sat up and smiled at him.

“I believe you promised me a bath.”

The stern look vanished and he smiled back.

“I did indeed.”

He rose to his feet with that shockingly fluid grace, lifted her into his arms, and then jumped into the pool with her. Her head went beneath the water and she popped back up, laughing and spluttering.

“That wasn’t exactly what I had in mind.”

“You said you wished to bathe. I was simply ensuring that you were completely wet,” he said innocently.

“I suppose I can’t argue with that.”

The pool was not quite as deep as it first seemed, and Jack found a rocky outcropping at the right height for a bench, then pulled her down onto his lap. She went willingly, snuggling against his chest. They sat in silence as the water trickled down around them.

“You know, you never told me what you’re doing here in this valley,” she murmured at last.

He sighed.

“I told you that the ship on which I arrived crashed, correct?”

“Yes.”

“Afterwards, I searched for any signs of technology. There were a number of small signals, but they were very –”

“Let me guess – primitive?”

He tried to suppress his laugh, but she could feel it reverberating in his chest.

“As you say, primitive. Or at least, not sufficient to leave the planet.”

Her heart skipped a beat as she waited for him to continue.

“But there was another signal, a much stronger signal. I suspect it could have been made by another ship.”