A Kiss For a Cure (6 page)

At long last, it began to make sense. When she stepped away from the board, her back and arms ached, indicators of how long she’d been lost in work. But, a test batch of a possible serum was synthesizing. At the earliest it would be done in four to six hours. Her stomach growled. Checking the clock, she was shocked by how much time had passed.

Cai.

She spun around, took two steps and stopped. Cai sat on top of a counter, his shirt gaping open and his hair loose around his face. He wore a goofy smile on his face, no doubt at her expense.

“How long have you been there?” She crossed to him, reaching out to check his pulse and run her hand along his arm.

His hand closed over hers, pressing her palm against his arm. “I never left.”

“You’ve been sitting here for hours?”

“No, I walked around a bit.”

“Cai, that’s not what I mean.” She frowned at the irregularity of his heartbeat. She tugged her hand from his and pressed it over his heart, counting to the triple beat she’d read up on.

“Jor, I’m fine.” He laughed. “I’ve been here the whole time. I’m not delicate.”

“But it’s been hours since I saw you.” Since she’d touched him.

The side of his mouth screwed up in a not quite smile. “I’ve been right here.”

“You feel fine.” She frowned. They’d been physically apart for hours, the day before he’d been desperate and in a lot of pain. Today he held her hand and gave her a goofy smile, which threatened to turn her insides to liquid mush. Big change.

“Good to know.” He tugged her closer so she stood between his thighs and wagged his eyebrows at her. “A good night’s rest did the trick.”

Jordan’s stomach fluttered as the scientific part of her brain switched off and a blush warmed her cheeks. She was attracted to him, and having his brand of attention lavished on her was making her decidedly infatuated.

She gasped when he clasped the back of her neck and he pulled her in for a kiss. His lips pressed against hers lazily. He kissed her with need, with hunger and even in passing playfulness. This was different. He needed her kiss and the chemical reaction of her skin against his to sustain him. But she couldn’t turn off the way her body lit up like a Christmas tree, all points blinking, “Here!”

Cai suckled her lower lip, pulling it between his own and nipped it. She jumped, her hands closing around his shoulders. He tugged her deeper into the V of his legs. Despite the aggressive nature of his hold, he continued to kiss her, soothing the hurt with his tongue.

It took her a moment to realize he no longer kissed her, that she stood with her face buried in the crook of his neck kissing him. He shuddered under her palms, hands wrapped around her and clutching at the material of her shirt.

She examined at his face. His eyes were closed and his lips parted. He muttered something she didn’t understand. Cai’s eyes opened to narrow slits and he smiled, his hands smoothing her shirt down and rubbing little circles against her.

“You didn’t have to stop,” he said in a low rumble.

Chapter 5

Jordan was acutely aware of her body’s response. The way her breasts felt heavy, the urge to squeeze her thighs together. She’d gone from merely attracted to Cai to infatuated. He pressed buttons that had gathered dust and elicited reactions from her with a touch and a kiss.

And then there was Cai’s reaction. She might not have touched a man in months, maybe a year, but even she couldn’t mistake the press of his cock against her hip for anything other than what it was.

“We should get lunch.” She released her hold on his arms. She would have put space between them except he still held her.

“Are you sure lunch is what you want?” He grinned, ruining the seductive spell he’d cast on her.

She pushed his chest. “Yes. We need to eat, and I need to give you a crash course on diving for tomorrow.”

“You said it was simple.” He pulled her closer, his arms unyielding around her.

“Cai, be serious.”

“You have serious covered.” He sighed and released her. “Fine.”

He took her hand in his and pushed off the table. It was strange to not be the one to lead in the lab, but following him felt right.

“You’re different.” He nodded at the lab as the doors closed behind them. “In there.”

She frowned. “I don’t understand. I’m me.”

He squeezed her hand. “Yes, you are. But, you’re more confident there. I like you like that. I like you regardless, but you’re sexy when you’re focused.”

She sputtered, her cheeks burning. “I–I am not sexy.”

He laughed and tugged on her arm, switching her hand from his right to left. Their hips collided midstride. Cai wrapped his right arm around her waist. “Humans have too many rules about what is and is not sexy. You refuse to see the appeal in everything. To me, you are sexy.”

“I am not sexy.” Her mind blanked out on her.

“Think what you want to.” He pressed the sensor pad next to the lift and turned to face her as they waited. “It’s very quiet here.”

Jordan glanced over her shoulder. She could hear the faint strains of music, some holiday tune she didn’t recognize. “It is. Usually there would be lots of people. Hey!” She pitched forward, pulled off balance by Cai. His arm wrapped around her waist, her hand clasped in his.

He hummed along to the song and strong-armed her into swaying in a circle.

“What are you doing?”

“Dancing.” He grinned.

Despite feeling utterly ridiculous waltzing in the middle of what was typically one of the busiest corridors, she laughed. As the chorus picked up, Cai began to sing along, his lips at her ear. He had a surprisingly nice voice, low and sultry. The music picked up, and he moved in time, spinning her in a circle.

“Cai, you’re being ridiculous.” But she couldn’t manage a stern tone to save her life.

He spun her out and reeled her back in. Jordan couldn’t remember the last time she’d danced, and a secret part of her loved it.

The lift dinged behind her, and the doors slid open.

“Cai, come on,” she said between laughs.

He hummed the verse and spun them into the lift, whisking her with him. Inertia pressed their bodies together. He selected their floor. The music was gone, but he didn’t stop humming. Swaying, he pulled her around the small compartment, serenading her with the upbeat song.

Jordan knew she shouldn’t encourage him. Cai was too hot, too adorable for words, and she liked him. It wasn’t just the kisses that turned her on and did things to her libido. His easy nature made her forget her insecurities. He wiped away years of social anxiety as if it was nothing and made her smile while doing it.

The song wound down into a repeated chorus and ad-libs, which Cai sang with his lips pressed to her temple. It was enough she could close her eyes and imagine herself in another time and place, where her birth didn’t mean she was relegated to being a dirty secret. Where she could have danced with a handsome man at her parent’s parties, someone who would like her, maybe even want to marry her.

* * * *

Cai held Jordan close. He’d stopped singing, but she hadn’t let go. There was a sadness about her which hadn’t been there before. He wanted to chase it away, make her smile again, but that would be covering the issue.

Smoothing her hair out of her face, he pressed a kiss to her temple.

“Where did you go?”

She pulled away, shaking her head. “You’re ridiculous.”

Threading his fingers together at the small of her back, he kept her at arm’s length. “So?”

“So, we’re going to eat, right?” The lift dinged. She pushed him away, and exited ahead of him.

He allowed her the distance, for now.

“What’s this?” She paused to examine a package left at the door to her quarters.

He knelt and picked it up before she could. “Something I asked for. Can you get the door?”

She frowned at him, but did as he asked.

The scent of pine and spices hung in the room. Christmas and wonder.

Cai set the package on the kitchen counter. Pulling out some of the fresh produce he’d picked up the day before, he began putting together a quick lunch. Jordan disappeared for a few minutes into her bedroom and returned, having changed into shorts and a sweatshirt. He spared a moment to appreciate her toned legs. He wanted to spend time between them.

She slipped onto one of the stools at the bar and watched him.

“You cook a lot?”

He glanced up from the pan. “It’s a cultural thing. Men in my culture are expected to cook.”

“I like the sound of that.” She propped her head on her fist.

He returned her smile. “Traditionally the women have children and work more demanding jobs. They’re saddled with more decision-making responsibility.”

“That doesn’t sound too bad. What are you cooking?”

“Nothing fancy.” He shrugged and popped the pan into the CU and set the time.

“I never learned how to cook.”

“What?” He turned, surprised by the admission.

She shrugged. “I never learned. It’s not as if my parents have ever cooked anything. There were always servants or other people to do that.”

He considered it from her side. It made sense, but the concept of never learning how to cook was foreign to him. “We learn to cook as a family. It’s something that’s just done. Cooking in my culture is an integral part of the coming of age process.” Setting his hands on the counter, he leaned toward her. “I’ll show you something simple. Tonight.”

“That’s not necessary,” she sputtered.

“No, but it’ll be fun.” Preparing food was also one of the many bonding practices of mates–one he wanted to share with Jordan. Behind him, the cooking unit dinged. “It’s done.”

He grabbed a towel he’d scavenged from the bathroom and pulled the pan out of the unit. Steam rose from the mix of vegetables and meat. Scooping portions into bowls, he handed one to her and circled the bar to sit in the vacant stool.

She poked the food. “What is it?”

“You’ll like it.”

“Yeah, but what is it?”

“
Runta
. My father taught me how to make it.” He pushed their bowls out of the way and reached across her to grab the package. “While we wait on that to cool, open this.”

He set it in her lap. Jordan darted suspicious glances at him from under her eyelashes.

“I think you’re going overboard with the decorations.”

“It’s Christmas. Open the package.”

“Okay.” She sighed and began opening it. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but how are you paying for all this?”

Chuckling, he took the top of the plasto from her. “Don’t tell me you think I’m one of your jobless gigolos.”

Her mouth worked in silence before she croaked out a strangled sounding, “No.”

“For your information,” he said in mock seriousness. “I have a job, and I’m educated.”

“I didn’t say you weren’t,” she replied quickly.

“No, but you were thinking it. I could see it on your face.” He wagged a finger in her face. “There are men in our culture who are breeders by trade. They are attractive, cultured and educated on pleasing their mates. The rest of us have to make do working and earning a living.”

“I never said you were a gigolo,” she sputtered.

Cai laughed and leaned across to kiss her flustered lips. “You’re too serious. Open your present.”

Her hands stilled on the box and a thoughtful expression settled on her features. “What do you do? How have I not asked you that before?”

“Open the package.”

“No, I want to know.”

Sighing, he sat back in his chair. “My family owns a company that creates security systems. Trains personal staff and bodyguards. I also have training in accounting, to support myself once my good looks have abandoned me.” He waggled his eyebrows at her and was rewarded with a giggle. It still baffled him that she thought his bulky body was attractive. “Now, about the present?”

She turned her attention to the box, folding back the protective layers. The aroma of something earthy, not synthetic wrapped around him.

Jordan’s brow furrowed as she parted the last layer and pulled out a cut of wood, tied up with a big red bow. She blinked at the log, and stared up at him. Her gaze drifted back to the log. She leaned forward and inhaled the fragrant aroma clinging to the Yule log.

“I haven’t had one of these in a long time.”

He covered one of her hands with his own. He knew he was gently pushing her and she didn’t like it. She didn’t want him to know what he was doing to her.

“You said your parents celebrated Yule as a private, family event. I thought it was appropriate.”

She nodded. “We do. Did. It’s just, it’s been a long time since I was allowed to take part in stuff.” There was sorrow there, something that cut so deep, the emotional wound still festered.

“What do you mean?” He squeezed her hand.

Jordan drew in a shaky breath. She set the log down on the counter and he took advantage of her empty hands to clasp them both in his.

“It’s nothing.”

“Jordan, I know it’s more than nothing.”

She rolled her eyes, already bright with moisture. “Fine. It’s not a secret anyways. I’m a bastard. My parents are nobility. After I turned sixteen and was considered an adult, I couldn’t go to the formal parties. I couldn’t do anything with them publicly because I’m not their legal child. Since my parents always host the public festivities, I never got to go. Not even to the events hosted at our own house, because they’re always playing to the public. It’s not a big deal. It’s stupid.”

Cai stood, shoving a hip between her legs and wrapped his arms around her. She didn’t fight him.

Her arms wound around his waist and her head rested against his shoulder. Suddenly it made sense why her space was devoid of the holiday cheer.

After a moment she pushed him away gently. To the eye, she was herself, collected. But underneath the surface the waters were disturbed.

He pulled his stool closer to hers and rested his foot on the outside rung. “We can light it this weekend. How does that sound?”

She nodded. “Sounds, nice.”

He’d take nice.

* * * *