Now I don’t think I mind taking a risk.
Now, even if Dagger hurts me, I don’t think I mind.
She could break my heart and crush my soul, but as long as I have a chance with her, I’ll be happy. As long as I have the opportunity to love her, to take care of her, to be with her, then I’ll be content.
The idea of her going back to Mars is horrifying to me. I don’t want her to leave. I don’t want her to go. I want her to stay, to be with me, to live with me. I want her to help me hunt and cook and fish and explore. I want her to have adventures with me on Sapphira. I want her to have adventures with me everywhere.
I just want her.
“Please don’t go back to Mars,” I finally say.
Her eyes go wide. “You don’t want me to go?” She sounds a little surprised.
“I’m not the best man in the world, Dagger. I make mistakes all the time, but I don’t want you to go. I know I’m not good enough for you. I know you deserve better and it’s selfish for me to ask you to stay, but I-”
I don’t finish speaking because Dagger presses her lips to mine. She silences me with her mouth. She soothes me with her tongue. Her body feels perfect next to mine, like it was made to be here, like it was made to be with me, like it was made for me.
She kisses me and I forget about everything I’ve been afraid of. I forget about everything I’ve been scared of. I forget about the fear I felt when she was facing off with Stremon. I forget about how scared I was that something would happen to her.
I forget about everything except for Dagger, except for the way she touches me. I forget everything except how brave she is.
And then she kisses me a little more.
Chapter 16
Dagger
It doesn’t take us long to find Stremon’s ship. He left it close to where he found us, although I’m still not totally sure how he was able to track us through the jungle. Ezra thinks he tracked my ship and then followed our footsteps. While we were taking our time crossing t
he rocks over the expansive water, he somehow got ahead of us. It’s the only explanation that makes sense, and I’ll accept it.
I’m just happy he didn’t bring an army of goons with him like I expected. I’m just happy that Martin thought he could handle me on his own. Obviously, he couldn’t. I bested him, and I’ve never felt stronger, bolder, or braver.
We load the fereers onto the small ship. It’s not huge, but it’s bigger than my pod, and it’s got enough room for all of the animals, along with Ezra’s pack. There are two seats up front, but before we climb in and prepare to return to Diamond, Ezra turns to me.
He grabs me and kisses me hard. It’s not a goodbye kiss or a hello kiss or a heat-of-the-moment kiss. No, this kiss is something more. This kiss is a promise.
This kiss is the type of kiss that means we’re both going to try.
This kiss is the type of kiss that means we have a chance.
This kiss is the type of kiss that means we’re going to give this thing between us a shot.
So he kisses me and he lifts me off my feet. I wrap my legs around Ezra as he holds me, gripping my ass. I grind against him and he groans when I do.
“Are you in a rush to get back to Diamond?” I ask. “Or do you have some time?”
“For you? I have all the time in the world, baby,” he whispers. He runs one of his hands up and down my spine, then pulls me closer to him. My breasts rub against his chest. The touch ignites a fire in me, turning me on more than I thought possible.
Then again, Ezra does seem to have that effect on me.
Ezra keeps kissing me as he carries me a short distance from the ship and lowers me to the grass. It’s soft beneath me: so soft it could be a bed. Then he keeps kissing me.
And kissing me.
And kissing me.
And kissing me.