Rightly or wrongly, Korum knew that he would do anything to keep her that way. She might not remember it now, but she had loved him once – and she would again. For now, though, he needed to prove to her that he was neither crazy nor playing a trick on her.
“Here, use this,” he said, giving her a new wrist computer he’d made a couple of hours ago. This time, he’d added visual capabilities to it, to make it even easier for her to stay in touch with her family. Showing Mia how to operate the device took another minute, and then she was connecting to her parents’ Skype account, her mother’s voice and image appearing in the room.
Smiling, Korum walked across the room and sat down in the corner, giving the two women some privacy. He could still hear everything they were discussing, however, and he listened with a great deal of curiosity.
As usual, his little charl seemed very concerned with not causing her parents any worry. Instead of letting on that she lost her memory, Mia kept the conversation light and generic, inquiring about her parents’ health and asking how Marisa was doing. Grinning, Korum listened as Ella Stalis blithely chatted about the latest developments in Marisa’s pregnancy (three pounds gained!) and how much they’d enjoyed having Mia and Korum in the area.
Though her sister’s pregnancy had to have come as a shock to Mia, she gamely oohed-and-aahed at the right moments, acting as if everything was normal. She even managed to laugh and promise to come for a visit again soon, as though she remembered the last trip perfectly. Korum couldn’t help admiring her for this; he knew how lost and anxious she must be feeling right now, and he was more than a little impressed with her composure.
Finally, Mia finished her conversation and looked at him. “Do you want this back?” she asked uncertainly, indicating the wrist device he’d given her.
“No, that’s yours to keep.” Korum got up and walked toward her. “Did this help? Do you believe me now?”
“I don’t know,” she whispered, and he saw the pain and confusion on her face. “If this is all true, then what happened? How did I manage to lose such an important part of my life? Did I hit my head or something?”
“Or something.” Korum tried to push away enraging thoughts about Saret’s betrayal.
The last thing he wanted was to frighten her right now. Raising his hand, he gave in to the urge to stroke her cheek instead, reveling in the familiar feel of her soft skin underneath his fingers.
She blinked at him, her thick lashes sweeping up and down like dark fans. To his immense satisfaction, she didn’t flinch away from his touch. If anything, she seemed to lean toward him, as though she was also craving physical closeness.
Unable to resist any longer, Korum bent his head and kissed her, holding her face gently with his hands. Just a kiss, he promised himself, just one small kiss . . .
At first she was stiff, her mouth closed against the intrusion of his tongue. He could feel her heart beating frantically in her chest, sense her momentary panic, and then her lips softened, parted a bit. Her hands came up, pressing lightly against his chest, as if uncertain whether to push him away or hold him close.
Her response, when it came, was much more tentative than usual, but it was enough to drive him insane. The taste of her, the smell of her, was intoxicating, like a drug surging through his veins. He deepened the kiss without realizing it, one hand slipping down her back to press her closer to him, his cock so hard he felt like he was about to explode.
It was only her quiet whimper that brought him back to his senses. Lifting his head, Korum looked at Mia, his breathing hard and uneven.
Her pale cheeks were flushed, her lips swollen. He could smell her desire, feel the heat rising from her skin, and he knew that if he reached between her legs now, he would find her wet and slick, her body ready for him. But her mind was a different matter, Korum realized, and the look in her eyes now was that of fear and confusion.
His own body raging with unfulfilled need, Korum fought for control, knowing that he needed it now more than ever. “I’m sorry,” he said, forcing himself to let her go. “I wasn’t going to do this so soon . . .”
She took a couple of steps back and stared at him, her small chest moving up and down, drawing his attention to the hardness of her nipples underneath her dress. Korum swallowed, remembering their pale pink hue, the way they tasted in his mouth, how they pebbled under his tongue.
No, don’t fucking go there now. Lifting his eyes back to her face, Korum said, “I know you’re not ready for this yet, my sweet. I won’t hurt you, I promise . . .” And he meant it. He would sooner lose a limb than do anything to traumatize her while she was so vulnerable.
She bit her lip, then nodded, crossing her arms around her chest in a defensive gesture that sent a pang of regret through Korum. He hated it sometimes, the all-consuming lust he always experienced in her vicinity. She was so tiny, so delicate, her body unsuited for the hard demands he often placed on it. No matter how careful he tried to be, he knew he wasn’t always the most gentle lover, his overwhelming need for her constantly testing his self-control.
“So what happened?” she asked again, still watching him warily. “Why don’t I remember you, or my sister getting pregnant, or any of this? How did I lose two months of my life?”
Korum took a deep breath, trying to control the anger still boiling in his veins at the thought of Saret. “Someone I knew and trusted – a man who pretended to be my friend for a long time – did this,” he said evenly. “This person wiped out a portion of your memory as a way to get at me . . . and because he also wanted you.”
“Really?” Her eyes widened. “Another K?”
“Yes, another Krinar,” Korum confirmed before explaining the whole story, starting from Mia’s internship and ending with Saret’s betrayal. Not wanting to overwhelm her, he downplayed the part about Saret’s ultimate intentions for her people, as well as some of the complexities of Council politics. She didn’t need to know everything all at once; as it was, he could see that it was already almost too much for her. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and hold her, soothe her distress, but he knew she wouldn’t welcome it now – not after the way he’d almost attacked her earlier.
The best thing to do right now was to give her time, he decided. Time and space to think about everything she’d learned.
“I have to go now,” Korum said, his heart squeezing painfully at the look of relief on her face. “There are a few things I have to take care of. Why don’t you relax, take it easy for now? I’ll be back in a couple of hours and we can have lunch. If you get hungry in the meantime, just say what you want out loud and it will be given to you. Unless you’re hungry now?”
She shook her head, her dark curls moving around her shoulders. “No, I’m fine, thanks.”
“Good. Feel free to explore the house if you wish. I know everything’s going to look strange to you now, but it’s all fairly intuitive, so it shouldn’t be too bad.” He smiled, remembering how much Mia enjoyed that aspect of life in Lenkarda. “All the furniture is intelligent, so don’t be startled if it conforms to your shape. The house is intelligent too, so feel free to ask it for food or anything you need.”
“Okay,” she said, giving him a small smile in response. “Thanks.”
Pausing for a moment longer, Korum drank in that smile. Then he walked out, leaving her alone to process everything she’d just learned.