Mara’s smile grew into a smolder at meeting his gaze. Ambassador Ussai took it as an invitation to head our way.
He pressed a hand to his chest with a deep bow as he approached. “I’m Ambassador Zeigan Ussai of Ravi.”
“Captain Xavran Rax.” Xavran returned the bow. His was rather jerky, compared to the ambassador’s feline grace. “My wife, Mara. Her sister, Susanna Riley,” he introduced us.
“It’s an honor to meet you. What a surprise.” The ambassador beamed at Mara and me. “I did not expect to find human women in Diria.”
Mara flicked her hair over her shoulder. “Finding a high state official in this place is just as surprising.”
He moved his gaze to me, then back to her again. The confused expression crossed his handsome face, typical for people seeing us for the first time.
“It’s nice to meet you.” I offered him my hand, palm up, and he covered it with his. “I’m Mara’s twin sister,” I explained. “We’re identical twins. That’s why we look so alike.”
He kept staring. “It’s phenomenal. Multiple births are a norm among Voranians and Aldraians, but I’ve never seen two people so perfectly alike. It’s a good thing you’re wearing different clothes.” He chuckled, moving his other hand under mine to enclose it between his two. “There’d be no way of telling you apart otherwise.”
“That’s a good thing.” I smiled, gliding the hand not trapped by the ambassador down the flared skirt of my black-and-white dress, the same one I wore on the day of our arrival. It was the dressiest thing I had for the occasion.
I was getting my first paycheck soon, and one of the moms I’d met through the kids’ school had already offered to take me shopping in Arqa next weekend. I was looking forward to the trip. It’d be nice to have some casual clothes. My knits and polyester pieces had been fine for the cool weather in New York, but they didn’t work well in the balmy climate of Aldrai.
The music slowed down a little.
The ambassador was still holding my hand. The top of his was covered with short fur. It seemed soft, with a pretty, golden sheen. Unable to hold back my curiosity, I placed my other hand on top of his, petting his slightly. It did feel soft.
His tail twitched my way. “Would you like to dance, Madam Riley?”
“Oh, sorry...” I jerked my hand away. As fascinating as meeting a new species was, stroking them like that was certainly inappropriate. “I—”
Xavran shouldered his way between the ambassador and me. “Susanna has already promised to dance with me.”
Had I? I wasn’t sure. But at the thought of dancing, a smile sprung to my lips.
Mara took the Ravil’s hand from me. “I’d love to dance, Ambassador.”
He moved his emerald-green eyes from me to her, his grin unwavering.
“Splendid.” Placing his hands on her waist, he whisked her away to the music.
“Do you really want to dance?” I asked Xavran. Frankly, I couldn’t imagine this man dancing. Some people just weren’t built for that. “We can always just hang around the punch bowl, instead, or whatever they have here in place of that. It’s a great way to meet new people.”
“I don’t want to meet any new people.” He hugged me around my waist, drawing me closer. “I just want to dance with you.”
“Oh!” I drew in a breath at finding myself in his arms so suddenly, then splayed my hands on his wide chest. “Well then, dance we shall.”
Xavran took me around the open space in a slow circle, weaving between the other couples. I noticed the women had their hands wrapped around the men’s horns on their shoulders while dancing. Maybe I should’ve done the same, but I liked touching his chest instead. As hard as his pectoral muscles were under his shirt, they still felt softer than the horns, warmer, too, making him more approachable somehow.
Mara’s giggling reached me as the ambassador twirled her by us.
I followed them with my gaze for a few moments. “It’s so neat to meet someone from yet another planet,” I marveled out loud. “Ravils are fascinating. Is it a norm for them not to wear shirts? Or is it just the ambassador’s way?”
Xavran frowned, not sparing the other man a glance. “Ravils never wear shirts.”
“I suppose it’s unnecessary since they have fur. It’s warm here.”
“They never cover their tails either.” He shook his head disapprovingly.
“Oh, how shocking!” I gasped in fake horror.
He smirked. “But then again, other species’ tails aren’t nearly as indecent as those of Aldraians.”
The images of the couple in a flower bed from the video I’d watched rose in my mind. The smile slid off my face as my cheeks heated.
“So I’ve heard.” I averted my eyes from him, hoping he wouldn’t notice my blush.
The music leaped faster, but Xavran’s steps slowed. He moved his hands up my back, bringing us closer. With a slow twirl around one of the tree trunks that worked as support pillars for the roof, he swerved away from the lit space, taking me behind the hedge and out of view from the party.
In the shadows behind the hedge, he pressed my back to the tree trunk. His heart beat wildly under my hand on his chest.
One of his forearms pressed against the trunk above my head, he leaned over me.
“What are you doing to me, Susanna?” he growled. His eyes grew as dark as the night around us.
I could’ve asked him the same question. My heart thundered, beating frantically against my ribcage. The heat of his large, hard body pressed to mine felt invigorating.
Wishing to feel more of him, I slid my hands up his chest to his thick, corded neck. He sucked in a breath as I stroked his underjaw with my thumbs.
All this time I’d been struggling to keep a distance between us, when all I really wanted was to touch him. Everywhere.
Keeping his right hand above my head, he moved the other one up my side. He stopped it just under my breast.
“Tell me to get my hands off you,” he whispered into my ear. “Because I’ll do more if you don’t.”
I pressed my lips together, keeping my mouth shut.
He cupped my breast, finding my nipple with his thumb. Desire sparked hot in me. I released a breath with a soft moan.
“Tell me I repulse you, like your sister says,” he demanded, bitterness seeping into his drawl. “Tell me I disgust you, to make it easier for me to leave you tomorrow.”
Things would’ve been so much easier if I didn’t feel for him what I was feeling. The wild, hot frenzy that swirled through my mind and body was not supposed to happen. The heat pulsing between my legs might be inappropriate. Inconvenient. But it was so wonderful.
I hadn’t felt like that for a long time. In fact, I didn’t remember ever feeling anything as intense with any other man ever.
I swallowed hard. “If I say that, I’d be lying, and I’ve had too many lies in my life already.”
He took my face between his hands. “Say you’d hate it if I kissed you.”