Frisk by Viola Grace Read Free Book Online Page A

table.
    Forks stabbed and pancakes flew. She snuck one more onto her plate and grabbed the syrup while the others were fighting for the last one.
    With easy movements, she finished her breakfast and cleared her place. The bots chittered at her for interfering, but she slid the plate and cutlery onto the counter.
    The feeding frenzy was almost over, but she slipped her hand forward and filled her cup of caf. “I am going to go for a walk outside. Can I get up onto the outer wall somehow?”
    Coma sat back and sighed happily. “To the right there is a staircase. Thank you for this. You are a better cook than my mother.”
    Lera inclined her head and took her caf out to watch the dawn. The stairs were indeed on the right, and she climbed them to watch the light come over the horizon.
    “Were you always a morning person?” Lance spoke from behind her.
    She turned, and his pale skin was glowing in the dimness. “No. It took a few alerts to get me into the habit of rising early.”
    She could make out muscle and shadow as he moved toward her. His eyes glowed against the dark pigmentation that created a built-in mask for him. “I apologize again for getting you out of bed this early. I just like to cook to make myself feel at home.”
    He stepped closer to her, and she could smell the distinct aroma of his skin. She took a step toward him, and the heat from his body radiated out to warm her. “If you don’t get a call today, will there be training?”
    He put his hands on her hips and kissed her slowly, warming her skin from her lips downward. “Good morning, may the brightness of the day light your eyes.”
    She shivered, and he smiled as dawn cascaded over them, painting them both with golden-pink light. “That sounds lovely.”
    “It is the traditional greeting for a man to his mate.” He brushed her hair away from her cheek.
    “Presumptuous.” She leaned into his hand, belying her words.
    “You are mine. We are both aware of it. Why do you still put up resistance?” His fingers caressed her neck, and he rested his palm over her heart.
    She tried to keep her breathing calm. “It is my nature. Few males I have met would accept a woman if she simply welcomed him at first sight. Women who engage in that practice are not mate material, they are for one night at most.”
    She could see a darkening of his cheeks, and she knew that he was going over the memory of many such women.
    “You may have a point. Nothing worth having comes easily.” His hand spread warmth through her torso with that one little touch.
    She stepped toward him in the light of dawn, and she stroked her hands over his shoulders. “Sometimes, you just have to ask the right way.”
    In a flash, he wrapped his arms around her and launched them from the outer wall to an inner balcony.
    She was drawing breath to scream when he landed with her firmly in his grasp. Lera struck his shoulder with her fist.
    “Ow.”
    “What the hell was that?”
    He grinned and moved until his lips were almost touching hers. “That was me asking.”
    She whispered, “Remind me not to be around when you decide to demand.”
    “I will try, but since you will be under me at the time, I don’t think you will be able to retreat at that point.” Lance kissed her passionately until she was clinging to him
    He kicked his balcony door open and swept inside with her still tucked in his arms.
    Lera shivered as she realized that there was no going back, so it was a good thing she didn’t want to.

Chapter Eight
    To her surprise, he got naked first, allowing her a full view of his body. She was already familiar with the breadth of his shoulders and the heavy musculature of his chest and abdomen. His thighs were thick columns that flexed as he let her take him in. His erection was a strange serpentine shape that caused her to stare. A muscle low in his belly flexed, and the length of him undulated as she watched.
    Lera licked her lips. “Nice trick.”
    He inclined his head. His