Lake, Ciara - Xihirah [Xihiran Shifters 1] (Siren Publishing Classic) by Ciara Lake Read Free Book Online Page B

shortly.” Saleeya fumbled with her belt. She was frazzled about how to maneuver without having to fit her hand up against his thigh.
    Kael watched her silently. “Would you like me to buckle it for you?”
    “No,” Saleeya choked out. “I think I have it.” Saleeya looked up into his amber eyes. “Could you, please, move your leg for me, so I can lock it in between us without accidently pinching your leg?”
    “Of course.” Kael’s eyes seemed to glimmer. He barely moved his leg. Saleeya continued to struggle. In order to lock the belt Saleeya had to run her hand against Kael’s thigh. While she attempted to lock the belt, his bright amber eyes quietly watched her with a hint of amusement. Saleeya felt the heat from his leg penetrate her hand and run up her arm. A heat wave of heat radiated into her hand. She had definitely felt a tingling sensation making her hand and arm throb. After she had finished buckling the guard belt, she removed her hand, but the pleasant throb continued. Saleeya wondered if he had felt the same tingling. The heated tingling lasted for some time. Overcome with nerves, Saleeya’s heart pounded hard in her chest. Her lungs felt depleted of all air. Saleeya silently chided herself to get a grip. She worried about passing out if she did not cool off.She told herself to breatheslowly in order not to hyperventilate. Xihirah’s humidity, heat, along with the heat coming from this male’s hot body, were going to melt her into a puddle.
    Oh, damn, I don’t want to screw this up for the Council. How embarrassing if I faint. I’ve never fainted in my life. What in the Kriton Moons is wrong with me? It’s like I’ve never seen a handsome man. I should be in the other vehicle with Mia. Right off, I ended up with five Xihirian warriors all to myself.
    D eep in thought, Saleeya felt her already heated face getting hotter. She was positive that Kael could sense her unease. Her face heated more. The hair around her face was becoming riotous curls. Saleeya nervously licked her lips. She noticed that Kael closely studied her. His eyes were overly bright and his pupils were vertical slits. “ Did you get your guard belt locked all right?” he softly asked close to her ear. The sound of his voice next to her ear made Saleeya feel as if her heart was going to jump out of her chest.
    “Driver, please turn the air cooler all the way up. It’ll be cooler in here soon. When we fly and glide, it’ll cool down quickly,” Kael assured Saleeya. Her unease spiked even more with Kael’s obvious awareness of her discomfort and the fact that his eyes were noticeably changing. He continued to examine her closely and his eyes increased in brightness. Overly bright eyes were problematic. Didn’t she just warn the others of this predatory signal? When their normally round pupils formed slits, they were struggling with emotions, possibly near a shift. Saleeya, certain she had annoyed the Admoncor, neared panic.
    “Have I said or done something wrong, Admoncor Braeden?” Saleeya stammered.
    “Yes.” He looked hard into her eyes. Saleeya’s beautiful green eyes widened with his answer.
    “Yes?” she choked out.
    Kael smiled. “Yes, I asked you to call me Kael.” The right corner of his mouth twitched up. For a moment, Saleeya thought she saw a hint of a smile cross his face. “What’s your first name?”
    “Saleeya.”
    “That’s a lovely name. It suits you. May I call you Saleeya?”
    “Yes, of course,” Saleeya responded quickly, relieved by his soothing, conversational tone.
    “It’ll be cooler in here soon, Saleeya,” he reassured her again. “I’ll make sure that when you get to your quarters you’ll be able to rest for a while before any demands are placed on you. You’re exhausted. The humidity takes a lot out of those who aren’t familiar with it.” Changing the subject, Kael added, “Lean forward, Saleeya, I’ll help you adjust your hair. I can see it’s pulling on your head.