Her gaze dropped to his perfectly molded mouth. If she leaned forward just a few inches ...
"Sivamet, are you awake?"
There was laughter in his voice. Riley had it bad, because that laughter resonated through her body, setting every nerve on fire. She managed a nod, completely mesmerized by him. She had wanted out of the classroom, wanted some adventure, but she had never considered she might find ... him.
"This is an ancient tradition," he explained as he gave her a single flower.
The blossom was large, much like a lily but shaped like a star. The petals were open to reveal the inside, the ovary a deep ruby red with two striped filaments. The shape and size of the stigma brought the color flooding to her face-that particular part looked like a very large erection. She knew flowers, her mother grew every kind, but this one, stunningly beautiful, definitely could be used to explain sex.
"Taste it."
She blinked at him. Swallowed. She didn't know why that sounded sexy. Everything he said and did seemed to be sexy.
"Use your tongue to stroke along the ..."
"Um. I get it." She couldn't possibly.
Her eyes, captured by his, refused to look away. She was caught there, in those mesmerizing eyes, trapped, unable to defend herself. Her tongue darted out and she touched that bulbous head tentatively. At once taste burst through her mouth, vibrant and spicy. Addicting. She licked along the underside and all around the head, seeking more of the elusive flavor.
Dax leaned closer until she could feel his warm breath against her neck. "Do you like it?"
"It's amazing," she admitted. "I've never tasted anything like this."
"The flower takes on the taste of the giver."
His gaze bored into hers, compelling her to get every last drop, the intensity of desire sending a shiver through her body. Why in the world would she find his declaration hot? And why couldn't she stop devouring the fragile flower, craving that spicy taste. The petals, soft velvet, held his scent. She felt surrounded by him with each stroke of her tongue, drawing that nectar into her body.
"Hand it to me." He didn't take his eyes from hers.
Reluctantly she took one last lingering lick along the stigma and handed him back the flower. Holding her gaze, he dipped his head, his mouth in the bloom. His tongue found the filaments and ovary, devouring the nectar collected there. She'd never seen anything so sexy in her life. Her entire body went hot.
"Your taste is addictive." His gaze burned into hers. Blatantly sexual.
A flood of liquid heat added to her discomfort. Tension coiled in her belly, slithered through her deepest core until she crawled with need. She pressed her lips tightly together as he took his time obviously savoring the inside of the flower. His gaze burned over her, those tiny flames growing hotter and wilder as he ate out the night flower.
By the time he lifted his head, his eyes were glowing. "Kneel up for a moment."
She didn't think to question him, too caught up in his sexual web. Whatever the pull of lifemates, the physical attraction between them sizzled and she didn't want to miss one intoxicating moment.
She knelt.
He nodded approvingly. "Sit back on your heels and open your thighs." As he gave her the command, he held the flower cupped in both palms, solemnly, as if it was of great importance.
Heart pounding, she complied. He placed the flower exactly at the junction of her legs, petals whispering against her open, jean-clad thighs.
"Tied vagyok." His gaze for the first time left hers, to drift possessively over her. "Sivamet andam." The flames in his eyes leapt high, while the multifaceted diamonds glittered and burned. "Te avio palafertiilam."
His softly spoken words sounded beautiful, but more, she recognized a ritual quality to the presentation and knew he was telling her something important to him. Her entire body had reacted to those nearly whispered words. His voice was a weapon, she decided, especially when he spoke in his own language. The tone was as hypnotic as the words and she found herself straining to understand. "In my language please," she asked.
"Tied vagyok means ..." He frowned, searching for the words in a language he'd just acquired. "'Yours I am,'" he said simply.
Her heart jumped. This amazing warrior, so beautiful, so protective and sexy was hers?
"Sivamet andam would be, 'my heart I give you.'" He touched her face gently, tracing her cheekbones, her jawline and chin and then back up to the curve of her mouth, as if memorizing every detail.
Blood surged hotly through her veins. She felt him inside of her, a part of her. Riley pressed her lips tightly together. Something important was happening, but she didn't know what. She didn't want to say or do the wrong thing. A part of her wanted to run. She had no doubt Dax believed exactly what he was saying-he was giving her his heart. He was larger than life. One of the heroes from a movie who could save the world. She thought of herself as ... ordinary. Here in the rain forest where there was no one else, she probably looked like a great find, but there was an entire world waiting for him.
"There is only one lifemate for our species, Riley," he said.
Her entire body clenched. Wept. Electricity sang in her veins. She wanted to believe that she could have him, but truly it was absurd. They barely knew one another. He was from ancient times. She was caught in some kind of intense dream she didn't want to wake from.
"What does te avio palafertiilam mean?" Was that her voice? So husky and sensual?
He frowned, concentrating, trying to come up with a suitable translation. "You, wedded wife, my." He shook his head. "'You' is equated to lifemate. Wife is your closest word. Your marriage ceremony is the closest to the binding ritual I can find in Gary's memories. I am saying you are my lifemate."
She blinked at him. "Is this a marriage ritual?"
He shook his head, a flash of white teeth sending another surge of desire skittering through her body. His teeth looked strong, straight and just pointed enough that she found herself a little frightened, which only added to the exhilarating experience.
"When the ritual binding words are said, that is equivalent to your marriage vows-but more. That cannot be undone. This is more like ..." He broke off, clearly searching Gary's memories for an analogy. "This ceremony is important for us both."
He rubbed the bridge of his nose, a gesture she found endearing. "I've courted you in the way of my people and this ritual ensures fertility and acceptance."
Her heart jumped again. Her body burned. "Fertility?" Her voice sounded squeaky even to her own ears.