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Vegas awkwardly patted his knee. “I know it’s not the same thing, having to breed with one of us primitive humans to get a child, but I promise you, the results are always positive. Your infant will be strong and healthy. Galaxar genes always dominate.”

Solan glanced at her. “I regret my comments about you being primitive. It was... not tactful. Every race appreciates what you do for them. I will be forever grateful when I have a squib of my own to look after and raise to be a fine warrior.”

“Providing your mate approves of that career path.”

“Yes, well, there will be a lot of things we will need to agree upon. Would you accept your child if he became a warrior?”

“Providing it made him or her happy, I would. But that’s not a question you need to ask me.” Vegas opened her tablet and pulled up his match’s file. “Your partner is called Melissa Daniels. Take a look.” She ignored the pang of jealousy in her gut. This was the right thing to do for both of them.

Solan hesitated but then accepted the tablet. He spent several moments reading through the files.

“What do you think?” Vegas had eaten three more chocolates while Solan focused on the tablet. She felt queasy. She took a sip of wine.

“Miss Daniels has an agreeable profile.” He handed her back the tablet.

“We will complete your induction tomorrow. You can meet her in the evening. You will like her.”

“She is not you,” Solan said. “I have made my decision. You are to be my mate.”

“Which is not possible.” Vegas placed the tablet down. “Besides, what’s to say I’m even available?”

“You have a mate?” Solan pulled himself up to his full height. “You have not mentioned him before.”

“What if I do? Would that change your mind about pursuing me?”

“Is it Boros?”

Vegas choked on the wine she’d just drunk. “Would you back off if it was? A brigadier outranks a colonel. If he has laid claim to me, there’d be nothing you could do.”

Solan scowled at her. “I could fight him. When you kill a Galaxar in a death match, all his possessions become yours. You would be mine then.”

“I am no one’s possession.” Vegas shook her head. She really shouldn’t tease Solan. “But you won’t, because you have a good mate choice. We know what we’re doing at My Single Alien. Melissa is the woman for you.”

Solan shook his head as he stood. “We are to mate. You have had your romance.” Anger simmered off him.

Placing her glass down carefully, Vegas also stood. Solan dwarfed her. She refused to be intimidated by his size. “A box of candy and some wine is not going to change my mind.”

“Perhaps this will.” Solan wrapped an arm around Vegas’s waist and pulled her in. His mouth crushed against hers before she had a chance to protest.

Stars above! His kiss, combined with the wine and chocolate, made her head spin. She forgot all her training and her protestations as his tongue found hers.

Vegas could pretend this was another training session. Solan clearly enjoyed the practical side of learning. This was all it was. She didn’t feel the roil of her stomach or the heat in her core as they continued to kiss. She wasn’t his. She wasn’t available. A match had been found for Solan. Tomorrow, he would be somebody else’s.

Using every ounce of her willpower, Vegas pulled herself away from his hard embrace. “Enough! You need to leave.”

“But you desire me.” Solan tried to pull her back toward him.

She batted his hands away. “This is a mistake.”

“I smell your desire.”

That was just gross. “I don’t care what you can smell. You need to get out of here. I will assign you another tutor tomorrow. I will also arrange for you to meet Miss Daniels.”

“I want to breed with you.”

“Unless you want to be strong-armed out of here by a station cyborg, you will leave immediately.”

“You would have me ejected?”