With great satisfaction, Hale watched Pandora admire the chandeliers he had finished lighting with his own flames. The contrast between the deep violet of her eyes and the flames’ orange reflection in her pupils was magical to him. He wished she knew how beautiful he thought she was. He wished the thoughts would transfer to her mind without him having to say anything. He was bad with sharing his feelings with words.

When Pandora looked back at him, she smiled, unknowingly teasing him with her lips. She gave him a look that let him know that she had caught him staring again. Hale diverted his eyes to the stone floor.

“I thought you wanted to start looking for the book,” she reminded him.

Hale held back a grin and went into an aisle with a long bookshelf on each side. “Yeah. Sorry, I just got distracted.”

Pandora followed him into the aisle and began looking through the books. She carefully pulled out each book, looked at the cover, and inserted it back into its spot. She flipped through the pages if a book seemed interesting enough.

Hale held a book in his hand, but he wasn’t actually looking at it. His eyes were stuck on her. Because she wasn’t paying attention to how he occupied his time, she didn’t notice him staring at her. He knew it would have made her uncomfortable, but her facial expressions as she read were too good to miss.

“Hale, you aren’t helping.” She wasn’t criticizing him. The tone of her voice let him know she was amused by his behavior.

His eyes darted down to the book in his hands. “I don’t even know what I’m supposed to be looking for.”

She gasped softly. “Oh, I can’t believe I forgot to tell you.”

“It’s not that big of a deal. I can continue pretending to do something.”

She smiled smugly. “You weren’t even successful with that. I noticed.”

He playfully rolled his eyes at her and placed the book back on the shelf. “So what am I looking for?” He cautiously stepped closer to her.

Pandora held up the book in her hand to his chest and pushed him back a few inches, avoiding touching him with her hands. “The cover from what I’ve read is detailed with silver and has one Elani crystal in the center of it. You’ll know it when you see it.”

Hale shrugged. “If you say so.”

He began halfheartedly browsing through the shelf and only paid attention to the cover. He looked over to his right. The shelf seemed never ending. He wanted to groan, but then Pandora would know that he really didn’t want to be here. He wanted to help her, but he felt like he was wasting time. Nothing was happening. Besides… he’d much rather watch Pandora.

He looked over his shoulder, expecting to see her. But she wasn’t there. He turned and saw her at the far end of her side of the aisle. She was moving much faster than he was. While she was searching earnestly for the book, he was caught up in daydreaming about things things that he shouldn’t, considering the circumstances. Now, he was glad she couldn’t hear his thoughts.

As she moved on the the next aisle, Hale decided to pick up the pace. He couldn’t let her do all the work. Grumbling internally, he picked up the next book and immediately slammed it back into the shelve. They were going to be here for hours, if not days. The library was immense and probably contained thousands of books. He wouldn’t be surprised if they looked through every single book within this building and… didn’t find it. That was bound to happen.

About four hours had passed. Hale had stayed on his feet the entire time. The repeated movement of pulling books out and putting them back was hurting his arms. The monotony was overwhelmingly painful.

He looked to his right. Books.

At his left, books. Books… and more books.

It was endless. And it made him feel nauseated just thinking about it. He really, really needed a drink. Hale sneaked out of the aisle and started pacing back in forth in the lobby. Pandora was busy so she didn’t notice he wasn’t working.

Hale went over to the librarian’s desk that was off to the side near the entrance. It was covered in a blanket of dust. But underneath the dust were several ancient documents, artifacts, and one enormous book opened halfway. Intrigued, Hale sat down on the desk chair. He kept still for a minute, hoping the chair was stable. When he was sure the chair wouldn’t collapse on him, he started dusting off the desk with his hands. He was most curious about the giant book, strangely enough.

He was completely sick of books. But this one… something about it drew him to it. Once he finished dusting off the exposed pages, he closed it to look at the front cover.

His jaw dropped, unintentionally. He wasn’t expecting what he saw. Intricate silver detail spiraling over the cover. And in the very center was a large crystal shaped like an oval. He couldn’t pull his eyes away. The crystal gleamed with multicolored lights, and when he looked at it, he saw an energy within it that reminded him of what he saw in Pandora’s eyes.

“I found it!” Hale shouted, still staring at the crystal.

The library echoed with the sound of Pandora’s footsteps approaching. She came out from the maze of bookshelves and darted straight towards the desk. Hale pointed down at the book.

She gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. “Hale… thank you. Thank you so much. You found it.”

“Yeah. You’re welcome.” He hoped the darkness hid his blushing face.

To his surprise, she didn’t immediately pick up the book and start looking through it. She went around the desk and stood close to him. She looked at him in a way that she hadn’t for what felt like forever. And then she slipped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly, laying her head on his chest.

Hale froze, at a lost of words and breath. She was touching him again, with nearly her entire body. It was as if he were an addict who, after a long hiatus, returned to the addiction, where enough was never quite enough. Taste after taste led to a stronger desire. He fell into her hug and wrapped his arms around her tightly.

He looked down at her, and she was staring back at him longingly. He lowered his gaze to her lips and inched closer to her face. He wasn’t being intentional, but he pushed her body back against the desk. He took the opportunity to get even closer. She seemed to be enjoying the closeness.

Slowly, he leaned in for her lips and gave her every chance to turn away. But she didn’t. She continued to stare deeply into his eyes, waiting for him. He closed his eyes, but he visualized the beauty of her lips in his mind as he kissed her. No dream he had of her was even close to this. He clung to her. Pandora dragged her hands up his chest, her touch beginning dangerously low and ended with her hands resting on his shoulders. He wondered if she knew she was only intensifying the his need for her. He wasn’t sure how long he could go on without….

His thoughts made him disgusted with himself and tortured his conflicted heart. She wasn’t someone he should be with. But it was her unattainability that made her somehow more desirable to him.

* * * *

His embrace wrapped her in warmth and blocked out the chilling air surrounding her. She hadn’t expected her hug to turn into anything more than that. But she wasn’t complaining about kissing him. She had been longing for his affection since their disagreement that was exacerbated by Zaya’s comments and jealousy. Pandora wasn’t blaming Zaya, but Zaya certainly didn’t help things. Pandora was already struggling with doubting Hale’s true intentions. She didn’t need an extra push.

They were still standing behind the desk. Nothing more had happened than a kiss. But Pandora was content with that for now. He reassured her that he still wanted her. Whether he actually loved her or not, that was a different question. But the euphoria she continued to feel from his touch temporarily subdued the hurt brought by that insecurity. She didn’t want to let him go because as soon as she did she would start doubting his intentions once more. Why did he always hold back?

“I take it you’re happy that I found the book.” Hale grinned. “Maybe I should do things for you more often.”

Pandora flicked him on the shoulder. “That wasn’t a reward for your good deed. You’re supposed to help people, remember?”

He stroked the underside of her chin lightly. “That’s your thing. So… what was that then. Not a reward?”

With a smile, she huffed and rolled her eyes. “I really don’t think it’s necessary to explain. Just say thank you and move one.”

“Me, thank you? Nah.” Hale leaned close to her ear. “Don’t forget that I did most of the work. You just hugged me.” He slid one of his hands down her back, making her involuntarily tighten up, as if that would relieve the tension caused by his stimulation. He continued to drag his fingers along her curves, applying more and more pressure. He glanced up at her face and smirked. He knew exactly what he was doing to her. “Once we get back to the ship, I have a few ideas on how we can finish… this. I’m tired of waiting.”

Pandora wasn’t really thinking about the importance of his statement or what she would be giving to him if she agreed. Her body was still fidgeting, trying to diffuse the effects of his skillful touches. In the moment, all she was thinking on was every way he could alleviate her sudden need of him. “Anything you want,” she said softly. “We could take a break and go back to the ship for a few hours.”

He laughed silently. “You’re that desperate…. Wasn’t expecting that.”

She tightened her grasp on his shoulders. “It’s all your fault. You know that though.”

“I didn’t think I could change your mind that easily,” he taunted. “But I don’t think your idea will work.”

“What do you mean?”

“A few hours isn’t enough… for what I have in mind.”

Pandora’s face burned and released her grasp on his body.

Hale nodded. “It would have happened back at the resort probably, if Zaya wouldn’t have interrupted.”

Pandora’s heart fluttered, thinking back. If that were true, she would already know what all of him was like. She wouldn’t have to imagine.

“We should probably get back to work,” Hale said. “The faster we get this over with the sooner we can have some fun.” He spoke so casually this time.

“Yeah,” she replied, her mind continually imagining what would happen in the ship… finally. She had always told herself that she would wait for someone who proved they were committed. She thought that would be her husband because she greatly respected Elani customs. She couldn’t imagine Hale agreeing to marry her. So, if she wanted him, she would have to compromise, meaning give in. Hale had forever seemed like a fantasy. But he was offering everything she had imagined. Was she ready?

“What do we have to do now? We have the book?”

“Well, I’m looking for something that could help save my planet. So, I guess I need to read parts of it.”

Hale raised his eyebrows. “Maybe we can head back now then. You don’t have to read the book here. It’s getting too cold.” He stood against her and traced along her arm with his hand.

“I guess,” she said hesitantly. She swallowed hard, suddenly nervous over what might happen between them. “As long as we don’t leave the planet before I have all the information.”

“Of course.” He kissed her shoulder. “I really can’t wait.”

She tensed up, this time because of her nervousness. She wasn’t sure what to say.

He turned her face towards him. “Hey, what’s wrong now?”

“Nothing. I’m just overwhelmed. I have the book.”

Hale picked it up off the desk. “It’s heavier than I thought it would be.” He placed it inside his backpack, resting on the side of the desk. He put his backpack on and started pushing her to the exit.

Pandora stumbled in the direction he wanted her to go. He was moving fast. Things between them were too. She should be excited. This was what she wanted, especially a few minutes ago when his teasing was nearly too much to bear. She faked a smile and followed him out the library.

At the pace Hale was pulling her along, they reached the slope they first slid down within the minute. Hale let go of her and started looking through his backpack. Pandora walked up to the slope and studied it.

“How are we going to get back up?”

Hale pulled out a rope, several large stakes, and what looked like a type of hammer from his backpack “You’ll see.” He set the stakes aside and stood in front of Pandora. He started wrapping the rope around her waist. He pulled it extremely taught abruptly, and she coughed.

“Sorry.”

“Just stop rushing,” she snapped. “That really hurt.”

His eyes revealed how regretful he was, and he was more careful as he finished tying the rope. “I’m sorry.” He pulled it towards him to make sure it was secure.

“What is this for anyway?”

“Your safety. You’ll see.”

Hale went up to the slope and hammered a stake deep in the ice wall. He stepped up on it and then hammered another stake in. He continued hammering stakes and used them to climb all the way up the slope. He sat down on the edge with his legs dangling.

“Use the stakes to climb up. If you slip, the rope will hopefully keep you from falling!” Hale shouted, holding the other end of the rope in his hands.

“Okay!” Pandora called back to him.

Pandora started by stepping onto the lowest stake, pulling herself up with the one above her. Climbing up these metal stakes was painful for her hands, but she surprised herself with her upper body strength. It look her a little longer than Hale, but she made it. Hale grabbed her arms and pulled her up over the edge of the cliff. She sat beside him and leaned on his shoulder, taking needed breaths.

He put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. When Pandora was finished panting, she sat straight up and crawled away from the edge.

“Are you ready to head back now?” Hale asked.

“Yeah. I’m freezing.” She stood up. “I can’t wait to be warm again.”

He got up and started walking with her. “Only a few miles,” he announced enthusiastically.

Pandora feigned a wide smile, but he didn’t notice it’s falseness. She followed behind Hale, her trying to stay out of his gaze. Normally, his demanding eyes made her feel wanted, and she liked it. But as they walked back, she knew without any doubt that he wanted her. She didn’t need him to remind her. His gaze was harmless in the past, but currently it was revealing everything that he wanted to do to her when they got back.

She absolutely hated herself for being nervous. He was what she wanted.

By the next hour, they reached the ship. Hale opened up the ship and lowered the ramp. Pandora went up first and he followed closely behind. She could feel him staring at her backside. Taking a momentary glance over her shoulder, it was confirmed.

Pandora chose to ignore it. Really, he was only bothering her because she was afraid of giving herself completely to someone. His gaze was a constant reminder of how close they were.

Inside the bridge, Pandora was able to warm up again. She took off her coat and wrapped it around her hips.

“That wasn’t long.”

Pandora jumped and turned around. She had forgotten about Zaya.

Zaya chuckled. “Did I scare you, Princess?”

Pandora placed her hand over her heart. “No.” Instinctively, she looked back at Hale for comfort but instead saw only lust in his eyes. She huffed loudly and stormed down the hallway. She entered the bedroom and sat down on the bed, covering her face with her hands.

Moments later, she heard the door slide open and footsteps approaching. She knew it was Hale, but she didn’t look up.

“Are you okay?” He asked, taking leaving the backpack carrying the book by the door.

Pandora sat upright and rested her hands in her lap. “Yeah.”

He untied his boots and threw them in the closet. Then unzipped his jacket and put it on a hanger. Then he sat beside her on the bed. “You seem really uncomfortable around me. What did I do?”

She didn’t want to tell him how she was feeling because he had been waiting for her patiently.

He grabbed her hand and began drawing circles on her palm with his finger. “Are you nervous?”

Pandora timidly looked up at him. He was staring down at her hand, admiring it. “Yes,” she whispered, turning away.

“Do you trust me?”

Pandora nodded.

Hale let go of her hand and instead traced along the side of her leg. Her leggings were still covering her legs, but she still trembled from his touch.

“Would I be your first?” He continued dragging his fingers along to her hips.

Pandora hung her head. “Yes.”

“Being royalty, you probably didn’t have many options, did you?”

She wasn’t sure why he was talking so much. But the conversation distracted her slightly from her nervousness. “I’m basically off limits because of my status. So I guess so.”

“That’s okay. It doesn’t matter to me. I shouldn’t have even asked.”

She shuddered. “No, it’s fine. I feel so stupid. I don’t know why I’m afraid. It’s not that I don’t want you. I just don’t know what to expect.”

He moved his hand away from her legs and instead put his arm around her, trying to comfort her. “Well… let’s just take our time. Don’t do anything you aren’t comfortable with.”

“I’m just scared.”

He got up from the bed and stood between her legs. He moved a piece of her hair behind her ears. “We don’t have to get into anything right away. I think that I can help you forget your fears pretty easily.”

“I don’t know.”

Without saying another word, Hale started taking off his clothes. He started with his shirt and pulled it upwards, first showing off his abs. Then he lifted it off his magnificent chest and over his head, and he flung his shirt halfway across the room.

Pandora face was hot and red. But she felt even more intimidated when he started undoing his belt. Then he unzipped his pants and let them fall to the floor. Her throat tightened as his hands ran across the rim of his underwear.

She looked away, but she couldn’t get the image of him out of her mind from that one glance.

“Before I go any further, I think it’s your turn.”

He grabbed her hands and pulled her up to her feet. He removed the jacket around her waist. He fingered the bottom rim of her shirt.