Star Catcher Read Online Free Page A

strangers? What was she doing? Stella sat back, her head swimming from either too many drinks or the lip-locking. Most likely, it was the awesome combination.
    Noth stared at her, his eyes wide and his mouth open as if he had a million questions but couldn’t find a single word. His fingertips reached up to touch his lips, and she worried she had hurt him with the bite. He moved his hand from his own mouth to hers, tracing her bottom lip with a featherlight index finger. So he’s okay with it, then?
    *
    “I call it solum ,” Noth answered the intriguing Earth woman sitting beside him.
    He continued to trace a finger on her warm lips. Something stirred deep within him, but he found it difficult to give that sensation a name as well. He had never experienced anything like it in his life. And the kissing? Such a thing was never done on Artanos. Mouths were for eating food. The word he had given her actually translated more like “connect,” but that was how the kiss made him feel.
    “I like it. Will you kiss me again?”
    “Sure, I’ll solum you again.”
    Stella grinned up at him. She certainly was a happy female, smiling most of the time. It was a pleasant change from his home planet. The Artanians were a serious group, but there was not much to smile about where he came from. Too much uncertainty and a history rife with bloodshed made them a somber race.
    She leaned into him again, and he met her partway. The cat jumped off his lap, and he used his mind-speak to call a quick apology. In addition to his familial ties, Noth could communicate with lower life forms. Both domestic and wild subspecies understood his projected thoughts. Many schools of animal science had attempted to recruit him because of the ability, but Noth wanted to help his own kind. His true gift was his passion for medicine.
    Their lips touched again, and Noth was lost in the sensation. This kissing activity is incredible! Her mouth moved all over his, sucking on his top and then his bottom lip.
    He thought he was doing a commendable job of keeping up, but just when he began to feel secure in his technique, she licked the seam of his closed mouth. He opened it in surprise, and the unpredictable human put her tongue inside. It was soft and warm, tasting of lemons from her drink. He followed the movement, the soft caress of wet skin causing his respiratory rate to speed up mysteriously.
    Noth’s hands yearned to hold … something. He cupped the back of her head, threading his fingers through her soft hair. It was remarkable. It reminded him of a slippery fabric they utilized back home for the finest of garments. He sifted his fingers through its luxurious fineness, becoming more a fan of the stuff that grew out of their heads than he ever would have believed. Wanting to feel her tongue farther inside his mouth for some unknown reason, Noth fisted the smooth hair and pulled her deeper into his kiss.
    She made an enthusiastic sound, breaking for air while he continued to place kisses on her lips and chin. Stella turned her head, directing his mouth to her cheek and neck. Her hands grabbed his hair as well, pulling him closer. An odd buzz had begun in his abdomen, unlike anything he had ever experienced. This human activity was certainly exciting.
    “Let’s go to my room,” Stella said. Maybe she did not want to do any more kissing. That was too bad. He wanted to learn more about this phenomenon.
    “What do you like after kissing?” He followed her, his hand placed obediently in her much smaller one. “More snacks?”
    She laughed as she pulled him into the dark room.

Chapter 4
    Stella was expectant and nervous all at once, unbelievably relieved he hadn’t objected to continuing their make-out session in the privacy of her room.
    On tiptoe, she stretched up to kiss him again and let her hands slide up under his shirt, across his impossibly smooth chest. It was rock solid, with a tantalizing hint of rib under the exquisitely toned muscle. She