“M-mo.” She tried to demand more, frustrated that the words wouldn’t come.
“Pet, I don’t think you know what you’re asking for.” Karthajin’s voice was strained.
“M-mor,” she repeated, a little more clearly, and tried to move again.
With what sounded like a growl, he lifted the restraining hand away, but she didn’t like that at all. It didn’t feel the same without him pressing her so tightly against him. She reached down for his hand and brought it back to her bottom, even that slight movement making the ache between her thighs intensify. With his hand once more a reassuring weight on her body, she tried to move again and realized that her nightgown was in the way.
Impatiently, she tugged the fabric aside and simultaneously realized two things: it felt even better to have his manhood touching her directly and her private place was damp and hot. Was that supposed to happen? She tried to remember if any of the books had ever mentioned it, but they had been very vague in their descriptions.
“W-wet?”
“Yes, pet, you’re very wet. That’s a good thing. Too good,” he groaned as she moved a little, exploring this new slippery feeling and deciding that she liked it. His manhood pulsed in response, sending more of those little thrills shooting through her body. The more she moved, the better it felt, her body alive with these new feelings. But even as her excitement grew, so did a feeling of frustration—she felt as if she were searching, reaching for something she couldn’t quite find. Karthajin was rigid beneath her, his muscles tense. Even though he had put his hand back on her bottom, he wasn’t guiding her.
“H-hep,” she whispered, pushing down on his hand.
“Ella, are you sure about this?”
In response, she wiggled impatiently. With a groan, he gave in. The hand on her bottom clamped down, increasing the delicious pressure between their bodies. His other hand went to her back, forcing her breasts tighter against his chest and creating a delightful throb in her nipples. He began to move her body, sliding her along the length of his manhood, the wide shaft leading to a bulbous head. When the tip of his cock reached a spot that made her cry out with excitement, it seemed to close down around it, pulsing and sucking in soft little waves. Her whole body was on fire with pleasure.
Rubbing her breasts frantically against the hard wall of his chest, she covered his neck with kisses. The pressure increased, her body tensing, expectant, and she was almost afraid, but this was Karthajin. He had her safe in his arms, and she gave in to the sensation, exploding with a startled cry as her body quivered and sparks of light flashed across her vision. Somewhere in the haze of pleasure, she realized that he was still moving her body up and down, faster now, and then she felt a gush of hot liquid across her stomach, the heated sensation against her sensitive flesh sending her into a second, smaller convulsion. When her body finally stopped trembling, his arms were wrapped tightly around her. Warm, content, and slightly sticky, she drifted off to sleep.
Chapter Nine
When Ella awoke in the morning, she was still wrapped in Karthajin’s arms, but he must have taken care of her during the night because she was wearing a fresh nightgown and she no longer felt sticky. The memory of the previous night rushed through her and she felt a warm glow of happiness. She’d never known her body could be the source of so much pleasure. Would he be willing to do it again? She started to slide a tentative hand down his body, eager to explore.
“Oh no, you don’t, pet.” A big hand caught hers, then he rolled her over so she was trapped beneath him. She peeped up at him cautiously, but his eyes were smiling and he looked relaxed and happy. She smiled back and he dropped a quick kiss on her lips, his soft beard tickling. Ready for more, she reached for him, but he shook his head.
“No, Ella.”
Afraid that she’d done something wrong, she bit her lip. His eyes softened and he gave her another quick kiss before sitting up.
“I’m sorry to leave you, pet, but I have to bathe and get ready for the day.”
“B-baf?” she asked eagerly. She’d always loved spending time in the tub. In the beginning, Momi or Popi had bathed her every day. But there had come a day when Popi was bathing her, washing between her legs, and she had realized that it felt especially good. He had look horrified when she asked him to do it again and after that, she had to bathe herself. But the big tub, with the bubbles and her toys, had still been one of her favorite places.
“Yes, you can have a bath. I’ll call…” He frowned. “Never mind. I’ll run it myself.”
Jumping up eagerly, she followed him through the dressing room, giving the abandoned bed a triumphant look. She had not been happy when Saban showed it to her, even though it was a pretty little bed with a curved gold frame. After tossing restlessly, she had abandoned it for Karthajin’s bedroom. She hadn’t quite dared to get in the bed, but she’d been much happier on the floor next to it than in the lonely princess bed—and even happier in the big bed with him.
From her explorations the day before, she knew there were a variety of different bathing options, but Karthajin took her to one of the smaller rooms. A big white tub was set in an arched window embrasure and when he pressed a button, a stream of water poured down from the ceiling to fill it.
“B-bubb?” she asked hopefully.
He laughed. “I don’t think we have any bubbles, pet. But I can pour some of the bath gel into the water.” He added the liquid and clouds of bubbles began to appear.
Already anticipating, she stripped off her nightgown. When he shut off the water and turned around, his gaze heated, and she could see his manhood flex under his sleep pants. Remembering that long-ago time in the bath when she’d felt that strange little pleasure, she suspected it would feel even better if he were to bathe her. Picking up a cleansing cloth, she walked toward him, delightfully conscious of his eyes watching her, and offered it to him.
“B-baf?”
“You want me to…” Little red flames danced in his eyes before he shook his head. “Ella, do you expect me to believe you don’t know how to give yourself a bath?”
Giving him her wide-eyed look, she lifted a shoulder and gestured at the tub. “B-big.”
“Yes, it’s a big tub,” he said dryly. “However, I think you’ll be just fine by yourself. Go on now.” He turned her firmly toward the tub and gave her a little smack on her bottom. The little sting sent a tingle of excitement through her body and she looked over her shoulder at him hopefully.
“Go,” he groaned, and disappeared. Disappointed but resigned, she climbed into the tub and gave herself up to the joys of hot water and bubbles.
Abandoning Ella to her bath, Karthajin fled to the shower room where he brought himself to a swift, hard, unsatisfying climax, his mind still focused on Ella’s perfect little body. When he turned to find her standing there naked, the early morning light highlighting ripe little breasts and pretty pink nipples, he had been almost unbearably tempted. Especially when she walked towards him, her eyes sparkling with mischief, as uninhibited about her lack of clothing as she had been in her response to his touch the previous night.
There was something incredibly satisfying about her surprised delight in her pleasure. She had responded so fully, so naturally, that he had exploded like the untried boy he had never been. All of his experiences had been with someone trained to please him. What would it have been like to discover the act of love with someone who was as new to it as he was, to have learned together how to give and receive pleasure? In giving Ella her first kiss, bringing her to her first climax, he felt as if he were discovering all of those things for the first time as well. And there was so much more he wanted to show her.
For a fleeting moment, he wondered if it would be possible to keep her, to hide her away as his own little secret pleasure, safe from the machinations of the Court. It was a tempting thought, but he knew it was impossible. No aspect of his life was ever really secret. And no matter how well intentioned, it wouldn’t be fair to hide her away
from the world. He remembered his mother retreating more and more until she reached the point where she rarely left her rooms. She had faded there. He wouldn’t subject Ella to the same fate. He couldn’t bear to see that innocent, curious nature crushed.
Walking back through the bathroom, he tried to avoid looking at her, but he couldn’t resist. She was splashing happily in the bath, her cheeks pink and glowing, the bubbles barely concealing her delightful little body. Duty, he reminded himself.
“I’m going to train with Sendat, pet.”
Disappointment covered her face.
“I’ll be back in an hour and we’ll have breakfast together. Would you like that?”
She nodded eagerly, and he dropped a kiss on the top of her head, sternly resisting the impulse to abandon his routine, climb into the bath with her, and show her more of the delights her body could experience. As it turned out, he might as well have stayed. His concentration was completely gone. After the third time Sendat dropped him to the mat, he helped Karthajin up and shook his head.
“Is there a problem, Sire?”
“No, Sendat. I’m just distracted.”
Sendat hesitated, and Karthajin remembered that he’d seen him with Ella the day before. He suspected that the other man knew exactly why he was unable to concentrate.
“There will always be… distractions, Sire. In order to protect yourself, and those you care about, you must be able to rise above them.”
At Sendat’s words he flashed back to the memory of Ella struggling against her attackers. He nodded and entered the next bout with renewed intensity, taking Sendat down in three moves. The older man nodded approvingly. As they worked through the rest of the day’s routine, his mind drifted back to the attack.
“Sendat, can someone small ever defend themselves successfully?”
“Of course, Sire, with the proper training. One of the deadliest assassins I ever encountered barely reached my waist.”
“You know that my… pet was attacked by two guards?”
“Yes, Sire.” His face darkened and his horns twitched. “Chief Warnax made sure that everyone knew when he performed the execution of the second man. It is shameful for any male to attack a female, but an imperial guard? Disgraceful.”
“Could she be taught to defend herself in such a situation?”
Sendat rubbed his chin. “Against two well-trained opponents? It would be difficult. But there are some things she could do to perhaps surprise someone, at least long enough to get away.”
“I’ll talk to her and see if she is willing for you to train her.” He saw Sendat’s surprise but ignored it. “She is scared of Bukharans, understandably, but I wouldn’t trust her to anyone else.”
“I am honored, Sire. She would come to no harm with me.”
“I know, Sendat. Thank you.”
Chapter Ten
At breakfast, he tried once again to get Ella to sit at the table. She perched on the edge of her chair, obviously uncomfortable, and ignored her food until he sighed and patted his lap.
“Very well, pet. Come sit with me.”
A look of relief crossed her face and she happily curled up in his lap and picked up a pastry. He tried—not very successfully—to ignore the way her sweet little bottom nestled against his cock. His horns pulsed but he managed to keep his body under control. He suspected she would have been only too eager to explore any sign of his interest. Pushing that distracting thought aside, he reviewed his schedule, then signed and turned to her.
“I have to perform troop inspections today, pet. I’ll be gone for most of the day.”
Her little face fell, and her lower lip poked out in the most adorable manner.
“You have lots of books to read and Nokatan will be here this afternoon.”
She nodded reluctantly. “L-lone.”
“You’ll be lonely?” He hesitated, reluctant to admit a stranger to his private quarters, but equally disturbed to think of her alone and unhappy all day. “Do you have any friends? Perhaps someone who could visit you?”
She started to shake her head, then jumped up and ran for her tablet.
Visit stables?
“You want to go to the stables? Why?”
I have a friend there. And the kittens.
“Kittens?” He wasn’t familiar with the word.
I can show you
She looked up at him, her face hopeful, and he mentally reviewed his schedule again. If he eliminated the first briefing, he could just manage it.
“Very well.”
After changing into his formal uniform, he called for Warnax and Sendat to accompany them. Ella shrank back against him when they appeared, but Warnax approached and bowed deeply.
“My deepest apologies, Miss Ella. I give you my word of honor that no guard will ever lay a finger on you again.”
Sendat also bowed. “We will protect you with our life.”
After studying both their faces, she gave an unexpectedly regal little nod.
“Thank you, gentlemen,” Karthajin said. “We will use the utility passageways to approach the barn.”
Both men were too well trained to betray any surprise at the change in his behavior. Aside from his night-time wanderings, he usually made a point to make himself visible to his people. However, he had no intention of exposing Ella to the pointed looks and inevitable gossip that would occur if she accompanied him through the more public portions of the palace. After Warnax notified the additional guards that were always concealed along his path, the four set off.
As they reached the stables, Ella skipped ahead and he let her go, amused by her excitement. A Torpak emerged from the nearest stable as she approached, carrying a bucket, which he promptly dropped as soon he saw her. She flung herself at him and he picked her up and swung her around. A noise astonishingly like a growl erupted from Karthajin’s throat. Who the fuck was this man to touch his little female?
“Ella! Where’ve you been, girl? I’ve been worried.”
Karthajin strode up and Ella rushed back to him and grabbed his hand, gesturing to the Torpak. Up close he could see that the Torpak was almost as broad as he was tall, not fat but thick with muscle, his broad, homely countenance marked with the thick spiral ridges that signified age. He relaxed a little but still drew Ella back against his side. The Torpak’s sharp little eyes took in the gesture, then looked at the fine silk pants and embroidered vest she was wearing and shook his head.
“So, it’s like that, is it?” The disapproval in his voice was obvious.
His back straightened and his guards tensed. “What it’s like is none of your business. Do you know who I am?”
“Aye. I’m your stable master, aren’t I? You’re the emperor.”
He still didn’t seem the slightest bit impressed. Karthajin had never met anyone who hadn’t at least given outward deference to his title, and he couldn’t decide if he was amused or offended. However, if he was the stable master, he must be Vradaz, one of his grandfather’s appointees, one he had chosen to retain because of his competence, and he supposed that skill was more important than veneration.
“F-fren…” Ella whispered, tugging his hand.
“He’s your friend, pet?”
“Aye, that I am,” the man interjected. “I’d have had her here to stay with me if that damned slave master of yours would have let me. She would’a been safe here.”
“She is perfectly safe with me,” he said coldly.
“Right.” The two stared at each other, Ella watching uneasily, until Vradaz sighed. “Look, begging Your Majesty’s pardon and all, but why don’t you just let her be? The palace is no place for her. Let her come and live with me. Treat her like my own daughter, I will. She likes the animals and she’s good with ‘em. She’ll be happy here.”
Every particle of his body rebelled at the idea, but would it be best for Ella? He looked down at her anxious little face and forced out the words. “Would you like that, pet?”
“No.”
The word rang out strong and clear and he didn’t know who was more shocked.
“Y-you.”
The second word was almost as clear and from the way she wrapped herself around his arm, her meaning was obvious. A surge of pleasure went through him and he hugged her, ignoring his body’s usual response to her closeness.
“The lady has made her choice.”
“Aye. Enough to speak at last.” The man shook his head. “Why’re you here, then?”
“Ella wanted to show me something.”
“That’d be the cubs. Go on then, girl. You know where they are.” Despite his words, he followed them into the cool dimness of the barn, as did the guards. Ella led the way past the lovast’s stalls, the giant six-legged beasts pressing against the bars at the sight of her. She hummed at them but kept going, tugging eagerly at his hand, until he heard a low snarl. Peering through the darkness, he saw a tigren, curled protectively around three cubs. There were Ella’s “kittens?”
The tigren were small, but fiercely territorial. Their long grey and black striped fur concealed vicious claws and a deadly spiked tail. They were popular as a way of keeping rodents under control, but they were neither friendly nor particularly domesticated.
“Wait, Ella.”
For the first time, she ignored him, running ahead to fall to her knees beside the tigren and stroke her head. To his shock, the tigren leaned into her hand, although she kept a suspicious eye on him. The cubs clambered out from under their mother, one heading immediately for Ella.
Ella and the Emperor (Alien Abduction #5) Page 6
