Claim

by Tana Stone

  Bexli huffed out a breath. “Why do I have a feeling you and I are going to have some serious differences of opinions in the very near future? I’m going to let that slide because I know this is a lot to take in and because you did just save me from a huge scorpion or burjal.”

  He felt bile rose in his throat. The scorpion venom. Would that damage the child? His hand shook over her stomach, the words too thick in his throat to escape.

  “Whoa,” Bexli said. “You lost a few shades of color there, big guy. Are you stroking out on me?”

  He gave a brusque shake of his head, forcing himself to inhale slowly. “The scorpion poison.”

  A flicker of fear twitched across her face, then she also shook her head. “If it reached the baby, it would have probably killed me, too.” She took his hand and squeezed it. “You must have sucked it all out in time. Thanks again for that, by the way.”

  The warmth of her small hand on his felt comforting, but it also snapped him out of his momentary lapse. He should be comforting her, not the other way around. Tommel cleared his throat and closed his hand around hers. “You do not need to thank me.”

  She shrugged. “I know you Dothveks are brave and all, but no guy has ever risked his life for me before. You didn’t have to, you know.”

  He did not understand. Did she think he could have let her die if he had the power to save her? Bexli had been filling his mind and his dreams since the moment she sat in front of him on the jebel and had started complaining about having a babysitter. He’d been unable to shake the image of her lavender hair and enigmatic smile. Her thoughts had tickled his mind and left him desperate with need. Being inside her had been like nothing he’d ever experienced before. Tommel knew he would have done anything to save her. And now he would do anything to save her and the baby. “Of course, I had to save you. You are mine.”

  She bristled. “I don’t belong to anyone. I never have.”

  Tommel knew these females did not easily adapt to the Dothvek’s concept of claiming, but even she must see that carrying his child meant she was his. “You and the child are mine.”

  Pink bloomed on her cheeks but quickly morphed to angry, mottled red. “Just because you knocked me up, doesn’t mean you own me or my child. That’s not the way it works.”

  “That is the way it works here.”

  “Well, I don’t intend to stay here.” Her words were sharp, and her eyes blazed as she glared up at him.

  The bile that had been swirling in his gut roiled wildly, and he had to swallow to force it down along with the fear that clawed at him. She could not leave. Not now. Not when she was carrying the only child he would ever have. “You cannot leave.”

  Her expression darkened, and he felt her fury slam into him. And her terror. He absorbed her emotions and calmed his own, reminding himself that if he angered her, she would only leave him again.

  These females are not Dothvek, he reminded himself. They do not know our ways.

  Even though he still wanted to wrap his arms around her and physically keep her from walking away, he knew his desire would only scare her. He needed to give her space, as impossible as that felt.

  “You cannot leave yet.” He steadied his voice. “The venom will have weakened you when it entered your body. And the baby will take more energy from you. We will need to stay here so you can rest. At least for a while.”

  Her shoulders visibly slumped, and he felt some of the fight drain from her. “Oh. I guess you’re right about that. I do feel tired.”

  Looping an arm around her waist, he lowered her to the ground. “You need to build up your strength before you can resume your mission to rescue your friends.”

  “So, you aren’t going to forbid me from going after my crew?” She eyed him as she let him help her sit.

  Tommel was not a good liar. No Dothvek was. Since they could sense deception in each other, lying was not a skill anyone bothered with. He did not want to lie to Bexli, either. “Would there be any purpose to me forbidding you?”

  “No. I would do it anyway.”

  No surprise there. He sat behind her, his back against the stone wall. Her body was stiff as he settled her onto his lap.

  “What are you doing?” She asked.

  He glanced down at her, sensing the exhaustion over taking her. “You would rather sleep on the hard rock?”

  She nibbled her bottom lip. “I guess not, but don’t think just because we’re technically sleeping together that anything has changed.”

  He almost laughed at how stubborn she was, marveling that she wasn’t Dothvek. “You are carrying my child.”

  She stifled a yawn. “You know what I mean. I’m still finding my crew, and we’re still leaving the planet.”

  He nodded but didn’t reply, resting his head on the rock behind him and tucking her head under his chin. Closing his eyes, he listened to her let out another sigh before her body relaxed and her breathing deepened.

  When he knew she was asleep, he wrapped his arms around her, shifting her so she was cradled in his arms. Her tiny hands were splayed across his chest as she nuzzled her head against him, sending frissons of pleasure through his body.

  Tommel could not sense the baby yet—and of course, her narrow waist showed no evidence—but he knew it was there. Lowering his mouth to her forehead, he kissed her softly. Even after only knowing about the child for a short time, he already felt a powerful urge to protect it. And he could not imagine letting the child or its mother out of his sight ever again. They were now as much a part of him as his own limbs, and he would rather cut off an arm than let either go.

  But he also knew that Bexli had no intention of being controlled or guarded. And she had no desire to stay on the planet with him.

  The ache in Tommel’s heart grew. He did not have long to convince her that she and the baby belonged with him. But he knew he had to convince her before she ripped his world apart again.

  Sixteen

  Bexli woke with a start. One side of her face was warm and the other was cool. Sitting up, she realized that she’d been sleeping on top of Tommel with one side of her body curled into him.

  She knew she’d been exhausted when she’d fallen asleep like that, otherwise she never would have gone along with it, despite how comfortable it had been. It definitely beat sleeping on the rock floor, he’d been right about that.

  One hand instinctively fluttered to her belly, which was still flat. Lycithian pregnancies went fast, but not that fast, she reminded herself.

  Closing her eyes, Bexli held the image of Pog in her mind. If this worked, Tommel would wake up seriously confused to be holding a green ball of fluff in his arms. She concentrated with everything she had, even pressing her eyes together tighter—as if that would help—but she did not shift. She didn’t even feel the usual warm buzzing in her fingers.

  Bexli let out a long breath. She knew it wouldn’t work before she tried, but she had to give it one final attempt. She knew she was pregnant, but she’d hoped she’d been wrong, or the burjal venom had messed her up, or it had been a glitch.

  No luck, she thought, glancing up at the still sleeping barbarian. She was definitely pregnant, and the father was the only Dothvek who seemed to think she couldn’t take care of herself.

  “Just fucking perfect,” she whispered.

  Tommel didn’t stir, and she took the opportunity to study him. For once he wasn’t scolding her or looking at her with open disapproval. When he wasn’t scowling, he was pretty gorgeous.

  His dark hair was tucked behind his peaked ears and the streaks of silver glinted in the faint light, contrasting with his gold skin. She liked the silver in his hair, even though it reminded her how unfair it was that guys looked sexy with touches of gray. He even looked younger, now that his forehead wasn’t furrowed into worried creases.

  She fought the urge to run her hands over the scruff on his face and down his neck to the thick muscles of his shoulders. He looked like he’d been carved out of granite—a warm
, gold granite that pulsed heat and made her fingertips hum when she touched it.

  Bexli felt so safe with him, but she knew it was an illusion. As strong and solid as he felt now, she couldn’t trust him not to run away again. She couldn’t forget the look on his face when she’d told him she was pregnant. If that wasn’t fear, she didn’t know what was, and fear made guys run. She knew that for damn sure.

  He might have locked it all down and decided to stick around for the baby, but she didn’t want that, either. What woman wanted a guy who was only there out of duty? She made a face. Not her. It wasn’t like she needed him, either. She was perfectly capable of raising a baby. She had her friends and her job, and she knew from her own childhood that a dad was entirely optional. A familiar pang made her flinch, but she pushed it away.

  He shifted underneath her, and she felt something hard bump against her leg. Heat rushed between her legs, and her nipples hardened into tight points.

  Shit. She knew Lycithian pregnancies were faster and more intense than most other alien gestations, but she’d hoped she wouldn’t experience all the symptoms. She’d heard that Lycithian females were almost insatiable during their pregnancies, but she hadn’t imagined that it would be quite so intense, or happen so quickly.

  Bexli’s skin felt like it was igniting, as white-hot desire made her arch into him. Need sent unwanted spasms down her spine, and she closed her eyes to try to tamp down the growl building in her throat. She drew in a deep breath, but it didn’t help. His distinctly male scent made her rock her hips into him, pressing her fingertips into his firm chest muscles in a vain attempt to ground herself. Being so close to him made it impossible for her to rein in the sensations as they assaulted her—his hard body, his warm breath, his rumbling groan.

  Her eyes flew open. He gazed down at her, his eyes hot and his thick shoulders bunched with the strain of not touching her. She didn’t need to read minds to know how hard he was trying to restrain himself or how confused he was.

  She didn’t say a word. She couldn’t explain, and she didn’t want to. She just needed him inside her before she detonated.

  Scraping a hand through his hair, she jerked his mouth to hers. His shock as his lips crushed hers gave way almost instantly to a frenzied possession. He quickly took over the kiss, as he had before, his tongue parting her lips with a single sweep and his hand clutching the back of her head and holding her to him.

  Bexli moved her hands hungrily down his neck to his shoulders, finally dragging her nails down the hard ridges of his back. She loved the rigid feel of him. He was hard all over, and she moved her ass to feel how hard his cock was.

  When he tore his mouth from hers, he was panting. “Bexli—“

  She shook her head, moving frantically to pull off her pants. “Don’t talk.”

  When she’d tugged her pants off entirely, she lifted herself and turned so that she was straddling him.

  His pupils flared. “But—“

  She put both hands on his face, locking eyes with him. “I need this. I need you. Please.” When he hesitated, she added,” It’s not like I can get any more pregnant than I already am.” She dropped her voice and licked her bottom lip. “Don’t you want to fuck me again?”

  He let out a tortured moan, and she took that as a yes, setting her mouth on his again. Without breaking her deep kiss, she tugged his pants down until his cock sprang free, fisting it in one hand and savoring his low rumbling that echoed in her own chest.

  She bumped her fingers along the ridged rings of his thick cock, loving the velvety hardness of it. Her fingertip swirled over the crown, the slick moisture beading from the tip already. Even holding it made her pussy clench in anticipation.

  Holding him, she lifted her hips so that she hovered over him. She dragged the crown of his cock through her slick folds, gasping as it stroked her hooded bundle of nerves. Sinking down on his cock slowly, she took every hard ridge and savored the stretch as he filled her. When she’d taken him completely, she gripped his shoulders and pulled her mouth from his, gasping from the sharp sting of pleasure.

  Tommel’s gaze was dark, and a muscle ticked in his clenched jaw. He clutched her hips, his gaze not leaving hers as he began to lift her up and down. The sensations were almost too much, and she dropped her head back and closed her eyes.

  “Look at me,” he growled.

  She obeyed, forcing her eyes open and locking them on his as he drove her down again and again. His fingers bit into her flesh hotly, as if his touch was branding her.

  She didn’t care. She only cared about the liquid heat pulsing through her veins and making her meet his thrusts urgently. “Harder, Tommel. I need you harder.”

  With a primal roar, he stood, lifting her and pressing her into the rock wall. He hitched her legs higher and plunged even deeper. She cried out, but he swallowed her cries with a dominant kiss that left her in no doubt of who was in charge.

  Seventeen

  As startled as he’d been when he’d woken to Bexli’s arousal slamming into him, Tommel could barely control himself now as he pressed her hard into the wall. Her sharp nails scored his flesh, and her gaze drilled into him. He’d wanted her eyes on him, had needed to watch her as he’d taken her, but now looking at her enflamed him so much he could hardly breathe.

  “Tommel,” her breathy voice begged him, her body quivering as he felt his own release building.

  He thrust hard and held himself deep. “Is that what you wanted?”

  She bobbed her head, her eyelids fluttering. “Your cock feels so good. I’ve never been filled like this before.”

  “No one but me will ever fill you again.” He pounded into her. “Say it.”

  She looked dazed as she nodded.

  He moved away from the wall and lifted her by the ass, moving her up and down. “Say it, Bexli. No one but me ever again.”

  “No one but you,” she gasped, her eyes wild. “I only want you, Tommel.”

  He groaned from the pleasure of her wet heat clenching him. “This is mine now.” He drove her down harder. “You are mine.”

  She met his gaze, her hot eyes drilling into him “Whatever you want. Just don’t stop fucking me.”

  He angled her hips slightly to drag his ridges across her slick nub, feeling her tip over the edge and her body ripple around him. With a final guttural sound as her body tightened around his cock, he knifed up and pulsed into her. She arched back and screamed, clawing at his shoulders and finally sagging into him, her arms shaking.

  Leaning against the wall again, he held her legs around his waist even as his own legs trembled. The roaring in his ears faded, as did the pounding of his heart. His breath evened out and the reality crashed around him. His fierce grip on her flesh relaxed, and he pulled her away from the wall, remembering that she was pregnant.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, his voice a hoarse whisper.

  “Fine. You?” Her face contorted into a grimace as she stared at his shoulders. “I might have scratched you a little.”

  Tommel couldn’t feel it if she had, and he didn’t care. He didn’t matter. Only she did. And the baby. He lowered her to the floor, his hands moving from her ass to her hips to her belly. “You are sure I did not hurt—?”

  A grin spread across her face. “You’re big, but you’re not that big. I’m sure the little squirt is fine.”

  He was not convinced. “Squirt?”

  Bexli waved a hand. “Some Earth word Caro uses. Trust me, you didn’t hurt the baby. It’s probably the size of a pebble.”

  He pressed his lips together, still angry that he’d lost control and forgotten that he was no longer dealing with a regular female. “I should have been more gentle.”

  Bexli let out a sigh. “But I told you I wanted it hard. I don’t want it gentle, especially not now.”

  “Why did you want this?” He asked, now that he could think straight. “I thought I was the last thing you wanted.”

  The flush that had been fading from her fa
ce returned. “I was upset earlier, but that doesn’t mean I’m not still attracted to you. And when Lycithians are pregnant, we get really horny.”

  Now it was his turn to feel heat crawl up his neck. “The baby makes you want to mate?”

  She cringed at the word, but shrugged. “Pretty uncontrollably. I think it’s because the pregnancy is so fast, and all our hormones get accelerated.”

  He tried to make sense of this. Only hours ago, she’d been practically hostile to him, and now she was telling him she couldn’t keep from throwing herself at him. “So, you will want to do this more?”

  She bit the corner of her lip. “If we keep talking about it, I’m going to have to fuck you again right this second.”

  He blinked at her. He knew the females who’d been marooned on his planet were different from Dothvek females, but his clansmen who’d taken them as mates seemed happy. None had mentioned this type of sexual appetite, although none of the females had gotten pregnant.

  Her pupils flared as she looked at him. It was difficult enough to think that Bexli was pregnant with his child and wanted to leave his planet, but he knew he could not keep fucking her and keep a clear mind. It may be a physical symptom of pregnancy to her, but every time he was inside her his claim on her deepened, as did the impossibility that he would ever let her go.

  He stood and took a few steps back, yanking his pants back up around his waist even though his cock had not completely softened. “I think it is best if you continue to rest. The venom can have lingering effects.”

  Bexli cocked an eyebrow at him. “I think I proved pretty convincingly that I’m fully recovered.”

  She had a point, but it wasn’t her recovery he now worried about. So much had happened over the past day that it felt as if the planet was tilting out from under his feet. He needed to get his bearings, and from the glimmer in her eyes, he suspected she was not going to make it easy for him to think straight.