Stepping into the water, Rykaur dove beneath its steamy depths, surfacing somewhere in the middle. He swam over to the side and took a seat on the bench protruding there.
The thought of Mary sitting not twenty feet away while he bathed stirred his sex to life.
With a growl of frustration, Rykaur grabbed the cake of soap and lathered up his hair before rinsing and starting on his body.
His hand brushed against his erection, forcing a soft hiss from his lips.
He closed his eyes, laid his head back against the pool’s ledge, and relaxed his mind. The last thing he needed was for Mary to pick up on his lustful thoughts.
His time would be better spent thinking of how he would take down Jefferies without killing him. Klause wanted the human garbage alive. And though Rykaur knew it to be the best course of action, it didn’t mean he had to like it.
Jefferies had hurt Mary. The thought tormented Rykaur’s mind. Even now, the monster held Mary’s orphaned siblings against their will.
Rykaur had promised Mary that he would rescue the children. And that was a promise he intended to keep. He only hoped they yet lived.
His thoughts drifted back to Mary and what she’d confessed to at the pool of life.
She’d never been with a man. That piece of information created a possessive feeling inside him that brought his barbs to life.
What would he do if she rejected him? He’d survived rejection at the hands of Kaura, but something about Mary felt different than what he’d felt for the Bracadyte female.
He slowly lifted his head as realization dawned. Rykaur, a Bracadyte warrior was falling in love with the fiery-haired, gray-eyed human.
“Rykaur?”
The sound of Zaureth’s voice penetrated Rykaur’s anxious thoughts. “In here.”
The calm mannered healer strode into the room without preamble. “We have a problem.”
Rykaur’s erection quickly dissipated. “Is it the Arkadians?”
“No. It is Jefferies.”
Swimming to the edge, Rykaur climbed from the pool and grabbed a towel. “What has happened?”
“One of the Marines at the entrance captured a spy working for Jefferies. After a two-hour interrogation, the man confessed to having knowledge of Mary and the children.”
Rykaur glanced toward the alcove where Mary remained hidden.
Knowing full well that she could hear Zaureth’s words, Rykaur wrapped the towel around his waist and sent her a thought. “You may come out now.”
Mary rounded the stone wall and rushed toward them. “Did he say if the children were okay?”
Zaureth hesitated. “Jefferies plans to dispose of them if you are not back tonight.”
“But he gave me three days,” Mary cried, her eyes clouded with fear. “Did the man say where he was holding the kids?”
Rykaur touched her on the arm. “It is a trap, Mary.”
“How can you be so sure?”
It pained Rykaur to see her so distressed. “You do not find it convenient that one of his men has been caught while you are in Aukrabah? The first one to be captured in all this time?”
Doubt flickered in her beautiful eyes. “But what if you’re wrong, Rykaur?”
“I am not wrong.”
Zaureth held up a hand. “We leave by way of the gulf, first thing in the morning. Fiona will emerge at the land entrance shortly thereafter.”
“But she’s injured,” Mary argued. “I saw her face when Gryke carried her out of the arena.”
Zaureth simply shook his head. “Her injuries have been removed.”
Rykaur returned his gaze to Mary. “You will stay with Zaureth’s mate in the catacombs while I am gone. I will bring the children back with me.”
Mary stared back at him without speaking, her thoughts too scrambled to get a bead on them.
She finally nodded. “Would you mind if I get a bath first?”
Rykaur softened his gaze. “Of course, I do not mind.”
Zaureth turned to go. “I will inform Amy of Mary’s arrival in the morning. She will be safe there.”
Once Zaureth cleared the doorway, Rykaur retrieved a couple of towels for Mary and moved to wait in the alcove.
The thought of Mary removing her clothes brought Rykaur’s erection back in full force. He ached to step around the wall and slip into that pool with her, to hold her close, to possess her…to love her.
He dropped his weight onto the uncomfortable bench. It was going to be a long night.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Mary bathed with the efficiency of a general, something she’d learned to do growing up in foster care. Water was never wasted. Neither was time.
Her mind lingered on the man who’d been captured by the Marines. What if he was telling the truth about Jefferies’s intentions to dispose of the children? If so, he would do it tonight.
Nausea rolled from the anxiety that coursed through her veins.
Could she really risk the children’s lives on Rykaur’s hunch? What if he was wrong?
On the other hand, if Rykaur was right about Jefferies’s bluff and Mary went running to the children’s rescue, they would die regardless…as would she herself.
Was she willing to give her life for the kids? Yes, she was. She loved them as if they were her own. And in a sense, they were.
Her mind made up, Mary finished her bath, climbed from the pool, and dried off. She donned her clothes and called out to Rykaur.
He stepped from the alcove, the towel he wore tented in front.
Mary’s gaze zeroed in on it. Images of him lying naked on the floor of that tent came flooding back with a vengeance. The sheer size of his shaft should have been enough to terrify her.
Glancing away, Mary cleared her throat. “Rykaur? I—”
His lips slanted over hers. Her feet left the ground the second his arms closed around her.
The feel of his tongue demanding entrance was all the coaxing Mary needed. She opened for him, moaning at the first touch of his tongue touching hers.
Rykaur gripped her tighter, his hands going to her ass to hold her more firmly against him.
Mary wanted him— No, she needed him in a way she’d never needed anything in her life. And after tonight, she might never see him again.
The thought pained her, but nothing would stop her from doing what she had to do. Not even her feelings for Rykaur.
And she did have feelings for him, of that she was certain.
“Hold on to me,” he mentally implored her, striding from the room.
Mary’s legs came around him to lock behind his back. She hoisted herself up higher, never breaking contact with his ever-moving lips.
She’d never tasted, smelled, or felt anything more intoxicating than Rykaur. His very essence seemed to slide through her body, possessing everything in its wake.
They arrived at Rykaur’s apartment a couple of minutes later, and Mary found herself on his bed with his big body covering her.
He lifted his mouth from hers. “Please tell me that I can have you, Mary. I know that I cannot force you to love me, but I will do everything in my power to make you feel loved.”
Mary’s heart turned over. Though it pained her to know that she might never see him again after this night, she was determined to make it the best night of her life.
She stared up into his emerald-green eyes—eyes full of sincerity and emotion. “Yes.”
Without warning, Rykaur rose up on his knees, jerked the towel from around his waist, and tossed it to the floor.
Mary’s gaze sought out his huge erection.
“Do not fear me, sweet Mary. I would rather die than hurt you.”
Swallowing hard, Mary reached for him, pulling him back down on top of her. She couldn’t seem to get enough of his scent.
“Your scent is an aphrodisiac to me as well,” Rykaur growled against her neck, obviously picking up on her thoughts.
Mary’s heart hammered with excitement and anxiety. She was abo
ut to give herself to Rykaur, to experience sex for the first time.
She knew there would be pain, and even more so, given Rykaur’s size. But she didn’t care. Nothing mattered in that moment but taking him into her body and becoming one with the first man she had ever cared about.
“I am not a man,” he rumbled, reading her thoughts. “But I will never harm you or mistreat you in any way. I will remain faithful to you in this life and the next.”
Tears sprang to Mary’s eyes. Rykaur’s words, coupled with the incredible way he made her feel, were nearly too much to take in.
In all her twenty years, Mary had experienced nothing but pain, rejection, heartache, and disappointment. No one had ever loved her or shown her kindness other than the children. Yet here lay this strong and powerful creature opening himself up to her in the purest and most beautiful way imaginable.
He wanted her… He loved her.
“Make love to me, Rykaur.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Rykaur felt everything Mary felt, heard her thoughts as if she’d spoken them aloud, so in tune was he to her in that moment.
Her surrender took him by storm, creating a hunger for her that he was powerless to tame. Yet he had to try. She was a virgin, untouched by any before him. And he would make her first time pleasurable for her if it killed him.
“Mary,” he groaned, sliding his tongue along her neck. Her blood called to him in the same way her body did.
He could almost feel the precious liquid rushing beneath her skin, hammering out a pulse that rivaled the beating of his heart.
“Yes.”
The softly whispered word slid through his psyche like a caress.
Rykaur’s fangs extended, tingling with anticipation.
He licked his way down her neck, stopping at her pulsing vein before gently penetrating it.
The feel of her blood rushing up through his fangs was nothing short of bliss.
Rykaur savored her, took from her until he thought he’d go mad from the pleasure.
Their thoughts rushed between them, creating a bridge of seduction that throbbed with a life of its own.
Mary shifted beneath him, grinding, seeking something Rykaur was all too willing to give.
He gently pulled from her vein and sat back on his haunches. The unguarded look of lust in her eyes sent his fangs throbbing once again.
“I need to see you now.” Rykaur gripped the waistband of her shorts and tugged them off, taking her panties with them. He tossed them somewhere behind him.
Mary lay completely still, watching him through her lashes. She had to be the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.
Rykaur removed her shirt next and then her bra until she lay before him in all her nude glory.
He loved that she wasn’t stick thin. Her breasts were full and heavy, the nipples a pale pink.
His gaze slid down to her slightly rounded belly and full hips to her soft thighs and back up to her intoxicating woman’s center.
“You are perfect,” he breathed, bringing his hands up to her thighs. He slowly pushed them wider.
Wetness glistened at her opening, attesting to her need for him as well. “Mary…”
Leaning in, Rykaur brought his palms up to rest on either side of her shoulders, lowered his head, and took one of her rosy nipples into his mouth.
She gasped on contact, her back rising up to push more firmly against him.
Rykaur took his time, swirling his tongue around its hardening point before sucking the tip deeply into his mouth.
Mary’s hands went to the back of his head. She practically ripped his ponytail free and then sank her hands into his hair.
Rykaur was on fire. He ached with the need to take her, to bury himself inside her warmth and relieve the pressure that had been building since the day he’d met her.
He moved to the other breast, giving it equal amounts of attention.
Mary’s hips swirled beneath him, and one of her legs hooked over the back of his. She arched. “Rykaur…please.”
Popping her nipple free of his mouth, Rykaur raised up and met her gaze. “I have never been with a virgin before. I only know that it is painful for a female, her first time. I will be as gentle as I can.”
“I trust you,” she whispered, her hips lifting once more.
Reaching between their bodies, Rykaur coasted a finger along her wet slit and carefully inserted it inside her.
Mary moaned, arching against the probing digit.
“You are incredibly small, Mary. Perhaps we should wait until—”
“No,” she gasped, locking her leg more firmly behind his. “I can do this, Rykaur. It’s going to hurt, no matter how long we wait.”
Rykaur didn’t answer. Instead, he brought his thumb up to her swollen bundle of nerves, carefully inserted a second finger, and pumped them gently inside her.
“Ah, God.” Mary’s softly groaned words were a kick to his gut. All of Aukrabah could go up in flames, and Rykaur wouldn’t care. As long as he could remain on his knees, staring into Mary’s beautiful eyes while he pleasured her incredible body.
She reached for him then, grabbing on to his arms and pulling him down to her.
His fingers slipped from her wet passage. “Wrap your legs around me.”
Her soft thighs slipped along his sides, and her feet locked behind his back.
Rykaur could feel his heart hammering inside his chest. He could barely see through the sexual haze that burned in his eyes. His entire body felt fevered with need, and his fangs refused to retract.
Gripping his sensitive shaft, Rykaur guided it to her opening and eased his hips forward until he rested inside her an inch.
Mary stilled, but didn’t retreat.
“Are you all right?”
She nodded, her soft gray gaze boring into his own, and tightened her legs around him.
“Relax,” Rykaur rasped, his body trembling with the need to thrust. “Try not to tense up.”
Mary unhooked her feet from behind him and slowly lowered them to the bed. Her knees remained bent, and her eyes stayed fixed on him.
Rykaur pressed forward another inch, stopping as Mary’s hands flew to his chest. “I am too big for you.”
“No,” she gasped, her palms still flattened against him. “It’s just a lot of pressure.”
“Mary, I will pull out. I can pleasure you in other ways.”
Her feet returned to his back, tightening with a strength that surprised him. The action cause Rykaur to penetrate her deeper.
He clenched his teeth as her hot vaginal walls squeezed the head of his shaft.
Staring into Mary’s eyes, Rykaur knew what he had to do. Slowly inching into her would not remove her pain, it would merely prolong it.
Lowering to his elbows, he gripped her shoulders in his big hands and covered her mouth with his. “I am sorry,” he mentally whispered.
Rykaur thrust, ripping through the thin membrane that attested to Mary’s virginity. His heart twisted at the hoarse cry that tore from her throat.
He dropped his forehead to hers, hating himself for the lone tear he noticed slip down her cheek. “Forgive me.”
She took a shuddering breath. “Is it over?”
Rykaur hesitated, searching for the strength to pull out of her. “It is for now. We do not have to go deeper this time.”
“Deeper?” she whispered. “That’s not all of you?”
He brushed a kiss across her lips. “I am afraid not, sweet Mary.”
Her body slowly began to relax beneath him. “I want all of you.”
“I will not continue to hurt you,” Rykaur responded, his voice sounding strained to his own ears.
Mary reached up and cupped his face. “The pain is beginning to subside. Please, make love to me, Rykaur. All of me…with all of you.” She arched beneath him.
Rykaur couldn’t have stopped himself then if he’d wanted to. Holding her gaze, he flexed his hips and drove his great length forward, buryi
ng every inch of his swollen shaft inside her snug heat. Nothing had ever felt so incredible or impossibly tight.
Though Mary cried out, her legs remained firmly locked behind him and her palms continued to hold his face.
The pulsing sensation Rykaur had been experiencing in his erection since it began filling with blood suddenly took on a life of its own. It thrummed to the beat of his heart. Or was it hers? He wasn’t sure. He only knew that an orgasm was building inside him that he would be powerless to stop if he didn’t get ahold of himself.
She moved first, or maybe it was him? It didn’t matter. Rykaur only knew that he’d never imagined anything as extraordinary as being one with Mary.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Pressure. The intense pressure Mary experienced with Rykaur’s thick erection buried inside her body was nothing compared to the overwhelming pain of his initial entry.
Growing up, she’d overheard stories from girls at school who had lost their virginity. They talked about the slight burning sensation they felt upon first penetration or the quick pain of piercing their hymen, but she’d never once heard it described as excruciating.
The pain from Rykaur’s thrust had slowed to a dull ache, but the pressure still remained.
He pulled back slightly only to penetrate her again.
A different kind of pressure built, one born from pleasure.
Mary’s muscles slowly relaxed, and she tilted her pelvis up to meet his next downward thrust.
“Mine,” he rasped, sliding deeper. The intense hooded stare of his emerald-colored eyes burning a hole through her fragile heart.
He suddenly raised up to kneel between her parted thighs, his thumb settling over her oversensitive bundle of nerves to swipe ever so gently in a circular motion.
Mary’s body came alive. Sensations flew through her at the point of contact to resonate deep inside with the friction and pressure of his driving shaft.
She’d never had an orgasm before. Never had the time or guidance to achieve one. But God help her, she felt one coming over her now.
Rykaur flattened his hand over her overheated mound, and holy shit, Mary nearly bucked him off.
Rykaur: A SciFi Alien Romance (Enigma Series Book 8) Page 9
