“Oh, that’s right. Perfect. Don’t stop.”
She couldn’t have stopped even if she’d wanted to. He withdrew, took off his condom, and turned her onto her back again. Then he sank his cock into her pussy once more, and cupped her face as he fucked her so slowly she thought she’d go out of her mind with need.
“Take it all, baby. Take it for as long as I can hold off, love. Look at me. You are so fucking beautiful.”
Callie could hardly breathe. He’d never made love to her like this. He’d never been so tender yet possessive before. Her pulse raced as her own needs grew once again, and she hoped he fucked her for hours like this. It was so intimate and personal this time, and she realized that as impossible as it seemed, her feelings went way beyond simply caring for him.
She was falling in love with him.
As the truth finally hit home, she began to cry again. He wiped her tears away, kissed her sweetly, and kept fucking her with slow, deliberate thrusts. Each one massaged her clit, and when the third climax exploded, she almost begged him to stop. It was that intense, and she wasn’t sure she could take it.
But he was far from done with her tonight. He intended to own her completely. Heart, body, and soul. Callie understood that now in a way she never had before, and she welcomed it. As he finally increased his thrusting in speed and moved toward his own orgasm, she closed her eyes and clung to him, enjoying the ride.
She had no idea what was going to happen, but she knew two things. This was where she would live out her life, and she loved this man. Completely.
Chapter Nine
Jakara spent the next two weeks only leaving Callie’s side to use the bathroom. He’d hung the Escher print over their bed, and she’d tried to explain to him why she loved it so much, but he really didn’t understand it. Still, because it had made her so happy, he didn’t regret bringing it back here with him.
Lesha had taught her to cook quite a bit in the short time before he’d taken this vacation, and she surprised him with how much she’d learned. Each time they ate a meal, she waited until he told her what he thought of the food, and was so pleased every time he liked it that Jakara wondered how often she’d made someone happy in her former life. He’d assumed that an educated, intelligent woman like Callie would also have strong self-confidence, but he’d been wrong about that.
One evening, after they’d eaten and were listening to Bach on her iPod, he asked her to tell him about the former men in her life.
“There’s not much to tell. I had boyfriends in school, but I was a virgin when I went to college. I lost that at a frat party that turned out to be a threesome. And no, that wasn’t planned. At least not by me. I later found out that he had planned it that way, and I was really upset.”
“You mean because you found the experience of having sex with two men unpleasant?”
“No, actually that part was kind of hot. What upset me was that he tried to pretend it was an accident his best friend just happened to barge in on us and weaseled his way into the mix. The entire thing was staged. They even tried to take pictures with their cell phones.”
“I’m sorry. That sounds dishonest.”
“Very. And that’s what upset me.”
“I wouldn’t do that to you.”
She eyed him suspiciously. “You mean you want me to have sex with you and another man?”
“Hell no. I’m not sharing you with anyone. I mean I wouldn’t try and trick you like that.”
She smiled, and his heart soared as it did each time that gesture lit up her pretty face. “Good. Because I only want you.”
The words were perfect, and he knew she meant them. But what he didn’t know was whether her heart was filled with the one emotion he now knew he couldn’t live without from her. Love. One month ago, if someone had told him he’d feel this way about a woman, from Earth or otherwise, he’d have laughed.
But she’d captivated him, body, heart, and soul. There was no turning back. He’d never felt this way, and he knew he never would again. She was the one he wanted. But how could he expect her to feel the same way toward him? Sure, she cared for him. She’d said that two weeks ago. But love was another matter. It was entirely different. It took the relationship to an emotional plane that simply wasn’t possible in this situation. And he had no one to blame for that scenario but himself.
It was too late to turn back now. The only thing he could do was try to win her love. Because he would never give her up. Never.
****
Callie taught Jakara to play poker, and he taught her a card game called Lucky Seven, which to her wasn’t much different from Crazy Eights. He was very skilled at the game, but she won almost as many games as he did. Every time she did, he’d pull her over his knee and give her a half-hearted spanking, telling her she should have let him win.
This produced peals of laughter from her, and aroused her to the point of physical pain. These card-playing sessions usually ended with them having rough sex on the floor, and then they’d move to the bed or sometimes the rooftop.
That was her favorite place on hot nights. He’d bring a blanket up there, and after he’d taken her quick and rough, they’d make slow, luxurious love under the stars. Only the wind and an occasional distant sound served as their backdrop. She asked him why she never heard any animals or insects, and he told her she would when the weather turned cooler.
As the second week wore on, Callie tried to stop thinking about him returning to his missions, but she knew he had no choice. On the last night of his vacation, she asked him if they could take a walk around the property at night, just so she could stretch her legs a bit.
They waited until it was well after dark, and then he had her dress in combat fatigues and boots, just in case. He said that if, on the off chance anyone spotted them from a distance, they’d assume she was a fellow soldier.
Callie breathed in the warm night air, and glanced up at the sky. She was used to the different look of the stars now, but if she thought too long and hard about it, the realization that she’d never see Earth again still overwhelmed and frightened her. They were so isolated. She missed having friends to talk to, and wondered whether that bothered him, as well.
“Tell me what it was like growing up for you.”
He gave her an odd look. “What do you mean?”
“I mean did you have friends? What kind of games did you play? Did you go to school?”
He led her toward an outcropping of rock as they walked. “We had tutors. The Regum children go to formal schools. You would call them boarding schools, I believe. But we were trained at home. And I did have friends, but we didn’t have much play time. Not like you were used to. Our fathers taught us to fight, and our mothers cooked and took care of the house.”
“Do you get lonely here all by yourself? I mean did you, before I came here?”
“Only for someone to share my bed.” He stopped walking and turned to face her. “Tell me what’s bothering you, love. I can sense it.”
She swallowed hard. “I’m afraid to be alone. I’m not used to it. I jump at every noise, and Lesha doesn’t talk to me. She answers questions, but I can’t engage her in conversation. I don’t like this. I don’t know how you stand it.”
He pulled her close and held her. “Callie … I wish I could change things for you. But I promise you that you are safe inside my home. And Lesha has always been like that, but if this helps at all, she does like you.”
“Really?”
“Yes. She wouldn’t tell me so if it weren’t true.”
Callie pulled away from him as a faint sound reached her ears. Her pulse raced as it grew louder, and then she glanced into his eyes. He heard it, too. “I know what that is. I heard it as I was walking home from my new job the day you brought me to Addo.”
He looked at her like he didn’t want to believe it, and then he took her hand and pulled her along as they ran. But there was no way to keep up with him. He was over a foot taller than she was, for one
thing, and she hadn’t run anywhere in months. His legs were too strong and his stride longer. She nearly fell more than once before he finally slowed his pace.
They wedged themselves inside a cleft in the rock face, but it wasn’t large enough to conceal them and she knew that. He pulled her close and hissed in her ear. “Stay as still as possible. Hold your breath if you can.”
She did both, but as the whine of the drone drew closer, she could do nothing about the pounding of her heart. Could it pick up such a sound? She had no idea. Was it heat sensitive? Would it detect them because of that? She swore it slowed as it passed overhead, but that might have been her imagination.
Once it was gone over the cliffs, they ran again. She heard it circling back before they reached his house, but they were inside before it passed overhead a second time. Callie crouched in a corner while Jakara went to every window to look outside, and even went up on the roof. When he returned, he told her it was gone.
“Who sent it?”
“I don’t know. The only way I can find out is to access the computer in my barracks on Addo.”
“No. Please don’t leave me alone at night.”
“I’ll contact Lesha and ask her to stay with you.”
She wiped tears from her face. “Please don’t go.”
“I have to. If they saw you, I need to know that. Sooner rather than later.”
She knew he was right, but she would never feel safe here again. He held her close until Lesha arrived about twenty minutes later, and then he was gone. She listened to his aircraft fly away and tried to keep breathing.
****
Jakara made it to his barracks in less than half an hour. He was still pissed off beyond reason by the time he stormed inside and turned on his computer. As soon as it booted up he accessed the drone system and scanned it. There were no regular runs on Voyeur Moon and he knew that, but he’d decided to start there, just in case they’d been added during his absence.
When he didn’t see any, he used the database where everyone who flew an extra one was supposed to file a plan. Of course, if this had been from a private individual, or from one of the Regum, he’d never find a record of it, but it was worth a shot. Unfortunately, he found no trace of whose it was or why it had flown over his house. Twice.
Because he’d heard it before Callie had reacted, and he knew it had come from the east, which meant it had flown over his house. But did whoever had sent it know she was there, or had they merely decided to start using drones to watch him? His superiors weren’t idiots. They knew he’d see it and hear it. Which meant whoever had sent it wanted him to know they’d done so. They wanted him to know they were watching.
But had Logan or another Section Chief sent it, or had it come from higher up? And if it wasn’t from his superiors, who was deliberately taunting him with it? Someone from Sera or right here on Addo? Had Walton sent it? The conversation from several weeks ago came back to him. It wasn’t the first time Walton had warned him, but he’d never come to his house to do so before.
Jakara had been foolish to tell himself that because Walton had spoken English with him that day, something they did as often as possible to keep up their skills, that Walton was still on his side. He hadn’t wanted to believe such an old friend could slowly turn into an enemy, but now he had to face that possibility.
He sat still for a few moments, trying to imagine who else would have done this, but the only person it all pointed to was Walton. Even if he hadn’t brought Callie home, this would have happened eventually. He should have found a way to work on the project. Then he wouldn’t have drawn so much attention to his opposing views. They’d already thought he wasn’t a team player. Now, he had proof they’d decided to something about it.
He’d put himself in danger, but that was something he could deal with. Callie, on the other hand, was no longer safe. He had to figure out what to do with her. Because he wasn’t giving her up. Not a fucking chance. He’d quit his work and hide somewhere if that were possible, but she was in his life for good now. Of that he was certain. And he’d rather fight this cause another way than live without her in his life.
She was asleep when he returned, and Lesha had dozed off as well. After he made sure Lesha made it safely home, he crawled into bed next to Callie and held her closely. He kissed her neck, and she stirred. When she realized he was in bed with her, she turned toward him and embraced him.
He stroked her hair. “It’s all right, love. I’m here. You’re safe.”
“Did you find out who sent the drone?”
He could lie. It would be so easy to do. She’d never have to know the truth. But that wasn’t fair to her. She might assume she was safe and go outside when he wasn’t home. He knew she went up on the roof at night sometimes, and he hated to ask her not to do that anymore, but it would have to stop now.
“No, but I have other sources to check. Get some sleep now. It will all be okay. I promise.”
“I’m not sleepy now.”
He pulled her close and held her, and then it was so easy to simply slide his dick into her wet pussy. They slept naked every night now, curled up in each other’s arms. She lay on her side, one leg over his hip, and he fucked her slowly, tenderly, as he held her face and stroked her hair.
She clung to him, gazing at him in the dark with what he wished was love on her face. “Thank you,” she whispered.
“I couldn’t go back to flying missions without making love to you one more time.”
She moaned loudly as he brushed his hand down her back and over her round, firm ass. How he loved to spank that ass! When he moved his hand between them and massaged her clit, she came, crying out loudly. He never tired of that. It was always so real and perfect, that he thought his heart would burst with joy each time he was able to bring her to orgasm.
He didn’t hold his own back tonight because he was exhausted. Once he finished, he pulled her close again and held her until her breathing changed and she drifted back to sleep. “I love you, Callie.” It wasn’t the first time he’d whispered it to her while she slept.
Jakara stared into the dark, wondering how in the hell he was going to keep his promise to her. How would he keep her safe now?
Chapter Ten
Callie put on a brave face when Jakara left on a mission early in the morning. The sky was cloudy, and he told her rain was promised later in the day. She used to love rainy days, and looked forward to reading some of the books Jakara had brought back from Earth for her. She also knew the drones didn’t fly in the rain any more than was necessary, so that meant she wouldn’t be listening for it to come by again.
He made sure she remembered how to reach Lesha or him if she needed to, and then he kissed her again and told her he’d see her later that night. Once he left, she watched the sky for a long time, well past the point where his craft was out of sight, and then turned around in surprise as thunder rumbled over the hills.
She went back inside and paced the house, but then realized her uneasiness was likely from the approaching storm. She’d always been sensitive to them. The thunder was closer now, and when lightning lit up the sky she jumped a little. She hadn’t seen any in so long. The first raindrops were tentative, and then they became fat and more frequent as the wind picked up. It was a real thunderstorm, and she clapped her hands. The only thing that would make this perfect was if Jakara were sharing it with her.
Callie dug in the box where she’d put all the books, finally taking out Brave New World. She sat in the armchair, legs draped over one arm and her back resting on a pillow she propped against the other. While she listened to the rain hit the windows and the wind howl outside, she opened the book and began to read.
She was nearly halfway through the book when she realized the rain had stopped.
But the wind is still howling. Or at least, she assumed it was wind.
She got up and stretched, then put the book on the chair and walked over to the window to see if there were still clouds in the sky.
It wasn’t wind.
Callie backed away slowly, fighting the urge to scream. She placed a hand over her mouth, and yelped when she backed into the sofa.
As she made her way to the room where Jakara kept his communications system, she fought to keep moving. If she lost it now, there was no chance of contacting him. She had to do this.
Her entire body trembled, and she realized the whimpering sounds were coming from her. She locked the door, and then turned on the system, trying to remember everything he’d told her. Panic filled her mind, hot and prickly, but she tried to keep it at bay. This was her only chance to tell him they were here.
The sound outside was louder now, and she knew she didn’t have much time. She had to warn him. But what if he’d already made the hyper jump and was too far away? What if he couldn’t reach her in time?
“Jakara,” she whispered. “Why did you leave me alone?”
****
Jakara was getting ready to make the hyper jump when his radio crackled. At first he thought it was merely static and reached over to turn down the volume, but then he heard a female voice and his hand froze in mid-air.
Callie!
He turned up the volume. “Callie, is that you? Are you all right?” To hell with whoever might be listening. He was already turning the ship around.
“There’s a drone in the yard. It landed.”
That isn’t a drone. “Lock the door and hide. I’m on my way back.” Jakara disconnected the transmission, knowing it had gone on too long regardless. By the time he reached her, it was likely that Logan or another Section Chief would as well, but he had to try.
Why the hell had he left her alone? But where would he have taken her? He’d had weeks to figure this out, and instead he’d played with fire all this time. If anything happened to her it would be entirely his fault, and he’d never forgive himself. Never.
Kidnapped by a Warrior Page 7
