Cat Star 9 - Wildcat

by Cheryl Brooks

  However, there was only one person Sara could think of who didn’t want Danuban around, for any reason. Would marrying Jerden eliminate the threat or not? She wasn’t sure. The motive was murky—there didn’t seem to be a valid reason for anything so drastic. Still, it was the best lead she had.

  “What are you thinking about?” Jerden asked. “Somehow I don’t think it was sex in the rose garden.”

  “No, it wasn’t. Sorry.” Looping an arm around his waist, she gave him a squeeze. “I’m still worried about Danuban. What Lowinski said about him being deliberately poisoned has me bugged.”

  “You said you knew who might be responsible. I’ll take a stab at it and say it’s Nate, but I’m not sure why.”

  “Me, either.” She frowned. “He was against my getting that horse from the moment I mentioned it to him. I know he wanted me to use his stallion, but I don’t understand why it should matter that much to him. Stud fees are a source of income, but not that much—after all, I only have four Andalusian mares—and a scheme like this hardly seems worth the trouble.”

  There was something she wasn’t seeing here—a significant part of the puzzle that eluded her. She had every intention of letting Nate know she suspected him, short of coming right out and making an accusation. It would take careful wording, but it could be done.

  “Still want to invite him to the wedding?”

  Sara snorted a laugh. “Yes, if for no other reason than to prove to him that we are, indeed, married and that I’m not available anymore. I don’t know where he ever got the idea that I might be interested in him in the first place.” She paused, giving her head a rueful shake. “Maybe he’s just cocky enough to think that any woman would want him.”

  Jerden chuckled. “But you aren’t just ‘any woman,’ are you?”

  “No, not when it took the hottest hunk in the galaxy to make me see the light.” She gazed up at him. He was so solid, so strong, so kind, so handsome. Was this the right time?

  She swallowed hard, thinking this was perhaps the most difficult task she’d ever faced. And yet, as her eyes met his, the words came easily. “And to make me fall in love with him.”

  His smile displayed nothing but genuine pleasure and affection—nothing cocky about it at all. “I was beginning to think you’d never say that.” A kiss followed, unsurpassed in its sweetness.

  Tears stung her eyes, filling her lids before coursing down her cheeks. “I love you, Jerden. I never thought I’d say it, but I do.” She ought to have known from the first moment she laid eyes on him. She hadn’t, of course. Something that stunningly beautiful could never belong to her—not unless it walked on four legs. Danuban was similar in that respect—the epitome of his breed, one that took your breath whether you fancied horses or not. She’d stopped looking at men that way years ago.

  And yet, here she was with Jerden—in love and about to be married. The impossibility of it rocked her soul. Touching his face, she threaded her fingers in his hair, proving to herself once again that he was real. How many times would she have to do that before she believed it?

  The full moon was already peeking above the eastern horizon, and, as it traded places with the sun, the shadows deepened and the light from his eyes grew brighter. Even in darkness, Jerden was beautiful. Not merely handsome or attractive, but beautiful—with a beauty that went far beyond his appearance, reaching to the depths of his soul. Her hand slid through his hair to cup his neck, pulling him down again. This time, she kissed him. I love you, her mind whispered. So very, very much…

  His lips slanted over hers, setting her heart racing as heat rushed to her core. She couldn’t get enough of him. Never, ever. Her arms couldn’t hold him tightly enough; her lips couldn’t kiss him deeply enough. She could never show him how she felt.

  Jerden took the lead, gathering her in his arms and turning toward the house. She never broke the kiss, still savoring his flavor. The heat of his body surrounded her and kept her warm, kept her safe, and drove her mad with desire… He did all of those things simply by being who he was. Her one and only love.

  His purr vibrated her chest. She could imagine nothing more stimulating or more soothing. Nothing. His skin was hot beneath her touch, rivaling the fire he ignited deep down inside her. She lost track of where they were until the fragrance told her. She smiled against his lips.

  The rose garden.

  He was wasting no time making his fantasy a reality. How many more did he have tucked away in his brain? Fantasies weren’t something Sara had ever indulged in. She would have to leave it to him to be creative.

  The ground was still warm from the sun as he laid her down upon the grassy verge. A shadow crossed in front of the moon as Cria took up sentinel duty. One of the dogs—the little Yorkie, perhaps—scampered over to investigate but didn’t stay long after Cria hissed at him.

  Jerden took his time, slowly pulling off Sara’s boots, unbuckling her belt, and letting his hands glide up beneath her shirt and then down to push off her breeches. The night air was still warm, but his hands were even hotter on her bare skin. Undressing him was much easier. He seldom wore his new clothes, preferring the loincloth. She didn’t mind. It suited him, and all she had to do was unfasten his belt, and it fell right off. The perfect apparel for a man like Jerden.

  He crawled up over her and kissed her again, each kiss increasing the tension, driving her closer to the point of seizing him. Reaching out, he grasped the nearest blossom, pulling the petals off in his hand. He held them above her, letting them fall on her skin like raindrops.

  She inhaled the fragrance. “The Don Juan. Good choice.”

  Smiling, he picked a flower from the only other bush within reach—the McCartney. A deep, vivid pink in daylight, by night it appeared silvery, but there was no mistaking the intoxicating scent.

  “I think this is my favorite.” He held it to his nose. “It smells like love.”

  Sara had heard that particular variety described as seductive. She’d planted both it and the Don Juan near her bedroom window, never realizing the significance. Now she understood.

  Jerden showered her with more petals, then plucked another blossom by the stem, dropping it on the ground next to her ear. She turned, sniffing the heady aroma. “It does smell like love.” Like him. Not the same scent, perhaps, but it evoked the same feeling.

  “So do you.” His lips brushed her neck, and then moved lower, scattering kisses among the petals as he went. Nudging her knees apart, he licked her clitoris, sending shock waves resonating throughout her body. “You taste like love, too.” With a low growl, he went back down on her, devouring her with his lips and tongue, not stopping until she rewarded his efforts with a climactic cry.

  In the throes of her orgasm, she suddenly knew what she wanted. A fantasy of her very own… “Come here and let me suck you.”

  Like a panther stalking its prey, he came closer, pressing the head of his dripping penis against her lips. She opened her mouth and he slid inside, fucking her mouth gently, thoroughly. It was good—nothing that triggered orgasms of that magnitude could be considered bad—but it wasn’t quite what she wanted.

  She pushed him aside. “Turn around.”

  He knelt over her, his knees positioned above her shoulders, straddling her head. His nuts dangled just above her eyes, and she arched her neck to capture them, sucking one into her mouth. “Mmm…”

  Jerden was purring like crazy and groaning with each swipe of her tongue. She was in no position to bite his ass, or even smack it, but she could grab it. Digging in with her fingertips, she squeezed him hard as she switched to the other testicle. Holding on with one hand, she used the other on his cock. Grasping it firmly, she slid her hand from head to root, spreading his slick sauce down the shaft. She loved making him come—and since he could continue indefinitely, she could make him ejaculate as often as she liked. Pumping her fist up and down his dick, she
kept on until his cock erupted, spraying a line of snard that ran from her breasts all the way down to her pussy, landing on her exposed clit.

  The explosive climax that followed was muffled by having his scrotum against her mouth, but even so, it drew her body into a writhing ball of ecstasy, forcing her to release him. Jerden’s cry was unhindered, sounding like a lion’s roar as it echoed across the fields.

  His cock never lost its erection, and once she recovered, she pulled it toward her lips, sucking it into her mouth while his balls brushed her face. His snard still bathed her slit, and she pressed her thighs together, savoring the orgasmic creaminess. Placing her hands on his hips, she encouraged him to move up and down, fucking her mouth until he came again. His cum tasted like candy as he obligingly gave her more of it to savor and swallow.

  Her body was already on fire when the snard effect hit her, sending more heat pulsing outward from her core. She could barely move, but she could talk.

  “Fuck me, Jerden. Hard.”

  ***

  She didn’t have to ask him twice. The gentle, romantic lovemaking he’d begun could wait. He was hers to command, and if she wanted a good, hard fuck, he would not deny her. Time had no meaning when they were together anyway. He could give her anything she asked for and still be able to indulge in any whim of his own, whether it be showering her with rose petals or fucking her senseless.

  The moon rose higher in the sky, casting a glow on her face as he placed her feet up on his shoulders. Sliding into her slick passage, he groaned as he swept her inner walls with his cock, leaving no surface untouched. Her soft moans drove him onward, making his cock pulse and forcing out more of his own lubricating fluids. If she wanted it hard, she would need the extra juice.

  The sharp scent of her lust filled his head along with the pleasing fragrance of her love, enhanced by the smell of the earth, the grass, and the bruised petals of her roses. He slammed into her hard and deep, delighting in the sounds she made and the expressions on her face. Her eyes had drifted shut, but she was missing so much.

  “Open your eyes, Sara.”

  The wind picked up, tossing the roses about as clouds scudded across the moon, momentarily dimming the light. Once they’d passed, he glanced down to see his semen glistening between her breasts. Letting go of her legs, he fell forward onto his hands and licked it off. With a loud purr, he kissed her, his cum-slick tongue delving deeply into her mouth. As he backed off to watch, another orgasm burst into flower behind her eyes.

  “My God, that’s beautiful,” he whispered.

  Her fingers toyed with his long curls as she traced a line from the point of his ear to the center of his chest. Her gentle touch sent waves of anticipation spiraling toward his groin. He wasn’t done yet. Not by a long shot.

  Rocking into her slow and deep, he reveled in the way her body hugged his cock, squeezing it, milking out every drop of cream. When he came again, he waited only long enough to see her eyes react before pulling out and rolling her over. Lifting her hips with both hands, he dove into her from behind. The moonlight shone down on her back, illuminating her tumbled curls and her firm, shapely bottom, his brown hands in stark contrast to the white glow of her skin. Separating her cheeks, he ran a fingertip down the cleft of her buttocks.

  Her shuddering gasp told him all he needed to know.

  “Hold on.” His withdrawal made her groan in protest until he pressed the blunt head against her anus, bringing himself to climax with a few quick strokes of his hand. As his snard spewed into her, he felt her body contract and then relax completely. Moving carefully, he teased the tight ring of muscle until it, too, relaxed and allowed him entry.

  “Fuck me, Sara.”

  In seconds, she was up on her hands and knees, her head thrown back, creating a hollow dip along her spine. With a guttural snarl, she backed into him until he was balls deep in her ass.

  “Ohhh…”

  He didn’t have to see her face to know how good it felt to her; her eager backward thrusts were proof enough. “I can’t believe it,” she gasped. “I never—” The rest of her words were cut off by an orgasm that squeezed him so hard he saw stars where there weren’t any and wrenched a yell from her that made him grin.

  As she banged into him again, Jerden shifted his knees apart and settled his weight for maximum stability, fully intending to hold that position until she wore herself out. She was the limiting factor here, not him. The view of her gorgeous, moonlit bottom coupled with her scent would keep him hard until morning or until she passed out, whichever came first.

  Her moans became increasingly higher in pitch until she was practically screaming with each thrust. Still, he waited, forcing his eyes to remain open, knowing what was about to happen.

  With one final push, she let out a cry that would’ve curdled his blood if he hadn’t known the reason for it. In the next instant, she lay sprawled in the grass, sobbing helplessly. In another instant, he was beside her, cradling her in his arms while she wept.

  “You could have warned me,” she wailed.

  “Ah, but that would’ve spoiled the surprise.” He chuckled wickedly. “Good?”

  “You have no idea,” she whispered. “None.”

  “I probably don’t.”

  But he did. Not from firsthand experience, perhaps, but he’d seen it with many of his clients. Still, he liked to think that her pleasure was greater than theirs had been. Perhaps it was. The only thing he knew for certain was that his own enjoyment was quadrupled. He’d never had anything more at stake than a woman’s enthusiastic response to his technique—the testament that she’d gotten her money’s worth. Love made a huge difference in the way he felt. He could only hope it did the same for Sara.

  Chapter 21

  There was a lot to be said for living in a climate that consisted of a rainy season and a dry one. An outdoor event could be planned without fear that rain would spoil it. Even so, Sara was pleased to awaken on the morning of her wedding day to a cloudless sky and the promise of a hot afternoon.

  Bonnie had volunteered to help with the preparations. Lucy and Tarq would be providing the main course, and the rest was a pitch-in. Salan and her parents were bringing cheese and ice cream, which was all Bonnie’s kids cared about, aside from the chance to swim in Jerden’s lake. Sara was surprised when Nate accepted the invitation, but she wasn’t about to let his presence ruin the day for anyone else. Perhaps he and Salan could commiserate.

  Bonnie’s friend Zuannis, a Twilanan native and the best baker in the region, was providing the wedding cake, and fortunately, didn’t charge an arm and a leg for it. Sara reminded herself that Jerden’s fortune made her continued attempts at economy superfluous, but it was a hard habit to break.

  Sara’s parents, Bob and Linda Shield, had arrived two days before, and her brothers, who were unable to attend, both sent their love. Neither of her parents had ever met a Zetithian before, but having traveled from Earth on Jack’s ship, which was filled with two families of them, her mother—a tall, slender woman from whom Sara had also inherited her coloring—was in complete accord with Sara’s decision to marry one.

  “I’ve always considered your father to be a handsome man,” she confided to her daughter. “But he can’t hold a candle to these Zetithians.” She paused, tapping her chin with a contemplative finger. “They seem to age well, too—and so have their wives.”

  Cat and Jack might have been in their fifties, but they certainly didn’t look it, and neither did Leo and Tisana, who were roughly the same age. Being Zetithian, Sara wasn’t surprised that Cat and Leo didn’t show their age—Leo’s hair was as golden as Cat’s was black, and both were still tall and handsome, despite the scars acquired during twenty years of slavery—but why Jack and Tisana didn’t was a mystery.

  Jack’s tall, athletic build hadn’t sagged anywhere. Her only wrinkles were the laugh lines around her eyes and mouth, and h
er hair was still dark brown without a hint of gray. Tisana was bewitchingly lovely with dark hair and green eyes and a body that hadn’t suffered a bit from giving birth to two sets of triplets. Now that she thought about it, Sara realized that Bonnie didn’t look like a mother of seven who was pushing forty, either.

  Being the outgoing sort who rarely guarded her tongue, Jack showed no reluctance to enlighten anyone who cared to listen. “Vladen says it’s from carrying Zetithian children. It’s pretty technical, but apparently mothers pick up billions of stem cells from their babies, which help them live longer than men in general. Getting stem cells from the children of a race with a longer lifespan and remarkable regenerative capabilities is sort of like finding the fountain of youth, whether the mother is Zetithian or not.” She gave Sara a hearty pat on the back. “I’ve carried three litters so far. Best I can tell, I’m gonna live forever.”

  Sara couldn’t imagine a better fate than living a long, healthy life with Jerden. And to think, she’d actually resisted Bonnie’s efforts to introduce them.

  Things happen for a reason.

  It was the kind of cosmic karma thing best not dwelt on for very long, because otherwise simple, random events would take on too much significance. If, for example, at this point in time, she were to turn left instead of right, how would that affect the rest of her life?

  Sara’s reverie was interrupted when Jack eyed her with sudden suspicion. “You aren’t doing anything to keep from having children, are you?”

  Sara’s eyes widened. “Well… no. I’m not.”

  “Good,” Jack said with a firm nod. “Glad to hear it. Jerden’s already sired a bajillion kids, but a few more couldn’t hurt.”