“I think so,” she replied. “Almost as much as I love you.”
Opening his eyes, he gazed at her face; her smile was as warm as the twinkle in her eyes. “You can think that if you like. I won’t quibble.” Lowering her hand, he laced their fingers together. He never wanted to let go of her strong, capable hand again as long as he lived. “Tell me, Sara. Are you happy?”
“Happier than you are.”
“No way.”
She grinned and glanced over at Salan and Nate, who stood near the refreshment table, deep in conversation. “Do you think they’ll be happy together?”
Jerden chuckled. “I have absolutely no idea. But I hope so. It would certainly make life in these parts a bit less dramatic.”
“Don’t care much for drama, do you?”
“Not really. I’m ready for some peaceful, happy living—though I must admit I did enjoy snatching you out of Nate’s arms and carrying you off.”
“I’ll try to faint more often,” she said with a wry smile.
“Don’t bother. Once was enough. I’d much rather you stay safe and healthy without any need for rescuing.”
“The same goes for you. No more carrying your unconscious body into the house and watching you lie there for days on end, wondering if you’ll ever wake up.”
“Were you worried about me, Sara?” Though he kept his tone gentle and teasing, he really did want an honest answer. Had she been attracted to him then? If so, her scent hadn’t betrayed her.
“Yes, I was. But at the time, I didn’t realize why. Now I know.” Her arm tightened around his waist. “I was only doing what Vladen told me to do, but I felt something, even then. I barely knew you and envied the bond you’d formed with my stallion, yet I was drawn to you in a way I didn’t understand.” She glanced up at him. “I tried so hard not to love you. Looking back, I realize I didn’t stand a chance. You’re the most inherently lovable man I’ve ever met. From the moment I saw you, I was yours.”
Returning her hug, he kissed her again, his lips lingering over the softness of her skin while he drank in her intoxicating scent. “At the time, I didn’t care if I ever inhaled the essence of desire again, which made being miffed that you didn’t want me that much more peculiar. I should have given up and kissed you right then. Instead, I behaved like a churlish lout and slammed the door in your face.”
“You were rather rude.” Amusement colored her tone, taking the sting out of her words. “I half expected you to sic Cria on me, but she gave me this smug look instead.”
Jerden glanced down at the huge cat sitting beside him. Except on rare occasions, violence was beneath her. Giving him a long, slow blink, she began licking her paw. “She can be quite queenly at times.”
“It would be interesting to hear her side of it,” Sara said. “Maybe we should ask Tisana to translate.”
Jerden shook his head. “I prefer the mystery. If I knew why she sticks so close to me, her behavior wouldn’t be nearly as intriguing.”
“True,” Sara conceded. “And she might not be able to explain it. After all, I can’t explain why I feel love for you when I haven’t felt it for any another man since, well… you know.”
“No need to take that any further if you don’t want to. Keeping my family’s memory alive is quite different from suppressing the memories you’d prefer to forget.”
She shrugged as though it truly didn’t matter anymore. “I should probably mention it more. Then it might become so commonplace a memory that it will disappear among the mountains of trivial events in my life.”
Jerden doubted it would ever become that mundane, but didn’t argue with her logic. “Whatever helps.”
“I’d rather not talk about it, though,” she went on. “I’d much rather discuss what you’ve got planned for tonight.”
“Ah, but that’s a secret. For now. Shall we join the party?”
“Yes, but I’ve got to get out of this dress first. It’s a bit much for a cookout.” She cast him an appraising glance. “You probably ought to wear something different too.”
Jerden couldn’t argue. His high-collared white shirt and black slacks constituted the most clothing he’d worn in years, and he was as anxious to get out of it as she was. “Let’s go change real quick.” He had an idea it might take a little longer than that, but since everyone else was having a good time without them, he didn’t think they’d be missed.
Escorting her back to the house, he led her into his bedroom—a room he’d never thought to share with any woman.
But then, Sara wasn’t just any woman. She was his love, his mate, his salvation. Purring, he helped her out of the spangled robe with its long train and gazed at her. The white dress clung to her slim body in soft, gleaming folds, accentuating her curves—not voluptuous, perhaps, but nonetheless tantalizing, alluring, and infinitely sexy. A deep groan mixed with his purr as he let his eyes roam over her. “My beautiful Sara.”
“Must be the dress,” she said with a rueful smile.
“Oh, no,” he assured her. “Let’s have none of that. You’re beautiful with or without it. In fact, I find you sadly overdressed at the moment.”
“So are you. You look very handsome in that outfit, but I much prefer you in the loincloth—or better still, nothing at all.”
“As you wish.” He unfastened the buttons with slow deliberation, never letting his eyes wander from hers. Peeling off the shirt, he tossed it over a nearby chair, then eliminated the confining nuisance of his pants. Aiming his cock toward her, he gave it a quick pulse, forcing beads of moisture from the points of the corona. “Better?”
“Much. Undo me.”
Turning around, she stepped out of her sandals and pointed at the tie on the halter top of the gown. Her back was bare, the waistline scooped low enough to reveal the spot where her back flared out to meet her bottom—the perfect place to begin…
Pressing his lips to the skin just above the white fabric, he blazed a path up her spine to the nape of her neck. Tugging at the knot with his fangs, he untied it, allowing the dress to fall to her feet with a whispering sigh. As he encircled her with his arms, he cupped her breasts in his hands, teasing the nipples to firm peaks as his cock pressed against the small of her back. His pounding heart sent the hot blood of passion racing to his groin, filling it to the point of pain—a pain only Sara could assuage. Dropping his head, he captured her earlobe in his fangs. “My lovely bride… mate with me now, and I will give you joy unlike any you have ever known.”
He was certain he’d used that line before—it was, after all, the classic Zetithian opening for seduction—but even if he had, its meaning had changed. She was his mate, and it would be his life’s work to give her all the pleasure and love within his power.
Turning in his embrace, she looped her arms around his neck, pulling his head down. Her mouth found his, her tongue slipping past his fangs to war with his own until the fire in his loins threatened to consume him. Her firm nipples brushed his chest as he reached down to cup her buttocks. Pulling her up against him, he spread her thighs with a nudge of his knee, letting out a hiss as he settled her down on his painfully engorged penis.
Her sex engulfed him with wet heat, and he swirled his stiff shaft inside her, delving deeply to caress the depths of her tight passage. Undulating his hips, he plunged into her, her soft moans of pleasure driving him onward until her head fell back, her heavy-lidded gaze holding him in thrall. Pressing his hands against the small of her back, he pulled her even more tightly against his groin. This time, he didn’t simply move his dick, but ground his hips against her, loving the way her ass massaged his balls.
“D’you like that, Sara?”
“Mmm, yes… don’t stop. Fuck me, just… like… that…” Her head snapped forward as her first orgasm detonated, her pussy squeezing him so hard he could barely move.
“Oh, Sara… you… oh�
��” Her tight muscles milked his cock, forcing more fluid from the head and sending it flowing down over his balls. He slid her side to side, and then bounced her against his nuts. On the third bounce, he lost control and his cock erupted, filling her with creamy wetness. He tried to stop then—had every intention of doing so—but she felt so damn good he simply couldn’t do it.
He kept on—dragging her up and down on his cock, then back and forth over his balls while he watched her face, her eyes suffused with the joy he’d promised her. The sensation was incredible—ultimate pleasure, tumultuous joy, and endless sensuous fulfillment. He knew there was a party going on outside—guests to be entertained, a lake to swim in, and food to be enjoyed—but he couldn’t imagine anything better than Sara wrapped around him like a hot, wet blanket of love. Wedding cake, no matter how tasty, couldn’t begin to compare with his delicious Sara. Then he imagined licking icing from her fingers and came again.
Sliding a hand up her back, he pulled her face to his, capturing her lips and plunging his tongue into the recesses of her mouth. She was as addictive as candy, and he couldn’t stop tasting her.
Her need seemed every bit as powerful as his own. Spearing her fingers through his hair, she forced his head back as she kissed down the side of his neck, nipping harder as she reached his shoulder while her strong legs gripped him like a vise.
His voice was deep and rasping as he begged her for more. “Bite me.”
As she sank her teeth into him, his neck arched farther back and he came with a sharp exhale. This time, however, he felt more than semen leave his body. Somewhere in the center of his being, a tiny particle of his soul detached itself from the whole and hurtled toward a corresponding mote deep within his beloved Sara.
Cat was noted for being able to sense when a new litter of Zetithians was conceived, but Jerden didn’t need his friend’s confirming nod to know what had just taken place. He felt the truth of it with every fiber of his being. Sara—his lover, his wife, his mate—was now the mother of his children.
Their children. Babies whose births he would actually witness and whose lives he would be a part of—not merely names and numbers listed in the Zetithian Birth Registry. Hundreds had gone before this litter, but these would be the only offspring he could truly claim as his own.
His and Sara’s.
Smiling, he lifted her off his cock but never allowed her out of his arms for an instant. Should he tell her, or would she already know?
Even though her feet were on the floor and she was clearly able to stand on her own, Jerden hated to release her. A spell had been cast, one he didn’t want to see broken.
Sara nuzzled his neck, sending ripples of renewed desire rushing through him. “I believe you like being married.”
“You think?” He hesitated, reluctant to say it aloud. Would she believe his Zetithian prescience, or would she tease him for being superstitious? He could wait and tell her of his vision after it was confirmed by other means, but that same intuition told him that now was the perfect time. “I also like being a father.” Present tense. Would she notice?
She drew back, studying his face as though searching for a trace of deception. Then she nodded. “I felt that, too—didn’t know what it meant at the time, but I’m pregnant, aren’t I?”
Relief washed through him even stronger than the previous wave of desire. Against all odds, she believed him. “Yes, you are. Does that make you happy?”
“Very happy.” The pleasing aroma of loving contentment that rose from her as she snuggled up against his chest made her reply unnecessary, but he was still glad to hear it. She raised her head. “Should we go out and make an announcement?”
“I have an idea someone else will do it for us. You know how Cat is about the pregnant mates of fellow Zetithians.”
“Haven’t heard that one,” she said, clearly puzzled. “Are you saying he’ll already know?”
“Oh, yeah. He’ll know. You wait and see.”
She heaved a sigh. “Guess we need to get back to the party.”
Jerden watched as Sara donned a T-shirt and a pair of shorts, then stood with his feet spread apart while she tucked his cock into his loincloth. “Seems a shame to cover that up, but I suppose we must consider our guests.” Lifting the front flap, she buckled the belt. “That’s better. More like the man I first met and fell in love with.”
He grinned wickedly. “I wasn’t sure who that ethereal beauty was that I just married, either, but it’s coming back to me now.”
She stooped to pick the dress up off the floor, examining it briefly before tossing it onto the chair with his shirt. “Not my style at all, is it?”
“I dunno,” he said, shaking his head. “It looked damn good on you. Maybe you could wear it once in a while, just for fun.”
“I’ll do that.” Arching her brow, she gave him a sly smile. “Whenever you’ve been ignoring me.”
He loved that smile—the one that said she trusted him enough to tease. “Won’t be any need for it, then. Might as well toss it in the corner and let the cats sleep on it.”
Laughing, she took him by the hand. “C’mon, let’s get going before anyone wonders what we’ve been doing in here.”
Jerden was quite certain that everyone—all the adults, at least—knew precisely what they’d been up to. Jack was probably sitting on the porch with her pistol drawn, guarding the house so they wouldn’t be disturbed.
As it happened, he was right—though Jack had a chicken wing, rather than a pulse pistol in her hand. “That Tarq makes better fried chicken than the Colonel,” she declared. “I think he needs to start selling franchises.”
As always, Cat sat beside her. If they’d ever been more than ten meters apart, Jerden hadn’t seen it. Cat smiled at Sara before aiming a significant twitch of his brow at Jerden. Oh, yes, he knew.
Jerden aimed a questioning look at Cat. “Boys or girls?”
“Both,” Cat replied. “One girl and two boys.”
Jack’s smile was smug. “You probably didn’t know that part, did you?” Apparently noting Sara’s derisive snort, she added, “He’s never wrong.”
“Oh, I don’t doubt his word,” Sara said. “I just find it hard to believe he knows so much when conception only took place a few minutes ago.”
“It’s a gift,” Jack said proudly. “Just one more reason to love him.”
Cat’s voice was roughened by his purr. “I am pleased to be able to provide many reasons, my lovely master.” Even without the purr, his meaning was quite clear.
“Master?” Sara echoed. “She’s your master?”
Jack grinned. “Yep. I found him in the slave market on Orpheseus Prime and bought him for five measly credits. Best money I ever spent.”
Cat nodded. “Though she set me free, she remains my master. We are bonded to one another, as well as married and mated.”
Sara regarded Jack curiously. “I never noticed it before, but is that why your pupils have a reddish glow?”
Jack gazed at Cat with unabashed adoration as she caressed his cheek. “Yeah, we were bound together by a Zerkan ritual. Drives me absolutely nuts to be separated from him—and I can smell him a mile away.”
Cat leaned into her hand, purring. “I would never leave her whether we were bonded or not, but her ability to find me has been… useful.”
Sara frowned at Cat. “And the same ritual turned your eyes blue?”
“No,” Cat replied. “My eyes are blue because I was healed by a Zerkan female. The one who treated Jacinth was male.”
“Well, that’s about as clear as mud,” Sara muttered.
“Never been healed by a Zerkan, then? Lucky you! They’ve got this nasty green spit…” Jack paused, shuddering. “It’ll cure damn near anything, but it’s so gross I thought the sonofabitch had poisoned me at first—and that was only the beginning of our little adventure.�
��
Sara looked a little green herself but seemed enthusiastic. “Sounds exciting. I’d love to hear the story sometime.”
Jack waved a dismissive hand. “Would take hours to tell it all, and I’m sure you’ve got much better things to do.”
Her suggestive tone and knowing smile were evidently wasted on Sara, who still seemed oblivious to innuendo. “Maybe you could write a book about it.”
Jack considered this for a moment, then shrugged. “Might do that someday—if I ever find the time.” She nodded toward the lake where her children swam and splashed along with the other kids. “That bunch keeps me pretty busy these days. Might not get around to it until I’m old and gray.”
Jerden couldn’t help chuckling. If nothing else, Jack’s memoirs—if, indeed, she ever wrote them—would certainly be colorful.
“Hey, you’ve already got the opening line,” Sara said. “I found him in the slave market on Orpheseus Prime…” Sara grinned. “It’ll probably sell millions.”
Jack’s eyes lit up. She was nothing if not an entrepreneur. “Really? I’ll give it some thought.”
Cat leaned over and kissed her, purring softly. “And if there are any episodes you have forgotten, I will help you remember them.”
Jack winked at him. “I’m counting on it.” She glanced at Sara. “Bet your story would make interesting reading, too.”
“Maybe,” Sara conceded. “But I can’t write it now. Something tells me the best is yet to come.”
Jack grinned. “Couldn’t have said it better myself.”
Chapter 23
Sara and Jerden left the house and strolled out to the lake together. The kids were all splashing about in the water while the adults relaxed near the shore, lying on chaise lounges or blankets spread out on the ground. The sight of so many Zetithians together struck Sara in a way it hadn’t before. She was a part of that community now—married to one of their kind and already carrying a litter of his children. True, they weren’t blood relatives of Jerden’s, but with so few of them left, the sense of kinship was very pronounced.
Cat Star 9 - Wildcat Page 27
