by Sue Mercury
The annoyance in her eyes faded the longer he stared at her. Her lips parted and she lifted her face. The careful control he’d maintained during the last two days threatened to snap.
“If I kiss you again,” he said in a warning tone, “I am not sure I’ll be able to stop.” He took her hands in his and caressed the soft underside of her wrists. The dress dropped to the floor and though he longed to look upon her body again, he forced his eyes to hers. If he saw fear in her gaze, he would turn his back and wait for her to get dressed. But as he peered into her bottomless green depths, he detected no hint of fear.
Instead, he saw a mixture of lust and hopefulness. Her breaths quickened and her bosom rose and fell faster, tempting him to drop his eyes, but still he watched her expression lest she panic.
“I thought you didn’t want me.” She blinked back tears. “You were an ass, remember?”
He chuckled and dropped her hands, then circled his arms around her and brought her close, flush against his body. His erection pulsed in the confines of his pants. “Are human men ever… asses sometimes?”
She laughed. “All the time.”
“Then how do female humans deal with the males? If they are asses all the time?”
“We forgive them and keep loving them anyway.” She flushed and looked away. “I mean… not saying I love you. God, that came out all wrong. What I meant was…”
He silenced her with a kiss, bringing his hands up to hold her head in place while he tasted her. Mine, mine, mine. Though he ached to rip off her panties, bend her over the bed, and thrust his cock into her sweetness, he focused on kissing her as tenderly as possible. Although with his desire escalating by the moment, his attempt at gentle bordered on rough and possessive, but she didn’t seem to mind.
He broke away from her but kept his body pressed to hers, and he didn’t release her face. A smile turned her lips up briefly.
“I am sorry I was an ass, sweet Angie. Will you forgive me?”
She giggled and lightly slapped his chest. “Yes, Prince Joseph. I forgive you. Now kiss me again.”
“Wait!” He let go of her and took three huge steps back.
His heart panged at the injury that reflected in her eyes, but he had to be careful. While any fear she had of him would disappear the first time they mated, when the bond between their hearts and souls was cemented, he didn’t wish to cause her the slightest amount of fear in the first place.
“Please don’t look so sad, sweet Angie.”
“Are you rejecting me again? Because if you are, that will make you a big ass.”
“No, but we must talk.”
“I’m listening.” She crossed her arms and then glanced down with alarm. Snatching the dress off the floor, she quickly slipped it over her head, then she crossed her arms again and stared at him pointedly.
Joseph cleared his throat. “I left your quarters two days ago because my mating urge was coming on too strong. If the full force of it struck me on this ship, I would’ve had to either mate with you or beam down to Earth in search of a Reestrian female in the Oregon settlement. Ever since I first saw you, sweet Angie, I have ached to make you mine. But I sensed your fear and didn’t wish to force you. If we are together, it will because you accept me, because you have also chosen me.”
“Wh-what are you saying?”
“I’m saying I vow to love you, protect you, and put your needs before mine, if only you will have me. I’m saying the last two days have been the worst kind of torment. Each passing moment when I wasn’t with you pained my soul. I want you to be mine forever, sweet Angie.” His voice deepened and became raspy. “I want you as mine.”
Chapter Four
I want you as mine.
His words resonated in her heart. Maybe it was crazy, but she wanted him too. She still didn’t know much about him, but Kira had spoken highly of all of Prince Alex’s brothers, including Prince Joseph. She sensed he was a good person, a kind person, and nothing about him reminded her of Greg.
“I will give you a good life, Angie. We can raise a family in the beautiful mountains of Reestria at my home near the Simfosa Lake. Unless you prefer the city, of course. In that case we can build another home near my family’s home. Some of my brothers still live in the family home, though with all their wives and children running around it’s starting to get crowded. I will have plenty of business on Earth, so anytime you wish to visit your home planet it can easily be arranged. You’ll be a princess, my princess, and I know my family and friends will adore you.” He was rambling, and she thought the way he was trying to sell himself was adorable.
“Price Joseph…”
“Call me Joseph.”
“Joseph, if I say yes, if I really do decide to become your mate, what happens next?” She cast a glance at the bed and her face heated. “Do we just jump into bed right away and go at it, and then the whole mating bond thing will be complete?” Even without some sort of magical bond, she didn’t think she would have any problem loving him.
He grinned. “As much as I would like to jump into bed with you right away and go at it, sweet Angie, I recommend we travel to my home in the mountains. For privacy. The mating bond happens during our first time together, however after that mated couples usually spend several days, about an Earth week, in the bedroom before exhausting themselves and returning to civilization.”
Her blush deepened. “So we’re going to have seven days of nonstop sex?”
“Six or seven days, yes. I hope that doesn’t frighten you. But trust me, you will be most willing and most excited.”
Holy cannoli. Kira found it difficult to breathe as she peered into his dark gaze that grew more intense by the second. A glance down showed the telltale bulge of his huge erection tenting his pants. She gulped and pleasure throbbed between her legs, prompting her to squeeze her thighs together. She lifted her chin.
“I’m not afraid, Joseph. I can’t explain it… I mean we just met and this might seem crazy to others, gosh I can only imagine what some of my friends back home might say, but it doesn’t seem crazy to me. It feels right.”
His face brightened. “Are you saying yes, sweet Angie? Are you saying you accept me as your mate?”
“Yes, Joseph. I want to be your mate.”
With those words, he swept her up in his arms and carried her off the ship. She rested her head against his chest, though peeked out a few times at the brilliant stars sparkling above them, and the two full moons that rested high in the sky. They boarded a small transport that reminded her of a taxi, except for the fact that it could fly, and several minutes later they landed in front of a massive home that reminded her of a castle. Well, his family was royalty, so she supposed it was a castle.
He didn’t release her from his arms until they reached the doorstep. He placed her on her feet slowly, giving her a kiss and smoothing her hair from her face. Moonlight beamed down upon them, and nighttime insects buzzed and screeched an oddly beautiful melody. The air was humid and felt electrified with a sensual energy.
As much as Angie wished to spend time with Kira and witness her marriage to Prince Alex, she couldn’t wait for the festivities to be over so he could claim her as his. She’d never wanted to belong to a man so badly, and in her soul she knew this wasn’t a mistake. Joseph was the answer to all her prayers. All the troubles that had plagued her on Earth would become but a fading memory, and she would finally be joined with a man who loved her and respected her. A man to share in her hopes and dreams and build a real life with. She smiled up at her handsome alien prince, her heart bursting with joy.
An excited squeal drew her attention away from Joseph, and she looked at the doorway to witness Kira standing next to a large Reestrian she assumed was Prince Alex. He bore a slight resemblance to Kira’s stepbrother, whom Angie had also grown up with in Creekside, Colorado, but holy crap had he gotten huge.
Alex had grown up believing he was human, only to be whisked away from Earth in his early twenties to Reestria
, where he met his royal biological family and then went through several growth spurts. All of this because of a secret Reestrian-Earth alliance that started in the 1960s and had included switching human and Reestrian babies as part of an experiment to observe how the similar races fared while growing up on the different planets. At least that’s how Kira had explained it.
She smiled at her friends as memories of how carefree they’d all been as children resurfaced, and her grin broadened when she glimpsed Kira’s slightly rounded stomach. It looked like she’d just started showing, and Angie couldn’t be happier for her.
Kira squealed again and rushed forward with open arms. Angie giggled and hugged her dear childhood friend back, happy to have made it to Reestria in one piece.
“We heard about the Ettalians attacking the Raavika. We’re glad you’re both all right,” Alex said. “The emperor has just announced contact has finally been established with the Ettalians and they’ve agreed to a cease fire, and we should know more about why they attacked you in the coming days as our leaders meet with theirs.”
After giving Kira another squeeze, Angie pulled apart from her friend and took her place at Joseph’s side. She reached for his hand and smiled mischievously. “Something else happened on the Raavika.”
“Yes,” Joseph agreed, bringing her close and wrapping an arm around her. The heat coming off his body spoke of his growing need to claim her, and a delightful shiver rippled through her insides.
Kira and Alex exchanged surprised glances. “I thought your eyes looked darker than normal, Joseph.”
“The doctor on the Raavika gave me something to stall the onset of my mating urge, but the sooner we travel to my house on Simfosa Lake, the better. Any chance this wedding of yours could be moved up?”
“Oh my God! We’re going to be sisters!” Kira laughed and stole Angie from Joseph’s arms to give her another hug. “Of course we can move our wedding up! All of our guests are here now, and we were just planning to have a simple ceremony in the garden with family and friends anyway.”
“Thanks, Kira. That’s very nice of you.” Angie struggled to keep up as Kira led her upstairs so they could get ready. To her astonishment, she found her friend had a gorgeous teal maid-of-honor gown waiting for her, and she donned it after helping Kira into her eloquent white wedding gown.
As they giggled and prepared themselves for the ceremony, someone knocked on the door.
“Come in!” Kira called.
Angie thought it might be Alex, but Joseph strode into the room with his eyes glimmering black and his features tense. Beneath his rigid exterior, she detected a softness in him, the gentle alien who had so thoughtfully looked after her on the Raavika.
“Is everything okay, Joseph?”
He strode to Angie and clasped her hand, then gave her the shock of a lifetime when he got down on one knee. “Sweet Angie, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife on this night? I believe your people sometimes have ceremonies like this… called a double wedding. You will be my mate, but I also want you to be my wife so there’s no doubt in your mind how much I care for you.”
Her throat constricted as she stared down at him. Joy abounded inside her, and behind her she heard Kira clapping her hands and urging her to accept his most romantic proposal. “Yes, Joseph. Yes.” Tears escaped her eyes. She knelt on the floor and leaned her forehead against his, laughing and crying at the same time. “Yes, Joseph, I will marry you.”
* ~ * ~ *
Joseph carried Angie into his mountain home. He’d sent word ahead for the servants to prepare for their arrival but to then vacate the home for seven full days, and he was pleased to see his orders had been followed. Lights flickered on automatically as he walked inside and up the stairs. Angie had fallen asleep during the hour long journey on the transport here, but she was now stirring in his arms.
His wife. It thrilled him that he could call her that, even though on Reestria there was no formal public ceremony that joined males and females together. They simply mated and become bonded, but he liked that they were now joined in the eyes of her people. Soon they would be joined in the eyes of his people.
The wedding had been quick but perfect. A priestess from the palace came to perform the ceremony with traditional human wedding vows. The ceremony had been performed in English for Angie’s benefit, but even those in attendance who didn’t have the language chip seemed to understand the significance of the event.
Joseph’s twin cousins, Taj and Dom, volunteered as ushers to seat everyone on chairs that had been placed in rows in the garden. Then several of his nieces scattered flower petals on the makeshift aisle for the brides to walk upon. White lanterns adorned the gardens to light up the night. Though Joseph didn’t know much about human marriage customs, he couldn’t envision a more perfect ceremony.
“Are we here?” His little human wife blinked up at him as he carried her into his massive bedroom.
“We are home, sweet Angie.” He gave her a wry grin. “I hope you got enough rest on the way here, because you won’t be getting any sleep for a while.”
* ~ * ~ *
Angie stared at Joseph in wonder. Days ago she’d been afraid of the future. She’d never thought in a thousand years she would get married again, let alone to a Reestrian. But here she was, feeling perfectly safe and even loved in his arms.
In moments they would form an unbreakable bond, and her heart fluttered at the thought. No one had ever loved her deeply and truly, or thought her beautiful, as Joseph seemed to already feel even without the mating bond. Not her overly critical parents, and certainly not Greg. She didn’t have to return to Earth unless she wanted to, and even if she visited her home planet she’d have the most handsome Reestrian in all the universe standing by her side.
Still holding her, he leaned down to capture her lips in a tender kiss. She could tell he was holding back, probably not wanting to scare her off with the force of his mating bond. She’d heard rumors that Reestrians could get pretty rough while they mated, and while she appreciated Joseph’s thoughtfulness, she wanted to experience all of his passion.
“Don’t hold back,” she whispered after breaking away from the kiss. “Take me, claim me. I’m not scared, I promise.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. I trust you.” Perhaps if she was a virgin, she might be more afraid. She supposed he was probably very well endowed, if his huge stature was any indication, but she ached to have all of him, no matter how large he turned out to be.
He laid her on the bed and quickly worked his clothing off, shedding the dark blue suit and his underthings, which to her surprise looked like a regular pair of men’s tightie whities. She’d been expecting some sort of fancy alien undergarments, and she almost giggled over this fact, but one glance into his serious gaze stilled her thoughts. Her eyes wandered down his muscular chest to his long, thick cock. Oh my.
She licked her lips and felt her nipples stiffening in the confines of her bra. A nonstop ache pulsed between her thighs, and she felt moisture seeping from her heated core and into her panties.
“My wife,” he said in a course voice. “My mate.” He cupped her face for a moment, his touch gentle, before he roughly helped her out of the teal maid-of-honor dress that had ended up functioning as her wedding gown. “My sweet, sweet Angie.”
In a matter of seconds, he divested her of her bra and panties. He straddled her, and his heated skin pressed so wonderfully against hers. Perspiration gathered on his temples, and his eyes shimmered as black as the night sky. He drew his cock over her slick center in a teasing fashion.
Oh yes.
She arched her hips up, needing him, wanting him so badly she was ready to beg for him to thrust inside. As he tormented her so deliciously, he placed a soft kiss on her forehead, then worked his way down, pressing his lips to her flesh and kissing her all over. Her ears. Her face. Her neck. Her breasts. He lingered on her nipples, sucking them into his mouth and even biting down, just hard enough to
make her gasp.
“Please, Joseph.” She ran her hands through his dark hair and tried to entice his entrance by thrusting against his length. “Please take me.”
“Is this what you want?” he asked, finally slipping the head of his cock into her. Though he wasn’t fully inside of her yet, she struggled to accept the fullness of his large shaft. “Do you want all of my cock inside you, little human?”
“Yes!” She pressed against him, and in the next second he surged forward into her, filling her up completely.
He gripped her hips and began a steady thrusting motion into her tightness. She felt herself stretching around him to accommodate his massive girth. Raking her hands up and down his back, she greedily accepted every inch of him, thrilling in how powerful he was, yet trusting him not to hurt her. She undulated against him as he pumped in and out of her pussy, her arousal and slickness growing with each harsh thrust.
Then, quite by surprise, the world seemed to tilt on its axis and she found herself lost in his beautiful dark gaze. He stilled within her and held her face between his hands. She thought she heard music, but when she concentrated and tried to listen, she only heard the rapid beating of her heart pounding in her ears.
“My wife, my mate,” he said it again. “My sweet Angie.”
She grasped onto him as they seemingly catapulted into the stars. Lights danced around them, bright and warm against a velvet black backdrop. The two moons of Reestria were so close she thought she could touch them if she reached out, but she didn’t wish to let go of Joseph. His existence intertwined with hers, and she felt the full force of his love.
Their hearts and souls were now bonded together. When finally she blinked to see the bedroom around them again, she said, “I didn’t know I would feel it too.”
His lips brushed across hers, and his cock shifted inside her. He began thrusting into her again, building momentum with each push. “Now you know how much you mean to me, sweet Angie. Now you know I will never, ever hurt you. You are mine to love and protect and cherish for the rest of our days.”
