by I. T. Lucas
And this time he would have to do it without breathing hard or grunting from the effort.
Well, he wanted a challenge, right?
23
Leia
Flattened on the ground, hidden by sparse shrubbery, Leia watched Jack approach the tallest tree in the obstacle course. Save for a pair of tight-fitting undershorts, his lean, muscular body was bare, and as he started climbing, performing the kind of acrobatics she would have never suspected an Interstellar ship’s captain capable of, he was a sight to behold.
She’d seen the tree, even contemplated hiding in its canopy, but the smooth trunk was too thick for her to wrap her arms and legs around, and there was no other way to climb it. Or so she’d thought until Jack had proven her wrong.
A smile lifted one corner of her lips. She had chosen wisely. Jack excelled in everything he did, and she would have no trouble convincing the queen that he was a most worthy mate for her. But was he going to find her without her having to give him a clue?
She’d promised him not to, but he’d passed right next to her on his way to the tree without noticing a thing. The shrubs weren’t dense and didn’t look like a good hiding place, which was precisely why she’d chosen them. No one would think to take another look at them when there were so many better hiding spots.
People saw what they expected to see and ignored what they did not. It had been proven by countless experiments.
Jack was climbing the tree either to get a better vantage point, or to look for her in the canopy, but he wasn’t going to see her from the top unless she attracted his attention by moving.
It wasn’t easy to stay motionless. Small rocks and twigs poked at her belly, and the rough shrubbery scraped her legs and arms. But she was well-trained and could endure hours of this.
Hopefully, it wouldn’t take Jack that long to find her.
24
Jack
Halfway up the tree, Jack paused to catch his breath. Resting on the first branch sturdy enough to support his weight, he looked down.
From this high up, he could scan roughly about one-third of the obstacle course. Starting at the entrance, he followed one possible path after the other and the areas near them.
If Leia wasn’t hiding in any of the usual spots, she must be hiding in plain sight. What had he overlooked?
With her dark coloring, she could blend into the shadows, and there were plenty of shaded spots to choose from. It was a gutsy move, but then his princess was not lacking in that department, or any other for that matter.
So far, he hadn’t discovered even one flaw.
How had he gotten so lucky?
But first, he had to catch her, and she wasn’t making it easy on him, just as she had promised.
Ready to resume the climb, Jack stood on top of the branch and took one last look down, this time scanning the area nearest the tree.
Something about the shadows cast by the shrubbery didn’t seem right, and as he focused his eyes on the spot, a big smile spread over his face.
Such an incredibly clever woman. She was only partially hidden by the shrubs, but the shadows of nearby trees took care of the rest.
From the pathway, she was invisible. He’d passed right by her and hadn't noticed a thing. Forgivable for a civilian, but not for a trained soldier. If Leia were the enemy, he would have been dead.
Again, he counted himself blessed and more lucky than smart to be chosen by this incredible woman.
Using the branch to swing himself to the other side of the tree and out of her line of vision, he climbed several more feet before reversing direction and starting his stealthy descent.
Hopefully, she was focused on the upper part of the tree, expecting to see him going up, and not down. If he managed to circle around and surprise her, it would be game over. But if she spotted him before he reached her, she would sprint away, and he might not be able to catch her.
His woman was incredibly fast.
Back on the ground, he crouched low and proceeded slowly, placing his feet with extreme care and keeping his breathing shallow.
There was nothing he could do about his heartbeat, though, which sounded thunderous in his ears. The excitement of the imminent conquest was not only pumping him with adrenaline, but also making him hard.
His Tarzan attire was proving advantageous in more ways than one. The club he’d sprouted in his briefs would have been painfully uncomfortable if he were wearing slacks, and it would have made his stealth progress much more difficult.
Except, he wasn’t as stealthy as he’d thought.
As soon as Jack got to the edge of the shrubbery, Leia leaped up and sprinted away, her long ponytail flying behind her.
“Oh, no, you don’t.” He bound after her, his hand going for that long hair.
He could’ve caught it but didn’t. Yanking Leia back by her ponytail would have hurt, and that wasn’t part of the game Jack was playing.
Instead, he forced his legs and arms to pump faster and tackled her from behind. With his arms wrapped around her, he twisted mid-fall, landing on his back with her clasped tightly against him.
Leia fought, trying to get free from his hold, but he’d expected it and held on tight. She was strong, stronger than many of the men he’d sparred with, but not enough to overpower him.
“Do you concede defeat?” He caught her earlobe between his teeth and held on.
She shivered. “Not yet.”
He bit down lightly and pulled.
When Leia moaned softly, he let go. It wasn’t much of a threat if she enjoyed it.
Pushing up to a sitting position, he wrestled her face down over his lap and yanked her shorts down. “How about now?”
“Not yet.” She bucked up, almost succeeding to break his hold.
Taking a risk, he tightened one arm around her middle, caging her arms against her body, and freed his other one to deliver a hard smack to her upturned bottom.
“How about now?”
She snorted. “You must be joking. That was nothing.”
Jack could’ve reminded Leia of their deal. She was supposed to concede defeat and surrender the moment he caught her, but this was much more fun.
Not holding anything back, Jack delivered five more quick smacks to her small, delectable bottom, and then rested his palm on those smooth cheeks.
Two things surprised him. First, even though he had never spanked a woman in his entire life, not even during holographic encounters, and had never felt the urge to, he was enjoying this way too much. Secondly, Leia wasn’t struggling or attempting to get free. Could it be that she was enjoying this too?
He asked again. “Ready to surrender?”
“Not yet.” Sounding breathy, she’d given him the answer, and it was a definite yes.
25
Leia
As she lay draped over Jack’s thighs, Leia told herself that this was a necessary part of the challenge. After all, the modified version that they had invented didn’t fulfill the part of her fighting her mate and him subduing her. This was a suitable substitute.
Except, she’d given Jack only token resistance, and then when arousal spread through her like wildfire, the last thing she wanted to do was fight him.
Heck, maybe when she was queen, she should change the mating ritual to a chase followed by a spanking. This was much more fun than the original version, but that was only because it was Jack and not some snobby Krall male.
She would have fought any of them until they ran away bloodied and begging for mercy. Maybe that was why she’d trained so hard. Subconsciously, Leia had been preparing for the most important battle of her life.
The life she wanted to spend with just one human male.
By now Jack must have delivered at least twenty smacks, and her bottom was starting to smart, but since her arousal intensified in direct proportion to the sting, she didn’t want him to stop.
Except, he did.
With the arm holding her down loosening its grip, he was a
llowing her to get free, but at the same time, his other hand smoothed down her heated bottom, inching toward her feminine center.
The message was clear. If she wanted to stop him, this was her chance, and he was waiting for her to decide.
Leia had no intentions of getting free or stopping Jack, but she appreciated him for not taking anything for granted. Not even at this point in the game.
When she remained motionless, her body soft and her muscles loose, he continued his trek until his fingers brushed over her swollen lower lips.
Leia groaned, her heartbeat going wild in anticipation of what he was going to do next.
Was he going to penetrate her with his finger?
She had played with sex toys and with her own fingers, but it wasn’t the same as having Jack do it. Sex wasn’t just about the body, it was even more so about the mind, and the added stimulation was explosive.
But then he did something totally unexpected. Withdrawing his fingers, he rested his palm on her bottom again and asked, “Are you ready to surrender now, kitten? If you do, you’ll get more of what you crave.”
Sneaky man.
She wanted more of those magic fingers. Heck, she wanted more of everything, and apparently the only way it was going to happen was if she surrendered.
Leia didn’t need to debate long to arrive at a decision. “I do.”
“Say the words, Princess.”
“I concede defeat, and I surrender to you, oh mighty Jack.”
That earned her a hard slap on her bottom. “I expect my mate to address me with respect.”
“Yes, sir.”
He rearranged her panties back in place and then lifted her, setting her down on his lap with his arms wrapped tightly around her. “I’m falling in love with you, Leia.” He kissed the top of her head.
“Why do you sound sad when you say that?”
“I’m not sad. I’m elated and surprised. I never expected to fall so fast and so hard. But you are just perfect.”
That was better.
Cupping the back of his neck, she lifted her lips to his and kissed him, using her fangs to nip at his tongue but careful not to draw blood. She wanted to but was afraid it would turn him off.
As the kiss heated up, his hands roamed over her body, touching her everywhere except where she wanted to be touched.
Pushing on his chest, she looked into his eyes. “I’m ready for more, Jack.”
“Let’s make ourselves more comfortable, shall we?” He winked and turned his head in the direction of the holographic chamber’s control panel. “Alexis, change program to Kirk’s number twenty-three.”
“Yes, Captain.”
The obstacle course disappeared, replaced by an opulent bedroom with a huge poster bed occupying its center.
As he lifted her up and walked over to the bed, Leia asked, “Did you name your ship’s computer Alexis after the former Federation’s president?”
He chuckled. “The ship came with the name. I’m not its first captain.”
26
Jack
Despite how far he’d advanced in such a short time, Jack hadn’t been first in anything significant. He hadn’t been his parents’ first child, he hadn’t finished first in class in the academy, and he hadn’t been this ship’s first captain.
But he was going to be Leia’s first, and it filled him with a sense of wonder and discovery more thrilling than his first voyage to the stars.
As he laid her down on the bed, he removed her hairtie and then gazed at her beautiful face framed by the long swaths of black silk.
“Stunning,” he murmured. “A goddess worthy of worship.”
Leia smiled shyly. “I have enough trouble with the princess title. A goddess is certainly too much.”
He lay next to her and gathered her into his arms. “You are a princess to everyone else but a goddess to me.”
“I can live with that.” She snorted and quickly covered her mouth with her hand. “I’m sorry.”
“What’s so funny?”
She shook her head.
It was probably nerves. Leia was anxious about her first time with a man, and the truth was that Jack was nervous too. He’d never been with a virgin, and he wanted to make it good for her, which meant being extra gentle and going slow.
Softly stroking her back, he leaned closer. “Come on. You can tell me.”
Pressing her nose to his chest, she giggled. “I just thought that you have a strange way of showing devotion to your goddess. I’ve never heard of spanking as a form of worship.”
He chuckled. “My goddess is special. She enjoys this particular form of devotion, and I enjoy offering it to her.”
She lifted her head and looked into his eyes. “Did you ever do this with anyone else?”
“No. You are the only one.”
“I’m glad to have this first.”
“I’ve never been in love either. You are the only woman I’ve ever loved and ever will.”
Her smile turned into a frown. “You haven’t known me for long enough to fall in love with me.”
“Perhaps. But this is how I feel right now, and I don’t think it’s going to change.”
He didn’t expect Leia to tell him that she loved him too, not yet. But he knew that she did. His princess just needed more time to realize that.
“I love you too,” she surprised him. “I’ve been in love with you for ten years.”
He cupped her bottom and gave it a squeeze. “That doesn’t count. You were a girl with a crush. Now you are a woman. My woman.” He took her mouth in a hard kiss, ending the conversation for now.
As their tongues dueled, Leia nipped at his every chance she got, the little stings sending bolts of fire straight to his groin. His princess was part kitten and part tigress, and he loved both sides of her.
When she got carried away and bit down too hard, drawing blood, he slapped her bottom, not because he was upset, but because it was a good excuse and he knew it turned her on.
To prove it, she bit down again and sucked, making little mewing noises of pleasure as he kept smacking her ass. He wondered what she enjoyed more, the taste of his blood or his palm making contact with her bottom.
When he stopped, she licked the spot she’d bitten. It tingled for a couple of moments, and then there was no trace of her ever nicking it. His tongue was as good as new.
He felt like returning the favor, but since his saliva didn’t contain healing agents, he decided to kiss the little hurts away.
Flipping her on her stomach, he pulled her panties down and went to work, kissing every inch of her gorgeous ass.
She giggled into the mattress, but as he dipped lower and kissed her labia, the giggles turned into moans.
27
Leia
Indescribable pleasure.
Leia just wished she could watch Jack and see the expression on his face as he kissed and licked like a man possessed. Was he really enjoying this so much?
From what her friends had told her, and what she’d read, men did this out of obligation, usually returning a favor for oral pleasuring they’d received. But that didn’t seem to be the case with Jack.
He was literally eating her up.
She should have been embarrassed by the slurping noises he was making, not getting even more turned on, but as Leia was discovering, she had a kinky side.
How wonderful.
Even a princess needed to be naughty from time to time, and what better way to let her bad girl out than with her man in their mated bed?
As he penetrated her with his tongue, thinking became impossible, and all she could do was focus on the feel of his hands on her ass, holding her gyrating hips from bucking off the bed, his warm breath on her wet folds, the shallow penetration of his tongue.
And then his finger replaced his tongue, slipping deep inside her.
As her hips surged up, he barely managed to hold on to her, rewarding her with a hard slap to her bottom and then a soft kiss to sooth the s
ting away.
Killer combination. At this rate, she was going to climax in no time.
“I want to see the expression on your face when you come.” He gripped her hips and flipped her onto her back, then glanced at the sports bra she was still wearing and frowned. “This has to go.”
Happy to oblige, Leia gripped the bottom edge, yanked it over her head, and tossed it to the floor.
Jack’s mesmerizing blue eyes shone as he looked at her breasts, and under that intense gaze, her straining nipples got even harder.
“I have to kiss them.” He climbed on top of her, caging her between his knees and dipped his head to take one stiff peak into his mouth.
A new rush of wetness coated her inner thighs, and seeking relief, she clumped them together.
Done with one nipple, he moved to the other, licking and nipping until she pushed his head away. “It’s too much.”
He pressed a soft kiss to one and then the other. “I’ll give your sweet berries a short reprieve while I finish what I’ve started.” He slid down her body and parted her legs with his hands.
Watching her face, he slipped a finger inside her, then lowered his head and flicked her swollen clit with just the tip of his tongue.
Once, twice, three times.
He then wedged a second finger inside her and closed his lips over that most sensitive bundle of nerves. As a new rush of wetness coated his pumping digits, he slipped a third one, stretching her even wider.
Uncomfortable at first, her sheath soon got accustomed to the penetration, and Leia wondered whether he could fit a fourth one.
