by Shea Malloy
The palace, Suri explained, wasn’t just the home of the Klar and his family. It was a veritable community, housing many who were within the Klar’s and his Council’s employ.
“I’m guessing it’ll take a number of days to tour this place in its entirety,” said Nick as they strolled outside. The late afternoon sunlight warmed his skin and cast a gleam on the surface of the pools that were on both sides of the walkway they traversed.
“It was built by my great great grandfather, Klar Zamiron. He was known for favouring the lavish lifestyle. He almost drove Omaron to its ruin during his reign.”
“We have a number of those kinds of kings in Earth’s history too.”
She guided him along the narrow pathway that cut through a stunning spread of flowers of various and vibrant colours. Their arms occasionally brushed as they walked, each brush making Nick’s cock twitch. He fought a battle within himself to keep his purpose at the forefront of his mind, but it was hard. He was hard.
She spread her arms, gesturing. “This is the garden.”
“It’s beautiful,” Nick said, appreciating the view. “Looks like the sort of place that makes you forget about your troubles for a little while.”
“Yes.” She nodded, clearly delighted by his approval. “It is exactly why it’s my favourite place to be.” She reached to caress the pink petals of some flowers growing on a hedge. “In the nighttime, it becomes so calm and quiet, if you close your eyes you can almost hear the gods’ whispers.”
Today, her sari was the colour of lavender and patterned with intricate silvery spirals that sparkled when they caught the sunlight. Nick’s chest tightened with a painful yearning for this woman. He wondered if he was blessed or cursed to have become aware of her existence.
“You worship multiple deities?”
“The Omar people’s connection with the gods is purely spiritual. We don’t idolize them or erect structures of their likeness. We pray to them for guidance and do good deeds so that they may bless us with peace and prosperity.” Her gaze turned enquiring. “Do you have religious beliefs, Nick?”
“‘By the sweat of your brow you will eat,’ said one of the deities that some Earth beings worship. Work is the only god in my life. It’s all-powerful, demanding and never satisfied.”
Suri laughed. “You are amusing.”
“Hm. Should I take that as a compliment?”
“Yes, you should. I would not insult you because I like you very much.” Then she bit her lips together, her eyes widening. “I meant… I… I enjoy your company.”
Nick held her gaze, relishing her admission and her flustered features. “I like you very much too, Suri. And I enjoy your company as well.”
Abruptly, she plucked one of the pink flowers and handed it to him, her voice higher than usual. “I planted these. There’s a sweet nectar in the stalk you should try.”
“I’m a bit of a traditional guy, princess. It’s the boy who should give the girl the flower.” He smiled as he took it, intentionally brushing her fingers with his. Damn if it didn’t bring joy into his day to see her so responsive to his slightest touch. “I’ll keep this one as a gift. Give me the nectar from another one.”
He moved closer. She picked another flower and stripped away the flower’s petals with trembling fingers. Left with the stalk, she squeezed along it until a translucent gel leaked onto her finger.
“Here,” she said, reaching her finger up to his lips. “Taste.”
Holding her gaze, he encased her small hand in his and pushed her finger into his mouth. Her breathing hitched as he curled his tongue around her finger and lapped every bit of the sweetness off her skin all the while pinning her with a half-lidded stare. Then he slipped her finger from between his lips.
“That was delicious,” he said, his voice low. “But I bet you taste sweeter.”
Her lips parted, inviting him to take them. He leaned his face down, his movements deliberate so she could register his intent and stop him if she wanted. But she didn’t. There was no fear or disgust in her eyes. Only hunger. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. This truth made him growl in satisfaction before he covered her mouth with his.
Christ, her lips were soft and plump. Fucking delicious. Her moan was like a siren song to his cock, making him painfully hard in seconds and twitching with eagerness. Nick curved his hands around Suri’s body and pulled her to him until her full breasts mashed against his chest. His kiss was hungry and demanding, yet she wasn’t afraid of him. She melted into him as if this was what she’d wanted all along.
As much as he knew they shouldn’t be doing this, that what they did was wrong, it felt like the rightest thing in the world. He’d wasted his life away on Earth if this was what he’d been missing. He held her in a possessive embrace and she made a sound of surprise when the firm result of their kiss pressed against her belly.
“We shouldn’t,” she said.
“Of course, we shouldn’t.”
But he kissed her again anyway, his hand sliding up under the edge of the top portion of her sari to caress her bare skin. Her tongue, tasting and twirling with his, brushed away his logic. He sank his fingers into her flesh, marking her as his with his touch. He didn’t give a damn where they did it. On the floor, against the hedge… he just needed her.
Someone cleared their throat loudly. Suri was off him like if he’d suddenly turned molten lava in her arms. Nick breathed deeply, still dazed from arousal and the fact that all the blood that resided in his head now throbbed painfully in his dick.
Suri pressed her fingers to her swollen lips, visibly mortified. Some guy in a brown tunic with a purple sash across his shoulder regarded them with disapproval. Suri spoke to him in her native language and the man’s response was clipped. Then, with another disapproving gaze in Nick’s direction, the man pressed a hand to his left breast, bowed and walked away.
“Who was that?”
“He is an Elder,” said Suri, smoothing her hands down her front to regain composure. “A priest, if you will.”
“Ah. He seemed unhappy.” He frowned. “Is there a rule that you’re not supposed to have sex outside of marriage? There are some cultures like that on Earth.”
“We do not have that rule.” She blushed. “And we were not having sex.”
“Yet,” Nick added with a mischievous smile.
She pursed her lips, but her eyes glimmered with amusement. “The confidence reappears in abundance.”
“To achieve your heart’s desire, you have to believe it’s already within your grasp.” He rubbed his thumb over her soft lips as he lowered his voice. “And what I want most of all is you, princess.”
3
Suri
—
“How could you do this, Suri?”
This was Mikaal’s greeting as Suri entered his office. He’d sent a notification to her comm device demanding she visit him after her tour of the palace with Nick had ended.
Suri pursed her lips and folded her arms. “What are you accusing me of, Mikaal?”
Mikaal glared at her. “An Elder saw you and Officer Thorne kissing in the gardens.” Then he scowled and launched to his feet, his eyes ablaze with outrage. “Did he force himself on you?”
“He did not.” Suri blushed, her tone growing defensive. “And the kiss was hardly worth anything for the Elder to tattle about.”
She’d fibbed numerous times to her brother, many of them trivial, but telling Mikaal that the kiss she’d shared with Nick had been worthless was a staggering lie. Hours later and the memory of Nick’s scalding kiss still burned her lips no matter how much she rubbed or licked them.
Stepping free from his desk, Mikaal rubbed his forehead. “Suri, that was beyond unprofessional on both of your parts.” He regarded her sternly. “You understand nothing can form between you two, correct? This mission is far too valuable for a romantic dalliance to jeopardize it.”
“I know that,” Suri said tightly.
“Omaron and the rest
of the Union will be stronger with Earth’s inclusion. By being the first to hold meetings with the planet, we are at an advantage.” He glared at her. “As such, as your Klar and your older brother, I forbid you from consorting with Officer Thorne in any other manner that is not beneficial to your work.”
Suri got to her feet, anger and indignation burning in her chest. “Don’t you dare use your title as Klar to force my hand, Mikaal. That is extreme and unnecessary.”
“How else would you understand the gravity of the situation?”
She scoffed. “And if I defy your orders, what will you do to me? Imprison me? Behead me?”
He scowled and remained silent before he finally spoke in petulant tones. “I’m sure I can come up with a punishment to suit the crime.”
“It is a crime to kiss someone?” Suri rolled her eyes. “Then I hope you are prepared to throw yourself and your wife into prison for the rest of your years. Perhaps Kelan would make a far more benevolent Klar than his overbearing father.”
“Suri, you are not taking this matter seriously,” he said in exasperated tones.
Suri exhaled, relenting. “I apologize. I am sorry the Elder encountered us in the public view of the gardens.”
“But you are not sorry you kissed him,” he supplied in dry tones.
She blushed but forged ahead. “Nick and I are both devoted to our work. Whatever happens… happened between us will not destroy or pose an obstacle to what we’ve built so far.” She reached for his hand and clasped it between hers, her gaze sincere. “Please have faith in me, brother. I will not disappoint you.”
Mikaal shook his head, his lips quirked in a rueful smile as he patted her shoulder. “Even when we were children and you destroyed my toys with glee, I could never stay angry with you for long, Suri.”
Suri grinned. “I did you a service! Father often bought you more toys when I broke the old ones.”
“I am sorry I attempted to force my will on you,” he said. Not for the first time, Suri grew amazed. The Mikaal of the past never apologized for his highhanded and overly hardheaded ways. Yet another faucet of his personality his happy marriage had changed for the better. “But you should be careful. Officer Thorne’s stay is short and he leaves in a few days. His return is unlikely. You cannot… you shouldn’t…” he grimaced. “Do not allow yourself to be hurt by his departure.”
“I understand,” said Suri quietly. She pressed a quick kiss to his cheek and left his office.
As she walked, she pondered on Mikaal’s warning. She knew what he was awkwardly trying to say. Don’t fall in love with Nick. But the advice was a little too late as she was already free-falling from the cliff edge. When his eyes met hers for the first time, something inside her had understood that he would play an important role in her life. He would come to mean more to her than just the Earth diplomat sent to assist with the bridging of their planets.
Their intense attraction for each other was inexplicable. Just being near him made her body hot let alone when he scorched her with his touch. Mikaal’s insinuation was correct. She wasn’t sorry she’d kissed Nick only that the Elder had seen them. Nick’s kiss was all she’d wanted since that first day she’d seen his picture. She wanted more than just his kisses if she were being honest.
When he’d arrived, his actual presence was far greater than the fantasy. His presence, his deep voice, his unique scent, his visible strength. She’d become breathless just looking at him, her body alive with awareness and eagerness for him. His obvious interest in her too had filled her with triumph. The way he looked at her like if he was just short of ravaging her even in front of her brother and his team.
Gods, she wanted him. Wanted him more than anything.
And he’d said he wanted her too.
Yet it was dangerous to let things go further, wasn’t it?
After all, he was not here to stay.
—
Suri made her way to the hovercar station, Nick and his team accompanying her. They were taking a trip into Onhya today so they could explore Omaron’s largest city.
“Nice,” said Nick, eyeing one of the sleek, black hovercars with interest. “These must be a dream to drive.”
“They are self-driving as well.”
“Next, you’re going to tell me they can comb my hair and help me get dressed, aren’t you?”
“They do not, but I can send along your feature suggestions to the developer if you wish,” she said, amused.
Suri led the group toward the fleet of hovercars that weren’t constrained to the track that led into Onhya. Each hovercar had a maximum of four seats, so she appointed the first car as the primary and programmed the second car to be tied to the first. Whatever actions the first car took, the second would follow suit.
“Can I ride with you?” Nick asked as his assistant and two bodyguards climbed into the second car. “There is something I’ve been meaning to discuss.”
“Certainly.”
Seated before the car’s console, Suri entered the coordinates to the first location. Nick’s gaze caressed her even though she wasn’t looking at him. The hovercar suddenly seemed so much smaller with his large frame occupying the seat beside her. The short gap between their seats didn’t deter the sense that they were close to each other.
Coordinates entered, she ensured the speed was set to slow. The hovercars were capable of achieving dizzying speeds in order to cover more ground in a matter of seconds, but she remembered the humans’ unpleasant reaction to the carrier and she didn’t want them to repeat the experience.
Self-driving engaged, the car’s inner lights pulsed as it puttered along the path she’d set on the map. Suri leaned back in her seat and chanced a glance at Nick.
“What did you want to discuss?”
He frowned and pointed at his shirt. “How do you take this off?”
“You want to remove your clothing?”
Nick met her widened eyes with a wolfish grin. “I will if you want me to, and only if you promise to do the same for me.” He tapped his chest. “But I’m talking about this invisible seatbelt that’s holding me down.”
“Oh,” she said, somewhat disappointed for some reason. She tapped on the console to remove the suppressors. They weren’t necessary when they were travelling at such a leisurely pace.
Nick rocked forward then back in his seat. “That’s better.” Then he turned to her. “To answer your question, what I wanted to discuss was this.”
He moved quickly, cupping her face in his hands and leaning over to kiss her. His scent was a heady mix of mint and spices, his jaw rough beneath her fingertips. He licked the seam of her lips and she opened to him, moaning as his tongue slid against hers. He took his time with her, content with a slow exploration. Or perhaps he was afraid of frightening her? Well, she wanted this. Wanted him. Arousal lit a fiery trail from where their tongues met. It smoldered in the pit of her stomach and warmed between her legs.
Then she remembered the hovercar’s transparent hood.
She pulled away from him. “Your team will see us.”
He caressed her face, dropping his hand to dig his fingers into her thigh. “Then are you a good actress, Suri?”
“Why?”
“Because I’m going to make you come.” His voice was silken in her ear. “You don’t want my team to know I have my fingers inside you.” His grey eyes turned slate, dark and hungry. “Lift your skirt.”
A thrill went through her at his command. She deafened herself to the voice in her head that said she should not let this go any further. Bunching her skirt in her fists, she tugged them up, revealing her thighs. Nick smoothed his palm along her exposed skin, back and forth, branding her with his heat. Suri trembled as his hand inched higher with deliberate purpose.
“I bet you’re already soaking wet,” he growled, watching her closely.
“Yes, because of you,” she confessed. Of course she was when he touched her like that.
“Open your legs and show me.”
Suri did as he asked, splaying her legs showing him the part of her that begged for his touch the most. Her nipples were tight buds scraping against her sari’s top. When Nick’s questing fingers found her, Suri let out a cry that was part relief, part desperation.
“Fuck.” He groaned. “You walk around all the time with your pretty pussy bare under your dress, princess?”
“Always…” Suri said breathlessly as his fingers parted her slick lips. She shifted lower in her seat and arched her neck when his digits slid over her engorged nub and invaded her channel.
“You need to act like this isn’t happening, remember?” he teased, his voice rough and his warm breath fanning her ear as he thrust his fingers into her.
She wished she could pretend, but his thick digits felt so good spearing her. She panted his name when he slid his wet fingers from her and circled the bundle of nerves nestled between her plump lips. She’d never had a sexual encounter in a moving hovercar before, and some of the exhilaration coursing through her body stemmed from knowing that at any point, someone might see them.
She slipped a hand under her top and fondled her breast, mimicking the rolling motion of Nick’s touch on her nipple. His mouth covered hers again. His tongue sweeping in to slide against hers, he swallowed her whimpers greedily. Every sensation felt magnified. She had envisioned scenarios of Nick’s hands on her body but the magnificent reality of it all was almost too much to bear.
Slipping her hand from under her top, she sank her fingernails into his thigh over the material of his trousers, then brushed her hand higher. He groaned at her touch, his rigid length straining against her hand, his size daunting and exciting.
The hovercar announced that they were about to approach their destination, but Suri paid no attention to it. She revelled in the sensations wrought by the man whose digits carried her closer toward her finish. She rolled her hips, bearing down on his hand. So close. So close.
She gradually unravelled under his insistent strokes. He ground the heel of his palm against her nub as he pushed his digits into her again.
