“We smiled sometimes. But no one ever laughed out loud in my family. It was considered crude to show such an unchecked display of emotion. My father is a diplomat and my brother and I were expected to follow in his footsteps. Diplomats never let their emotions show. It’s hard to know what might be considered bad form in another world. Thousands of lives could be lost over a single unintended insult.”
He broke a leg off the hare on the spit, took a bite, chewed and swallowed. Casually, he handed her the joint the same way he’d handed over the flask, watching her carefully all the while. “You have a brother?”
She nodded, then bit into the hare. “He didn’t join the diplomatic corps,” she said. “He’s a commander in the InterStellar fleet.” She held up the hand holding the rabbit leg to point to the heavens, waving it as she went on. “He’s out there somewhere right now. Far on the other side of the galaxy.” She took another bite, chewing thoughtfully. “He’d have been quite interested in all those bizarre creatures at the auction. We’ve never even heard of any of those planets back on Earth.”
She leaned closer to him, giggling again. “It’s going to make quite a stir at the federation when I describe all those strange penises in my report!”
He reached for the flask of mead. “I think you’ve had enough of this.”
She had one more quick swallow, then sighed and handed it back. “Perhaps you’re right.” As if noticing the joint of roast hare in her hand for the first time, she took another bite. “You know, this flesh is really quite good. I had no idea dead animals could be so tasty.”
They finished off the hare. Talia chattered nonstop all the while, prompted by questions from Kylar. All about her life on Earth, her preparation for this posting. Finally he coaxed her to lie down on a bed of pine needles he scooped from the base of a nearby tree.
“We need to rest.”
She lay down, then let out a soft cry. “I’ve never looked up at the night sky before. I studied planetary geography, of course, learned the names and positions of the known galaxies and their primary suns by heart. But I never once stopped to look at what I studied.” Her voice dropped to an awed whisper. “It’s beautiful!”
He lay down next to her. “Yes, it is. My ancestors explored their whole world by tracking the movements of those stars in the heavens. Now we use maps and roadways to move around on Gadolinium, Star Portals to whisk us to other lands. We know that bright beacon in the sky over there isn’t really a jewel in the crown of a goddess. Sometimes I wonder if they were not better off, staring up at the sky and believing in their magic and their mystery.”
She glanced over at him in surprise. “How could superstitious ancient beliefs be better than knowledge gained through scientific processes?”
“Not everything can be reduced to a list of dry facts. For example, there’s no science that can explain love.”
She choked back a skeptical laugh. “Love? I heard your people still cherished that archaic concept but I never really believed it.”
He rolled on his side and stared at her. “Next you’ll be telling me even love has been outlawed on Earth.”
“Not outlawed. Just abandoned as useless, the same way you’ve abandoned the outmoded belief that the star shining so brightly over there is a jewel adorning some heaven-dwelling deity. Love is a fabrication created by primitive minds who needed to keep the family unit together to ensure survival of the species. Our young require years of care before they’re capable of existing alone.”
“May I ask you a personal question?”
“Go ahead. I’ve already told you a great deal of personal information.” She giggled again. “Maybe all those stories we were told about the effects of strong spirits are true after all. Your honey mead has certainly loosened my tongue.”
He chuckled. “Sometimes alcohol temporarily interferes with rational thought too. For example, you said something odd earlier—about Earthers no longer having sex with each other. Surely that can’t be right. Was it just the alcohol talking?”
“No. Not at all. Physical intimacy between two people is another of those outmoded concepts. It was the cause of so many problems for our ancestors. Wars have been fought over mating rights between males and females. Whole civilizations put at risk because of uncontrolled sexual urges.”
He looked stunned. “How does life go on?”
“You mean procreation? That’s been simplified. When a couple chooses to have a child, egg and sperm are medically harvested and joined. The resulting fetus is grown to full gestation in sterile lab conditions, doing away with all risk to mother and child. The infant is raised in a nursery along with hundreds of other infants, all receiving proper nutrition and exercise, both mental and physical, to ensure optimum development, then presented to the family unit at age two.” She recited the speech from memory, just as she’d learned it years ago in primary school.
“You mean your mother didn’t cradle you at her breast? Your father never laid with the woman he loved, marveling at the life they created when she took his hand and placed it on her naked belly to feel the babe inside?”
Talia found herself blushing once again at the image of raw intimacy his words evoked. “Modern science has done away with the dangers posed by those ancient customs. Women no longer need to fear giving birth to damaged infants either. Each child created is perfect.”
“Life was never meant to be perfect. Life is meant to seize and savor, to wring out every dram of pleasure. Without pain and sorrow and strife, how can we truly appreciate the moments of pure joy?”
He went on, his voice becoming more impassioned. “There is no joy as sweet as that moment of oneness, the uniting of two souls, two bodies. Forget making babies. Are you telling me Earthers no longer make love with each other at all?”
“As I said, we have no need to indulge in such unsanitary practices. We take care of our physical needs efficiently, on a regular basis, once every three weeks. We are no longer slaves to those base animalistic urges that created havoc in our species.” She crooked a finger at him, motioning him closer. “Can I tell you a secret?”
He leaned forward and she raised up on one elbow to whisper in his ear. “Ever since I came here, I’ve been feeling those urges.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “Really?”
She looked around, as if to ensure they wouldn’t be overheard. “Yes. Back home, ever since I was old enough to begin receiving the injections, I always had regularly scheduled sessions with my probe and my holograms. But here, they did wicked things to me. Aroused me with strange devices, then left me…” She paused dramatically. “Ungratified. It’s horrible. All I can think about is climaxing. And all those penises. Back home, I never saw a real one before. And now I’ve been surrounded by them. Thick fat ones. Long skinny ones. One of those creatures at the auction actually had one that glowed when he became aroused.” She giggled again. “Like a beacon.”
She lowered her voice. “I did something wicked too. I rubbed up against yours when you were spanking me. On purpose. To see how it felt.” She clapped a hand over her mouth. “Oops! That was another secret. I wasn’t supposed to tell you.”
Chapter Seven
He lowered his voice to match hers. “I knew you did.”
Her eyes widened. He felt a quick stab of guilt. He really shouldn’t toy with her this way. The official ambassador from the InterStellar Federation was tipsy, apparently for the first time in her life. He’d have to watch his step. She was so lovely, lying there with her golden brown hair fanning out around her head, clad in nothing but his shirt, her long legs disappearing under the hem.
The torture of it was, he knew what lay at the other end of the long legs now. He’d seen that sweet pussy, lusted after it along with every other male creature in this corner of the universe—and a good many females too, if truth be told. Not every shrouded being at that auction had been masculine in gender. After all, it was common knowledge in the galaxy that no male was allowed on Axyon 3.
&nb
sp; And now here she was, ripe for the taking, confessing that she ached to be satisfied. But it sounded as though Balam had told the truth for once in his life. She’d never lain with a man before. Technically, the woman cuddling against him for warmth was a virgin. And a slightly drunken one. She’d never forgive herself once she sobered up if they fucked tonight. Besides, he had his pride to consider. No matter how horny, he’d never taken a woman who wasn’t consenting. And judging from her past behavior, once she was in her right mind again, this woman would never forgive him for taking advantage of her momentary loss of self-control.
He’d have her. Of that, he was certain. He’d bed this virgin and show her the pleasure to be had when man and woman mated. But when it happened, she’d be awake and aware, able to savor every moment of the experience.
Still, he was a gentleman. And this lady needed satisfaction. There were other ways he could please her without robbing her of her virginity.
“I could help you with your problem,” he said casually. “If you like.”
“Really? You would do that? I don’t have my probe.”
“It’s no matter. I carry a small one with me at all times.”
He lifted a finger and she giggled again. “Not so small. That’s about the size of the one I have at home.”
“Close your eyes.”
She did. He moved closer and touched his lips gently to hers.
Her eyes popped open. “You did that before. But not so soft. It made me feel funny. Here.” She touched a hand to her belly.
He should have guessed. If they didn’t fuck, of course they didn’t kiss either. In his experience, one led inevitably to the other.
He laid his hand over hers. “It’s supposed to make you feel funny here.” He slid his hand lower. “And here.”
She shivered. He kissed her again and moved his hand to her knee. Ever so slowly, he ran it up the inside of her thigh, kissing her all the while. Her lips parted and she let out a little moan. “Sori and Leto did cruel things to me. But this feels nice.”
He bent his head, moving his lips down the side of her neck. She wrapped one arm around him.
He stopped just short of teasing her pussy, sliding his hand further up under the shirt over her belly to cup one of her breasts in his palm. He kissed her again, long and slow, rubbing the pad of his thumb over her nipple all the while. She responded instantly, the nipple hardening into a tight little bud. That’s when he shifted, rolling partway over her body and urging her legs apart with his knee.
She shuddered, pressing herself up against him, rocking her mound back and forth against his throbbing cock. He groaned, thanking the gods he’d had sense enough to keep his trousers on. Otherwise, he’d have been thrusting inside her by now.
Instead he ran his hand down, stroking her belly, her upper leg, tracing the junction where thigh ended and the universe of pleasure began. This was truly a land worth exploring.
When he slid a finger along the velvet folds around her pussy, she gasped. He dipped it in and found her dripping wet inside. She angled her hips, drawing him in further. He obliged, probing deeper. Moving in and out, guided by her whimpers and soft cries.
Her breathing quickened. She shuddered again, once, then sagged in his arms. “Thank you,” she whispered.
He withdrew his hand, bringing it up to his face and breathing in. The scent of her arousal had him uttering another groan. Surely the gods wouldn’t fault him for just one taste of her sweetness. He slid down, pulling up the hem of the shirt and burying his face between her legs. She let out a little shriek and grabbed him by the hair, trying to pull his head away.
“What are you doing?”
He raised his head and met her eyes. “Do you trust me not to hurt you?”
She nodded solemnly.
“Then lie back and close your eyes again. I want to show you another way to achieve gratification.”
“But I won’t need it again for three weeks!”
He nearly laughed at that, but she sounded so serious, he didn’t want to hurt her feelings. “What if I show you that’s not true? What if I can make you desperately desire gratification as you call it? Again. Right now.”
“That’s impossible.”
“Would you be willing to bet on it?”
“A wager? I’ve never wagered on anything. Well, that’s not true. I did make a bet with Nelson once about the outcome of Cyborg Wars. He won,” she finished, shaking her head sadly. “What kind of bet did you have in mind?”
“If I’m right, and you achieve gratification again, you spend one more night with me, camping out under the stars, whenever I demand it. If I’m wrong, I’ll kneel at your feet in front of my entire league of warriors and proclaim that we had a competition and you bested me, fair and square. The details of the competition will be our secret. Yours and mine.”
“And you promise not to tell?”
He gave a solemn nod. “I promise.”
She cocked her head, considering for a minute, then nodded her head. “Agreed.”
“There are a few rules to this contest though. First, put both hands over your head. Now lie back and close your eyes. If you move from that position before I finish, our bet is off.”
She nodded. He decided to push his luck.
“And I get to spank your bottom again, for breaking the rules of our contest.”
She hesitated. He pushed harder.
“Surely you aren’t afraid that you might be wrong?
He’d found her weak spot.
“Of course not,” she declared.
“Then do it.”
He caught the spark of fire in her eyes just before she closed them. This woman was truly a gift from the gods. Awed by his position as future king, the damsels in Trondheim were always demure and proper. Never disagreeing, never showing the slightest bit of spunk. But this Earther acted like she considered herself his equal in every way. Conquering her would be a worthy feat, one that aroused his competitive nature as well as his ardor.
She lay back, her body stiff and unyielding. He smiled. All the better. His conquest would be even sweeter when he transformed her from aloof maiden to wanton wench, begging him for her release.
He yanked up the shirt and wrapped his hands around the backs of her upper thighs, pulling them apart. When your adversary already anticipates the attack, there is no need for subtlety.
She gasped in shock, then let out a little moan when his tongue flicked across her still-engorged pleasure pearl.
He ran his tongue down, lapping at the sweet juices of her pussy. She cried out and her hands gripped his head, fisting in his hair.
He lifted his head and took both her wrists in one huge hand.
“I’ll excuse this one. But if you move again, you’ll have to drape yourself over my lap, pull up your own skirt and bare your bottom for that spanking. Now… shall I continue—or do you admit I’ve won?”
“You haven’t won—yet.”
She gave him a naughty little grin and his heart soared. There was a real woman behind that oh-so-proper façade after all.
* * *
Talia lay back, hands trembling as she clasped them together on the ground above her head. She could blame the spirits. But she knew that their effect had dissipated by now. She’d never believed in witchcraft. But this man had performed some kind of sorcery on her. There was no other explanation for why she lay here willingly, allowing him to put his mouth on her most intimate parts.
He bent his head. Flicking his tongue back and forth over her sensitive bud, then flattening it to lick up and down, ever so slowly. Shocked, Talia suddenly realized that sorcery or not, she could feel the wave building inside her again. Need. No, hunger. No, fever. Burning inside her. Building until the agony of desire became unbearable.
She cried out, wordless little cries that turned into desperate pleas. He spread her apart with the fingers of both hands and began sucking on the tiny bud. She grabbed his head again, this time holding it in place.
<
br /> “Yes oh yes do it don’t stop please please don’t stop yes yes yes.”
The world disappeared into a black hole. All that remained were wild thrills coursing through her body, giant bursts of sensation so intense she thought she’d die.
He kept on as she shuddered over and over in his arms, then pillowed his head on the inside of her thigh when her trembling stopped. She ran her fingers through his hair, stroking his head gently. Her breathing gradually slowed. Her heart quit trying to pound its way out of her ribs. Slowly Talia opened her eyes to Kylar’s lazy grin.
“I won.”
She grinned back. “Technically. But I think any woman on Earth would say I won.” Her expression grew serious, her eyes soft. “I’ve never felt anything like that before. I never knew. Never knew it could be so…” She stopped, overcome.
Kylar moved up to gather her into his arms. Her body still quivered.
“Rest now.”
* * *
Trapped. Suffocating. Talia fought her way out of sleep, twisting and turning to escape her prison.
One powerful arm tightened around her.
“Shhh. It’s all right. You’re safe.”
He eyes popped open. Kylar had her in a tight embrace, her body up against his, his arm encircling her waist. She wiggled away and turned to face him.
“I slept? With my body touching yours all night?”
He smiled. “You did.”
“Impossible. I don’t like touching and I definitely don’t like being touched. Creatures have been doing that to me ever since I arrived here and I hate it.”
His smile widened. “You seemed to like it last night.”
Memories came flooding back. His hands caressing her everywhere. His mouth on her mouth. His mouth on… She froze. Her face flushed with embarrassment.
“How did you do it? How could you take me to gratification?” Even with all her training, she couldn’t mask the accusing tone. “You never even used a probe!”
His to Conquer (Alien Masters Book 3) Page 9
