by Liza Probz
"Indeed."
She eyed him and he snatched the parchment back.
"And you'll get it after we've spent the night together. As mates." He sucked his bottom lip into his mouth, hanging tightly on the possibility that she would relent. He had already seen her sex up close. Surely it wasn’t about modesty anymore.
Sylvie's eyes narrowed. "And how do I know your people will honor these orders? How do I make it through the mob to the transport?"
X let out a huff of air. Would this infernal female always harass him like this? He strode to the entrance to his chambers and stepped out the door.
The guards standing outside straightened, and the crowd of protesters livened up, raising their signs and starting their chants. He ignored them all and turned to the older guard stationed there.
"Major, if the Earthling female ever gives you this order," he said, showing him the order and his signature, "you are to take her immediately to the central hub. You will fly her on a transport back to Earth. When dropping her off, follow the standard protocol for dispatching undercover agents."
"Undercover agents?" she piped up from beside him, but he waved a hand at her to cut off any questions.
"Make sure you are escorted by two attack-class Teuthidas. I don't want her left defenseless."
The guard, apparently a major, nodded his head. "I'll make sure she gets home.”
X turned on his heel and re-entered his chambers, dragging her with him. Once inside the doors he didn't let her go, but ran his hands up and down her arms as he hovered over the top of her curly blond locks.
Her skin was unlike anything he'd ever felt. His own skin was soft, but slightly more porous. Hers was firm and soft and so easy to caress.
The tightness inside of him clenched down harder. The intense drive to take her slammed into him again. Damn mating. He wouldn’t be able to control himself for much longer.
I must have her. Even if she plans to leave me afterwards. Nothing will stop me from possessing this female. Nothing.
Chapter 24
"Okay, you've got your ticket home. Tell me you’ll let me have you for the night."
"Wait," Sylvia said.
He was gently stroking her arms, and though she should push him back, it felt too damn good to make him stop just yet. "I just wanted to have the option. I didn't say I'd decided--"
"Hush, woman." He grabbed her shoulders, and pulling her flush against him, the hardness of his chest pushed against her fingers as she lifted her hands. His heart beat against her fingers, the deep throb relaxing her and drawing her in.
X ran his hands down her sides and pressed his fingers into her hips as he rocked his hips forward. The thick swell of arousal pressed against her stomach and she had to bite back a deep groan at the promise of what he could do to her. His tongue had left her needy and acting quite out of character. What could his cock do?
"I've upheld my end of our bargain," he said as his mouth dropped to her shoulder. He planted a row of kisses down her skin and led up to her throat. "Time for you to uphold your end."
How can I think when he's licking my neck like this? So fucking hot.
She'd had a few sexual experiences, but none had ever promised such intense passion. She'd come to think of sex as good-natured fumbling in the dark in which both parties left a little bit happy and a little bit sore.
But this... this was like a house on fire. The burn in her stomach told her that if she let him inside of her, it might not be him who was clamoring for more than one night afterward. It might be her.
Don't let him press his advantage. You'd almost convinced him to let you see the ship. Then he tried to get around you with this feeble, albeit effective, tactic. Fight back! You won’t survive this.
"I consider this extortion." She used the firmest, most disinterested voice she could muster. That her fingers continued to pull at his sarong meant little to nothing.
He licked the sensitive spot beneath her ear and her knees buckled, his breath hot on her flesh. "No one will force you, my little cuttlefish."
“Why does it feel like you already are?” she whispered, not quite able to find her footing again. How did he know exactly where to touch her to cause parts of her to melt?
X laughed. It was a warm sound that loosened her resolve even further.
"I don't know why you're fighting so hard against this," he whispered, running his fingers through her messy hair and tugging back as she glanced up at him. "We both want this."
"I want a ride home."
The regent pulled away from her, staring down into her face with an expression she couldn't read. "We're both adults, Sylvie. Each has something the other wants, and you lie only to yourself if you deny it. I can almost taste you on my tongue again due to the invitation your smell is offering. Your mind might be fighting, but your body is far beyond willing."
“Stop seducing me. I can hardly think. There had to be a drug in my food.” She couldn’t pull together a cohesive thought. So this is what unbridled lust feels like. A groan left her and X tightened his hold.
He tilted her head back gently, running a finger down her cheek, ignoring her murmurings. "I've never felt so attracted to another, never felt this urge to take someone and say damn the consequences."
"These consequences are not so easily damned." She tugged from his grasp on her hair and pressed her lips to the skin beside the thick strap that held his clothing in place. "You've seen the mobs in the corridors. They don't want you near me. What if they found out you and I had…?"
She was worried about him. About his reputation and his well-being. His association with her could ruin his career. He was a good leader, one who had his people's best interests at heart. And she was a distraction, one he really didn't need.
If I give in, if I surrender to a night of passion, then I can go with no hard feelings.
She could let her curiosity run wild for one night, and then she could leave. He'd be satisfied, and she'd no longer be around to stir up bad sentiment against him. It was a win-win.
As easy as it all sounded, she knew, without a doubt, that saying goodbye now would hurt, but after making love, it might kill her.
Just this once, just for one night. I'll give up my careful control and let feelings overwhelm me. Just to feel passion and pleasure before returning to my loneliness.
Here, on this alien planet, in the arms of its leader, she would submit to desire.
"Let me please you," he murmured. "Let me claim you."
He leaned in, his face a whisper away from hers.
"Yes," she said, and it came out on a sigh.
X groaned, then took her lips in a furious kiss. Her world narrowed to his mouth against hers, to the sensation of soft lips and a skilled tongue. He made love to her mouth, pulling and sucking as she clung to him, trying to find enough air to keep the dizziness at bay.
He broke the kiss and Sylvie cried out at his absence, the loss of him against her almost frightening. Too fast. Things were happening too fast. Sex was one thing, but recognizing the deep burn in the core of her heart was another. This isn’t good. Run. Now.
X put a hand to her cheek and she opened her eyes to stare into his, the dark orbs penetrating past her worry.
"I can barely control myself. If you aren't sure, say something now. I'm not sure if I'll be able to stop." He brushed the soft pad of his thumb over her lip and licked at his. “Tell me, Earthling. Let me hear it.”
Sylvie gave him a shy smile before moving farther into his embrace. "Promise not to stop. Even when I tell you to."
His lips crashed down upon hers and she opened her mouth, welcoming his tongue, savoring his taste. Of all the delicacies she'd tasted on this strange planet, his kiss was the most rewarding, his taste sweet and musky. He was huge and dominant… just the kind of man she had dreamt about making love to her for the entirety of her life.
There was no way she would walk away from the night unscathed.
Chapter 25
&nbs
p; Xivthar swept the delicate female into his arms and carried her to his bedchamber. His urge to sink himself into her was close to overwhelming him, but he knew he had to savor every moment of their time. He might never have another chance to have her beneath him again.
He settled her onto the bed and joined her, enfolding her in his arms as the gentle waves undulated against them.
"Sylvie," he whispered, cupping her face and rubbing against her lips with this thumb. "You are exquisite. I’ve wanted you from the moment I laid eyes on you."
She didn’t speak a word, but simply stared up at him wide-eyed. Was she nervous? The same woman who had fought off enemy agents was now trembling beneath him.
"Don't worry," he said, pressing a kiss to the vulnerable spot beneath her jaw. "I will do everything in my power to make this the most pleasure you’ve ever experienced."
Because Zantharian females made all the decisions surrounding mating, they were often the aggressors during the act. He knew that things would be different with the human female, which drew him in deeper. She had already aroused his aggressive tendencies, something that wouldn’t be allowed in mating with one of the females from his race.
He'd been with several Zantharian females in his time. Power was a strong aphrodisiac among his people so plenty of women had sought him out, but he'd never felt strongly enough about any of them to agree to mate one.
Reproduction differed on Zanthar than Earth. Fertilization could only occur when the Zantharian female was atop the male, and only when she chose to allow him to release his seed into her. That seed was allowed to fertilize her single egg, and a child would result.
Therefore, mating on his planet was different from sexual dalliance, and much rarer. Both parties could get pleasure from the act, but it was nothing compared to a true joining.
If a Zantharian male was lucky, he was chosen to mate a female once in his life. That one time, when his seed was released into the female’s egg chamber, was the pinnacle of his sexual journey. If a female told a male that she would accept his seed, it would cause him to enter into the mating frenzy, not allowing him to think rationally until she took his seed deep inside of her. It would make some of the weaker men of his race go mad… and a few had died due to the high levels of toxin the hormones produced.
The frenzy was serious business. It forced repopulation to happen, as well as weeding out those mates who were considered unsuitable.
He'd never experienced the frenzy himself, despite several Zantharian females hinting that they'd welcome his seed. At the time he'd told himself he was too busy running a planet, too wrapped up at untangling enemy plots.
Maybe that hadn't been entirely true. He'd never felt a greater level of attraction to any Zantharian females beyond the surface. Never found himself driven to mate, to produce a child with any of them.
Maybe he'd been saving himself for something special.
Surely being with the Earthling female wouldn't induce the frenzy.
She wasn't even the same species. He knew they were compatible in terms of anatomy, but he doubted the professor was able to create the mixture of arousal, neurochemicals, and pheromones necessary to bring on the frenzy in him.
Even if it did, at this point could you stop?
No, he couldn't. He wouldn't.
Not even if the Hareema chose this second to invade, nothing could stop him from claiming this female.
Xivthar sank his fingers into her thick mane of hair. Holding her still for his exploration, he leisurely kissed his way from her lips to her cheek. He kissed the tip of her nose and nuzzled against her neck as she continued to urge him on with her feminine sounds.
“So good,” she murmured against his lips as he brushed them by hers once more.
He was holding tight to his control, trying desperately to make the experience one she wouldn't regret. She sighed, and he kept up his gentle kisses. On her earlobe. Her throat. Her forehead.
The female beneath him began to squirm, the delicious tang of her arousal intensifying. Her vivid green eyes opened, a look of chagrin appearing on her face. He smiled down at her, then licked a path from her shoulder to her ear.
"Goddammit," she whined. "Stop teasing me!"
"What do you mean?" he asked, confused.
Her hands came up to take hold of his face as she pulled him down for a scorching kiss. She wrapped her legs around his waist and rubbed her softness against his stomach.
That was it. His tenuous hold on self-control snapped.
Chapter 26
If he wants me so bad, why isn't he fucking me?
He had been dropping soft kisses on her face and neck for what seemed like forever. She wasn’t one to lose patience often, but his teasing pecks and licks were driving her insane. The strong thump pumping through her pressure points forced her to take matters into her own hands. Agreeing to sex was the hardest part. Doing it… that was easy.
She pulled from the kiss and ran her hands down his thick chest. "Please."
She wasn’t sure what she was asking for exactly, but more of him had to be part of the request. Lots more of him.
"My beautiful little Earthling," he whispered, his fingers trailing down to her top. In a few quick motions he had it untied and the deep groan that left him caused her heart to skip a beat. He liked what he saw.
"You're perfection," he crooned, his finger sliding between her breasts first, before his hand cupped one, then the other. "I've thought of nothing but bathing these with my tongue, grazing them with my teeth.”
He moved down and sucked one of her nipples deep into his mouth as she arched her back, the sensation brilliant. His tongue lavished attention on her nipples, sucking and kneading them for a little longer as she closed her eyes and rocked her hips against his.
“I need to taste you again.” He moved back and slid down the bed as her stomach tightened painfully.
“God, yes,” she groaned and reached up, sliding her fingers through the thick tendrils that covered his head. The docile academic was long gone. It was time to be the needy woman who craved the attention of a strong man. She worked hard to hide that part of her persona from everyone – especially herself.
X tugged her shorts off and ran his hand back up to her breasts, squeezing one as he used his other to pet the wet skin of her sex. "Superb. You are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever laid eyes on."
She groaned softly and forced herself to calm down. She was going to have a fucking heart attack by the way her blood pumped through her veins. His tongue brushed across her and the sound that left him caused a full body tremor to run through her.
"Fuck me, you smell so good.” He buried his nose against her, breathing in deep as he pulled her into his mouth. He followed the assault with a slow lick of his wide tongue, his actions causing her to force her legs open more. She twitched as he repeated his actions over and over again. It wasn’t until he sunk two of his thick fingers inside of her that she came up off the bed, the scream ripping from her one she could only imagine having leave her.
Sylvie reached the peak of pleasure, screaming again as she pushed at his head. He didn’t stop, despite her orgasm rocking the core of her loose.
“More,” he whispered against her and pressed a kiss against her pulsating flesh. He continued licking and sucking, and before long she climaxed again, her legs shaking, her lip sore from biting it to hold back the violent screams that beat against her.
"Please, no more," she mumbled, the world having dissolved into something hazy and drugged around her. "It's too much."
He moved back up her body and pulled his sarong over his head before pressing himself against her. His kiss was soft and she could taste herself on his tongue. The flavor caused another rush of lust to move over her. She plunged her tongue into his mouth as he groaned, rubbing the thickness of his cock along her sex.
"I must have you, Sylvie. Spread your legs around me and tell me if it’s too much. I’ll try and take my time.” He stared deeply into
her eyes, his whole pupils had been taken over by the glowing ring.
“Yeah,” she whimpered, unable to get any other words to formulate.
She spread her legs farther and he lifted up a little, his eyes moving down the length of their bodies as he took himself into his hand. He glanced up at her, his skin a beautiful violet that left her in awe of more than just the sex.
“You can’t even imagine how badly I want you.” He pressed against her, using his hand to guide himself into her. Lying down, he reached up and brushed his hand over her forehead, rubbing the wet hair from her face as he licked at her throat.
She held her breath as he began to work himself inside of her. He was so much bigger than any man she had been with, but the pressure only added to the building explosion inside of her.
“Oh, fuck,” she moaned. She lifted her chin to the ceiling as he nestled the last bit of himself inside of her. “Oh, God…”
"Gods, baby. You’re so fucking tight," he growled. "You were made for me, Earthling. There is just no denying it, lover."
He pulled almost all the way out, then slid home again, causing Sylvie to cry out each and every time he did it.
"So soft and wet, warm and delicious." He kissed her lips, and she held his head in place, their tongues brushing over each other while he thrust deeply into her.
He pushed up and started to work her a little faster, the position giving her a chance to do something she had wanted to do since arriving. Lifting to her elbows, she glanced down the length of him and let out a deep groan. His cock was thick and shaped like the males of Earth, the silky tendrils of hair framing his sex dancing about. The sensation was foreign, and yet only added to her pleasure. As if a million feathers brushed across her as he took his time fucking her.
He grunted low in his chest as energy waves began rippling down his skin. Concern swept through her and she looked up at him wide-eyed. Then she felt it.
A yelp left her at the first small jolt of power. It was a tiny spark, but deep inside her. Then another one. She tried to relax, but the next one slammed into her G-spot and she came – hard.
