by T. J. Quinn
That done, she went to the kitchen to offer her help.
“We’re all set here, darling. Why don’t you go and get ready? The guests will start arriving in less than an hour,” the older woman suggested.
“Are you sure? I can get ready in just a few minutes,” she insisted.
“I’m sure. The catering crew has everything under control, so we’re good to go.”
“Perfect. One more question,” she asked, looking at the elegant outfit the housekeeper was wearing. “What should I put on?”
“Your nicest dress, sweetie,” she answered with a smile.
Leah smiled, remembering her navy-blue dress; it would be perfect for the occasion. “Alright, then, I’ll see you in a while.”
Back in the bedroom, she found Zorban coming out of the shower completely naked. Her heart missed a beat, and she wondered if she would ever stop reacting like that to his presence.
“Hi…” he greeted her, tossing the towel he had been using to dry his hair back into the bathroom. “I was about to call you.”
“You were? Why is that?”
Chapter Twenty
He closed the distance between them with lazy, seductive steps, making sure she had a clear view of his body and his already hard cock.
“I want you to receive the guests with me,” he explained.
“It’s your party,” she pointed out, wishing she could understand the complicated man she had fallen for.
“Yes, but you’re my guest of honor,” he assured her, grazing a finger down her cheeks.
“That’s very kind of you,” she replied, after clearing her throat. “I should get ready, then. We can’t make the guests wait.”
“We have time for this,” he assured her before he leaned forward and kissed her, imparting all his passion and desire in that simple kiss.
He rapidly helped her out of her clothes. Arranging her, so she leaned over the vanity table, he took her from behind. Sliding his big cock deep inside her, he roared as she welcomed him as she always did – warm and wet.
He slid his hands around her, cupping her beautiful, round breasts, using them as anchors while he thrust in and out of her, quickly taking them into a vortex of passion on the path to ultimate pleasure.
In just a few moments, their loud moans were the only sound in the room until they exploded in a powerful orgasm that swept them both out of this world and into one made only of sensuality and bliss.
When all was over, Leah’s legs were barely able to hold her body up. They were shaking, and her breath was still labored when he slid out of her.
“We’ll be late,” she scolded him.
“This was definitely worth it,” he assured her, kissing her back all over. “And you better get your tempting ass in the shower, or we’ll be even later,” he warned her.
She chuckled and disappeared into the bathroom, closing the door.
In the end, they weren’t late, but just in time. Joanne and Matthew were the first ones to arrive, and they looked ravishing. Married life seemed to fit them perfectly.
The party was a lot bigger than Leah had imagined. But no matter who came, Zorban would take her to receive them, introducing her to them as a very special friend.
At first, she had been a bit disappointed, but then she concluded he couldn’t introduce her as his lover, that wasn’t polite. Incredibly, the word ‘lover’ still had ugly undertones people preferred to avoid. Calling her girlfriend was kind of childish, so she guessed special friend was better than just a plain friend.
Near midnight, Zorban disappeared to come back wearing a Santa Klaus costume, and people cheered his presence as if he was the real thing. She could tell people really cared for him, and she couldn’t help feeling a bit jealous of that.
The gift exchange started by the hand of Zorban and soon everybody was holding a couple of gifts in their hands: one from a secret friend and the other from Zorban.
Mrs. Benson and Joanne were the only ones that received three gifts. Joanne had been so excited she had let out a loud cry of emotion when she took a look at the miniature chapel.
“God… I’m not even going to ask how you managed to do this in such short notice, but I’ll always treasure it,” she said, hugging Leah, tight against her chest.
“I’m happy you liked it.”
“Like would never describe how I’m feeling, believe me.”
Mrs. Benson’s reaction wasn’t that different from Joanne’s. She actually recognized the baby angel, and she was delighted with her gift.
The party ended when the morning sun lit the skies in golden hues. They were all tired but undoubtedly happy.
“It was an extraordinary night. Thank you for convincing me to come,” she said when they were in bed after the last guest had left.
“It was my pleasure, believe me,” he assured her. “Those were some amazing gifts you gave Joanne and Mrs. Benson. Did you buy them at the mall?” he asked, and from his tone, she could tell he didn’t believe that explanation.
But she didn’t have any other she could give him, so despite her bad feelings about it, she was forced to insist on the lie.
“Yes… I found them in a small store that only sells crystals. When I saw them, I knew they would love them.”
He opened his mouth as if to refute her words, but he seemed to change his mind, and she was thankful for it.
“They sure did.” He pulled her into his arms and all conversation faded to give way to their passion and desire.
They were still in bed the following day when the door attendant called them to announce Zorban had visitors.
“Were you expecting visitors?” she asked him, intrigued that he hadn’t mentioned them before.
“Certainly, not today. I guess I’ve underestimated how fast they can travel,” he grumbled, jumping out of bed and putting on a pair of jeans and nothing else before he stormed out of the room.
Not sure what to do, but with an awful feeling about this visit, she jumped out of bed too and put on some clothes.
Zorban walked to the main door and let Krad and his friends into the house. “I wasn’t expecting you so soon,” he grumbled, returning Krad and the other men’s greetings.”
“There was no time to waste, as I’m sure Queen Mayala told you,” Krad said, shrugging. “But we have to get out of here. There are too many innocents around here, and Jharb will stop at nothing to get to you.”
“I know… and I already have a plan,” he assured him.
“Good, so when do we leave?”
“As soon as I send my guest home,” Zorban replied in a somber tone.
Leah covered her mouth to muffle the cry of pain that threatened to come out her lips. She knew eavesdropping had wicked consequences, but she hadn’t expected that one, not yet, anyway. Her time was up.
She returned to the bedroom and started to pack her things. She wanted to leave the house before he invited her to do so. Fortunately, she had enough money to pay for her flight back home so she could leave as soon as possible.
By the time Zorban came back to the room, she was all dressed up and ready to leave.
“I can see that you’ll be busy, so I’ve decided to go home. Do you think you could call me a cab?”
He nodded, not even pretending he wanted her to stay and that hurt her even more.
“My driver will take you to the airport. He can be here in a couple of minutes.” The truth was he had already called the man.
“Thank you, that’s very kind of you.”
“I’ll book you a seat on tonight’s plane for Anchorage, so you don’t have to worry about that,” he assured her.
“I can take care of myself, thank you,” she replied in an icy tone. “I know you have guests, so I’ll go wait for your driver downstairs,” she said, picking up her suitcase.
“I really had a great time, Leah,” he said, as she headed to the door. “I wish things were different…” he started adding, but she interrupted him.
“Please,
let’s not lie. We both knew this was just a moment of fun away from our realities,” she said, with a cold smile. “Take care of yourself, Zorban,” she added, leaving the room without waiting for an answer from him.
She left the apartment without even seeing the men that were visiting him, which was good because she was in no mood to meet anyone.
Fortunately, the driver was already waiting for her when she went to the lobby. Just a few minutes later, she was at the airport going through customs on her way to the waiting room. Her plane was scheduled to leave in a couple of hours. She wished she was already on her way, but she would be, soon enough.
She reached Anchorage the following morning, and the first thing she did was to rent a truck. She hadn’t heard from the mechanic who pulled her vehicle up from the ravine, but she doubted he had been able to repair it.
Knowing the man was probably enjoying the holidays, she headed straight back home, after picking up her animals from the boarding kennel. She managed to get home before the sunset, and that was a relief. Her concentration was a total shambles that day. All she wanted was to surround herself with familiar things and not think.
The following couple of days passed in a blur. Leah dragged herself out of bed, fed the animals, grabbed something to eat then worked until her eyes burned. Working on her book had helped her to keep Zorban and all that happened between them in the back of her mind. For now, that was exactly what she needed.
In the morning of the third day, she was coming out of her barn, after feeding her animals, when she sensed something was wrong. Frowning, she looked around trying to find the cause of the goosebumps she was feeling, but she didn’t see anything.
Despite that, she wasn’t able to shake the feeling she wasn’t alone and that she was in danger. Speeding her pace, she headed back to her house, but before she could reach the back door, she knew with certainty she wasn’t alone anymore.
Chapter Twenty-One
Watching Leah leave was probably the hardest thing Zorban ever had to do. His heart ached more than he thought possible. All his instincts cried out, telling him to go after her, but he knew it wouldn’t be fair. He had nothing to offer her and to make her believe otherwise would be cruel.
Taking a few deep breaths, he returned to his office where his friends were waiting for him. They had to plan their next move carefully if they wanted to surprise Jharb and get rid of him, once and for all.
His uncle had made a terrible mistake when he had left the protection of Thalia. Here on this planet, Zorban would finally be able to make him pay for all the harm he had done to his family over the years, starting with his mother’s accident.
“We need to go to a cold place, with no humans around,” Krad suggested.
“How will Jharb know I’m there?”
“I’m sure he has someone watching you. That someone will certainly follow you,” Krad pointed out.
“Of course, he has. I saw one of them the other day. But that means they already know you’re here,” he said, with a deep frown.
“Please, give us some credit. We used several strategies to enter the building inconspicuously,” Krad grumbled. “They have no idea we’re here. And we landed our pod on your roof. We’ll leave without anyone seeing us.”
“Yes, but you, on the other hand, will go out through the front door but looking as if you were escaping. We want Jharb’s men on your trail, but we don’t want them to catch you just yet. That’s why we need to move today before Jharb gets here,” Kort, one of the generals from the royal army, added. The man was an expert in war strategies.
“There’s a vast area at the North Pole where we can go. It doesn’t get any colder than that on this planet, and there’s barely any humans living out there. It’s the best place for us to face Jharb,” Zorban informed his friends, picking up his laptop and pulling up images of the area he was talking about.
“Perfect. Jharb will think you’re hiding from him like the coward he thinks you are, and that will make things easier for us,” Muirk snarled.
“Let’s get to it. Whoever is watching already knows I sent Leah home, so he’ll be expecting me to move,” Zorban pointed out.
He was well aware of his uncle’s opinion of him. He had done all in his power to provoke Zorban in the years before his departure from Thalia, to show the people how unfit he was to rule them. Despite all the provocations, Zorban had never engaged in them, and so he had started to call him a coward, a couple of times even to his face.
“This area over here, near the mountains, will be the perfect place for you to hide and wait for Jharb,” Krad advised, pulling up some images of an area that showed no human touch.
It was very far from any populated area. “It will take me at least three days to get there. I have to use the means of transportation available, and none is that fast in a place like this.”
Krad shook his head. “That’s not good enough. We need to get to wherever we’re going a lot faster. Jharb will be here in a couple of days, and he’ll go straight to where his men tell him to.”
“The last thing we need is a surprise attack,” Muirk said, in a somber tone.
“We need to find a place closer to civilization but far enough to keep people safe,” Zorban said, with a frown.
“We forget something. These guys know how you got here so they won’t be surprised to see you jump into a flying pod. Our vehicles are a lot faster than the ones on this planet and that way you would be here in just a few hours,” Krad said, in a victorious tone.
“You’re right, of course. I haven’t used the pods I brought with me I practically forgot about them,” Zorban admitted. “They are hidden in a safe place, but I can get there in an hour.”
“Perfect. Here are the coordinates of the place we chose. We’ll see you there at dawn. Meanwhile, we’ll get some supplies and other things we might need.”
Zorban pulled a credit card from his wallet and handed it to Krad. “You’ll need this to pay for whatever you get. Stay out of trouble and please, don’t let people notice you. Our colors aren’t that familiar around these parts, and a group of young men with white hair will be noticed,” Zorban warned them.
Krad nodded. “No one will know we’re here.”
Zorban left his office, and after leaving a message for Mrs. Benson and Matthew, he packed a small bag and disappeared from the apartment.
He played his part well, leaving the building as if he was in a hurry and hiding from someone. A few blocks away from his building, he noticed his tail and smiled. Their plan was working so far.
He drove as fast as he could to the storage facility where he had hidden his flying pod. Krad had brought him to this planet, but he had decided to keep a pod with him, in case he needed a quick escape.
The car following him never left his sight, but he was sure they wouldn’t be pleased when they saw him leave in his pod.
He parked his car and quickly entered the facility. The place was in the middle of nowhere, and those looking through the window would only see an empty room. His pod was camouflaged, and he planned on flying like that, but not until he left the place.
He wanted whoever was outside to know he was leaving town. He was even leaving behind a map of the surrounding area where he and his friends would be hiding. After all, he wanted them to find him.
A few minutes later, he was flying away from the open door of the warehouse, heading north. As soon as he was out of sight, he engaged the camouflage and set his course to the area Krad had chosen.
Flying the pod was actually so straightforward, that it gave him too much time to think.
He had hurt Leah and hurting her was painful for him too. He wanted to make amends with her, he wanted to promise her the world, but he didn’t even understand his feelings for her.
He had been mated to Leena twenty years ago, and at that moment, he had felt a connection with that little girl, so strong he had been sure it would last forever. When she disappeared, he had been devastated, especially
when he stopped feeling her.
That day he had sworn he was never going to look for another soul mate, but after two sun rotations of mourning, his mother had started to press him to find one. Being an only child, he couldn’t afford to stay alone, not if he wanted to keep Jharb away from the throne.
But in the years that followed, he hadn’t found one, to the point he was convinced he would never find the one. When he met Leah, he knew from the first moment she was special, but his instincts hadn’t proclaimed her as his soul mate, and as far as he knew, no Thalian had ever mated outside their species.
Despite that, he wanted Leah back in his life. So, she wasn’t his soul mate. He didn’t care. She had made him feel whole after years of feeling empty. Zorban had no words to describe what he felt for her, but he knew for sure, he didn’t want to live without her.
Of course, he was assuming she wanted anything to do with him. He was sure her abrupt departure had something to do with the fact he hadn’t made any effort to introduce her to his friends. The fact he hadn’t tried to stop her from leaving, had been the final insult that could alienate her from him forever. But he couldn’t---he wouldn’t let that stop him. He would do whatever it took to get her back.
But first, he had to get rid of Jharb. With him out of the picture, his father would be able to find someone suitable for the throne, and he would be able to live his own life.
After a few hours, he landed on the vast, frosty plain and hid his pod in a safe place. That done, he went looking for a place to use as shelter. The mountains nearby should provide them with it, so he headed there, happy the sky was clear and the moon lightened his path.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Finding a cave was easy, and he dropped his bag in it, while he waited for his friends. They would be there before any of Jharb’s men could arrive and that would give them time to plan their attack.
