“These pools contain the liquid used to fertilize and sustain the plants in the room above?” Perishable food of any kind was impractical on a spaceship. Replicated meals were palatable and nutritious, but they would never replace the real thing.
She nodded. “I’ve never worked with this solution before, but if the documents are accurate, it’s much more efficient than anything we have on Earth.”
“In what way?”
“I wasn’t sure how hydroponics would work in an environment with limited water, but apparently this solution has a ninety-three percent recycle rate.” His confusion must have shown because she smiled then elaborated, “This liquid provides the plants with the nutrients they need to thrive while very little of the actual liquid is absorbed by the plants. Anything the plants don’t use drips back into the reservoir and is recycled over and over. All we’ll need to do is add highly concentrated nutrients from time to time and keep an eye on the pH levels.”
“I’m glad you’re enjoying the project. I was hoping you’d find it interesting.”
She glanced back at him, her expression suddenly cautious. “There are many regions on Earth that would benefit greatly from this technology. People are literally starving because they can’t grow their own food. Will I ever be able to share this with my people?”
They’d reached the end of the pool and he moved up beside her again. He placed his hands on her hips and pulled her closer. “We have to take this one step at a time. There’s much we can offer humans if they’re willing to cooperate with us, but trust must be established before my superiors are going to share any of our secrets.”
“The Rodyte government hasn’t done right by the battle born. I understand why you’re hesitant.”
“But.” It was obvious she had more to say.
“But it’s not government officials who are starving.”
He curled his fingers around her neck and tilted her face up with his thumb. “I’ll do everything in my power to influence the negotiations but there is only so much I can control.”
“I know. And I know you’ll do your best. I just hate to see these things left in the hands of bureaucrats. Earth’s governments haven’t done much better than the crown stirate and his council. Politicians all claim to protect the common man, but their actions seldom support that assertion. Anyway.” She motioned to the alcove on his right. “This is why I brought you down here.”
The area was dimly lit compared to the outer chamber or the sun-simulating lights in the jungle. It was also larger than she’d first thought. Stepping into the area made her feel as if she were passing into another dimension. Thick grass cushioned their feet and verdant greenery surrounded them. Leafy trees and flowering bushes were intermixed with fanlike ferns and ambitious vines. The air seemed fresher and the light fragrance of flowers and water, floated on the breeze.
A rhythmic burble drew them deeper into the surreal cavern until they stood at the edge of a pool. Water, or some sort of clear liquid, ran down the back wall in a continual stream. The pool wasn’t large, but it was so clear they could see the rocky bottom.
“How?” His expression reflected the same wonder and awe she’d felt when she first discovered the cavern.
“Good question.” She smiled at him. “Any chance your people have been messing around with terraforming? This is more like a biosphere, but there’s no way this cave is natural.”
He just shook his head, clearly at a loss for explanations. “Is this really water?”
She nodded. “I tested it myself. It would have to be boiled before anyone could drink it, but it’s definitely water. The only thing I can figure is that it’s being fed by condensation. But that’s not generally sustainable, so why is it still here after forty years?”
He turned in a slow circle, taking in the lush beauty of their surroundings. “I can’t begin to explain this. To my knowledge, no one in my star system can accomplish anything like this. Some Bilarrians can command the elements, but they are harnessing energy that already exists. This… I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Willing to let the mystery rest, for now, she moved to his side and he draped his arm around her shoulders. “So were you able to send the message to Akim?”
“It was more complicated than we first thought, but the message was sent about half an hour ago. Now it’s the waiting game. If Akim doesn’t respond, we’ll know he spotted the trap. If he responds too quickly, he has likely set a trap for us.”
Stepping in front of him, she slid her hands up his chest. Their gazes locked and the warmth and affection so clear in his expression tightened her chest. So why was he still shielding his thoughts?
“I know you’ve kept yourself busy since the vision, but are you all right? You saw the same thing Ashley saw and you know Chandar a whole lot better.”
His shields weakened just enough to let her feel his calm. “I’m not hiding from you, love. I was just trying to stay focused. That’s all. Rodytes are used to mind-to-mind communication. I was able to shield myself in a way Ashley couldn’t. I’m more determined than ever to rescue Chandar, but I was insulated from her pain.”
“I’m glad.” She rolled onto her toes and brushed her lips against his. He started to deepen the kiss, but she pulled back. “One more thing before I forget.”
He chuckled as his hands stroked her back. “Make it quick. I’m losing interest in conversation.”
“Me too.” She unclasped the first fastener on his uniform top as she asked, “Why did Ashley receive the vision in the first place? How is she related to Chandar?”
“Raise your arms.” She did and he pulled her shirt off over her head. His gaze immediately focused on her breasts. She hadn’t bothered with a bra and her nipples tingled beneath his heated stare. He surrounded one gentle mound with his fingers then bent to sample the tip.
“Ashley,” Raina prompted as desire rushed through her body. “Why did she get Chandar’s family message?”
Without raising his head, he muttered, “The DNA Ashley’s father used to modify her genetics belonged to Pyre.”
Her fingers tangled in his hair and lightly pulled until he looked at her. “How did Daniel Kane get Pyre’s DNA?”
“From Pyre.” He was starting to sound impatient, but it still didn’t make sense. And Raina hated unanswered questions. “We think they were lovers.”
“Damn that woman gets around.”
He grinned as his thumb stroked over her nipple. “You have no idea. She’s an ambitious bitch who has no problem using her body to get what she wants.”
“If she’s so powerful, why didn’t she protect Chandar in the first place? Even now, why isn’t she here beside Danvier, using every ability she possesses to get her daughter back?”
He sighed. “Thoughts of Pyre Sterling usually make me want to smash things, not make love to my mate. But I understand your curiosity and I don’t want you distracted by anything while we join. For a long time I’ve suspected that Pyre exaggerates her abilities. Like the Dread Pirate Roberts, her power is largely hype.”
“You looked it up?” She smiled, pleased by his initiative.
“I had seven long days to fill while we were cruelly kept apart.” He wrapped his arm around her hips and slid her up his body until their faces were on a level and her breasts pressed against his chest. “The motion picture is charming, but I preferred the text. And the comparison between Pyre and the pirate is accurate.”
“Was Pyre born or transformed?”
“Transformed. She tried to take control of the Harbinger Guild three times and was voted down twice. The third time, the votes came in her way, but there was rumors of tampering.”
“But harbingers are psychic. Wouldn’t they know when they were being cheated?”
He pushed her body higher and latched on to one of her nipples. She braced her hands against his thick shoulders and arched her back. “Keep talking and I’ll find something better for you to do with your mouth.” He moved to the oth
er side and sucked hard enough to make her gasp.
“You make it sound like a bad thing.” She paused for another gasp before adding, “I happen to like driving you crazy with my mouth.”
He pulled away and looked into her eyes. “Is that an offer?”
Her teeth pressed into her bottom lip and mischief made her eyes gleam. “All you have to do is ask.”
Chapter Eleven
It was a familiar game, one Kotto loved using on Raina. The difference was, he had no problem speaking sexual words while she blushed and stammered until he drove her so crazy she had no choice but to beg for all the naughty things her body craved.
He loosened his arm and let her slide down his body, then urged her to her knees. Before she could react to his aggression, he grew even bolder. He gathered her long hair in one fist, wanting nothing to distract from his view. Then he leaned down and whispered, “Take out my cock and suck me.” Her lips parted and rebellion sparked within her eyes, so he quickly added, “Please.”
“I shouldn’t let you be such a brute.” Even as she spoke the complaint, her hands went to work on his belt. She efficiently opened the front of his pants. “You’re rude.” She tugged the sturdy fabric to his knees. “And chauvinistic.” His underwear went next. She peeled the clingy barrier down, leaving him exposed and waiting. “You’re…” Her fingers closed around his shaft and she finished her list in a breathy whisper, “Perfect.”
The unexpected praise made him smile, then her lips closed around his sensitive tip and he groaned. “I’m perfect for you, love. Only for you.”
She took as much of his shaft into her mouth as she could then stroked the rest with her hand. He watched her flushed face as he savored the firm grip of her lips and fingers. Her free hand skimmed over his thighs and hips, occasionally dipping between his legs to cup his balls. The pleasure was intoxicating and he felt his eyelids droop, but he wanted to watch her, wanted to ensure that she enjoyed this as much as she claimed.
Excitement trickled into his mind, fueling his desire. Her emotions didn’t lie. She honestly adored this, adored him. He wasn’t sure why it surprised him. He never wanted to stop once he put his mouth on her creamy folds. Still, the depth of their connection left him humbled and grateful.
Her hands moved to his hips and she rocked back and forth, dragging her mouth along his entire length. Tension gathered low in his belly. His balls grew tight and high. He’d let her shatter him last night. Right now, he wanted a conventional joining more than this one-sided pleasure.
She murmured an objection as he pulled out of her mouth, but it didn’t change his mind. He quickly tugged off his boots and rid himself of his tangled uniform bottom, pausing before her once he was naked. She was still on her knees and still half dressed. The contrast was undeniably arousing.
Possessive hunger thundered through his body, but tenderness tempered the intensity as it flowed across their link. “Spread out my shirt and lie back on it.”
Her brow gathered into a disapproving V. “Why are you being so bossy?”
“Because I need to claim my mate.” He fisted his hands to keep from shoving her over and tearing into the rest of her clothes. He would never harm her, never intentionally frighten her, but it didn’t keep him from craving the things their decision forbid. “Being able to touch you and not claim you is making me more aggressive than I’d anticipated.”
“We need to wait.”
“I know.” He shook out his shirt and spread it out behind her. “When you obey me, when you let me take the lead, it soothes me, makes me feel less wild.”
Rather than verbalize her consent, she lay down and raised her arms over her head. “What now, sir?” She said his title with just enough sarcasm to let him know she was far from tamed.
“I finish undressing you.” He knelt in the grass and pulled off her shoes and socks then unfastened her jeans. She raised her hips so he could remove her pants and panties. He tossed the garments aside and when he turned back to her, she’d bent her knees and opened her legs. She spread before him like a willing sacrifice and desire clenched every muscle in his abdomen. “Oh gods, Raina, you are so much more than I ever dreamed.”
She smiled up at him, clearly pleased by his words. “Are you going to do more than stare?”
“Infinitely more.” He raised one of her feet to his shoulder and kissed his way from her ankle to her knee. She fidgeted restlessly, her hips rolling in anticipation of his touch, his kiss. “Your skin is so soft.” He’d reached her inner thigh and her fidgeting became blatant rocking. “If you want something, sweetheart, all you have to do is ask.”
He paused above her sex, greedily inhaling her scent. But then he moved on, exploring her other leg, her hip and her belly.
“You’re being cruel and you know it.”
“Say the words and I’ll do anything you want.”
Her heels dug into the ground and she bucked against his face. “Kiss me the way I was kissing you.”
He brushed his thumb over her slick folds, torturing himself as much as he was teasing her. “You don’t have a cock, sweetheart. Just this beautiful, delicious—”
“Please.” She stilled, eyes tightly closed. “Lick me there, use your fingers and your mouth and make me come.”
Her request had been so delightfully detailed, he didn’t insist on the word. He slowly traced her slit from back to front then reversed direction and ventured deeper. She was already so wet he could easily enter her, but he wanted more from her, more for her. He wanted her wild and demanding, utterly lost to everything but him.
Lightly grasping the backs of her knees, he kept her open as he savored her softness. He pressed his lips against her folds and pushed his tongue into her core. She trembled, arching up to maximize the penetration. In and out, in and out, he filled her with his tongue as her taste sank deeper into his system.
Usually her taste soothed him, but today it only made him hungrier, more desperate for the firm clasp of her inner walls. Pulling away with a frustrated growl, he flipped her over and pulled her up onto her knees. Then he steadied her hips and thrust his cock into her wet passage. She cried out softly and tossed her head, driving him even deeper.
He wasn’t hurting her. The emotions pouring across their link assured him she was as impatient as he. Still, he was stubborn and refused to risk leaving his mate unsatisfied. Instead of moving immediately, he pulled her up, gently twisting her torso without shifting her hips. He captured her mouth and kissed her deeply. Her taste was still strong in his mouth, but a surge of excitement rolled into his mind as she made the discovery. She returned his kiss and caressed the side of his face, ready to go wherever he led her.
His hands moved over her body, one caressing her breasts while the other settled over her mound. He felt how tightly she stretched to take him and paused. I’m not hurting you, am I?
No. This feels incredible.
He found her clit with his middle finger and she moaned as her hips jerked with the sudden sensation. Her inner muscles tightened around him as he drove her arousal higher. I couldn’t wait to be inside you, but I’m not moving until you come.
I’ll come faster if you move.
This isn’t about speed. I need your surrender.
So she surrendered. She pressed back against his body and abandoned herself to the kiss. He felt the difference immediately. Her mind gradually opened as her body relaxed, allowing him to guide her. He worked her nipples into tight little points as his finger continued to circle her clit. They breathed from each other’s mouths and he saturated their link with energy, reinforcing the connection so he could sense her more clearly.
Her core tightened in a rhythmic series of spasms warning of her impending release. Then she clenched him so hard it was nearly painful as the pleasure swept through her entire body. She cried out against his mouth and trembled in his arms.
As the sensations began to fade, he guided her back down to her forearms and firmly grasped her hips. Then h
e pulled back and paused half a second before he pushed into her again. The impact jostled her breasts and rocked her slightly forward. Needing the force and speed, he grasped her shoulders, holding her in place as he thrust hard and deep.
She cried out with each firm stroke, rocking back as he slid forward. His pelvis slapped against her ass, creating the most arousing sound he’d ever heard. Everything about her was arousing, her scent, her taste, the uninhibited way she shared herself with him.
He wanted to anchor the link, needed to feel it strengthen with each thrust of his hips, but they had to wait. Frustrated by his own discontent, he focused on what they were allowed to share rather than the one and only thing they were forbidden. He was inside his mate and her pleasure cascaded through his mind. Her taste lingering on his tongue and his scent covered her entire body. Only a selfish, greedy ass would not be content with these pleasures.
Motivated by the thought, and his rising ardor, he closed his eyes and concentrated on the sensual slide in and out of her body. So good. So damn good.
He hadn’t realized he shared the thoughts until he heard her respond. Then come with me this time.
Her clever inner muscles tightened around him each time he tried to pull back. The increased pressure soon had him gasping for a change. Not yet.
Now, she urged.
With anyone else the command would have angered him, but this was Raina and she wanted to share his pleasure. She tightened around him and he was helpless to resist. With three frantic thrusts, he triggered his climax. His back bowed and his shoulders shook as his body emptied into hers.
She held perfectly still as his pleasure showered down upon her. He’d been so lost in the wonder that he wasn’t even sure if she’d had another orgasm. The contented lethargy he sensed in her mind indicated she had, but he honestly couldn’t tell.
“Did you make it?” he asked as he stroked up and down her sides.
She laughed. “No, I selflessly endured the torture until you got off, but there was nothing in it for me.” He pulled back, allowing him room to swat her sassy ass. She gasped then laughed again. “Yes, I came now and before. You’re an amazing lover. Do you really need to hear me say it?”
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