Surrender [Coalition Mates 4] (Siren Publishing Allure)

by Sarah Marsh

  “Hi, Mom and Dad!” Eve waved at her in-laws. “We’ll be in orbit around Dhuaat for a couple more days visiting with Kham’s family, and then we’re back on our way to Sirus, so don’t have Ark and Sally’s bonding party without us!”

  “No need to worry, Sister.” Ark stepped up and took Sally’s hand in his. “We are taking as much time as Sally needs, so there is no immediate hurry.”

  Sally squeezed Ark’s hand in silent thanks. The truth was, as much as she was determined to let go and give this relationship with Ark all she had, the speed with which things were moving was starting to freak her out. Old habits were hard to break.

  “Oh, I’m sorry, Sal!” Eve looked worried for a moment as she saw the expression on Sally’s face. “Me and my big mouth. Of course there’s no hurry. I just want you to be as happy as I am, that’s all. Guess I shouldn’t get so pushy about it, huh? After all, Ark’s pushy enough for all of us.”

  Eve’s wink at the end of her obvious dig at her brother-in-law had everyone laughing again, and Sally was grateful for the spotlight to be off of her. She sat back and let the others visit and catch up on how the trip to Dhuaat was going. The conversation eventually died down, and Sally asked if she could have a moment alone to speak with Eve. Once both groups were cleared, Sally took a moment, and Eve must have picked up on her hesitation.

  “Hey, Sal are you okay?” she asked softly. “I know this is overwhelming. Hell, I had a few ‘hide in the bathroom balling’ sessions, myself when I first woke up. Are you happy with Ark?”

  “I really think I am,” Sally answered, almost as surprised herself when the realisation occurred. “Are you really happy, Evie? I mean, you look happier than I’ve ever seen you, but did they really marry you while you were still sleeping?”

  “Yeah, well, I can tell you I wasn’t too impressed when I woke up initially,” she said with a laugh. “But after I met them, it was hard to stay mad.”

  Eve paused for a moment, and Sally’s heart hurt for the look of sadness that passed across her face.

  “To be honest, Sal, I was pretty unhappy in my life before we came here. Some days I was so lonely it actually hurt. When I met Roan, Kai, and Kham, and suddenly they were so certain they wanted me, I was in disbelief. I could never find anyone at home that had wanted me like that, who wanted to know everything about me, what I felt, what I thought. I know it’s in our nature to be cautious about accepting what these men have to offer, but at the end of the day, I was tired of expecting everyone to let me down or to hurt me. They offered me unconditional love, and I decided for once that I would be brave and I would take it. I’m so glad I did, so don’t be afraid to take it for yourself, Sal. Ark is a good man, and I can see how much he cares for you,” Eve said as she wiped the tears from her eyes. She smiled at Sally.

  “I love you, Evie.” Sally said, wiping at her own tears. She’d never said that to her friend before, afraid it would jinx the friendship she’d found with her, but if she was going to start over, now was the time to tell those around her how she felt.

  “I love you too, Sal,” Eve responded with another sniffle. “I can’t wait to see you!”

  When they eventually ended the call with Eve promising to call her in the next few days now that she was cleared for open communications, Sally could clearly see how happy her friend was with her charming new husbands. It made her even more aware of how much she wanted that happiness for herself, and she was determined to not let anything stand in the way of getting there…especially her own fear and stubbornness.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Arkenon surprised Sally with a hike out to a beautiful lake the next afternoon. The gravity difference between Sirus and Earth made the exercise so much easier than she was sure it should have been. He’d obviously coordinated everything ahead of time, as there was a big tent set up against the rock face waiting for them by the time the red suns were setting in the distance. The reflection off the calm water, and the various shades of gold, red, and orange of the sunset, were breathtaking to behold.

  “Is it summer here?” Sally asked as they walked up to the tent.

  “Summer? What is summer?” Ark asked as he opened the door and motioned her inside in front of him.

  “It’s the warmest season in the yearly cycle where I come from,” Sally answered as she entered and was amazed at what had been set up. To one side, there was a seating area with a low table and cushions, and she found that their evening meal had already been placed on the table for them under warming covers, complete with candlelight. But when she looked over to the other side of the large tent, she was surprised at the stone pool that was being fed water from the side of the mountain somehow, which she assumed would be the bathing area, and then farther along was a pallet set up with luxurious blankets and pillows.

  “Our capital, Ailis, is very temperate for the most part. It is the growing season here now, but it will get warmer in the next couple of moon cycles,” he said, waiting for her reaction once she noticed everything that he’d had arranged.

  “Oh my God! Is that a hamburger!” she squealed as she got closer to the table. “And French fries!”

  Sally couldn’t believe it. Sure, the fries were an odd pink color, but they still made her mouth water just thinking about them. Ark had obviously put a lot of thought into this camping excursion. She hadn’t had anything resembling Earth cuisine since she got here, and she couldn’t believe he had done all of this just for her.

  “This is amazing, Ark. How did you do all of this?” she asked, looking back at him, trying not to let him see the watering of her eyes.

  “I had Eve help me with the food. You wouldn’t believe how excited the guild chef got once he tried the French fries that she told him how to prepare. The rest was set up by my assistant, Jessa. This spring is a sacred bonding pool that’s been here for hundreds of years. I thought, if you were ready, that perhaps we could perform the bonding ritual of my people tonight,” he answered reaching out to take her hands in his.

  Sally was still surprised that he wanted to bond with her permanently, even though they had already talked about it. She supposed she still kept the thought in the back of her mind that she’d taken a risk by showing him the real her and was waiting for it to come back and bite her in the ass.

  “Are you sure, Ark?” she asked. “I mean, we don’t have to rush this, you know. What if you change your mind?”

  It was difficult to decipher the look on his face when she asked that question, but then he pulled her close and looked into her eyes.

  “Sally, I choose you. The real you. For now and for the rest of our lives. I would already have you bound to me in all ways if it were up to me alone,” he answered and then sealed it with a searing kiss before she could say anything back. They were both breathing heavy when he released her mouth.

  “But how are you so certain? This has all happened so fast,” she asked quietly, meeting his bright-green eyes.

  “Because I feel it in my heart. Why should I question what I feel?” he answered simply.

  Why indeed? Such a simple revelation had Sally thinking of her life back on Earth, and none of the relationships she’d had, including friends and family, had ever been what she would call simple. There was always the dating “rules” to follow. Don’t act like you’re too interested. Don’t call him first, only tell him what he wants to hear and all that garbage. Most friendships with other women were frequently based on competition, and an ugly amount of gossiping and backstabbing was almost the accepted norm. Every foster family she’d ever been placed with felt like a constant test, where the expectation was that she would somehow screw up and prove to be a “bad kid,” and then she would be shipped off to the next home. It was all very exhausting really. If she’d been given the gift of a new start on a world where people truly did follow what they felt and were accepted being themselves, then she would grab onto it with all the strength she possessed and live her life in a way she’d never been able to before.
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  “Okay,” Sally answered, smiling back at him. “Now tell me what this ‘bonding’ entails while I eat my burger and fries.”

  “How about we eat, and then I’ll show you?” Ark answered with a wink as he offered his hand to help her settle on the low cushions in front of the table.

  The burger was a little suspect, but then again, she’d had yet to run into any protein here that tasted like beef, so that wasn’t a surprise. But the fries, oh God, the fries ended up being made from some starchy vegetable that was a pretty close match to a sweet potato, and the oil they were cooked in tasted somewhat coconut-like. Damn, were they good. They had a couple of glasses of delicious wine, and by the time their food was gone, Arkenon was giving her smoldering looks every time her tongue came out to lick her lips, and Sally was ready move the evening on to the main event.

  “Our bonding ritual here on Sirus is very important to us,” he began as he got up and pulled her to her feet toward the stone bathing pool. “As you know, many of our people have embraced a life in the courtesan guild, and we are a very passionate people. This ritual is to cleanse the couple’s thoughts and hearts of all others that came before their chosen life partners. It is meant to erase all other memories of passion and pleasure, leaving none but their mates in their hearts. First I will rinse every inch of your body in the scented water. Then I will follow the caress of each drop of water with my lips. Once you have been cleansed, I will rub the oil of the calla flower into your beautiful skin, and when you are finally ready, I will claim you as my own.”

  “Wow,” was all Sally could say. Her mind was still stuck on the specifics of Ark running his mouth all over her body.

  “And I think that just to make sure you don’t try and rush me with those talented little hands of yours, I’ll bind you,” he added, picking up what appeared to be wrist cuffs with a delicate chain between them.

  Damn, Ark really had been paying attention the last few days, because as soon as he said he was going to bind her, Sally’s arousal went from warming up to overheating in seconds. The smirk on his face once her eyes became heavy and her breathing increased was enough to almost make her balk, but she’d learned rather quickly that these games he liked to play flipped her switch in a big way, so why bother resisting? He got a more serious look back on his face as he secured her wrists into the cuffs and slowly undid her dress until it was pooling around her feet.

  “I bond myself to you, Sally Owens, for what remains of our lives and beyond. Will you accept me and allow me to cleanse the memory of all those who came before, leaving only my love in your heart from this day until the end?” he asked, looking deep into her eyes.

  “I will, Arkenon,” was all she answered, looking into his beautiful green eyes.

  “Excellent,” he whispered as he helped her step into the shallow pool and had her kneel. Then he fastened her wrist cuffs to small hooks in the stone walls. “Make sure you pay attention, baby. You are not to come until I say you can…I wouldn’t want to have to punish you.”

  That one little phrase had her moaning in trepidation. She knew what that meant. It meant that no matter what Ark did to torture her with his beautiful body, she wasn’t allowed to come before he said she could. God help her. She had a feeling this was going to be tough!

  Sally could smell the vanilla-and-cinnamon scent of the calla flowers in the water, and as she looked back up, Ark was just beginning to peel his own clothes off. First he slowly unbuttoned the tight vest, revealing his smooth tanned chest, his eyes never leaving Sally’s face. As he ran his hand back down his tight stomach to the closure on his pants, Sally had to bite her lip to stop the groan from escaping. How she wished she was following that hand with her tongue. His hard cock sprung forward as soon as his pants were open, teasing her with the small drop of pre-cum that was glistening at the tip. She was wholly fixated on his cock now. Her pussy was aching for him, and she could almost feel the heat of the firm flesh under her lips.

  “Gods, Sally, I can practically feel your mouth on me. Stop looking at me like that, or this entire thing will be much shorter than I’d planned,” Ark said as he kicked off his pants and stepped into the pool in front of her.

  He stepped up in front of her so that his cock was at eye level and close enough now for her to lean forward and place a kiss against his pulsing shaft, which made him groan low.

  “I just want a small taste first, please, sir?” Sally asked, looking back up at him through her lashes.

  “Just for a moment before we begin,” he answered as he ran his fingers through her hair and gripped the back of her head lightly. “Open up, beautiful.”

  Sally opened her mouth wide and moaned around him as he pushed his length into her. She sucked hard and used her tongue as he pulled back out, loving the feel of him fucking her mouth. He only went for about half a dozen strokes before he pulled her off of him with a reluctant groan.

  “Fuck, much more of your talented mouth, baby, and I’m going to come right down your throat. We need to get this finished before I lose control,” he said as he knelt down and kissed her slow and deep.

  As Ark took a small shell that was on the floor of the pool and scooped up some water, Sally was relieved as he poured it over one of her shoulders. She was burning up with desire for him, and the cool water felt incredible sliding down her body. But when Ark’s head came in close and he traced the line of water with his tongue, starting at her shoulder, down her chest, lingering a few seconds to tug at her nipple, and then down her stomach and over her thigh, she realized that this was not going to be easy. Ark kept on going, pouring water and trailing his tongue and lips all over her body, and when he hit sensitive areas, she could see the small smile on his face as she jumped and groaned. He was having a grand old time, and poor Sally was trying to think of anything other than her empty pussy and how good it was going to feel when he finally slid his big cock in and fucked her at the end of all this. Uh-oh, was that a trail of water she felt heading straight toward her open legs? She looked down, and as Ark’s mouth moved lower and she felt the water dribble along her folds, she tried to prepare herself to try not to come, but when his tongue gave a firm pass over her clit and then he wrapped his lips around it and suckled her, she couldn’t stop the orgasm from ripping through her, making her scream out his name as she pulled on the cuffs and her hips pushed up against his mouth.

  “Tsk, tsk, love. I didn’t say you could come, now did I?” he asked as he took another slow lick through her folds. “That’s going to cost you later, but don’t worry, I’ll keep track.”

  With a saucy wink, he gave her pussy a quick kiss and then climbed back up her body to start all over again. He made her come three more times exactly like that before he finally got the calla oil and began to rub her down, head to toe. No inch of skin was overlooked or forgotten, and when he was finally done, Sally was so relaxed she was almost asleep. She felt him unhook the wrist cuffs from the wall and wrap a soft towel around her, and then he picked her up and laid her down on the low pallet bed beside the fire.

  “Hmm, perhaps I went too far with the massage, love. You seem a little too relaxed,” he said in her ear quietly. “But I’m certain the punishment you earned will wake you up soon enough.”

  Sally barely had time to register what he said before he picked her back up and laid her over his lap. One of his hands came up to lie on the back of her shoulders while the other caressed her ass cheeks. She’d never had a man spank her before—not a surprise, as she’d been the one in charge of all her previous relationships—but she had read many a book that had depicted this exact scene, and her pussy was already wet thinking about what Ark was about to do. She tensed up, waiting for the first blow to land, but instead his hand just kept on rubbing, his fingers lightly dipping down to her pussy, and when they trailed back up to lightly tease the pucker of her ass, she was unable to stop herself from squirming on his lap. She could feel his cock pulsing against her side, and she wished she was in a different posit
ion so she could touch him as well. Just as she was imagining herself sucking down his cock as she lay on top of him, with his tongue buried in her pussy from below, the first crack of his palm came down on her. She heard the loud slap. Then a half second later, she felt the furious burn on her right ass cheek and couldn’t stop the yelp that escaped her. Then he was right back at rubbing the spot and teasing her wet folds.

  “What are you thinking, love? Am I the first man to spank your beautiful ass?” he leaned over and purred in her ear.

  “Yes,” she answered in a breathless whisper. “It was…different. I’m not sure what I was expecting. I’m not sure that I like it.”

  “Well, it is your punishment for coming four times without permission. So you have three more to go,” he said, still massaging her other ass cheek. “If you need to stop, you tell me no, but I have a feeling you might enjoy the results.”

  “Okay,” she answered, trusting him and craving his fingers to move down lower to her aching clit.

  Ark’s fingers resumed their trailing path along her sopping-wet folds, and with each pass over her asshole, he gently teased her there, slipping the tip of a finger in and out. She’d never had a man fuck her ass either, although she had played with a small vibrating wand a few times by herself, but his teasing was driving her insane. All she could think about was having him fill her up somehow, anyhow! Then there was one more fast slap on each of her ass cheeks, and the shock, then slow burn of her skin, had her howling out again, but this time he slid two fingers deep inside her pussy, and the final crack on her ass had her coming hard around him.

  Sally was reeling from the orgasm when Ark moved back on the bed and moved her body so that she was now straddling his hips, facing away from him. He lifted her torso and stacked a few pillows under her stomach and by that time, she’d recovered enough to get her elbows under her as well.

  “I need to be inside you, Sally, now,” he said in a desperate tone.