"Well, it was kind of arousing," she teased and slid her moisture over him. His cock parted her folds and he groaned at the contact. "But I never did this with him."
He leaned forward and caught one breast in his mouth. He sucked hard, loving the deep moan she gave as she leaned into his mouth. The motion put her above his penis, and with little effort he slid into her welcoming warmth.
"Catam," she breathed and closed her eyes as she sank over him.
"Yes, sweet," he said thickly, "think only of how much I fill you. Ride me, love; take me deep inside you."
He put his hands on her hips to guide her, but she caught a rhythm that all too soon had him gasping for release.
Up and down, she moved. Her pace quickened before she deliberately slowed, driving him out of his mind. She paused above him, maintaining the slightest contact with her pussy at the head of his shaft.
"Fuck me, now," he ordered and shoved her down, making them both groan at the exquisite feeling of fullness. She wrapped around him, squeezing him with her slick walls, and the rapture nearly undid him.
He quickly lowered his touch to pinch and pull her clit, massaging her mound and whispering words of sex and passion that had her increasing her pace in a hurry.
"Yes, harder," he gasped and shut his eyes, lost in the sensations, an image of her naked and on top of him firmed in his mind’s eye.
She rose and sank hard, gripping his shaft between her thighs, and he saw bright lights behind closed eyelids.
"Yes," she cried and tightened, her clit hard and bursting as he caressed it with her cream. She came, slicking around him, and her walls squeezed him into ecstasy.
He gripped her thighs hard enough to leave bruises and thrust up into her, coming in great shudders.
On and on their climax lasted, until Isa sobbed with contentment, "I love you so much," and collapsed against his chest, still straddling him.
"And I love you," he rasped and flexed his cock once more, groaning when she pulled him deeper. "I love everything about you Isa. And if you really need to thieve for a living, I’ll stand by you. I’ll probably worry myself to death," he muttered, "but it’s better than living without you."
She smiled against his chest. "I’m a damned good thief, and I’ll be damned good at whatever else the future holds."
"How about as my future wife, and mother of my children?"
"Really?" she peeked up at him, her eyes glowing with happiness.
"Really. You are the best of thieves, love. You stole my heart and I expect you to keep it, forever and longer."
Wainu settled over them both, a step closer to true joy. And given future years spent with Isa, Catam knew they’d find their bliss together.
* * * *
An hour later, Rafe knocked on the door. "May I come in now? After all, it is my house," they heard him murmur.
"Hold on," Catam shoved Isa into her clothes and was finishing pulling on his shirt when Rafe entered.
"I hope you’re feeling better," Isa said, and studiously avoided looking at his groin.
"I am, thank you," Rafe answered politely.
"And if you think we’re not going to talk about whatever the hell you were trying to pull with her, think again," Catam growled.
Rafe sighed and walked, no longer limping, to his chair and sat. "Sernal told me how much trouble you were digging for yourself, so I decided to help." He favored Isa with a smile before continuing. "According to Sernal, you were falling fast for an Aran thief. I had to know her position concerning my baby brother."
"Baby brother?" Isa stared at Catam, startled to see him flush.
"They’re always trying to tell me what to do," he grumbled like a little boy.
Isa laughed, understanding more about Catam’s family dynamics. She couldn’t really fault Rafe for wanting to protect his brother. But he could have handled it another way.
"So are you Xema too?" she wanted to know.
He inclined his head. "I am so blessed."
"Well that explains it, then," she said more to herself than Catam, relieved to know the attraction had to do with genetics.
"Explains what?" Catam asked with suspicion.
"The fact that he reminded me so much of you," she answered glibly, and after a moment Catam relaxed.
"Sernal and I look more alike, but Rafe and Gar could be twins."
"Speaking of Gar," Rafe added, "I’m pulling the recluse out of hiding to join the living again. I’m tired of playing Cheltam, so I think I’ll let him do it for a while."
"So there is no real Cheltam," Isa said.
"I’m as real as he gets. There’s always a need for a good source, and it keeps me ‘in the know’ as far as intelligence in the criminal world. Sorry I couldn’t tell you, Catam, but I was never sure how solid your com security was."
"Yeah, whatever. I’m just glad you’re bringing Gar back. He’s really worried me." He offered Isa a quick explanation about Gar’s situation.
"How sad," she said, knowing if Catam died, she’d feel absolutely lifeless.
"Grieving needs to run its course, but not at the cost of one’s life," Rafe said quietly. He cleared his throat and continued. "On another note, I conferred with Sernal while you two were in here making all kinds of noise," he said with rebuke.
Isa blushed while Catam grinned widely.
"I’ll teleport the knife to Sernal as soon as we’re done here. As we speak, Sernal is rounding up Harron, Daarna and Arnath. I wouldn’t want to be Arnath around those hotheaded northerners. I wouldn’t put it past one of them to put an Ari on Arnath the minute he leaves the House meeting."
Isa breathed a sigh of relief. "So it’s finally over?"
"I’d say it’s just beginning," Rafe said with a grin. He stood and approached them. "How about a hug from my newest sister?" Ignoring Catam, he gave Isa a massive hug and a warm kiss on the mouth that had Catam growling.
"Hey, after the pain she put me through, I deserve something nice, don’t I?"
Isa laughed.
"You think I’m bad," Rafe warned, "wait until you meet Sernal. He’s a royal--"
"Pain in the ass," Catam finished with a sigh. "But he’s my brother and I love him."
Rafe laughed, the golden light in his eyes a mirror for Catam’s. "So what do you two have planned for the future?"
Catam stared at Isa with a naughty grin. "We plan on making all kinds of noise," he quoted his brother. "So either give up your study for the night, or show us a room with a nice, wide bed."
Rafe rolled his eyes. "I had to ask."
Epilogue
One Year Later
"That’s another forty you owe me," Nu said and collected his beks from his cursing brother.
"I really hate that Mardu," Set muttered, glaring at Catam’s grinning face.
"Can I help it you bet on the wrong person? I told you Isa would get us that shipment underpriced."
"Yeah, but the way you aggravated Murson after capturing his brother, I felt sure he’d sooner cut off his arm than deal with us."
Mara laughed. "You should know by now that Isa can procure anything we need, and at half the price. I can’t believe you never thought of logistical procurement before, Isa. It’s as if you were born to it."
"Well," Isa said with a modest grin, "it seems to me it’s just thieving of another sort. And speaking of which, your husband owes me fifty beks. He bet on Murson too."
Lurin shrugged apologetically to his wife. "You didn’t see the way Catam treated Murson’s brother. Honestly, Mara, it was painful to watch!"
Mara turned a disapproving glare on Catam, who sat innocently next to Isa.
"What could I do? He made some disparaging comments about my captain. What should I have done?"
Mara appeared to think about it. "Look, next time try to be friendly with those we might trade with in the future. It’ll make Isa’s job that much easier."
Catam shared a grin with his wife. "But Mara, without a little challenge to keep us
occupied, we’re sure to find trouble out there."
"That’s the truth," Set murmured and turned back to his console, grumbling.
Lurin chuckled and shook his head. "He’s right love. And unfortunately, Isa’s as bad as he is. Trouble with a capital T."
Isa leaned toward Catam and murmured in a low voice, "Speaking of trouble," she said and stroked her belly.
His eyes widened. "You mean...."
She nodded.
"By Flor’s Heart! I’m going to be a father!" he yelled to everyone in the room. Then he grabbed Isa and dragged her to their quarters.
"On no," Set groaned dramatically. "More trouble on the horizon."
Lurin laughed. He sat frozen for a moment while the others returned to work. His eyes blazed bright blue before he turned to Mara with a funny grin.
He whispered, "I just ‘snuck a peek’ at Isa’s belly. Make that, double trouble."
THE END
Here’s an unedited sneak peek at Gren’s story
By
Marie Harte
Chapter One
"No."
"But Gren, you haven’t heard--"
"No." Gren shook his head. "Not yes, not maybe, but no."
Sernal of Mardu clenched his jaw. The damned mercenary wouldn’t even hear him out. Sernal glanced around him at the tropical paradise and grudgingly acknowledged Gren’s refusal. What could Sernal offer to compare with a few weeks in paradise?
The resort overlooked Aflera’s largest ocean, pink and gleaming under the noon sun. Not a cloud marred the sky, creating a scene of almost unreal perfection. Large, green leafed palms surrounded the resort, framing the ocean’s beauty. From Gren’s vantage in his chair, he overlooked the lavender pool in front of him. Beyond the pool lay white sand so soft the grains felt like silk under one’s feet, and the pale rose-colored ocean water teamed with finwhales, mraun fish, and a myriad of delectable marine food high-priced and on the resort’s gourmet menu.
Sernal sighed. This wasn’t going to be easy. "Can I at least buy you a drink?"
Gren eyed him suspiciously, and after a moment nodded. He leaned back in the lounger, sighing under the ministrations of his personal thraia, one of the resort’s legendary massage therapists.
Sernal watched with envy as her hands crept over Gren’s neck, shoulders and arms. Native to the planet, the thraia had an innate skill for pleasure. With six hands and six digits on each hand, they made a simple massage orgasmic. And the sex, he paused and stared at the thraia’s sensual eyes half-closed in concentration, the sex was rumored to be indescribably erotic.
"I’ll take the drink, Sernal, but nothing else." Gren murmured something unintelligible to the thraia that had her giggling before she left. "Talk about wainu," he said with a groan as he rolled his shoulders. "I’ve found utter peace without sex. I wouldn’t have believed it possible before now."
Sernal waved down a server and ordered them two Aflera Ambrosias. As he watched the server leave, he wondered how best to reintroduce his needs to the wary mercenary.
If he hadn’t needed Gren’s particular skills so badly, he would have left the overtaxed man alone. But with so many women gone missing in so little time, he needed Gren’s particular gifts, the sooner the better.
Staring at Gren’s form clad in swimming trousers and nothing else, he subtly noted Gren’s musculature build, earned from years of harsh discipline and training. Sernal’s gaze wandered to Gren’s only imperfection, a jagged scar that ran from his left hand up his forearm. Gren had never offered the story behind the scar, and Sernal knew it best not to pry.
Though friends with the Thesha, Sernal instinctively sensed danger from the large man. They worked together from time to time, but Sernal normally let Gren approach him. Gren had earned his reputation as a fierce warrior and tenacious adversary. He’d never been beaten in combat. Not once.
Gren sighed and rolled his eyes at Sernal’s intense gaze. "Sernal, you’re steadily becoming a royal pain in my ass. The first time in three years I’m finally able to take a break, and I find you blocking my sun just hours after my arrival. What is it with you Mardu?"
"What can I say? It’s in our blood to be persistent."
"I think you mean obnoxious," Gren muttered and accepted the drink the server handed him. He took a long swallow and smiled, the action drawing the stares of several nearby women.
Sernal noticed and shook his head. "Can’t you turn it off?"
"You’re persistent, I’m desirable." Somehow he uttered the words without sounding conceited. "What can I say? It’s hereditary." He guzzled his Ambrosia and set the empty glass by his side.
Sernal stared at the glass, amazed Gren had imbibed the strong liquor so quickly. "I’d say your metabolism is nothing short of amazing too."
"I’m surprised you didn’t know that." He lowered his voice. "Alcohol doesn’t affect my kind the way it does others. We have a natural tolerance for fermented fruits. Certain drugs, however," he paused, his expression darkening, "can be lethal."
"You remember how it felt to be powerless all too well, don’t you?" Sernal saw a golden opportunity and charged forward. It might not have been smart, but reminding Gren of his imprisonment last year would have more of an impact than a simple entreaty for help. "Imagine helpless young women undergoing what you suffered. Except they don’t escape. No one rides in to their rescue."
"I wasn’t rescued," Gren said between clenched teeth. "I was two seconds from killing that bitch Cari when you entered the scene, running late as usual." Then he cursed under his breath. "I’m just not going to be rid of you until you tell me what’s on your mind, am I?"
Sernal drained the rest of his glass, feeling slightly wobbly as he did so. Unlike the Thesha, the Mardu were susceptible to alcohol. "Nope. So you might as well hear me out."
Gren stared at him for a moment before he stood abrupty, flexing his massive arms as he whipped a towel around his neck. "Fine then. Follow me."
Sernal trailed Gren to the deluxe suites in Zunus’ most prestigious resort. Zunus, planet Aflera’s highest grossing resort district, accounted for one quarter of the planet’s gross income.
Whistling as they entered Gren’s suite, Sernal stared in appreciation. "Being a mercenary must pay pretty well." A small water fountain greeted them when they entered, and the room’s soothing hues of amber and pale green blended with the tropical environment directly outside.
Through two open doors leading to an outside balcony, Sernal could clearly see a finwhale leaping into the air before it disappeared beneath clear pink water. The wind blew, rustling the silken drapes framing the balcony doors, and the sweet smell of florantes teased his sensitive nose.
He almost felt bad for what he was about to do to Gren.
"Spill it," Gren ordered and wandered outside on the balcony.
"We have a total of fifteen missing women, all grabbed within the past month. All are from affluent families, and all from different provinces in Mardu."
Gren shrugged. "So tap System law. What do you need me for?"
"There’s something about these crimes that smacks of peacemaker corruption."
Gren turned to stare at Sernal. "How so?"
Finally, a spark of interest. Sernal prayed to Flor his luck would continue. "The culprits have kidnapped at least five women from their own security. Eyewitness accounts paint our kidnappers as organized, controlled and possibly military.
"They cover all their bases a little too well. Neither Rafe nor myself has detected a trace of evidence at any of the crime scenes."
Gren frowned in thought. Sernal and his brother, Rafe, had a reputation as the best. The top peacemakers of their entire planet, they deferred to no one in the interest of justice. They’d never before been stumped on a case, and that they were now definitely caused some concern.
"You say only women are being kidnapped?"
Sernal nodded. "All between the ages of twenty to forty, all beautiful and within child-bearing age."
/> Gren’s eyes widened. "You don’t think it’s another Ebrellion Ring?"
The Ebrellion Ring ended six years ago when Sernal and his men killed the aliens responsible for over fifty female abductions. The Ebrellion species, fast on the brink of extinction, had decided to forego natural selection and stole women for the sole purpose of breeding.
"We don’t think so. System observation posts report normal Ebrellion activity, all from outside System boundaries. No, these crimes make me think it’s an internal threat."
"Any evidence to support that?"
Sernal frowned. Gren would have to ask that. "Not enough to prove, not yet. Let’s just say I’ve got a ‘gut feeling’ about peacemaker involvement."
Gren stared at him. "So you come to me asking for help. Why?"
"I need your resources to plant one of my people undercover. And Rafe will be on hand to assist."
Gren grimaced. "Hell no. Not your brother. He’s as bad as you are." Gren could see Sernal’s patience thinning.
The lawman rolled his eyes. "Gren, we’re talking about saving the lives of fifteen women."
"No." His conscience tugged at him while the ocean beckoned a second glance. He stared at the rippling water, imagining himself floating without a care, rebuilding his strength and his peace of mind. He would never admit it aloud, but last year had taken a toll on him from which he had yet to recover.
"Look, Sernal," he tried, "you have resources far beyond mine. You have an entire planet of lawmen at your disposal, not to mention you’re the damned head of Peacemaker Central. Order your own contacts to help you."
Sernal swore. "I’m not the head of "Peacemaker Central," as you like to call it. And weren’t you listening when I told you we’ve got rogue peacemakers?" Sernal muttered under his breath and ran a hand through his hair. "You call me a pain in the ass? Hell," he growled, "it’s taking what little control I have not to order you to assist us."
The Thief of Mardu Page 13
