by Bethany Aan
“Like ferociously large penises?” Ri blinked innocently at him. He nearly chortled at that, choked a bit, then glared at her for making him almost break character. Her belly trembled with the effort not to laugh.
“Well, that, yes,” he said, nodding thoughtfully. “But also… we should make sure that we are completely compatible. After all, some species eat the male after mating. How do I know that you do not have a fierce beast hidden within you that will harm my men?”
She gave him a sardonic look, one that said, ‘you can do better than that’.
“Perhaps the med scans would have shown something like that?” she suggested ironically. He blinked, then rolled his eyes.
“Yes, yes, true,” he sighed. Shaking his head mournfully, he leaned forward once more, holding her gaze. “You’re right. The scans would have shown that. That’s a relief! But there are other considerations. For instance, there might be other anomalies between our women and yours that we should be aware of, so that when the time comes, there will be nothing between our species but pleasure.” The way he practically purred the last word made Ri’s toes flex and curl.
“Pleasure?” Arianna shivered the word as Jace leaned forward and brushed his lips over hers in a feather-light caress. She got the feeling that he was done play-acting and ready to get serious. The sudden switch from playful to intense had her head spinning.
“Pleasure,” he whispered back, his words floating over her skin as he kissed his way down her neck, down the slope of her breast, and finally found her tender, aching nipple. For a long moment, he simply watched it tighten under his gaze, tighten even more when his breath hit it. Ri held her breath, waiting. He looked back up at her, his gaze hard with wanting. “Pure, raw pleasure.”
She cried out and wrapped her arms around his head as he took just the tip of her nipple between his lips and tasted it with his tongue. Her thighs tightened around his ribs and he deepened the intimate kiss, taking her entire nipple into his mouth and exploring it with the velvet stroke of his tongue. She panted a laugh when he informed her that the other nipple needed to be evaluated… for science. He took his sweet time with experimenting between the two. She was nearly weeping by the time he had determined which combination of nipping, licking, sucking, and deep, hard suckling made her cry out, twitch, and brought down her fragrant dew.
His eyes were feverish with excitement as he lowered his gaze to the wet curls at the juncture of her thighs. His gaze moved back up, watching her face as his fingers gently explored every little crease and crevice. He delighted in the little breathless noises she made as his fingers discovered the little nub at the top of her slit.
“What is this?” he murmured wonderingly, using his fingers to open her lower lips, examining her clit.
“You’re kidding, right?” she whimpered, thinking it an inspired part of his ‘for science’ game.
“No,” his voice held a serious note. She blinked at him in confusion. “Our women do not have these little nubs. I felt it when we bathed you, but I thought perhaps it was an insect bite. You did not complain about it, so I decided it wasn’t dangerous. What is it? What does it do? What is its purpose?”
Arianna groaned, sensing that he was serious. She breathlessly explained what a clitoris was, why it was so vastly important to a woman’s enjoyment, then shivered out a cry as he touched it, gently at first, then with growing enthusiasm as his confidence grew. He watched her face, fascinated, as her hips jerked whenever he flicked the little piece of flesh with his thumb. Wanting to find out something, he kept his thumb there, rubbing firmly against the little knob, but shifted two fingers into her core, now wide open and wonderfully wet for him.
The feeling of him inside her, the pressure on her clit, made Ri shudder and cry out for more. He gently explored her sheath, finding the slick spot within her that Thorsani women also had, and wiggled his fingertips experimentally against it. She nearly came apart in his arms, her head thrown back, her mouth wide open, her chest heaving with the effort to catch her breath.
Jace knew that she was far from ready for complete possession, but watching her in the throes of her passion was incredible. Wanting to give her completion in some way, he leaned forward, drawn by her scent, and sniffed her. The aroma of her arousal was intoxicating. His eyes closed and he reached out with his tongue to circle the little nub, wondering what would happen when he did.
Ri’s knees tightened spasmodically against him and she gripped his head in her hands, holding him in place. She panted, her eyes wide and staring, concentrating on what he was doing. Her body shivered with sexual tension.
Acting purely on instinct, Jace wrapped one arm around her, holding her hips still, and used his mouth to explore every inch of her slit, as his fingers worked her core. Wondering if the clit was like a nipple, he took the little flange between his lips and nibbled, biting delicately, flicking it with his tongue as his teeth held it captive. When all of those things worked so very well and his fingers were covered with her arousal, Jace suddenly sucked powerfully on the nub, driving his fingers in and out of her. His fingertips found the tiny spot deep within her once more, torturing it over and over again as his mouth tortured her clit. She called his name brokenly, holding his head in place, wanting more, then more still.
When her body tensed to the breaking point, her back arched and she wept her release, his arm moved so that his big hand supported her spine, holding her steady as his fingers and mouth fucked her thoroughly. She came apart for him so beautifully, her entire being seeming to convulse and clench around him. She shook and shivered, her mouth open in silent ecstasy, her breath dragging in great gulps.
The feeling of her body spasming around his fingers, so hot and wet and sweet, about took Jace over the edge. Controlling himself with a monumental effort, he leaned back and watched her beautiful face as she came apart for him. Fascination filled him as her body jerked and shuddered. Because of his touch, his mouth and hands. Triumph and wonder washed through him. He stood and gathered her to him with one arm, soothing her as she came down from that incredible peak. She sobbed a little with each breath, her soft cries muffled against his chest as she leaned so trustingly against him. Fierce protectiveness and affection enveloped him and he held her a bit tighter.
When she stopped shaking, he slowly and gently removed his fingers from her, loving the little sounds of denial she made as he left her warmth. She was still breathing rapidly, her eyes unfocused as she tried to stare up at him. He let her lean back a bit, waiting for her reaction.
“Oh wow,” she whispered reverently. “Oh, Jace… wow.”
He grinned down at her rather smugly, then, realizing that he’d completely undone her bath for certain parts of her anatomy, industriously moistened a small cloth and thoroughly cleaned her slit and thighs of her own juices. She shivered and twitched with aftershocks as he dragged the cloth over her incredibly sensitive clit, then followed the wet cloth with a dry one, making sure each little crevice and surface was completely dry. He grinned each time his touch drew another reaction from her body. She finally groaned, frustrated and getting aroused again, and asked if he thought she was dry enough. His reply was a huskily murmured, “Just making sure.”
“Well, if you keep touching me like that,” she panted, “I won’t ever be completely dry. Now either make love to me or stop torturing me, Jace… put up or shut up, buddy!”
His answer was a wicked grin and the very obvious intention to do just that. Ri’s breath hitched again and her body clenched in anticipation. He laughed, making her giggle, as he leaned down to nuzzle once more at the soft valley between her plump breasts. She was just getting all worked up again when they heard a crash of metal from the kitchen. Jumping, they stared at each other with regret.
Had Hunter not interrupted them with the call to lunch, Jace might just have managed to get her off again. Instead, it was a very frustrated Arianna that ate a bit of lunch in stony silence, snapping at them both if they tried to talk to
her. The men pretended not to notice, but whenever she looked away, they grinned smugly at each other.
The wooing of Arianna was going to be a lot of fun.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
That afternoon, as Arianna sat alone on the balcony, she thought back to those steamy moments with both men. They both wanted to court her. That was incredible enough. But she now knew how much they also truly desired her, and that was heady indeed to someone who had little experience with being wanted by such hunky men. And to make it perfect, their culture didn’t frown on polygamy, something she’d been secretly fascinated with since she heard about it as a young adult. Not only could she have both of them, but their people wouldn’t think anything of it if she did!
And she wanted them. Both of them. It had felt so perfectly naughty earlier, to allow one to seduce her, then the other. And not only did she not have to hide her feelings, but she didn’t have to hide one man from another. To top it all off, the men apparently talked about her fun bits, as well. Comparing notes? Perhaps the better to give her more of that pleasure that Jace purred about? She shivered delicately, anticipating. She loved it when they flirted with her, teased her, made her feel like a sexy goddess that they intended to worship at the first opportunity.
But she also loved it when they were just talking. Spending time with Jace and Hunter was comfortable, exciting, and it seemed that the moments passed far too quickly, with not nearly enough discovered about either one. She wanted to know their full histories, hear more about their large and loving family back on Thorsan, learn more about their culture, their training, and their spiritual views, if they had any.
Laying her head against the high backrest of the couch, she wished with all her being that she could accept their suit. But she couldn’t. Her heart tugged painfully at the memory of their hot, sweet, drugging kisses, their gentle touches, the intensity with which they focused on her. A bolt of electricity moved down her spine and settled between her legs when she thought of her decadent bath earlier. Sucking in a deep breath, she tried to get her wayward daydreams under control.
She needed to be realistic. She shouldn’t have said she’d let them court her, shouldn’t have even entertained the idea, knowing that it couldn’t go anywhere permanent, but they had overwhelmed her, stormed her defenses, and they were just so… wonderful.
Her throat tightened painfully with the knowledge that she had to stop their courtship. She had to nip their determined flirting in the bud. Really, since she would be an unsuitable mate for either of them, why encourage anything at all, much less something that might lead to her heart getting broken? Eventually, one of them would want that family, and she would have to let them go, for their own happiness. It wouldn’t be fair to her, or them, to do otherwise.
She could tell herself all of that and more, but the fact was that she couldn’t keep her heart from wondering ‘what if’. What if they didn’t care about that family as much as she was projecting? What if they felt that being with her was adequate compensation for not having children? What if…
But as the day wore on and the hour grew near for the men to return to their rooms, Arianna’s mind was made up. She would have to tell them tonight, before things got any more complicated. She wouldn’t mind a short affair, with either one or both of them. Might as well live a little. But she could not allow anything beyond physical enjoyment, on either side. It would not be fair to any of them if she let it get out of hand. She would present her side of the issue and let them figure out where they wanted to go from there. At the very least, she had no doubt that they wanted her. Maybe she could enjoy them, just a little bit? Enough to build memories that would keep her warm on the cold winter nights they spoke of.
But she would not let it become love.
She couldn’t afford that.
She would make it very clear to them both.
She firmly ignored the fact that it was probably already too late for her.
Determined to get it over with, she addressed them while they were cooking dinner that night. She perched on the kitchen island’s stool, watching. Hunter kept throwing concerned looks her way. She felt badly for keeping him out of her mind, especially since she’d found it so comforting to have him there. It seemed she knew how to shield, when she really wanted to. Taking a deep breath during a break in the conversation, she went for it.
“Hunter,” she said, her voice shaking a bit, “Jace.”
Something in her tone must have alerted them. They looked at each other, put down what they were working on, and gave her their full attention. She blinked, surprised at the sudden focus. Jace arched an eyebrow at her in question.
“I, um, want to talk to you guys about something.”
“Talk,” Jace said, shrugging as he quickly flipped a piece of meat on the small grill, then gave her his attention again. Hunter’s eyes narrowed on her and she could feel him gently probing her mind for whatever was troubling her. He was growing more frustrated with each minute that passed, that she wouldn’t let him in.
“I…” her voice trailed off. Gathering her courage, she closed her eyes and lowered her head. “I’ve been thinking about it, and…I don’t think it’s a good for you guys to court me.”
Silence. Absolute, total silence. Her fingers wound around each other with tension. She raised her head just enough to peek at them. They both stood there, arms crossed over their chests, patiently waiting for an explanation. She felt her cheeks heat, her hands tingle uncomfortably. God, she hated any sort of confrontation. It made her nauseous.
“It’s just… I really like you both, and I know that we’ve had a bit of fun with flirting and all,” she rambled, blushing at the understatement, “But… I was thinking about it today, and… really, you guys could do so much better than me. I mean, you guys want a family, right?” She didn’t wait for an answer, didn’t even look at them for their response. “And I can’t give that to you. So… What I’m thinking is this: we can have fun. Lots of fun, if you want. For awhile. But no one falls in love, we don’t actually ‘court’, and there’s no talk of the future, since we know there can’t be one.”
No sound other than the sizzle of meat on the grill and the occasional hiss as a pot of diced tubers boiled over. She stole another look at the men. They were still watching her, impassive.
“Come on,” she finally exploded, throwing her arms up, then hissing with pain when the gesture pulled at her ribs. “Crap on a cracker, that hurt! Seriously! You guys want babies, families. You want to carry on your genetic line, which, let’s face it, is really impressive and really should be carried on.” They flashed masculine grins at her for that. She rolled her eyes at them in exasperation. “But I have faulty genes, anyways. You wouldn’t want to add that to your family, even if I could have kids. It would dilute the gene pool. So since you have to procreate, per your own colonization directives I’m not an appropriate candidate for mating.”
She looked down at her hands, fisted together on the counter now, and fought against the aching tightness in her throat. Were they not going to say anything? The silence was killing her.
“Just… we’ll have some fun, get the people integrated, then when you guys are ready to have families, we can part ways. All right?”
She waited, quite awhile, for them to say something. The tension stretched to the snapping point, her body growing tighter and clammier as the minutes passed. When she could take it no longer, she sighed and looked up at them for an answer.
“No,” Jace said.
“Not a chance,” Hunter shook his head.
And just like that, they dismissed her entire argument and went back to cooking dinner. She stared at them, her mouth agape, as they started talking about transplanting some of the smaller herbs together on the balcony, so they could plant a few extra food items, now that they had an extra mouth to feed.
“Did you even listen to what I said?” she demanded after a moment. Jace grinned at her and winked.
“Heard every w
ord,” he assured her. “But it’s not going to happen.”
“We listened,” Hunter added, taking the pot of tubers to the small stone sink to dump off the water. He did so then returned the pot to the stove and added spices to the food. Once that was done, he looked back up at her. “You agreed to let us court you.”
“You’re not even trying to understand, are you?” she asked quietly. They both shook their heads.
“There’s nothing to understand,” Hunter told her, just as softly. “You seem to think that the only reason either of us would want to claim you is to have children. Family is made up of more than that, and I think you are very much aware of that fact.”
She nodded, unable to lie about something like that. Damn him for knowing her heart so well!
“You are a Commander, a natural leader, a Reader. You are smart, witty, talented, creative, and sweeter than any other being I’ve ever known,” Hunter told her, moving to stand in front of her. “Besides that, you possess all the qualities that Jace and I have longed for in a mate. It is disappointing that we will not be able to carry on our genetic line, but that is secondary to being with someone with whom we can truly envision an entire lifetime of… this.” He gestured around the living quarters, then at the island where they were gathered, a family cooking a meal. Ri blinked, bewildered, and looked around as well. Hunter’s fingers gripped her chin gently, forcing her to meet his gaze. “You are what we want, not the babes. Because all of your arguments center around procreation, your entire argument is invalid.”
“What he said,” Jace put in, nodding toward his brother as he chewed on a piece of tuber he’d snatched from the pot. “I’d love to have babies with you, and if medical technology can make that happen, you can bet I’ll make it so. But that’s not why I wanted to court you. I’ve known from day one that you couldn’t have children.”
