by Linda Mooney
Warm lips nuzzled her ear, sending little chills down her spine. A breath of fiery spice tingled her cheek. “My heart, I’ve been wanting to love you like this for two long and lonely years. HandFast or no, nothing will stop me now from giving you every moment of joy I can. Expect to be loved and cherished like you’ve never been before. I can promise you that much … and more, if you’ll let me.”
She turned slightly and lifted her face for his kiss, needing to seal his vow with her own.
It didn’t come.
“Udo?”
“Yes?”
“Kiss me?”
He hesitated. “No.”
“No?” She tried to turn around to face him, but he kept her back to him. “I thought you said you would do whatever I wanted.”
A strong, warm hand pushed back her waterfall of hair, and the very lips she’d dreamt of taking hers began to place tiny kisses along the back of her shoulders and up the back of her neck. Star closed her eyes and let him have his way with her, knowing this night would bring her even more rapture than the one before.
His breath stopped once again to tickle her ear, and he answered her. “When you can face me in the light, Terrin. When we can make love without the shadows and the darkness, and you can accept me for all that I am, then I will kiss you. And I promise you, I will kiss you like no other man has ever kissed you, or will ever kiss you.”
His promise left her weak, held up only by the strength of his arms. His hands had her pinned against him, the same way his arms had pressed her along his body back in the ship.
“When I can, and you do,” she swore softly, “I will never let another man kiss me. Not after you.”
He lowered his face to her satin shoulder and tongued it lightly. Star gasped, then trembled. Her hands clutched his, their fingers still woven tightly, but she didn’t try to push his away or remove them. Suddenly, he let her go, and she nearly collapsed backwards as she felt his hands slide up her back, stopping at her shoulder blades.
This time when he lowered both straps at the same time, the gown drifted on its own to the floor, leaving her to glow in the starlight. She heard his quick intake of breath.
“Sweetest heavens, Terrin. Now I know why you took your name,” Hunter whispered against her warm skin. She was literally shining with an almost translucent inner light. Her body pulsed slowly, her inner glow throbbing delicately like a distant sun. Mesmerized by the sight of her, Hunter could only stare in fascination. Without the skies to reflect upon her, he would have never known.
She knew this happened to her, and she had been waiting by the window for him on purpose. So he could discover this wondrous phenomenon for himself.
His hands slid over her quivering flesh, finding her beautiful breasts, and warming them in his palms. Her nipples were already tight and solid. At his touch, they thrust expectantly into his hands. “Are you cold?” he whispered.
“No.”
“Then why are you trembling?”
“Because … because I can’t wait.”
Her confession was more potent than the strongest drink. Hunter smiled. She was so close to admitting the truth to herself. So close.
“Your joy will come when your happiness exceeds your greatest wish, my heart,” he lovingly told her. His hands continued to massage her breasts, teasing and gently squeezing the nipples, rolling the taut tips until she began to squirm with anticipation.
“What is my greatest wish?” she asked him breathlessly. She pressed herself more forcefully against his body sliding a little at a time against the lightweight shirt and lounging pants he wore. A tiny smile curled the corners of her mouth as she felt him responding. Beneath the thin material, she’d found his length of warm steel along her buttocks. It jerked, growing larger until it spread her cheeks and sent crackling heat cascading through her.
“You’ll find out later,” he promised, his mouth caressing her back.
Gradually, Hunter began to lower himself down her body, using his lips and tongue to taste her. To breathe in her scent, which was unlike anything he’d ever smelled. As he buried his face along her spine and back, his hands followed down her front, likewise worshiping her stomach, her ribs, her waist and hips. When he reached her buttocks, he nipped them gently, without hurting her. Sucking the fragrant flesh. Licking it. To his delight, Star giggled at the sensation. “What are you doing?” she almost accused in a light voice.
“Tasting you.”
“You bit me.”
His answering chuckle came from deep within his chest. His breath was a puff of fiery hot air against her skin. “You taste incredible.”
“If I have a bruise there in the morning, I’m biting back,” she warned, but her voice was purring. Playful.
His fingers found her mound, playing with the baby-soft hair before sliding further still. He ran his tongue lazily down the valley between her buttocks. As she moaned from the feelings he was giving her, she unconsciously shifted her weight, and her legs parted slightly. It was the opening he sought, and he dipped his fingers deep into her.
The effect on her sensitive flesh nearly sent her careening into the window. Instinctively, Hunter grasped an ankle, stopping her ascent, and he laughed softly as he brought her back down to the ground.
“Heavens, Udo! What did you do to me?” Her voice was still shaking. Gradually she turned until she faced him, or faced his shadowy figure. Without thinking, she lifted her arms and embraced him. “What are you doing to me?” She shivered, burying her nose against his collarbone.
“Nothing. You haven’t given me the chance … yet.”
“Yet?”
For too long Hunter knew he had held back, keeping his own raging desire on a leash while he brought Star unknown pleasure. They would have many, many more nights to explore each other. Even if she conceived, it would not be the end of what they had. Of what they had become to each other. This night, their second night together, would only be the beginning of a lifetime of such nights.
Carrying her over to the bed, he lowered her down onto the covers and quickly shed his own clothing. When he kneeled down above her, she had already lifted her knees for him.
“What’s this?” he whispered, smiling. His hands trailed down the incredible softness of her inner thighs, finding and clasping her hand that was waiting for his at the folds of her lips. He followed her insistent tugging, letting her draw him over her until he blanketed her with his whole body. She let out a long, slow breath of pleasure as he settled on top of her.
“Yessss…”
“Do you like this?”
“I love this,” she admitted without thinking. Hunter felt the strong tug on his heart.
It was late. They had endured a long, strenuous day. It was time they were both rewarded for their patience. And growing, undeclared love.
Grasping her hips, Hunter slid slowly, long, and deeply into her. She was already wet. Impatient, almost. He felt her momentary rigidity a second before she melted. She murmured his name when he balanced his weight on his arms and buried his face in her sweet-scented hair.
“What?”
“Why … why didn’t it hurt?”
“It won’t ever hurt again, my heart. Last night was a one-time-only hurt,” he whispered, and he withdrew the smallest amount, until she arched her back. Plunging hard back into her tight, quivering flesh, he was blessed to hear her moan with pleasure. Her hands found his face, and she entwined her fingers in his hair.
“I love your hair,” she half-whispered, half-giggled. “It sort of does its own thing. Every time I look at you, I just want to reach up and comb it with my fingers.”
“Oh, please,” Hunter confessed with another chuckle. “When I was growing up my mother was always doing that to me. She still does.”
He moved into her again, pressing himself as far as he could without hurting her. Star arched upward again, taking his full, rigid length as he repeatedly penetrated her, and relished in the rays of erotic delight shining through
her. His thick girth dragged over sensitive nerve endings, scraping over the inner flesh until she screamed for more. He was moving at a gradually increasing rate now, but he had no idea how much longer he could control it. From the moment she had sheathed his whole thickness, he knew he was completely at her mercy. She rocked him in her embrace, feeding his soul with her acceptance, her growing desire for more. Her hunger for him was as vast as his was for her.
He was right and good for her. He was everything she’d wished for, and it would break her heart if he never told her the truth. If he never gave her that chance to reciprocate. If she never admitted it to him, and thus allowed him to finish what he’d started—warming the emptiness inside her, until all the coldness was entirely melted away, never to return.
Laying his cheek against hers, Hunter arched his back and began his final assault on her body. They were moving as one, gasping for breath and pounding faster and harder as he strained to reach the deepest part of her. He could feel his muscles tensing, preparing for that roar of thunder to deafen him. His spine stiffened, and when his orgasm shot through him with blinding pleasure, he cried out, every cell in his body shaking violently with his release.
Dimly he heard Star crying out, felt her core go white hot, and he was set on fire as her muscles clamped down on him almost painfully.
They both were drenched in sweat and drawing in great, heaving breaths of air when Hunter finally managed to roll onto his side, dragging Star into his arms. Refusing to let her go, he was equally reluctant to withdraw himself from inside her. They weren’t fulfilled. Not yet. Not by a long shot.
She clutched his arms as she nuzzled the skin under his chin. Hunter felt her hands sliding up his chest, finally circling his neck and locking themselves there. “That was too soon,” she shyly admitted.
“Yeah. It was. Sorry.”
“But it was … nice.” Her lips touched his chest, the tip of her tongue lightly tasting him, tasting the salty sweat. “So nice,” she purred as her breathing slowed.
Neither of them was aware of falling asleep, still melded as one.
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Chapter 13
Friendship
He awoke to the feel of soft lips teasing his male nipples. Her mouth was warm. Moist. Her tongue tentative as she tried to do to him what he had done to her. As he lay there, letting the sensation of her virgin exploration curl through him, too late he realized his reaction, and he remembered he was still encased within her.
“Terrin, what are you doing?” he murmured with a voice that revealed his growing desire. It was still dark out, meaning it was the middle of the night. Without opening his eyes, she was a vibrant presence in his arms, and a warm and silken length pressed against him, around him. One velvet thigh was resting on his hip.
“Discovering what you taste like. Seeing if I want a bite.” Her own voice was fuzzy with sleep. He wondered if she had dreamt about them, like he had.
Star lifted her face, raising her hand until she made contact with his jaw, his cheek. “You know, I don’t need a light to see you.”
She wanted to be kissed, but her confession didn’t change his requirement. He looked down as he took her hand in his and kissed the palm. “Nice try, my heart, but my condition still stands.”
He could feel himself thickening, lengthening, vibrating with anticipation. So could she.
“What are you doing?” she breathed against his chest.
Drawing her tighter against him, he buried his lips in her hair. “I want to make love to you again.” His voice was tight with his growing need, but it couldn’t be helped. She was so perfect. So desirable. Twice in one night … did he dare to hope?
She looked back up at him, or tried to. “We can do it again?” There was almost a sense of relief in her surprised request.
Hunter chuckled at her innocence. “Why not? The edicts never stated we couldn’t do it more than once per night.”
“I know. I … I just thought it was implied.” Star pressed her breasts against his skin, and he felt himself growing hotter at her touch. Her hardened nipples were sending slivers of molten lava straight to his groin.
“But if you don’t want to do it again,” he began, meaning to tease her. He was interrupted by a hard thrust of her hips against his as she impaled herself further on him.
“Shut up and make me crazy.”
The alarm was an irritating sound that broke through the clouds of sleep to awaken her. But that was the reason why she’d set it on such a ear-grating noise. Star knew she wasn’t a morning person, and it took quite a bit of rousing to draw her out from under the warm covers.
He was gone. She knew it without needing to roll over and check. It was daylight, and she wasn’t quite yet ready to face him full-on in the intimacy of a moment like this. Not yet, but soon. Already he had managed to penetrate that barrier of silence, urging her to talk with him, tease with him, feel more at ease together.
And there was also the matter of his kisses. He wouldn’t kiss her until she could accept him in the stark light of day. In a way, Star sighed, knowing what was waiting for her would make the wait more than worth it.
Reaching over, she grabbed the pillow he’d slept on, and dragged it over to where she could smell it. Star smiled as she lowered her face into the indentation. Yes. It was there. That spicy scent she knew that was his and his alone. Without realizing what she was doing, she clasped the pillow in her arms and hugged it.
They had made love twice last night. Not once, but two glorious times. But, for some indefinable reason, she didn’t feel completely satisfied. She wanted him again. And again. And again. She wanted him to lift her into the furthest reaches of space and never, ever stop making love to her. To never release her from that wide, protective chest, or those strong arms.
Oh, dearest heavens help her. She couldn’t get enough of him. Even after two nights of world-shattering climaxes, even after her body had collapsed, melted, and reformed itself within his embrace, she remained hungry for more.
Star felt her body jerk with the memory.
She didn’t remember falling asleep after that first time, but she remembered coming to and realizing he was still there. She remembered her happiness to find herself held against that chest, knowing the feeling it gave her was more than she could contain.
She had wanted to touch him and feel more of his overwhelming strength that was like the strongest steel covered with warm, scented skin. When her fingers brushed his nipples, she’d felt them react, and suddenly she’d had the irresistible urge to see what they tasted like.
Sweetest heavens, he was a feast all unto himself. No wonder he also loved doing this to her.
She didn’t know he had awakened until he’d moved. And then he had moved inside her. That exquisite, rock-hard part of him that had begun to spear her all over again. Stretching her and burrowing itself deeper into her, until she felt she would explode like a solar flare.
Another shiver raced through her, shaking her hard.
Oh, crap. I’ll never get through today if I keep thinking about this. Get your butt out of bed, Star, and get moving!
At the thought of her rear end, Star rolled out from under the covers and rushed into the cleansing chamber, turning around in front of the shiny door of the enclosure to see if he’d left a bruise on her skin.
Not even a red mark. Damn him.
Ten minutes and a quick shower later, she was striding into the dining room for breakfast. This time she ventured a look around, noticing that not everyone was there yet. Including Hunter. She got her tray and sat down next to Morning Fire.
“Hey.”
Star cut her eyes at her. “Hey, back.”
“How are you feeling this morning?” her best friend inquired.
Across the table, Corona lifted her face to stare at them. Seeing their comrade’s questioning glance, Morning Fire explained, “Star got caught in the backwash of a birisium power cell yesterday.”
; “Docs said I was okay,” Star tried to make light of it. “I’m fine.” She reached for a jama berry, and paused with the fruit almost to her lips.
Her skin was tingling, and the sensation was reaching further into her, soaking into her muscles, and even into her bones. Hunter had entered the room. She knew it for fact. Somehow, her body had acclimated itself to his, so now she would know whenever he was around, whenever he was close to her. She swallowed, hard. Would the tingling increase when he got nearer?
Closing her eyes, Star tried to sense where he was.
Left. Behind.
She turned to look. He was exactly where she thought he’d be, talking to Challenger about something.
“Gooood morning, fellow Guardians!” Deceiver greeted everyone cheerfully. “Hope we’re all well-rested and brimming with enthusiasm this morning!” Despite the answering groans and one badly-thrown, wadded-up napkin, he continued. “All right, to the business at hand. No emergencies, and no assignments this morning, so we’re going to take advantage of the lull to make repairs and bring all the equipment up to par. Morning Fire, Time Merchant, Disaster, Blender. You four take care of communications. Don’t forget to check the aerials up top.
“Bruiser, Commander, Challenger, Provoker, I’m going to need you on Transport Three. Take care of those little meteorite holes as soon as possible. You guys were lucky yesterday. Speaking of luck, how are you feeling this morning, Star? Any problems?”
All eyes turned to her before Deceiver got a chance to explain. “Star got caught in the backwash of a deteriorating birisium power cell. A full two-second burst, right?”
She nodded. “No problems so far.”
“Good thing Hunter was there to haul you back into the ship. If I’d sent you out alone, like you’d wanted me to, there’s no telling where you would be right now.” His tone was stern, but Deceiver’s eyes were caring. “Don’t question my orders again, hear me? So, today I want you, Seeker, Sender, and Hunter to help me work on getting the diagnostics on all three ships in line. We had some foul-ups yesterday, and fortunately none of them cost us a life. Corona, you, Condemner, and Animator need to resupply all three ships and let me know what we have to stock up on. Any questions? Good. Haul out and get started as soon as you’re done with breakfast. If we finish at a decent time, and we don’t get any emergency calls, the rest of the day is yours to relax.” He gave them a mock salute and left the dining hall.
