I was so enthralled standing in front of their images and gazing up into those stunning faces that I missed what Dramok Seot said in the first couple of seconds. Okay, more than a couple of seconds. I missed probably half a minute of his greeting. This is my private journal, and I can be as stupid over hunky men as I like. No point in playing it cool here.
“Com, play from the start.” I rolled my eyes at how breathy I sounded. Damn, I should get laid before I’m reduced to humping inanimate objects. Wait, I have the dildo Katrina gave me for Christmas. Where did I put that?
And I’ve wandered off again. Stupid libido.
The message started over. The three men, Seot in front, bowed low and straightened. “Greetings, Matara Shalia.” Seot’s voice was as smooth as butter. I shivered from head to toe. If I had to pick a clan on vocal abilities alone, Seot would win it for his guys. That man could quote the bible to me from front to back and I’d be a puddle at his feet.
Enough. I am telling this story and my pussy will not interrupt me again. Damn it!
He said, “Greetings, Matara Shalia. We were delighted to receive your com that you are considering my clan as a potential life match. As you no doubt know from viewing our profiles, I am Dramok Seot, leader of this clan.”
He gestured to the big but adorable specimen on his left. “This is my Imdiko, Cifa.”
Cifa personified cute to the extreme. At Seot’s introduction, he beamed a bright smile that had me smiling too. His voice was every bit as cheerful as his demeanor. “Hello, Matara Shalia. I look forward to meeting you in person once you reach Kalquor.”
Seot gave his clanmate a gentle gaze that spoke of an easy tenderness between the two. That was sweet to see. Then he turned to the dark and dangerous creature to his right. “And this is my Nobek, Larten.”
Larten nodded respectfully to me...or rather, to the recording device that had delivered the message. “It is a pleasure, Matara Shalia. I too eagerly await your arrival.”
I shivered again. Larten’s speech was low and deep and thrilling. It was the kind of voice that if he shouted, you’d expect a mountain to crumble before its might. Wowsers.
I had a moment of imagining him ordering me to do naughty things. I had to make the com reverse because I missed some of what was said again.
When I had it cued up once more, Seot had taken over the talking. “We hope the message you sent means you will allow us to trade further communications prior to you reaching Kalquor. We wish to know you better as soon as possible. Our high compatibility rating makes us hopeful we would make you a satisfactory clan.”
“We’ve never rated such high compatibility with anyone in the lottery. Ninety-seven percent!” Cifa chimed in. He was all boyish enthusiasm that made his companions smile. I had to remind myself that the guy is 63 years old. He comes across as far younger.
Larten’s tone was gentle even as he reminded his Imdiko, “A computer program cannot measure the intangibles that make a lifelong relationship work, however. There is far more to it than a list of likes and dislikes.”
“That is true,” Seot agreed. “However, the questionnaires were more in depth than that. The rating is a strong indication that we would make Shalia a good clan.”
“Along with being great fathers for her child,” Cifa added. He grinned harder than ever. “I have a younger brother and sister, and I was often left in charge of them while my parents worked, Shalia. It’s not the same as being a parent, but I have some experience in the matter.”
He seemed ready to keep talking, but Seot took over once more. “We are all three excited at the prospect of welcoming a Matara and babe to our family. At this time—”
Cifa couldn’t seem to help himself with his enthusiasm. He interrupted with, “We have already begun to study Earther writings and recordings on how your race sees to childcare. Some of it is quite contradictory, and of course, your wishes are the most important. Ultimately, we’ll follow your lead on the matter, but we want to—”
“Cifa,” Seot said.
The Dramok’s buttery voice was quiet. It was even gentle, without the slightest hint of temper. He smiled at Cifa. Yet the Imdiko shut up in an instant, blushing fiery red. His grin didn’t dim in the least, though. Larten chuckled, vibrating my ears. His grin at Cifa made the scary man a lot more approachable.
Seot turned to me. His expression was amused, but he said nothing further about his clanmate’s exuberance. “At this time, we will leave the decision as to our continued communication to you, Matara Shalia. As you can probably tell—” he crooked a brow at Cifa, who shrugged without real remorse “—we are most excited at the prospect of hearing from you again. Until then, please take care of yourself.”
They bowed. The message ended. I replayed it again. Then again. And once more for good measure.
So that was Clan Seot. It wasn’t a lot to go on for me to form a real opinion (besides the fact they seem so damned fuckable), but I admit to being intrigued. I appreciate that Seot is leaving our continued communication up to me. It’s nice to have a Kalquorian man leave decisions up to me for a change. I’m glad that Larten isn’t ready to accept me simply because I’m female, I can breed, and I’ve shown an interest in them. He wants to ensure we’ll actually work well together. As for Cifa – could anyone be any more adorable? He seems so sweet and caring. That he has experience with kids isn’t bad either.
Above all, I enjoyed the little bit I saw of how that clan interacted with each other. I sensed respect between the three. I REALLY liked how Seot was able to show leadership without being an asshole about it. If the gentle manner in which he was able to settle Cifa down was any indication, he’d make a great father.
It may be wishful thinking, but I sensed a lot of warmth there. It kind of reminded me of my dad clan.
Obviously, I plan to keep talking to Clan Seot. The potential there is huge, at least for me. It would only be fair to warn them about what they would be in for, however. I wonder if that will send them running to the hills? It’s best to be honest right off the bat though. I can hear the start of my message now: Hello, I’m Shalia Monroe, and I am pure trouble. You’ve been warned.
And if they are brave enough to give me a try? Let’s just say I’m looking forward to all the scenarios that means. I wonder how soon after we meet in person I can see them naked? Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy.
I’ll watch that message again. Then I’m searching for that dildo. Wait, it’s the end of shift now, isn’t it? Ha-ha, then I’m going in search of Betra. He can finish what Clan Seot started.
April 1, morning
Same as the rest of life, last night was a mix of good and bad. First the good: sex with Betra.
I showed up at his door, my makeup done and wearing a flirty little dress Candy had supplied me with. I showed a bit of cleavage framed by the teal dress’ ruffle, and a lot of leg with an almost scandalously short skirt. My growing tummy was accommodated by the stretchy material. I’d originally worried the dress would seem obscene. I mean, what was I going for? Pregnant Woman Slutting It Up? Yuck. Yet once I had the dress on, I had to admit Candy had an eye for these things. I was obviously expecting, but I thought I looked kind of sexy too. With Betra’s adoration of my baby belly, the dress seemed perfect to wear for him.
Indeed it was. When the door to his quarters opened, I was pleased to note my efforts were appreciated. Betra ogled me up and down, a slow smile spreading across his face.
“This lovely package had better be for me,” he said. “I swear, if you’re stopping by to tell me you’re spending the night with Oses—”
“Oh, is he free?” I acted as if I would leave to hunt the Nobek up.
With a playful growl, Betra grabbed my arm and pulled me into his quarters. “Even if he is, he’s out of luck.”
I laughed. The door shut, leaving us all alone. I reached up to wrap my arms around Betra’s neck and tug him down. He was more than happy to oblige me. Those big, strong arms curled around me, his hand cupping
my head to hold me for his kiss.
Ah, sweet bliss. Betra’s mouth moved gently over mine, almost as if we’d never kissed before. His was a careful but thorough tasting. First, he explored my lips with his own, then his tongue darted to taste, and then teeth gently closed on my lower lip to tug. I sighed with pleasure. With my mouth parted open, Betra accepted the invitation to venture inside. He kissed me with sensuous slowness, taking his leisure to enjoy all the flavors and textures he found. Had I ever been so carefully plundered? If I had, I couldn’t remember it.
That such a tender kiss could birth the raw, biting passion that swept through me was a revelation. All at once, my pussy ached. It begged for a cock to shove in. I moaned from the need. Yet I did not rush Betra into satisfying that ravening part of me. The kiss was too amazing. Even if everything below my waist had exploded from lust, I would not have stopped Betra. It had to have been the greatest kiss of my life.
When it ended, I almost cried. I’ve seen astounding beauty. I’ve felt joy that made me shout and dance. Betra’s kiss seemed to be concocted of all the most amazing moments I’d ever experienced. It sounds like an exaggeration, but it’s not. There are no words to truly describe it.
He gazed at me rather quizzically, perhaps intuiting some of what I was going through. I unleashed a trembling breath. “You have no idea how wonderful you are, do you?” I asked.
Equal parts worry and pleasure crossed his expression. He dealt with the worry part of it. “Don’t do it, Shalia. Don’t feel more for me than you should.”
“What, love?” Sadness tinged with humor filled me at his concerns. “I’m allowed to love you as I do any of my friends. I can love you the way I love Candy and Katrina. We can’t keep that from happening, and I wouldn’t try.”
“Just friends? You’re sure that’s all you feel?”
“Not quite. I’m desperate to fuck your hot body too. I don’t want to do that with my girlfriends.”
Betra was relieved. Amusement took over. “No chance of me seeing you intimate with Candy, huh? That would have been exciting.”
I crooked an eyebrow at him. “I’m the female version of you, my darling Imdiko. I am hardcore hetero. Now kiss me again before I lose the mood.”
“Oh no, don’t do that.”
Betra kissed me once more, with as much as finesse as ever. However, I sensed some reserve. The idiot was thinking too hard, probably about how determined he was that I not fall in love with him. It was a great kiss, it but didn’t approach the poetry of the one that preceded it.
Oh well, maybe that kind of kiss is a once in a lifetime event. My toes curl thinking about it.
Betra picked me up and carried me to his bed. There wasn’t far to go. Similar to Oses’s quarters, Betra’s room was pretty small. It appeared a larger simply because he lacked the spanking bench that took up most of Oses’s available floor space. Instead, he had a very small table with some personal items decorating the top: a still vid of his parent clan (very attractive people – Betra is the spitting image of his Dramok father but with a gentler smile), a commendation for saving my ass from raiding Tragooms a few weeks ago, and a championship trophy for some sport that sounds an awful lot like Earther surfing.
I noticed something new. I hadn’t seen it when I spent the night with him a couple of evenings ago, needing a bed buddy to keep off the bad dreams. Lying on Betra’s sleeping mat, I nodded at the hooks imbedded in the ceiling. “What are those for?”
He grinned, a bit of deviltry sneaking into that sweet Kalquorian-Next-Door façade. “I just installed those. Hold on a moment and I’ll show you the entire setup.”
He went to the wall next to the tiny table and touched it. A closet slid open, showing three armored Fleet formsuits and a few other clothing articles suspended in mid-air. Betra reached behind them to a set of shelves. He retrieved some contraption of long black straps, metal fasteners, and a length of thick, cushioned dark blue material.
“What in the world?” I asked.
Betra stepped up on his sleeping mat, his long legs straddling mine. He attached some of the metal fasteners to a hook on the ceiling. When he did that, the strange device, now swinging in front and to the right of me, made sense. It was a type of swing, sort of. The blue length of material was a sling. An ass sling.
“Oh,” I breathed. I had nothing else to say.
There was more, though. Betra moved some of the straps hanging from the sling so that they draped from the other hooks on the ceiling. I noted the loops at the ends of the straps...perfect to insert one’s ankles in to hold the legs high and wide.
“Oh boy.” I added another word to my verbal arsenal.
Betra grinned fit to split his face. “You’ve got that nervous-excited expression that tells me you want to try it.”
“It will hold my weight?” I had an ugly vision of my growing body straining the straps, sending me, the sling, and half the ceiling crashing down onto the mat.
The Imdiko snorted. “It would handle my weight. Come on. Stand up and let’s play with our new toy.”
He helped me to my feet and then lifted me to sit in the sling. The back of it rose high enough that I was supported from head to ass. I had to hand it to Betra; the thing was super comfy. Even when he lifted my legs to secure my ankles in the loops and I was splayed like an offering to a gynecologist, I was snug in the swing. Ha-ha, for once I actually appreciated ‘having my ass in a sling’.
I wrinkled my nose at my stomach. With my legs drawn up, squishing my torso, my belly looked bigger than before. Betra went into rapture at the sight.
“So sweet and round,” he moaned and delivered kisses to my mountain of gut.
I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. “If you move that mouth down...way down...I’ll get a lot more out of this.”
The Imdiko gave me a dark look. “You’re only going to grow bigger. You might as well accept how beautiful pregnancy is.”
I sighed. The last thing I wanted was Betra mad at me. All I ask from life these days is happiness. If I can’t have that, at least contentment should be mine.
I playfully grabbed his ears and pulled him up towards my face. He rose willingly, his expression softening in a smile.
“You always make me feel beautiful, Betra,” I told him. “The belly worship is a bit over the top for me, but I do appreciate you. Thanks for seeing good things and not my flaws.”
He chuckled. “I am a little crazy when it comes to the evidence of your impending motherhood. But it is amazing, Shalia. It truly is.”
He had a point. I have a life growing inside me, a miracle. Why shouldn’t I embrace it? Betra certainly isn’t put off one bit by my growing girth.
I gave him a long, deep kiss to show him my gratitude. He responded in such a way as to make my toes curl in their binds. Sweet prophets, he’s an artist when it comes to kissing. Why was I only noticing it so often lately?
He broke away, but I didn’t complain as he started stripping. I was glad my hands were free, because I had every intention of touching everything once he got close enough to me again. Yummy, yummy man with a capital YUM.
I sighed with delight as Betra’s armored formsuit peeled away from smooth, wide shoulders. My gaze didn’t know where to settle when the broad planes of his chest and strong biceps filled the view. Oh, but then there was that stomach to contemplate...mostly flat with just a hint of abdominal swells to make me drool.
He was grinning from ear to ear, no doubt amused by the wide-eyed delight I showed at what he revealed. I blew a raspberry at him.
“Keep your mouth shut and continue getting naked. You owe me a show for letting you kiss my stretch marks.”
Betra shook his head, chuckles spilling from those gorgeous lips. “Are you ordering me around, woman? Do you think I’ll put up with that?”
“Oh, be a nice Imdiko for a change. What about what I want?”
His gaze narrowed. “But this is what you want. You prefer me to be in charge.”
Bet
ra was right. I am all about the man taking the lead.
No sooner had I thought that when I had a brief flashback of topping Oses in Finiuld’s arena. All the humor vanished. Maybe it wasn’t fair to judge the one opportunity I’d controlled the action because of the awful circumstances, but I had not gotten as much out of dominating as I do surrendering. At the moment, the idea of me commanding Betra reminded me of being made to perform for antagonistic others.
Betra woke me to the far better here and now. “Shalia, are you okay?”
I looked up at his sweet face, drawn with concern. I drew a shaky breath. “Sorry. I had a weird moment there. About that time I told you about? When the Ofetuchans made me fuck Oses for their entertainment.”
Betra stood on his bed for a moment, contemplating me. He seemed about to speak, then shook his head as if to dismiss whatever notion he’d had.
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