Ria's Visions (Hearts of ICARUS Book 6)

by Laura Jo Phillips

  He pulled out almost completely, then thrust back in hard. Her head tilted back, baring her throat as he began a hard but slow rhythm, steadily going faster and faster until he knew he wasn’t going to last much longer. He placed his hands on either side of her and raised his chest up, changing the angle enough that his cock stroked her clit on each thrust. Her hands gripped his arms, her back arched higher and he felt the tight muscles of her sheath squeeze him tightly as she came in long, heated pulses. He pulled out a little, then slammed back in as deeply as he could and roared as his own orgasm tore through him.

  When he finally recovered from the pleasure enough to open his eyes, he saw her looking up at him with joy, but her body was already making its demands known again.

  “You ready, Talon?”

  “Yes, why?” Talon asked from where he stood beside the bed.

  “She needs,” he panted as Ria’s velvet walls tightened around him again. “No teasing. She needs too strongly.”

  “All right. I’m ready.”

  Thorn bent his elbows so he could give her one quick kiss, then he withdrew and moved to the side. Talon reached out and repositioned her so that her hips were near the edge of the mattress. He hooked her legs over his arms and released a long, drawn out groan as he entered her in one long slow lunge.

  Ria gasped, then her head went back again as the pleasure engulfed her mind and body. Talon quickly discovered what Thorn meant. They’d obviously released too many pheromones, overstimulating her. Her arousal could easily cross into territory that would not be enjoyable. He was determined not to allow that to happen.

  He pulled her a little closer to the edge of the bed and fucked her in long, hard strokes that had him close to coming much too quickly. She was so hot, so wet, and so tight, and he’d imagined this moment for too long to hold back.

  “Tee,” he gasped just as she tightened around him like a fist. He threw his head back, fighting his orgasm with everything he had. Luckily Tee knew what he wanted and didn’t wait for him to explain. He reached over and grasped her clit, milking it firmly in time with Talon’s thrusts.

  Ria’s head started rolling back and forth again in what they were beginning to recognize as frustration and need.

  “Harder,” Talon gasped to Tee, who immediately increased the pressure of his fingers on the little bundle of nerves.

  Ria moaned, then whimpered, her hands clutching the sheets as she started trying to pull away. Talon slammed into her harder and faster, growing desperate himself now. He couldn’t come until Ria did, but something was holding her back.

  “Thorn,” he rasped through clenched teeth. “Neck.” That was all he could get out without losing his own battle, but Thorn understood. He leaned over Ria, turned her head, and clamped his teeth just where her neck met her shoulder in a mating hold that didn’t break the skin, but wasn’t exactly gentle, either.

  Thorn growled an instinctive warning to his mate, setting Ria off. She screamed, her sheath tightening around Talon’s cock so hard that he could barely thrust more than a couple of inches. His shout joined hers as their bodies strained against each other, every muscle tightening as they came together.

  Talon leaned forward, gasping desperately for air, the pleasure running through him causing his muscles to twitch and jump. When he opened his eyes and looked down at Ria, her skin flushed with her own orgasms, her pink nipples hard points, he knew it was a sight he would never tire of.

  Almost immediately she began whimpering again, and he frowned. “You guys didn’t release more pheromones, did you?” he asked, then shuddered as her body clenched around his again.

  “No, we didn’t,” Thorn said. “She needs Tee now. Once she has all three of us, she’ll come down.”

  Talon nodded and withdrew from her body gently. Then he took Tee’s place at her other side while Tee held her legs up. He moved into place and plunged all the way into her as deeply as he could.

  Ria moaned, her back arching off the bed. Tee pushed her legs higher, bending them toward her chest, allowing him to get as deeply inside of her as possible. Then he began a hard, deep, fast rhythm that had her moaning with every thrust that had his cock pounded against her cervix.

  “I cannot wait to fuck your mouth,” Thorn said, running his fingers from her chin, all the way down to the hollow of her throat. “We’ll lay you on your back with your head hanging over the edge of the mattress. Then we’ll have a straight shot from your lips all the way down that tight little throat. We’ll take turns over and over again, one of us in your pussy, one in your throat, filling you with come at both ends.”

  Tee could feel Ria’s arousal increase as a flood of hot cream gushed around his cock, making her hotter and wetter. Just thinking about what Thorn was describing had him racing toward the edge. He closed his eyes and focused on Ria, and on not coming until she did.

  “I want that sweet ass,” Talon said while pinching and tugging her nipples. “I’ll put you on your hands and knees so Thorn can take your throat at the same time. I can hardly wait until all three of us get inside you at once.”

  Tee opened his eyes and looked down to see Ria starting to grow distressed again. He nodded to Talon who leaned over to clamp his teeth on the other side of her neck. Tee reached down and found her clit, amazed at how hot and hard it was. He gripped it firmly between his thumb and one finger.

  “Come for me now, Ria,” he growled. “Come hard. Right now!” He squeezed her clit hard and her head rose off the bed as she screamed hoarsely. Tee’s head went back and he roared as his cock exploded, jerking hard as his seed spurted into her hot depths.

  Tee wasn’t sure how much time passed before he opened his eyes and withdrew from Ria’s body. He gazed down at her, relieved to see that her eyes were closed, and her body was relaxed. He held her legs up, and waited for Thorn to lift her shoulders up from the bed before repositioning her so she was lying on it fully. Then he climbed up beside her and laid down just so he could gaze into her sleeping face and memorize the moment.

  “Here,” Talon said from behind him.

  Tee looked over his shoulder, then reached out to accept the warm damp cloth. Talon joined them on the bed, handed one to Thorn, and together they carefully cleaned her skin, fully enjoying the task.

  “I know it’s been more than three hundred years since we had sex,” Tee said, keeping his voice low, “but I honestly don’t remember it ever being like this.”

  “That’s because it wasn’t like this,” Thorn said.

  “No, it wasn’t,” Talon agreed.

  “So what makes it different?” Tee asked. “I know she’s our berezi and we waited a long time for her, but physically speaking, sex is sex. Tab A in Slot B, basically.”

  “Our emotions make it different,” Talon said. “This is not a random female we got hot for, and we’re not randy young males with perpetual erections. This is the woman we love. The one who, one day, will link our soul together with hers for all time. The one who, one day, will carry our children. This is forever, Tee.”

  “That’s a little scary, Talon,” Tee said as his eyes roamed over Ria’s face.

  “Scary?” Thorn asked in surprise. “I thought this was what you wanted, Tee.”

  “It is,” Tee said. “That’s why it’s scary.”

  “I don’t understand what you mean.”

  “Now that we have our heart’s desire, we’ll never survive without her.”

  Chapter 22

  Ria awoke the next morning to the novel sensation of warm flesh on either side of her. She smiled and stretched before opening her eyes. She found Talon looking down on her from one side and Tee on the other.

  “Good morning,” she said.

  “It certainly is,” Talon breathed before leaning down to kiss her.

  “The best morning ever,” Tee agreed, claiming his own kiss.

  “I’m not gonna argue with that,” Ria said. She looked around, frowning. “Where’s Thorn?”

  “He went to get s
ome coffee and check on Star.”

  “How long will it take to put that door in?”

  Talon laughed. “How long did it take you to figure that out?”

  “Too long,” she admitted. “Not until yesterday. But, in my own defense, I was seeing a lot better yesterday too.”

  “That’s true,” Tee agreed, running a lock of her hair through his fingers. “It’ll only take a couple of hours to put the door in. Everything’s ready for it.”

  “You guys like to plan ahead, don’t you?”

  “I’m afraid so,” Tee said with a sigh. “You’ll just have to get used to it.”

  “We’ll see about that,” she said archly as she sat up. She worked her way down to the foot of the bed, then crawled over Tee’s feet so she could get to the edge. She grabbed a t-shirt from the back of a chair, sniffed it, then pulled it over her head. “Thanks for the loan, Talon,” she said, grinning at him over her shoulder as she headed for the bathroom.

  “Any time, Kitelle,” he said, watching her walk away until the bathroom door closed between them.

  “You know, brother,” Tee said, still staring at the bathroom door, “all things considered, I think she was worth every second of the wait.”

  “No doubt about that,” Talon said as he climbed out of bed and reached for his pants. Tee had just finished putting his own pants on when the door opened. Thorn entered with a tray which he set down on the table and began unloading.

  “I got breakfast for Star,” he said.

  “How’d you carry it?” Tee asked, helping to empty the tray and set the table.

  “Ben carried it, and I waited until he left before locking the door. We have to get this door in today. I don’t like being so separated from her and the cubs.”

  Ria approached, placed one hand on Thorn’s back and went up on her toes to kiss him. “Good morning,” she said. “Thanks for breakfast. I agree, I’d like that door in soon, too.”

  “I’ll call the engineers as soon as we eat,” Tee said.

  “I should order breakfast for Star,” Ria said.

  “She has it,” Thorn said. Ria looked at him in surprise, then smiled.

  “I should have known you wouldn’t forget her.”

  “Yes, you should have,” Thorn said, arching one brow. Ria laughed at him and took the chair Tee was holding for her. Talon filled a cup with coffee and passed her the cream, while Thorn set a plate in front of her and pulled the cover off.

  “Wow, it not only smells great, but it looks good too and oh my goodness I can see color!” she squealed. She leapt up from her chair and put her hands on Thorn’s shoulders, turning him so she could look at his eyes. They were pale gold with a deep brown circle around the outside of the iris. His hair was a rich brown with red highlights, his tail lock the same color.

  “I love your eyes,” she said, then kissed him quickly on the mouth before hurrying around the table to Talon. His eyes were the same as Thorn’s except he had a black ring around the iris. His hair and tail lock were deep solid black with faint blue lights that made her smile.

  “Gorgeous,” she said, kissing him too. Then she went to Tee. His hair and tail lock were light golden brown that brought out the gold of his eyes and the dark gold ring around the iris, making them almost glow.

  “Beautiful,” she sighed before kissing him. “I’m so lucky. Oh, I can’t wait to see the cubs.” She turned around in a complete circle as though she was looking for something.

  Chuckling, Thorn placed his hands on her shoulders and guided her back to her chair. “Sit down, eat your breakfast, have your coffee, then you can go see the cubs.”

  “All right, but only because I know they’re asleep right now anyway.”

  “Yes, they are,” Thorn agreed.

  “Tell us, did you wake up able to see color and didn’t notice it, or did it happen all at once?” Tee asked.

  “The second one. One second no color, the next, full color.”

  “The technology in those little nano-bots is just amazing,” Tee said. “Used for good, it could change millions of lives.”

  “You mean because they can make people see?” Ria asked.

  “Yes, but more than that. They’ve taught themselves how your brain works, Ria. Then they corrected the problems they identified. That sort of artificial intelligence could be used to correct virtually any kind of head injury, maybe even birth defects or illnesses. I don’t really know about such things but it seems to me like it has the potential to do a great deal of good.”

  “I agree,” Ria said. “Unfortunately, Doftles are insane. Even worse they’re sadists. I can’t imagine them ever doing anything for good. Not deliberately.”

  “Sadists?” Talon asked before looking up to see how pale Ria had become. “I’m sorry, you don’t need to answer that.”

  Ria frowned as she took a bite of her eggs and chewed. “I’m not sure what else to call beings who murder a thousand people because of their age, or because they have a limp when they walk or can’t see or hear.”

  “You’re right, Shiaki,” Thorn said gently. “Insane sadists is an accurate description. But that was then. Now, we’re having the best morning of our entire lives.”

  “Yes, we are,” Ria said, smiling. There was still sadness in her eyes, but she was doing a good job of pushing it back and focusing on the moment.

  “So what do you have planned for today?” Tee asked.

  “Yesterday Star and I played hooky and didn’t work out, but Lanok will be here today so we can’t skip it again. Then I need to go to the infirmary for a scan. What about you?”

  “We have a few hours of work to do. Since we’re eating breakfast now, how about you, Star, Belle and Lonato meet us for lunch later?”

  “That sounds great,” Ria said, her eyes bright again. “And someone will put the door in?”

  “Yes, absolutely,” they all said at once. Ria laughed, dispelling the last of the somber mood.

  ***

  Ria and Star were on their way back to their room after Corin did her scan when all of a sudden the ship lurched sharply. Ria nearly fell, but caught herself against the wall.

  “What was that?” Star asked.

  “I have no idea,” Ria replied.

  “Is there something we should do?”

  “I don’t hear any alarms. Do you?”

  “No,” Star said after a moment. “Should I?”

  “If there were an emergency situation, then we’d hear an alarm. “Since we don’t…,” she trailed off uncertainly. Jumping slightly when her hand terminal chimed, she quickly pulled it from her holster, her stomach tightening with dread when she saw it was from Tee.

  “Tee?” she asked after accepting the call.

  “Ria, can you come up to the bridge? Right now?”

  “Sure,” Ria replied, puzzled but sensing Tee’s tension. “I’ve got Star and the cubs with me.”

  “That’s fine, bring them with you. As fast as you can please.”

  “Okay, I’m coming,” Ria said. She disconnected, not surprised to find that Star had already turned the wagon around. They took off at a slow jog back to the elevator and got in. Ria pressed the button for Deck 1 and a few moments later the door opened to reveal Tee waiting for them. Star dragged the wagon as they walked up the corridor to the bridge, listening to Tee.

  “Remember when you said you saw a red ball-like object?”

  “Sure.”

  “We’d like you to look from the bridge for another one.”

  “Of course, Tee, but what’s going on?”

  “We’re not sure,” Tee said. “About fifteen minutes ago something hit the Bihotza’s shields and exploded. It was a big explosion, too. Powerful enough to weaken the shield in that area until it can recharge. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to find a single trace of debris, gas, or anything else to indicate what exploded or why. Then, a couple of minutes ago, the same thing happened to us.”

  “You think the red things have something to do w
ith it.”

  “We’re grasping at straws, I know,” Tee said. “But we can’t afford to let any possibility go unchecked.”

  “Agreed,” Ria said as they stepped onto the bridge which was laid almost exactly like the Bihotza’s. “What if I can see more of the things? Then what will you do and oh my goodness there’re a bunch of them out there!”

  “You see the same things as before?” Talon asked, joining her and Tee.

  “Yes, and I can see about a dozen of them from here. We’re not moving, are we?”

  “No, but how can you tell?”

  “We’re not getting any closer to them.”

  “We can’t see anything, Ria. It’s empty space as far as we can see.”

  “No, they’re out there.” She frowned. “They’re in a pattern.”

  “Pattern?”

  “They appear to be evenly spaced apart from each other, like a grid. It’s hard to tell since we’re so close to them.”

  “Maybe it’s a minefield,” Thorn said. Ria thought about that for a moment.

  “Yes, that seems to fit, but why would there be a minefield in the middle of nowhere? Is there a way for me to be able to tell you where they are?”

  “I don’t know,” Talon said.

  Ria continued to stare through the viewport at the nearest red ball. The longer she stared at it, the more it looked to her like something inside of it was moving. Something right in the center of it.

  “I have a question,” she said.

  “Okay,” Talon said. “What’s the question?”

  “Is there any of that liquid metal left? The stuff that Dr. Kannon brought onto the Beacon.”

  “We have some samples in a vault for evidence. Why do you ask?”

  “Can I see one of the samples?”

  “Sure,” Tee said. “I’ll go get one.”

  Ria kept staring at the red ball, more and more sure that her suspicions were right. “Talon, what do you know about liquid metal? I mean, what can you use to detect it?”

  “You think those red balls you see are made of liquid metal?”