Just One Embrace [The Tiburon Duet, Book 2]

by Lara Santiago

  He smiled in return and grabbed both of her hands in his. “On my planet that means you want to touch our hands to each other.” He then laced his fingers with hers.

  "Oh? Well, I want to touch more than just hands together. I want to touch lips together,” she whispered. “What do I have to say to get you to put your mouth on mine?"

  His heart slammed in his chest at her words. He wanted to plunder her mouth over and over until they were too weak to move. “Well, lips touching is an entirely different proposition. I might require a place to lie down if I touch my mouth to yours. You are the solitary person in the known universe to make me weak at a mere touch of our lips.” He moved their intertwined hands behind her back, bowing her slightly backwards as his mouth went to her neck. He placed his lips on the spot where he could feel the vibrant beat of her pulse.

  "Do I? So is this where you came when you left Earth the last time?” At his nod she said, “Were you intimate with anyone else? You know ... after you left me on Earth."

  "Intimate means what again?” He trailed his lips down her throat and she moaned.

  "Did you put your mouth on any other women?"

  He broke the seal of his lips on her throat and looked in to her eyes. “Of course not. I didn't want to be intimate with anyone else. I wasn't over you. I may never be."

  She gave him a wistful smile. “Good. I didn't either. No one measured up enough to speak to."

  "Well, am very tall compared to most male earthlings."

  "Well, no one measured up to you in many other ways. Let's go find a place to lie down. Perhaps you need to teach me about what happens between men and women on your planet."

  "As you wish. However, I believe you already have a vast knowledge at your disposal.” He put his mouth back on her throat and resumed tasting her.

  "I love you, Crag. I sense this is the only time we'll have the uncertainly of our future held at bay. I think we should take advantage of it until we're too tired to move.” She moaned as he placed his mouth at the top of her breast.

  Tonight would be another space of time he'd guard in his heart because it might be the last time they were ever together. Was she carrying his child? Would she choose to leave regardless of the child? Would the queen let her stay?

  Crag loosened his hands from her, grabbed her up into his arms, and carried her into his bedroom. He undressed her, stroking her body in between the removal of each article of her clothing, which then fell to the floor. Once they were both undressed, he placed her gently on his bed and lay down beside her. Side by side, they stared at each other in the dim glow of light from the other room.

  "Will you touch your mouth to mine now?” Her smile was mischievous.

  "In a moment. I'd like to gaze into your eyes for a few minutes first.” He wanted to memorize her face. Wanted to remember every touch and look from tonight. Wanted to remember her in his bed, for his uncertain future. She nodded, and her fingers traced a path down his arm to his waist, grazing a hip before resting on his thigh. In return he tucked a loose strand of her hair behind one ear, but he didn't break the gaze they shared.

  "What else is involved in mouth touching?” she asked.

  "Tongues."

  She laughed. “What else?"

  "What are you asking, in truth?"

  "Your race has sex with their mouths, yet you, my love, have a very fine cock. Do you never use this...” her slid hand from his thigh and palmed his shaft, “...for pleasure?"

  "I used it on you for pleasure.” He gave her a wicked look.

  "But not with others.” He shook head. Her hand caressed his softened sex, so he allowed his cock to stiffen and enlarge for her.

  "You are the only one. On Tiburon, it is only used for procreation. To that end, I don't have any of the strangulating devices as I used on earth for tonight. So perhaps we should love each other in the manner regularly used here.” He leaned closer and placed his lips as near to hers as possible without touching their sensitive mouths together. The near miss enticed him, and he stifled a shudder, taking a deep breath to settle himself.

  "We don't need them anymore. I'm already pregnant. Would you like to try it once without a condom?"

  He paused to consider her question. “If you'd like."

  "I'd definitely like."

  Ellie stroked his cock several times with her hand, and he found himself relaxing to enjoy the earth-styled sex. He was anxious to avoid the strangulating device he used last time to hamper him. She shifted and rolled on top. She rose up on hands and knees and kissed him everywhere, all over his lust-filled being, but she avoided his mouth, the tease. Her hands then stroked his body with infinite tenderness as if she, too, were making her own memories of this night.

  As he was able, he stroked her clit and she moaned in appreciation, becoming moist at his touch. He rubbed her nipples as they came within his reach during her exploration of him, which also elicited some very pleasurable sounds from her.

  "Do you like it when I put my mouth on you?” she asked.

  The laughter rumbled in his chest. He'd been fighting to keep from accosting her mouth repeatedly since lying down in bed. “Foolish question, Ellie. I adore when you put your mouth on me. Especially here.” He pulled his hand away from her breast, touched the tip of his forefinger to his lips, and rested it there. He tapped his mouth twice in subtle invitation, but she just smiled and continued her torture. Apparently her memories were not yet set.

  Ellie straddled his hips, grabbed his enlarged cock, and stroked it with her hand. “What about down here?” She promptly slid down, placed her mouth over him, and began the rhythmic suction. It did feel very nice. He closed his eyes as she wrapped her mouth around him, her tongue darting around the tip. Strands of her soft hair danced across the skin of his hips and stomach, lending an erotic sensation to her foreplay.

  "Ellie,” he spoke before he realized he'd said anything. She kissed a path up to his throat and licked him from collarbone to jaw with the tip of her luscious tongue.

  "Yes?"

  "I'm insane with want for you. Place your mouth on mine, or I'll start begging."

  Her satisfied laugh in response made him smile. “Okay, but I want to feel you deeply inside me first."

  "As you wish, my love."

  Ellie maneuvered her hips over his as she grabbed his cock, and he soon felt his shaft squeeze into her slick lower lips. The sensation against the sensitive skin of his cock sliding across the inner skin of her wet opening, plunging deeply inside her core was blindingly erotic for him.

  The condoms he used before when inserting his cock inside her made him feel like a barrier was in place, at least until her mouth came in contact with his and brought about his ultimate loss of control. The sensation he felt tonight bordered on that ultimate pleasure her mouth drove in him. Then she began moving on him. He sensed the extreme prickling sensation of her up and down motion. Then she slid up and down a little faster. The tempo of her movement increased, and the pressure her body exerted around his cock was very pleasurable like a deep tissue massage to overworked muscles. But more than that, touching Ellie in this manner made him feel connected at a level he'd never experienced before. She touched the very core of his soul.

  Once she mastered the rhythm, Ellie leaned forward and placed her mouth on his unexpectedly. Sheer electric feeling pulsated through him from her intimate touch. His hands went to her hips.

  Swirling tongues gave way to superb gratification. He felt the vibration from the growl of his release all the way to his fingertips, which still helped to slam her body onto his. Ellie cried out her orgasm into his lips, the sound of which touched his heart. This one memory would sustain him. He absorbed the sight of her, the smell of her, the taste of her, the feel of her against him, and listened to her moans of satisfaction.

  Afterward she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed the silken softness of her body against his. He placed his arms around her and settled one of his legs between hers. His lips care
ssed her forehead as the scent of her hair engulfed him. He'd spent a significant amount of time dreaming about her exactly in this position once he'd returned to Tiburon after his one night on Earth with Ellie. In every scenario, they were in his bed, wrapped around each other, the scent of their enthusiastic lovemaking evident around them, spinning like mist in the air. He recreated his most powerful dreams of her and etched the experience into the recesses of his heart reserved for his love, his only life mate, Ellie.

  He wondered if it would be the last time he would hold her thus. The thought of letting her go once again wrenched at his soul. He was ashamed of how he'd treated Keller so long ago regarding his feeling for a puny earthling. Amazing what a little perspective could do.

  Ellie sighed, snuggled closer, and rested her face in the hollow of his shoulder. They remained quiet and enfolded in each other's arms for a long while.

  After awhile they slept, waking only once in the night to share one last touching of their lips. The beauty of it was so reverent to him, he was nearly moved to earth-like tears. He'd never wanted something so much as he did this one beautiful earthling.

  He was smart enough to know that just one embrace would never be enough to last him for the rest of his days.

  Chapter Ten

  "Have you heard? Crag returned during the night, and he brought someone with him.” Lena heard a woman say behind her while she sat at her regular luncheon table.

  "Who is it?” her friend asked.

  "No one knows. It's been kept a secret."

  "Then how did you find out about it?"

  "My brother was working on the dock last night when the Titan arrived, but he won't say a word about the guest."

  "Didn't Crag take a healer with him when he departed? Perhaps Keller needed a healer."

  "No, the healer's cousin is a dear friend of mine. Barton was called to check on someone residing on the planet Earth. Apparently, that someone was brought back with them.” The two women continued in a whisper. Lena listened without it being obvious she was eavesdropping on their conversation.

  Lena's spine stiffened in anger at hearing the word ‘Earth,’ but she found she was most vexed at hearing Crag was back but hadn't summoned her. She'd been available all morning. She fully expected to have him in her life as soon as his sudden departure abroad was finished. She was annoyed she hadn't been informed that his journey had been to that hated planet Earth.

  "Do you think The Commander brought another earthling back with him?” Lena heard in a loud whisper. She didn't hear the response, but it didn't matter. Crag better not have brought another earthling back with him, and especially, it better not be the one who ruined her life the last time.

  "Possibly. There's a special secret session of the Council of Elders later on today. I wish I could find out what is going on in there."

  "Me, too. One of my nephews is a door guard. If he's on duty today, perhaps I could find out something."

  "Excellent. I have a friend whose husband works in the Commander at Arms offices. I'll see if I can find anything out. Come to my house for afternoon refreshment. Perhaps we'll have some new information to chat about."

  Lena finished eating her luncheon, thinking about her next move. She needed to speak to Crag. Alone. Why wouldn't he contact her as soon as he was able? She'd been disappointed the last time they were together when he turned down her offer to touch mouths. She expected to enslave him with the singular pleasure of her lips. To that end, she was forced to wait far too long for his attention.

  Lena planned to go to Crag's quarters first, then his office, or finally the queen's own chambers to find him today. She would speak to him and finalize their life partnership agreement. She wanted Crag as her life partner. He would simply have to agree. She'd stop at nothing to ensure her wishes were granted.

  The queen had indicated she might support their match, and if the queen wanted it, well then, it would be so. However, there was one place she wanted to go for extra assurance in this matter.

  * * * *

  "In the matter of Crag, The Commander at Arms for Tiburon, and the unfortunate incident during his authorized trip to planet Earth.

  "While away from Tiburon, Crag engaged in ... a liaison where the circumstances may have resulted in the possible impregnation of an alien being.

  "A healer was sent forthwith to determine if the progeny carried by the alien is in fact the product of their ... liaison.

  "Crag, as The Commander at Arms for Tiburon, are you ready to bear witness to the results obtained by the healer of your choosing?"

  "Yes, Senior Elder Forte, I am,” Crag said.

  Ellie wondered if they would make her speak and silently rehearsed several responses to any possible questions they might ask.

  "Very well, bring the healer forward."

  A guard was sent outside, and the wafer thin healer was brought back to the court. He was dressed in blue robes, which made him look like a giant wire hanger. He stepped up to a platform centered in front of the tall table where the elders sat. He turned and faced her and Crag. They stood in circular witness boxes twenty feet from each other. With the healer in place, they formed sort of a triad.

  "Are you ready to give testimony in these proceedings, Healer Barton?"

  "I am."

  "Proceed with your statement."

  "The progeny Ellie Granger gestates is in fact The Commander's."

  Ellie subconsciously placed a hand on her belly. She turned to Crag, her face wreathed in a wondrous smile. He didn't betray his bearing by smiling or otherwise acknowledging the news. She could tell by the warmth shining in his eyes, he was pleased. Well, one hurdle down and a hundred or so to go, she thought.

  "This council will be adjourned to gather additional information on the second component of the petition, to allow the earthling to remain on Tiburon and the third component, to allow the life partnership of the alien to The Commander as per his request."

  A fluttering flute noise sounded, startling Ellie. Crag immediately stepped down from his witness box and approached her. The harshness of his warrior look was now softened by the amused smile playing around his mouth. She couldn't help but grin in response.

  Without speaking, he helped her step down from the witness box and led her out of the council chambers.

  "What now?” she asked.

  "Now you will have an audience with the queen. She has the deciding vote if the Council of Elders tie in their ballot of the second or third part of the petition. However, I believe it will be an easy choice for them. I've stated my intent and earnest desire to life partner with you in my petition once paternity of the child was established. For the second part, they'll ask if you wish to stay on Tiburon. If you agree, and they concur, the third will be a formality. I don't believe there will be any discord against my wishes."

  "What should I say to the queen during my audience?"

  "Do you wish to remain here?"

  She couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face. “I know it's crazy, but I do want to stay here. On the provision I'll be allowed to make a trip back to finalize things back on Earth."

  "Then tell her why you would like to be here. Speak from your heart, but whatever you do, don't mention Gabrielle. The queen is intolerant of her."

  "I'll do my best to avoid any hot subjects. Don't worry. I've been in these situations lots of times in my work. You know, the queen smiled when the decision was read."

  "Did she? I must have missed it because I was looking at you.” He smiled and said, “You'll do fine. I have no doubt you'll charm her."

  "I love you, Crag."

  "I love you, Ellie. You are my true vita-matia.” At her puzzled look, he said, “It means life mate. I'd rather be dead than life partner with another."

  She cocked her head to one side and smiled. “Me, too."

  "Let's go meet the queen."

  * * * *

  Lena became more and more agitated as the day wore on without any word from Crag. In
her mind, he should have sought her out by now. So she hadn't waited for him any longer. She went looking for him and finally found him in his office late in the afternoon. She didn't knock but just barged in, feeling it was her right. Crag stood behind his desk, leaning over it reading a document, his large hands fisted on the surface. He was a magnificent looking warrior, which made it easy for Lena to choose him for her life partner beyond his powerful position to the queen.

  "Why have you not summoned me, Crag?” she said, storming across the room.

  "I had no need to speak with you, Lena.” He ignored her and turned to collect something from his desk. She refused to stand for his disregard.

  "What are you about, with all these secret meetings in the council chambers?” Her voice ratcheted down a few notches from hysterical. She sounded light and carefree to her own ears, but his anger was plain to see when he lifted his head and gave her a contemptuous look.

  "The council meetings do not concern you.” He held his piercing gray-eyed gaze on her for a moment before shaking his head and looking away.

  "If they concern you, then they concern me. I fully expect to be your life partner. I will not be treated as such, and I'm not leaving this office until you tell me what is going on.” She came around the side of his desk, planting herself in front of him with arms crossed.

  "I never said I would be your life partner. I thought I made that clear before I left. It is doubtful you and I will be involved in the future. I've work to do. You may go."

  "Of course we'll be life partners.” Her eyes couldn't help but fly to the streak of warrior blond in his hair. She wanted him. She would have him. She strode up to him and placed her lips close to his. “You want my mouth on yours. I know you do. Lower your barrier. Now! Let me show you what I can do for you."

  "Step away from me. I will never lower my barrier for you. I have no interest in your mouth. We will never be life partners. Go, before I have my guards drag you out."

  Her shriek of anger as she strode from the room apparently made no impression on him, because he didn't follow her to apologize for his behavior.