Don’t be ridiculous, she scolded herself. You don’t know him. Just because he had been thoughtful enough to purchase clothes for her didn’t mean she could trust him.
The ship burst out of the atmosphere into a dark sky. All she could see before her were stars, clear and bright and larger than she could have imagined. She automatically looked back over her shoulder but of course there was only the cabin behind them.
“Do you wish to see the planet?” Inzen asked that before she could agree, he had already turned the ship back around so that she could see the vast globe falling away behind them. Unlike Earth, the surface was etched in dark reds and browns, but it was an awe-inspiring sight.
“I never thought I would see anything like this,” she said softly.
He sighed, his gaze also focused on the planet. “Neither did I.”
“I don’t understand. Aren’t you a spaceship pilot?”
“I am now but I spent the majority of my life on my home planet. When the Red Death came, Ciresia became nothing more than a shell. I only left because there was nothing there for me anymore.”
“The Red Death?”
“Kwaret did not explain?”
“We didn’t exactly have a lot of time to talk.”
“The systems in this sector belong to an organization called the Confederated Planets. More than twenty years ago, a plague swept across our civilization. It spared no one, but the Cire were in some ways the most devastated. We thought all of our females were lost to us.”
“I’m so sorry. Did you lose someone you cared about?”
“My mate died in the first year. She had never been strong. But my daughter…” His hands clenched the controls, and she saw the skin of his knuckles turn almost white. “She stayed well for a long time, long enough that we thought perhaps she would survive. She did not.”
His tail fluttered towards her and she put her hand on it, stroking it soothingly. He hissed, looking over at her with startled eyes.
“I know the words don’t mean much, but I am truly sorry. It’s been hard enough knowing that my daughter is missing. I can’t imagine what it would be like to know that she was gone forever.”
His tail wrapped around her hand now, and she wondered which one of them was soothing the other. They sat in silence for a few minutes before he spun the ship back around and headed out into the darkness of space. Then she remembered his earlier words.
“Did you find a new mate?”
“What?!” He looked as startled as if she had thrown a bucket of water in his face. Maybe it was a taboo subject, but she really wanted to know.
“Back when we were shopping, you said you lived with a seamstress.”
“Ah, yes.” He sagged back down in his chair. “She is a young human female.”
Why did that surprise her? Even aliens liked trophy wives.
“And she is your new mate?” She suspected that her tone was not as neutral as she would have liked.
“No, not at all. She is like a daughter to me.” He hesitated, and his tail tightened around her hand. “I also have a much younger daughter.”
“I see.” He might not have mated again, but apparently, he hadn’t hesitated to spread his seed around. Stop that, she scolded herself. If his race was dying, it undoubtedly increased the importance of having children. He was an attractive, thoughtful male—he shouldn’t have to be alone. But she found she had no interest in pursuing the subject of his daughter’s mother or any of his other relationships. She changed the subject.
“How long will it take to get to Trevelor?”
“We will arrive on the morning of the fourth day.” He smiled at her a little tentatively, as if sensing her disapproval. “And this is the evening of the first day.”
“Wasn’t it afternoon when we left Driguera?”
“Yes, but I have found that it is an easier adjustment if I keep the ship on my local time. We could have dinner and perhaps an early night?”
Her eyes flicked around the small ship, looking for a bedroom, but all she could see was a seating area. Did it convert to a bed? A single bed? She had a heated vision of what an early night with him could entail before she pulled her thoughts together.
“I would like to do some sewing before I sleep, if that’s okay.” Not only did her clothes need repairing but she had always been a woman who took pride in her appearance. She carefully avoided thinking about why that mattered more to her now that she had met Inzen.
“Of course. Would you care to eat first?”
Her stomach rumbled as if in response and she laughed. “Now that you mention it, I am kind of hungry.”
“You hunger?” He looked as appalled as if she had said she was starving. “Captain Armad should have taken better care of you.”
“Calm down, big guy. He did offer us food, but I was too anxious to eat anything.”
He still looked upset, but he nodded abruptly.
“I will prepare a meal immediately.” He unbuckled his harness and stood up.
“You don’t need to, uh, steer the ship?”
He laughed for the first time, a low rumble that made her insides quiver. “No, my letari. The Flower will remain on autopilot until we approach Trevelor. You may remove your harness if you wish.”
She fumbled at the control but whatever he had done to tighten the straps had changed the settings.
“Can you help me?” Her voice sounded breathless again.
His eyes darkened as he leaned over, his scent surrounding her. His intriguingly textured cheek was only inches from her mouth, and she gave in to a foolish impulse. As he released the straps, she leaned forward and brushed her mouth against his cheek, his skin cool and dry beneath her lips.
He leapt back as if she had branded him with a hot poker, his hand reaching up to cover the place where her lips had touched. Had she offended him?
“Why did you do that?”
Her own cheeks were on fire, but she lifted her chin defiantly. “It was just a kiss. I just wanted to thank you for what you’re doing. I’m sorry if it offended—”
“Oh, no. You did not offend me. You would never offend me by touching me.”
His dark gaze was so intense that she dropped her eyes, catching a glimpse of his erection straining at his pants as she did so. Her lips curved even as the heat in her cheeks intensified. No, he was definitely not offended.
Chapter Eight
Inzen awoke long before his ship’s lights began to brighten to signify the coming day. He had not been on Driguera long enough for his system to acclimate so he suspected the cause of his wakefulness was the female lying in the bunk beneath him. The previous evening had filled him with a sense of satisfaction but also an immense longing.
Preparing a meal for her and watching her eat fulfilled his need to protect his female. Not my female, he reminded himself yet again. But it felt right to provide for her. Unfortunately, watching her eat and hearing her little moans of appreciation and watching her lick those strange, tempting lips had aroused more than his protective instincts. Since there was little he could do to control his unruly shaft, he resigned himself to making the trip with a permanent erection. He only hoped that Jade was not offended by his arousal.
After the meal, she converted the table to her sewing area, starting with the oversized bronze garment. He had tried to interest himself in a book—he read a great deal on space flights—but he kept finding himself watching her instead. She hummed happily as she cut and seamed the material with sure hands. At one point she looked up and smiled at him.
“The shopkeeper was right. This seaming tool is a vast improvement over needle and thread.”
“You seem very familiar with the process. Is that your profession on Earth? A seamstress?”
“Not exactly,” she said evasively, then sighed and shook her head. “I forget that no one up here cares who I am.”
“Is it confidential?”
“No. But my… business is—was—very successful and people tended
to act differently once they knew who I was.” He could read the sorrow on her face and his tail flicked towards her, seeking to comfort her, but then she pushed away the melancholy. “My sobo—my grandmother—taught me to sew when I was so young I can barely remember learning. I intend to teach my daughter as well.”
She bent back over her sewing and he hoped she had missed his guilty start. Lily was already fascinated by Cassie’s dressmaking, but he usually attempted to distract her, only too aware of the dangers in the sharp scissors and heated seaming tool. Would Jade be as cognizant of the dangers they represented?
The words rang hollow. This female had followed her daughter into an unknown universe; she would never be careless with her wellbeing. If Lily is even her child, he reminded himself.
As the hour grew later, he saw her yawn several times and was about to suggest that they adjourn when she stood up and shook out the garment.
“There.” She glanced uncertainly around the ship’s cabin. “Is there someplace where I can try this on?”
“The sanitary unit is the only area with a door and it is quite small.” He couldn’t bear the disappointed look on her face. “If I give you my word as a warrior not to invade your privacy, would you trust me enough to change here?”
She studied him thoughtfully and he found himself holding his breath. When she nodded, a vast satisfaction roared through him.
“I will cover my face.”
He dropped his reader and put his hands over his eyes. She gave a startled laugh, and a moment later, he heard the rustle of fabric. It took every ounce of self-control that he had learned as a warrior not to break his vow as he imagined her naked body standing in the middle of his ship.
“Okay, you can look now. Is it all right?”
All he could do was stare at her. The oversized bronze garment had been transformed into a slim jumpsuit. The fabric gathered at each shoulder before dipping between her slight breasts. A matching sash pulled the fabric tight around her slender waist before it swept out into flowing pant legs. The color brought out the golden tone of her skin and accentuated the crystal green of her eyes. Although the cut was modest, this was the first time he had seen her true shape. How he longed to explore every dainty curve.
“You don’t like it?” Her face fell, and he realized that he had been staring in silence for far too long.
“I do not have the words to express how much I like it,” he admitted. “You are very talented.”
She glowed with pleasure at his compliment, but he had spoken only the truth. Over the past year of living with Cassie, he had grown quite familiar with female fashion. He suspected that Cassie’s work might be more professional, but Jade had a unique flair all her own.
“Thank you. It feels much better than my ripped-up clothes—” Her words were interrupted by an enormous yawn.
“It is time for sleep,” he said firmly.
“I’m not sleepy—” Another yawn stopped her, and she grinned at him. “I guess I am kind of tired. I had intended to make myself a nightgown, but I suppose the medical gown will do.”
She looked so regretful that the offer emerged before he could stop himself. “Would you like one of my shirts to sleep in?”
“Umm, that would be nice.”
He rummaged through his locker, pulling out the shirt he used for training. It was designed to cling so perhaps it would not be as voluminous on her as his other garments would be. When he stepped closer to hand it to her, his tail came up and caressed her arm. She looked startled and he forced himself to pull away, even though the need to touch her had been building in him the entire evening. Her face cleared, and she reached out and patted his tail. He tried not to groan as the feeling of her small fingers on the sensitive flesh sent a spike of arousal straight to his shaft. The serenity on her face made it only too clear that she had no idea what she did to him whenever she touched him like that.
“Thank you.” She smiled up at him. “Would you mind closing your eyes again so that I can change?”
Instead, he whirled away from her, trying to force his unruly body under control, but the soft whisper of fabric made it impossible.
“All done. Would you mind showing me how to use your bathroom?”
“I apologize. I do not have a bathing room here on the ship.” Although he could only too clearly envision her surrounded by the steaming waters of his home pool.
“I didn’t expect you to—I meant your place to, umm, get clean?”
“Ah, you mean the sanitary facility.” He opened the door to the tiny unit and ran through the instructions, trying desperately to ignore the warmth of her body against his side and her delicious fragrance swamping his senses.
“Thanks. I think I understand.”
They stared at each other for a moment, but she didn’t move. Was she going to kiss him again? But then she put a hand on his tail and gently removed it from around her waist. Fuck! Why couldn’t he stop touching her?
“I don’t think it’s large enough for two.” She laughed, but the sound was breathless and he could detect the increased scent of her arousal. He forced himself to step back.
“If you need assistance, please call for me. I will keep my eyes closed,” he added quickly.
Pink flushed her cheeks before she smiled at him and ducked inside the small compartment. Trying in vain not to listen to the sound of water or imagine her naked body glistening with liquid, he went to change the seating area into two bunks. He usually slept in the lower bunk, but he suspected that the top bunk would be too tall for her to reach. Although he could easily imagine his hands spanning her tiny waist as he lifted her into it, he decided she would be more comfortable on the bottom as long as she didn’t mind being beneath him.
That thought immediately raised the image of her beneath him in other ways, and his overanxious cock jerked again. By Granthar, he was worse than a rutting young animal. He sat down at the table and started reciting the words of the warrior’s code silently in an attempt to regain control—a control that vanished completely as soon as she emerged from the san.
Her hair was still damp, clinging to the delicate bones of her head and making her eyes look even larger. His shirt hung off one shoulder, revealing her fragile collarbone, and the hem came down below her knees but didn’t conceal the graceful golden curves of her calves. She had been lovely in the outfit that she made but seeing her like this—small and vulnerable and wrapped in his clothing—made his chest ache.
“I guess I’m ready for bed.”
“I thought you would prefer the bottom bunk.”
“If you’re sure.” She eyed the top bunk a little doubtfully. “I think I would need a boost to get in there.”
“No, you take this one. I will be just fine on top.”
A startled glance came his way, and he wondered if human females used that expression in regard to sexual positions. Since he could not ask her, he kept his face as blank as possible and went to take his own turn in the san. As he walked past her, she put her fingers on his arm and went up on tiptoes. Unable to resist, he bent his head, and once again those impossibly soft lips brushed across his cheek.
“Thank you again, Inzen. For everything.”
Afraid to speak in case he blurted out an offer to give her anything she wanted, he simply inclined his head and went to attend to his needs. When he had emerged, she was curled up in the bottom bunk, her small body barely visible beneath the blanket. He dimmed the lights, leaving only a faint glow in case she needed something during the night, and went to bed.
But he had not slept well and now he found himself awake and restless, long before it would be time to get up. If he had been on his own, he would have risen and spent an hour training in what he already suspected would be a futile attempt to put his mind and body at ease. Since that was not an option, he succumbed to his urges and dropped the hand to his aching cock.
He did not want the touch of his own hand. He wanted Jade’s soft small fingers caressing him, but ev
en imagining that made him stiffen further, precum already pearling at his tip. He stroked his thumb through the heated fluid and imagined that it was her tongue—that impossibly smooth soft tongue—tasting his seed. His sack tightened as he imagined her taking him in her mouth as he had imagined it earlier. The forbidden nature of the act was less important than the image of her looking up at him, green eyes wide with pleasure as she swallowed around him. His seed was leaking faster now, and he slipped his hand up and down his cock, imagining her taking him deeper, lightning streaking through his veins until he exploded, his breath escaping in a hoarse gasp.
He had barely begun to soften when he caught the rustle of movement beneath him and his shaft responded immediately, as hard and aching as if he had never come at all. He sighed silently. Only one thing would ease his arousal, and he would never press his attention on a female who was a passenger on his ship, let alone one that he was coming to… care about.
With another silent sigh, he closed his eyes and pretended to sleep once more.
Chapter Nine
Jade held her breath and tried not to move as she listened to the faint sounds overhead. The ship had still been in darkness when she awoke, and she had been lying there pondering the circumstances under which she found herself when she heard what sounded like flesh sliding against flesh. A fresh wave of that spicy scent that already permeated the small ship had an unnerving effect on her body as she realized that Inzen was touching himself. Her own hand slipped between her thighs, beneath his shirt, and found an answering wetness. She brushed cautiously against her swollen clit just as she heard him gasp quietly. A moment later, she heard him settle into place. Damn. If she had been able to hear him, he would no doubt be able to hear her if she continued to touch herself. Reluctantly, she withdrew her fingers.
What was it about this big alien that aroused feelings she thought she had put behind her? It’s just been a long time, she reminded herself. And he was very attractive. Even though he was obviously older than the Cire warriors who had initially recovered her—his ridges more pronounced, the patterns of his skin more complex—his body showed few signs of age.
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