“That was a lot of fun. Thank you, Inzen.” She yawned and stretched. “I guess it’s time to turn in. Are you going to tuck me in?”
His mouth went dry as she slipped away to change into her—into his—shirt for sleeping. He converted the bench back to a sleeping area, then stood uncertainly by her bunk, still not sure about whether or not she had been teasing him.
“Did you wish me to tuck you in?” he asked when she reappeared.
“I would love that, but I think maybe you’d better not.” She reached up on tiptoes and brushed an impossibly soft kiss across his mouth. “Good night, Inzen. Sleep well.”
All hope of sleep abandoned him, but he dutifully turned out the lights and climbed into his lonely bunk.
Jade tossed from one side of the bunk to the other. It was a large bunk, sized for a Cire warrior, but she couldn’t find a comfortable position. Her breasts ached, and there was a constant throbbing pulse from her clit. The interaction with Inzen earlier that afternoon seemed to have reawakened all of her sexual desires. Why here? Why now?
It had been so, so long. As soon as she found out that the last of the many procedures she had undergone resulted in her pregnancy, that had been all she could think about. Nathan had been quite willing to leave her alone in her daze of happiness. She had suspected that he might have found another interest, but she had been content to let him go his own way while she concentrated on her miracle pregnancy. It was only after Hana was born that she became determined that they would be a true family. Her daughter deserved a father, and she had done her best to make Nathan a part of their daughter’s life.
And look how well that worked out, she thought bitterly.
The search for her daughter had consumed her life for the past year, and there certainly hadn’t been any room for male attention. Was her attraction to Inzen simply a result of the fact that she finally felt like she was making some progress and could relax enough to experience attraction again? It was a comforting theory, but she knew it wasn’t the whole truth. Since the moment their eyes had met across the medical bay, she had been inexplicably drawn to him.
Inzen adjusted his position in the bunk above her, and she suspected that he was just as restless. What kind of father was he? Inzen saw to her safety, worried over her eating habits, and taught her new exercise routines and games with seemingly endless patience. If he treated his daughter with the same sort of consideration, she was a lucky girl.
He moved again, and she caught the faintest hint of what sounded like skin against skin. Was he touching himself again? The thought caused an answering spike in her own arousal and she heard him give a little groan.
This was ridiculous. They were both consenting adults. There was no one around to watch or judge. Even though she suspected that pursuing their mutual attraction would make the inevitable need to part more difficult, she didn’t want to miss this chance to be with him now. She slipped out from under the covers and stood up.
Her head only barely topped the mattress, but it was enough to see his entire naked body. His very erect naked body. His cock strained towards the ceiling, his big hand wrapped around it as he gave it a long hard pull.
“Do you need some help with that?” She tried to sound sultry but suspected it came across as breathless and eager instead.
Inzen jerked up into a sitting position, banging his head on the ceiling of the bunk as he snatched for the covers.
“I… I apologize.”
“Stop apologizing! It’s really not necessary.” She gathered her courage and offered him her hand. “May I join you?”
He looked at her as if she were offering him the moon on a silver platter.
“Are you sure, my letari? I would be happy to share my bunk with you, but I do not think I have enough control not to touch you.”
“Good. Because I have every intention of touching you.”
A second later, she was flying through the air as he lifted her effortlessly on top of him, pulling her against his chest, his very firm, muscular chest. His tail wrapped around her waist as his arms came around her, and even though she could feel his erection throbbing against her stomach, he seemed content just to hold her.
“I dreamt of this last night,” he whispered finally. “Of having you in my arms.”
An unexpected lump formed in her throat. It would be far too easy to become attached to him. She suspected that she already was, but she did her best to remember that this was just a temporary fling.
“Is that what you were thinking about?” she asked lightly, smiling up at him. “Because it sounded like you had more… carnal thoughts.”
“You heard me?”
He looked so shocked that she couldn’t resist the impulse to lean up and brush her lips against his.
“Yes. And I liked it.” Her hand slid down between them as she finally touched his cock. “But I think I’ll like being part of it even more.”
The black flames appeared in his eyes again as he cupped the back of her head and pulled her to him to return the kiss. But he was not satisfied with the gentle brush of their mouths—he parted her lips, his tongue plunging deep, and she could feel the textured surface rubbing against her softer flesh. Beneath her fingers, his cock too was textured, hundreds of little nubs tantalizing her as she tried to close her hand around him. He was too large for her to grasp completely, but she did her best to tighten her grip and pull upwards the way she had seen him touch himself.
He groaned into her mouth, his kiss even more demanding as he rolled her onto her back, covering her with his big body. A flash of anxiety assaulted her but then she took a deep breath, letting his comforting scent fill her lungs, and wrapped her free hand around his neck. The ridges that covered his skull continued down his neck and she stroked her hand along them. He shuddered.
“Are they sensitive?” she asked.
“They should not be. They are intended for defense, but when you touch me, it is like trickles of fire down my spine.”
“Is that a good thing?”
“Oh, yes, my letari. I could find satisfaction just from your sweet hands on my flesh.” The heat in his eyes intensified. “But I want more. I want to be inside you.”
Chapter Eleven
Yes.
Jade’s immediate reaction to Inzen’s blunt words was a definite affirmative. This was why she had come to him, and her pussy gave an eager little throb, but she forced herself to be practical.
“Umm, I need to ask. Do your people carry sexual diseases?”
“It is not something I have ever heard about.”
“Really?”
“It is usually… unsatisfying to have sexual intercourse with anyone except our chosen mate,” he said, his gaze oddly intent.
“Oh.” Did he not want this? From the feel of the massive erection pressing against her stomach, it seemed unlikely. “I thought you enjoyed what we did this afternoon but if you’re not interested…”
“My letari, I am quite sure you can feel my interest. Did I not just say that I wanted to be inside you?”
He rocked gently beneath her, and she almost moaned with pleasure. “So, unusual but not impossible?”
He hesitated for the barest fraction of a second. “I am quite sure that I will find pleasure with you. In fact…” He hesitated again.
“In fact, what?”
“I suspect that if I come inside you, my cock will knot—it will swell and lock us together.”
Oh my. Why was that thought so exciting?
“I’m okay with that,” she whispered, sure her cheeks were turning red.
“That will also cause my seed to become fertile,” he added, watching her face. “That means that there is a possibility of pregnancy.”
“But we’re not the same species.” A sudden pang of longing swept over her, and she couldn’t hide her bitterness. “And it wouldn’t make any difference. I can’t have children.”
“You have a daughter.”
“I do, and it took me ten
years and hundreds of thousands of dollars and more procedures than I can count to make it happen. Believe me, it’s not a risk.”
“It has happened,” he said slowly. “Between a Cire and a human.”
“Trust me. It won’t happen with me. I could barely get pregnant with a human man. It’s certainly not going to happen with an alien.”
The sorrow on his face matched the ache in her heart, and her excitement faded.
“I’m sorry. Maybe this was a bad idea.”
“You no longer wish to be with me?”
How could such a stern face look so hurt? She put a reassuring hand on his cheek, stroking the lightly textured surface. “It’s not you, Inzen. It’s just that the reminder of everything I went through kind of killed the mood.”
“Do you wish to regain it?”
“I think it’s too late for—oh!”
He lowered his head, nibbling gently at her neck and somehow finding exactly the right spot to send a pleasurable shiver down her spine. She clutched his shoulders, still not quite sure if she should stay but unwilling to push him away. Perhaps she would have done so if he had shown the same hunger from earlier that day, but instead, he proceeded to worship her body with a gentle, persistent enthusiasm that swept away her doubts. By the time his cock pressed against her entrance, she was once again eager for his touch.
“You are sure, my letari?” Despite the strain in his voice, he waited patiently for her answer.
Was she? Yes. She couldn’t deny her desire for this male—so different and yet so right.
“I’m sure. I want you, Inzen.”
Inzen looked down at Jade, pleased with her response to his touch. The sadness had vanished from her face. Her cheeks were flushed, her mouth wet and swollen. Her nipples were dark, tight buds, and the heady scent of her arousal drifted from her glistening folds. The dark green of his cock formed a shocking contrast to her golden skin, looking far too large for her small entrance.
She took my tail, he reminded himself and pressed against her. His muscles tightened as her body resisted, then she flowered open around him, kissing his cockhead with silken heat. They both groaned and her eyes flew to his, wide and startled.
“More?” He could only manage the single word.
“Oh, yes.”
Her hips rose towards him and it took every bit of his self-control not to simply plunge inside her. Instead, he worked his way slowly into the impossibly tight channel until she somehow had taken all of him into her small body. Blunt little teeth clamped down on her plump lower lip.
“Are you all right?”
“So full,” she murmured, wiggling as she tried to adjust to him.
He groaned. “Please do not move. I am fighting for control.”
Her lips curved. “You mean I shouldn’t do this?” Her hips lifted, taking him an impossible fraction of an inch deeper.
“Jade,” he groaned.
“Or this?”
Her already snug cunt tightened around him, working his cock in tight little pulses, and all hope of control vanished. He pulled her closer, thrusting wildly, desperately. She met him just as eagerly and he felt her shudder, felt her body tighten, but he was lost to everything except the primitive need to bury himself inside her. He felt the base of his cock beginning to swell as he plunged into her one final time, fire shooting down his spine as his seed finally erupted and their bodies locked together. He heard her cry out, felt her cunt fluttering around him, but all he could do was hold on as triumph filled him. She was his.
Inzen barely slept for a second night but this time, it was by choice. He did not want to miss a moment with Jade. Even after his knot finally subsided, he spent most of the night holding her close, memorizing the feel of her soft body against his, embedding her fragrance in his scent receptacles. But despite his happiness, his thoughts were troubled. He still had not told her about Lily or the fact that he was raising her as his daughter. How could he hope to convince her to become his mate if he kept secrets from her?
A blinking light on his console alerted him to the presence of a message and he reluctantly separated himself from his female, covering her carefully with a blanket when she sighed at his absence. He went to retrieve the message with mixed feelings. It was undoubtedly from Abby – she had dutifully sent him a message at least once a day to assure him that Lily was doing well. She had been remarkably patient with the number of messages, warnings, and instructions that he sent in return.
The new message contained a small video of Lily splashing happily in her bath, and his chest ached. He missed her so much, but he was growing increasingly convinced that she would turn out to be Jade’s daughter. When she smiled up at the person holding the camera, her head tilted to one side and he caught his breath. The gesture reminded him so much of Jade. He froze the image and looked deeper, searching for a resemblance, but their coloring was so very different—Lily’s soft brown curls and brown eyes totally unlike Jade’s silky dark hair and her startling green eyes—that perhaps the small gesture was only a coincidence.
“What happened?” Jade sat up in bed. “I thought I heard a child.”
He knew he should show her the video, but he could not bring himself to do it, afraid of her reaction. He shook his head.
“I do not hear anything.” Now. It was not a lie, but it was close enough that his conscience tormented him. “Are you ready to break your fast?”
“Mmm.” She raised her hands over her head, stretching lazily, and the covers fell away to reveal her naked body. Her small nipples were already hard, and she gave him a seductive smile. “Isn’t it too early? The lights aren’t even up yet. Why don’t you come back to bed?”
“I…” His guilt overrode his desire but before he could come up with some kind of excuse, the lights began to brighten. “It is morning. I will prepare a meal.”
Her lips pushed out, more tempting than ever, but he forced himself to ignore her and turn to the cooking area. As he reached for a plate, her soft hands stroked his tail from the base of the spine to the very end and he shivered, his cock thrusting insistently against his pants.
“What a shame. I had plans for you.” Warm lips pressed against his back. He almost turned, almost took her in his arms, but then she was gone, the san door closing behind her. What was he going to do? As much as his conscience plagued him, he didn’t know how long he would be able to resist her.
For the rest of the morning, he did his best, burying himself in the ship’s records while she sewed. They ate lunch together and he could feel her watching him, her expression troubled, while he tried to keep up a neutral conversation.
When lunch ended, she looked at him, raising an eyebrow in obvious challenge.
“Do you want to train again?”
He did. More than anything. But he did not trust himself to be so close to her and not give in to his desires.
“I… need to continue working on my records.”
“I see.” Her face shut down completely, forming a smooth, impenetrable mask.
He knew he shouldn’t ask, but… “What do you see?”
“It was all a trick, wasn’t it? You pretended to be interested in me, to make me feel like you could care for me, but all you wanted was to fuck a human female.”
“No! I do care for you. I think that you are my—” He stopped himself just in time. “I never thought to take advantage of you.”
Her face softened a fraction. “Oh yeah? Then why were you all over me yesterday but you’re trying to avoid me today?”
“I am not trying to avoid you. I am trying to control myself.”
“Is that a new way of saying, ‘It’s not you, it’s me?’”
Her voice was skeptical, but he nodded eagerly. “That is correct. I am wrestling with my own problems.”
“So you aren’t regretting what we did? You still find me attractive?”
“Attractive? You are the most beautiful female I have ever seen.” He heard the truth in his words as he spoke an
d felt a fleeting pang of guilt for his first mate, but he could not deny the truth. He had never felt this way before—so alive, so passionate, so… young. It was as if he had truly discovered mating for the very first time.
Her mask shattered and he could see both hope and disbelief in her eyes. How could he have been so thoughtless? He had never intended to make her doubt herself. With a muttered curse, he shoved his chair back and scooped her up in his arms, carrying her to her bunk and stripping her clothes away before he laid her down.
“Never doubt that I find you beautiful,” he growled. “Every part of you is beautiful to me. I love your eyes, so wide and green.”
He brushed a soft kiss across her eyelids as her eyes fluttered closed, then drew his lips across her impossibly soft skin to those full tempting lips. He worshipped there, sipping at her delicate flesh.
“Your mouth is as sweet as nillian honey and I could drink from it all day.”
Nonetheless, he forced himself to leave the tempting honeypot and descend to her breasts, to the equally tempting peaks, standing proud and waiting for his mouth.
“I love your breasts, so soft and perfect.” There, too, he worshipped, switching from one bud to the other until they were hard and glistening and she was straining towards him.
His tail had already been busy between her legs, stroking and teasing the delicate flesh, but he pushed it aside impatiently so that he could taste more of her sweetness, deeper and richer here. He sucked her pleasure receptacle deep in his mouth, circling it with his tongue as it quivered and hardened, while his tail returned, probing impatiently at her small entrance.
“Inzen, please,” she demanded, her hands clutching at his shoulders.
His tail plunged deep as he clamped down on her swollen nub. Her body convulsed, rippling around his tail in wave after wave of pleasure as more of her sweetness flooded his mouth. He continued his attentions until at last her body went limp.
Smiling with satisfaction, he moved up next to her and pulled her into his arms.
Daughter of the Alien Warrior Page 8
