She followed behind him, her hands twisting again. “Do you want another drop?”
He didn’t answer her until after he was back on the bed. “How much remains?”
“About half a bottle.”
His mind didn’t want to cooperate, but he forced it to calculate.
“Six days.” The words sounded distant and far away.
“I don’t understand.”
“Until Pardor… Only when necessary…” The room was spinning around him. He felt her soft hand against his face as the world went dark.
Chapter Eleven
Two days later, Hanna prowled impatiently from one end of the small cabin to the other. At least, she thought it had been two days. The lights on the ship automatically darkened periodically, and she had decided they indicated the end of a day. Aidon’s symptoms were getting worse again, but the level in the sothiti bottle was dropping quickly. Each time, it seemed slightly less effective. So far, she could still bring him around enough for him to go to the bathroom and have something to eat, but he seemed less and less capable of carrying on a conversation, and she could tell that he was getting weaker. What was she going to do?
The memory of those last days with her aunt haunted her. She had felt just as helpless then as her beloved relative faded away.
Aidon cried out, and she hurried into the bedroom. He was thrashing restlessly again, but if she had any hope of making the sothiti last until they reached Pardor, it would be hours until she could administer another dose.
At least he still seemed to respond to her presence, so she tried talking to him. Usually the sound of her voice quieted him, even when she was just telling him humorous stories about some of the more outlandish requests at the flower shop. This time he didn’t respond.
He had warned her repeatedly against touching him, but she couldn’t stand to see him suffering, and she reached over to stroke his brow. His eyes flew open.
“Mate,” he growled, the word barely intelligible.
Before she could move away, he grabbed her and pulled her down next to him, burying his face in her hair as he had done the first time she had put him to bed. Hoping that her presence would soothe him enough to let him sleep, she didn’t resist but let him nuzzle against her as she ran her fingers through the tangled waves of his hair. He arched into her touch, and she grew bold enough to stroke down across his shoulders. Such massive shoulders, hard muscles rippling beneath that soft and velvety skin.
He made that odd purring noise again, and then he moved with surprising speed, rolling her over and burying his face between her breasts. He snarled at the cloth blocking his access to her skin and ripped it away with a sharp tug of his teeth.
“Aidon, wait—oh.” Her protest died as his mouth closed unerringly around her nipple. He felt so good, working the small bud with feverish intensity and sending little sparks of excitement to her clit.
I should make him stop. The words rang in the back of her mind, but he seemed stronger now, his muscles no longer trembling. Perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to let him taste her. She let her hands move back to his shoulders, not to push him away but to pull him closer as he moved from one taut peak to the other. She arched against him as her excitement continued to build, and she realized that she could come just from his mouth on her breasts. But just as her body started to tense in anticipation, he raised his head. She almost cried out with disappointment, but maybe it was for the—
The thought disappeared as his mouth returned, not to her breasts this time, but straight to her aching clit. The first stroke of that rough tongue across her exposed flesh sent her shuddering into a fast, hard climax. He didn’t even pause, his tongue lapping eagerly at the liquid heat flooding her thighs, then thrusting impossibly deep into her clenching channel before returning to circle her still pulsing clit.
Time had no meaning as he drove her from one climax into the next, leaving her limp and breathless but unable to stop herself from responding to his touch. He finally threw back his head and roared before collapsing onto the bed, his head nestled against her thigh. She started to panic, but then she realized that his breathing was slow and even and his body relaxed.
Still feeling guilty, she worked her way out from under him and then realized that he had come as well. An unexpected quantity of golden semen flooded the sheets beneath his cock. Maybe she hadn’t taken advantage of him after all. He had obviously enjoyed himself, and he did seem easier now.
After cleansing him as best she could, she found another shirt to replace the torn one and settled down to wait. He awoke several hours later, but he still seemed much calmer.
As soon as his eyes opened, they flew to her.
“I had a dream. Did I touch you?”
She smiled bashfully. Her clit was still swollen and tender, throbbing pleasantly at the memory of just how he had touched her.
“You could say that.”
“Did I hurt you?”
“Not at all.” She started to reach for him, and he flinched away. For a moment she was hurt, but then she saw the anguish on his face and refused to back down. Her hand closed over his much larger hand. He shivered, and she saw the heat start to build in his eyes.
“You didn’t hurt me,” she repeated. She could feel the color washing her cheeks, but she kept going. “You made me feel really good.” After a quick peek at him from under her lashes, she added, “I didn’t mean to take advantage of you, but it seemed to ease you as well.”
Shock covered his face, then he closed his eyes almost sparingly.
“Did I do something wrong? Should I have stopped you?”
“This is not your fault. I have heard that mating can relieve some of the symptoms of the shifting sickness.”
“Mating? You mean…sex?” Why was it so hard for her to say the word? It certainly hadn’t been hard for her to enjoy his touch. She looked up to find him studying her face.
“That is what mating means to you?”
“Yes. Is there another meaning?”
He hesitated, then shook his head. “It’s the only meaning you need to worry about. I didn’t intend to force myself on you—that’s why I told you not to touch me.”
“I know, but my touch seems to help.” She bit her lip and looked away again. “And you didn’t force me. I wanted you to touch me.”
“I’m glad that I didn’t take advantage of you, but you mustn’t let it happen again.”
An unexpected pain surged in her chest, but she forced herself to smile.
“I’ll be more careful next time. Let me get you something to eat while you clean up.”
She whisked herself out of the room, determined not to cry.
Aidon stared after Hanna, fighting the urge to follow her. He had seen the look of hurt on her face, but how could he tell her what she had done? The mating bond had been initiated. Even knowing that she was only a short distance away, he longed to be closer. From her innocent response to his statement, it appeared that humans did not suffer from mating bonds. She could never know that he was becoming bonded to her. Their joining might relieve the shifting sickness, but nothing would be able to replace her loss. She couldn’t stay on Pardor, and he would always be drawn back to it. Despair washed over him, but he climbed to his feet and prepared to join her for a meal. She must never know.
Chapter Twelve
An uncomfortable silence filled the air between them as Hanna and Aidon shared a meal. She knew it was wrong, but when he had been touching her, focusing on her so intently, she had felt so close to him. And then he had shut her away.
Stop that, she scolded herself. He was delirious.
And yet it had felt like more. It had felt like he needed her, and no one had ever truly needed her before. She always seemed to be the person in need. Even during her aunt’s illness, her aunt had frequently been the one reassuring her.
She managed another fake smile, resolutely pushing the memory aside. At least Aidon was still awake and she had a chance to ask him about s
omething.
“This translator the Derians gave me.” She gestured at her ear, still reluctant to acknowledge the slimy warmth deep in her ear canal. “It’s only good for speech. Is there something equivalent for written language?”
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully and started to shake his head, then stopped.
“Nothing directly equivalent, but I do have a learning tablet. It won’t be instantaneous like the translator, but I believe you could learn from it.”
“Please show me how to use it?” she asked eagerly. “There’s not a lot to do while you’re sleeping.”
Their eyes met briefly, and from the heat in his, he was remembering their earlier encounter. He started to lean toward her, and she waited breathlessly, but then he abruptly pushed away from the table. After a quick search, he returned with a tablet and showed her how to use it, keeping a careful distance away.
Determined not to show her hurt, she gave him another bright smile.
“Thank you. This will be a big help.” She took a deep breath, already prepared for rejection. “Since you seem to be feeling better, can you tell me about Pardor?”
“It’s a jungle world,” he said briefly.
She waited patiently for him to continue, and eventually he sighed.
“It has two suns, so the surface temperatures are consistently warm. Plants—and animals—grow to a great size.”
“And flowers?” she asked before she remembered their earlier conversation.
His face softened. “Yes, Hanna. A wide variety in an endless combination of scents and colors. But the saachi is the most beautiful of all.”
Once again, the tension thickened between them, but before he could say anything else, his face flickered to blue. They both sighed. She had hoped that this longer period of calm meant that he was no longer ill.
“I’m going to take another shower before I get too weak,” he said abruptly and disappeared into the bathroom.
The water ran for a surprisingly long time, but when he emerged, he didn’t look any more refreshed.
“Are you all right?”
“Don’t worry, saachi. I’ll make it. I have to,” he added quietly as he turned away, and she wondered if he had intended for her to hear his words.
His head bowed, he headed for the bedroom, then stopped in the doorway and turned back to her. “Where have you been sleeping?”
She really hadn’t been, but she wasn’t about to let him know. “I just curl up in the pilot’s chair.”
“Is there no end to my selfishness? You should have the bed.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You need it much more than I do, and I’m perfectly comfortable up there.”
It wasn’t a lie—the chair was comfortable and so large that she had no difficulty curling up. She didn’t mention that she had rarely slept because she had been too anxious that he would take a turn for the worse. Every sound from the bedroom caused her to go and check on him.
“We could, perhaps, share,” he said slowly.
“You said not to get too close to you.” She stared at him.
He muttered something under his breath. Did he say it was too late? Before she could question him, he shrugged.
“I seem to be feeling better. I can control myself now.”
“Maybe,” she said noncommittally. He might be able to control himself, but she wasn’t sure that she could. Even now, she found herself battling the desire to climb into his lap, throw her arms around him, and explore his strange, tempting mouth.
He hesitated as if he was about to say something else, but in the end, he just shook his head and entered the bedroom.
When she checked on him a short time later, his face was to the wall, his body tense. She could tell that he wasn’t asleep, but even though she waited to see if he would roll over and talk to her, he didn’t acknowledge her presence. Her heart sinking, she returned to the main cabin and tried to bury herself in learning a new language. It was slow going, and trying to make the connection between the words in her head and the words on the page made her head ache, but she made enough progress to be confident that she would eventually be able to read.
She put down the tablet and rubbed her aching head, debating taking a shower, when a strangled groan came from the bedroom. She rushed to the door to find Aidon flinging himself from one side of the bed to the other. It was still too early to give him a dose of sothiti. She couldn’t stand to see him like this. Remembering their earlier encounter, she took a deep breath, then slipped his shirt over her head and climbed in next to him. He reached for her immediately, but all he did was bury his head in her neck, clinging to her with his big arms. His body softened into a more natural sleep just as the ship’s lights dimmed. It looked as though she would be spending the night in his bed after all.
The night passed surprisingly peacefully. Aidon grew restless several times, but each time she was able to calm him again. She relaxed enough that she too got some much-needed sleep. She was so sound asleep that she didn’t immediately realize that she wasn’t dreaming the mouth between her thighs. She startled awake from a deliciously erotic dream to find that it wasn’t a dream at all. Aidon was once again lapping eagerly at her damp folds, but she still felt as if she was taking advantage of him.
“You don’t need to do that,” she said gently. “Just let me hold you.”
At first, he resisted her urging, but then he let her pull him up her body, dragging all that warm velvety skin over her sensitive flesh. Despite her protests, her excitement started to build again. He kissed his way up her stomach, lingering for a long time on her breasts before he found her mouth. A distant part of her mind tried to insist that they should stop, but she was too lost in his kiss. Her passion seemed to spur him on, and she could feel the heated length of his cock rubbing against her clit.
“Need,” he groaned and flipped her over on her stomach, pulling her hips up so she was kneeling in front of him. Confused by the sudden change, she looked back over her shoulder. He knelt behind her, his black eyes focused between her legs, his gaze so hungry that her breath caught. He fisted his massive cock in one big hand, and she could see golden drops shining on the swollen head.
“Need mate,” he grunted, his voice so guttural she could barely understand him.
He needed to have sex with her? Remembering how much it seemed to ease him to come, she didn’t want to deny him. And—she wanted him just as much.
“Yes—” The word barely left her mouth before he plunged into her in one long, hard stroke.
Oh my God. Tears sprang to her eyes as her body tried to cope with the overwhelming sensation of being stretched to the limit. He filled her so completely that she could feel every one of those ridged, twisting veins against her tender flesh. Her breath came in rapid pants as she tried to adjust—and then he moved, and one of those ridges rubbed against a place deep inside her that made her see stars. She cried out as a small, sharp climax rolled over her, her pussy fluttering widely, trying to clench down on the cock that already filled every inch.
He groaned in satisfaction and started thrusting into her, hard, primal strokes that demanded her surrender. His hand slipped beneath her stomach, unerringly finding her clit and pressing against it each time he entered her. Even though her body was still trying to adjust to his size, pleasure began to spike again. His speed increased, and he bent down over her back, enclosing her in the warmth of his body, as his mouth went to her neck, licking and sucking the tender flesh. Her body quivered beneath him, perched on the edge of climax as he drove into her one last time, his fingers clamping down on her clit and his mouth clamping down on her neck, sending a shock wave of pain and pleasure through her system as she exploded into a long, shuddering climax while he filled her with a flood of liquid heat.
As his seed left him in endless heated pulses, Aidon’s thoughts cleared. The need that had driven him, the need to mate, to claim, finally eased enough for him to realize what he had done. Oh fuck, what had he done? As he lifted h
is head, he saw the bite, the red imprint of his fangs clearly visible against her pale skin. He resolutely pushed down the immediate primal surge of satisfaction. His mating mark, his claim, meant nothing without her agreement. The last hours were a jumbled blur, but he remembered their previous conversation. She didn’t understand a mating bond.
He pushed himself away, suppressing a groan as his cock reluctantly left the sweet, tight confines of her body, but as he did, the marks of his possession were ever clearer. The imprint of his hands was clearly visible on her hips, and her delicate folds were flushed and swollen, glistening with his golden seed. Her head was turned to one side, her eyes closed and her cheeks flushed.
“Hanna?” he whispered. “Are you all right?”
“Hmm?” Her voice sounded lazy, almost drugged, as she rolled over to face him.
He closed his eyes in despair at the sight of still more marks covering her breasts and neck.
“Aidon? What’s wrong? You said you needed to mate. Did I…did I do something wrong?”
“You?” His eyes flew open to see her watching him worriedly, her teeth chewing on an already swollen lip. “No, of course you didn’t. But I’m concerned that I was not…gentle with you.”
“Gentle?” The worried look disappeared, and she smiled up at him. “Oh no. You weren’t gentle. You were amazing.”
She raised her arms and stretched lazily. The position lifted her breasts, and even though he would have sworn he was completely drained, his cock stirred. But then she winced.
“What’s wrong?” he demanded.
“I might be a teeny bit sore,” she admitted. “You’re not exactly a beginner’s model.”
Horror filled him. “This was your first time?”
Hanna and the Hitman: A SciFi Alien Romance (Alien Abduction Book 8) Page 8
