by Tana Stone
Thirty-Two
“I don’t understand,” Kos said, his hands firmly on her hips as she straddled him. “I thought you were angry at me.”
“Oh, I am.” Hope took his face in both of her hands. “I’m furious. I can’t believe you actually told Xarla to incapacitate me so I couldn’t leave the ship. She’s apologized, by the way.”
“You wish for me to apologize for keeping you from killing yourself?”
“I wasn’t trying to kill myself. I was trying to save your ass.”
His eyes narrowed at her. “Your saving my ass could have killed you.”
Hope leaned back and tried to ignore the very hard, very large bulge underneath her. “You would have done it for me.”
“That’s because I…”
She angled her head at him. “That’s because what? You’re a guy? You’re a Drexian warrior?”
“No.” He lifted a hand to brush aside a tendril of hair that had fallen down on her forehead. “Because I love you.”
Hope felt like all the air had been knocked out of her. No man had ever told her that, aside from the ones who were trying to get in her pants, and those didn’t count. She locked eyes with him and swallowed hard, knowing in that moment that she felt the same way about him and, as much as she’d tried to fight it, she knew she had for a while “Well, I love you too.”
He held her gaze, his gray eyes searching hers. “You do?”
She nodded, feeling tears prick the backs of her eyes. She’d gone from being a girl who never cried to one who couldn’t seem to stop the waterworks. “I mean, I know it’s ridiculous, because we hardly know each other, but I guess we’ve already been through a lot, and—”
Kos pulled her down into a kiss before she could finish her sentence. She allowed herself to sink into the softness of his lips before tearing her mouth from his. “Are you trying to shut me up by kissing me?”
“Of course not, but you do not need to explain it to me, mate.” The corner of his mouth quirked up. “If I was trying to shut you up, I would do this.”
He swatted her ass sharply, and Hope yelped.
She rubbed a hand on her backside. “I can’t believe you fucking spanked me. I thought the only reason you did that on the Curator’s ship was to help us escape.”
“It was.” Kos palmed one ass cheek and squeezed. “But I discovered that I liked it more than I thought I would.”
He pulled her down again and captured her mouth, parting her lips and stroking her tongue as he gave her ass another hard slap. Even though she tried to wiggle away, Kos held her in place, one hand tangled in her hair and the other firmly gripping her ass.
His kisses were intoxicating, and a pulse of heat throbbed between her legs. She didn’t want to admit how much him spanking her turned her on, or how she could already feel that her thighs were slick with arousal. Hope ground herself into the hard bar of his cock, feeling a rush of pleasure as he moaned in her mouth.
He gave her another spank, and she rocked her hips into him, the mix of pleasure and pain sending scorching heat through her.
Kos slid his hands underneath the bunched-up fabric of her dress, sliding his fingers so that they teased her slick opening.
“So wet for me.” His voice was husky when he pulled his mouth away from her. “I think you like me spanking you, too.”
“You wish.” Her words came out between pants, but she tipped her head back and moaned when he slapped her ass cheek.
“I do wish. I wish for you to ride my cock.”
She looked over her shoulder furtively. “What if someone comes in?”
Kos pushed one thick finger inside her, and she bit her bottom lip to keep from letting out another loud groan.
“They will probably walk out just as quickly,” he said, his gaze locked on her face as he pressed deeper inside her. He was right about that. Anyone who happened to walk into the medical bay would get a lot more than they’d bargained for. At the moment, though, she didn’t care. Kos was alive, and they were finally together without any scary aliens after them. She didn’t know what the future held, but at the moment all she cared about was how she felt right then, with him.
Hope braced one hand on his bare chest, her eyelids fluttering as he moved his finger inside her. When he slid a second finger inside, she dug her fingernails into his flesh.
“More, “she whispered.
Kos shifted his hand until one of his fingers found her clit, and he slowly circled it as he pumped his fingers into her. The sensations made her body jerk, but Kos held her in place, pulling her mouth to his. Her cries were swallowed by his urgent kisses, his tongue matching the caresses of his fingers.
Hope tilted her ass up, her legs open wide as she straddled him. With each deep stroke of his fingers, he deftly swirled her swollen nub until she was writhing, and her legs were trembling.
When pleasure began to ripple through her, she tore her mouth from his and arched her back, her heat clenching tight around his fingers. “Kos,” she gasped, her body bucking.
“Do you want my cock inside you?” he asked, pulling his fingers out and lifting her hips. He pulled down the sheet, his rigid cock springing up.
Her gaze fell to it, and she wet her lips. “Oh, yeah.”
Hope took the base in one hand as she raised herself up so that his crown was notched at her opening. She dragged it through her wetness and savored the sound of his needy moan. She met his molten gaze. “You want me to ride you?”
A rough grunt was his only reply as he grasped her by the hips and drove her down on him. Hope heard her own breathy cry as she took him all the way, her body stretching to handle his girth.
“You fill me so good,” she said, her eyes rolling back in her head as he lifted her and brought her down again. Like the sharp spanks that made her ass sting, she loved the initial pain that quickly morphed into intense pleasure when she took his huge cock.
As he slid her up and down his shaft in a steady rhythm, Hope cupped her own breasts, thumbing the hard points of her nipples through the sheer fabric.
Kos’s pupils flared as he watched her. “Gods, Hope.”
“You like that?” she asked, smiling down at him and feeling her release building again.
“You drive me crazy.” His fingers bit into her flesh, and he clenched his jaw as he slammed her down on his cock.
Hope pinched her own nipples hard, the sharp sensation making her body detonate. She came even harder than the first time, her body spasming around him.
Kos arched his back as he drove her down and held himself deep, roaring his release, his heat pulsing into her.
Dropping her hands to his chest, which was damp with sweat, Hope sagged against him. “You drive me crazy, too, but I love it.” She hitched in a breath. “I love you.”
He wrapped his shaky arms around her and held her tight. His heart raced, the thumping practically echoing in her own body. “I love you, too, cinnara. Always.”
The door slid open, and there was a high-pitched yelp.
“Oh, pardon me. I was looking for the bride,” Reina said. “Good heavens. I guess I found her. I suppose now isn’t the best time to talk about the bonding ceremony. No, clearly not, although it looks like we’re going to need one. Maybe I’ll just go talk to the… Oh, my. Maybe I’ll just go.”
There was a rustling at the door as Reina stumbled back, and the door slid closed again.
“See?” Kos’s laughter made her chest shake. “Now you have to be my mate.”
“If I have to,” Hope said, with a pretend sigh of impatience.
Kos slapped her ass. “It looks like someone needs another spanking.”
Hope kissed him hard. “Yes, please.”
Thirty-Three
“I wish we were doing this on the Boat,” Reina said, wringing her hands as she fluffed the sheer net veil behind Hope. “You could have had your pick of stunning ceremony locations. My personal favorite is the Cape Cod seaside bluff, but Serge favors the butterfly ga
rden.”
“It’s fine.” Hope looked at the reflection of the willowy alien in the mirror behind her. “I don’t need a butterfly garden to marry Kos.”
Reina’s blue swirl of hair popped up over Hope’s shoulder. “I know, I know, but this barebones outpost is a far cry from the holographic environments I’m used to using for weddings.”
Hope smoothed the front of her ivory gown, the silk soft under her fingers. Even though there were no holodecks, she was thrilled that they’d made it back to the temporary Drexian outpost without any more issues. And since they were in the large ship piloted by Captain Varden, they’d made the trip in a few jumps instead of several days of space flight.
“I don’t mind,” Hope told Reina, for what felt like the hundredth time since they’d returned. “I’m not used to fancy digs anyway. I was a travel blogger, remember? Cheap hotels and hostels were more my style back on Earth, so even this room is an upgrade.”
She glanced around the spacious studio with the large bed to one side and a sunken sitting area featuring beige furniture. The remains of the breakfast she’d been too nervous to eat sat on the low, round coffee table, and a clear ice bucket stood to one side, the bottle of bubbly bobbing in the melted ice. She hadn’t had time to personalize the space, but it was still one of the nicest places she’d ever lived. The fact that Kos shared it with her was icing on the cake.
“I still don’t know what a blogger is, but I’m glad you’re happy with your suite.” Reina moved around in front of her as she continued to fluff the veil. “Let’s just hope the repairs on the station go well and you’ll be back in your fantasy suite soon.”
“It still seems strange that we’ll actually live in a holographic suite even after we’re married.”
“Unless Kos takes up a post off the station and you go with him. Not all our matched couples stay on the Boat forever.”
Hope nodded, plucking her glass flute of Drexian bubbly off the side table and taking a swig. It wasn’t cold anymore, but the bubbles were sweet, and it made her stomach less jumpy. It still made her nervous to think about forever, but her jitters were subsiding as time passed. What would have sent her into a full-fledged panic a week ago now just gave her a mild case of butterflies.
Kos had been talking about not returning to the Boat and his job as first officer. She knew he really wanted to lead the hunting party that went after the Curator, and she didn’t blame him. She would love to be there when they found the creepy alien and strung him up for his crimes.
She also knew that Kos had been toying with the idea of joining Inferno Force. She didn’t know much about the elite group, but she knew that they were known as the biggest badasses in the Drexian empire, and that was saying something. Hope wasn’t sure if Inferno Force normally allowed their warriors to bring mates with them, but if they didn’t, they’d have to relax their rules for her. After everything that had happened, she wasn’t letting Kos out of her sight.
“Hope?” Reina’s voice jolted her out of her thoughts.
“I’m sorry, what?”
Reina laughed. “I was just saying that we’re lucky that Monti and Randi were able to whip up your dress even though they weren’t able to get all their supplies off the Boat.”
“It’s pretty simple.” Hope eyed the column of silk that scooped low in the front and hugged her hips to flare out in a slight train at the back.
“I suppose we’re lucky Serge isn’t here. He would have been horrified that there is no lace and not a single bead.” She sucked in a shaky breath. “He’s going to be so upset he missed this.”
Hope turned and patted Reina’s hand. “He would be really proud of you. You’ve been an amazing wedding planner.”
Reina fluttered a hand in front of her face. “Oh, I’m not a wedding planner. Not yet. I’m still a bride liaison.”
“You were my wedding planner,” Hope insisted. “And I couldn’t have asked for a better one. You’ve pulled everything together with no time and none of the usual bells and whistles you have on the Boat. You are a miracle worker.”
Reina’s gray cheeks became a patchwork of pink and red. “Aren’t you sweet? It’s been my honor.” She dabbed at her eyes. “And, to be honest, it’s kept me busy, so I don’t have to worry about Serge and the other tributes.”
“Inferno Force will find them,” Hope said. “If anyone can, it’s those guys.”
Reina nodded, and her hair bobbled on her head. “You’re right. Of course, you’re right. It’s just not the same without him.”
A beep at the door made them both turn, and a tiny woman swept into the room holding a large box, her tower of pink curls protruding above it.
“Cerise!” Reina bustled forward, taking the white box from the woman. “Is this the bouquet?”
The alien who had been assisting Reina with the wedding planning beamed at both of them. “Preston packed it in lots of tissue paper. He said it was crucial not to touch the flowers when you pick it up.”
Reina placed the box gingerly on the coffee table and lifted the lid. Even from a few feet away, Hope could smell the sweet scent of the flowers filling the room.
Reina inhaled deeply. “What did you say these were again?”
“Gardenias.” Hope walked over and looked down at the white flowers. “They’re my mother’s favorite flower.”
Even though she’d never been close to her mother—and the woman probably had no idea she’d been taken from Earth—she still felt comforted by having a reminder of her in her wedding. Somehow, loving Kos and knowing how much he loved her—and that he would never leave her—had made it easier to forgive her mother. And easier to move on.
“It’s almost time,” Cerise said. “Kos is already in place.”
Hope tossed back the rest of the alien champagne, the bubbles tickling her nose. “Then let’s do this.”
Reina fluttered around her, working her hands nervously. “Serge always gets the brides down the aisle. He’s so good at keeping them calm.”
Hope couldn’t imagine the excitable alien ever being calm, but she took Reina by the shoulders. “And you’ll be just as good. All you have to do is think of Serge. What would Serge do?”
Reina blinked a few times, then straightened her shoulders. “You’re right. I can be Serge if I have to.” She put one hand on her hip and snapped her bony fingers. “Cerise, don’t just stand there like a bump on a log. You hold the train, and I’ll carry the bouquet.”
Hope cocked an eyebrow at Cerise, who just shrugged. To be fair, that did sound like something the bossy Gatazoid would say.
Reina plucked the bouquet out of the box, holding it carefully by the ribbon-wrapped handle, and strode toward the door, glancing over her shoulder and beckoning them to follow. “Come on, ladies. You’re moving slower than pond water.”
“Serge does like his Earth expressions,” Cerise muttered, as she took Hope’s train. “I hadn’t realized how much I didn’t miss them until now.”
“They may be Earth expressions, but they aren’t from my part of Earth,” Hope told her, keeping her voice low so Reina couldn’t hear. “As long as they help Reina, I’m fine with them.”
Reina led them out of the suite and down the hall. Xarla stood outside a set of double doors, wearing a mocha-colored dress that played beautifully off her gold skin. She held a clutch of fuchsia flowers in one hand and her tail in the other.
“How’s my maid of honor?” Hope asked.
“Confused,” Xarla admitted. “My duties are not what I would expect of a maid.”
Reina tapped a foot on the floor. “Don’t make me explain it again, sweetie. You just walk and smile.”
“I’m having serious doubts about this whole ‘channeling Serge’ thing,” Cerise mumbled behind Hope.
Reina peeked inside the double doors and waved at someone before pulling her head back out. “This is it. They’re starting your music.”
She tugged Xarla forward and pushed her through the door, calling after
her, “Walk and smile, hon. That’s right. Walk and smile.”
Pulling her head back out and closing the door, Reina positioned Hope so she stood in the middle of the closed doors, giving her a quick once-over and handing her the bouquet. She took a deep breath. “Ready?”
Was she? She’d been too distracted by Reina’s impersonation of Serge to be nervous herself, but as she felt Cerise unfurl the train behind her and the first muffled notes of wedding music drifted out of the room, her pulse quickened.
This was it. She was actually getting married to an alien warrior she’d only met a little over a week ago, something she’d sworn up and down she’d never do. Then again, she’d done a lot of things she never imagined she’d do, including fly in a spaceship and meet more different types of aliens than she could have ever dreamt existed.
Hope thought about Kos, and her body heated. As strange as it was, she didn’t feel any doubt when it came to him. The only thing she felt when she thought about spending the rest of her life with him was excitement.
“I’m ready,” she said, smiling at Reina and Cerise, who now stood on either side of the double doors.
Reina nodded at the tiny alien with pink hair, and the two opened the doors at the same time.
Hope stood still for a moment, catching her breath and taking in the scene. The room was long, with a high ceiling and chairs lining both sides, and an aisle down the middle. Reina may not have had holographic technology to work with, but she’d outdone herself with what she’d had.
Tall poles stood at the side of each row of chairs, with a garland of white flowers draping across to the other side, creating a long floral canopy for her to walk under. At the end of the aisle was a large circle of more white flowers suspended from the ceiling. And under that stood her groom.
When she saw him, standing tall in his dark dress uniform, with a decorated sash across one shoulder, she forgot to breathe. Damn, he was gorgeous, and, she thought with some amount of satisfaction, he was all hers.
