She hated the worried look on the other woman’s face. “He’s happy with his life now.”
“Now that he’s found his mate.”
“No, no. I’m sure he was happy before he met me. And not that I’m his mate anyway. He doesn’t want to be tied down.” The words bubbled out in a rush.
“No man does, until he realizes that love isn’t restriction, it’s freedom.”
“He doesn’t see it that way.” The sorrow in her voice was entirely too obvious and she hastily changed the subject. “You were saying that you’d had a lot of success hybridizing the angiosperms?”
Lelani shook her head, a wry smile on her lips, and let her return to their previous subject.
When Athtar entered their room, she was standing outside on the small balcony trying to gather her thoughts. His room was at the back of the house, but past the jumble of houses, she could still catch a glimpse of the ocean and see a ship setting sail.
He came up behind her and put his arms around her waist, and she leaned back against him with a sigh. She loved the warmth of his big body, his subtle leather and spice scent—hell, she loved everything about him. Together they watched as the ship sailed out of view.
“It seems strange to have sailing ships and spaceships on the same planet,” she said idly, avoiding the real subject.
“Wind energy is cleaner. Fucking scholars don’t care that it’s ten times as much work.”
“You didn’t like sailing?” she asked, turning in his arms to look up at him.
“No, I fucking loved it,” he admitted.
“It’s a good thing I don’t love you for your logic.”
His eyes heated at her words and he started to lower his head.
“Your mother offered me a job,” she blurted out. His body turned to stone, then softened as his head came down and he rested his forehead against hers.
“I expected she would. I already sent Ultana a message to see if she wants to buy The Lady.”
“What? You can’t sell her!”
He shook his head and she couldn’t see any regret in his eyes. “I’m not going to leave you behind, Faith, not even for a short period of time. You’re more important to me than a ship.”
“What about your freedom?” Her head was spinning, her heart pounding with hope.
“It wouldn’t be freedom without you. I fucking love you, remember?”
“But this morning you were all, ‘I’m not staying on this fucking planet.’”
“I was being a grouchy fucking idiot. Baby, I already knew I wasn’t leaving you.”
She smiled at him and put her hand on his cheek. “Well, I’m not leaving you, either. Which is why I turned her down.”
“I can’t let you do that. My father just reminded me that I’m not going to be happy unless you’re fucking happy.”
“She came back with a counter-offer,” she said quickly. “If you can build me a lab on The Lady, I can go with you and take the job.”
“A lab? I’ll build you a whole fucking ship.” Whooping loudly, he picked her up and twirled her around until she was dizzy and laughing. When they finally stopped spinning, his face grew serious again.
“Are you sure about this? I’m willing to stay here.”
“I love that you’re making the offer and it might be nice to have a place to come home to sometimes, but I don’t think it’s here. Your parents are lovely, and I would love to visit them again,” she said hastily. “But seeing the scholars everywhere reminds me too much of the lab.”
He gave her a broad grin. “I know just the place.”
“Let me guess.” She rolled her eyes, despite the happiness bubbling inside her. “Your friend’s planet?”
“Yep. You’ll love it.”
“If you’re there, I know I will. I love you, Athtar.”
“I love you, too, Faith.” He kissed her, long and sweet, then stepped back. “Now take your fucking clothes off.”
Her nipples turned to throbbing little points. Her Viking. Damn, she loved it when he got all bossy and demanding. For her pride’s sake, she raised her chin anyway and watched his eyes flame. “What if I don’t want to?”
“Then I’ll fucking take them off myself and turn your ass a nice shade of pink before I fuck you.” His eyes narrowed. “Or is that only going to make you more disobedient?”
“Well…” She put a finger to her lips, pretending to consider. He growled and ripped her jumpsuit open.
“Athtar, I don’t have any other clothes,” she protested, laughing.
“I’ll buy you some. You need a fucking change anyway.”
“This is a perfectly practical outfit. Was a perfectly practical outfit.” She pushed her glasses up her nose and glared at him. “If you want some girly girl, you’ve got the wrong woman.”
“You’re the only woman I want, and you fucking know it. You’re sexy as hell no matter what you’re wearing.” He stripped the rest of the jumpsuit away with breath-taking ease. “Of course, nothing at all is best.”
He picked her up and she had a second to enjoy the feel of her naked body pressed against his hard chest before he dumped her on the bed. “Hands and knees.”
She thought about protesting, she really did, but she wanted him too much to keep playing. She almost fell off the bed trying to get up on her hands and knees, but he caught her with a soft chuckle.
“Perfect,” he said, smoothing one big hand down over her butt and between her legs. “You’re wet, baby. You like it when I boss you around.”
“N-no.” It wasn’t convincing, especially when she looked over her shoulder and saw him suck on the fingers that he had just dragged through her slickness.
“Fuck, you taste more perfect every time,” he groaned. Returning to her pussy, he stroked his fingers back and forth a few more times, teasing both her clit and her entrance before moving higher to circle her bottom hole. Taking a deep breath, she relaxed as he slid first one finger and then a second into the tight passage, breathing through the initial stretch. He had done this enough that she knew what to do.
“Good, Faith. Now take another.” He probed at her entrance with a third finger and she tensed automatically, even though she knew she shouldn’t. His fingers were just so thick.
“Relax,” he whispered, dropping down over her back to plant kisses along her spine. She shivered and he used his other hand to tease her swollen nub, already sensitive and aching. Just as the pleasure built, he added the third finger and sent her over the edge into a climax as she shook beneath him.
“You’re ready to take my cock, baby.”
To her surprise, he flipped her over and stood looking down at her, stroking his massive cock as he surveyed her hungrily, his eyes blazing white fire. He looked even bigger like this, his cock flushed deep blue and glistening, and her mouth went dry with a combination of excitement and apprehension. “Why did you turn me over?”
“Because I want to see your face when I fuck your sweet little ass for the first time.”
She started to remove her glasses and he shook his head. “Keep them on. I want you to see me perfectly. I want you to know who’s fucking you.”
“I know, Athtar. I know your body, know your scent. I know you.”
“Fuck, baby.” He shuddered and his hand clamped down on the base of his cock. “You’re gonna make me fucking come before I even get inside you.”
He knelt between her legs, lifting her hips up across his thighs. The position made her feel exposed and vulnerable but the combination of heat and tenderness in his eyes made her feel safe, changing the vulnerability from frightening to exciting. His cock was already vibrating, and he used the massive tip to part her folds as he worked it up and down her slit. Every time he passed over her clit, she tried to press up against him.
“Patience.” He kept tracing her slit with his cock, before finally pausing to push the thick head inside her pussy. She gasped at the familiar stretch and tried to clamp down on him, but he pulled free with a g
roan. Instead of continuing the slow torture, he pressed down hard on her clit with his cock while he reached up to roll her nipples between his fingers. The exquisite vibrations sang through her body as she arched her back and came in a shuddering wave.
“Never fucking get tired of seeing you come,” he muttered.
“Good,” she managed to say as she caught her breath. “I like it, too.”
“Not done yet,” he warned. He dipped his cockhead inside her pussy once more, then pressed the hot, swollen flesh against her bottom hole. “Look at me and breathe out.”
Taking a deep breath, she followed his instructions, trying to will her muscles to relax. Her body resisted for a long moment, then softened enough to let him push inside. The immense burning stretch made her cry out and he paused, every muscle locked tight.
“Fuck, baby. You’re so fucking tight,” he groaned through clenched teeth. He took his eyes off of hers long enough to look down and she saw him tense even more. “You look so fucking perfect, stretched open around my cock, I can’t fucking wait… I can’t…” He shuddered and she felt him come, felt the hot jets shooting up her dark channel, felt him swell and put more pressure on her strained flesh in a confusing mixture of pleasure and pain. He jerked and slipped another inch or two deeper, deep enough that she could feel the pulsating vibrations reverberating from her ass to her pussy to her clit, transforming the burn into something dark and pleasurable. Instinctively, she raised her hips, seeking more of the sensation and took another inch.
Athtar’s eyes flew to hers, the white flames burning. “That’s my girl. You want more, baby?”
Too overwhelmed to speak, all she could do was nod. He surrounded her clit with two thick fingers, pushing down while he pressed slowly deeper. His seed eased the way and he didn’t stop until he was buried to the root, leaving her impaled on his massive cock. Her body quivered, trying to cope with the deluge of sensations rushing through her, the still burning stretch, the constant thrumming reinforced by the pressure against her clit until her whole pussy was on fire. Her hands went to her breasts, pinching her rock hard nipples, the sharp little sting bringing an additional fiery spark to her already overloaded senses.
He began to pull out slowly and, oh God, that felt even better. Her body tried to cling to him, and he groaned. She could feel her channel fluttering, seeking more of that maddening pleasure, as he cautiously pushed back in.
“More,” she gasped, but he didn’t increase his speed, his muscles still taut with the strain of holding back.
“What’s the matter, Captain? Afraid you can’t handle me?” she asked, just as she had their very first time. She saw the recollection spread across his face, and then he grinned, that fierce Viking grin which made her heart pound.
“Hold on, baby,” he said, and rocked forward so that he was no longer on his knees, so that he had the full weight of his body behind him as he drove back in—shocking, painful, and so exciting that all she could do was reach for him. He came down over her, his hips still thrusting in a hard, grinding rhythm while she clung to him and tried to meet his strokes, the sensations washing over her in a tidal wave of pleasure until her vision sheeted white and she clamped down on him, as he cried out her name and came in another explosive rush. Her body trembled and shook beneath his and she felt the tears spring to her eyes.
“Fuck, Faith. Are you all right?”
Her tongue felt thick and unwieldy. “Yes,” she managed to gasp at last. “Just…” Words deserted her and she waved a hand. His face relaxed. “I know, Faith.” He kissed her and petted her until she quieted.
When he finally pulled free, she couldn’t suppress a wince.
“Sore?”
“Yeah. You’d be sore, too, if someone drove a pile driver up your ass,” she muttered.
He laughed. “I have no idea what that is, but I’ll assume it was flattering. Come on. I have just the thing.”
Picking her up, he carried her into the bathroom—a bathroom complete with a big tub.
“Oh my God! A bathtub.”
Shifting her easily to one arm, he bent down to turn it on, and she watched in delight as steaming water flowed from the tap. When it was full, he placed her in the water. She winced a little as the hot water hit her sore butt, then relaxed back into the warmth and smiled up at him. “This is almost better than sex.”
He grinned back, then stepped into the tub to join her. “Challenge accepted.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Later that evening, Athtar relaxed back in his chair, cradling a glass of Foldaran liquor, and feeling unusually content. The windows to the dining room were open and he could hear the distant sound of the waves and catch the scent of the sea. It reminded him of all of the evenings spent aboard with his parents, but those memories were no longer tinged with bitterness. Knowing that his mother hadn’t chosen her studies over her family eased a pain he’d never even acknowledged. Of course, it undoubtedly helped that he had his own woman now.
His eyes were drawn irresistibly to Faith where she was standing by the fireplace and arguing with his mother over some finer point of academic lore. After a long and very satisfying bath which resulted in a completely drenched bathroom, he had left her to nap while he made arrangements to begin purchasing the equipment his mother recommended for the ship. His mother had also arranged for Faith’s current outfit. While he had quite truthfully told Faith that he preferred her naked, he couldn't help but enjoy the sight of her lovely body clothed in dark green silk that picked up the color of her eyes and set off her pale skin. The top wrapped around her pert little breasts and showed a teasing glimpse of cleavage before fastening with a tempting little bow that made him long to unwrap her. Flowing pants hugged her luscious ass and showcased her long legs; however, his woman had been more excited about the fact that her pants had pockets than by how utterly delicious she looked.
“Faith said you were on Kaisar recently, Athi,” his mother said, drawing his attention away from Faith’s delightful body. “Were you there when they made the announcement?”
“What announcement?”
“The Emperor is taking a First Consort. A human.”
He threw back his head and roared with laughter. “Fuck, I knew it. Anyone could see that little girl had him tied up in knots.”
“What’s a First Consort?” Faith asked.
“It means he is officially taking her as his mate,” his mother said.
“Is there a Second Consort?”
“No. It means First in the Empire.” He shrugged. “Most of the previous emperors have had concubines, but I saw the way Karthajin looked at Ella. He’ll never take—Faith!”
He made it across the room just in time to catch her as she turned white and collapsed. While he gathered her up, his mother fluttered anxiously. His father pressed a wet cloth into his hands. “Put it across her neck.”
Pressing the cool cloth to the back of her neck, he was relieved when her eyelids fluttered open.
“Fuck, baby. You scared the hell out of me. What the fuck happened?”
“Ella. You said Ella.” Long fingers clutched his sleeve so tightly that her knuckles whitened.
“Yeah. I met her when the Emperor ordered me to get a scientist from the lab.”
“What did she look like?” she asked anxiously.
“Small, blonde, big eyes. Blue, I think.”
“It has to be her,” she mumbled.
“It has to be who? You’re not making any fucking sense.”
“When I was kidnapped, there was a little girl with me. She lived next door and I was babysitting her the night they came for me.”
“They took a fucking child?”
“Yes.” Her eyes filled with tears. “I begged them to let her stay with me but Skevyk said she would only be a distraction. The Kaisarian who took her promised me she was going to a good home, but I never knew what happened to her. Is she well? Is she happy?”
“I think so. I offered to take her to Sherae b
ut she wrote that she didn’t want to leave.”
She frowned up at him. “What do you mean she wrote?”
“As far as I could tell, she couldn’t talk.”
The tears overflowed. “She could talk before. She was always telling me about something she’d read. She was so sweet and so bright. What did they do to her?”
“Hush, baby.” He pulled her closer and rocked her. “She really did seem happy. And very devoted to the fucking emperor.”
“It’s the first time an emperor has taken a non-Kaisarian consort,” his mother interjected. “For him to do such a thing indicates that he cares for her very much.”
“Do you really think so?” Faith bit her lip, then sat up in his arms. “I have to make sure. We have to go back to Kaisar.”
“Like hell we do. In case you’ve fucking forgotten, you destroyed a fucking weapon that the fucking emperor was fucking interested in finding out about.”
“You’re swearing too much again,” she said, raising her fucking chin.
“Because we’re not fucking going.”
“I have a few other things for Faith. I’ll get them packed,” his mother said, hurrying to the door.
“I’ll call a hovercab,” his father said, following her.
“Why the fuck doesn’t anyone fucking listen to me?”
“Athtar, please.” Faith’s hand came up to his cheek. “She was taken because she was with me. I have to make sure that she’s safe and happy.”
He stared down at her beautiful, pleading face. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”
“Oh, thank you.” She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. As he lost himself in the sweetness of her mouth, he decided he didn’t mind losing every fight if they all ended this way.
A few hours later, his crew was gathered in the lounge on board The Lady.
“Faith and I are going back to Kaisar,” he announced. “Faith feels like she has to go but since I don’t know what our status is with the Fleet, I’m not going to order any of you to come along.”
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