Shadowed

by Evangeline Anderson

  “Well, what am I supposed to do?” Reddix sent with frustration.

  “You know what to do. You know the only way to neutralize bonding fruit—she needs your essence—your seed— inside her. She needs you to make love to her,” Saber sent back.

  “I can’t do that! I told you—she’s barely conscious. I can’t take her without permission—I won’t fucking rape her,” Reddix protested.

  “Do your best to wake her up and explain the situation,” Saber directed. “Make her understand so you can give her what she needs. Look, Brother, I have to go—Lissa needs me again.”

  “But—” Reddix began, but Saber had already broken the connection.

  Reddix turned back to the bed. Goddess damn it, what was he going to do?

  I have to wake her up, he thought, trying to push down the panic that tried to rise inside him. Have to make her understand.

  “Nina?” he murmured, stroking her cheek. “Listen, I know you hate me now, but you need to wake up. Need to let me help you.”

  “Hmm?” Her eyelids fluttered open at last, and she looked up at him, her deep blue eyes filled with confusion. “What happened?” she whispered. “I feel so strange…so empty. I ache inside.”

  He frowned. “That’s because you are, and you need to be filled.”

  “Filled?” She frowned, looking more awake. “What…what do you mean?”

  Reddix sighed in frustration. “Exactly what it sounds like. I talked to Saber, and you’re not the only one having trouble from that damn bonding fruit cake—the stuff was fucking lethal. You need the antidote.”

  Nina frowned and tried to sit up. Reddix helped her, supporting her head gently with his arm. “What are you saying?” she asked, shaking her head. “Are you saying you need to…”

  He clenched his jaw. “This is going to sound bad—really bad—but I swear to you it’s true.” He took a deep breath. “I need to make love to you, Nina. In order to neutralize the bonding fruit, I need to make love to you and fill you with my cum.”

  * * * * *

  Nina opened her mouth to refuse at once, but just then another pang of emptiness hit her. She moaned and put a hand between her thighs. Before she’d fainted, the hunger had been throughout her body—like a black hole sucking in her chest. Now it was concentrated in one spot—the place between her legs. Her pussy felt hot to touch—swollen and sensitive with need. And this time she sensed his tongue wasn’t what she needed. It wouldn’t be enough.

  “I don’t…don’t understand,” she whispered.

  “The bonding fruit was more concentrated than you thought—to fucking toxic levels,” Reddix explained roughly. “Saber says that Sylvan—one of the ship’s doctors—told him this is the only way to neutralize it.”

  “So you have to…”

  “Yeah.” He had the grace to look away. “I don’t blame you if you don’t want to hear that. It sounds like bullshit, I know.”

  Nina bit her lip. “Can’t you just…help me like you did before?”

  “I’d go down on you all night if I thought it would help,” Reddix growled softly. “But that’s not what you need. There isn’t enough of my essence in my saliva to help. It has to be seed—cum. Deep inside you where you’re feeling empty.”

  “I…” Nina could feel her cheeks getting red. “I don’t know…”

  “Here.” He pushed the Think-me at her. “Call someone. Bespeak…I don’t know, try Sylvan. He doesn’t know you, but he’s a physician—I’m sure he’ll take your call. Ask him—he’ll tell you I’m not just making excuses.”

  “No,” Nina pushed the thin silver wire away. “I…I believe you. I just…”

  “Just what?” He looked at her steadily.

  “I guess I just wonder why you care. If you’re leaving anyway…”

  “I’m not leaving because I want to.” His voice broke for a moment, and he had to clear his throat. “Goddess damn it, Nina—I care about you. Care so fucking much it’s like a fist in my gut. Of course I want to help you—to save you—if I can.”

  Nina took a deep breath. “So we’ll have sex…” She wasn’t about to say ‘make love’ not when it was obviously going to be a one-time thing purely out of necessity. “We’ll have sex,” she continued. “But just to neutralize the bonding fruit. The same way we, uh, touched each other in order to feed the Hurkon collar when you couldn’t get it off.”

  He nodded. “Exactly.”

  “And then we’ll go our separate ways, and that will be it?” Nina demanded. “Because I need to know right up front if this is going to change anything.”

  “I wish it would but no…” He looked regretful. “I can’t lie to you, Nina. I can make love to you, but I can’t bond you to me. I wish to the Goddess I could.”

  “All right.” Nina took a deep breath. “At least we know where we stand. We—ah! ” The aching emptiness stabbed at her again, attacking from the inside out as the bonding fruit she had ingested demanded she pay the price.

  “Nina?” Reddix was looking at her anxiously. “Are you all right?”

  “No.” Her whole body was trembling, and her nipples were so tight they hurt. Her pussy was dripping with her juices, begging to be filled. “No,” she said again. “I…if we’re going to do this, we need to just…just do it.”

  “All right.” He cupped her cheek and pulled her down.

  “What are you doing?” Nina asked, ducking away just before his mouth met hers.

  “Kissing you.”

  “I don’t want to kiss.” Nina looked away. “That’s not what I need, and it’s too…too personal.”

  “I see. No foreplay, no sweet talk.” His voice was flat. “You just want to get it over? Is that it?”

  “Yes. That’s about it,” she said tightly.

  “Fine.”

  Reaching between them with quick, angry motions he unfastened his black flight trousers, letting the long, hard shaft of his cock loose between them.

  At the sight of him, Nina had another spasm of emptiness. God, he was so long and hard and thick, and she needed him—her entire body was insisting that she had to have him inside her now. But no matter how her body demanded it, she wasn’t ready quite yet.

  “Come here.” Reddix was already opening her robe and pulling her into his lap. But again, Nina resisted.

  “No,” she said. “I don’t want it like this. Not face to face.”

  “Too personal again?” he growled.

  “Exactly.” She bit her lip and looked away. “Way too personal.”

  “Fine.” He threw up his hands and sat back, his broad shoulders against the headboard. “Show me then. How do you want it? How can I service you, sweetheart?”

  Nina could tell that the sarcasm in his deep voice was just there to cover the pain. She was sorry she was hurting him, but she was hurting too—not just the physical ache from the bonding fruit demanding she find satisfaction. No, she also had the emotional anguish of knowing this was the one and only time she would ever get to be with the man she loved. She knew she ought to savor this moment—to make the most of it. But it hurt too much. She just wanted to get it over with.

  “Like this,” she said, moving to the middle of the bed. She shed her robe and got on her hands and knees. Her pussy throbbed again, begging to be filled. Nina bit her lip and forced herself to go slowly, to take her time. Taking a deep breath, she spread her thighs, opening herself to him—offering herself for the one and only time.

  Behind her she heard Reddix draw in a ragged breath.

  “Gods, Nina, you’re so beautiful,” he said hoarsely. “So fucking gorgeous when you open yourself for me.”

  “Take me,” Nina whispered, bowing her head. “Please, Reddix—do it now. I…I need you to.” As she spoke she had another sharp stab of need and a low moan broke from her lips. “Please,” she gasped. “I can’t…can’t stand it much longer.”

  “It’s all right.” Reddix got into position behind her, caressing her bare back and hips in long, slow
strokes. “Everything is going to be all right.”

  Nina opened her mouth to say that nothing would ever be all right again, and then she felt the broad head of his cock sliding slowly over her slippery, open folds. He bumped gently over her clit, making her bite back a gasp, and then he was exactly where she needed him, lodged just in her entrance.

  “God,” she moaned softly as she felt him nudge gently into her until the thick head was all the way inside her pussy.

  “Easy, sweetheart. You’re tight, and I’m not exactly small. Let’s just take it easy.” He was taking things slowly, making sure not to hurt her, but that wasn’t what she wanted right now. Wasn’t what she needed.

  “Please,” she moaned. “Please, Reddix—need you in me now. Need you in me hard.”

  “I don’t want to hurt you,” he objected, nudging a little deeper.

  Nina was beginning to feel almost wild. “I don’t care about that,” she gasped. “I just need you in me. All of you.”

  Bracing on her hands and knees, she pressed back, arching her pelvis to give him easier access as she impaled herself on his thick shaft. Try as she might, though, she couldn’t get him all the way in her, couldn’t feel the thick head of his cock nudging the end of her channel where she so desperately needed him to be. She gave a little cry of frustration and tried again, only to feel herself stopped when his big hands clamped down on her hips.

  “Slowly,” he ground out, holding her tight, not letting her move. “I’ll fuck you as deep as you need me to, sweetheart, but we need to go slow at first so I can be sure I’m not hurting you.”

  “You won’t hurt me!” she cried, although she wasn’t entirely sure if he would or not. She could feel his thick shaft stretching her pussy to the limit and beyond, but she didn’t care—she just wanted all of him in her. Wanted to feel him filling her up completely.

  “Your Goddess damned right, I won’t,” he growled. “Because we’re taking it slow.”

  Keeping a firm grip on her hips, he pulled back until he was almost all the way out of her pussy. Nina nearly cried with frustration—what was he doing? Where was he going? She needed him so much, so badly…

  “Get ready,” Reddix murmured behind her, and she felt his big hands tighten on her until she was sure she would have ten finger-shaped bruises the next day. “Get ready, Nina—going to fuck you now. Long and hard and slow.”

  Then he pushed back into her, filling her pussy completely in one seemingly endless thrust.

  Both of them groaned when he finally bottomed out inside her. Nina shivered all over as she felt the broad tip of his cock kiss the mouth of her womb. God, in her, he was all the way in her now—exactly where she needed him to be.

  Finally. The thought was frantic—nearly incoherent.. Oh, God, finally.

  “Goddess, you’re tight,” he groaned, stroking her hips. “Are you ready now?”

  “Do it,” Nina gasped out. “God, Reddix, please—I need this so badly. Please, just do it.”

  “Do what?” he growled softly as he pulled almost all the way out of her and slammed home again, this time a little more forcefully. “Tell me, Nina—beg for it. I want to hear you say it.”

  “Fuck me,” she moaned, writhing in his grasp, trying to meet the rhythm he was setting. “Reddix, please—just fuck me.”

  “My pleasure, sweetheart.” His deep voice was thick with lust and need, and Nina swore she could feel his shaft getting even bigger within her. “My pleasure and I’m going to make damn sure it’s yours too.”

  With that, he pulled back again and thrust into her again…and again and again, setting a slow, steady, hard rhythm that seemed designed to drive her wild.

  Nina wanted to meet him, wanted to back against him and join the primal rhythm, but he wouldn’t let her. His big hands on her hips stayed steady, holding her firmly in place, forcing her to be still and submit to his fucking.

  Over and over he thrust into her, filling her to the limit and beyond. After a while she gave up and surrendered. Moaning, she hung her head which raised her ass higher into the air, offering him better access, opening herself even more.

  “That’s right, Nina,” he growled. “Just open yourself and take it. Just open your sweet little pussy and let me fuck you—fuck you and fill you up with my cum.”

  Nina moaned and submitted completely as the thick club of his cock pierced her over and over, battering against the mouth of her womb as though demanding entrance. She couldn’t think anymore—couldn’t breathe, couldn’t talk. All she could do was spread her legs and let him in.

  All she could do was let him fuck her.

  * * * * *

  Reddix knew he should try to keep it impersonal. After all, that was what Nina wanted, and he didn’t blame her. She was willing to accept the cure from him, but that was all—she didn’t want the sex between them to be emotional or meaningful. Not when he was just going to turn around and leave the minute it was over and he was sure she was okay.

  But he couldn’t help himself—he wanted more. Wanted to look into her eyes while he made love to her. Wanted to see the passion he felt reflected there in those blue and gold-flecked depths.

  He wanted Nina to know he loved her, even if he couldn’t say it.

  “Goddess, sweetheart,” he groaned, reaching down to cup her cheek. “I can’t stand this anymore. Look at me. Look at me while I’m fucking you.”

  Nina shivered all over when he tried to tilt her chin around.

  “No.” She turned her head away, refusing him, refusing to make even the most fleeting eye contact.

  But Reddix would not be denied—he had to see her. Pulling out of her abruptly, he flipped her over and covered her body with his much larger one.

  “Reddix?” Nina looked up at him, wide-eyed as he pinned her to the bed.

  “Look at me,” he growled. “This is the only time we get to be together, and I won’t let you make it some faceless, anonymous experience, Goddess damn it.”

  “I don’t…I can’t…”

  “Yes, you can,” he insisted. “Spread your legs and look at me in the eyes while I fill you again, Nina.”

  “Yes…all right.” Her voice was a pained whisper as she parted her thighs. “Just please…don’t stop. I need…need this, Reddix. I need you.”

  “I need you too, sweetheart,” he said roughly, feeling like she’d taken his heart in her soft little hand and twisted it. “You don’t know how much.”

  “Reddix…” she murmured, biting her lip. “Please…now.”

  “Now,” he agreed softly and reaching down, he found her entrance with the head of his cock once more. Taking both her hands, he pinned them securely over her head. Then, holding her eyes with his, he thrust into her again, long and slow and hard and deep…so damn deep.

  Nina moaned softly, and he leaned down eagerly and covered her mouth with his, swallowing the sounds of her passion. This time she didn’t try to deny him the right to kiss her. Instead, she surrendered completely, parting her lips for him as she had parted her thighs, giving herself up to him without reservation.

  Reddix nearly groaned aloud at her sweet submission. He plundered her mouth with his as he thrust deep and hard into her tight, hot channel. He felt like a greedy bastard, but he couldn’t help himself—he took everything she gave and demanded more. She was everything he’d ever wanted, everything he’d ever needed, and he couldn’t get enough of her.

  When the kiss finally broke, he pulled back to see that she was staring up at him, her eyes bright with unshed tears.

  “Nina?” he asked hoarsely, slowing his rhythm. “Are you all right? Am I hurting you?”

  “N-no.” Her voice was soft—on the edge of breaking. “I just…I can’t…”

  “Just stay with me,” he urged, kissing her swiftly again. “This is not just a cheap fuck, Nina. This is me inside you. The two of us together—the way it ought to be.”

  “The way it ought to be,” she echoed softly. And blinking away the tears, she h
eld his gaze unflinchingly.

  Reddix couldn’t help thinking how brave she was—how beautiful and perfect and fearless. Gazing into her lovely eyes as he moved within her, he felt something shift inside himself. Some deep, fundamental part of himself he couldn’t name had somehow altered because of her.

  Never going to be the same after this, he thought, holding her eyes with his. Never going to be able to go back to my old life on Tarsia and forget this—forget you, sweetheart. You changed me. Changed me forever just by opening to me. Just by giving me what I don’t deserve—yourself.

  The words I love you, hovered on his lips, but he swallowed them back. What good would it do to say them now? He would only hurt her more, and what he needed to concentrate on now was healing her, neutralizing the bonding fruit she’d eaten.

  Leaning down, he took her lips in a low slow kiss and pumped his cock deep into her sweet, hot pussy. Tight—Gods she was so tight. He was losing himself in her. In her beautiful body, in her gorgeous eyes. It was more than he could stand, and though he wanted to make this last forever, he could feel his orgasm hovering just on the horizon.

  “Nina,” he groaned softly. “I’m close, sweetheart. So Goddess damned close…”

  “Me too,” she whispered. “Please, Reddix, I want…want to come with you inside me.”

  “That’s what I want too.” Moving swiftly, he sat up on his knees without pulling out of her. Hooking his arms under her legs, he pulled her hips up onto his thighs. He put her legs over his shoulders, changing the angle of his approach, opening her up, going even deeper into her tight, sweet cleft.

  Nina moaned. “God, I thought you were deep before…”

  “You can always go deeper,” Reddix assured her in a low growl. Though he wasn’t as close to her face, he found he liked the new position a lot. Now he could see the way she bit her lip and watch the way her breasts shook with each thrust as he pumped into her pussy. Also, he had much better access to her slippery folds.

  Reaching down to the place where they were joined, he slid the pad of his thumb against the side of her swollen pink clit. Nina moaned and jerked under him, her eyes going wide.