At that, Ranic realized he was already looking for excuses not to give Jarrett his freedom. It wasn’t fair, and he knew that, but he didn’t care. He wanted to keep him. If they never finished, if Jarrett didn’t penetrate him, then their deal could not be completed, and Jarrett couldn’t ever leave him. However, that scenario left Ranic with the perplexing problem of how would he keep him? Most slave owners had lots of money and property so that they could use their slaves in more than one way. There were those with a vast array of sexual slaves, but again, they were wealthy enough to have a place for them to live. They provided their thralls with everything, like that Krase warrior with the scary tattoo on his face. No doubt he had an entire planet to keep his coveted slave on. Ranic had nothing but a tiny cell in the asteroid-stripping ship. And even that wasn’t his since he only rented it. He owned his trooper suit and that was all.
What if he sold it?
He considered the heap of gleaming silver in the corner of the room. The very idea made his entire body tremble. If he sold his suit, he would have nothing to hide in. He would have to show his face to the world. Or would he? What if he simply found another way to hide? Jarrett’s idea of hiding in plain sight came back to him. Perhaps he could go to Earth. He had no idea what his suit was worth, but there were collectors who paid a tremendous amount of money for the strangest things. Surely, there was someone out there who would pay a fortune to have an actual Finoc trooper suit. With the money he made from that, he could have clothing fashioned that would cover him from head to toe, and then he and Jarrett could go anywhere.
“Provided he actually wants to stay with me.” Ranic found it unlikely a man like Jarrett would want to be with him if he reneged on their deal. He was not well suited in temperament to being a slave. Jarrett was more suited to being in charge rather than being a follower. Besides, after his rude behavior, Ranic doubted Jarrett would even still be on the beach.
Heart pounding, Ranic returned to their spot only to discover Jarrett was right where he’d left him. As if he sensed he was there, Jarrett lifted the bottle of glimmer wine and offered it out. “Want some?”
“I want you.”
Jarrett looked right at him and smiled. “Good. It’s mutual.”
“No. Well, yes, in that way, too. But I meant that I wish to be with you in a different way. Not just for now.” Ranic settled down in the sand right in front of Jarrett. “I want you to stay with me.”
Chapter 7
“Like I said, it’s mutual.” Jarrett knew he should stop and think about what he was saying, but he had to trust his instincts. When Ranic had gotten all terrified and run off, he’d known exactly what was going on in his head. He knew because he was older and had so much more experience. Jarrett also knew when his heart was already lost. How funny that he’d never fallen completely in love on his own planet with his own kind. He had to come out into the wild, crazy galaxy and fall for a glittering, golden alien with a shyness factor of about twenty million. Still, he knew none of that was what drew him to Ranic. It was Ranic himself.
“Are you sure?”
“I am.” Jarrett took another sip of the wine then handed the bottle to Ranic. “About eight years ago I got this crazy impulse to learn how to scuba dive. It went against everything I thought I knew about myself. I hated enclosed spaces. Claustrophobia—that’s what my world calls it. Having that curious affliction is what made me pass out on your ship. Anyway, despite that, I trusted my gut and took my first lesson. It was in a pool and totally safe. I figured I’d freak out and be ripping the heavy equipment off my back after two seconds in the water. But I didn’t. I loved it. And I’ve taken two trips every year since the day I was certified.”
“It’s what you were doing when you were taken to be a slave?” Ranic took a pull from the bottle and then handed it back.
“Yeah. It was a beautiful spot…” Jarrett trailed off, and Ranic let him. “My point is that I did something that at the time seemed completely illogical because something inside me was telling me to go for it.” Jarrett leaned close to Ranic, sensing where he was rather than seeing him in the darkness. “I’m feeling that same type of impulse toward you.”
Ranic was silent, and Jarrett wondered if perhaps he’d said too much, but then Ranic’s arms were around him, knocking him back onto the blanket. Once they got their limbs untangled, they pressed their lips pressed together and their tongues dueled as they stretched out, grinding their bodies hard against one another.
Whatever trepidation Ranic felt was gone now. Maybe he realized that Jarrett wasn’t about to rush him into finishing what they’d started because there really wasn’t any end to it. Not if they did it right. Still, Jarrett tried to slow things down just a bit because he still wanted to make everything perfect for Ranic.
“I had this idea of how we can stay together.” Ranic spoke between kisses as his hands continued to explore Jarrett’s body with utter fascination.
“Yeah? Are you going to sell me?” Jarrett was kidding, but Ranic withdrew rather sharply. He didn’t have to see him to know that he’d inadvertently hurt him. “I’m sorry, that was a stupid thing to say. I was trying to be funny.” Gripping his head, pulling him close, Jarrett swore he would think more before speaking. “I know you would never do that.”
“I wouldn’t. I was going to sell my trooper suit.”
“But then how will you stay covered from the sun? Sorry, starlight.” He had to remember that out here in the big old universe there were lots of stars, so saying the sun was meaningless.
“I have seen travelers from other planets who wear clothing that covers them completely. I think it might work for me.”
“Like a vampire.” Jarrett chuckled and then explained what that was.
“They drink blood?”
“They aren’t real.”
“They are.” Ranic rolled Jarrett onto his back then straddled his hips. “On Xearzans, there are humanoid creatures who live on the blood of the living. They are very tall and thin.”
“White?”
“More gray.”
“Maybe they’ve visited Earth and that’s how so many cultures have come to write about something like them.” Jarrett was beginning to wonder if all those hokey stories he’d heard about alien abductions might be true. Well, not all of them, but some of them might be. It certainly turned out aliens had a fetish for butt probes.
“If we were to go to Earth, could you find us lodgings and food?”
“I could. I would.” Jarrett tried to imagine how that would work. “Do we eat the same things?”
“I am well suited to eat almost any protein. What might be at issue is the plants. Some plants are toxic to me, as I imagine some of the plants I eat would be toxic to you. But we could learn.”
“What if something happened to you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Like if you were injured. I couldn’t take you to a regular doctor.” Just imagining Ranic being hurt and Jarrett unable to render aid made him feel a surge of panic.
“How likely am I to be injured?” Ranic sat up, his tight buttocks pressing firmly against Jarrett’s prick. “Is your world fraught with dangers?”
“No. Not really. It’s just that shit happens.” Jarrett thought over all the scrapes, bumps, and bruises he’d had over a lifetime. He’d never gone to the doctor beyond an occasional checkup, but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t have need of one in the future. Just what would he say when the doctor noticed Ranic’s golden paint didn’t come off? “We don’t know if the bacteria might get into your wound and just ravage you.”
“There are foreign bacteria all around us here.” Ranic’s hands left Jarrett’s chest, so he knew he was pointing at the land around them. “We carry enough of our own to fight them off.”
It made sense, but Jarrett worried that eventually all his bacteria would die and then he’d be slowly taken over by the new bacteria. But then again, neither one of them were experts in intergalactic travel. Surel
y, if people—or aliens—did it all the time, then it must be safe. He knew just on Earth someone could go from one country to another and have issues with bacteria that were irritating but not deadly. Perhaps the same was true out here.
“I think you would adapt. Travelers journey all over the universe, but I’ve never heard of anyone succumbing to foreign bacteria.” Ranic lowered his upper half so they were pressed close again. “There are issues with air, temperature, edibles, but those are issues that can be addressed in other ways.”
“So basically you’re saying I’m a worrywart.”
“Yes. But it is sweet that you worry about me, so I am not upset.”
“Good.” Jarrett kissed him and then wrapped his arms around his shoulders. “Then I will stop worrying until I have something worth getting in a twist over.”
They fell to kissing and teasing one another until the moon started to rise over the water. Through the Aeirall atmosphere, the moon was deep pink, almost fuchsia, and it turned the blue sand purple and purple water amethyst.
“I’ve never seen anything so stunning.” It was smaller than Earth’s moon, and it wasn’t all the way full. A tiny crescent was still dark, which made it look oblong and interesting.
Sitting side by side, they watched it rise until it was quite high in the sky. As it went up, the brightness of it dimmed the surrounding stars until only the moon was visible.
“I wish I had a camera.”
“A device to record this? Why?” Ranic weaved their fingers together and then apart again, just as he had in bed. It was such a curious motion that was at once soothing yet arousing.
“To remember this moment.” Because Jarrett thought it was one of those romantic events that he wanted to remember forever.
“Just close your eyes and there it is.”
Jarrett laughed and then turned to look at Ranic. The reflected light had turned him a stunning shade of golden purple.
“Why do you do that?”
“What?”
“Each time you stroke your hand over my shoulder you look at your fingers.”
“Oh, that.” Jarrett shook his head, laughing at his own folly. “Each time I touch you I think I’ll get sparkles on my hand. Isn’t that silly?”
“No.” Ranic straddled his body and settled lightly against his crossed legs. “If you are very nice to me, I can give you a handful of sparkles.”
It didn’t take Jarrett long to figure out what he meant. “I think I’d like sparkles all over my belly.”
“I can do that, too.” Ranic moved closer until his cock was rubbing gently against Jarrett’s stomach.
Just as he had in the water, Jarrett teased his fingers along his back and then down into the crevice of his ass. He did this very slowly so as not to make Ranic think he was just going to pounce. Besides, teasing him was almost like playing a musical instrument. A touch here, a kiss there, a gentle nibble—each move caused Ranic to utter a different noise. All of it was the music of sex, and each note lifted Jarrett higher. As much as he wanted to bury himself in Ranic, he also wanted to delay the moment. Anticipation was the most powerful aphrodisiac in the universe no matter the species.
“Please. Now. I do not wish to delay anymore.” Ranic squirmed desperately against Jarrett and then reached under, grasped Jarrett’s cock, and angled it toward his body.
“Whoa. No.” Jarrett lifted him off his lap and almost laughed at the furious look on Ranic’s face. “Don’t get angry with me. If I would have tried to enter you just then, you’d be howling in pain.”
Ranic frowned and then cast a dubious eye at Jarrett’s prick. “It’s not that big.”
“Ooh, what a burn!” Jarrett did laugh this time then fished around in the basket. “It’s not the size, my good sir, but the fact that we didn’t have any lube.”
“Oh.” Ranic looked down and then back up. If he was wired differently, he probably would be blushing. Hell, maybe he was and Jarrett just couldn’t tell because he was glowing purple and gold. “Are you angry with me?”
“That you’re desperate to get my cock in you? No way.” Jarrett crawled toward him until he had him pinned on the blanket. “I like that you’re all frantic and horny.”
“Horny?” Ranic didn’t have eyebrows, but he had mobile ridges of flesh above his eyes, and they drew together when he was perplexed.
“It’s a slang term for extremely aroused.”
“Ah. I like passionate better than horny.”
“Then passionate you shall be.” Jarrett slid between his legs, balancing his weight on his arms. He gently kissed Ranic’s neck.
“I can put that on for you.” Ranic grabbed for the lube, but Jarrett tucked it out of reach.
“Don’t be in a hurry.”
“But I’ve waited a lifetime.”
“I know.” Jarrett kissed the tip of his nose. “That’s why a few moments more aren’t going to matter.”
“But—”
“I want to make this so good for you.”
“It already is.” Ranic frowned, and then his gaze softened. “What was your first time like?” When Jarrett didn’t answer, Ranic relaxed against the blanket. “It’s okay. I understand if you want to rewrite your history while writing mine.”
“I like that way of looking at it.” Jarrett smiled and nuzzled Ranic’s upper body.
“Will you tell me?”
“My first time? Well, it wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t like this.” Jarrett looked around again and realized they basically had the place to themselves for miles. “It was just fast. We were drunk, and he wouldn’t even look at me after. And it hurt a lot more than I thought it would. It’s probably why I didn’t like that probe on stage.” Ever since then Jarrett had been firmly in the camp of giving but not receiving.
“I’m sorry.”
“Me, too.” Jarrett lowered himself down a bit more, but he was still careful to keep the bulk of his weight off Ranic by using his arms. They were the same size, but he still felt bigger since he was on top. “I just want you to always look back at this day, no matter how old we get or how long we’re together, and remember how special it was.”
“I will.” Ranic reached up and twined his fingers in Jarrett’s hair. “I will always smile when I think of this day.”
“Even when I’m all old and doddering, you’ll remember me here in the prime of my life?”
“I will.”
Jarrett froze for a moment, thinking of a dozen totally irrelevant thoughts such as how Ranic would age, if they would grow apart if they aged differently, or if they couldn’t make things work, or if they somehow grew disenchanted with one another. There were so many things that could happen. So many things that could go wrong. He’d never really tried to make it work before. He’d never really invested himself and swore to do all he could to stay together through thick and thin. The way Ranic said I will made Jarrett think of wedding vows and saying I do. It was madness. Surely, they could legally be married somewhere in the universe, but they really didn’t know one another. He hadn’t even had sex with him yet. Not all the way, at any rate. Wanting to get married first was the height of crazy.
“Call me crazy.” Jarrett peered down at Ranic’s open face. In his eyes, he saw a future. If he could literally take the plunge and learn to scuba dive against all his misgivings because he felt the truth in his bones, then this could be right, too.
“Do you really wish for me to call you crazy?”
“No. I want you to call me husband.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means I want—no, I need—to do something before we can go further with this.”
Chapter 8
“This is crazy.” Ranic clutched Jarrett’s hand. Oddly, Jarrett’s hand was cold while Ranic’s hand was hot. It was the exact opposite of how they normally were. Jarrett said it was nerves, and even though Ranic hadn’t been subjected to nerves before, he wasn’t surprised to find he was now. Since meeting Jarrett, he’d found himself
experiencing all kinds of new and mostly wonderful things.
“What did I tell you?” Jarrett lifted their bound hands and kissed the back of Ranic’s.
“On the beach, you told me to call you crazy, but then you wished for me to call you husband. Now I am not so sure that I can do this.” Ranic stood on the threshold of not only the chapel, but also a major life change. He already knew he wanted to be with Jarrett, and he would do what he had to do to make that happen, but this was strangely intimidating. “This isn’t like breaking the taboo of sex with another male. This is like that times—times—times a very big number.”
Jarrett cupped his chin and turned his head so they were staring into one another’s eyes. “If you don’t want to make this commitment to me, you must say so now. Don’t do this to please me if it’s not what you want.”
“I want you. I will stand up there and mean what I say.” Of that, Ranic had not one doubt in his soul. “What I’m afraid of is being visible.”
“What?”
“You show your face all the time. I have only shown my face to you.” Ranic adjusted the curious clothing again. They’d bought the suits and other items at the resort. Luckily, he’d been able to bill it to his room and cover it with his deposit. He wore a stunning jacket in dark purple that was crafted of fabric so light it practically floated around him. It was open down the center, showing off his bare chest. The pants were the same color and fabric, but the hems of the pant legs were gathered at his ankle. When Jarrett had seen them, he called them genie pants, and his almost instant erection told Ranic that the cut, color, and style was most flattering, but showing his face…
“I’m sorry.” Jarrett pulled him back from the entrance to the chapel. “I didn’t think that you are always in that enormous metal suit.” Jarrett looked around as if he would find something to make Ranic more comfortable. Jarrett’s suit was the same style and cut, but the color was the most stunning dark blue. To Ranic’s gaze, it flattered his bronze skin perfectly.
Enslaved by a Rebel [Sold! 2] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove) Page 5