“It’s warm and has no smell, whatever it is.”
“Is it food?”
“Looks that way.” He stuck a talon in the yellow goo and put it in his mouth.
Kelen laughed at the face he made. “Taste bad?”
“No taste, like the pancake. I’m beginning to think these people had no taste buds. Here. You take this bowl, and I’ll see if it will serve for two.”
It did, and they scooped what Kelen started referring to as yellow oatmeal into their mouths. Before too long, they were pleasantly stuffed.
Licking her fingers, she wiped them on her pants. “What I wouldn’t give for a bath and a clean uniform.”
“Have you tried any of the other straight-line symbols?”
She glared at him. “Now you’re teasing me.”
His eyes went to the one tile behind her that needed no explanation. “We can’t stay here, Kelen. Sooner or later we’re going to have to leave this place and search for the others, if any of them are still alive.”
“I know.” She stared down at her empty bowl. Sleep tugged at her brain and body, now that her belly was full.
“Kelen.”
She lifted her face and waited.
“Before we go, we need to rest again.” He gestured for her to join him on the floor. She didn’t hesitate to insinuate herself back into his embrace. As she snuggled against his side, she sniffed him again.
“Do I offend you?” he halfway teased.
“No. You smell wonderful, and I’m jealous.”
“If it’s any comfort, you have a non-objectionable odor, as well.”
“Non-objectionable?” She almost rose up on one elbow, but his hand kept her pinned down.
“It means I do not mind how you smell, either.”
“Quit trying to be chivalrous and tell me the truth.”
His arm tightened around her. “I am being truthful. Now, hush and get some sleep. We will need our strength when we reawaken.
Kelen kept her retort to herself. He was right. She didn’t have the energy to go exploring. Stifling a yawn, she closed her eyes, unaware of the pressure of his lips on the top of her head.
Chapter 18
Passion
He was petting her, bringing her to wakefulness either intentionally or not. It was a light touch, but every caress stirred her juices.
She knew she shouldn’t be feeling this way. She shouldn’t be aroused by the stroke of his hand on her hip, or the way he nuzzled her collarbone. But she couldn’t help herself.
“Kyber.”
He pulled away, and she immediately regretted it. Staring up at him, she tried to mile. His dark gaze bore into hers before dropping to her mouth.
Diplomacy had never been a strong point with her. Neither had she ever been able to keep her impulsiveness in check. Cursing herself, she touched his mouth with a fingertip. His lips were soft.
“I’m sorry to awaken you,” he said, breaking the silence.
“It’s all right.”
He continued to stare at her. The look on his face was unreadable. His hand on her hip sent heat straight to her core. The tension grew to the point where she could no longer stand it.
“Kyber, does your kind kiss?”
His head jerked back slightly, breaking her connection with his mouth. “Kiss?”
“Yeah. It’s when you place your lips on another person’s lips. It’s called a kiss.”
“What is the meaning for performing the act?”
“We do it to show affection.”
“Like between sensual partners?” His rough, gravelly voice sent streams of desire through her, turning her insides into jelly. She tried to adjust her legs, but found them trapped beneath his.
“Yeah. Kind of like that.”
“Show me how it happens,” he softly asked.
After a moment’s hesitation, she reached up with one hand and grabbed a strap on his uniform that looped over his shoulder. Tilting her head to the side, she brought him down until his mouth touched hers.
She waited, unsure how to proceed further, when he tentatively pressed his lips more firmly onto hers. Then with greater pressure.
Kelen sighed. Her body was melting, puddling into goo. Her brain spun with confusion, and her heart thudded like an engine in overdrive. Her world had collapsed into this infinitesimal point in time. Lost in the overwhelming sensation, she was unaware when he lifted his mouth.
“Is that how it’s done?” His lips brushed hers as he spoke.
“Yeah.” She couldn’t keep herself from grinning like a fool. “Just like that.”
“That is how Terrans show their affection?”
She gave him a curious look. His tone held the briefest of humor, giving her the impression that he was debating something. Or planning.
“That’s how we do it. How do Seneecians show their affection?”
“This way.”
He dropped his face into the curve of her neck. Kelen shivered as his tongue ran across her exposed skin like fine sandpaper. Wet, hot, and abrasive, but not enough to hurt. Climbing under her ear, he stopped and nipped her earlobe.
“That way.”
A puff of warm air hit the moistness where he’d licked her, and Kelen shivered. “Do that again,” she begged, closing her eyes.
Adjusting himself, he bent lower, placing his tongue in the hollow of her throat. His movements were slow as he dragged his dark pink tongue across her upper chest. She was unaware she’d moaned until he spoke again.
“Are you in pain?”
She opened her eyes. “Huh?”
“You were making sounds like you were hurting.”
“Oh, no. I’m not in pain. I… It felt good.”
He nodded slowly. “You taste good. Your taste is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.”
It was then that she was forced to admit to herself that if Kyber wanted to take this to the next level, she wouldn’t object. Hell, she may even race him to get there. His presence was all-consuming, sucking away her willpower and resistance with every lap of his tongue.
As she closed her eyes again, vague thoughts burst into her brain like fragile bubbles. How did Seneecians mate? For all the similarities they shared, would they be able to have sex?
Her body was amped. She couldn’t deny the growing moistness between her legs. Kyber shifted over a bit more, returning to that spot under her chin. But this time his tongue lapped downward, into the cleft of her breasts before stopping.
Kelen opened her eyes to find him staring at her face. Waiting for her to make the next move. To refuse or accept the next step. There was no mistaking where he wanted this to go. Wordlessly, she let him go and reached down for the ragged hem of her blouse.
“It has no buttons,” she told him in a hushed voice. “I have to pull it over my head to take it off.”
Kyber held out a hand to help her sit up. She kept her gaze on his face as she drew it over her head. The material snagged the sagging bun coming loose behind her head, and her hair tumbled around her shoulders.
His face was expressionless, but his eyes riveted on her pale complexion. On the sight of her bared breasts where her nipples were already taut with expectation. He lifted a lock of her dark brown hair and stared at it. Leaning forward, he sniffed it, then let his fingers weave through the thick tresses. “Your hair is long,” he noted.
“Only on my head.”
“I’ve heard Terrans have hair on other parts of their bodies.”
Her inner muscles clenched. “Yes. Between my legs.”
“May I see?”
May you see?
Her fingers trembled as she undid her pants and slid them off. Kyber observed the fact that the boots were part of the outfit and not separate. Kelen tossed the pants onto her blouse and laid back down on the floor.
There was undeniable emotional heat reflected on his face. His eyes seemed to burn into her as he took in the sight of her nude body. A taloned hand gently raked the tight curls covering
her mound. Before she could say anything, he dipped his nose into the nest and breathed deeply. The simple act sent a wave of anticipation through her.
There was no way she could tell if he was as turned on as she was. Or if he was simply excited at this new discovery. Yet, she couldn’t help wishing for something that shouldn’t be. That had no right to occur. Nor could she explain why she wanted this creature to make love to her. It not only went against everything she’d been taught, but it also went against the laws of nature. They’re weren’t even the same species. Many would argue Seneecians weren’t even humanoid.
And yet, at this moment, in this place, it felt natural. It felt good, and it felt right.
Kyber gave a soft growl. His hand clutched the pubic curls and gave them a little tug. The silent request was clear.
“Yes. Yes, Kyber. I want you to.”
She watched him get to his feet to remove his uniform. During her lessons back at the academy, where she’d learned about the Seneecians, most of what was taught covered their fighting techniques and battle maneuvers. She’d gotten a brief glimpse of a nude male anatomy, but she’d seen very little, if anything, to suggest the creature was even male. Nearly every inch of the body was covered with fur—short, thick, and as she’d just discovered, luxurious to the touch.
He untied the sandals from his feet and shoved them to the side. Next, he undid the waistband of his skirt, which also relaxed the straps crossing over his wide shoulders. The heavy leather-like uniform fell to the floor with an audible thump.
Kelen stared up at the support strap he wore to protect his genitals. With a flick of one hand, the strap came loose to join the rest of his outfit.
Like human males, he had a testicle sac which hung between his legs. It was difficult to tell if there were one or two, or maybe more. More disconcerting was the tiny bald head barely peering from his body cavity above the sac. She glanced up at him and was about to make a comment when he got down on his knees and pushed her onto the floor.
He lowered his face until their lips met again. Kelen relaxed. Placing her hands on either side of his face, she kissed him, gently moving her lips against his. Building pressure. Building the tension that would culminate in what they were about to do.
He broke away to murmur, “I do not know how your kind pleases a female, but allow me to show you how it is done with ours. If there is something you wish for me to change, do not hesitate to let me know.”
She nodded, waiting.
He lowered his body on top of hers, kneeing apart her legs until she could feel the heavy weight of his sac resting against her inner thighs. Anchoring his hands on either side of her ribcage, he made a little thrusting motion.
Something hot and thick began to burrow into her channel. Kelen gasped as her eyes flew open to find him staring down at her. His hips never moved, but his erection continued to tunnel inside her. Inching forward slightly, then withdrawing a fraction before penetrating deeper.
The sensation was incredible. He was filling her with himself. With a heavy length she would never have believed possible. The muscle that was his penis continued to ease inside her, stretching her, until it finally stopped.
She lifted her knees to give him better access. Kyber smiled at her response.
And then it began, a slow rocking in and out that left her breathless. The rhythm steadily grew faster as the muscle relentlessly plunged within her. Her cream coated his full erection to where there was no pain. Only the persistent ramming that was driving her out of her mind.
She grabbed his buttocks, squeezing them as she threw back her head. He continued to thrust himself into her, hard and steady. His length was jackhammering inside her, although the rest his body remained unmoving. At the angle where he’d placed himself, with every thrust, his erection ran roughshod over her clit. Her nerve endings sparked like internal engines on a space ship, and Kelen found herself on the verge of soaring.
She barely had the chance to breathe, when she was swept up in the maelstrom of her orgasm. And still Kyber continued to plunge into her without cessation. She cried out, a long wailing sound that seemed to stretch on forever.
Suddenly, he stopped, his thickness jammed up inside her as far as it could go, and she felt it pulse. Vibrating within her inner walls. Strong tremors went through her as it jerked. Kyber opened his mouth to howl as he found his own release, and he lowered his head until it touched the floor.
Kelen breathed heavily as the aftermath rippled through her with gentle waves of receding pleasure. Inevitably, his softened penis withdrew, dragging over her sensitive nerve endings and leaving her to shudder in its wake. Yet his body remained still, caging her beneath his bulk.
She could hear him breathing heavily. Patting his butt cheeks, she locked her heels behind his calves and circled his waist with her arms. Kyber felt her movement and lifted his face to gaze down at her.
“Was that adequate?”
“You couldn’t tell?” she halfway teased.
“I wasn’t sure.”
She reared up to press a kiss on his chest. “It was very adequate. But you missed one very important thing.”
“What was that?”
“My breasts. They’re a very erogenous zone for my kind.”
“I didn’t forget them, Kelen,” he murmured. “I plan to explore them the next time.”
She froze. The next time?
Fuck it, Kel. You know there will be a next time. And a time after that. And if you’re lucky, a quick follow-up to this time.
Kyber smiled down at her, and she couldn’t help but smile back.
Oh, God, what am I going to do? Heaven help her, but she was falling in love with her mortal enemy.
Fallen, hell. I’m already done for.
Strangely enough, although she knew she should be frightened out of her ever-loving mind for what they’d done, and for what could still happen, she wasn’t. In fact, she was looking forward to whatever he had in mind for their next time.
That is, if they lived long enough.
Chapter 19
Admission
Kyber sat in the corner on the other side of the room and watched her sleep. All the while, he cursed himself for his weakness, and for what he’d done.
There was no excusing what the two of them had experienced. The Guild would not forgive him once they found out. If they found out. Same for his fellow crewmen, if any of them were still alive.
The Terrans were the enemy. They were heathens. Skinned freaks of creation that didn’t deserve to live, much less be allowed to roam through the galaxies and populate planets like the diseased vermin they were. They were a vicious species. Too quick to judge, and even quicker to kill. They deserved to be wiped out of existence.
That’s what he’d heard all of his life, until it became a litany repeating over and over in his brain. Terrans were sub-human. They had to be exterminated.
He’d believed it, had never doubted it…until he met Kelen. There she was, a Terran female with a heart as big as any Seneecian’s, and showing more bravery than many crewmen he’d served with. A female as equal to any female of his kind. Intelligent. Resourceful.
And beautiful.
Kelen couldn’t be more enthralling if she was covered in fur. Even if she were, he knew that unique, exquisite quality that captivated him would not exist. Her being a Terran was what made her special. It’s what had drawn him to her as though she were a precious metal, and he’d melded a powerful magnet to his body.
Yet, he’d had no right to take her. His actions alone were enough to condemn him. Once convicted and sentenced, the Guild would strip him of his rank, brand him a traitor, and put him out in the wasteland to spend the rest of his life fighting to survive amid what lay beyond the high walls of the city.
But she had wanted him to. She had asked, and he’d had no choice but to grant her what they both were seeking.
Sighing heavily, Kyber continued to watch the gentle rise and fall of her breasts as she sle
pt. Years ago, he’d given up any hope of finding a female who would challenge him. Who would soothe his sexual fever the same way she could smooth his rougher edges. How was he to know that the person he’d secretly prayed for wasn’t even of the same species?
Kelen shifted in her sleep. He watched as she felt the floor for his presence, to find him gone. She opened her eyes to see him sitting away from her.
“Kyber?”
“I…couldn’t sleep. I did not wish to disturb you.”
She sat up and looked around, noticing he’d covered her with her uniform to keep her from getting chilled. She yawned as she ran a hand through her long hair that covered her shoulders like a veil. “That’s the biggest crock of shit I ever heard. What’s bothering you?”
“Other than our present circumstance?” He forced a smile upon his face.
She gave him a look of disbelief. “Nice try, but I don’t buy it. Why are you clear on the other side of the room? Was my snoring keeping you awake?”
“You weren’t snoring.”
“Then why aren’t you here next to me? Why aren’t you here touching me, so we can make love again?”
He gave her a curious look. “Make what?”
“Make love. Screw. Fuck. Whatever the hell your people call what we did earlier. How would you put it?”
“I took you,” he replied.
“All right. Then take me again.” She cocked her head. “Or is this what this is all about? Why you’re distancing yourself from me?”
When he didn’t answer, she crawled to him on her hands and knees, and parked herself in front of him. Reaching out, she touched his chin, lifting his face to make eye contact.
“Talk to me, Kyber.”
He shook off her touch. “What we did was wrong.”
“Don’t I know it.”
At her admission, he gave her a surprised stare. Kelen shrugged.
“Don’t you think I haven’t argued with myself about our actions? If we were back in space, we’d be in for a ship load of shit we’d never be able to dig out of,” she admitted. “But you know what? I don’t care. And you know why?”
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