One side of his mouth rose in a smile. “I’m a space pirate—a locked door couldn’t keep me from getting to you.”
“Really?”
“I’ve broken into fancier places than this.”
“And survived.”
“Clearly.”
She should’ve been mad at him for coming into her room announced. For seeing her naked. For watching her play with her breasts. She pulled her lower lip into her mouth and let her eyes wander to his cock.
No. Mad wasn’t the emotion she was feeling.
“I went to the garden and you weren’t there. You also didn’t answer your com-link,” he continued.
“I thought you were with Taio and Eva in the common room.”
“I try to stay away from Taio as much as possible.”
They stared at each other in silence.
“I was going to call you later. After my bath.”
He placed his hands on his hips and then dropped them to shield his cock. “I’m glad I didn’t wait for you.”
Her insides tingled down to her core. “This is where you would excuse yourself.”
“Are you kicking me out?” he asked. His voice seemed much deeper than before.
She should. Ancients knew she should. “No, Justin the space pirate.”
She turned around to lie on her back once more and closed her eyes. Her body shook with anticipation. She heard the door closing and resisted the urge to turn around. As she heard his soft steps approaching, her chest constricted. She clenched her jaw shut.
Next came the soft sound of what she thought was Justin pulling off his boots. He eased his legs in the water, one on each side of her. She found enough courage to open her eyes and saw that his pants had been rolled up to his knees, displaying toned, hairy legs. She let him cradle her head in his hands as he sat down on the ledge. Gently, he eased her head back to rest squarely on his groin.
She didn’t know which was worse. The compromising situation or that she was so excited by it.
His fingers ran massaging tracks along her scalp and by her temples. “Do what you were doing before I interrupted.”
Everything stilled within her. “I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“I was… I can’t do that with you watching.”
His hands trailed down her face…her neck…her chest…until finally he reached her breasts.
She arched her back and inhaled sharply. Insistent throbbing began between her thighs. She squeezed her knees together. His fingers massaged and kneaded her breasts. He cupped them as if he were trying to guess the weight. When his fingertips skimmed her nipples, she moaned. Embarrassed by the sound, she put a hand over her mouth.
He pulled her hand away. “I want to hear how good I make you feel.”
And there it was again, stronger. The throbbing.
“Am I making you feel good?” he asked.
She nodded, not trusting herself to talk.
He scooped up the bubbles that skimmed the water and rubbed a handful over her breasts, covering them. His hands were smooth against her flesh. Her nipples were alive with sensation.
She held on to his arms as he massaged around and across. She ached for him to touch between her legs—where the throbbing continued to build.
Could she?
She could.
She tugged his hand, making him reach farther.
“Do you want me to massage you down there?”
“Yes,” she moaned. A hundred times yes.
He slipped his arms beneath hers and pulled her out of the water. Wet and naked, she slid out of the bath until she lay fully displayed on the floor. He was on his knees between her legs in the blink of an eye, watching her intently.
“How much different am I from human females?”
“There is one difference that I can think of offhand.”
Suddenly feeling shy, she covered her breasts.
“Don’t.” He pushed her hands out of the way.
“But—”
“You’re beautiful.”
“But different.”
“Not by much.”
“Oh?”
“A woman has what’s called a clit that sits outside their vagina. When stimulated, it gives them…” He paused.
“It gives them what?”
“An orgasm. It makes them feel good.”
“Oh. Did you say it sits outside their vagina? Where it can be injured? That seems odd.”
He chuckled. “I never thought of it that way.”
“I have something like that, but it’s inside me. It’s called a miltori.”
“And when you touch it, how does it make you feel?”
Heat crept over her face. “I don’t touch it.”
“Why not?” He lowered to his stomach. “You should touch it all the time.” He placed his hands on the inside of her thighs and gently pushed them to open wider.
“It’s something princesses don’t do.”
“And you always do what you’re told,” he said in a low voice.
“I-I used to.”
His finger trailed across her lips and left a tingling path. Her eyes fluttered in response to the pleasure that was building. She pulled her bottom lip into her mouth.
“I would like nothing better than to show you how to touch yourself.”
He heart seemed to leap out of her chest. “Are you going to teach me now?” she whispered.
His eyes dropped down to where his finger had begun to caress around her opening. “I want to, I really do. But I’m afraid that I’ll have to be selfish here.”
“What do you mean?” she asked, confused.
“I’m going to do something better.” His head dropped to her pussy.
She reached out to stop him. “Wha—”
His tongue darted across her opening.
Her hand froze in midair. “Ahh!” she bit out as her back arched toward the ceiling.
Her body hummed. This was what she craved, what she needed.
His tongue entered her, flicking in and out.
Never in her wildest dreams would she have imagined this feeling. All this pleasure was too much. Her body seemed to spill over with it. She could feel her insides boil as he moaned and lapped at her.
He tasted and groaned his pleasure. Her body shivered when he pulled her lip into his mouth, suckling and releasing, only to do the same to the other side. And when his tongue dipped lower, she froze.
He couldn’t.
He could.
His tongue swiped past her forbidden entrance. She stilled him with a hand. “Justin…you can’t.”
His gaze flicked up to hers. The sight of him made the fire within her boil even more.
“I can’t what?” he teased.
He licked her again. This time his tongue lingered and probed.
She rolled her hips and squirmed. “Lick me there.” Even though it feels so good.
“I want to taste all of you.”
His tongue delved inside her. “Ancients!” she murmured.
She pulled on his head, tugging him. She didn’t know exactly what she wanted. But she wanted something, and she wanted it bad.
His hands gripped her thighs, forcing them wider still. She bucked against him. Her body seemed to be in a knot, one she needed to unravel.
“Justin, what do I do? I feel…feel…so…”
There were no words. She’d never felt this way before. What did she need?
“Let me take care of you, relax.”
His tongue delved inside her valley again. She bit back another cry. That was what she needed. Right there.
Just when she thought she couldn’t take any more, he blew into her.
Her eyes rolled back and the world stood still. The fire inside her exploded. She whimpered, trying to hold back the scream she wanted to unleash.
Her body shook and trembled as she fought to recover. Her breaths came out hard and labored. Wetness covered her skin, and she wasn’t sure if it was from swea
t or from the bath.
“I’ve never done that before,” she panted.
“Did you like it?”
She tried to hide her embarrassment with a hand. “Yes.”
“Good. I plan to do that all night long.”
Her eyes opened wide. “All night?”
He smiled and turned her onto her stomach. He spread her legs and looped his arms underneath them, making her butt rise high in the air. “All night,” he promised.
Chapter Eleven
“Why do you have to get married?” he asked.
He and Saia lay curled against each other in her bed. He rubbed her arm, enjoying the softness of her skin.
She stiffened. Instantly he knew the subject was uncomfortable for her. “Because my father has contracted the union.”
He inhaled, catching the scent of her hair and alien flowers, whose aromas were carried on a breeze wafting gently through the open balcony doorway. Wanting to distinguish the two smells, he picked up a generous midnight-black lock and brought it to his nose, inhaling again, this time deeper. Her hair smelled clean and fresh with a specific scent he didn’t recognize.
“And you can’t get out of it?”
She used a finger to trace the outline of his nipple through his shirt. It ached almost painfully under her teasing touch. He wanted to take her hand and lead it to the bulging impression of his cock, but restrained himself.
“No, my father is responsible for me. As the head male in my life, I must follow all of his commands.”
He’d already figured as much, but couldn’t help asking. Having her verbalize it didn’t lessen the blow that struck his heart. “Do you have any say about it? I mean, can you pick someone else?” His stomach clenched with the possibility.
She sighed. The sound was so soft that if he hadn’t been paying attention to every detail of what she was saying and doing, he would have missed it. “I didn’t pick Ranuit Pi and my father didn’t take my wishes into consideration.”
He shrugged. “Maybe this guy won’t like you.”
She looked up at him. Generous lashes framed her sultry lavender eyes. “Why wouldn’t he like me?”
JB snorted. “Look at you.” He ran his hand through her hair. “You have all of this thick, long hair.” He gave a mock shudder. “And your features are so, so hideous.” He flicked a finger on the tip of her perky nose and stuck out his tongue playfully.
Saia giggled and ran a hand across her face. “Are they? I never noticed before.”
“Oh for sure,” he added. “And your eyes.” He ran a finger over her perfectly arched brow.
“What about my eyes?” she asked, staring into his.
He couldn’t pull his gaze away. “They’re the most mesmerizing—” He shook his head. “I mean arresting…no, hideous color that I’ve ever seen on a female.”
“You’ve already used ‘hideous’ to describe my features,” she whispered. “Think of another word.”
He smiled and tilted his head. “Unflattering. They’re the most unflattering color I’ve ever seen.”
She laughed. “No, they’re the most unflattering color that anyone has ever seen.”
“Right. And your body.”
She settled onto her back. “Oh yes, we can’t forget about the rest of me. Where shall we start?”
“Your legs.”
She held up a leg, making the hem of her nightgown fall to her thigh. His gaze latched on to lean, golden flesh. She pointed her toes and rotated her leg from right to left, inspecting it. As she did, he tightened his fist. The urge to run his hands up and down the length was almost overwhelming.
“Just look at how long…golden…and slender they are,” he croaked.
She wiggled her toes. “Don’t forget about these ugly appendages. They look like five little fingers.”
He groaned as he bit back the urge to suckle each one.
She rolled to her side, facing him once more. “Close your mouth, you find me atrocious, remember?”
JB groaned again, this time louder. “Not even a blind man would find you anything but beautiful.”
She lowered her leg and pulled her gown into place. “That was very nice of you to say.”
“It’s the truth. One look at you and Ranuit Pi isn’t going to let you out of his sight.” He ran a hand down her arm and laced his fingers through hers.
She brought their hands up and kissed his knuckles. “I was thinking…”
“What?”
“Well, I was wondering actually…if Ranuit Pi would still want me if I weren’t a virgin.”
“Did your father promise him a virgin?”
Saia shrugged. “I don’t know what my father promised him. I haven’t seen the bonding contract.”
If he made love to her, the bonding contract might be voided. His heart skipped a beat at the thought of having Saia all to himself. But even as his mind raced with the idea of building a life with her, a realization settled over him like a black cloud. “I wouldn’t do that to you, Saia.”
His heart constricted as he spoke the words.
“What? Save me from a cruel warlord?” she whispered.
“If I could, I wouldn’t hesitate. But I can’t take your virginity and hand you over to Ranuit Pi. If he is expecting a virgin, he could harm you in so many ways and there wouldn’t be anyone to save you. Not me, your brothers or your father.” He tightened his grip on her fingers. “I couldn’t risk it.”
She snorted. “My father wouldn’t care if Ranuit Pi beat me daily. In fact, I think he suspects that he will.”
“Don’t say that. You’re his youngest child and the only girl. I’m sure he spoiled you rotten.” When she looked at him, confused, he added, “It means that he gave you everything you wanted.”
She closed her eyes, remembering all the hateful words he had spat at her over the course of her life. “My father doesn’t love me, Justin.”
“Why would you say that?”
“Because it’s true.” He’d told her as much on numerous occasions. “And you know what? It doesn’t feel so bad to actually say it out loud. I’ve known it since I was a child, but I always hoped he would change his mind.”
The memories of her trying to please Olo drifted to the forefront. When he became mesmerized by an off-worlder’s singing voice, she had taken up singing lessons. When he seemed enthralled by a troupe of dancers, she had taken that up too. But Olo had never heard her sing or seen her dance.
He didn’t want anything to do with her.
“He’s in your life and taking care of you. It seems like that should count for something. I don’t know my father. He didn’t stick around to take care of me and my sister. Maybe your father has a different way of showing his love.”
“No, I’m certain of it. Actually, I’m certain he doesn’t like Taio or Kiehle either, but I’m convinced he dislikes me the most.”
He didn’t beat them. He wouldn’t dare. Unlike Saia, her brothers were trained in fighting techniques and renowned for their skills. She couldn’t defend herself against a child; fighting was not something females were trained to do.
Justin kissed the top of her head and hugged her closer. “Oh sweetheart, I’m sorry. As sweet as you are, you deserve a father who would do nothing but make you happy.”
Olo made it a point to do everything he thought would make her unhappy.
That’s the only reason I’m contracted to a warlord.
She tried to hold back a laugh, the sound bubbling in her chest until it finally erupted from her. She laughed until she cried, her body shaking with the sobs.
“What’s the matter? What did I say wrong?” Justin asked, concern in his voice.
She wiped the tears from her eyes. “He beats me.”
Every muscle in Justin’s body stiffened. “Who beats you?” he asked slowly.
“Olo, my loving father.” She pulled away and rolled to her back again, looking up at the ceiling.
Justin rose to his elbow and leaned over her, his
eyes glinting with anger. “He shouldn’t be allowed to do that.”
“He’s King Olo Xochis. He’s allowed to do anything he wants.”
“Does Taio know?”
“No, Taio doesn’t know that my mother and I are beaten, kicked, bitten or spit upon.”
He inhaled sharply and moved to the edge of the bed. “I’ve never tried to willingly cross paths with Taio, but this is something I’ll gladly wake him up for.”
She reached for him, stopping him from rising. “No, you can’t! You don’t understand.”
He frowned. “What is there to understand? Your father is an animal and if anyone can stop him, it’s Taio.”
“He can stop Olo, but at a price.”
Justin raised a questioning brow.
“If Taio found out, he would kill Olo.”
“I’m sorry, Saia, but that doesn’t sound like such a bad thing to me.”
“We aren’t barbaric. We have rules in place. If Taio killed Olo, he would have to face the Galactic Council.” She let out a heavy breath. “I don’t know how to explain it to you.”
“Figure out a way or I’m going to Taio.”
She patted the empty place next to her. “Come lie down.” When he did reluctantly, she began again.
“You know all of the natives of Sonis are from Drazlan, correct?”
“Yes,” he said curtly.
“If Taio invades Drazlan to overthrow Olo, he would be asking for brothers to kill brothers.”
“Why not just kill Olo when he comes to Sonis for your engagement party? He’d avoid an invasion.”
She nodded. “He would, but tell me this—what do you think Taio would do to anyone who knew of the beatings and did nothing to stop them?”
“He’d kill them,” Justin stated.
“He’d kill them for obeying their king.”
“But—”
“Olo is the king, and right or wrong, to go against the king would ensure your death. Whether by Olo’s hand or Taio’s, I can’t have that kind of bloodshed on my conscience. And besides that, Taio would be investigated by the Galactic Council. If it is determined he was in the wrong and the council deemed what he did as murder, he’d lose his seat. My family has held a seat with the council for generations. Yes, he would give up his seat for me, but I wouldn’t want him to do such a thing.”
Dangerously His: 4 (Loving Dangerously) Page 10