She didn’t stop. “I was. But now it feels good.” She twirled her hips again.
“Shit.” He plunged.
She threw her head back and moaned. “Yes!”
He was going to come and he was going to come hard, but he stroked the inside of her walls. Her pussy, slick with her juices, massaged him. He pulled a nipple into his mouth and sucked. She wrapped her legs around his waist, holding him in a vise grip.
Her nails ran across his scalp when he tightened his lips around her nipple. Moaning, she flailed her head from side to side. He strained with each thrust, trying to hold back.
Her pussy quivered. Warm liquid dripped from her.
She convulsed around him but he didn’t stop. He grabbed her thighs and pressed them back. Now that she’d come her body seemed to relax slightly, but still her tightness pulled and sucked at him. The wetness that flowed liberally from her pussy helped him glide in and out. She gripped his arms, her hands kneading his muscles.
He slowly pumped into her as she nipped and licked his nipple. “I could stay like this forever.”
He let go of her legs and settled on top of her. “So could I.”
He began moving again, a little faster than before, taking her arms and positioning them over her head. He held on to them and gazed down at her in wonder. He thought he’d never see the day.
He was making love.
This wasn’t just another warm body beneath him. This was the female he loved and would spend the rest of his days with.
“I think I’m going to come again,” she moaned. Her body tensed.
He’d held out before, but he didn’t think he could do it again.
Her pussy contracted. Her legs squeezed his waist. “Yes!” She threw her head back and erupted around him again.
Every nerve in his body fired. His orgasm came fast and hard. “Ahh!”
He came with a scream as her walls spasmed around his cock. Holding her tight, he thrust up, spilling his seed deep inside her body.
“Justin, yes!” she cried out.
He fell to his side, taking Saia with him. His breaths came out heavy and hard. His heart beat painfully against the wall of his chest. Lying together with her legs still around his waist, he never wanted to let her go.
She stroked his hair slowly, and his breathing started to slow as he drifted off to sleep.
* * * * *
Saia sat between his legs, her arms resting on his thighs. She patiently waited as he combed through her hair, parting it down the middle.
“What are you doing again?”
“I’m putting your hair in French braids. Don’t worry. It’s going to look pretty. I used to braid my sister’s hair all the time.”
He separated the sides and tied one with a piece of string he’d found. He urged her to tip her head back, grabbed a small lock of hair and, starting from her forehead, began to braid it along her scalp.
She tried to flinch away.
“Stay still.”
“I can’t help it. You’re tugging my hair.”
“You’re just tender-headed. I’ll try to be gentler. I have to get the braid tight or it’ll unravel. But if you keep moving it’ll be crooked, and I’ll have to take it down and start again.”
She stilled and he finished his work, taking his time to braid all the way to her ends. At the bottom, he secured his work with a second string and let the braid fall to her waist.
She retrieved the braid and inspected it. “Are you done?”
“No, I have to do the other side.” He began to comb out the rest of her hair.
“And you said your sister liked these French braids?”
He twisted strands of hair together, making a perfect braid down her scalp. “Yeah, she needed to keep them in braids for softball games, a sport she used to play. She wanted me to do them because she thought our grandmother made them crooked and they would come undone in the middle of her games.”
“Were you close to her? I mean, before she left home.”
“We were pretty close.”
He finished the braid and tied it with the last piece of string.
“Justin and Justina. I bet you two were a handful.”
He chuckled. “It was JB and Tina, and yeah, we gave our grandmother a run for her money.”
“Are you the oldest?”
He shook his head. “No, she was born three minutes before me. She never let me forget it either.”
How many times had she said, “I’m the oldest!”? Too many times for him to count. Most times she was shouting it while holding him down and punching him.
“It must hurt to be separated from a twin.”
He looked away. It hurt more than he could ever put into words.
Although he hadn’t seen her since she’d left home, there had been the constant calls. They’d talked almost every day until the invasion. By the time he could pull himself away from watching the mayhem on television to dial her number, all the lines were busy or down.
When he didn’t respond, she continued, “On Holis, the twins share a special bond. They are able to share feelings and thoughts. When they are separated from each other for long periods of time, they often die unless they can make a link with another, which is very rare.”
He pulled her back to sit against him and wrapped his arms around hers. “Human twins have a special bond too, nothing like that though. She’s still alive.” He squeezed Saia tighter. “Wouldn’t I feel it if she were dead?”
Saia snuggled into his arms. “I would think so. You just have to keep hoping she is alive and well.”
If a little hope was all it took, he would have never been captured by the Loconuist in the first place.
No, hope didn’t serve a purpose in this situation.
“Human females haven’t fared so well. A lot of them were sold to brothels or to males as mates.”
She turned to look at him. “You will find her one day.”
“We will find her one day,” he corrected.
She brightened. “You would take me with you?”
“As soon as we can get off this rock, we’ll search for her, me and you.”
She smiled and settled back into his arms. “It’ll be nice to see the galaxy. Taio and Kiehle tell me about it all the time. They bring me trinkets from different planets, but that’s not like seeing them myself.”
“We won’t leave any planet unturned,” he declared.
She stiffened slightly in his grasp.
“What’s wrong?”
“You know that my brother and father will not let me get far. They’ll be looking for me.”
“Saia, listen, we’ll do everything we can to remain undetected. I have experience with living on the run. We can get to Ryan. He’ll hide us on The Vengeance II.”
“I don’t know about asking your friend for help. He doesn’t even know me. Why would he risk his life to hide me?”
“Because I love you.”
She looked over her shoulder. “Will that be enough?”
“Saia, you aren’t just some female that I’m on the run with. You’re the love of my life, my mate.”
He watched the way her eyes softened and all the worry seemed to disappear. “As you are mine.”
If this wasn’t love, he didn’t know what else was. Here he was, holding the most beautiful woman in the universe, and she loved him just as much as he loved her.
I don’t want this feeling to ever go away.
“Saia Xochis, will you bond with me?”
She giggled. “I already agreed.” She threw up an arm. “Remember? The reason we’re here?”
“Right now. What do we have to do? Do we need a witness? Can Ship serve as one? Should I call him?”
She pulled away from him. “Are you serious? You want to bond right now?”
“Yes, unless we can’t. What are the rules?”
“The two parties have to be in agreement. If it is forced, the Ancients won’t bless the union.”
“B
ut you didn’t want to bond with Ranuit Pi. Your father was going to make you.”
She shook her head. “I didn’t want to bond with him, but I did agree to the union.”
He rolled to stand and reached for her hand, lifting her to her feet. “Two willing parties—check. Witnesses?”
She shook her head. “Not needed. A bond is a bond.”
“But won’t we need someone to witness, to tell your father that we actually went through with it? Someone to verify the bond is legit?”
“It doesn’t work that way. I can’t explain it. Bonding is a spiritual connection between two people. It’s not something that someone would lie about. The individuals are connected in more ways than one.”
“Let’s get this ceremony started.”
She turned to scan Jess’ living room. “Here?”
He followed her gaze with his. “What’s wrong with this room? Do you want to do it in the bedroom?”
She held up her hands. “You can say no, but hear me out first.”
He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her flush against him. “I’m not waiting any longer.”
“When I was little, I always dreamed of having a bonding ceremony outside in a garden. I dreamt of how romantic it would be. I gave up that fantasy when I found out I was bonding with Ranuit Pi, but now—”
He placed a finger over her lips. “Let’s go get married.”
“But the garden…”
“Tonight is your lucky night. Jess has a small one in the back.”
* * * * *
She sat on her knees facing Justin. They were both naked, their palms pressed together. Her body thrummed as they spoke the sacred words.
My heart is your heart.
My body is your body.
My soul is your soul.
From this moment on,
We live as one.
Before does not matter.
Before is not relevant.
Before there were two,
Now we are one.
As they chanted the words over and over, the air around them sparked with electricity. Every hair on her body seemed to stand on end. Every nerve in her skin thrived.
Her knees brushed lightly against the ground then she was hovering above the grass, moving closer to Justin until they pressed against each other. Their bodies connected. They seemed to melt together. Their spirits blended.
She heard the words they spoke, so fast, so loud, but it was distant. She felt her lips moving but she tuned the words out. All that mattered was that she be with Justin, touching him…loving him.
A bright light flickered then exploded. She fell to the ground. A million voices spoke in her head. All telling her the same thing in different dialects.
Take care of his soul and he will take care of yours.
Chapter Eighteen
“I will not tolerate this!” Ranuit Pi slammed his fist on the table and stood.
Taio gripped the armrest of his chair. It was the only thing keeping him from lunging at Ranuit Pi and strangling him.
The alien leaned across the table to stare at King Xochis. “We have a contract,” he seethed.
King Xochis met his stare with a piercing one of his own. “I have not broken our contract. I will find Saia and she will be yours as promised.”
Taio formed his fingers into a steeple. “We cannot ignore the inevitable.” He looked at Ranuit Pi. “Will you still want her if she is no longer pure?” Both males turned to him. “She has run off with a male.” Taio shrugged. “I don’t want to think about it, but I’ve faced the fact that he has likely tainted her body. She may very well carry a child that is not yours.”
His father nearly erupted from his seat. “She would not dare taint my name that way!”
Taio fought against a smile. He liked nothing better than to see someone get the best of his father. “There is a possibility that she will.”
His father’s eyes narrowed to a severe squint. “I will kill her and that human,” he ground out.
Taio’s fist clenched again. His nails bit into his palms. “You will not,” he said, trying to keep his voice as calm as possible. “You will give her to me.”
Ranuit Pi swiveled his head to King Xochis. “I get to have her—we have a contract!” he said, spitting as he spoke.
His father looked to Taio and smiled, then turned to Ranuit Pi. “And I will make sure it’s honored.”
Taio straightened in his chair. “You will still honor the contract, even after this?”
Ranuit Pi cut his hand through the air. “I don’t care if she has fucked another. All that matters is that the contract is upheld and I get what is promised to me. If she is with child, I’ll send it back to King Xochis.”
Taio exhaled deeply and looked toward the wall. A warring lord such as Ranuit Pi wouldn’t be interested in fidelity, especially since Saia couldn’t produce heirs for him. She was just a means to what he thought was a victory in a never-ending war.
King Xochis sputtered. “You will do no such thing!”
“Then I’ll kill it,” Ranuit Pi said.
“And I’ll be forced to kill you,” Taio said low.
He peered at Ranuit Pi, imagining all the ways he could end his life. The warrior returned his stare with a dangerous glint in his eye. Nothing would make Taio happier that to pluck his eyes out and stuff them down his throat. Only after Taio smiled did Ranuit Pi’s gaze shift to King Xochis.
“Don’t get upset about nothing,” King Xochis said. “I’m sure Ranuit Pi isn’t really going to kill a child, should Saia have one. He’ll send it to you.” He turned to Ranuit Pi. “Won’t you?”
“Of course. I don’t care who has the child. I just want my promised mate back—along with my Drazlan royal guards.”
King Xochis smiled. “See, Son? There’s no need for me to kill your precious sister. Ranuit Pi will take her regardless. Now, let’s stop this talk about children and killing. We can’t be sure she’ll come back pregnant.”
“How am I supposed to stop thinking about killing you?” Taio asked under his breath.
“What are you mumbling?” King Xochis inquired.
A laugh erupted from Ranuit Pi. “Ha! Family dynamics, there’s nothing like them. I killed my father for his crown. One day I suspect one of my many sons will kill me.” He held his head high. “It will be a glorious day in our history.”
He is crazy. Taio groaned and rolled his eyes. He couldn’t let his sister spend the rest of her life with a lunatic.
He continued on. “The day my son can overthrow me will be celebrated amongst my people. I will even smile myself as the sword is being thrust into my chest.” He tilted his head. “But if he beheads me, I suppose I won’t have time to smile.” He turned to one of his guards. “Alouno El! If I’m beheaded, will I have time to smile?”
Alouno El furrowed his brow. “I suspect you will, Lord. I have not seen a warrior smile at the time of beheading, but I have seen a look of horror. I suppose it is much the same.”
Taio shook his head.
His father stood and adjusted his clothes. “Taio, since she has fled while under your care, I insist you find her and return her to me and Ranuit Pi.”
“It will take time to locate her, and even that is not a guarantee.”
“I will not hear of such a thing. You can get your entity to help you.”
“He is not my entity. Ship is not owned by anyone.”
“If I had such an entity, I would have untold powers,” King Xochis said, looking out the window as if he were imagining which worlds he would conquer first.
“I have heard of this entity of yours. Make it show itself to me.” Ranuit Pi grunted and looked around. “I demand it.”
Taio stood, not able to take any more. “I will not. As I’ve said, Ship makes his own decisions.”
Ranuit Pi began to bristle but King Xochis put a hand on his shoulder. “No need to get upset. We will bring her back. That’s the only important thing here.” Then he turned
to Taio. “I’ll expect you to find Saia. If you fail, I will be forced to contact the Galactic Council. She left while under your protection. I would expect ample compensation.”
“I would expect a war!” Ranuit Pi declared, brushing King Xochis’ hand away.
Taio watched as they left, trailed by their guards. They were much the same, he thought. Power-hungry and selfish. Saia deserved so much better than either one of them.
“I know what you are thinking,” Ship said.
“I don’t believe you do, but humor me.”
“You can’t start a war with your father and Ranuit Pi.”
“No, I can’t, but it doesn’t stop me from thinking about it. I’d like nothing better than to end their miserable lives.”
“I have a question.”
Taio leaned back in his chair and rubbed a hand across his brows. He’d had little sleep since Saia and JB left Sonis. “Yes?”
“Why does King Xochis hold you responsible when you didn’t aid in her escape?”
“I didn’t help her leave, but I suspect you did.” He’d thought about it over and over again. There was no other way for Saia to escape undetected. Ship was the only one who could have orchestrated it.
Ship ignored him. His silence confirmed what Taio thought.
“Why did you do it?”
“Because it needed to be done,” Ship stated.
“My father is right. I’m responsible for her escape. The Galactic Council will hold me accountable.”
“I’ll divulge what I did. It was only me. I’ll listen to any repercussions the Galactic Council would propose.”
Although he was furious, he couldn’t help but chuckle and shake his head at Ship’s choice of words. “The Galactic Council couldn’t do anything to you. They wouldn’t know how to punish you.”
“But I’ll listen just the same.”
“I’m sure you’d listen to them just as well as you listened when I explained the rules of my culture.”
“The rules of your culture dictate that as her father, King Xochis is responsible for her. As a high-ranking member of that culture, it is expected that you would uphold the rules set forth. You cannot legally keep her away. If you find her, you must return her to him. He is her rightful protector.”
Dangerously His: 4 (Loving Dangerously) Page 16