3013: SALVATION (3013: The Series Book 5)

by Laurie Roma

  “I don’t,” she assured him, her ice-blue eyes alight with glee. “Can we really go flying?”

  “Of course we can. I think we can both use a little time away from the anger here and the mission in general.”

  “That sounds wonderful.” She grinned at him. “Let’s do it.”

  Arik let go of her hand and began to take his shirt off, gaining the attention from the few females that were outside on the deck. He felt a fierce sense of satisfaction when Skylar bared her teeth at the females, allowing her displeasure of their perusal of him be known. Most of the men of his race were tall and lean with muscle, but Skylar looked at him as if he were special. It made him take pride in his appearance when he never had before.

  Once he was bare-chested, he called forth his wings. He loved seeing the fascinated wonder on Skylar’s face as she watched them slowly unfurl from his back. It was something he never even thought about anymore, but watching her reaction reminded him of the joy he’d once felt when he had taken his first flight.

  “Come here, my keeper.” She let out a gasp as he lifted her into his arms. “Hold tight to me.”

  Skylar wrapped her arms around his neck as he bent his knees and launched them into the air. She let out an excited shout as he took them through the sky over the sparkling blue water. Tightening her hold on him, she laughed with sheer pleasure as the wind whipped at them both..

  “This is amazing!”

  Arik smiled at the joy in his keeper’s voice. The flew away from the base, leaving all thoughts of work behind. He felt the tension he’d been feeling melt away as he simply focused on the feeling of Skylar in his arms. He loved sharing this with her, happy that she enjoyed the rush of flying as much as he did. He very rarely had the opportunity to go out flying much anymore. When they were traveling in space it was impossible, but even on Earth they was a loneliness that overcame him whenever he took to the skies. Sure, there were other D’Aire on Earth, but it was different than being on his home world.

  But now he had Skylar to share it with.

  He noticed the dark shadows under the water and knew it was several Avox that followed their flight path. The Avox were always fascinated with the D’Aire, appreciating the difference between sky and sea. The shadows paced back and forth under the surface as if beckoning them to follow. Veering to the right, he trailed after the shadows and grinned when he saw where they were leading him. A huge shadow appeared, rising slowly toward the surface.

  Skylar tightened her grip on Arik. “What is that?”

  Hearing the apprehension in her voice, Arik said, “It is nothing to worry about. In fact, we are in for a treat. That is a creature called a zundaya. They are similar to the whales back on your planet, but their bodies crystallize the water so when they release it, they bend the light. The zundaya only surface around sunset, so our timing was perfect.”

  “I can’t believe the sun is only setting now. I feel as if we’ve been here for weeks.”

  “One day here on Avox is like two back on Earth,” he explained with a smile.

  He flew them a little higher into the air when the shadow breached the surface and expelled a geyser through its blowhole. Instead of water, they were surrounded by a cloud of glitter that sparkled in a multihued shimmer of colors. Awe filled her and she reached out one hand trying to catch some.

  “Stars! This is incredible! It’s like flying through a rainbow!”

  Arik hugged her closer to him. “I am glad I could share this with you.”

  She turned her head so their eyes met. “I will remember this moment for the rest of my life.”

  “As will I.”

  Something shifted between them in that moment and Arik increased his speed as he spied a small oasis in the distance. He slowed as they reached the small patch of sand about the size of a space shuttle and touched down. Releasing her legs, he let her body slide down his until her feet were touching the soft sand.

  Skylar looked down and saw the white, sugary sand was actually a sponge-like material. She took a few steps away just to watch her own footsteps disappear, then glanced back at Arik to grin at him. “I didn’t think there was any land on this planet.”

  “This is all there is, and it is only temporary. These sand dunes shift with the tides, disappearing and reappearing in different places. It’s one of the reasons why it is impossible to try and colonize a large number of outsiders here on this planet.”

  “Thank you for taking me flying with you.”

  “It was my pleasure. We can do it as often as you like.”

  She cocked her head to the side, studying him for a moment. If she wasn’t mistaken, Arik was nervous—or as nervous as a D’Aire could be. He always lapsed back into a formal speech pattern whenever he was unsure of a situation and she could see the tension in his flexing muscles. “What is it?”

  “I want you, Skylar. I don’t know how to bear this need I have for you any longer.”

  She smiled at him. “You don’t have to wait. It’s just you and me here...it’s perfect.”

  He didn’t move as he regarded her with serious eyes. “I have imagined this moment so many times I am afraid to move and find it is only another dream.”

  Feminine pride swept through her as she realized this was the first time Arik had ever been with a woman like this. “This isn’t a dream, Arik. This is real.”

  “I...I don’t know what to do. I mean, I know, but I don’t want you to regret being with me if you aren’t ready to face your past.”

  Regret filled her as she finally understood what waiting for her had done to him. Being with him felt right...and she was ready to take the next step. Ready to belong to him completely and claim him as her own in return. Determined to give him all she could, she took a deep breath and slowly began undressing. His eyes widened as he watched her remove her uniform jacket.

  “Skylar...”

  “I’m yours and accept all that comes with being your keeper,” she said as she leaned down to unlace her boots. When the task was complete, she looked up to see he hadn’t moved. His hands were fisted at his sides and he was watching her with an intensity that made her body tingle with anticipation. She quickly removed the rest of her clothing, smiling as she heard his harsh intake of breath when she was done. He made her feel like the most beautiful woman in the universe as his gaze burned over every inch of her skin. Holding out her arms, she said, “Come to me, Arik.”

  She let out a startled squeak as he flew to her, moving so fast she barely had time to blink before he was on her. He jerked her to him, his mouth claiming hers in a brutal kiss. Their tongues dueled together, stroking, tasting. She let out a low moan as he went to his knees in front of her, his mouth latching onto one of her breasts. She shivered as he suckled nipple into his mouth, his tongue swirling over the straining peak.

  Pleasure shot through her, straight down to her throbbing clit and her hands fisted into his long, white hair, holding his head to her. His mouth switched to the other breast and she moved her hands to his shoulders, reaching behind him to stroke where his wings met his back. She felt him shudder and looked down when he pulled back.

  His expression was savage, the look of hunger so raw she lost her breath. “I need you now.”

  “I need you, too.”

  Pulling her down to the sand, he cover her body with his, taking her lips once again. She turned her head before she lost herself in the kiss. She wrapped her leg around his, letting out a growl of frustration when she made contact with the material of his pants.

  “Clothes off,” she panted. “Take them off.”

  With a rush of wings, Arik was back on his feet, tearing at his clothes in frantic, jerky movements that was so unlike his usual graceful manner. When he was naked, Skylar hummed in appreciation when she saw his beautiful cock jutting out from between his thighs. The hard shaft was lined with veins pulsing under the skin, and a pearly drop of liquid leaked from the bulbous head. There was a small part of her that was relieved that h
is anatomy was exactly like a human male’s. She’d never seen a D’Aire naked before, but seeing his gorgeous body made her so damn glad that he was hers.

  Arik felt his body tighten with need as she rose to her knees. Her body was absolute perfection. Her full breasts were tipped with pink nipples he wanted to suckle, and her golden skin seemed to glow in the sunlight. The apex between her thighs was bare to his gaze, making him almost desperate to feel that soft skin again. He wanted to stroke his fingers and tongue inside her. To taste her liquid fire. Stroking his shaft in his hand, he watched her eyes flare with jealousy as he touched himself.

  “Who does my pleasure belong to, Skylar?” he asked softly.

  “Me. Your pleasure belongs to me. Let me show you. Come to me, Arik. Let me taste you.”

  His cock throbbed at her words and he walked toward her, slowly savoring the way she caressed him with her gaze. He felt utterly seduced.

  He stroked her face lovingly. “What you do to me, my love...my precious little Sky.”

  When her pink tongue touched the head of his shaft, he let out a vicious curse. His cock hardened as she lapped at the pre-cum leaking from the tip.

  “Do not tease me. I cannot bear it.”

  Skylar loved the salty sweet taste of him. Wanting more, she took the entire head of his cock in her hot mouth and gloried at the hoarse shout he let out when she sucked on him. She wanted to give him this, to show him how much she wanted him. Using her tongue, she lashed at the taut skin underneath the head of his cock, and heard the low growl that tore from his throat. She drew him in until the head of his cock hit the back of her throat, then pulled back only to repeat the action. She peaked up at him through veiled lashes and the pleasure she saw in his eyes filled her heart with joy.

  She felt his hands stroking her hair from her face and she moaned, letting it vibrate up his shaft. She began moving her head faster, using her hand to stroke the part of his shaft she couldn’t fit in her mouth. The sexual energy pouring from him had her clenching her thighs together to prevent the liquid heat spilling from her pussy. Her other hand drifted down between her own legs, wanting to relieve the growing ache that was building in her core.

  “No, Skylar! My pleasure belongs to you, but yours belongs to me. You will find your release when I am inside you, not by your own hand.”

  Pulling his hips back, his cock left her mouth. She was disappointed he wouldn’t let her drink down his release, but had to admit his command made her hot. Before she could protest, he reached down, lifting her easily into his arms. Thrilled with his casual display of strength, she automatically wound her legs around his hips.

  She took his lips with hers, capturing his groan as she began to move against him, rubbing her stomach against his straining erection. She felt his hand kneading her ass as the other gripped her hip hard. “Stop moving like that or I will take you right now. I am barely holding onto my control.”

  She nipped at his shoulder with her teeth, making him jerk in surprise. Winding her arms around his neck, she raised herself up and started rubbing the head of his massive cock against the slick entrance of her pussy, teasing them both to the point of madness.

  “Then stop. Lose control with me, Arik. I want to see you wild and crazy for me. As your keeper, I demand it.”

  He let out a savage growl he jerked her body down onto him, spearing her with his cock with one quick thrust. She tried to force her muscles to relax at his invasion. Their groans of pleasure mingled together as he slid deeper, filling her full. Arik tried to remain still to give her time to adjust to him, but she didn’t want to wait.

  He was big, and felt so damn good inside her.

  Arik felt overwhelmed with emotions. His first taste of loving was so much more than he’d ever imagined. Not because it was his first time having sex, but because it was with Skylar, the keeper of his heart. “I never knew I could love like this...that I could love you more than I already did. I love you, Skylar. To the depths of my soul, I love you.”

  “Oh, Arik, I love you, too. I was just too stupid to realize it.”

  “Shh, we are one now...and will be for all eternity.”

  Pressing his lips to her, he shared his pleasure with her. Shared his love. He opened his mouth over her, welcoming her tongue inside to dance with his. And when she lifted her hips starting a slow sensuous ride that pleased them both, a shiver wracked his body as the intensity of his feelings for her besieged him on every level. A low growl of pleasure tore from him as she rode him, taking and giving with each rise and fall of her body on his.

  Arik had never felt pleasure like this. Feeling Skylar welcome her into her tight, hot body was like a benediction. He gripped her hips hard and took over, thrusting his cock slowly inside her tight pussy as he curled his wings around her back to support her.

  It was if she had been made for him and now she was his...completely.

  He whispered words of praise, too lost in sensations to focus on what he was saying, but her purr of approval told him whatever was spilling from his lips had pleased her.

  “By the Gods, Skylar. I never knew anything could feel this good.”

  “Brace yourself,” she said with a laugh. “It gets better. Now, give me more. Faster, Arik. Fill me fast and hard.”

  Arik pumped his hips faster, thrusting his steel-hard cock inside the sweet haven of her body over and over again. He could feel his balls draw tight with his impending release, but fought the urge back. Making love to his keeper for the first time was so good he never wanted it to end. She was wide open to him, letting him see the pleasure he was giving her, and felt his heart jump in his chest. He gripped her hip, but wound her hair around his other fist, bringing her lips back to his in a heated kiss.

  They fed off one another as the storm of passion built to a crescendo, and he knew he was reaching the point of no return. Needing her to come with him, he shifted his hips so his cock hit her G-spot with every thrust, demanding that she race with him toward the finish.

  Skylar fed off his need of her, welcoming the energy pouring from him. She took it into herself, let it mix with her own so that it built inside her like a supernova waiting to explode. She threw her head back and screamed as her climax struck.

  Unable to hold back the energy inside her, she let it burst from her. She was barely aware of Arik falling to his knees as her release hit her, her body clamping down around his invading shaft. She tried to pull back, sensing the energy was too intense for him to handle, but he held onto her, not letting her move away from him.

  “Arik!”

  He let out a low groan as he came with her, her own climax triggering his. His wings shot out, expanding to their full, imposing length as pulse after pulse of his hot, thick cream shot deep inside her. She could feel their bond begin to snap into place as he filled her...could feel his mind merging with hers.

  Her first instinct was to fight it, but she forced herself to welcome him in and felt him slide into place in her heart and mind until they were one. She felt the ache her overload of energy caused him fade away. Somehow his body was able to accept the energy flow now that they were truly bonded. In turn, feeling the depth of his emotions for her kicked her straight into another startling orgasm, this one so strong her body jerked as waves of ecstasy battered her system.

  “You are my keeper,” he said softly in her mind. “I will love you until the end of our days.”

  Exhausted, she rested her head on his shoulder, her body still wracked with aftershocks of her release. “You can talk to me in my mind now?”

  “Yes. We are truly bonded, my keeper.”

  “Wicked cool. I love you, Arik.”

  “I am hoping that will always remain true. Forgive me, my love.”

  Skylar began to raise her head to ask him what he meant, but that was when the pain began.

  In an instant, flashes of every memory she’d ever had sped through her mind as if he were downloading the entire record of her life. The reliving of all she had exp
erienced was agonizing and too much for her to handle. Arik held her close, wrapping his arms and wings around her in a protective cocoon as if trying to give her comfort when she cried out, this time out of pure distress as the torture continued.

  When the final memory replayed, her body slumped against his. She couldn’t move after the torment stopped, only to be replaced by the soothing balm of the memories his life. She wanted to hold on, to enjoy the replay of his life, but she was far too drained.

  And when oblivion called, she willingly let the darkness claim her.

  ***

  Chapter Eleven

  Skylar woke in the quiet and the dark.

  Her brain felt foggy and muddled, like she had been asleep for weeks, but when she remembered what happened on the oasis with Arik her mind cleared and she went on alert.

  The painful memories of her past assailed her. Every single moment that she had forgotten—or blocked out—was there in her mind now. A wave of grief so strong hit her and stole her breath. It was an interesting combination. Part of her felt like it had all happened yesterday, the pain so fresh that it left her bleeding from the heart. But another part of her mind had distanced itself, allowing her to consider the new information rationally.

  Still, the grief won out.

  Afraid to move, she opened her eyes and slightly relaxed when she discovered she was lying in bed back on the Stargazer. She wasn’t sure how she got there or how long she’d been sleeping, but she knew she couldn’t just stay in bed and hide from reality any longer than she already had.

  “How are you feeling?”

  The concern in Dom’s voice had tears stinging her eyes and she felt him place his hand on her leg over the covers that had been tucked around her. She turned her head as he called the lights in the room on dim. She blinked rapidly to clear her eyes and saw Dom and Arik sitting beside her, both of them watching her with grave expressions.

  “How long was I sleeping?”

  “About two days,” Arik answered.

  “Two days? Holy nova, what the hell happened?” She struggled to sit up and both men helped her. She realized she was wearing one of Dom’s black shirts, and she was glad he had thought to put something on her. It wasn’t as if she were embarrassed for them to see her naked body, but having clothes on while she dealt with what had happened made her feel better.