by Lea Kirk
Gryf glanced at the framed image on the bed table, a gift from his parents to Alexandra during their month on Matir. In it, Vyn Kotas’s mother, Adra, knelt at Alexandra’s feet after pleading for the Profeta’s mercy. Alexandra had pardoned Adra for the crimes of her son—publicly, no less. The two women in the image gazed into each other’s eyes at the moment of absolution.
The image of this historic moment had been broadcast galaxy-wide, but his father had imprinted Alexandra’s copy with the words “Two worlds become one”, in both English and Matiran. A special message from Gryf’s parents to their beloved daughter-in-law.
Alexandra sighed and snuggled her bottom against him. Her desire teased at their soul link with sleepy suggestion. A suggestion he was not inclined to ignore. He reached for her, gathering her warm body against his own. Brushing her hair aside, he tasted and nipped from her shoulder, to her neck, and then her ear.
No words were needed as their souls had already engaged in anim loqui, humming together in their mysterious language. Gryf positioned himself and slid into her from behind. Mother above. Would there ever be a time when he wouldn’t have to struggle to maintain himself when he entered her? He closed his eyes to better savor her heat around him. Then he moved with long, slow strokes, caressing her tightening bud.
Her breathing became pants and she arched her back, meeting his quickening thrusts. Her cry and release flooded over him. He surged into her and stiffened, his own groan escaping his lips as he filled her. Their souls touched, and he lost all sense of time and place.
Reality reestablished itself into his consciousness with each beat of his heart. He was still buried deep inside his wife’s warmth, and there was no reason to withdraw. Instead, he touched his thumb and forefinger to the bridge of his nose and sent yet another prayer of thanksgiving to the Mother for bringing the two of them together. It was a daily benediction for his lifetime; how could it not be? Alexandra was his heart and soul, and the treasure of his eternity.
The End
As a parting thank you to my readers, here’s an extra chapter that didn’t make the final cut. I thought you all might like to know what happened to two characters I love, Graig and Simone.
~LK
~ * ~
~Desperado~
Simone closed the door of the study cube—her makeshift lab, courtesy of the Matiran government. The modular buildings served as homes, offices, and stores—even barns, like the one behind her tiny living cube. The beauty of the instant buildings was their ability to interconnect. If she ever wanted more lab space, she could have more cubes attached to the existing building.
She glanced across the open yard to her home cube. That would always be small. No reason to expand when living alone.
Crap. She despised self-pity, and refused to wallow in it ever again. Her life was about recovering local agricultural seeds and plants. A thankless job sometimes, but necessary. At least she wasn’t the only one working toward the goal of restoring Earth to a self-sustaining planet. It would take decades, at best. Eventually she’d take on students and teach the next generation to continue her work. Talk about job security.
The late spring evening was cool and clear, and the sun hung low on the western horizon. Ranger danced around Simone, barking as her awkward teenage puppy legs tripped her up. But she still wagged her tail in frantic anticipation of their evening outing. No shortage of enthusiasm here. Buck galloped across the field to greet Simone, nuzzling her hand for a small horsy treat.
Simone gave his neck a pat. “I think I’ll walk tonight, Buck.”
The horse nodded and snorted as though he understood. At least there was one guy she could always count on being there for her. Not that she needed any guy. The past eight months had proven that she would be fine on her own. And she really wasn’t on her own. She had a dog and a horse to talk to.
You just keep telling yourself that, Simone Campbell.
She struck out across the field toward the hill behind her cube. Her four-legged companions fell in step, trotting along loyally. At least they never questioned her evening ritual. Even she didn’t want to know what possessed her to return to that little piece of fence on clear evenings and watch the stars appear in the indigo sky. Or why some nights she’d stayed until it was full dark, unafraid because she had Ranger and the deadly accurate telum Alex had sent her from Matir. Simone had used it a time or two to drive off coyotes.
Or maybe she was just bat-shit crazy.
Ranger barked and ran up the hill. Simone’s gaze followed the dog’s path straight to the fence…and the stranger sitting on the top rail. Well, now, who the hell is that? The man was dressed in boots, jeans, and a long-sleeved plaid shirt. A cowboy hat rode low over his brow, shielding his face from the setting sun. Gloved fingers methodically shredded a long piece of wild grass. Ranger danced in circles around the section of fence barking, then tore back down the hill, presumably having caught the scent of something more interesting. Hopefully not another skunk.
Simone pressed her lips together and frowned. Some crazy-ass stranger had invaded her sanctuary, and he had to go. She’d try nice first, and if he tried to attack her, she had her telum. What was the worst that could happen?
Stand tall, shoulders back, walk with confidence. At least Graig had been good for something. She closed the distance, prepared to start with sweet talk.
“You should have your telum out by now,” the stranger said.
Simone’s heart lurched in her chest, and she came to a dead stop. “Say what?” Holy crap, she was bat-shit crazy. He sounded like….
The man pushed the brim of his hat up with one finger to reveal a dead serious, and all too familiar, face. “A woman alone approaching a strange man in the wilderness of this planet should have her gun trained on him.”
A heartbeat later, she did exactly that, and released the safety. Graig’s stare remained impassive.
“I didn’t get that weapon for you to wear as a decoration, Simone.”
“Son of a bitch.” The words came out in a whisper. He’d picked out the weapon? Shifting slightly to her right, she shot a hole dead in the center of her homemade rain gauge nailed to the far post, for no other reason than because she could. The can obligingly shattered with the force of the kagi.
Graig didn’t flinch a muscle, but a slow grin appeared. “That’s my girl.”
“That could have been your head, dumbass, and I am not your girl.” She set the safety and holstered her weapon. “What the hell are you doing here?”
He spread his hands and shrugged. “I was in the solar system and thought I’d stop in to see an old friend.”
“And maybe get a little whoopee while you’re here, I bet?”
He raised his eyebrows as if the thought had never crossed his mind, then shrugged.
“Go to hell.” Not the same three little words she’d once felt for him, but she meant every letter of them.
She turned on her heel and marched back down the hill. Shit, shit, and shit. Buck watched her as though confused that their walk was over early tonight, then trotted in the direction of his stall behind her cube. Ranger perked her ears up and cast a worried look at Graig before running ahead of Simone. The mutt zigzagged through the grass as though sniffing out imaginary threats. Smart dog.
It was amazing how fast a beautiful evening could be torpedoed. She didn’t hear Graig following, but that meant nothing. She’d seen him in action, and he could be quieter than death when necessary. If fact, he had been death for more than one unlucky soul. He had knifed four Anferthians, one by one, when they attempted to take her back to the slave ship. They’d never heard him coming.
Heat jolted through her belly, and her step faltered. Jesus, it was what happened after he’d disposed of the ’Ferths that still got her hot and bothered. She’d thrown herself at him...on him…. Whatever. He had filled her desperate need right there in the golden summer grass of the Sierra foothills. Not her first orgasm ever, but definitely her first hones
t-to-Jesus, thank-you-God-for-making-me-a-woman orgasm.
Was he following her? She had to know. She whirled around. Graig stopped five paces away. She pulled her lip up in a snarl.
“I thought Matiran men weren’t allowed to pursue women.”
“Since when did we ever observe Matiran protocol, Simone?” he asked drily.
True. By unspoken mutual consent, they had pulled a one-eighty from the way Alex and Gryf handled things, and done things their way. That decision was made the day Bodie kissed Ora, knocking all the Matiran men in camp onto their proverbial asses. Graig had adapted. Quickly. He’d stalked her like crazed paparazzi, finally coming out of hiding, throwing her over his shoulder and carrying into the black passageway behind the storage cave. And in the dark, it was all about feeling….
Shit. It was his fault she was reliving those painful memories now. She shot him her best “fuck off” look, and resumed her angry stomp toward home. Turning the door handle, she was brought up short. She wiggled the handle again. It was locked. What the hell? She never locked her door.
“Your ID reader works again,” Graig said behind her.
The damn thing hadn’t worked since last Christmas. “How did you know it was broken?” The words were barely out of her mouth when the answer hit her. “You’ve been stalking me?”
“Surveilling is a much nicer word.”
Oh, this just seemed to get better and better. Not. “How long?”
He gave her a vague shrug. “Long enough to learn your routine.”
She made a growling noise in her throat. “I don’t have enough food for the both of us.”
“I’d be happy if you would just lock your door while you’re out.”
“Yeah, against whom, exactly?” She swept her arms in the general direction of all the great empty nothingness surrounding her tiny home.
His slow, suggestive smile reached his eyes. Shit. She slammed her palm against the ID reader. Oh, yeah. That’s how it broke the first time. She leaned close to inspect it, but it appeared to still be working. It glowed yellow at any rate. She gave the door a yank, stomped inside, and came to yet another abrupt halt. Two place settings and a glass jar full of her favorite flowers—hibiscus—adorned the bistro size table in her kitchen. The most mouthwatering scents came from her microscopic oven. All this for a little nookie while he played hooky? It seemed over the top, and she had no intention of saying yes. Never mind that her body registered strong opposition to her brain’s decision.
“Where’d you get those?” Her voice dripped with sarcasm as she pointed to the flowers. “Hawai’i?”
“Yes.” His response was so matter-of-fact, she could only gape at him. He shoved his gloves into his hat, and hung them on the coat hook just inside the door. Simone swallowed against the sudden attack of nerves bubbling in her stomach. So, he planned to stay for dinner. And what could she say about that, especially since he’d cooked it?
His large presence filled her tiny cube, and she curled her lip and huffed. “You’re impossible.”
He raised one brow. “So are you. Sit down.”
“I need to feed Buck and Ranger.”
“The animals have been cared for. Sit. Your dinner’s ready.” He spoke English like a native Terrian, no trace of an accent. Was there anything he wasn’t good at doing?
A flush rushed up her neck, suffusing her face and numbing her lips. She knew from personal experience just how good he was at so many things.
There was no getting out of this. She huffed again, and plopped into a chair as Graig retrieved the cooking pot of savory-smelling meat from her oven. Placing it on the table, he sat across from her and began serving. “This is a Matiran dish, and yes, I did bring it all the way from Matir. The meat is from a native animal you’ve never heard of, and bears no resemblance or relationship to koalas. It’s not even remotely cute.”
He remembered she adored koalas? That was sweet. She took a bite and her eyes watered as the tender meat melted in her mouth. Why couldn’t she cook like this?
“This is good, Graig. Really good.” No sense in going overboard with the compliments. He might think she was caving. Which she wasn’t.
He smiled, and they ate in silence. They were almost finished before she finally dared to ask her most burning question. “Why did you come here, Graig? Honestly.”
He appeared to consider her question for several seconds before placing his utensil on his plate. Leaning his arms on the table in front of him, he met her eyes squarely. Even now, his ice-grey eyes, that intimidated so many others, sent her heart racing. Right over the same cliff it’d been over more times than she could count. Her hands trembled, and she dropped them onto her lap, out of sight.
“All my life, every time I’ve done anything, it’s been well thought out. Something I am good at, and something that makes me happy, or at least satisfied. After leaving you out there at the fence, it took me two months, and a sound thrashing from Alex, to figure out that I was no longer happy. It took five months more to secure my early discharge from the Guardians.”
“That’s seven months, space cowboy. You’ve been gone for eight.”
His eyes never wavered. “I spent most of the last month on Matir with my family. I was there to say good-bye.”
“Why?”
“I don’t plan to go back. I made a poorly-thought-out choice eight months ago because it seemed like the right thing to do. I enjoyed being a Guardian and in charge of security, and was damn good at it. There was no reason why I shouldn’t continue on that path. It’s the most miserable I’ve been.
“Simone, never in my life have I been happier than when we were together. Everything I have ever had or done pales compared to the time I spent with you. I don’t expect that you’ll take me back, certainly not easily, but I had to at least let you know how it’s been for me. And how sorry I am for tearing us apart. I love you, and that will never change. However, if you want me to go, I’ll go.”
That was more honesty than she’d ever received from one person in her life. Including her mother. She studied him for several heartbeats, then she collected their dishes and deposited them into the sink. She should scrap them into the compost, but his words kept replaying themselves in her mind.
She swallowed around the lump in her throat. “You know, I’ve never heard you say that much at once, ever.”
“Do you need time to think?”
Yes. No. Why didn’t she just know what she should say? Or do?
She gave him a nod. “Meet me at the fence in one hour.”
The chair slid against the floor, and she listened to the rustle as he rose from the table. He paused for his hat and gloves, then the door opened and closed with a soft thump.
~ * ~
Simone approached the fence. Again. Graig was a shadowy figure in the moonlight, sitting where he had been when she’d discovered him earlier. His hat hung over one fence post. This time she stopped about ten feet away, and he stood to face her.
No sense in beating around the bush. “It gets pretty dull around here. If you stayed, what would you do?”
“You still need green-houses for your work. As I recall, you wanted to make your home self-sustaining by planting and raising your own food. I can make that happen.” He paused then added, “I’ve also been told I’m a fairly decent self-defense magister. It would be a good way to give back to the people who have given me so much.”
She raised her eyebrows. He had given this some thought, yet she still wanted him to sweat a bit, so she stood silent for several heartbeats.
“You love me?” She held her breath.
Graig’s eyes glittered silver in the moonlight. “With every fiber of my being, Simone.”
“What if you discover you’ve made another mistake?”
“Mistakes can get a man killed. This one’s been killing me for eight months. I am not making another mistake.”
They stood facing each other in silence. Now for the moment of truth. “For life?”
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Graig nodded. “For life.”
Her heart fluttered. “We’re doing it right this time, you know.”
“Anything less would be unacceptable.”
Slowly, she took her right hand out of her jacket pocket and raised it, palm toward him. His response was instant. He raised his left hand. She stepped toward him, closing the distance step by step until her palm pressed against his. His hand glowed with his Gift, and by its faint light she could see the softening of his entire face.
“I love you too, Graig.” Her admission came out in a choked whisper. Then she stood on her tip-toes, and he bent down to oblige. The warmth of his breath fanned her face, then he captured her lips with his. She tasted the exotic, alien spices from the dinner he’d cooked for her, and opened her mouth to him for more. The kiss went on and on. Their fingers entwined, and his other arm wrapped around her waist. She relaxed against him. This was home. The only place she ever truly wanted to be. Tears welled against her closed eyelids, seeping out and down her cheeks. After eight long months of living with an empty heart, she still loved him. Maybe even more than before.
When they pulled apart, she discovered that he had picked her up and her legs were wrapped around his waist. His most intimate desire pressed against hers, and her flame ignited.
Graig rested his forehead against hers. “I brought you a gift.”
She tightened her legs around him. “What’s that, space cowboy?”
His low chuckle vibrated through her. “Not that. Not yet.” He balanced her with one strong hand cupping her bottom, and reached his other hand into his shirt pocket. Simone frowned at the small device he pulled out. He was gifting her with the Matiran version of an MP3 player? Wasn’t that just so romantic?
Graig tapped the device and returned it back to his pocket. “Let’s see if you can guess who this is.”
The first strands of acoustic guitar filled the night air, and then a male voice began to sing, “Desperado….”