Instead of calling a halt to the play as she’d feared, Kren cleared his throat and said, “I like this too. I have often thought I would, but our women would not find it acceptable. I will continue if it excites you.”
He went back to enjoying her breasts, his attitude one of a man who had every right to her body. The entitled demeanor made Jeannie’s sex spasm more than the feeling of his hands on her.
She wasn’t the only one breathing faster. How nice that she could offer Kren a novel experience as well. If sex with Risnarish women was as coldly functional for him as it sounded, the poor guy was overdue.
Kren circled her areolas, his avid gaze fascinated when they blushed a deeper, rosier hue. Her nipples jutted tighter than ever. When he ran at least ten fingers on each hand over them, the tips curling around, he found them rock hard. The touches stole Jeannie’s breath. Electrical impulses zinged from her nipples to her clit, making her insides coil tight.
“Kren,” she gasped.
“Not just for the feeding of babes,” he said. “Risnarish women are not so disposed to this type of stimulation. I’ve never known them to respond to sensual handling of their breasts as you do.”
“They have no idea what they’re missing out on.” Jeannie groaned.
“No, I suppose not.” He plucked the aching tips. Jeannie arched in response, his name spilling from her lips again.
To her dismay, he moved on. “Hey, you’re not done there already,” she told him.
Kren laughed. “I’ll return to them. I promise.”
Jeannie pouted, but she let him do his Risnarish thing. He’d promised, after all. And he was the one in control of this encounter.
Kren traced over her ribs, smoothed his palms over the inward curves of her waist. He traced the tiny cup of her navel, and she giggled despite the intense arousal throbbing in her stomach.
“Ticklish,” she said at his questioning amusement.
“We Risnarish grow out of that sensation,” he noted. He moved down again.
Jeannie held her breath, knowing where his next stop would be. He mused over her mound, his fingertips playing among the swirls of pubic hair.
“Such a curious pelt,” he murmured. “Different from the mane on your head. Not as soft. The texture is different.”
“You don’t like it?” Jeannie asked, self-conscious again. “I could shave it off if you have the means.”
Kren gazed up at her. “There is nothing on you I don’t like,” he informed her. “You only change yourself if it is an important matter to you.”
She felt as if he reproved her for suggesting she alter herself to make him happy.
He shifted her legs, pushing them apart and bending them so that her sex was open. Jeannie drew a sharp breath and tried to close them again. Kren moved so that he knelt between her thighs, keeping them parted so she couldn’t shield herself from his gaze.
She let go of the bars over her head. Her hands were halfway down to cover her mound when his voice crackled through the air like a gunshot. “Jeannie.”
She froze, again held captive by the authoritative tone that needed no malice to command her obedience.
He regarded her with those silvery starburst eyes, his expression stern. “Put your hands where I told you to keep them.”
“But I feel so exposed,” she complained while she reached for the bars again. Even with her discomfort, she moved to his dictates. She felt as helpless as a marionette in the hands of the puppet master, and the vulnerability excited her.
“That’s all right, though.” He smiled at her, stroking light fingers up and down her splayed inner thighs. “It’s fine to be anxious while I look at you. It’s all right to be nervous as I study your lovely secrets. You will allow it anyway, because it’s what I want. And what you desire most is whatever I wish of you. Isn’t that right?”
He was in her head, flipping all her switches as no other man had managed. Somehow Kren’s calm handling mixed with that underlying power made her bend to his will. She cursed the authority she’d given him even as she thrilled to it.
He was right that she wanted what he wanted. Anything he chose, as long as he craved her too. She could not deny him.
“I need you, Kren.” Her voice was a thin thread, a gossamer strand, trailing wispily in the air between them.
“I need you too, my treasure. Now stay still for me and let me see you.”
When he bent low again to explore her womanhood, Jeannie trembled but did not dispute him. He gazed without touching for some time. Perhaps he was testing her resolve.
He mumbled something under his breath, but the translator caught it anyway. “Beautiful, incredible woman.”
A lump rose in Jeannie’s throat at the emotion in his voice, negating the careful control he’d used thus far.
After endless minutes looking, Kren touched her.
A finger traced her slit, gliding through the dampness. “I like this scent coming from you. It excites me. Is it your mating scent?”
His touch brought instant heat to her belly. Her voice too high to mask the eagerness filling her, she answered, “I suppose it could be considered that.”
“You grow wet, as our women do to ease the joining. Your cleft resembles theirs too. I wonder—”
The barest touch lit on her clitoris. Jeannie nearly jumped out of her skin as pleasure flashed through her body.
Kren grinned his delight. “Just as Risnarish women are made. Isn’t that astounding?”
What was astounding was how he’d lit her like a Christmas tree with that single touch. Jeannie’s sex throbbed with want. Her hips tilted upward, begging for more.
Instead, Kren crawled up the bed to lie next to her, pulling her close. He loosened her hands from the bars and curled them against his chest. He held her tight, his very hard, very there cock thick between them. He gave her a chaste kiss on the forehead.
Jeannie stared at him in shock. “You’re stopping?”
Something soft and warm curled around her hip, circling her buttocks to draw her closer to him. She looked down to see Kren had grown a tail, with which he held her tight.
He said, “That is all that is done on a first encounter with a potential mate. You are interested still?” He licked his lips, his gaze hopeful.
Jeannie moved against him, wanting more. “Yeah. Really interested.”
“Then we can go to the next step next time.”
Is he serious? No way! Yet his expression said he meant what he said.
Disappointment flooded through her. Jeannie wanted the next step now. Hell, she wanted all the steps now. “You said you’d explore my breasts more. At least give me that. You promised.”
“I did not say when I would explore them. I’ll do so next time.” He smiled at her eagerness.
“Kren.” Jeannie rubbed her chest against his, trying to change his mind.
He pulled her closer, holding her tight enough that she couldn’t move. “Next time.”
Jeannie scowled. She thought about arguing. She thought about begging. No, she would not lower herself in such a way. Beg for sex? Not likely.
Easier said than done. She couldn’t help but twitch against his firm body, wishing he would plunge that thick length between them inside her. To rut with her. Damn it, he’d gotten her aroused only to leave her high and dry.
To distract herself before she started begging for a pity screw, she started talking about the first thing to enter her mind. “What’s going to happen to me? Do I really have to move in with the women? Why can’t I stay with you until we find a way to send me—back?”
She’d almost said home, but that word was not an accurate description of her condo on Earth. It was the place where she slept and ate meals. Her heart wasn’t there. Her heart had no home anymore.
Kren sighed, a wistful expression filling his face
. “It would be nice if it were possible, wouldn’t it? I don’t know when they’ll expect you to move into the temple. First you must talk to our village elders.”
“What are they like?”
“Mekay is an elder, a member of Hahz’s governing council. Those on the council are all learned experts in their respective fields. The head of the council is our wisest governor. She is good.”
Jeannie heard a trace of doubt in his voice. “Is she really?”
His gaze cleared. “Oh yes. Many say we have not had such a knowledgeable leader as Yees in generations. However, there are those on the council who might be resistant to you, Jeannie.”
A tendril of worry wormed into her gut. “Why?”
“Risnarish tend to be suspicious of anything the Monsuda have touched. It is obvious you were not made by our enemies, but the council will require proof.”
“What proof?” Her eyes narrowed as suspicion reared its head.
Kren kept his voice light. “That is not clear yet. Doctors may want to scan you. You will be asked many questions. Mekay will protect you from those who are most suspicious. I will speak on your behalf as well. You have nothing to be afraid of.”
Jeannie wasn’t so sure. She sensed Kren might be hiding something from her, that the situation was not quite as cut and dry as he claimed.
Yet she trusted him with this. She trusted Mekay and Gurnal too. For the first time in a long time, she had faith in others, that they were looking out for her best interests.
Kren would not allow her to be harmed. If she believed nothing else, she believed that. “All right,” she said. “I’ll talk to your elders on the council. I’ll take their tests and perform tricks if it will make them feel better about me.”
Kren chuckled. “One step at a time. For now, you can call my home yours. Whatever needs to be changed for your comfort, tell me.”
Jeannie smiled, all her worries easing. If Kren was inviting her to put her stamp on this place, then he must feel confident about her chances of remaining.
* * *
Kren’s thoughts whirled. He’d touched Jeannie. Intimately, until she wanted him. He was sure he hadn’t imagined the desire in her expression. And she’d said she found him attractive. It was a start, better than he’d dared to hope for.
The way she’d melted beneath his caresses. Her whole being had been riveted on the moment, on his touches, on the attention he’d given her. How many times had he wanted a woman to yield wholeheartedly to the pleasure he offered? To see her eyes go glassy, hear her breath quicken, feel her pulse drum with perfect abandon?
He’d never experienced anything like it. Risnarish women never surrendered themselves completely. Some part of them remained in firm control no matter how passionate the encounter.
Jeannie had given in to him and the desire he’d awakened. She’d let him touch her, investigate her, and arouse her without holding back. She’d allowed him to control the encounter. Her surrender to his wishes had been the most arousing part. Kren wondered if she was aware of the gift she’d bestowed.
He didn’t want her to go to the temple to stay once she was judged sentient. He wanted her to remain with him. And why shouldn’t she? She was not Risnarish. She was nothing like the quiet, meditative women of his species.
Perhaps it would be for the best if they were to be separated. No doubt the elders would insist on trying to send Jeannie to Earth, where she belonged. They might finally let their warriors take the fight right to the Monsudan hives in that pursuit.
His spirit rebelled against the idea of losing Jeannie. It kicked and screamed, determined to keep her close.
“Do you miss it much? Earth?” he asked, determined to serve himself with the cold, hard truth so as to dispel any foolish fantasies.
Jeannie considered before answering. “Only that I know what to expect there. I’m off-balance here. I don’t know the customs of your people. I hate that the Monsuda are here. But to be honest, Earth is empty for me.”
“Empty? You have no success? Your work does not fulfill you?”
“Oh, I love my work. All my accomplishments are nice, but still—it’s empty.” She made an apologetic face. “I’m having a hard time explaining what I mean.”
She wasn’t happy on her world. Kren thought it was because she was alone. He wasn’t precisely alone, not with his friends and guardians as companions. Yet even for him, there was something indefinable missing, something Mekay had found with Gurnal. A deep, soul-healing binding.
Kren had gotten a hint of that the night before when he’d slept next to Jeannie. He felt it now, lying next to her in his bed. He thought of how it would be to sleep alone, and hollowness invaded his hearts. Was this the emptiness Jeannie spoke of? Was she unfulfilled on Earth because she felt as forlorn as he?
I’m not her kind. She has no real place here, a fact the elders will bring up. They’ll fight against her staying with me.
A new voice spoke in Kren’s head. Maybe she’s worth fighting for.
Again, the unthinkable path of going against the elders called to Kren. Unlike saving her life, keeping her with him was a purely selfish act. Refusing to let Jeannie be destroyed because she’d been tampered with by the Monsuda was right. His portion of Spirit told him that. Yet insisting she remain on Risnar because he was lonely? How could he dare such a thing?
But what if she wants to stay? What if our choices are in agreement?
He wanted Jeannie to be happy. He did not want her to go back to loneliness, not if she suffered from it as he did.
Kren’s thoughts were interrupted by his CPP trilling a tone, signaling someone was trying to contact him. He rolled over and pulled the device out of its pouch on his belt. The caller identification on the glowing readout showed him it was Mekay calling.
He could have taken the call there in the sleeping partition, but he feared his guardian might somehow figure out he was in bed with Jeannie. A ridiculous idea, but the notion bothered him nonetheless.
He stood up, achingly aware that his flesh was still erect. How he’d like to go farther with the mating exploration! But it was too soon. He must see to Jeannie’s needs and learn what pleased her. He had to make sure he did everything right so she would come away satisfied when—if—they got around to the total sharing of their bodies. He could tell she was still uncertain.
“Stay there. I’ll be back,” he told Jeannie as he went to the visiting partition across the dome.
He clicked it on as it went off again. “Hello, Mekay.”
“Zvan, I apologize for the late call. Can we speak privately?”
Kren was sure Jeannie wouldn’t hear them, but he turned the volume down as far as he could and still understand Mekay. “Go ahead.”
“I need you to bring Jeannie to my home early tomorrow. The council is gathering here to meet her and discuss her position.”
Kren’s hearts stuttered in his chest. All at once, it was difficult to catch his breath. “So soon?”
Mekay sighed. “The village council insisted on it when I told them of Jeannie. We must gather at dawn and then call in the Assembly as soon as possible.”
Kren fought off a shudder. He asked, “What was their initial reaction when they heard about Jeannie?”
“Most refrained from comment until they can interview her. Being a biologist, Sus is excited to meet a new potential sentient. Yees spoke of her curiosity.”
“And Fetla?”
Mekay sighed. “You know how he is. His fears of the Monsuda penetrating any of our villages make him suspicious.”
Elder Fetla was more than suspicious. He was obsessed with the Monsudan threat on the Risnarish. Not wanting to ask but needing to know, Kren asked, “How scared is he?”
“He wanted to know why Jeannie has not already been eradicated.” Mekay hurried to add, “He is only one. Yees will insist on dis
covering all possible evidence related to Jeannie’s sentience and existence independent of the Monsuda. The council will give her a fair hearing. I swear it.”
Kren had to rely on his guardian’s assurances. “All right. I will bring her at first light.”
“I will see you then.”
The connection clicked off. Kren sat for several minutes, trying to remain calm. Yet his hearts boomed with fear, and his stomachs churned sickly.
He trusted in Mekay. He trusted in his elders’ shared wisdom. The council governed Hahz well. Jeannie had nothing to fear from them or the Assembly, which was made up of the wisest of the Risnarish. It had to be all right.
“They will see her as Mekay has. As I have. They can’t help but decide she is of Spirit.”
They had to. He’d die before he’d let them destroy her.
Chapter Eleven
Kren told Jeannie nothing of the coming interview before bringing her to Mekay and Gurnal’s home the next morning as the sun lit the sky. He only said that they were needed there. She’d gotten into the dartwing with him, her expression trusting. Not being completely honest with her felt like stabs to his twin hearts, but he didn’t want her to be afraid of meeting with the Elders Council.
He steeled himself. Surely it would be all right. He’d take Jeannie into the home to find the panel sitting casually in Mekay’s visiting partition. Mekay would introduce everyone to Jeannie. She and the council would exchange pleasantries as if nothing was the matter. The council would ask their questions, but in a conversational tone. It was what he would have done.
The moment the door to his guardian’s home opened and they stepped inside, Kren’s hackles went up. Instead of a nonchalant setting, one that wouldn’t upset Jeannie, the members of Hahz’s leadership were standing right there before the door, lined up like a judging panel.
Elder Yees was prominent in her spot at the center of the seven elders. She wore a thick golden circlet over her brow, signifying her position as Head Elder of Hahz. She stood straight and tall, her silver, black, and white stripes lining a body that age had not bent. Her long face with its delicate features was distant with serenity. She dipped her head to him and placed her right hand over her flat breast. “From my spirit to yours, Kren Zvanhahz, I offer you peace.”
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