“Why did you ask about leaving?” he asked.
“I just wondered if maybe we could get off the ship. There’s no real reason to stay, is there?”
Leave the ship? He tested the thought. Would leaving be akin to admitting that he was no longer a warrior? He couldn’t deny that the thought of being away from pitying eyes appealed to him. But they must have a destination and the Yehrin presence on Earth was primarily military or scientific.
“Where would we go?”
“Emily said that T’lan is building a place for warriors and their L—their females near their home.”
His hearts ached when she forced herself to use another term, but he did not say anything. He could not, when he had no alternatives. Instead, he shook his head. “We would need a place that is ready now.”
“Um. I have a house,” she said hesitantly.
“You have a domicile?”
“Yes. And it’s paid for, so I don’t have to worry that the bank foreclosed after I was… taken.” Her brows drew together, and he had a sudden impulse to smooth away the line. “It’s kind of big and pretentious, but the gardens are nice. You could get some fresh air and give yourself a chance to heal.”
That sounded rather pleasant. He had enjoyed the brief time he had spent on Earth with her. As long as the human domicile could be adequately secured, it was a viable solution. But she had only mentioned the advantages for him. “What about you?”
“I want to be off this ship,” she cried, then looked almost startled at her own vehemence.
“Then we will go,” he said firmly, casting his doubts aside.
“Really? Oh, thank you, T’gana.”
Impulsively, she jumped up and came to him, fitting her soft mouth against his. With a groan he lifted her onto his lap and pulled her closer. His leg ached, but the feel of her lush curves against him was more than worth the price. He savored her delectable mouth until his throbbing cock ached even more than his leg. When he raised his head, she was flushed and smiling.
“Thank you,” she said again, still smiling.
He started to lower his head once more and she put a gentle hand to his face. “Please stay with me tonight. Don’t leave me.”
“It is not safe for me to stay.” Despite his words, the temptation to stay with her was almost overwhelming.
“You aren’t going to hurt me.”
There was absolutely no doubt in her eyes, and he gave into temptation. “Very well.”
She gave him a brief, hard hug, then smiled.
“When do you think we can we leave?”
“I will check with my commander in the morning to make sure I am clear to leave.”
“Hm.” She traced a teasing finger down over his chest to his aching cock. “Then what will we do tonight?”
He growled and proceeded to show her.
A long time later, Sarah snuggled contentedly in T’gana’s arms, her body still humming pleasantly. Well, almost contentedly, she thought as she ran an idle hand across the uniform shirt he still refused to remove. She would have preferred to have his naked flesh against hers. Was it just his injuries, or could he actually be shy about undressing? During their time on Earth, he had been almost bashful around her and he had certainly seemed shocked when she proposed riding him.
“T’gana, have you done this before?”
“This?” Lazy satisfaction filled his voice.
“You know.” She gestured around the room, but she could feel her cheeks heating.
He looked down at her, eyes glinting gold. “Did you think me a virgin?”
“Now who’s answering a question with a question? No, I meant taken a breeding contract.”
“No, S’rah. During my first few campaigns I was too new and too undistinguished to be considered for one.”
“Undistinguished?”
“My family were not warriors,” he said briefly. “I did not come from warrior lineage.”
Before she could pursue the topic, he continued. “Once I had sufficient rank, I found myself… uninterested. There were always others more eager to do their duty.”
He rolled over and looked her directly in the eye. “I have had a few long-term arrangements when I was stationed on a planet for an extended period of time. But I have never had—or wanted to have—what we have together.”
A sudden pang of guilt hit her as she realized she had never mentioned her husband to him. She opened her mouth to tell him, but his head descended and once he was kissing her, all other thoughts left her brain.
When the next day dawned, T’gana was still in their bed. He had wrapped himself around her, one hand cupping her breast, the other gripping her hip possessively. She nestled back against him, filled with contentment. If only she could wake up like this every morning. Or at least for the twenty-seven mornings she had left, she reminded herself.
Despite his fears, the night had passed peacefully enough. He had woken her twice, once tossing his head, his horns hitting the wall, and once when he cried out in his sleep, but each time she stroked his face and told him that he was safe and that she was there. Both times he had settled back into sleep and she suspected that he hadn’t truly awoken.
A rush of affection filled her, and she had a sudden, wanton impulse. To hell with breeding, he deserved a reward. Twisting in his arms so that she faced him, she pushed gently until he settled on his back, his breathing deepening. He was, unfortunately, still clothed, and she was tempted to run her hand under his uniform, but she wouldn’t betray him like that. Instead, she only opened the fabric concealing his shaft. The heavy length sprang free, already half-erect, and she caught her breath. It seemed almost inconceivable that her body could stretch to take that thick rolling cock, but her clit spasmed in happy memory. Hopefully her mouth would be as accommodating.
She ran her hand lightly along his length and he sprang into a full erection with shocking suddenness. A quick peek up at his face revealed that his eyes were still closed. A little more boldly she traced the bulging rope of muscle twisting along his shaft. A sound escaped him, but he still didn’t wake up. Wetting her lips, she followed the path of her hand with her mouth, delighting in the texture against her tongue. He tasted pleasantly musky and she caught a hint of her own essence, but it only made her bolder. She circled the wide head and watched as a blue bead of precum pearled on the tip. She swiped her tongue across it and had to bite back her own groan of pleasure. He tasted so good. She licked again, eager for more, and realized that she was rubbing her damp pussy against the thick muscles of his uninjured leg.
“S’rah? What are you doing?” His voice thick with sleep and lust, he started to raise his head.
“Ssh. Just relax,” she whispered, letting her breath ghost over his damp flesh.
“Relax? How can I—” The words dissolved in a long groan as she enclosed him in the heat of her mouth. She licked across the broad head, searching for sensitive areas, and he buried a hand in her hair.
“S’rah,” he said again, but she ignored him, concentrating on the spots that made him shake, seeking more of the delicious fluid now flowing constantly. She rose up on her knees, determined to take more of him and felt his other hand curve down over her bottom, seeking the needy flesh between her own legs. She took him as deep as she could, feeling him at the back of her throat, before sucking gently. His hand tightened in her hair, a slight, delicious sting, and then she felt him penetrate her with one long thick finger. When she cried out, her mouth still full, he growled approvingly and began fucking her with his finger while his long thumb strummed her swollen clit. Her body quivered, already on the verge of coming. Determined to take him with her, she matched his rhythm, her mouth descending to meet her hand as she tried to take him deeper, suck him harder, as he grew impossibly bigger, as he exploded into her mouth in a gush of hot seed while he sent her own body over into a shuddering climax.
When she lifted her head with a last lingering suck, he was smiling down at her.
“You are a wonder, my S’rah.”
She smiled back, but before she could answer him, his face grew serious. “But you should not have wasted my seed.”
Her pleasure vanished.
“Fine. I won’t make that mistake again.” She started to fling herself out of bed, but he caught her arms and lifted her up effortlessly up his chest until they were face-to-face.
“I do not think that word means what the translator indicates,” he said. “Do not misunderstand. I enjoyed your mouth. Immensely.” His eyes dropped to her swollen lips and glowed gold. “But I know how much you want this child. I do not want to hurt your chances.”
The feeling of hurt lessened. “Well, you did give it two tries last night.” The joke fell flat, and she bit her lip. “I was just… happy that you were still here with me and I wanted to share that.”
“You made me most happy,” he assured her. “But then again, I too was happy to awaken with you.”
His eyes were still glowing, but it was a gentler gold and she realized that they were smiling foolishly at each other. Fighting back a sudden urge to cry, she cleared her throat and looked away.
“How do we go about blowing this taco stand?”
The complete lack of comprehension on his face made her laugh and she sat up, pushing her tumultuous emotions aside. “What do we need to do to leave?”
Chapter Twelve
T’gana brought his flyer in low over the address S’rah had given him, keeping it cloaked. The humans should be well accustomed to the Yehrin presence by now, but no need to cause undue alarm in a residential district. Their preparations to leave had taken longer than anticipated, and the sun hung low in the sky.
“That’s it. The big white one on the corner.”
He followed her gaze and frowned. All of the domiciles on the street were of respectable size, but hers was the largest. A sweeping driveway curved in front of a columned entrance and the facade was adorned with a quantity of carvings. Although the style was different, it reminded him uneasily of the area in which he had been born. When he had marched off to join a Warrior House at the age of twelve, he had never thought he would return to such a setting.
Shaking away his unease, he nodded politely. “It is quite large.”
“You don’t have to be nice. I know it’s too big and too gaudy.” Her nose wrinkled. “I told my—” She stopped abruptly. “We need to talk but I think I would rather do it inside.”
He nodded. “I would like to secure the domicile as soon as possible.”
There was a wide expanse of green enclosed by the driveway and he landed the flyer in the center. As he helped S’rah to disembark, she laughed.
“The neighbors aren’t going to know what to think about a flyer on the lawn.”
True. There was no reason to announce their presence. He cloaked the flyer again and her eyes widened.
“Wow. That’s a lot more disconcerting than it is from the inside.” She shook her head. “Now I don’t have a key since I never got my purse back, but there should still be a key hidden under this flowerpot. Yes, here it is.”
She held up a key while he stared at her in appalled horror. “You left a key to your domicile exposed?”
“Just in case I needed it.”
“You will never do so again.”
“Oh, come on—”
“Miss Sarah, Miss Sarah.”
The noise came from behind him and he whirled, one hand going for his blast tube. Sarah grabbed his hand just as he realized that two small human children were running towards them. He immediately released the weapon, but his hearts thumped uncomfortably and sweat trickled down his spine.
S’rah gave his hand a squeeze. “They’re just the neighbor’s children.”
She moved in front of him and he didn’t even have the strength to protest. The two small humans flew into her arms.
“We missed you so much,” one of them said.
“Gone a long time,” the other agreed.
“It does seem like a long time, doesn’t it?” S’rah laughed and hugged the children. As his hearts finally slowed, he surveyed the two extremely dirty beings. He suspected that beneath the dirt, they were female since one was wearing a bunch of bedraggled pink fabric around her waist and the other had a pink crown falling down over one ear.
The one with the crown returned his inspection, her eyes wide. “Who’re you?”
Keeping her arms around the children, S’rah smiled up at him. “Jane, this my friend T’gana.”
“I am pleased to meet you, J’ne,” he said formally.
The child narrowed her eyes at him. “You has horns.”
“Yes, I do,” he agreed.
After a thoughtful pause, J’ne gave a little nod and grinned, showcasing a missing tooth.
“And this little lady is Tabitha,” S’rah added, but the younger child only blinked up at him before sticking a dirty thumb in her mouth.
“She don’t talk much,” J’ne said.
“I can see that,” he said. “But she has you to translate for her, does she not?”
“Translate?”
“It means to talk.”
“Oh. Yep, I talk for her.” She turned back to S’rah. “And Tabby wants to know if you’re staying this time?”
S’rah looked up at him, her expression unreadable, then smiled at the children. “At least for a while.”
He caught the sound of an approaching vehicle. His pulse wanted to speed up, but he took a deep breath and forced himself to be calm. “Someone approaches.”
They all turned to look as a large white vehicle drove down the street and pulled into a dark blue house several doors down. A man hurried into the house without looking around.
“Your father’s home, girls,” S’rah said gently. “You should go home and meet him.”
J’ne scowled and T’bitha nestled closer to S’rah.
“I reckon,” J’ne said finally. “Can we come back tomorrow?”
“As long as it’s okay with— Who’s your nanny now?”
“Crystal,” Jane said gloomily. “She sleeps a lot.”
S’rah’s lips tightened but her voice was calm. “I’m sure she’s awake now. Go on, girls.”
Both of them gave her a fierce hug, then wandered slowly down the street, showing none of the energy with which they had rushed to greet S’rah. They both watched until the children disappeared into the blue house.
S’rah blew out a frustrated breath. “I could wring his neck,” she muttered.
“Whose neck?”
“Darryl. Their father,” she explained. “Their mother, Nancy, was the sweetest woman, but after she died, he just lost interest in those poor girls.”
“He neglects his children?” he asked in horror.
“Oh, he’s had nannies. Lots of nannies,” she said grimly. “I think he chooses them based on how attractive they are, not on how well they will care for the girls. And they never stay long.”
“And this is permitted?”
“They have adequate food and a big house in a good neighborhood.” She scowled down the street.
“Children should be cherished,” he said firmly.
“I agree.” Her hand crept to her stomach in what he suspected was an unconscious gesture. His hearts ached again as he remembered how her face had fallen when he had scanned her earlier and told her that she was not with child. He turned her gently towards the house. “Shall we enter?”
The inside of the house resembled the outside—everything was large and covered with an abundance of detail. It still reminded him uncomfortably of his parents’ home. What’s more, it did not seem to be a fit setting for S’rah.
“This is… pleasant,” he said as she led him from one large room to the next.
“No, it’s not.” She shook her head and opened a final door, tucked behind the elaborate cooking area. “Don’t worry. You’re not going to hurt my feelings. We had a decorator do all of the rooms except this one. This is my room.”
<
br /> Yes, he could see that. This room suited her quiet beauty. White cases filled with old-fashioned books lined one wall. This, too, reminded him of his parents’ home, but it was a pleasant memory. Despite his disinterest in becoming a scholar, he had spent many hours reading. The entire back wall was composed of windows, opening out onto first a covered area and then a lush garden. He followed S’rah across the room as she flung open a glass door. The scent of flowers flooded the room along with the song of some avian creature. Something inside him relaxed.
“I like this,” he murmured.
Her hand slipped into his and they stood there for a moment before she tugged him out onto the covered area.
“I’m afraid the garden has been neglected,” she sighed. “It was always easier to find someone to ride a mower back and forth than to find someone who was actually willing to garden. I had to fight to keep this area from becoming more lawn.”
He had been approving the high wall surrounding the back area, but as he followed her gaze, he could see that the greenery did indeed appear to be neglected. Then her words registered, “Fight? Someone threatened you?”
“No. I didn’t mean it like that.” She took a deep breath. “Remember I said we needed to talk?”
“Yes. Will this be a long discussion?”
Her fingers twisted together. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
“Then I will first secure the domicile.” He would not neglect her safety.
“How are you going to do that?”
“I will set up a perimeter.”
“You’re going to wall us in?” Her eyes went wide with dismay.
“No, my S’rah. This will be to monitor our surroundings and raise an alarm if anyone approaches.” It could also be used to create a physical barrier, but he did not anticipate the need and decided not to mention it given her obvious distress. “It will not take long.”
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