Using her own dampness, he moistened her feminine folds. Then with experienced deftness, his finger swept inside her. Sensation shot through her, narrowing her focus of the world to where his hand joined her body.
“Please, Nicoli,” she whispered in a breathless plea, tilting her hips to meet the growing need within her.
“Yield to me, Kiera,” he whispered. “I won’t let you fall.” He captured her lips, letting his fingers probe her more deeply.
There was no need for her to speak. They both knew he’d won. The tingling sensation between her legs increased and she felt the tightening in her abdomen. Growing desperate, Angel reached down to stroke his hardened member through the fabric of his pants. He groaned into her mouth, then suddenly pulled away, leaving her alone.
Through eyes dulled with passion, she searched for him. He stood close by, shedding his clothes with a swift efficiency. Before her body could catch a chill he was back. Angel felt the warmth of his skin against hers and it was a feeling of such primal satisfaction, she thought she might burst.
Positioned above her, he opened her legs with his knees. She felt him probe the cleft of her body, a brief warning before he thrust inside, filling her completely. He gave her only a moment to adjust to his size before withdrawing. The dew of her excitement eased his second entry and he penetrated her more deeply. She shuddered in response as he held himself still, filling her, watching her.
At first, he moved slowly, deliberately, demonstrating his dominance and control. But his rhythm soon changed, each thrust coming harder and more rapidly. Now there was no gentleness in his actions, nor did she want there to be.
This was a mating ritual older than time itself, driven by sheer instinct. Wrapping her legs around his hips, she held on, conscious only of the crescendo of some inner power, building until it could no longer be contained. When the explosion came, accompanied by Nicoli’s primal groan of release, she soared higher than the stars in the furthest reaches of space.
* * * * *
How long they lay there, wrapped in each other’s arms, Nicoli had no idea. He wanted to stay this way forever. In part because it felt so good, but a part of him hoped to put off facing what he had done. Funny, he thought wryly, he’d never been a coward before. Why suddenly now? Was it because he’d never taken a woman by force before? Or was it because that woman was Angel?
He shouldn’t have done it this way. He’d just been so angry, seeing her with Victor. Didn’t she realize how dangerous the man could be? By spending too much time with Victor, Angel risked exposing their marriage for the sham it was.
A small part of his brain called him a liar. His intentions had not been for the sake of the mission. They had been more selfish, but that was a line of thought Nicoli refused to pursue.
He looked at Angel, cradled in his arms. He had to make her understand that they must, in all ways, behave as a married couple. Nicoli had no doubt he could go through with the charade and walk away emotionally unscathed when it was over. Just because he’d told Yanur that he’d honor his wedding vows and never marry another didn’t mean he loved Angel.
Love?
When had he ever used that word in the same sentence with anyone other than his mother? This wasn’t about loving someone. Uttering the words of binding back on the ship had been a matter of honor. Nothing more.
As if she felt his thoughts centering on her, Angel turned her head to look up at him. Her smile bolstered his spirits. Propping himself up on one elbow so he could look down into her face, Nicoli raised a hand to brush a strand of hair from her forehead, then let his fingertips trail softly down her cheek. “Did I hurt you?”
A small laugh bubbled forth. “No. I may be a little sore tomorrow, but it will be as much from an extended workout with the blades as anything else.”
Nicoli smiled. “I’m glad. Angel, I…” He looked off in the distance, gathering his thoughts, unsure how to continue.
Angel placed her fingertips across his lips, silencing him. “If you apologize for what we just did, I will be hurt.”
He leaned down, letting his lips find hers briefly before pulling back to search her eyes. “I want you to know that no matter what happens, I never meant to hurt you.”
“That sounds ominous.” Angel said. “But don’t worry, I know how to take care of myself.”
“I know you do.”
Angel twisted her head to look around the field. “We should probably get dressed.”
“We need to talk.”
“Ah, the four most commonly uttered words in the universe.” Her smile faltered briefly. “Look. I know you don’t want to stay married to me anymore than I do to you, but there’s no reason why we can’t enjoy ourselves for as long as it lasts, is there?”
He’d been about to suggest that very thing, but hearing her say the words left him feeling strangely hollow. He could barely formulate a response. “I suppose not. If you’re sure?”
She smiled, although he thought her eyes remained a bit sad. “Okay. Good. I’m glad we agree.”
“Well, then we should probably go back.”
“Not yet. I have a better idea," she said.
He helped her sit up and then handed her his shirt to put on. After scrambling to her feet, she grabbed her pants and the tattered remains of her shirt. Holding them in one hand, she grabbed up her warring blade and started walking away from the palace and toward the line of trees.
“Come with me,” she said, looking back only once to make sure he followed.
“Where are we going?” Nicoli spotted faint traces of an old trail through the foliage.
“It’s a surprise.”
They walked in silence until gradually the foliage opened to reveal emerald green grass surrounding a crystal clear blue pond. It was a private oasis, a place removed from time. It was his turn to look at her in surprise.
“I thought it might be nice to swim before we put our clothes back on.” She didn’t wait for his reply, but put down her blade and pants, took off his shirt and dove into the water.
Her head surfaced and she immediately wrapped her arms around herself, gasping and laughing. “The water’s a little colder than I remembered.”
“Maybe I’ll just stay here and watch you.”
“What’s the matter? Don’t know how to swim?”
He smiled, accepting the challenge. Locking his gaze with hers, he walked calmly into the water, never letting his expression change. Then he dove under the surface and swam toward her. He broke off the stem of an underwater plant as he swam and when he was close enough, he ran the grass up her leg.
She almost hit him in the face when she jumped, a scream catching in her throat until she realized what he’d done. He laughed so hard he almost drowned. When he came up for air, she launched herself at him in an attempt to push him back under.
They continued their play for some time until Nicoli happened to look at the sky and noticed that the first of the two suns had already begun its decent.
“We need to get back. Why don’t we sit on those rocks and dry off.” He looked around and saw that they were still very much alone.
“Not many people come here,” Angel commented, walking up the beach to retrieve her torn shirt. “That’s why I used to come here as a kid. It was one of the few places where I could be alone.”
Making a point to stand with her back to him, she used her torn shirt to dry off, rubbing the cloth quickly across her body. It made him smile to think this fierce little warrior was shy around him, especially after their earlier lovemaking and playing in the water. When Angel finished, she picked up his shirt and put it on. When she turned and saw him watching, a blush spread across her face.
“What?”
“Nothing. Just enjoying the view.”
“Didn’t your parents teach you any manners?”
He caught her shirt when she threw it at him and used it to dry himself. “No. But Yanur has wasted many years trying to make up for the lack.”
&
nbsp; She sat on a nearby rock. “How long have the two of you been together?”
“Twenty-four years.”
“Twenty-four years! That’s a long time. How did you meet?”
“I was on Corrinth IV. There was a Resistance uprising and one of my first assignments after I joined the Althusian Legionnaires was to help suppress it. Yanur was a member of the Corrinth Revolution. He’d been taken hostage by the Resistance and was being held in one of their prisons. I broke him out.”
“Wait a minute. Twenty-four years ago, you were a Legionnaire, on assignment at Corrinth IV during the uprising and your mission was to break a hostage out of prison? Give me a break. First of all, I’m familiar with the prisons you’re talking about and they are virtually impenetrable. Second, that long ago, you would have been just a kid.”
As memories flooded back, Nicoli walked over to sit beside her on the rock. “I was fourteen. Admittedly, the youngest Legionnaire to ever serve.” He laughed when he saw the skeptical expression on her face. There was no fooling her. “Okay, they didn’t exactly know I was fourteen. I looked old for my age, so I told them I was eighteen. Of course, they thought I looked young for my age.”
Angel shook her head. “I can’t believe your parents let you join.”
His smile faded. “They didn’t have much of a say. They were dead.”
“I’m sorry. What happened?”
He turned his head and stared out over the water, finally daring to say aloud the words he repeated to himself daily.
“I killed them.”
Chapter 21
Angel absorbed Nicoli’s shocking announcement in silence. In truth, she didn’t know what to say. So she sat patiently beside him and waited for him to elaborate.
“You don’t seem surprised,” he finally said, a hint of accusation in his eyes.
“I know you’ve killed before. I’ve seen you do it. Hell, I’ve done it myself. But do I think you killed your family? No, I don’t.”
He seemed somewhat mollified by her answer because he nodded and then looked away, studying the horizon once more.
“So what happened?” She asked.
He was silent for so long she thought he wouldn’t answer. Then he began to speak in a distant, far-off voice. “When I was ten, my planet was at war with itself. Most of the men in my colony left to fight, my father included. The women and children stayed behind to run the farms and businesses. Near the end of the war, our colony was attacked. Boys were particular targets of invading soldiers, so my mother hid me in a secret panel in the wall. She thought I would be safe. You see, generations ago, our race almost died out. Women, because they could bear children, were revered and protected, respected even during times of war. There was no reason to believe their lives were in jeopardy.
“Unfortunately, because the enemy had sustained substantial losses, in a last desperate attempt to win, they enlisted the help of off-world mercenaries, who shared none of our values. Five of these mercenaries broke into our house and attacked my mother. Though no one could see me where I hid, the cracks between the panels afforded me an excellent view of her rape and murder.”
“Oh, Nicoli. I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t feel sorry for me. I don’t deserve your sympathy.” Angel could hear the pain in his voice.
“Why do you say that?”
“Because I did nothing, Angel. I heard her screams and did nothing. I stayed where I was until long after the men left. Too afraid to come out for fear they’d be back.”
“And what do you think you could’ve done?”
“I don’t know. Something. Anything. But I shouldn’t have hidden. It was my job to protect her and I failed.”
“You were ten years old! A child. There was nothing you could have done. If you'd tried, they would've killed you. Your mother wouldn't have wanted that. If I had a child, I would do anything to protect him or her. And if I died doing it, at least I’d die knowing my child was alive and safe.”
Nicoli said nothing.
“What about your father?” Angel asked softly. “Was he killed fighting in the war?”
“No. The authorities notified his commanders. He was discharged and sent home to take care of me.”
“He must have been so grateful you were still alive.”
“No,” he said. “The day he came home, he accused me of being a coward - and then he walked out the door.”
“He was distraught, grieving. I’m sure he didn’t mean it.”
“We’ll never know. After he left me that day, he headed to the nearest bar. By the time the bar closed and he headed home, he was too drunk to fly and crashed his shuttle. He was killed instantly.”
Angel reached for Nicoli’s hand, lacing her fingers through his. “Nicoli, look at me.” He did as she asked and the grief she saw in his eyes shook her to her core. “You and I are so alike in some ways. We both try to control what happens to us. For years, I blamed myself for my father’s death, until one day I realized that sometimes, bad things happen. We can’t do anything about it. And I know the pain and hurt is so excruciating you think you’ll die. Sometimes you wish you would die from it. But eventually, things get better.”
She squeezed his hand and held his gaze. “You can’t go through life blaming yourself for things you have no control over. You didn’t kill your family. Those mercenaries killed your mother, and your father's accident was, sadly, his own fault. Don’t waste the gift of life by trying to throw it away. You’re a good man. Believe in yourself. I do.”
* * * * *
An hour later found Nicoli waiting for Angel to finish dressing in their bathroom so they could join the others in the banquet hall. He felt better than he had in a long time. A burden he’d carried his whole life had suddenly grown lighter. He knew his mood was largely due to Angel’s words by the pond but he didn't know why they'd had such a profound effect on him. Fortunately, he was saved from further thoughts of Angel by a knock on their door.
“What have you done all day?” Nicoli asked, inviting Yanur inside.
“I’ve been with Katrina.”
Nicoli raised an eyebrow. “Katrina?”
Yanur looked abashed. “Angel’s mother.”
Nicoli couldn’t keep the amused smile from his lips. “And you’ve spent all day with her? I’m sorry. That must have been tough. I’ll ask the High Counsel to help provide some relief so you won’t have to be with her so much.”
“No, no,” Yanur said a little too quickly. “It’s no bother, I. . .Okay, okay. I get it. You’re teasing me. Well, she happens to be a very nice woman.”
“I have no doubt.” Nicoli laughed. He couldn’t blame his friend for being attracted to Angel’s mother. Not when he, himself, was so taken with her daughter. As if his thoughts conjured her, Angel stepped out of the bathroom wearing a traditional Coronadian dress that left her looking enticingly feminine.
“How’s Mom doing?” Angel asked Yanur.
“Medically, I’ve removed the toxins in her body and managed to reverse much of the damage that was done.” Yanur grew silent, seemingly lost in thought.
“But?” Nicoli encouraged him.
Yanur’s eyes focused once again on Nicoli. “But she doesn’t seem to be getting better. Every day, more toxins appear in her system. It’s very confusing.”
“Could you be leaving some of the toxin behind on accident and they’re reproducing?”
“No, I thought of that. I’ve been very careful to remove all the toxins.” He paused for a moment, giving Angel a quick glance, almost as if he were afraid to say more. “It’s almost like she’s being poisoned.”
“Poisoned!” Angel gasped. “How?”
Yanur shook his head. “That I don’t know. I’ve checked everything. I even started preparing her meals myself, to make sure no one slipped it into her food. I’ve checked the air flow, the water, everything I can think of. I’ve even scanned the room and found no traces of the poison anywhere.”
Nicoli considered Y
anur’s words. He could think of a number of reasons why someone might want Katrina out of the way. But who wanted her out of the way enough to poison her? “Someone needs to stay with her all the time. Keep track of her visitors, what they do, when they come to see her, all of that.”
“I’ll stay with her.” Yanur offered.
“You can’t stay with her all the time,” Angel protested. “And you certainly aren’t planning to sleep with her, are you?”
A blush immediately stained Yanur’s cheeks. But before he could say anything, Angel continued. “I’ll stay with her at night.”
Nicoli wanted to object. His time with Angel was limited and he didn’t want to lose even a single night, but she was right.
“Who’s with her now?” Nicoli asked.
“Sorrah.”
“What’s she doing there?” Angel didn’t trust Sorrah as far as she could throw her.
“She gives Katrina massages, to help maintain her muscle tone. Those long periods of immobility have taken their toll, though you’d never know to look at her.” His voice drifted off as he stared off in the distance. Then suddenly, he glanced at them self-consciously as he cleared his throat. “Uh-hum. Excuse me. Well, I was just on my way to the kitchen to prepare Katrina’s evening meal, but I wanted to keep you updated on her progress.”
“Maybe I should go stay with her,” Angel started. “After all, you probably want a break. And you need to eat.”
“No, no.” Yanur’s reply came quickly. “Really, I don’t mind staying with her tonight. And I thought that as long as I was preparing her meal, I’d fix one for myself and keep her company. So you needn’t worry about me.”
Angel smiled, then walked forward and gave Yanur a brief kiss on his cheek. “Thank you.”
Nicoli moved to stand beside Angel. “I guess if you’re ready, we should go.”
Together they walked to the big dining hall. As before when he’d arrived to dine with the High Counsel, Nicoli and Angel were among the last to arrive.
“There you are,” the High Counsel said, coming to join them as soon as they entered the dining room. He motioned them to the table. Taking his place at the head, he gestured to his right. “Nicoli, you sit here, next to me. An‘jel, you will sit next to your husband.”
Too Close to the Sun (The Sun 1) Page 23