by Alix Nichols
A very different life awaited him.
In that life, he wouldn’t turn up his nose at four plasma blasters—the latest model—if he wanted to survive and protect the ones he cared for.
26
With a sigh, Nyssa focused her gaze on the book she was supposed to be reading. It was a good story, and a welcome distraction from trying to understand the technical stuff in Jancel’s binder. It was supposed to take her mind off things, ease her stewing brain a little.
Except it wasn’t working.
Nyssa had read the same paragraph a dozen times over the last hour without registering a word. Her eyes darted to the heartbreakingly silent commlet on the table. Timm had gotten one for her and one for Kerilaga, both used but in good condition. And the Refuge was set up in a clever way that allowed communication with the outside world.
Iyatt had explained this to her and Kerilaga, along with a bunch of other things, when he’d turned up this morning with the commlets. He had to leave an hour later but promised to be back in two days for an extended stay.
Nyssa was delighted about the commlets. She really was. Except for the past two hours, since she’d sent a written message to Jancel and received no reply. Not a word. Not a single letter.
He’s busy, she told herself. He was at work, doing some important stuff and not looking at his commlet.
The temptation to ping him surged again, stronger than before. But Nyssa fought it. She’d wait a few more hours until sunset. No, until midnight. In fact, she’d wait until tomorrow morning. Because she preferred to spend the night worrying herself sick with not knowing than trying to accept that he was gone.
She shook her head violently. Jancel was smart. Strong. Experienced. If he was in trouble, he’d get himself out of it. She had to believe that.
The sound of metal objects clunking came from the main tunnel. Then footsteps approached.
Familiar footsteps.
Nyssa dropped her book and ran out the door.
A strapping man—her strapping man—advanced toward her. It was too dark, and he was still too far to make out the expression of his face, but Nyssa could tell from the way he moved that he was unharmed. Tired, but unharmed.
Kerilaga came out of her room, her gaunt face wet.
Nyssa halted, waiting for him to greet his mother first.
Jancel hugged the old woman, kissing the top of her white head. She drew back, wiping her tears, and nudged him on.
He headed toward Nyssa.
But she wasn’t going to stand there demurely and wait for him to come to her. Whether Kerilaga was looking or not, Nyssa was done waiting.
She sprinted to him, right into his arms.
He picked her up. She wrapped herself around him, kissing and caressing his manly, roughhewn face. She muttered incoherently how much she loved him and how he’d pay for not responding to her message.
“I have an excuse,” he said, smiling.
She kissed the corners of his lips. “Let’s hear it.”
“Later.”
While she still straddled him, he tightened his grip under her thighs and headed to their room. She closed the door behind them. He set her down and took her mouth in a hungry, possessive kiss. After a long while—and yet much too soon—he lifted his head and gazed into her face.
The emotion in his eyes scorched her.
It had to be—
It could only be—
“I love you,” he said. “More than you know, more than I thought I was able to.”
A long, craggy sigh escaped her lungs. She grinned.
He cupped her breast. “I’m dying to take you this very instant, but I’m wasted and dirty from the hike…”
“How about I do the taking?” She motioned toward the bed. “Just lie down and let me have my way with you.”
She didn’t need to ask twice.
Jancel removed his boots and socks and stretched on the bed, groaning with the relief of letting his muscles rest.
Nyssa tore off her clothing. She sashayed to the bed and began to turn around slowly, letting him feast his eyes on her naked body.
When she faced him again, he gripped her thigh with his big, warm hand and stroked, fingers pressing. “My treasure.”
She knelt down and unbuckled his belt. Jancel lifted his hips, and she pulled his trousers and underwear off. He removed his shirt. Her gaze caressed his magnificent body, lingering on his hard manhood.
“Speaking of treasures…” She wrapped both her hands around him and leaned forward, her gaze locked with his.
Jancel’s black eyes gleamed with excitement. He was bound to know what was coming next. Wetting her lips, Nyssa kissed his tip and swept her tongue over it. She gave it a few enthusiastic licks. Feeling the ache and slickness in her core, she pulled one hand from him and touched herself.
Jancel patted the bed, folding one leg slightly. “Come over here, kitten. You can use my knee.”
Mmm. She climbed on the bed and straddled his leg. Taking his member in her mouth as deep as she could manage, she bore down on his knee. He groaned low.
The next ten minutes were a frenzy of sucking and grinding and going so wild with lust she thought she’d explode.
And that was exactly what she did. Twice. On the tail of her second release, while her pleasure still pulsed and ebbed, Jancel’s whole body tensed, his shaft swelling against her palate. Nyssa felt his seed rush up and spurt into her throat, hot and abundant. She drank every drop and licked him clean afterward.
Later, she lay in the crook of his arm, feeling all mushy and content, when he pulled her to him and turned on his side.
“I want you to know that in my heart, you’re my family, kitten,” he said. “That’s how I’ve felt for a while now. Perhaps since the day you entered my house.”
She kissed his shoulder. “It took me longer to feel the same way about you, but I do now.”
“I want to marry you, to make our union official as soon as circumstances allow it.”
“You don’t have to.” She ran her hand over his taut biceps. “I don’t care about formalities. You’re mine. You’re here with me. It’s enough for me.”
“It’s enough for me, too, but there are other people’s interests we need to consider.”
She frowned. He must’ve meant Kerilaga, and Nyssa could understand that the old woman would like them to do things properly… But why was Jancel talking about “interests”?
He laid his hand on her tummy.
She gazed into his eyes.
“I’d love to see your belly swell with our babe,” he said. “And then a second one… And maybe a third.”
She blinked, incredulous.
A sad and at the same time hopeful expression flickered across his face. “You have no idea how much I want that.”
“Really?”
He nodded. “I can’t wait for you to stop taking inhibitor pills so you can get pregnant—whether it’s on Hente or somewhere else—without risking your life. That day, I’ll be the happiest of men.”
“And I”—she stifled a sob—“I’ll be the happiest of women.”
“I’ll make that happen, Nyssa.”
She took a deep breath, wiped her eyes, and smiled. “I know you will.”
It was an unusual feeling, trusting a man so much. But she knew him. Jancel was a complex man. Mulish sometimes. Unreasonable at other times, at least from her perspective.
He wasn’t a perfect man.
But he was a man of his word.
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Author’s Note
Dear Reader,
I hope you enjoyed THE COMMANDER’S CAPTIVE.
I’m still working on book 3, THE ASSASSIN’S WOMAN. But the prequel novella to the series, THE CYBORG’S LADY is done.
Linni and Keiron’s epic “vacation fling” is on pre-order on Amazon. Until that novella goes live, it’ll be available to my newsletter subscribers only, for free.
If you are already on my list, keep an eye on
your inbox (and Promotions tab in Gmail). If you aren’t yet, be sure to sign up here.
In addition to reading 2 of my rom-coms and the Xereill prequel for free, you’ll be the first to know when Keepers of Xereill #3, THE ASSASSIN’S WOMAN, comes out.
Warmest,
Alix
P.S. If you like the Xereill books and want me to keep ‘em coming, spread the love by telling your friends about this series and reviewing the books on Amazon or Goodreads. Reviews are worth their weight in gold!
Xereill’s top cyborg Keiron Yaggar can have any woman in the galaxy.
But it’s the foxy stranger the colonel meets on his long-overdue vacation who catches his eye.
Linni from Ittroise, as she introduces herself, is taking a week off work, and is on the same Two Planets and a Moon Tour as Keiron.
The young woman fascinates him. Her proud bearing, the way she gazes at the stars, the way she’s not awestruck by his position or stature…
Not to mention the nerve she displays when the pair run into some very dangerous people on the deceptively idyllic Tastassi, the second stop on the tour.
Once Keiron returns to work, he’ll look into that planet.
He’ll also look into Linni, because there’s more to this young woman than she lets on. Much more. Somehow, she’s breached his defenses… and made his desire flare after their torrid night of passion.
Keiron knows he isn’t letting Linni go so easily.
What Xereill’s top cyborg doesn’t know is that he’s fallen for the one woman in the galaxy he cannot have…
Sign up and read THE CYBORG’S LADY free!