by Laurie Roma
“Fuck!”
His hands came up to grip her head. Not stopping her, just delving into her hair to hold on. He was nervous, edgy about her being so close to such a sensitive part of his body with her fangs, but he trusted her not to hurt him. She could sense it and wouldn’t betray that trust, even if she’d heard a small bite there could be erotic and highly pleasurable.
That experiment would have to wait until he was converted.
She hadn’t realized that touching him would make her own body burn for him to fill her. That she would be the one seduced as she stoked his hunger. Each groan made her body tingle. Every time his cock jerked, her pussy clenched. She craved him, needed him as she had never needed anyone, anything, and she was done making them wait.
“Come, mate. Come inside me now.”
“Thank, fuck!” he growled. “I need you, Amari. Open for me.”
His cock slipped from her grasp as he moved. Gripping the back of her knees, he pulled her toward the edge of the table, then he slammed his mouth down on hers in a kiss that was both punishing and reverent. He sucked her lower lip into his mouth, nipping playfully, then he cut off her gasp as he stroked his tongue deep to once again claim hers.
“Are you ready for me?” When she only responded with a moan, he chuckled darkly. “I guess I have to check for myself.”
Roman drank down her cry as he plunged two fingers inside of her, pushing deep. Parting tight muscles, he tested her readiness, and was pleased when her hips bucked against him. He used the juices spilling from her pussy to rub those two fingers over her clit, bathing the tiny pleasure numb with attention.
When he plunged his fingers back into her, he loved the way she ground herself against his palm. He wanted to drive her out of her mind with need like she had done to him, but feeling her ride his hand just made him even more desperate to thrust his cock into her.
With his other hand, he jerked her head back. Her hair cascaded down around her, the tips touching the now empty tabletop. His hot, wet mouth savaged her throat with tongue and teeth. Her hands gripped his shoulders as he got into position, and he pulled his fingers from her, replacing them with the head of his cock. The purring sound she made low in her throat made his own hips jerk.
Holy nova, that sound was pure feminine pleasure.
He felt the vibration running through him like the sizzle of a lightning strike. It made him ache, desperate to have her. Despite how wet she was, he had to force the large, bulbous head of his cock into her slowly. She was so tight, and her muscles resisted at first. Once she relaxed, her channel rippled around his thick shaft, pulling him deeper, welcoming him in.
When he was fully embedded inside her with his cock pressed tight against her cervix, he paused. “Does it hurt? Are you still sore from earlier?”
She shot him a quick grin, confident and a little cocky, and his heart tripped into an unsteady rapid-fire. Maybe he was having an attack, and his heart was warning him of failure.
“I am not sore. Are you?”
He flashed his own grin. “That bath did wonders. Hold onto me, sugar. This is going to be hard and fast. Next time, I’ll take my time and do a little exploring myself.”
“Looking forward to it,” she said breathlessly as he began to move.
No matter what he’d said, he began to fill her with slow, deliberate strokes, testing to ensure she could take every hard inch of him without discomfort. Once he knew she was ready, he pulled back until he almost left the haven of her body, then slammed forward, driving his entire cock back into her with a single thrust.
He kissed her again, his lips sealing tight over hers as he plunged into her hard and fast as promised. As he continued his erotic assault, she wrapped her legs around his waist, binding them together. He pounded into her over and over, driving them both higher, deeper into the ecstasy that could only be achieved through their joining.
After breaking the kiss, he lowered his head, sucking one hard nipple into his mouth until she made that humming sound again. He used his tongue to stroke the tight bud before sucking strong enough to hollow his cheeks. That small sting made her buck against him hard enough it almost rocked him back a step, but he held his ground.
“Like that?” he demanded, slamming his hips harder as he switched his attention to her other breast.
She held his head to her and moaned again. “Aye, I need...”
“Tell me what you need, and I’ll give it to you.”
“More,” she demanded, pushing her hips up to meet his thrusts. “Give me all.”
He surprised her when he stepped back, breaking their connection. Pulling her to her feet, he spun her around, then braced her hands on the table. Wrapping an arm around her to hold her steady, he shoved her legs open wider. In one smooth motion, he tilted her hips, then slammed back inside her, burying his cock to the hilt.
Pounding with renewed force, his hips slapped against her ass with each thrust. The moment he reached between her parted thighs and stroked her clit, she threw back her head and came with a triumphant cry. Watching her come apart was a revelation. She was wild, completely uninhibited, and Roman knew he’d never seen anything as magnificent.
“You’re so fucking beautiful. That’s right. Come, sugar. Come on my cock.”
She bathed his cock with her release, making it easier to move as he furiously pounded into her with rhythmic thrusts. Sweat dripped down his face, stinging his eyes, but he didn’t care. She pushed back against him, her pussy rippling around his cock, milking him so he had to fight like hell to hold back his own release.
“Ah, so tight, so hot. Stars, sugar. You feel so damn good.”
He turned her head to the side and claimed her lips again. He bent forward covering her back, then reached down with one hand to lace his fingers through hers. They kept their hand locked together on the table, and the change in angle allowed him to surge deeper so he filled her completely with every thrust.
When he broke the kiss, he raked his teeth over the sensitive flesh below her ear. “No, sugar. Don’t close your eyes. Not this time. Watch us. Look down and see how fucking perfect we are together.”
Amari did as he asked, then felt a shiver of pleasure at the wicked view. He cupped her breast with his hand, tugging at her nipple with his long, clever fingers. Her gaze dipped lower, and she watched his cock moving in and out, the thick stalk disappearing inside of her.
Watching the erotic sight made her shiver. Feeling it made her burn.
“Ah, fuck. I can’t hold on. I’m close, sugar. Come with me.”
“I do not know—”
Her words were cut off as he shoved into her so hard he almost lifted her off her feet, and his growl of pleasure reverberated through her entire body. Once he had braced both of her hands on the table, he reached down and started rubbing her clit. Not with the light touches like before, but a fast-circular motion that gave her no choice but to meet him on the brink of madness. He drove into her using the full-force of his body, and she felt the familiar pressure building in her core.
Tilting her head to the side, their gazed locked. “Now,” she panted. “Right now!”
“Holy nova, I’m there, too. Come with me. Come now, mate!”
His growled command acted as her trigger. The force of her climax had her clamping down on him again, only this time, she wasn’t just flooded with pleasure...she was flung into the stars. The universe fractured, exploding out into a billion tiny particles, and she would have felt lost if Roman wasn’t right there with her.
He was her anchor, her salvation, her love.
Her mate.
He roared her name, and his hips jerked, once, twice, grinding his cock tight against the entrance to her womb as he filled her with pulse after pulse of his hot, thick cream.
Lifting her, he shuffled back a few steps, then heavily fell back onto the modified bench seat. She moaned as she shifted on his lap, sitting sideways still speared on his cock. He wrapped his arms around her, and his str
ong hand stroked soothing circles over her heated skin.
She burrowed against him, nuzzling her face into the crook of his neck, then she leaned her head against his shoulder. Her own arms wrapped around him in a firm embrace, as if she could hold this moment forever by holding onto him tight enough.
He wheezed in protest. “Careful sugar...”
“Apologies.” Amari loosened her hold a little and cleaned their bodies of sweat. She loved his scent on her, inside her, and only cleaned the excess fluid dripping out of her. His semi-hard cock held the rest of his seed deep, and she wanted to keep it that way, enjoying the way it felt to be full of him.
“That’s okay. I didn’t need that rib. Thanks for cleaning us.” He paused briefly, then asked, “Does that ever feel like cheating?”
“Nay. It just is.” She sighed contently. “I think I love sex.”
“With me,” he muttered against her forehead as he pressed a kiss there. “You love sex with me. You forgot that last part.”
She chuckled a little. “Of course, Roman. I should have specified that.”
“In minute detail.”
Dawn had broken, and the pale sky could be seen through the open windows. She knew her mate required more sleep than he’d gotten earlier, but she didn’t want their night together to end just yet. Stroking her hand over his thick muscular arm up to his neck, then back again, she closed her eyes. “This feels so...normal.”
“Did you just insult me?”
“Nay, that was a compliment, of sorts. We have only known each other briefly, still, I feel comfortable with you,” she explained. “Even after—”
“Being invaded?”
“You jest, but after sharing our bodies, and even with the blood bond that helps me know you, I thought I would feel awkward. It just feels right to be here with you. That is unexpected.”
“Give me a few minutes, and I’ll invade you again.” Her nails dug into his bicep, making him jerk. He looked down at her with humor shining in his pale-green eyes. “What? Was it something I said?”
“You are lucky I do not mind your kind of invasion. I have been known to be very harsh when dealing with any instance of intrusion.”
“I don’t know why that does it for me, but you are damn sexy when you’re threatening me.”
“You are a very strange male.”
He chuckled. “I can’t help that everything you do makes me hard.”
“That makes me a lucky female.” Experimenting, she lightly scrapped her nails over his skin, and his cock flexed and thickened inside her.
It made them both shiver.
“No, I’m the lucky one,” he countered softly. “And I guess I don’t need that downtime.”
As he lowered his lips to hers again, she met him halfway.
They belonged together. It was inevitable, an absolute so definitive that she was able to just breathe and exist in the moment knowing that they would have forever together. The sex had been memorable, for obvious reasons, however, that wasn’t the reason she would always remember this night.
That wasn’t what made this moment so special to her.
For the first time, he’d called her his mate...and meant it.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The dream always began with the roar of the crowd.
Sweat poured down Roman’s face, mixing with the blood spilling from the cut above his left eye. There were other bruises and cuts all over his body that were sure to hurt like a bitch later, but in that moment, he didn’t feel any pain.
The thrill of victory was all that mattered.
He’d known he had won the match before his last punch had connected with his opponent’s face. Truthfully, it shouldn’t have taken him as long as it had to finish the fight, but he had underestimated the devious nature of his adversary, including how far the other male would go to win.
The Krytos he had been fighting had tried to eviscerate him with a claw hidden from the judges’ watchful eyes. Roman had slammed his fist into the fucker’s face, knocking him cold before the sharp claw could touch him, but everyone could see what the male had tried to do now that he was laid out on the ground.
Cheating in the Baxxtora Tournament was a danger in itself, but Roman didn’t have to worry about the male once he woke up. The Adaro brothers would take care of him.
Roman’s partner, Declan Hicks had thought he was crazy when he’d mentioned wanting to compete in the tournament but had supported him by going to the training center with him often. Now, it was the finals, and Roman claimed first prize in his weight class, which included the title and enough credits to start a good savings for when they claimed a chosen.
The dream changed.
Hicks was slapping him on the shoulder as they moved their things into larger quarters in a superior building. The prize had been enough for Hicks to stop teasing him about training so hard, but his partner had ultimately changed his mind about the tournament when he saw how happy Roman was when he fought.
Unlike the gladiators of old, Roman fought because he wanted to, not because he was forced to. It was the challenge, the test of strength and wills that appealed to him. He needed that physical release, the rigorous discipline that kept his mind and body in peak condition.
Roman had quickly outgrown most of his sparring partners in the training centers, except for his friends from different races who had helped him learn how to fight like a Krytos, Helios, D’Aire, and even Reema. They’d helped him improve his combat skills immensely. Not because they were better fighters. It was because they sparred with him with claws and fangs extended, and they didn’t take it easy on him.
Being a large man was an asset, but it also made him a bigger target. The Helios and Krytos weren’t allowed to shift during the tournament, but Roman thought it was better to anticipate anything for the matches. He’d be damned if someone tried to catch him off guard again. That preparation came in handy during the next few years of fights, but the training had been brutal on his body.
The year after Roman’s first win in the competition was filled with many blessings. He and Hicks had both gotten another credit bump when they had risen in the ranks. It was a surprise when they were given command of their own Strike Force Team at such a young age, but it was also something they had earned with hard work and diligence.
The Alliance was expanding, and with more space stations and increased travel, they required more experienced teams out in space. Roman was fine being stationed on Earth, particularly since they had been allowed to stay in Jade City. Hicks didn’t care where they were stationed, but Roman preferred remaining in the same city as his brother.
Their transition from being in a team to running one had been easier than they had anticipated. They had gotten new members that they were able to teach from the ground up, and they’d won their team members’ trust leading by example. They quickly formed a unit, and some of the team even started training to compete in the Baxxtora Tournament along with their commander.
The dream shifted again, flashing bits and pieces of his second year in the Baxxtora Tournament, beginning with the first stage held on New Vega. He won all of his fights in the first stage with ease. The second was a little more challenging, but he was successful, proving that his new training regime was working.
He won his weight class in the finals of the Baxxtora Tournament again, receiving another large prize. In the process, he became someone to be respected and feared, both in the fighting arena and within the Alliance. That hadn’t been his goal in the beginning, but he was young and cocky, and he really enjoyed winning.
He and Hicks had good lives. They worked hard, played hard, and all of their plans seemed to come together seamlessly. But they were still missing the one thing that would fill their lives with joy. Then, Hicks forced Roman to go to a med-center to get claw marks on his shoulder treated after a particularly violent training session.
And their entire world changed.
Two med-techs were trying to cram Roman int
o a standard sized med-scanner. It would have been fine for most elites, but he was too big for the damn thing. Hicks was laughing his ass off at the whole ridiculous situation, and Roman was debating whether or not to throw something at him when an angel walked into the room.
Lisa Phelan was a Class A-Healer and the doctor-in-training who was filling in for a med-tech friend of hers and wasn’t even supposed to be at the med-center that day. She was on the petite side of elite women, and her short blonde hair was cut in a pixie style with ends haphazardly sticking out as if she ran her hand through it multiple times.
She took charge of Roman’s care the moment she stepped into the room, and both men were instantly charmed by her beauty, compassionate nature, and lovely smile. When it came to treating Roman’s wounds, she knew exactly what she was doing, but they quickly learned she was shy, almost painfully so, when it came to anything besides medicine. A pretty blush colored her cheeks when they asked to see her again, and her soft, hesitant assent had made them feel like kings.
Their love was a sweet, slow progression, and they waited three months to claim Lisa. Well, that was slow for some men. They’d only taken her as their chosen after they’d gotten her consent, not wanting to take away her choice as some other elites did with the women they claimed. And their names and reputations were enough to keep other men away from her while they courted her.
As a healer, Lisa wasn’t pleased that Roman was a fighter, and he understood her stance since she had such a gentle soul. He continued to train for the tournament, and went on to win again, earning them more credits to add to their savings. He might have won, but he shared everything he had with Hicks and Lisa, and they did the same. They supported him even if they didn’t like him fighting, and Roman knew Lisa would have rather been poor than see him hurt.
She loved him and couldn’t help but worry about both of her men.
No matter their differences, the three of them were a team. Roman, Hicks, and Lisa had spent long moments planning for their future. They wanted a big family, but they decided to wait a little since she’d just finished her training at the med-center and was still learning her way as a fulltime doctor.