Eternal Nights

by Patti O'Shea

  Wyatt slid completely into her, then went still. His navy eyes shone with an intensity she couldn’t remember seeing from him before. This was more than sex, she realized, but before she could think about it, he grinned.

  Kendall’s breath caught. Wyatt Montgomery was beautiful when he smiled. “Why are you waiting?” she asked.

  “I haven’t had sex in more than seven months. I don’t want to come too soon.”

  “If you’re too fast,” she told him, winding her arms around his neck, “you’ll just have to do me again.”

  His first thrust was almost hesitant, but the second was hard, and Kendall groaned her appreciation. That’s all it took to incite him and she lifted her hips to meet his. As primed as she was, it didn’t take her long. With a keening moan, she came before he did. Wyatt pushed into her faster, and then he was coming too, prolonging her own orgasm.

  It seemed to take forever before she could surface from the oblivion that followed the ecstasy. Wyatt lay atop her, but she found the weight of his body welcome. Kendall lightly stroked his back and shoulders.

  For the first time in days, she was at peace, her arousal quenched. But it was more than the physical satisfaction. It was being with Wyatt this way—the man she laughed and played with, the man she could share anything with. Her best friend.

  Bracing himself on his elbows, he kissed her slow and deep. With obvious reluctance, he pulled out and rolled to her side, his arm going around her waist to keep her close. As she lay there, cuddling with him, Kendall realized something. Her heart stopped, and when it resumed beating, it had lodged itself in her throat. “Wy, we didn’t use birth control.”

  *** *** ***

  Wyatt heard the panic in Bug’s voice, and tightened his hold before she could leap out of bed. For a moment, she struggled, then collapsed against him. “Shh, darlin’, it’s all right.”

  “How can you say that? Damn, I don’t have my calendar in my bag, but the timing can’t be as bad as I think. It can’t be!”

  Reaching up, he lightly pinched her chin between his thumb and forefinger, raising her face till their gazes met. “Kendall, do you think I’d risk you? I had the shot; we’re clear.”

  Bug blinked and he saw some of the fear leave her eyes. “You had the male birth control shot?”

  “Yep.” Wyatt almost grinned over her need for absolute clarity, but knew she wouldn’t appreciate it, not when she was barely calming down. Part of her terror over a pregnancy was based in their last life; he understood that even if she didn’t.

  She clutched at his shoulder. “When? When did you get it?”

  “The morning after I met you.” Let her deal with that bit of truth. “It’s good for another two months, so you’ve got nothing to fret over.”

  Kendall sagged against him, and Wyatt gathered her close. “Thank God,” she muttered against his chest.

  “I know you want to go to grad school; I want that for you too, and I’d never do anything to mess it up. Got that?”

  “Yeah, I got it.” She eased back, and smiled at him. “Thanks, Wy. I wasn’t thinking, not until it was too late. I’m glad you were on top of things.”

  Wyatt looked down to hide the laughter in his eyes over her unintentional double entendre and found himself fascinated by the contrast between his tanned chest and the paleness of her breasts. Damn, he and Bug looked good together. It still seemed beyond comprehension that he was finally with her this way. He was half afraid he’d wake up and discover it was nothing more than another dream.

  When he raised his eyes again, he said, “You don’t need to thank me. If I was lucky enough to get you in bed, I didn’t want you changing your mind because we didn’t have something handy to prevent conception.”

  Her smile dimmed, and she cleared her throat. “You really wanted to have sex with me for the last four months?”

  “No,” he corrected, “I wanted to make love with you for the last four months.”

  It was no surprise to see her nerves return, but Wyatt had the urge to curse anyway. Kendall didn’t want to hear this, but he wasn’t backing off this time. Of course, he wasn’t going to push either. Not yet. They’d come a long way in a few days, and Bug needed time to assimilate the changes. He’d give it to her.

  “You know what I was thinking earlier when I was cleaning up?” she asked, and from her tone of voice, she was done being serious.

  “What?” he replied, going along with the change in topic.

  “That it would be fun to get wet with you. Interested in joining me in the shower?”

  “Lead the way, darlin’.”

  She rolled out of bed, and he followed. Wyatt loved the fact that Bug showed no sign of self-consciousness as they wandered naked into the bathroom. That said something to him because he knew she was pretty modest.

  Trust. Sweet lord, the kind of trust this took for her humbled him.

  He let out a low whistle when he saw the chamber. “This is a palace, not a bathroom,” he told her.

  “It is something, isn’t it?” Kendall grinned. “You should see the shower. It’s big enough for an orgy.”

  As he looked around, memories of Zolianna poured back. He forced them aside. He was Wyatt now, and this was Kendall. Those other two people had no place here, not anymore.

  Bug came over, and leaned into his side. “I’ve never seen marble this color before, not anywhere.”

  “Me either,” he said thickly, but he didn’t give a rip about some stone, not when he had Kendall’s body pressed to his.

  “You’re not interested at all, are you?”

  “Whatever gave you that idea?” he teased, knowing full well that she’d noticed his erection.

  She laughed, and said, “Let me get us some fresh towels. Then I’ll take care of this for you.” Bug gave his cock a quick stroke, spun away, and headed for one of the walls. He watched her press her palm against it, saw the stone around her hand light up, and a door slide open. When Kendall bent over, he forgot all about hidden doors and the imprint on her palm.

  When she turned back and saw his condition, she teased, “Gee, soldier, it really has been a long time for you.”

  “You don’t know the half of it. You gonna keep lollygagging or are you gonna offer a little aid and comfort?”

  Putting the towels down on a nearby chair, she sashayed toward him and Wyatt had to swallow a groan. He never would have guessed Bug would be such a tease. She didn’t stop until her breasts pushed firmly into his chest and her arms were wound around his neck. Her kiss was openmouthed and hot.

  “What do you say,” she punctuated each word with a short kiss, “to a quickie before we get in the shower?”

  Wyatt had hold of her hips, and he pulled her closer as he ground himself against her. “Darlin”, I say I’m one lucky son of a gun.” They didn’t stop kissing. “What would you say if I asked you to brace yourself on the vanity?”

  For an instant, she froze, and he wondered if he’d pushed her too far; he knew she didn’t have much experience. Before he could get too worried, Bug stepped away, and leaned forward, arms supporting her body on the countertop, her feet shoulder-width apart. “Like this?” she asked, looking back at him.

  “Yeah, just like that.” He wasn’t going to last much longer now than he had in bed with her. “How much foreplay are you needing this time?”

  Kendall laughed, and tried to push her hair off her face. It fell back where it had been. Giving up on that, she said, “None. Seeing you naked got me raring to go.”

  “Definitely a lucky son of gun.” Wyatt came up behind her and entered her slowly, unwilling to take a chance on hurting her. She hadn’t been lying, though; she was ready for him. Taking hold of her hips, he began moving in and out of her.

  He could see her face in the mirror, and Wyatt watched Kendall as he thrust and withdrew, memorizing every expression. As revved up as he was, one thought never left his mind—he was making love to the woman he planned to spend the rest of his life with. Hel
l, he planned to spend all his lives with her.

  That idea was every bit as arousing as Bug’s small gasps and moans. Damn, he really wasn’t going to last long. He slid his hand between her legs, and found where her pleasure was centered. She arched her neck as he caressed her. Wyatt knew from the look on Kendall’s face that she was coming before he felt her squeeze him and that was all it took to push him over the edge.

  Wyatt poured himself into her, his body shuddering. Kendall, he thought, this is Kendall. And then he couldn’t think at all as sensation overwhelmed intellect.

  When he regained awareness, he realized he was leaning over Bug, his hands barely keeping his weight off of her. He looked up and noticed she was watching him in the mirror, much as he’d observed her. Their eyes met. “You’re sexy when you come,” she said, one side of her mouth quirked up.

  He grinned, then leaned forward to press a kiss to her shoulder. “Hand to God, as soon as I can find some self-command, I’ll make love to you the way you deserve.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with the out-of-control version—it’s damn good. But do you think you could let me up? This position isn’t all that comfortable.”

  “Sorry,” he apologized. He straightened and stepped back, but not far. If Kendall needed help, he’d be there to provide it. She pushed herself upright using the vanity for leverage, turned to him, and brushed her hair out of her face. For a moment, they stared at each other: a communion of souls. It was only then that it dawned on him that the hole he’d felt inside him his entire life was filled. Awed by that realization, he started to tell her.

  “Ready for that shower?” she asked, before he could get a word out. Without giving him a chance to answer, she tugged him along, and Wyatt wanted to groan. Damn it, after all this, she was still pulling back when things turned emotionally intimate. If she wouldn’t let him tell her, he’d have to demonstrate.

  As the water sluiced over them, Wyatt reached for her. “No,” Kendall said, “it’s my turn. I’ve hardly been given the chance to touch you. Now you stand still and let me explore.”

  There was a decanter filled with soap. Bug rubbed her hands together until it foamed, then ran her palms over his body. She stroked him everywhere, his back, his chest, his thighs. He wondered whether she realized how revealing her gentle touches were.

  He had an erection—again—long before she found her way to his cock. She made a little hum of pleasure, and he jerked in reaction.

  Kendall grinned and dropped to her knees in front of him. When she looked up, his legs buckled and he had to lock them to keep from hitting the floor. Her expression made his heart clench. His Bug, his woman, his love. Before he could savor the emotion, she used her soapy hands to stroke him, and then let the water rinse the suds away.

  She didn’t stand. And as he gazed down at Bug, her mouth level with his hard-on, Wyatt didn’t know whether to pray she took him between her lips or hope to hell she didn’t. As he tried to decide what to do, she leaned forward and pressed a kiss on his tip. He was sunk, Wyatt knew it. Fists knotted at his sides, he struggled to hold on to his control. If Bug wanted to explore him, he’d let her—even if it killed him.

  Kendall ran her tongue around his crown, then licked her way down his shaft. He groaned as she went lower. Wyatt would bet the bank that she’d never done this before, but he didn’t care because it was Bug. She laved her way back to his tip.

  “Stop teasing,” he growled, unable to prevent the words from escaping. She froze, and it took him a minute to realize that she wasn’t entirely sure what he meant. He could read it on her face. “Take me in your mouth. Suck me. Please.”

  Without a bit of finesse, she did, but Wyatt wouldn’t trade her inexpert attentions for the best blow job he’d ever received. The sight of Kendall’s mouth wrapped around him drove him wild, and it didn’t take long to smash his control. Again. “Darlin’, I’m gonna come,” he warned.

  She didn’t back off. Kendall stayed on him, her mouth and hand moving until he finished.

  “Damn, Bug, I’m sorry.”

  “Why?”

  And as she looked up at him, honestly bewildered by his apology, something dawned on him. She’d swallowed.

  His legs did give out then. Kneeling in front of her on the floor of the shower, Wyatt gathered her to him, and held her close. “I’ll explain it to you later,” he promised. “Right now, it’s my turn to touch you, and I can probably last longer than about two minutes.” He smiled. “I hope.”

  Pulling her to her feet, Wyatt mentally turned off the water and helped Bug out of the shower. Her legs were shaking so badly, he didn’t know whether she could stand on her own, but she rallied quickly, and they dried each other, using the towels as weapons in their war to arouse the other. And they laughed. That was the best part as far as Wyatt was concerned.

  Kendall challenged him to a race. She beat him to the door, nudging him aside with her hip, but he had longer legs, and got to the bed first. Together, they yanked the blankets back, and dove beneath them. Still laughing, he kissed her, then pulled back. “This time,” he said quietly, “I’m going to do you right.”

  He went slowly, adoring her, worshiping her with his hands, mouth, lips, and teeth. Kendall. His woman.

  She didn’t try to rush him or take charge. Instead, she gave herself over to him, and Wyatt felt his heart clench. This required even more trust than displaying her body.

  Later, after they were both sated, he cuddled her close. As they exchanged kisses and gentle caresses, Bug spoke and drove a blade into his heart. “That woman you love is lucky.”

  Pain shot through him, followed by an anger deeper than anything he’d ever experienced. She was deliberately blind, and he was fucking sick of it. “You haven’t figured it out yet, despite everything we’ve done? You know me; I would never screw around on someone I loved.” He leaned over her, so livid, his eyes were no doubt shooting flames. “You’re the woman. I love you, Kendall.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  The pathways were filled with citizens going about their business, but the energy of the city was far from idyllic. Kendall had never before felt such mental chaos, such terror from the residents. Yet at the same time, she viewed everything with a level of disassociation that left her wondering until she realized she was dreaming again. With a shrug, she let herself be sucked back into this other reality.

  In certain quarters of the city, there had been riots, fistfights, and the Guard found its time splintered between trying to find the murderer and keeping peace among their own population.

  As she strolled through the plazas and streets, she studied her people. She was without her personal guard or cortege. Kendall felt little unease despite the high tension and flaring tempers.

  She’d frequently made this journey between the temple and Kale and Meriwa’s residence. Always there were meetings. She’d seen more of the lord and lady in the last five lunar cycles than she had since becoming High Priestess. She consulted with them, their guardians, their advisors, and the Guard Commander. Yet everything they’d tried had failed to end the killings.

  This day, she’d made a suggestion that had shocked those present into silence. Kendall had recommended that the lord and lady send the citizens back to their home world.

  Never before in the history of their people had a colony returned to its planet of origin. Kendall, however, did not see how they had any choice. How many more must die? They would all have to give up the only home they’d ever known, but they would be alive. After the murderer was captured and dealt with, they could come back.

  Kale and Meriwa had been incensed. They’d learned that the killer was an alien stranded on this planet by his own people because he’d repeatedly committed mass murder. The lord and lady had also discovered that the killer believed he was honoring his goddess with the sacrifice of sentient beings.

  Kendall tried to comprehend such thinking, but could not.

  As she entered the square at the rear of the
temple, her eyes naturally strayed to the Guard headquarters for the quadrant. She drew to a halt as she spotted Wyatt standing at the front of the building, talking to a handful of his men. How handsome he was, and how she loved him. Their babe kicked, as if realizing his father stood near, and it was all Kendall could do to prevent herself from rubbing her belly in response.

  Her pregnancy was advanced, and her robes would be unable to conceal her state much longer. Were she and Wyatt to be expelled from the city, they—and their babe—would die. There would be no leniency from the lord and lady, and two against this killer—

  Someone bumped into her, causing Kendall to lose her balance. The man put an arm around her to prevent her from falling, apologizing profusely for his inattention. When he went still, she knew he’d felt the swell of her child.

  “My lady?” he asked, voice incredulous. And as he turned her to face him, she saw confusion, agitation, disbelief, and other emotions she couldn’t identify. Before she could find words to diffuse the situation, anger—nay, fury—mottled his complexion. Roughly, he tore open her robe. The clothes she wore beneath did nothing to hide her pregnancy.

  “This,” he called to those around them, “is what has caused our curse!” Anger radiated from him. “Our High Priestess has sinned against Heru, and he is punishing us for her wickedness!”

  Disbelief held her in place. Their religion did not teach such doctrine, yet clearly this man’s words had found resonance with the people. They instantly clustered around her.

  “That is not true,” she called, speaking loudly to be heard above the angry murmurs. “Heru is love, not vindictiveness. He does not punish—”

  “Silence, harlot!” a woman shouted.

  “You are not fit to speak the name of Heru,” a man accused.