“Supreme Commander,” he supplied. “I won’t release you until you explain why you were afraid. Didn’t you trust me?”
“I don’t even know you,” she wailed.
“Don’t you?” He knelt before her and skimmed his fingertips up her calf, across her knee and along her thigh. An involuntary shudder rocked through her. “I’m the man who can take you into Oblivion, give you an orgasm meant to make you want more of me, and I would die for you. Isn’t that enough, Tesra?”
Jen’Na shook her head. Heat settled low in her belly. “No. At least on Talloria I know what to expect. Hell, I can even dodge quick feels and sidestep blatant requests for orgies without much effort anymore.” It was a lie. “I want my old life back.”
“I see,” he muttered. “So this means nothing to you?”
She jumped as far as the restraints would allow when he swept his hand between her legs to skim her pussy. Clenching her teeth to keep from telling him he was out of his farden frick of a mind if he thought she was easy, she gasped when his middle finger stroked her cleft. Unbidden, her nipples tightened and her traitorous body went haywire. “Stop it. Stop it right now.” Her fingers curled around the arm rests when a jolt of pure lust rolled up her feminine walls. In her subconscious mind she heard a different song. Sad. Solemn. Mournful. The eerie lyrics made her want to cry. An aria? A lament? “Why are you doing this to me?” The words escaped her lips before she had a chance to swallow them. A tear traced down her cheek. All the pain she’d stored up since losing her father and then moving to Talloria wouldn’t be denied. The teeming emotion begged for a reckoning. A moment where the accounting of sins written on her soul could be swiped clean and she could start fresh.
“It’s all right, Jen’Na.” He breathed against the shell of her ear. “Let it go.”
The restraints released her waist and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. It felt so good to have someone holding her. Droves of memories shot through her. The Andromedain’s attack on Earth. Their preferred weapon of choice—the Buckets. Her father. “He shouldn’t have gone out. I was supposed to go to the post office.” She blubbered nonsensically. “I was supposed to die in the Buckets.” The blaring of the sirens shouted in her head. Screaming for her to hide in the closet, the room her father told her was impervious to the transporter beams the Andromedains used to whisk their prey into the nothingness of space. The reports of how the captured died haunted her. Suffocated, frozen to death, the one Bucket Earth Alliance had infiltrated called the screams more heinous than anything in the planet’s recorded history.
It was those damned sirens. She couldn’t get away from them if she tried. At work she’d hear a buzz of a turbo converter go off and find herself cowering under her workspace. The blaring wail woke her up in the middle of the night. Telling her the danger from above was stalking her neighborhood that it was ready to snatch anybody who strode the streets or wandered to close to the windows. “I should be dead.”
“The Great Fathers saved you.”
“For what reason? To what end?” She wanted an answer. Needed to know what purpose she had in the vast universe. “So I could become a pariah on Talloria? To make me hate myself more than I already do because…because…” Gulping against the knot of emotion choking her throat, she shook her head. “I…I…”
“What?” He kissed away the moisture from her cheeks. “I can’t help you if you don’t trust me with the truth.”
“I don’t want to become my mother. She uses sex to get away from her pain. I can’t be like that. I won’t be like that.” But he had brought something out in her, a foreign side of her she didn’t understand. In his arms there was Oblivion and satisfaction. The emptiness of where he’d taken her attracted her. It was the orgasm he’d given her that made her contemplate she’d start using sex to escape her terrifying past.
The escape was attractive.
All consuming.
Destructive.
She shook her head. Her hair tangled with his. The sound of her mother hatefully screaming, “Why didn’t you do what I told you to? Why did he die?” returned to smash her already low self-esteem into the dust. She’d always taken those sentences to mean Your father was more important than you. “It was my fault.”
“No.” He pulled her back to the present with his simple rejection. “You deserved life. Your father knew it.”
Noticing the pause in his voice, she bit her lower lip. “And?”
He flicked his fingers over her slick folds. His head dipped closer to hers, their lips barely a breath apart. “I know why the Great Fathers saved you.”
“You do?”
He nodded. “I can never be whole again without you in my life.”
She wanted to laugh at him. Tell him he was crazy. That she didn’t believe in God or the supreme deity on Talloria, the Goddess A’vor. The only time she’d ever prayed was when her father’s name appeared on the death list published by Earth’s Central Government. Then she’d prayed for an end to the horror that was war. She’d prayed for hope in a hopeless situation.
One that only got worse when her family was relocated to Talloria. Hope faded. Reality jaded her soul. She didn’t just feel abandoned. She was abandoned by everything and everybody who should have cared about her. There on the desert planet, she showed her disapproval in spades.
Her unruly, non-conformist attitude disgusted her mother and stepfather. Unlike they, who worshipped A’Vor, the goddess of sexual freedom, Jen’Na put stock in what was right in front of her.
The internal rant was cut off when he took her lips in a kiss that curled her toes. Pushing against the arms holding her to him, she felt her body concede defeat. Her brain was having none of it. No way. Never again.
“Look at me, Jen’Na.” He pulled away from her. His thumb tenderly brushed her cheek. “Your fight is fruitless, Tesra. Whom the sand has brought together, no warrior, not even the strongest or the bravest, can tear asunder. Only death will separate us.”
“I don’t like it when you call me that.”
“What?”
“Tesra. It’s rude to speak an alien language in front of… I mean…” Oh hell, I don’t know what I mean. “Why do you insist on calling me that?”
“That’s what you are. My Tesra. My first wife.”
She cut him off before he could say more. “Your…your…first wife?” Farden frig. Navorains are no better than Tallorians. You probably have a wife on every space station and two on your home ship. Her heart beat so hard in her chest she felt as if it would break through her ribs. What have I gotten myself into?
“Tesra.” He sighed and shook his head. “You gave me three days. I will need them.”
“I’ll have to contact my boss.” Her brain worked quickly. A carefully worded excuse to my boss. Yes, one which will make Dug’Ls suspicious, hopefully prompt him to call Tallorian security.
“Jen’Na, I know your thoughts. I feel what you feel.”
“Oh, farden frig.” How did I forget? It was simple. He stole her common sense with the brush of his lips on hers or the caress of his hand on her skin. “When does this sand stuff wear off?”
“It doesn’t. The sand will connect us as long as our hearts beat. Afterward too, if our love is strong.”
“Love?” Giving a wild cackling laugh, she smacked him in the shoulder. “Love? Oh, so this is some sort of love potion? Well, why didn’t you tell me? It would have made this so much easier to wrap my brain around.” Sarcasm dripped for her words. The sting of tears clinging to the corners of her eyes caught her by surprise. I don’t believe in love. She chanted silently over and over.
“Tonight, we’ll talk about what’s going on. Until then, I want you in the main suite. You’ll be safer there should we come under fire from the marauders.”
“I thought you lost the marauders.” The reality check brought things into clarity. Her very survival depended on the mysterious warrior. Her gaze flew across the consoles with their blinking controls. “
But, your technology is advanced?”
“What they’ve stolen or acquired through battle has made it less formidable. For now we’ve escaped them,” he admitted gruffly. “The marauders aren’t stupid by half. They won’t stop hunting us simply because we eluded them in the wormhole. And they’ll call on other ships to locate our warp signature.” He reached over and pushed the homing beacon button, disengaging the coded message. “And they’ve most certainly recorded our beacon’s channel.”
“It isn’t a matter of if, but when they catch up to us.”
“Not necessarily. We just have to be cautious.”
“I can’t call home.” It was a stupid statement. Of course she couldn’t. In this out-of-the-way area of space, the marauders would track the source of the com-link and follow it straight to them.
“No. It’s too dangerous.” He helped her up. She hugged him. Regret flow off him in hard waves. “If it is any consolation, Tesra, I am sorry.”
“It’ll be all right.” She nodded. “How long before we dock with your home ship?”
“A few more hours,” he responded in a strained voice. “Jen’Na, trust me.”
She wanted to punch him in the gut when he lifted her in his arms and carried her to the tube. “Don’t your people believe in turbo lifts?” she shouted as air whooshed around her. She dared a peek at the scenery. The stars glistened like never before, and if she hadn’t known better, she’d have reached her fingers through the force field to touch one.
“The chutes are so much more fun.” He stepped out of the fast running stream, and she gazed at his suite.
A startled giggle erupted from her mouth. In retrospect, they were cool and more like an intergalactic fun ride than a method of transport. “I’ll give you that much.”
“You’ll give me more than your honest opinion about our technology before we dock with the Vor Tulden.”
“Do you really think so?” In your dreams.
“Tesra,” he growled, “I know so. Tell me, what Tallorian position would you like to try? The Triad? The Hap’sh’Ul?”
She gave him credit. He did know a thing or two about Tallorian mating rituals. “I beg your pardon?” Her traitorous body melted against his. “Earlier, you wanted to rock your conservative upbringing and try a few things you’d only heard about on Talloria. Remember?” He laid a kiss to her forehead. “Which would you prefer? The Triad or the Hap’sh’Ul?”
“Oh, damn this sand.”
“Shh,” he hushed and pressed his finger to her lips. He leaned down and whispered the rest against the shell of her ear. His hot breath sent delicious tingles down her spine. “Which position?”
“Both require more than one man.”
“You can create any hologram you wish. That includes anything or anyone.”
Good point. She’d even heard of other cultures using holographic partners to teach their younglings the ins and outs of sex. Pulling away from him as far as his hands would allow she searched his face for any signs of jealousy. “You don’t look like a guy…I mean, a warrior…who’s into group sex.”
“If it would make you happy, I am willing to try.”
“Yeah. Right. I remember. Tonight is about me.” Clinging to him, she rubbed her cheek against his chest. “Are you okay with the Hap’sh’Ul?” Specifically picking the foursome for its shock factor, she waited for his answer.
“Tesra, many of my people have open relationships. Especially since the destruction of Navora has the practice of sharing our mates become a necessity. We need to produce the next generation—we know that.”
It actually made sense to her. And, she realized, it was the exact opposite of Tallorian belief. On Talloria it wasn’t a matter of choice. Women were playthings to be discarded. To the Navorains it was a matter of survival. Thus, the woman had more power over the play. At least she suspected they did. “But I can’t get pregnant from a hologram.” Truthfully, and for some wild and crazy reason, she wanted to carry his baby, not someone else’s. Her heart chugged painfully as she thought about questioning the paternity of her child. She might not understand the full affects of the sand, but she did recognize she was quickly succumbing to its power.
“I would be honored to have you bear my child.”
She gasped when his hand roamed across her hip to lie upon her flat stomach. “What if I gave you a baby girl? Would you still love her?”
“Of course.”
She sensed he was telling the truth. “What if I don’t want to perform the Triad or Hap’sh’Ul?”
“Then I will lay you down on that bed and fuck you until you scream my name.” He sighed. “I would never deny you your fantasies. We understand they are merely curiosities to be explored, but if you aren’t interested then we will continue the mating according to Earth customs.”
The Navorains had everything figured out. If one wanted to play out a dirty little dream, one could create sexual partners or engage organic ones. If one wasn’t into that, a mate would keep you company—end of discussion. They had not only evolved technologically but emotionally too. “I take it, your species is inquisitive.”
“Very.”
“Why don’t you tell me what you’d like to try?” A blush heated her cheeks. “Maybe, I’m not bold enough for you.”
“Yet.” He smiled. “Don’t worry, Tesra. I would prefer to follow the traditional Earth customs.”
“Why don’t we try creating our own tradition?” She liked that idea. “How about it, big guy? You want to take another whirl across the mattress?”
He growled when she caressed a slow path down his chest and tucked her hand beneath his shirt. Drifting her fingers over his ridged muscles restarted the throb in her core.
“You undo me, Tesra.”
“You’ve said that already,” she teased. “Now, where were we before the marauders rudely interrupted us?” His chuckle sounded rusty to her ears. “If I remember correctly, you were on the bed—naked.”
“Are you asking me to undress?”
“No, I’m telling you,” she answered playfully. She took a step back. Immediately missing his body heat, she nibbled on her lower lip. Through the veil of her lashes she watched his smile grow. Empowered, she squared her shoulders. Sauntering a few steps away, she silently ordered a chair to appear. The hologram appeared. Settling her bottom on the comfortable, overstuffed cushion, she crossed her legs and took on the air of a woman who had all the time in the world. Her nips tightened to hard buds and the throb in her crotch turned to an unrelenting pound. “I’m waiting.”
Jen’Na gave him credit. Coleverus didn’t bat an eyelash, and he was better than a male stripper from Orion Nine. His strong fingers gathered his shirt before slowly pulling it over his head. Holy cow. The decadent play of muscles revealed when he removed his shirt made her throat go dry. She gulped when he unbuttoned his pants and peeled them down his thighs.
A little moan escaped her throat when he kicked his pants away. “Good God, you are gorgeous.” He was hard and ready for her. Her fingers itched to stroke his hot skin. “Lie down on the bed.”
He cocked an eyebrow and did what she asked. Reclining on the bed, he cupped his head in his palms. From every angle he appeared totally at ease with what was happening. “You’re enjoying this.”
Oh yeah, I am. Dragging her gaze down his body, she watched a tear of pre-cum glisten on the tip of his penis. With all the panache she could muster, she rose from the chair. Padding across the floor, she climbed onto the bed. “Do you think the marauders will catch up to us in the next fifteen minutes? I don’t want to be interrupted again.”
“The ship will inform me if they enter our proximity.”
“Cool.” She tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear, gave him a seductive wink and then wrapped her fingers around his cock. “Is this what you want?” She licked the head and ran her tongue down the length of him. She sucked on his left ball. She released it with a soft pop and turned her attention to the other. Licking it with taunti
ng flicks of her tongue, she reveled in how his sac tightened. She grew bolder when he groaned.
The crisp hairs on his legs scraped against the sensitive skin of her breasts as she repositioned herself so her mouth lingered over the tip. Working her mouth over the head, she slowly sank down on his erection until she couldn’t take any more of his length. She retreated with unnerving slowness, an attempt to heighten his pleasure. Her pussy ached for his fingers, but she shoved the need aside. He’d said tonight was all about her. To her thinking it was better if tonight was all about them.
“You make me proud, Tesra,” he rasped. In the back of her mind she knew he wasn’t talking about her gauche and fumbling attempt at oral sex.
“Thank you.” The lyrical music shook through her. The strains grew in strength. Her body longed for his. The pulse in her crotch intensified. Her body rocked as she continued to suck his cock.
“Come here,” he ordered. “Let me touch you. Taste you.”
He moved her into the sixty-nine position. “Please,” she whispered. The feel of his fingers spreading her slick feminine folds made her hotter than she’d ever been before. “Oh, please.” Panting, she continued to stroke his cock.
Clenching her jaw, she surged forward when he inserted a finger into her soaking pussy. “Yes. Yes. Yes.”
A cry of ecstasy rolled over her lips when he took her clit into his mouth and sucked on the sensitive nub. His fingers worked her hole. The tension grew in her belly. Gathering the vestiges of her conscious mind, she returned her mouth to his cock. Trying to match the tempo he set with his fingers driving into her channel, she felt her orgasm build.
She slapped his leg when he pulled his digits from her. Ripping her lips from his erection, she gasped for air. “Farden frig.” Don’t stop. Please, don’t stop.
“Patience, Tesra.” He chuckled. Easing her off him, he had her flat on her back and was blanketing her before she could protest. “I want you,” he whispered against her lips. He plunged into her with a single, smooth stroke. “Jen’Na, look at me.”
Intimate Space Page 4