“Actually…”
His heartbeat picked up. “Vay. I’m not an alien. Right?”
“Technically, you kind of are. I mean, your people have been on Earth for so long, the Coalition considers you Earthlings, but humans are actually descended from a Sadirian colony ship that crashed here millennia ago.”
“But that… The fossil record…” His brain stalled.
Craig and Barbara hadn’t mentioned any of this. But then, they probably wanted to distance Henry from the Sadirians as much as possible in their minds.
“The hominids evolving at the time were following a very similar path,” Vay said. “Certain planetary environments tend to favor similar results.”
He could think of several examples of that on Earth—birds that evolved forms best suited to their ecosystem that were almost identical to different species in other regions. But thinking about that sort of thing on the level of humanity made his brain stall again.
She leaned forward and kissed him, and his thoughts stopped altogether. It wasn’t like the tentative kiss they’d shared on Christmas Eve. Her mouth moved against his, assertive, demanding. She buried her fingers in his hair.
Whatever else was going on, there was something happening between them. A spark that neither could deny. He gave in to the pleasure rippling through him, pushing her back on the couch and covering her with his body. They were the same species. Which meant they were biologically compatible—hopefully.
He should probably check.
Shifting his lips to her neck, he trailed a line of kisses toward her ear, then said, “We can do this, right? Earthlings and Sadirians?”
“Yes.” Her voice was a breathy moan. “Just tell me what to do.”
That was weird. Surely she knew what would be involved. Unless she’d never…
He pushed himself up on his elbows, a different kind of pleasure warming him as he saw her flushed cheeks and heavy-lidded eyes.
“You’ve done this before, right? Maybe not with Earthlings, but with other Sadirians?”
Her eyes became a bit more focused—and shuttered. “I have. But we do things differently.”
“Different how?” All sorts of scenarios ran through his head. He tried to tame his imagination before it completely extinguished his ardor.
“When Sadirians have sex, we use a drug called Coupling. It handles pretty much everything for us. Arousal, climax, aftereffects.”
“That sounds like…no fun at all.”
She laughed. “It’s a little fun. But not like this. I stopped using it with a partner years ago. It has about the same effect solo.”
“You even use it by yourself?”
“Most Sadirians use it by themselves. It’s designed to satisfy our biological urges. Interacting with a partner while using it is sort of looked down upon.”
He laughed and shook his head. “That’s kind of the opposite of a lot of Earthlings. But if you’ve never…‘explored yourself’, how do you know what you enjoy?”
“I was kind of hoping to figure that out with you.”
Oh boy.
Meeting Vay and being with her like this already felt like some kind of miracle. What she wanted to experience with him, though—her first real physical intimacy—was sacred ground.
He rose from the couch, pulling her after him. He grabbed the blanket and wrapped it over her shoulders.
“I don’t understand,” she said.
“It sounds like that drug put your body on autopilot. I want to be sure that you can focus on this experience completely.”
“Okay.”
He led her to the fireplace, where the stones were already radiating heat. Swallowing hard, he took the blanket from her and laid it on the floor. Then he slid his fingertips under the hem of her sports bra and lifted it over her breasts.
He tried not to stare as she shimmied out of it. He really tried.
Her breasts were perfect. Full and round, with rose-colored nipples that he couldn’t wait to taste.
But he would.
He turned her around and lifted her hand to the mantel. “Hold onto this.”
She did as he asked, looking back at him over her shoulder. The trust she was showing… He would live up to it. He was going to help her, no matter what it took. Starting with this. An introduction to her own body.
“Many Earthlings explore their bodies to learn what they do and don’t like,” he said.
“Explore how?”
He stepped up behind her, his heart pounding. He was already so hard. His balls were aching. He took a moment to adjust himself and her eyes widened.
“Don’t worry.” He smiled at her. “This time I’m keeping the focus entirely on you.”
“I don’t know what that means.”
“Then let me show you.”
She smiled at him, then turned back toward the fire. He heard her let out a nervous breath. A soft orange glow bathed her skin. He wanted to see more of it. And it would help him to help her.
He hooked his fingers in the waistband of the tight shorts she was wearing, then slid them down her long legs. When they’d reached her ankles, she stepped out of them. He was at eye-level with her ass. He could imagine standing and grabbing her hips and driving himself into her.
But not yet. Not. Yet.
He ran his hands up her legs as he slowly stood, then along her sides. When he reached her breasts, he cupped them firmly, kneading their softness. She sucked in a breath and jerked back, but he was right there to keep her steady. He pressed her firmly against his chest, massaging her breasts the entire time.
“Do you feel that?” he said. “The weakness in your knees. The fluttering in your stomach. Anticipation. Desire.”
She leaned against his chest, nuzzling his cheek. “I feel it.”
He rolled her nipples gently between his fingers, till they tightened. Vay arched her back, pushing her ass against his dick.
This was going to be harder than he thought. He wanted to thrust against her. But he didn’t want to distract her from what she was feeling from and within her own body.
“Cygnus X. That feels so good.”
“So good you’re thinking about a black hole?”
She laughed. “It’s a phrase that indicates strong emotion.”
“We’re only getting started.”
“What are you going to do?” Her voice was breathless.
“What are you going to do. I’m only here to help.”
Her hair was short enough that he could move it aside by nuzzling her neck, and as soon as he’d bared her skin, he nipped it gently. She pressed back against him, shifting her ass in a maddening way. He placed his left hand next to hers on the mantel, then lifted her right with his and set it on her stomach.
He pressed his dick against her harder, felt it start to pulse a bit. He couldn’t believe how worked up she was getting him. It was time to return the favor.
He guided her hand down her stomach, till they reached the soft curls at the apex of her legs. He sucked the skin of her neck, tonguing her flesh as he lined up her fingers with her slit.
Apparently, kissing had excited her more than he thought. She was already slick. He entwined their fingers, circling her clit, flicking it, rubbing all along the length of her.
“Henry…”
She moaned, spreading her legs to give them better access. His heart was hammering in his chest. He had never wanted anyone so badly. If he wasn’t careful, he was going to go off in his pants.
He had plans, though. So many plans. Things he’d imagined doing to and with her during the time they’d been apart. But he had to last through this for them both to experience even more.
He pressed his dick against her ass, trying to focus completely on her as he pushed on her hand, guiding her fingers deeper, into her core. She gasped, but he didn’t let up. In and out, rhythmically pumping her hand with his—slowly, letting her savor every impulse from her nerve endings. She took over for him, alternating between deep thrus
ts with her fingers and quick swirls around her clit.
“That’s it,” he murmured in her ear. “It’s your body. Figure out what you like.”
And then hopefully she’d let him do the same to her.
“I don’t know what… I don’t know how to climax on my own.” She looked over at him, eyes soft with pleasure, lips still full from their kisses.
He covered her hand with his again, pressing her hips harder against his swollen dick. Imagining what it would be like to part her flesh and bury himself in her. The thought almost set him off again. Maybe it would help her too.
“Imagine me buried inside of you.”
He whispered the words against her ear, then nipped it as he started to thrust against her. Pulling her fingers up to her clit, he moved them in a few quick circles until she had taken over on her own.
“Only I’d be going deeper.” He slid one of his fingers into her core, pumping it as he thrust against her.
“Faster.” He slid a second finger in.
She let out a groan and rose up on her toes, as if she was trying to position his dick to plow into her. He was throbbing so hard, about to go off any second. He wanted this to be about her, but his body was reacting as if everything he was saying was true.
“Harder.” He slid a third finger in deep, pumping them relentlessly, thrusting against her in time with his movements.
He felt her core spasm around his hand, pulling on his fingers, milking them. He pressed against her clit with the heel of his hand as he kept going, wanting this climax to be one she would never forget.
She threw her head back and screamed, “Stars!”
He pressed himself to her as hard as he could, fingers still buried deep as her body calmed against him—willing his own to calm as well. He wanted this moment to last.
And then he wanted more. More moments like this.
He wanted more time.
Chapter Eleven
Vay was still reeling from her body seeming almost to unmake itself through the searing orgasm Henry had shared with her. The knowledge that her body was capable of giving her more of this pleasure without the assistance of Coupling was incredible. And if it felt that good on her own, she couldn’t imagine how much better it would be with a partner.
“Henry—”
She could still feel the fullness of his member pressed against her ass, but he’d let go of his hold on her. He was moving around behind her, getting something out of his pocket.
“I forget my hat, I forget my gloves, but I always have my wallet with me, even when hiking through the forest.”
He tossed his wallet on the floor, finally shifting back from her. She heard him unzip his pants, and the rustle of fabric as he pulled them open. Was he not going to undress?
Part of her wanted to experience his skin against hers. Another part wanted him inside of her immediately. The latter desire increased in strength as the velvet skin of his shaft rubbed against her hip as he moved.
She craned her neck to glance at him over her shoulder. He was holding a small metal packet between his teeth. He tore it open and pulled a small piece of plastic or something from it. He unrolled the material down his shaft.
A condom. She remembered reading about them. He grabbed her hips, pausing when their gazes met.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” he said. “I mean, with me?”
She wrapped her arm around his neck, pulling him close for a kiss. She could feel him prodding against her flesh.
“Absolutely,” she said.
He let out a sigh, then kissed her again, his tongue sliding between her lips. One of his hands found her breast again, while the other delved between her legs, as if he hadn’t gotten his fill of feeling her in that intimate way.
He shifted his hips, angling them beneath her as he released her mouth. She could feel the tip of him pressing against her core. Turning back to the fire, she gripped the mantel with both hands to steady herself.
Henry slid into her, slowly, his fingers digging into her hips as he let out a low groan. A matching sound escaped from her chest. He was stretching her, filling her.
Heat and the purest experience of sensation flooded her body, generated from where they were connected. Finally, she felt his pelvis pressing against her ass.
All of him was within her. All of him.
The thought sent another wave of tingling stimulation over her skin. He leaned back, releasing her hips, but keeping himself buried inside her, then pulled his shirt off and tossed it away.
“I want to feel more of you.” He leaned forward, so that his chest touched her back.
Henry’s warmth seeped into her. More of him—his energy—soaking into her. Then his hands were on her again. Kneading her breast, circling her clitoris. She felt a deep pulsing throb within her.
“Was that your climax?” she asked.
“What?”
Henry laughed, and she could feel the vibration through their body. They were connected everywhere, it seemed.
“No,” he said. “I’m trying to calm myself down before moving—to avoid my climax. Well, put it off for a bit, at least. There’s so much I want to experience with you.”
A pang shot through her that nearly equaled in pain what he was giving her in physical pleasure. There was so much she wanted to experience with him, too. So much they would never have time to explore together.
She needed to be distracted from those thoughts. She needed more of him, of this.
“Henry, please…”
His hands moved to her hips, his grip strong. Slowly, he pulled himself from her almost completely, then slid back in. The friction sent shooting tendrils of pleasure through her, like sparks lighting up every nerve-ending.
Again, he pulled himself out, then thrust back inside of her. As he’d promised, he started to move faster, landing harder. She clenched her fingertips onto the mantel to hold herself up. His pelvis slapped against her ass as his pace increased, his body ramming into her like a piston.
The sparks along her nerves started coalescing into a flame that burned white-hot, filling her body, flooding through her. Her heart seemed to stop for a moment, everything stilling, until it burst through her awareness in a cascading torrent of sensation. The flames coursed through her body, energizing every cell, every molecule. She’d never felt such a pure connection to another.
Henry cried out her name as his pounding thrusts reached a frenzied level. She felt his shaft pulsing within her, resonating with the aftereffects of her own climax and keeping her in that blissful state for that much longer.
He finally stopped, buried as deeply within her as he could reach, his chest pressed against her back and his hands wrapped around her waist. She felt him rest his head on her shoulder, a shudder passing through him.
“That was incredible,” she said.
“I wholeheartedly agree.”
“Thank you.”
“You are most welcome.”
He laughed and she felt him slide from her body. The absence was disorienting. She tried not to think about how his absence would affect her when he was gone from her life entirely.
He turned her to face him, pulling her against his chest. The fire was warm, as was he.
“How long do we have?” he said.
So, he was thinking along the same lines as she was. It was hard to ignore the reality of their situation. But she could try.
“We have today. Maybe tomorrow.”
He sucked in a quick breath, and his eyes seemed to glitter in the firelight. He pulled her close and pressed his lips to her forehead. For a long moment, he left them there.
“Let’s not waste it,” he said. “Any of it.”
She nodded, her throat too tight to speak. He lifted her chin so that he could look into her eyes.
“Vay. Every moment with you is a gift.”
She let out the breath she hadn’t known she was holding, then wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tight.
There had to be a way they could share more of this. She could start the arduous bureaucratic process that would enable her to stay. But that might endanger General Serath’s efforts to have the First Contact committee recognized.
She could ask Henry to come with her. He might just agree, if he felt even half as strongly toward her as she felt toward him. But she cared about him too much to ask it of him.
She could fake her own death…
Her ideas were getting more desperate—and ridiculous. She’d never be able to pull it off. She’d be found, disciplined, and Henry would receive a mindwipe.
Her mind was still reeling, eating up the precious time she had in Henry’s arms. She needed to focus on what she had in each moment. And maybe while she was doing her scans back at her ship she could figure out a way they could be together.
Chapter Twelve
The light streaming in through the windows was starting to gain a tint of orange. Normally, Henry loved the sunset views from the cabin.
His life had become anything but normal.
The sun setting meant that Vay would be leaving soon. She should be back at her ship before dark. Her uniform would probably keep her warm and help her see, though. Maybe they could have a bit more time together.
He’d do anything for more time with her.
Her people valued love. They had to if it was possible for them to pair-bond with Earthlings. And if others could do it, why couldn’t they?
It might have seemed sudden from an external view, but it wasn’t. His feelings for her had been building since their chance encounter on Christmas Eve. This was the real thing. He was sure of it.
His dad often talked to Henry about how he and Henry’s mom became a couple. It was love at first sight on dad’s part. His dad had winked as he said, “You mother took a little convincing.” But he explained that their future together had been worth fighting for.
Henry would fight for his future with Vay. Even if it was complicated by the fact that she was an alien.
Unless that could make it easier...
She seemed to hate her life with the Coalition. From how controlling they sounded, Henry doubted that they would just let her go. But maybe she could escape. All she’d need was a little help. And he happened to know a pair of Lyrians who were adept at avoiding the Coalition. He just had to convince them to use their skills on Vay’s behalf.
Entry Visa (The Department of Homeworld Security Book 5) Page 6