When he pulled her up and pressed her down to his erection, still slick from her body, she didn't hesitate. She popped the head into her mouth and wrapped her soft hands around the wet shaft to pump in time to her sucking. Bliss rocked his body, and his balls drew up so tight that they ached. Every lick and flick of her tongue caused his cock to pulse and tremble.
Mieli was merciless, flaying the sensitive underside of the tip with her small tongue. Finally, he let his control slip and his cum rushed up, eager to escape and desperate for release.
IN THE AFTERMATH of their frenetic coupling, Mieli was a little mystified by Jai's behavior. After he had righted himself and helped her refasten the straps that held her in her seat, he'd sunk deep into his own thoughts. Without verbal communication, she was left with only her intuition to tell her that whatever weighed so heavily on his mind were not doubts about her.
It wasn't what she'd anticipated, but their physical relationship was actually very good. Better, in fact, than any she'd ever had. Admittedly, there had been little time for romance in her chosen career. The years of study and practice had provided little respite, and the long hours had left no time for adult fun. What sex she'd had since coming of age had been a result of opportunity rather than forethought. Her first lover, during her second year of medical training, had been a regular study partner. They'd laughed and talked, studied and slept together. When the year ended, Mieli had been assigned to a new campus, and they'd parted with only a little regret.
Successive men had fallen into the same pattern. Lovers of convenience, they were classmates and later fellow doctors who had as little time as she to develop deeper relationships. With Jai, though, Mieli was in uncharted waters. The passionate intensity that characterized their sex was unexpected and far too enjoyable. It might be easier to maintain some perspective, some control, if she found their coupling less erotic.
Pensive, Mieli gazed out the small window into space. Her emotions had been so unpredictable lately, and she no longer felt as if she knew herself. She could look back only a few weeks and see a person she didn't understand. She was somewhat ashamed of the thoughts and feelings that had governed her actions. As good a man as Jai was turning out to be, part of her wondered if her early manipulations were completely necessary. He might have helped her without any pretense on her part.
The irony was that there was no one to criticize her now. Jai was the only one she had to please, but she found herself wanting to be a better person. Whatever her reasons or methods, she was here, about to start something new.
The wildly teeming port of Herv III was like a slap in the face. Mieli had never seen so many people in one place. From under the stiff hood of her cloak, she could only catch occasional glimpses of the throng that pressed from every side. Jai's firm grip on her upper arm kept her close as he waded through the worst of it. He'd made it clear she was to keep her face hidden, but the strange surroundings and the enormity of the place had her tilting her head back in the hopes of a better look.
The small cargo vessel that transported them from her planet had taken them into a large spaceship that made the vessels which had attacked her planet look puny. Before they disembarked, Jai had taken a cloak from his new pack and drawn it over her. She'd been grateful for the cover because what she could see of the aliens around her made her certain that she could never blend in.
For the most part, the ones on the spaceship had been uniformly large, frightening, and nasty looking. They'd also been outfitted in a style similar to Jai's new clothes. It was only as they approached another vessel that she began to see more varied attire and less intimidating figures. Mieli thought they were probably not soldiers like Jai, though none were as small as she.
Now, as Jai tugged her along in his wake, she gaped at the transparent walls and alien technology that made even the floor come alive with images and characters. Suddenly he stopped, and Mieli, lost in her preoccupation with her surroundings, slammed into him. They were at a clear console that came alive under Jai's hand. His fingers danced over the display with lightning speed as he tapped and dragged bizarre symbols.
In a moment, the screen went blank, and he was once more threading them through the crowds. Mieli was both fascinated and intimidated by the sensory overload around her. She clung to Jai's hand, eager to not be lost and alone in this turbulent place.
THEY WERE CUTTING it close, but Jai was confident in his knowledge of the terminal, and he got them to the passenger ship with a few minutes to spare. It was pure luck he'd found a transport to Raston departing that day. The next one wasn't scheduled for another couple of planet cycles, and Herv III had a planet cycle lasting seventy hours.
Raston and his resources there was tantalizingly close, and he practically ached to have Mieli safely away from discovery. Until he could procure an identity for her and assimilate her well enough to pass for a citizen, he wouldn't be able to rest easy. There was also the small matter of discovering who wanted him dead.
He seated them quickly once they passed through the airlock, and made sure that Mieli was against the wall. Already her diminutive stature had drawn more than one curious glance. Her cloak was without designation; that alone was unusual, but the best Tarin had been able to get on such short notice. Besides, any designation on someone as small as she might have caused its own share of problems.
Not for the first time, Jai felt an uncomfortable tightness in his chest. He'd felt anxious nearly their entire journey, but as their destination approached, he realized that he was worried about Mieli. Back on her planet, his decision had seemed clear-cut. She needed him, and he wanted her. It was only as he brought her further into his world that he began to wonder if it was truly that simple.
Although they had shared their bodies, he knew nothing of Mieli's mind and whether she would be able to adapt to the life ahead of her. Jai was confident he was well equipped to be a full-time mercenary for hire. He'd been at it for years part-time, and his commissions had provided the bulk of his income. Now that he was “dead,” he would have to purchase a new legitimate identity, but his mercenary alter ego could remain unchanged. That is, after he'd killed the ones who'd figured it out.
Once he returned to mercenary work, his ability to provide for Mieli was assured. He wondered, though, what kind of life it would be. He would spend a good deal of time in space as he traveled to complete contracts on various Tribe planets and stations. His ship had adequate quarters but nothing of interest to occupy Mieli. Jai knew she'd been a doctor or some other medical type on her planet. He wondered if she would grow tired of a life that consisted only of him.
The remainder of the journey stretched out before him and provided hours of uninterrupted contemplation. He wanted to push aside his doubts and tried to remind himself that he was ruthless, a fearsome warrior, and a heartless mercenary. It almost worked. The feel of Mieli's cloaked form at his side was all it took to make a mockery of his pretense. He hungered for her body, but he needed her to want him.
The powerful feelings she'd roused in him back in the forest were not just about sex. There was something about Mieli that made him want more, made him want to let down his guard and hold her close. At first, he'd attributed it to her beauty and the unabashed way she gave her body to him, but it was more than that. Now, as he questioned whether he could make her happy, he acknowledged how important that was to him. She must be happy because she made him happy.
In his own mind, he admitted that he wanted all of her. Her body was his, and if he kept to the plan he'd made, that might be all he ever had of her. Just a week ago, he'd have been fine with that, but his encounter with Tarin had changed his perspective.
Jai did not want to desire Mieli more than she desired him. Tarin's passionate love for him had been enough to coax physical arousal from Jai's body but not to change his feelings. If he wasn't careful, Mieli would desire his body but nothing else. He needed her complete emotional involvement so he could be certain they were equals, and that his n
eed for her body and her tenderness did not surpass her feelings for him.
Mieli was the only woman who could give him what he wanted, and if he was going to have a life with her, she would need to know that her survival didn't depend on him. Jai wasn't a man lent to self-delusion. Unless he could give her a fair choice between a life with him and a life without him, he would never be truly satisfied by her submission.
Somehow, he had to protect her while he hunted his enemies, acclimate her to the War Tribe, make her self-sufficient, and make her want to stay with him even though she wouldn't have to.
Minth Hai. Jai's prayer was silent but heartfelt.
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Chapter Fifteen
In the end, Jai realized he wouldn't be free to eliminate his enemies if he spent even one moment worried that Mieli was in danger. He finally settled on the only connection he had in the medical world—Gienna Maerlone—though she probably didn't suspect he even knew her name.
Several years ago he had paid for unregistered enhancements, something akin to having an unlicensed weapon. His connection was a doctor at the teaching hospital on Inlit, a small planet primarily of civilians. The cost was extravagant, and he'd carefully researched the good doctor and his staff before he'd paid.
Aside from the cash-strapped physician, there'd been two retired nurses. Gienna had been one of them, and he remembered now that she had lived alone and taught at the school during the day. She would be in an excellent position to take in Mieli and train her, as well as help him secure the necessary paperwork to validate her identity. There was also Gienna's healthy appetite for additional income, which would no doubt grease the wheels.
When he and Mieli arrived on Inlit, he headed straight for Gienna's modest home near the school. There was a persistent itch between his shoulder blades that warned he was nearly out of time. Jai needed to be in the wind and out of reach of his enemies. He had to get Mieli safe.
In the small confines of the aircar he'd hired to take them from the hangar bay to Gienna's house, Jai watched Mieli. She had her nose pressed against the window and seemed transfixed by the passing scenery. They had rarely spoken during the long journey here from her planet. He chafed at the restrictions placed on them by the language barrier, especially now that he had to leave her with so little explanation.
WHATEVER MIELI HAD expected, it wasn't the little two-story house Jai took her to. She found it nearly impossible to imagine him living in it, but she quickly realized that he didn't. The woman who answered the door was hardly visible in the swiftly falling dark of night, but Mieli could tell she was quite large.
Jai had a very brief conversation with her, and then the door was finally opened and they were ushered inside. As always, Jai seemed to know what she was feeling before she did. Exhaustion was just beginning to descend like a heavy blanket on her shoulders when he settled her into a comfortable chair.
Mieli wanted very much to sleep, but curiosity about their business with the large woman made her keep her eyes and ears open while the room's other two occupants faced off near the front door. It was hard to tell whether they were arguing or just having an important discussion, but Jai and the large woman eventually reached some agreement. He gave her something from his pocket and then he returned to Mieli where she waited in the chair.
He kissed her fiercely, and Mieli responded easily even though she was very tired. It ended all too soon when Jai stood with one last passionate look at her and then walked out the front door without a backward glance.
In his absence, the woman came forward, and Mieli could see she was not unattractive, though she was quite tall and broad. Her face was kind, and she hustled Mieli out of the chair and upstairs into a comfy bed. The last thought before her head hit the pillow was that the bed was not nearly big enough for Jai to sleep there with her.
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Chapter Sixteen
Mieli was surrounded by a swirl of light and sound. Clear panels flickered on three sides, the symbols that crossed their surfaces guided by her fingertips. In this program, she learned the symbols’ meanings through a complicated pattern. The language she knew as Tribe Standard was more easily spoken than read, and these lessons were far more tedious and lengthy than the ones on diction.
Finally, the program came to an end, and she heaved a thankful sigh. As much as she hungered for the ability to read, the constant flow of information all around her was still very foreign at times. Mieli rose from the console and gathered her bag from the nearby chair.
Her lessons were conducted in an actual classroom, so there were many consoles around, but they were all empty. The students who usually sat in the big chairs were long gone; it was early evening. Mieli never saw them since Gienna brought her in so late. Her friend waited in the large library until she was finished, then ferried her back to the house in her aircar.
As always, she smiled a little when she saw the other woman. Gienna was a retired nurse, with a broad, kind face, and the large build of a sarkla. She was a teacher at this school during the day, instructing young people in the medical sciences building. Her students, she'd told Mieli, called her “Gienna the Giant,” but she seemed proud rather than embarrassed.
The more Mieli understood the language, the more she liked the older woman, though their friendship did little to ease the sting of Jai's departure. Most nights, after they returned to Gienna's house, Mieli lay awake in her bed and wondered again what had changed between them. After he'd smuggled her off her planet and, she believed, risked much in the effort, he'd wasted little time. Within a few hours he had dropped her into Gienna's bewildered hands and left for parts unknown.
There had been such urgency about him; she couldn't believe he'd left for no good reason. At first, she had been certain he'd return. It was only as time dragged on and her life began to settle into routine that she'd realized there was more to her arrival at Gienna's house than just a visit. Jai had meant for her to live here, without him.
As soon as she was able to, she'd awkwardly asked Gienna if he would come back. The other woman had appeared sympathetic but had no good answer. She said only that shortly after he'd left, he'd sent documents for her. From what Mieli could understand, it was an identity that would allow her to live without fear of her true origins being discovered. There had also been a sizable amount of credit—or money—to see her started in her medical studies.
Gienna said that after a year of hard study, her language skills would be sufficient to start the training. It was the answer to her most fervent prayers. She had a new life and a new identity that would protect her. It didn't seem to help her sleep, though, since memories of Jai tormented her all night long. What had started as desperation had become something more.
Maybe she was a fool, but she believed that he'd felt it too. Even now, her body yearned for his, but it was the memory of their nights together in the forest that made her heart ache. Jai had shown her only kindness, even when there had been little reward for his efforts.
If it had simply been the sex, he wouldn't have worked so hard only to bring her here. Jai had given her a new life, one that did not depend upon her sexual submission to him. Ironically, that was exactly what she wanted to give him now, and so much more.
The blood of General Lang's bodyguard was green, and it ran in a steady stream to mix with the red blood of the general himself. They made a striking tableau on the white marble floor. Jai stood over them, overcome with relief.
After almost a year of frustration and setbacks, he'd managed to unravel the plot that had nearly ended his life. Now, as the life of his enemy ebbed away in warm rivulets around his feet, he could finally breathe.
He left the penthouse as he'd entered, careful to cover his tracks and keep his head down. It was a relatively short flight from here to Inlit, the planet where Mieli was living with Gienna, but it might as well have been across the universe.
In the long months that passed without contact, he'
d begun to question his decision. His need for her, the desire in his body and his heart, had not abated but become sharper. Jai's certainty that what he felt was reciprocated? No longer so sharp. If he could have gone back in time, he would have kept her with him. He could have capitalized on her dependence on him and used it to bind her to him. She would have been grateful for his protection, and there would have been time for her to come to love him.
By now, she was likely ready to start training. In another couple of years she would be a nurse like Gienna and able to support herself in the civilian world. Undoubtedly, she knew by now how beautiful and desirable her unique looks made her to other civilians. Mieli would be pursued by men and women alike, many of whom would be far more attractive than he.
The thought of some other man seeing her naked body, even touching her, was enough to make the violent side of him ache to snatch her away and show her that he owned her. It also made his thinking side loathe to see her again for he was certain she would reject him.
The only thing he knew for certain was that, at least for a while, she had responded to him. Her body could not lie, and she had been passionate and uninhibited. Mieli had taken him as surely as he'd taken her, the pleasure she'd shown too genuine to be denied. It was what he clung to as he made his way to his ship. He had to see her again and remind her of that pleasure. He hoped it would be enough.
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Chapter Seventeen
The large cafeteria was abuzz with conversation, but it didn't faze Mieli. At first, the school had seemed a different place during the day. Able to attend with the other students at last, she had been staggered by the variety and diversity represented. While almost all of them were still larger than she, the predominantly female student body in the nurse program meant that she had many friends who rarely remarked on her small stature.
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