Tempting Flame (The Jendari Book 1)

by DJ Michaels

  "Yes. We don't belong to one clan, we serve them all. The safety of our people comes before any other consideration." He squeezed her waist. "And I put that in jeopardy yesterday."

  "It's not like you had much choice."

  "No." And there was no denying he trusted her, much more than he should. "Only the rhe'hashan have the ability to phase. It's one of the gifts given to us by Badria."

  "Who's she?"

  "Our goddess. Or one aspect of her." Tallis was a story-teller, a skill necessary for all rhe'hashan as they travelled from village to village. The clan warriors carried news, formed a roving judiciary, and taught clan law through stories and songs. He was intimately familiar with clan laws and traditions, but he'd never had to explain to an outsider something that a Jendari was born knowing.

  "Our goddess has four faces. Eilana the child, who imbues us with creativity and joy. Elazar the mother, who nurtures and watches over our families. Rahtri is the wise one, to whom we pray for wisdom and patience. And Badria is the warrior, who gives us her protection and helps us find courage when we need it. Most Jendari pray to one aspect or the other, depending on their needs. But our warriors belong to Badria. In our language 'rhe'hashan' means 'sword of the goddess'. She gives us many gifts for the price of our devotion." He smiled into Jaz's eyes. "One of those gifts is the ability to phase from man to animal or bird form. As you now know, my alternate form is a tigaren."

  She grinned back. "Finally, we're getting to the good bit."

  Tallis hoped so, but he wasn't sure if he could explain it in a way that would make sense to her. "A rhe'hashan is a single entity. One mind, one soul, one will. But, like our goddess, we have more than one aspect. We have dual physicality, with one body in the here and now while the other one sits slightly out of phase. It exists, but you can't see it."

  Her brow wrinkled. "I don't understand."

  Tallis wasn't surprised. He wasn't explaining it very well. Scooting back a little he held up his hand in front of her face, turning one way then the other. "My hand is one unit, all of a single piece." Then he turned it so he was looking at the back of his hand. "If I hold it like this, all you see is my palm and the underside of my fingers. That doesn't mean that the back of my hand no longer exists."

  She was still frowning. "So, just because I can't see it, doesn't mean it's not there."

  "Yes."

  "But how do you decide to phase?"

  "The same way I do this." He turned his hand so the back of his hand faced her. "I will it, and so it is."

  "Okay. So this phasing thing. Is that what healed you?"

  "Yes. When we phase we are filled with the Goddess's energy. That, coupled with my own healing abilities was enough to seal the wound and give it time to heal. But phasing takes energy. By the time we got back here I was so weak from blood loss I only had the strength to phase once. I couldn't shift back to explain everything to you, I just had to trust you to get things done."

  "I was pretty scared, you know."

  "I know." Tallis pulled her close, pressing her soft curves to his hard body, reveling in the way she aligned with him so perfectly. "But scared or not, Jasmine, you have the heart of a warrior. I saw that when you handcuffed yourself to the security desk at the tower, and I saw it again yesterday." He tilted his head and pressed his lips to her hair. "You literally saved my life. And now, when I've shown you the truth of who and what I am, you trust me enough to relax in my arms."

  She eased back to look at him and the naked emotion on her face stopped his breath. Closing the distance, he kissed her. A soft, closed-mouth kiss that was about gratitude, comfort and connection. It was chaste—or at least semi-chaste—and he congratulated himself on his restraint as he drew back.

  Then Jaz wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close, sealing their lips together once more. At the first tentative touch of her tongue against his lips, Tallis's desire overtook his common sense. Sliding his hand down her leg, he grasped the back of her knee and pulled up until her creamy thigh was high on his hip. Flexing into her, he rubbed his throbbing cock against the soft heat of her most intimate flesh.

  The moment she moaned into his mouth and pulled him closer, he was lost.

  Chapter Nine

  Jaz wanted Tallis more than she wanted her next breath. In the back of her mind, she registered that her reaction to him was out of character. Perhaps her near-death experience had screwed with her judgment. Or maybe her connection to Tallis was a false intimacy bought on by big revelations and a snuggle under the blanket.

  The reasons didn't matter. She wanted him so badly she didn't care if the reasons were good, bad or imaginary.

  Then Tallis flexed his cock against her pussy and thoughts of anything but sex left her mind. He was utterly compelling. And he did things to her libido that went against the laws of nature. The sensible part of her might have whispered she was making a mistake, but that voice was drowned out by the throb of her body and the unquenchable need she felt for this powerful man.

  He kept kissing her, pressing his full, sinful lips to hers. Biting and licking until she was almost out of her mind. Wrapping her arms around his neck she pulled him in for a deeper kiss, and when she touched her tongue to his lips he opened for her like magic.

  He allowed her to explore his mouth, sliding his tongue against hers as she pleased herself, learning his taste and texture. She didn't realize she was rocking her hips against his erection until an iron-hard arm locked around her waist, immobilizing her hips. His large hand fisted her hair and he used the leverage to separate their mouths. The protest she made was automatic. Unfortunately it came out sounding like a whiny moan.

  "You don't like kissing?" she asked. Or was it that he didn't like kissing her? Oh god, please don't let that be it. She'd be so embarrassed, throwing herself at him when he didn't even—

  "Stop." His hand squeezed and her scalp tingled. "Stop thinking about whatever put the panic in those pretty eyes." Leaning forward he licked and nibbled at her lips. "I enjoy the hell out of kissing you. In fact, I want to kiss a lot more of you, but we have to talk first."

  "Okay." With his hot body pressed so close to hers, she was ready to agree to almost anything.

  "I like you, Jaz, very much." Tallis's midnight gaze captured her more surely than any rope. "But it's dangerous for us to spend time together."

  She could hear it coming, and she knew he was right. "Our lives won't mesh, will they?" Just saying the words out loud made her chest ache. "I'm a nobody human, and you're an alien moving in circles so high I'd get a nose bleed."

  His smile was sweet. "It's not about class, Jaz. If it was I'd be able to take you anywhere." He released the fist in her hair and used that hand to massage the back of her neck. "You're smart, beautiful, brave, and generous. I'd be proud to claim you."

  "But?" She slurred a little. That mesmerizing squeeze and rub was turning her body to goo.

  "Our races are living separately for now. There are factions pushing for integration, but the Council will always err on the side of caution. I don't even want to think about the fallout if anyone discovered you'd spent the night in my home."

  She understood that particular discovery would be bad for both of them. Unfortunately, the endorphins flooding her body made her not care. "And yet, here you are on the floor, half naked and kissing me senseless."

  "Yes." He rolled them so she was on her back and he loomed over her, his long hair forming a silky curtain. "I can't give you promises, Jaz. I don't know if I'll even be able to see you again." Tallis slid his hand down her body, missing all the achy bits. "But I want to see you now. I want to see you and touch you and kiss you." Lowering his head, he nuzzled her ear, the warmth of his breath on her skin almost melting her bones. "I want to play with you and pleasure you," he said, nipping her jaw. He eased himself up just enough to place a large, demanding hand between her legs. "Will you allow me that privilege, Jaz?"

  "Yes." God, yes. "Do you have any protection?"
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  He chuckled against her skin. "I hardly think I need weapons in the bedroom."

  "Not weapons." She smiled at the misunderstanding. "I meant condoms."

  "Ah. Deasun told me about those." Tallis leaned back and looked into her eyes. "According to our healers, the Jendari don't carry any pathogens that could be harmful to humans. We don't suffer from sexual diseases, and we control our own fertility." He pressed his lips to hers, long and lingering. "I have to sing a special kind of song if I want a child. My people don't have unplanned pregnancies." He kissed her again. "And as far as human-Jendari relationships go, I'm not sure our physiology is even compatible enough for a successful pregnancy."

  "So, no condom?"

  "No." Leaning down he nipped and bit at her neck. "Is that okay?"

  "Yes."

  "And will you share your body with me, pretty Jasmine?"

  "Yes."

  And then he was gone. One minute she was almost smothered by him and the next there was nothing but air. She looked over to find him kneeling a good two feet away, the blanket that had covered her now clutched in his hand. The loss of his weight and the realization of just how exposed she was shocked her into sense. When she realized how flagrantly she'd behaved her face flamed with embarrassment.

  "There you go again." Tallis frowned at her. "Stop it."

  Struggling into a sitting position, Jaz tugged the hem of her borrowed t-shirt over her thighs. "Don't keep telling me to stop. You can't control what I think."

  "No, but you do. If a thought can take you from soft and responsive to uncertain and ashamed, then perhaps it's a thought you don't need to have."

  "I'm not ashamed, I'm embarrassed."

  He shrugged. "Embarrassment is just shame wearing a different shirt."

  "Oh, my god." Jaz rubbed her head to ease her confusion. "I don't even know what that means."

  "Look at me." The tone of his voice was calm, but there was no denying the command in it. Or the fact that Jaz didn't really want to resist. When she caught his gaze the heat she saw in his eyes burned most of her fears away.

  "I've already told you that you're beautiful, that I want you. I think you want me, too. If you wish to turn me away because you want more than I can give, I'll understand." He rolled to all-fours and prowled closer. "But if you try to turn me away because you're embarrassed by your sensuality, then you and I are going to have a problem." He paused when he was an arm's length away. "Do you want me, Jasmine?"

  She couldn't seem to get her voice to work, and the "yes" that passed her lips was barely more than a croak.

  Giving her a half smile, Tallis sat back on his heels. "Take off your clothes. I want to see you."

  Oh, my god, oh, my god, oh, my god. The nerves boiled in her belly and her hands shook. Not just because a man she didn't know well was about to see her naked, but also because that man was an alien who could offer her nothing more than this one encounter. No time to get to know each other. And no time to correct any fuckups she might make during whatever kind of sex they were going to have together.

  He knelt there patiently with his glorious body covered in nothing but low-slung pajama bottoms. Coffee-colored skin over heavy muscles, broad shoulders, big arms and chest, ten-pack abs. Sensual lips and the kind of eyes a woman could get lost in.

  And she could have it all, right now, if she could muster up the courage to take it.

  She blew out a noisy breath. "I'm not a virgin, but I'm not super experienced either." Letting her guard drop she allowed him to see the vulnerability in her eyes. "I'm a bit nervous and unsure of myself, but I don't want this opportunity to pass me by. I want us to know each other, Tallis, in whatever way we can in whatever time we have."

  "Good." He smiled and jerked his chin at her t-shirt. "Take it off."

  Oh, crap. "Do you want to give me the blanket back first?"

  "No."

  She was about to explain that autocratic demands were a passion killer. Then he lifted his hips and wriggled out of his pants. Holy fucking hell. She sat in stunned silence, sure that her mouth was hanging open. His cock was big, hard and pointing right at her.

  "Strip, Jasmine. You have too many clothes on."

  Dazzled by his naked gorgeousness, Jasmine yanked off the shirt before her nerves had a chance to reassert themselves.

  A rumble came from Tallis's chest that sounded half purr, half growl, and Jaz's pussy clenched in response. Again he rolled to his hands and knees, crawling forward until he pushed against her with the top of his head, urging her to lie flat on the floor. Placing his hands either side of her shoulders he straddled her hips, settling his high, tight ass on the tops of her thighs.

  "Put your hands above your head, fingers linked." She did as he asked and then he just sat there. Staring down at her as though he was trying to memorize every inch of her skin. "Stay just like that. I want to explore."

  Yeah, that autocratic tone had to go. She was about to tell him as much when he slid his hands up her ribs and cupped the undersides of her breasts. "Beautiful. So soft and cushiony." He squeezed and Jaz's whole body turned to liquid. "The perfect size and shape for my hands. And mouth."

  Jaz took that as a tease, because Tallis seemed content to just use his hands. He plumped and kneaded, he pressed and pulled. He brushed feather-light with his fingertips and squeezed hard enough to illicit a moan. She had no idea hands on breasts could involve such a variety of sensations, or cause such an array of responses. Then he moved his attention to her nipples and her whole world caught fire.

  ****

  Tallis mentally thanked his best friend Deasun for the many—and at the time unwanted—lectures about human women and the ways to pleasure them. Because of those talks, Tallis figured he knew enough to get started, and after that he'd simply take his cues from Jasmine's responses.

  She was incredible. He thought he might come just from her reactions to his hands on her breasts, but when he moved to play with her pretty pink nipples he thought maybe she was the one who'd orgasm. He watched every expression on her face, every nuance of her body as he teased and tortured. Rolling her nipples in his fingers he squeezed, pulled and twisted. Hard and soft, fast and slow. He learned what pressure she liked, what had her arching into his hands and what caused her to cry out in pleasure. Her arousal saturated his senses and he was already drunk on her when he lowered his head.

  Her nipple tightened under his tongue. The puckered, velvety texture was glorious, but it was the taste and scent of her that made his head spin. Sucking on her nipple, he laved her with his tongue and pressed his nose to the silky, delicate skin. He bit her lightly, and when she cried out in pleasure not pain, he indulged himself by leaving little nips and bites over every inch of her breasts. His hands were as busy as his mouth, squeezing and rolling her nipples until she was covered in a fine sheen of sweat. Until her hips were in constant movement despite his considerable weight on her thighs.

  Tearing his mouth away he covered her full breasts with both hands. "I want you to come."

  "Yes, yes. I want that, too." Eyes closed, her head rocked from side to side.

  At this point he could bring her to orgasm with a stroke of his finger, but he didn't want to waste her pleasure on his hand. He wanted her to come while he had his mouth all over her.

  Shifting his weight he spread her legs wide so he could settle in between her thighs. In this position, the scent of her arousal was so thick he could almost taste it. He could hardly wait.

  Sliding his body lower he pushed Jaz's legs up and out. Her pretty core was swollen, pink, and so wet she made his mouth water. He must have got lost in the view because it took him a moment to realize Jaz had gone still. Allowing his gaze to roam slowly up her body, he finally focused on her blue-green eyes.

  "Are you all right?"

  "Yes." She bit the inside of her lip and that confused frown was back. "Um. What are you doing?"

  "Just looking." He rubbed his knuckles in a barely-there gesture over her needy
core. "I want to taste you. Is that okay?"

  "Um. Yes?"

  She didn't sound very certain. Tallis hid his smile and lowered himself flat to the floor. "Put your hands behind your knees and hold yourself open for me."

  He could feel her hesitation, her resistance trembled through every muscle in her body. So he waited, not going forward or back, not trying to talk her into one thing or another. He knew he could make her feel good, he just didn't understand why it was so hard for her to let him.

  Finally she moved, her soft hands tucking under the back of her knees spreading her pale thighs wide. Beautiful. She was beautiful in every way a woman could be.

  Breathing deep, Tallis closed the distance and sealed his mouth over her. He kissed her as deeply as he could, fucking her with his tongue and taking her arousal into his body. Her hands came down to fist his hair, but he ignored her determination to pull him where she wanted him to go. He nipped at her lips, up one side and down the other, avoiding her hard little clit for now. Varying the speed and intensity of the bites and kisses he teased her until her whole body was trembling for him. It wasn't until she started a litany of constant begging that he finally took pity on her.

  Moving his mouth close to her clit, he let her feel the heat of his breath as he slid one finger inside her. He pumped in and out, slow and steady as he used the tip of his tongue to circle that little nub of flesh. She was close, but every time she neared the brink he pulled back, holding her right on the edge in an agony of pleasure.

  Finally he took her clit into his mouth, sucking and licking as he shoved a second finger inside her. He didn't get time to find a rhythm before her orgasm took her. Yanking on his hair, grinding herself on his mouth and fingers, she came in a long, hard, shattering explosion. He kept his mouth on her and his fingers deep inside, sharing every spasm, every quiver and shake as she rode out her pleasure. And as she slowly came down, he stayed there, reluctant to part from her for even a moment.

  Chapter Ten

  Jaz had never had much luck with oral sex. The few boyfriends she'd had either didn't like going down on a woman or weren't that great once they got there. She knew it wasn't her. She had the same girl parts as every other woman, and plenty of her friends enjoyed the experience. Unfortunately, Jaz never quite crossed the line.