“I don't ever want you to be scared again,” he said.
“Then you can stay with me. Face it – we need each other right now. You have nowhere to go, I'm scared of being alone. It all works out, doesn't it?”
“Maybe so,” he said, mostly muttering to himself. “The former king of Optorio actually lives in Sapphire Bay, so I was thinking I might reach out to him – ”
“It's too late to do that today,” I said. “Maybe in the morning?”
“Maybe so,” he said.
“Then come on,” I said, motioning for him to follow me off the ship. “It's settled. You can spend at least one night with me until you talk to your former king and come up with a plan.”
Jendrish hesitated, but eventually he rushed to catch up with me. “Are you sure this isn't a problem?” he asked me again.
I sighed, starting to lose my patience with him for asking again and again. “I said it isn't. I'm not one of those people who merely say things to be polite, Jendrish. If I didn't want you there, I wouldn't have offered it as an option.”
And that was true. Not only was I scared, but how could I leave him alone? After all that he'd done for us? To just send him on his way, alone and with nowhere to go – and with people after him? No, I couldn't imagine doing that. And besides, I really would feel safer with him around. As much as I hated to admit it, in the short time I'd known him, I'd come to enjoy having Jendrish around. Not only did he make me feel safe, it was nice having him to talk to.
He wasn't bad on the eyes either, but that was beside the point. It wasn't like we were going to sleep together. I had a floor. We would work something out, I was sure of it.
Chapter Six
“Care for something to drink?” I asked, staring into my fridge and realizing I didn't have much.
It was pretty bare, but at least there was a bottle of cheap wine. It was just something I'd bought at one point to help de-stress, but it was never opened. Tonight seemed like the perfect night for it, so I pulled it out and opened that baby up.
“Sure, what do you have?” Jendrish asked, standing literally on top of me since my kitchen was so small.
If he was offended by the size of my apartment, he didn't say anything. I knew he came from a family with money – he just had that air about him – and was probably used to more luxurious accommodations.
“Some cheap ass wine,” I mumbled. “And water. From the tap.”
I poured myself a glass of wine and waited for a response from Jendrish. “Wine sounds great actually,” he said. “I've never had Earthling wine before, so this will be new for me.”
“Don't get too excited. It has a screw-on cap.”
“What's that mean?” he asked me.
“It means it's cheap and probably terrible.”
“Then why drink it?”
“Because it gets the job done,” I said with a laugh. “It'll get us drunk, I mean. Or tipsy since I have no intention of getting wasted tonight – though I admit, it is tempting.”
Jendrish just smiled, as if he didn't understand any of what I'd just said, but he was going along with it anyway. I had to wonder if they had alcohol on his planet? Had he ever been drunk before?
I'd soon learned that no, Jendrish had never been drunk before, and in fact, had never tried alcohol. And the “Earthling wine”, as he called it, had an effect on him. It brought out a sillier, goofier side of him. And I had to admit, it was adorable as hell.
He was sitting on the floor, leaning against my bed, staring at the drink in his hand. I was laying on the bed, facing him and laughing as he talked about the strange way his head felt.
He'd only had one glass. I, on the other hand, had two. And I was feeling it, just a little. Enough so that I let my guard down with him. I found myself playing with his soft, silky hair, running my hands through it as we talked – and I told him more personal things than I had ever told anybody before.
“You live alone, I take it?” he asked me.
“Why? Because my apartment is small?” I asked, laughing and pretending to be insulted at the same time.
“No, umm well, there's nothing wrong with a small home. I actually think it's less wasteful than living in a large space, but – ” He mumbled, and I could tell he was feeling like an ass, like he was worried that he'd offended me.
I took his face in my hands and turned him to look at me, holding onto his chin. “It was a joke, Jendrish,” I said. “Yes, I live alone. It's just me, which is why I was so scared of coming home without you.”
“Understood,” he said.
But I didn't hear his words, instead I stared at those lips – they looked so soft, pink, and luscious. I just wanted to press my own lips to them and see if they really were as soft as they looked.
I was staring at him, upside down, so my eyes were looking right at his mouth. I tried to adjust to stare him in the eyes, but before I could do that, his hands were also in my hair. He pulled me closer – just close enough to feel his breath against my face.
I was the one who closed the distance, pressing my lips to his. We kissed like that for a couple minutes, his hands in my hair, until he pulled away. We were both breathless, and he started to apologize, but I wasn't having it.
“Come here,” I said, sitting up and motioning for him to join me on the bed.
“You want me to join you?” he asked.
“Yes, come here and kiss me, you fool,” I said with a laugh.
He smiled, a bright smile that lit up his entire face.
“So you liked it?”
“Of course I did,” I said. “I must have, since I'm asking for more, right?”
He climbed into the bed with me, lying on his side. I cupped his face in my hands and kissed him again, this time pressing my tongue past those sensual lips. My whole body was on edge, I felt tingly and warm. Jendrish embraced me, holding my face in his hands and stroked my cheeks as we made out. He was nothing but a gentleman and kept his hands in the appropriate places at all times – but my body ached for more. I felt a fire spring up deep and low within me – a fire I hadn't felt in a long, long time. And it was beginning to really burn.
It had been so long since I'd been with a man that I felt a little hesitant and scared. And I'd never been with a man so kind and generous as Jendrish. I was never the one initiating in the past, but this time, I took the plunge. Perhaps it was the wine or the adrenaline from everything that had happened so far, but I wanted this.
Reaching down, I stroked him through his pants, causing him to jump. “Just checking to see if you're built like us humans,” I teased.
He cocked his head and seemed to be listening to that faraway voice only he could hear again. He'd told me that when he did that, he was actually consulting with Ozul – what he called his artificially intelligent biosystem. I wasn't sure what that was, but I gathered that it was like having a Google in your head that fed you information.
Which made me think that he was – in that moment – consulting Ozul to see if we actually would be sexually compatible. I smiled and shook my head.
“I am built very similarly to your human male,” he said with a nervous laugh. “Ozul assures me that we should have no difficulties – ”
“Good.” I kissed him again, this time more passionately as I let my hands wander all over his body. I grabbed his hands and placed them on my breasts. “Touch me, Jendrish.”
And he did. Once he got started, he was touching me and kissing me like never before. He was so soft and sweet as he slowly undressed me. He took his time, as if savoring every moment, knowing there was no rush. I undressed him, discovering he wasn't wearing jeans and a shirt but rather a suit that hugged his body – sort of like a wetsuit, but different.
He gave me a nervous smile. “Sorry,” he said, as he hurried out of his bodysuit.
Once it was off, I stared at his pale chest, which was dotted with a smidgeon of dark hair that glimmered blue in the light. I
ran my fingers through it, causing him to shudder beneath my touch. He was solid, well-toned and muscled without going over that line into being a bodybuilding fanatic.
I wrapped my legs around him as we kissed, our tongues dancing and swirling together. I touched every inch of his magnificent, naked body. I pressed my lower body into him, feeling him grow harder as our bodies touched one another. With one hand, I guided him into me and we both gasped as our bodies joined together.
Rolling over on top of me, Jendrish took control, making love to me as I'd always dreamed of being made love to. It was slow, sweet, and with every thrust of himself deeper into me, that fire deep between my thighs grew hotter and brighter. He was large and thick and he filled me up completely. I bit my lip and stifled a gasp as he moved, burying himself deep within me.
Having Jendrish inside of me felt surreal and magical. It was a whole new and different experience, being with a man that cared so much for my pleasure, who enjoyed watching as I climaxed over and over again, and who after climaxing himself, laid down beside me, holding me close.
He kissed my face – even with the sweat dripping from me. His arms were wrapped around my naked body, my head resting on his chest. I heard his heart beating fast, as we both came down from the experience, our bodies returning to normal slowly.
And unlike just about every time I'd ever had sex with a man, this time I didn't feel dirty or cheapened by it.
Neither one of us said a word, we didn't have to. He stroked my hair until I finally managed to fall asleep, the first time in what felt like eternity, safe and warm in his embrace.
ooo000ooo
The next morning, I was the first to wake up. The sun was filtering through my blinds, nearly blinding me with its light. I stared at the clock – it was already after ten. My head ached from the alcohol, and as I stared down at Jendrish's naked body, I remembered vividly the details of the night before.
My first reaction was normally panic – fear that I'd made some kind of horrible mistake. But this time, I felt none of that. As I sat up to look at the clock, Jendrish reached for me, his eyes still closed. And once he touched me, he motioned for me to lay back down with him.
I did. He rolled over to embrace me more fully, still seemingly asleep. I stared at his face, his eyes closed and peaceful, and I couldn't help but smile. I reached out and touched his cheek, as if I needed to see if he was real. He was too beautiful to be real, almost like a work of art with his pale skin, dark hair and chiseled features. Yet there he was, in the flesh, and we'd had sex the night before.
Remembering that and all we'd done – from having him in my mouth, in my hand, deep inside of me, having his firm body on top of mine with my legs wrapped around his waist – having him taking me a little harder and deeper from behind – it all coalesced in my head and forced the color into my cheeks. I felt like my body was on fire and yet, all I could do was smile.
As I lay there, I reflected on things in my life. Specifically, the feeling that often came with sex – the dirty, guilty feeling – wasn't there. And it felt nice to just snuggle close to him, without feeling bad or hurt. No man had ever made me feel that way before. And yet, there we were. It almost felt too perfect, like I was holding my breath and waiting for the other shoe to drop – which I knew should frighten me. But for whatever reason, it didn't. Not at all.
“Everything okay?” he mumbled, his eyes opening just a peep.
Once he saw me, a small smile appeared on his face. A tired, still half-asleep smile that was so cute, I had to kiss him right away. And he kissed me back.
“Yes, everything is great, actually,” I said, curling up even closer to him.
“Can we stay like this all day?” he asked.
“I'd love that actually.” It surprised me to say it, but I would. I wanted nothing more than to lounge in bed with him all day, talking, cuddling, kissing and making love.
“Then lets do it,” he said, closing his eyes again, but not before he planted a kiss to the tip of my nose.
“Yes, lets,” I said, letting him wrap his warm body around mine.
For the first time in a long time, I not only felt safe, but at peace. I felt like I belonged. Who'd have thought it would take me being saved by an alien – someone who's not even human – to finally feel a connection with another living being?
I wasn't sure how or why this was happening to me, but I didn't want to question it too much, afraid I could chase all the good feelings away.
And God knew, I needed them at that point in my life.
Chapter Seven
Jendrish
I wasn't lying when I'd said I wanted to stay in bed with her all day. But I also knew I had work to do. So, I compromised and we stayed in bed most of the day. And then we discussed going to meet Bazarok. Using the information Tarkonil had fed into Ozul, I put in a call to him and he agreed to meet me. We would go over to his place.
Riley wanted to join me at the meeting. And honestly, I wanted to spend as much time with her as I could, so I didn't object.
“So Bazarok is the former king?” she asked as we walked over to Bazarok's home, which wasn't too far away.
Sapphire Bay was a smaller town, but I had to admit, it had its charm. The salty air from the sea called to me, reminding me of home – which only made me homesick and angry that I might not see it again.
“Well, kind of. I don't know if he was ever officially crowned before abdicating the throne,” I said. “It's hard to explain.”
“But he did it for this Paige woman? That's sweet.”
“Well – from what I understand, he didn't abdicate just for her. He really never wanted to be king anyway.”
“Why?”
“That I can't answer, but perhaps he can?” I said.
Her questions were adorable. I loved being able to share some of my history and culture with her – and she seemed genuinely interested. She had a lot of questions and I was trying to explain it to her the best way I could with the information I had. But even I didn't know exactly why Baz had opted to give up the throne. If it were just for Paige, that I could understand. But even before she came along, he'd had no interest in it.
“We're going to meet a king of another planet, living right here in Sapphire Bay,” Riley said, shaking her head in disbelief. “You know, if it weren't for the fact that I experienced so much other wonky stuff, I'd probably call you crazy.”
“Maybe I am?” I said with a wink.
Riley grabbed ahold of my arm, latching herself to it – and to me – with a smile. “Maybe we all are,” she said. “But I like your kind of crazy.”
There was a weird sensation in my belly – that of warmth and so much more. Never before had I experienced these weird sensations, and I had to admit, it seemed like Riley was the cause of it. Even before we'd made love, I'd been having fleeting thoughts about kissing and touching her. But until she came on to me, I wasn't sure it was appropriate to attempt to indulge those feelings. Now that it was, I just wanted to keep her close to me at all time.
Perhaps Baz had the right idea. Settling down here with a human didn't sound too terrible – even though I missed my home. After all, I'd likely end up dead if I ever tried to go back.
But the other women, my conscious reminded me. Can you really let that go?
But I'm also only one person. Can I really stop it?
Of course, that was why I was meeting with Baz, hoping he could help me stop it all. Now I had a conflict of interest, however, as I stared at Riley. I wanted to stay with her and not fight this battle. It was such a tough call and I hoped that Baz might offer some answers. Because in that moment, I had none.
ooo000ooo
Meeting a man I idolized, in the flesh and up close in his own home, was almost too much to handle. Sure, I'd been around Bazarok before, but never alone. And never in such a personal meeting. I honestly don't know if he even knew my name.
But when he opened the door, h
e greeted me with, “Jendrish! Welcome! And who is this young lady?”
“Riley,” she said, reaching out her hand. “My name is Riley.”
He shook her hand, but gave me a sideways glance as if to ask if we were together. I wasn't sure if we were or not, so I didn't dare make assumptions. I gave him a small smile and tried to deflect the conversation.
“She's one of the women I rescued on my mission, my lord,” I said. “The one our late friend, Tarkonil, told you about, I believe?”
“Yes, come inside,” Baz said. “And stop with the my lord stuff. I'm just plain ol' Baz.”
We followed him inside and he shut the door behind us, locking it. He looked at Riley, giving her a sympathetic once over as if it pained him to hear about what had happened to all of them. I liked to think he would help us, even though he insisted to Tarkonil that he wanted to stay out of it. I knew him better than that. He was a good man, a man with a heart. And maybe bringing Riley here would make him realize that these victims needed to be saved and this needed to stop.
“I'm so sorry to hear about Tarkonil,” he said. “He was a dear friend and it breaks my heart that I couldn't do more to save him.”
I knew he meant it too. “I hardly knew him, but he was a friend of my father's, so I trust him to be a good man.”
“He was,” Baz said. “Very much so. I hate to see what our planet has come to and I know it pained Tarkonil to the very core of him.”
I nodded. “It did. He became almost obsessed with trying to prove the Regents were involved in what's going on and bring them down.”
“And it cost him his life.”
I gave him a grim smile. “Yes, it did.”
We all stood in silence for a moment before Baz nodded. “Well, let's go have a seat on the deck,” he said.
Riley took my hand and we followed him through the house, out onto his back deck. I thought it was beautiful. Tall, soaring trees seemed to cover the world out there – and it blended with the aroma of the ocean, creating a very pleasing scent.
Optorio Civil War Complete Series Box Set (Books 1 - 6): A Sci-fi Alien Warrior Invasion Abduction Romance (Optorio Chronicles Book 2) Page 11