Pets in Space® 4

by S. E. Smith

  His breath hitched, and fire blazed through him. This was his mate. His beautiful, tantalizing mate, offering herself to him.

  He closed the distance between them and placed a hand on the back of Kiara’s neck, pulling her close as he slanted his mouth over hers. She returned the kiss with the same fierce urgency he felt in himself. Their lips and tongues caressed each other, exploring and learning; his hunger only grew with each passing moment.

  He covered one of her breasts with his hand. Her nipple brushed against his palm before he squeezed, closing his thumb and forefinger around the bud. Kiara moaned and undulated against his groin, causing his hips to buck involuntarily.

  She gasped, and they both stilled, staring at each other. Through the thin fabric of his underwear, he felt the damp heat of her arousal nestled against his shaft.

  He inhaled, taking in the sweet musk of her desire. His mouth watered, and he experienced a new sort of hunger—one that could only be sated by her taste upon his tongue.

  Volcair dropped to his knees, curled his hands around Kiara’s thighs, spread her legs, and pressed his mouth to her sex. Her flavor, ambrosial and pure, swept across his tongue, which he extended for a deeper taste, running it from the bottom of her delicate folds to the top. The tip of his tongue flicked against a hard, little nub at the apex of her sex.

  Kiara cried out. Her back hit the wall, and he paused, curious. Raising one of her legs over his shoulder, he opened her wider for his inspection. Volcair gazed at her dark petals, which were splayed open to reveal the pink of her inner depths. And there, at the top of her slit, was the small bud he’d discovered with his tongue.

  He looked higher; Kiara stared down at him with dark, heavy-lidded eyes. Volcair flicked his tongue against the nub again. She inhaled sharply, and her hips twitched.

  “This feels good?” he asked.

  “Yes,” she whispered.

  Unable to deny her—unable to deny himself—Volcair lowered his mouth over the nub and sucked.

  Kiara moaned and dropped her hands to his head, clutching his hair; the sharp sting on his scalp only added to the exquisite torture and deep, aching need in his cock. Spurred on by his mate’s throaty cries, husky pleas, and divine taste, Volcair ravaged her with his mouth and tongue. He couldn’t get enough of her sweet nectar.

  With a growl, he latched back onto the little bud that brought her so much pleasure. Kiara tensed just before a scream tore from her throat. She rocked against his mouth, and Volcair grasped her hips, shoving them firmly against the wall as he speared her tight, quivering channel with his tongue, drinking the nectar she gifted him.

  When her trembling eased, Volcair turned his face and kissed her inner thigh.

  “Volcair,” she said softly.

  Carefully lowering her leg from his shoulder, Volcair tilted his head back to look up at his mate. Her cheeks were flushed, her lips plump, and her lust-hazed eyes were half-lidded. This image of his mate pleasured and bared to him was the most erotic and beautiful sight he’d ever seen.

  Were it not for the discipline he’d learned in the military, he would have spilled his seed then and there, before ever joining with her. Even with all his willpower bent toward restraint, his hold on himself was tenuous.

  Wrapping his arms around her, Volcair lifted her off the floor. She smiled tenderly and dropped her hands to his shoulders to steady herself as he carried her to the bed.

  He gently laid her upon the bedding, his need battering his dwindling self-control as he looked upon her; she parted her thighs to reveal her wet folds.

  “Now, Volcair,” she said, brushing her foot along the outside of his leg. “Make love to me.”

  He didn’t immediately comply; he stared at her, locking this moment in his mind, enshrining every detail in his memory, emblazoning Kiara in his heart. He wanted to hold onto this image forever—his mate, the most beautiful creature in all the universe, waiting for him with desire gleaming in her dark eyes.

  Volcair dropped his hands to the waistband of his underpants and forced them down. He kicked the garment aside once it fell around his ankles. Without removing his eyes from Kiara, he climbed onto the bed and crawled over her. She spread her legs wider, cradling his hips between her thighs.

  Kiara placed a hand on his chest and slid it down; a moment later, she curled her fingers around his cock. The pressure within him rocketed nearly to the breaking point, sending a shudder through his entire body before his muscles stiffened. He hissed through his teeth and placed his hand over hers.

  My mate is as bold as ever.

  “Kiara, I will not last,” Volcair grated.

  Her fingers moved beneath his, tracing the sensitive nodules lining his shaft. “You’re…different.”

  Each brush of a fingertip over those bumps stole a little more of his breath and pushed him closer to the edge. The pleasure her touch caused was so powerful, so overwhelming, that he could not make sense of her words. “Different?”

  “Different,” she repeated, her lips curving into a smile. “A good different.”

  Though her smile eased any insecurity he might have felt, understanding continued to elude him. All he wanted was to please her, to give her what she wanted, despite his own need reaching previously unimaginable levels. “Different how?”

  Chuckling, Kiara lifted her head and kissed his jaw. She tightened her grip on his shaft and stroked it. “Well, you’re not human.”

  Volcair grunted, clutching the bedding in his fists.

  She teased one of the nodules with the tip of her finger. “These little bumps here? They’re going to hit all the right places inside me.”

  His eyelids fluttered shut; he was utterly at her mercy, a slave to her slightest touch. “I have never done this,” he said between ragged breaths. “Never joined with anyone.”

  The motion of her hand stilled, and it fell away from his cock. He nearly begged for her to put it back. He opened his eyes to look down at her. She lay with lips parted, eyes rounded, her expression laced with shock and guilt.

  “You never… Even knowing that I…” Her chest rose and fell with short, shallow breaths, and tears glimmered in her eyes.

  Volcair lowered himself onto his elbows, settling his hips between her thighs. With one hand, he cupped her face, making sure her eyes remained on his. His cock throbbed and ached, desperate for release, but that didn’t matter. She was what mattered.

  “Kiara, why are you crying?” he asked softly.

  “You n-never gave up. Not like I—”

  Volcair pressed his mouth to hers, silencing her. When he pulled back, he said, “This is now, Kiara, and we are both here. We will only go forward. Together.”

  She nodded and slipped her fingers into his hair. “Together.”

  He brushed his thumb across her cheek and smiled. “My lovely mate.” He lowered his mouth and kissed her as he adjusted his hips to press the head of his cock against the entrance of her sex. “My Kiara.”

  Volcair rolled his hips forward, and his shaft sank into her slick, welcoming heat. Kiara echoed his groan and spread her thighs farther. He pulled back only to press into her harder, deeper, thrusting until his pelvis touched hers. Her inner walls tightened around him, drawing him in.

  Releasing a shuddering breath, he stilled, propping himself over her as he fought to contain the pressure, as he fought to hold himself together; he knew it would always be a losing battle when it came to her, but he planned to relish every moment of it.

  Kiara’s breath hitched as Volcair thrust into her; he stretched her, and his nodules rubbed her clit and inner walls with every stroke of his shaft. Pleasure rippled through her, producing a fresh wave of liquid heat between her legs.

  She stared up at him, unable to look away from his entrancing, glowing eyes. Her heart was full to bursting. It was difficult to breathe, difficult to form coherent words, difficult to think with the torrent of emotions sweeping through her. This was Volcair, the man she’d waited a lifetime for. The m
an she loved with all her being.

  Wrapping her legs around him, she undulated her pelvis to match his rhythm, taking him deeper and deeper, her need growing and growing. She wanted all of him, everything he had to give. Tilting her head back, Kiara released a throaty sigh, but kept her gaze locked with his.

  Volcair bared his teeth and quickened his pace. The definition of his sculpted muscles was enhanced by the light from his qal, which brightened with each of his motions. He said her name; it was barely a whisper, but it flowed from his lips like a prayer, like a plea.

  Her core clenched, and delightful shivers skated across the surface of her skin. She clutched his hair as her belly fluttered, the sensation growing in intensity with every thrust. The bumps along his shaft added to the friction, making the pressure in her build with blistering, impossible speed; too quickly, he catapulted her into blissful oblivion.

  “Volcair,” she breathed, catching her bottom lip between her teeth as her inner walls convulsed. She cried out as pleasure crashed through her, tensing her muscles, leaving her helpless but to succumb to the onslaught. It was only then that she allowed her eyes to close. Volcair became her entire world—his smooth skin, his shaft filling her, his hard muscles, the warmth of his breath, his scent mingling with her own.

  The sound of his voice filled her ears as he released a wordless cry. His body shuddered around Kiara, within her, his cock swelling as his heat flooded her. His movements became erratic, rough, and desperate, only heightening her rapture.

  Though tremors continued to course through her body, Kiara forced her eyes open and looked upon Volcair while he was in the throes of ecstasy. His head was thrown back, his eyes squeezed shut, and his qal shone brighter than she’d ever seen. He was beautiful.

  And he was hers.

  Volcair sagged forward, catching himself with his elbows to either side of Kiara as he let out a long, heavy breath. His pecs pressed down on her breasts, brushing against her hardened nipples. He opened his eyes and met her gaze.

  “Kiara,” he said, voice husky. His lips remained parted as though he meant to say more while he searched her face, but he said it all by lowering his mouth over hers for another searing, claiming kiss.

  She returned the kiss, giving over to that claim.

  For the first time in so long, she felt like she was exactly where she was meant to be. Everything in her life had led up to this moment—including the heartache and loneliness. Everything had led her here, to him, so she could finally be whole. Volcair had always been the missing piece of her heart, and she’d finally fit that piece into place.

  Tears stung her eyes. “I love you, Volcair. I’ve always loved you.”

  His features softened, and he shifted his weight onto one elbow so he could settle his hand on her cheek. “And I have always loved you, Kiara. I am sorry it has taken me so long to act upon it.”

  Kiara lifted her head and pressed her lips against his. “We won’t look back.”

  He smiled. “Only forward.”

  Chapter Seven

  Kiara slowly stirred from her dreams—her wonderful, blissful dreams.

  A lazy smile spread across her lips, and her naked limbs glided over the cool sheets as she stretched. Images of the night before flashed through her mind—caressing lips, exploring hands, entwined bodies.

  Kiara stilled. Her heart quickened as she opened her eyes and raised her head, scanning the room.

  She was alone.

  Had it all been a vivid dream? Had she simply longed for Volcair so badly that her subconscious had taken over, making her mind and body believe everything she’d dreamt had been real?

  No.

  He’d been with her. He’d made love to her. She could still smell him around her, in the sheets, on her skin. He was everywhere. There was a heaviness in her core, and her thighs were sticky with his seed.

  She caught her lower lip between her teeth as she smiled. They’d made love three times before finally succumbing to sleep in each other’s arms.

  Though she longed to feel his warmth again, she shouldn’t have been surprised by his absence. He was the commander of this space station. He had duties to attend to. She couldn’t—and didn’t—expect him to abandon those duties now. She knew he was still nearby, waiting for her.

  Gathering the bedding, she brought it to her nose and inhaled deeply, drawing in his scent. She moaned. How could a man smell so good?

  A metallic glitter caught her eye. She turned her head to the second pillow—the pillow he’d rested his head upon—to find her balus stone necklace resting atop it. Smile widening, she sat up and gathered the necklace, cradling it within her palm to trace its intricate pattern with her fingertip.

  Something scratched at the door.

  “Give me a few minutes, Cypher,” she called.

  Kiara tossed the bedding aside and slipped out of bed. She paused, moaning at the sensation between her legs. She was a little sore, but the insistent, aching throb there spoke more of continued need than discomfort. She squeezed her thighs together; it didn’t ease her longing.

  After setting her necklace on the desk, she hurried to the bathroom to pee and clean up.

  Once she’d washed, brushed her teeth, and tamed her frizzy curls, she strode back into the room and quickly dressed.

  Cypher’s scratching had become impatient. He could reach the outside entry button, but it had been temporarily programmed to open only to her—once the inux left the room, he was stuck without her help.

  Kiara pressed the interior button, and Cypher leapt inside as soon as the door was wide enough to fit through. He clicked excitedly as he stood on his hind legs and settled his paws on her thighs. He stared up at her with ears perked, teeth bared in a vulpine smile, and tail flicking rapidly behind him.

  Grinning, Kiara ran her hand down the back of his neck. “Have you seen Volcair?”

  Cypher nodded.

  “By your mood, I take it you know everything is good between us?”

  He leapt away from her and spun in a circle, grin wider than ever.

  “Could you take me to him?”

  With an affirmative warble, he turned and walked through the open doorway.

  Kiara followed him into the corridor, pausing briefly to close the door behind her. She’d only made it a few meters when Tekel and Mason turned the nearby corner. They were in the middle of a conversation, but the moment they saw her, they stopped and smiled.

  “Hey,” Kiara said; her grin felt so big that she wondered if the corners of her mouth were touching her ears.

  “I can’t believe Kiara—our Kiara—is only just getting out of bed,” Mason said, crossing his arms. “Do you have any idea what time it is?”

  Kiara cleared her throat, her cheeks warming. “Uh…no?”

  Mason smirked. “You’ve never been one to sleep in. Ever.”

  Tekel snorted, his tail lazily flicking from side to side. “You would know why she slept in, captain, if your quarters were closer to hers. You would’ve heard why.”

  Mason glanced at Tekel. “Huh?”

  Kiara covered her face with a hand. “I can’t believe this.”

  “Wait, you mean Kiara actually… That she? With who?” Mason looked back and forth between Kiara and Tekel, finally settling his gaze on the azhera. “You?”

  “No!” Tekel and Kiara cried in unison.

  Mason took a step back, holding his hands up, palms out. “Okay, damn. Don’t need to yell.” He grinned at Kiara. “So…who was it?”

  She rolled her eyes. “You’re a bigger gossip than my grandmother.”

  Tekel snickered.

  “Come on, Kiara!” Mason said. “I’ve worked with you for years, and not once—not once—have I seen you take any interest in anyone.”

  “It’s…the commander.”

  Mason’s eyes widened and his mouth gaped. “Wait, what? You go from no one for years to sleeping with the commander of a space station the same day you met him? And here I thought I moved quic
k.”

  She couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re the reason I added the no sleeping with coworkers clause to the employment contracts, Mason. But…it’s not that simple. Commander Volcair and I have a past. We’ve known each other since we were little kids.”

  “Oh. Is that why you chose this route?”

  Kiara shook her head. “No. I had no idea he was in charge here. We…lost touch for a long time in between. This was just chance.”

  “Fate,” Tekel said.

  Kiara smiled. “You could say that.”

  Mason grinned and wagged his eyebrows. “So, was he any—”

  “Mason, I am not going to discuss what I do in private. And as far as you are concerned, Volcair is mine.”

  Mason laughed. “Okay, okay. I’ll only look.”

  Tekel folded his muscled arms over his wide chest. “Based on the screaming, I’d say he did very well.”

  Heat flooded Kiara’s face, but she couldn’t deny it—Volcair had done very well.

  “How’s the Starlight?” she asked, desperate for a change of subject even though she knew it wouldn’t last long.

  “Peyton is working with the station’s mechanics to assess the damage,” Tekel said. “Seems minor, but there may have been a couple hull breaches that need to be repaired.”

  Kiara nodded. “Good. Mason, I need you to get in touch with our brokers on Deduin, let them know we ran into an emergency and we’re delayed for at least a few days. We need to make sure our buyers are aware their cargo is safe.”

  “Will do,” Mason said.

  “Now if you’ll excuse me, there is someone I need to find.”

  Mason affectionately patted her back as she and Cypher stepped past him. “Go find your man.”

  Nope. I’ll never hear the end of it.

  “See you both later,” Kiara called over her shoulder.

  Cypher led her through the space station’s labyrinthine corridors. She understood all the signs—Volcair had taught her how to read Volturian when she was young, and that knowledge had come in handy in her adult life—but they provided little assistance in navigation; without Cypher, she would’ve been hopelessly lost after a few minutes.