by Sue Mercury
Jav kissed her forehead again and then rose to his feet while still holding her. The light from the moons was still reflecting in his eyes, and she privately mused that he looked just as beautiful in the moonlight as he did in the sunlight.
“Your words have stirred my soul, sweet Leah. Truly, you are a blessing from the Gods.”
He carried her back to the bedroom and laid her out upon the covers, his eyes filled with a reverence that stunned her to her very core. His nostrils flared wide as he peeled the robe off her, baring her to his gaze.
He crawled atop her and kissed her, a soft, sweet kiss that soon turned urgent and demanding, their growing passion borne from the tender exchange on the balcony.
Jav’s masterful kisses and caresses left her writhing and moaning beneath him. She was eager for him to claim her, to sink his hugeness inside her.
When he finally surged forward into her tight depths, he set a rapid pace and claimed her with abandon, until they cried out their mutual releases and collapsed in one another’s arms.
Chapter 15
On day six, Jav announced he was taking Leah to the banquet hall for the evening meal. Shocked, she stared at him, wondering if she’d heard him correctly.
“You mean we’re finally going to leave this room?” She gave him a playful smile and ran a hand over his muscled chest. “And here I thought I was your prisoner.”
He chuckled deep in his throat, a sexy noise that made her pussy quiver. His nostrils flared and he gave her an accusing look. She flushed, knowing he could always smell her arousal.
“Yes, we’re finally leaving this room,” he said, “though not until I’ve taken you again.”
He practically attacked her and she welcomed his rough ministrations as he brought her to release with his mouth, then bent her over the bed for a long hard mating. She rested upon the bed as he claimed her, holding on to the covers and savoring the delicious spasms tightening within her every time he plunged into her depths.
She mused that they would need to take another shower after this. It probably wouldn’t be polite if they showed up at the banquet hall smelling of sex.
He came inside her with a roar, then he withdrew from her center and scooped her up in his arms. As if reading her mind, he carried her into the bathroom. He sat on the edge of the tub and pressed the controls. A moment later, the tub started filling with steaming water. Another press of a button and the pleasant scent of yakkarro, a traditional Marttiaxoxalian herb he liked, drifted up from the water. The aroma reminded her of eucalyptus and it always left her very relaxed.
After a leisurely bath, during which he held her in his arms the entire time, they started getting ready for dinner. While Leah had enjoyed the last six days with Jav, the two of them all alone in his quarters, immensely, she found herself looking forward to exploring the palace more and meeting some of the people who lived here. He had promised to introduce her to King Vaath and the queen, a human woman named Esmay. As she donned another purple dress that matched the tone of Jav’s skin, she exhaled a shaky breath, hoping all went well during the banquet.
She very much wanted to make a good impression upon Jav’s friends. He claimed he was friends with the king, which made her a bit nervous, considering the fact that she was an ex-con, but she couldn’t spend the rest of her life wallowing in the past. Never look back.
As she stood in front of the closet mirror, fixing her hair, she promised herself she was going to start actively looking forward. The first step, though, was forgiving herself over her past mistakes. If she forgave herself, then maybe whenever thoughts of the past entered her mind unbidden, she wouldn’t feel so rotten anymore.
People grew. People changed. She wasn’t the same girl she’d been at eighteen, so foolishly lovestruck by the boy who was promising her the world, that it hadn’t taken much convincing when he’d asked her to help rob the local Martian Affairs building. She hadn’t known they would set fire to it afterward, thus endangering the lives of those living in the surrounding buildings, but that didn’t excuse her participation.
She’d learned a difficult lesson and liked to think she was wiser now, as well as better at reading people.
“You look radiant,” Jav said, interrupting her thoughts. He moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her, and she met his eyes in the mirror with a smile.
“Thank you, Jav,” she replied, feeling her cheeks heat. She was fairly certain no one had ever called her radiant before, and his compliment warmed her all over.
He was wearing a black uniform that looked a bit more formal than the one he’d been wearing when he met her on the spaceship six days ago. He looked very handsome and her heart raced at the prospect of watching him undress, perhaps later when they returned to his quarters.
His nostrils flared and he gave her a stern glance. “Stop it,” he said.
“Stop what?” she asked, feigning innocence.
He leaned closer. “Stop desiring me, or we will never make it to the banquet hall.”
“Well it’s not my fault you look so delicious in that uniform.” Actually, she was pretty sure he’d look hot no matter what he wore.
She giggled when he gave her another sharp look as he escorted her out of his quarters and into the wide corridors of the palace.
It felt nice to stretch her legs for the first time in days and she didn’t mind that Jav was walking fast. She held onto his arm as he escorted her down several flights of stairs. She still couldn’t believe how large the palace was.
The impressive structure contained numerous windows and huge skylights that allowed in plenty of natural light. There were potted plants and flowers everywhere she looked, as well as several trees that were growing straight out of the floors. Intricate patterns and images were carved into the orange stone walls. The large statues of Marttiaxoxalian males, all of which she supposed depicted former kings, seemed to stand guard over all.
“We’re almost there,” Jav said, giving her a smile.
A minute later, they entered the huge banquet hall. Leah hadn’t expected the place to be so crowded. There had to be at least two hundred people here. She scanned the room and noticed a head table, where a blue Martian sat next to a golden-haired human woman. There were other Martian males seated on either side of them, most of them with orange skin.
“Come, my mate,” Jav said, “and I will introduce you to the king and queen.”
Chapter 16
“Welcome to Mars, and to the palace. I am so pleased to finally meet Jav’s mate.”
Jav watched as Queen Esmay welcomed Leah and gave her a hug. Leah appeared rather stunned by the warm reception, but she eventually returned Queen Esmay’s hug and the two human females started chatting animatedly.
“Sit with us,” King Vaath said, gesturing at the two empty seats on his right side.
“You honor us,” Jav replied as he nodded to Leah and pointed at her chair. He helped her into her seat and then took a seat beside her.
Several palace guards, as well as a few members of the Vash’arr, approached the table throughout their meal, anxious to congratulate Jav and Leah on their new mating union. Leah seemed to beam under the attention and she was friendly to all who came up to talk to them. She was especially excited to meet the other human females who lived in the palace and on the palace grounds.
“You must join us in the banquet hall even when Jav is away on a mission,” Queen Esmay said to Leah. “You are always welcome at the head table.”
“That is very kind of you, Queen Esmay. Thank you.”
“Please, just call me Esmay. Feels strange being called a queen all of a sudden,” the blonde female said with a laugh. “Especially when I grew up in a two-bedroom apartment in New York City.”
“Very well. Esmay. I’m from Zone 12. The city of Richmond, more specifically.”
The king struck up a conversation with Jav about a new order of Vash’arr who were almost ready for training, and Jav upheld his end of the conversation whil
e still listening in on what the queen and Leah were talking about. Leah had told him little about her life on Earth and he was curious to see if she might open up more to a female of her own kind, especially when the wine was flowing freely.
“Congratulations on your baby,” Leah said. “When are you due?”
“In about three months.” Queen Esmay patted her stomach. “It feels as though I could burst at any moment though. Half-Marttiaxoxalian half-human babies are huge.”
As the king continued talking to Jav about the new order of Vash’arr warriors, Jav noticed a petite human female with long black hair approaching the head table. The woman walked straight up to the queen and Leah, introducing herself as Miranda.
“I recognize you from the spaceship,” Leah said. “We traveled here together from Zone 12.”
“Yes, we did.” Miranda fidgeted in place, as if she was nervous. “About that. I am sorry I did not talk to you at all, but given how you were dressed and that you arrived so late, I sort of thought you were from the—oh! Oh no!” The black-haired female jumped back as the contents of a pitcher of water spilled all over the front of her dress.
Leah stared at Miranda in horror. “I-I am so sorry. I’m usually not so clumsy.”
“It’s all right. It was just an accident,” Queen Esmay said in a reassuring tone.
Servants rushed in to clean up the mess, one of them handing a towel to Miranda.
“Truly, I am so sorry,” Leah said. “Here, let me help you.”
“No, it’s okay. I’ve got it.” Miranda dabbed at the front of her dress with the towel. “I should be getting back to my mate now. It was nice meeting you both.”
For the remainder of the meal, Jav noticed that Leah was unusually quiet. She had been filled with energy and quite talkative when they first arrived, but now she was answering the queen’s occasional questions with one-word answers and not contributing to their conversation at all. He sensed her dismay and wondered if she was embarrassed over the water incident.
He found it strange. After all, it had been an accident. Hadn’t it?
But maybe it hadn’t. He had noticed she glanced at the pitcher just before knocking it over.
He replayed the scene in his mind and then recalled something Miranda had said just before the water spilled. The black-haired female had mentioned something about not speaking to Leah while aboard the spaceship, hinting that it had something to do with the way she had been dressed. Jav puzzled over this. True, Leah had been dressed a bit strangely upon her arrival on his planet, compared to the other human women aboard the ship, anyway.
Had her attire and the fact that she’d arrived late signaled something to the other women? Something that would cause them not to speak to her?
Wanting to speak with Leah alone, he reached for her hand. “Are you finished eating?”
She nodded, looking relieved. She obviously wished to leave the banquet hall.
Jav and Leah said their goodbyes to the king and queen. He ushered his mate out into the corridor with a hand at her lower back, guiding her through the crowd. She was silent during the walk back to his quarters, which only troubled him further.
“Are you feeling all right?” he asked once they reached the top floor of the palace. The windows of this corridor were open, allowing a view of the moons hovering in the sky. A cool breeze entered to ruffle her hair as she glanced up at him, her demeanor uneasy.
“Oh, I’m feeling great,” she said, the enthusiasm in her voice clashing with the worried glint in her eyes.
She’s hiding something. He didn’t want to accuse her of lying, but he felt it in his bones. He guided her inside his quarters and turned her to face him as the doors zipped shut behind them.
“The human female named Miranda,” he said. “She upset you.”
“What? No, she didn’t,” Leah replied quickly. “I was happy to meet her.”
“I was watching you as the two of you were speaking. Before you spilled the water, I saw you glance down at the water pitcher, then you reached forward and knocked it over.” As he replayed the event in his mind, it didn’t seem as though it had been an accident. “You spilled water on her in order to keep her from finishing whatever it was she was about to say,” he said, careful to keep his tone gentle. “Something about the way you were dressed and not speaking to you aboard the spaceship. Something about being from the…what? What was it you thought Miranda was going to say?”
Leah went pale and started backing away. “I-I am suddenly not feeling well. Excuse me.” She turned and headed for the bedroom. A few seconds later, he heard the closing of the bathroom door.
What was she hiding?
Jav stared after her, completely at a loss. But he was determined to discover what was bothering his mate. He strode into his study and sat down at his video comm.
“Call the Martian Affairs office located in the city of Richmond in Zone 12.”
Chapter 17
Leah sat in a chair next to the bathtub, her mind whirling as her stomach twisted into knot after knot. She ran a hand through her hair and tried to think. She hadn’t realized Jav was paying attention to her conversation with Miranda. She’d thought he was busy speaking with the king. But apparently, he’d not only heard every word, but he’d been watching her too.
He knew she’d knocked the water pitcher over on purpose.
Not only that, but he surmised she’d done it to keep Miranda quiet. To stop her from saying something about Leah’s past and where she came from. Tears burned in her eyes. Fuck. She glanced at the door. She was a bit surprised Jav hadn’t followed her in here, but she was glad to have some privacy.
She had lied to him. Numerous times. How would he react if he found out?
She thought about Thomas’ advice to keep the story about her past boring. Well, she’d tried that, but she hadn’t expected a woman from the spaceship would approach her like that in the banquet hall. She didn’t think Miranda had walked up to her with bad intentions. The young woman’s apology for not speaking to her aboard the spaceship had sounded genuine.
Leah sighed and scrubbed a hand over her face. She eyed the door. Jav was probably waiting for her to emerge and tell him something.
But what should she say? She despaired over the prospect of telling him more lies, but she didn’t know what else to do. She racked her brain to come up with a story, albeit an untrue one, that he might find plausible.
A knock at the door startled a gasp from her.
Shit. She stood up on shaky legs, dreading what she was about to do. Jav had been so nice to her. He didn’t deserve more of her lies.
“Leah?” he said. “Are you feeling any better? Would you like me to summon the doctor?”
Her stomach flipped. “Be there in a moment! I’m feeling much better though!” she called. “No need to bother the doctor.”
She quickly splashed some cold water on her face and stood before the mirror, trying to make herself look presentable. Well, she looked fine, it was just the expression on her face that was the problem. She forced a pleasant smile, hoping Jav would buy it, and strode out the door.
Her mate approached her, his eyes filled with so much concern that she almost broke down and confessed her horrible secret to him on the spot. But the concrete walls of her jail cell flashed in her mind and she soon pushed that idea aside. It was a risk she simply couldn’t take.
“Sorry about that,” she said, still smiling. “I must have eaten too much. I’m feeling perfectly fine now, though.”
His face brightened and he placed his hands gently upon her shoulders. It was dark outside, but the sconces lining the walls inside his quarters shone brightly, accentuating the lines of his sculpted muscles. He’d already gotten partially undressed and was missing his shirt, though he was still wearing pants. The black pants were form-fitting though and didn’t leave much to the imagination. A glance down and she could easily notice the bulge of his sudden erection.
Her heart skipped a beat. Despite
their little argument, if it could even be called that, he desired her in this moment. Of course, they’d just gone a few hours without mating, the longest time since he’d first claimed her six days ago. Maybe his mating lust was returning. She could only hope. It would provide the perfect distraction. Perhaps she could make him forget all about Miranda and the water pitcher.
Cupping her face in his hands, he leaned closer, until his forehead was touching hers. She breathed in his masculine scent, musing that it was tinged with the aroma of the eucalyptus-like herb he always added to their baths. His nearness brought her comfort, muting the intensity of her worries, though they didn’t quite abate.
“My sweet Leah,” he said. “You are my mate. It doesn’t matter to me where you came from.”
“I-I’m from Zone 12. The city of Richmond. I swear that’s the truth.”
“I know you’re from Zone 12,” he replied. “For that is where the spaceship that delivered you to Mars six days ago departed from. All the brides aboard the ship were from Zone 12.”
She fell silent, unsure of what she ought to say. She didn’t want to lie to him unless he pressed her harder for the truth she desperately wished to conceal.
“Before you came here, you lived alone in Zone 12?” he asked in a calm voice.
“Yes, as I’ve told you. I lived alone and I worked in a factory.” Her stomach twisted.
“And the clothes you were wearing upon your arrival,” he said, “why did Miranda mention your clothing? And why would your attire prevent her from speaking to you on the spaceship?”
Her mouth went dry. She peered into Jav’s dark gaze, wishing she was someone else right now. Anyone else. Anyone but the stupid girl who’d let her boyfriend convince her into serving as a lookout that night. When she’d hesitated, he had promised her an even split of the galactic credits they stole. Desperate to please him and also eager for a payout that might be large enough to lead to financial security, she had acquiesced to his demands and in doing so made the biggest mistake of her life.