The stairs abruptly ended in a small antechamber. The same lights surrounded the room at even intervals, and two plush couches sat outside a hardwood door. A small panel inset next to the door caught Jacey’s attention. “Where are we?”
Without answering her, Aidan walked across the floor. He pressed his hand against the panel, and the heavy wooden door slid soundlessly open. The room beyond twinkled with diffuse light, and she stepped forward to peer inside. Aidan extended his hand. She slid her palm into his, marveling at the rush of warmth that filled her from the simple clasp of his fingers.
He smiled at her. “Come, my lady.”
His gallant words speared emotion deep inside her. With a slight incline of her head, she nodded to him. “Yes, my lord,” she replied with a slight tilt of her lips.
Aidan didn’t move.
She looked up at him, surprised to find his gaze fastened to her lips. “What is it?”
He stepped forward. He threaded his fingers through her hair, a gentle caress that sent shivers darting down her spine. Lowering his head, he brushed his lips across hers. “You called me your lord,” he said, his voice husky with desire. He claimed her mouth again, his tongue sliding effortlessly past her parted lips to delve into her mouth. She moaned as he tightened his fingers in her hair, slanting her lips to deepen the hungry kiss. His lips moved across hers. Drinking from her, as if he could never get enough of her sweet taste. His lips parted from hers. Reluctantly, he slid his fingers from her hair. “I have something to show you.”
Feeling drugged from his kiss, Jacey followed him into the room. Overhead, stars twinkled, looking like a very realistic representation of the nighttime sky. She peered directly at the ceiling. Tiny glass tiles filled the roof in a dome shape, and she realized she truly could see the night sky. She gasped with awe.
On Earth, she enjoyed watching the winter sky, easily recognizing such constellations as Orion and Taurus, but here, so many stars filled the sky, and all of them were foreign.
“What do you think?” Aidan’s low voice came from directly behind her, and when she turned to look, he placed his hands on her shoulders to steady her. His breath teased strands of her hair by her ear. It blew warm against her neck.
“They’re all so different. Can you see Earth from here?” She had to ask, even if she already knew the answer in her heart.
Aidan pressed his lips against the side of her neck. The slight kiss sent shivers down her spine. Her sex wept at his nearness. “I’m afraid not, my lady. But I can show you your galaxy.” He pointed to the southeast, to a swirl of stars that looked impossibly far away. “There is your galaxy, and in it, your Sol and Earth. Would you like to see it through the telescope?”
The brush of his mouth against her flesh drove all thoughts of her home world from her mind. Jacey leaned into Aidan’s strength. He wrapped his arms around her, drawing her flush against his body. Her head tucked beneath his chin, cocooning her in his heat. Behind her, she heard the whirring of his motors. His hard cock pressed into her back, and she constrained the urge to wriggle against it.
“Maybe some other time,” she said, her voice husky from her growing desire. She tilted her head back to look up at Aidan. “Thank you for bringing me up here.”
He brushed his thumb across her breast. A rush of longing surged through her, pebbling her nipples against the soft fabric of her gown. Blood rushed to her pussy. It throbbed in time with her heart, a heartbeat that would never mesh with his. She tilted her hips back against his cock.
Her breath hissed from between clenched teeth as he took her nipples between his fingers and pinched gently. The pleasure-pain shot straight to her cunt. Aidan. Only he could bring her to such a state of readiness so easily. His fingers fluttered over her stomach, eliciting a moan from her lips.
He would fight in the Dajarka. The knowledge that he risked his life intoxicated her. A lesser man might have given her over to Jodarin, but not Aidan. He cupped his hand over her sex. His fingers stroked her moist pussy. Looking overhead, Jacey melted into his embrace. Above her head, the stars danced in the heavens.
Aidan brought me here
. As his index finger stroked her outer lips through the soft fabric of her gown, she stared at the immense expanse of stars in the sky.
He loves me
. Though he hadn’t said the words yet, he’d hinted at it. Raw emotion poured through her. Her hips danced beneath his touch, her hand sliding over his side to cup his ass and bring him harder against her.
With gentle nips, he kissed the column of her neck. He laved the tender skin where her neck met her shoulder. One hand caressed her nipples, the other her pussy, and she lost herself to the sensations pouring through her body.
Her pussy tightened, anticipating the thrust of his shaft. Closing her eyes, she moaned at the thought of feeling him inside her. Swallowing his body with her own, perhaps she could make him forget all about the Dajarka.
She didn’t want to lose him. His hand strayed from her sex, drawing a whimper from her throat, to caress her thighs. He bunched the hem of her skirt around her waist, his hands on her bare flesh. She cried out at the first brush of his fingers against her curls.
Jacey parted her legs. Her pussy dripped, evidence of her want, and her breath came in short gasps. The scent of sex, of her sex, hung heavy in the air, as heavy as the cock pressing against her ass. With his knees, Aidan inched her forward.
“Grab the observation table.” His low command snicked over her back to settle in a pool of heat at the base of her spine.
She complied, lifting her buttocks. She spread her legs wide to accommodate his thrusts. Cool air brushed against her swollen pussy lips.
“Fuck me.” Her whimpered words filled the planetarium. “Please.”
The rustle of cloth followed, and Jacey looked over her shoulder to see Aidan pulling his robe over his head. He stood naked behind her, each muscle etched in moonlight. His cock rose, its head a dusky purple. A drop of fluid leaked from the eye, and her pussy tightened in response. He moved behind her and brushed the tip of his cock against the slick petals of her sex.
Grabbing her hips, he thrust. The slow pace buried his cock deep inside her, so deep that Jacey clenched her vaginal muscles around him and cried out. His big hands cupped her hips gently, as if he didn’t want to break her.
“Yessss.”
His hiss of pleasure wrapped Jacey in warmth. He pulled out, his withdrawal as slow and seductive as his entrance. Bending over, he rained kisses over the back of her neck and shoulders.
He pumped his hips, sheathing himself inside her. Aidan set up a slow rocking motion that lifted Jacey onto the balls of her feet. He filled her. Jacey cried out as he thrust deeply inside her, each time burying his cock deeper than the last. She clenched the table so hard that her knuckles turned white.
He cares
. In spite of the quickening pace of his thrusts, each one was gentle. His hands curved over her hips lovingly. Whispered encouragement filled her ears. Her body hovered on the precipice of release, and Jacey fought not to fall over. She wanted to take him with her.
Bucking her hips against his, she strove to pull him deeper into her body. Releasing one hand, she reached between her legs and fondled his balls. The soft, hairless sac filled her hand. He had to be close to coming. She squeezed gently, his sharp intake of breath the only sign that his rigid control threatened to break.
“Please,” she whimpered. “Please.”
Aidan speared himself forward once more. Her body tightened around him, and with a shuddering cry, she came. Lightning-quick bolts of pleasure flashed through her body. She gasped for air. Only Aidan’s hands, strong on her hips, kept her standing.
He held her, then slowly pulled out and began to rock again. The sure motions of his cock inside her quickly brought Jacey close to release again. He treated her so tenderly; each featherlight brush of his lips against her skin telling her how much he cherished her. His pace increased, his hips pistoning against hers. In her orgasm, she had released his balls, and now they swung freely against her ass.
Jacey reached between her legs. She mashed her thumb against her clit, the dual sensations making her come again. She screamed out. The sound echoed in the room, and, with a hoarse grunt, Aidan followed her into release.
He leaned forward. Bracing his hands on the table, he kept his weight from her. “Jacey,” he moaned. “My sweet Jacey.” Slowly he rose to his full height, wrapping his arms around her middle. He hauled her against him, letting her sag bonelessly against him.
She had no strength to protest. Leaning her head against his shoulder, she delighted in the warmth that surrounded them. The gentle whirring of his mechanical workings soothed her, and she stared at the foreign sky. “Where’s Earth?” she asked, recalling their earlier conversations.
Aidan pointed low on the southeast horizon. “There.” He pressed his lips to her temple. “Walk forward.”
She took two steps forward, and Aidan reached around her to wheel the telescope into position. “Look.” He tilted the instrument so she had to stand on tiptoe, and keyed something on the control panel in front of her.
There, in the swirl of stars, she saw one, not really that bright, and then seven tiny dots surrounding it. “Oh my God! I see it!” She pulled away from the telescope, rapping the back of her head against Aidan’s broad chest. Turning her face, she looked up at him. “It’s so far…away…”
Her lips parted when she saw him. He stood behind her, his profile proud in the moonlight. He glanced down at her, desire darkening his eyes. His nostrils flared, and against her back, she felt the ridge of his growing arousal.
Like in a slow-motion scene, Aidan closed the distance between them. His lips moved across hers, gentle caresses that seemed almost chaste in their worship. Her body felt far from reserved. Renewed lust sang in her veins. Sliding her hand over his chest, she cupped the nape of his neck and crushed his lips against hers. His tongue delved into her mouth, tasting every recess she offered. The burgeoning arousal grew into a solid cock that throbbed against her belly.
Aidan pulled his lips away. He brushed an errant strand of hair from her forehead. “You are special. You know that, don’t you?”
Jacey nodded. His tender words made tears well in her eyes, and she blinked furiously to dispel them.
“I love you,” he said before she had a chance to reply. “I can only hope that one day you will feel the same about me, and that it isn’t too late.” He hugged her tightly against him. “I worry about the darkness of Deactivation Day. I care for you so much that it would destroy me if you didn’t return my feelings. Please tell me that you care.”
Jacey leaned her head against his chest and returned his fierce embrace. Words lodged in her throat, and all she could do was dampen his gown with her tears of joy.
Chapter Eight
Trepidation filled Jacey as she strode down the grassy path toward the Dajarka fields. Behind her, servant women dressed in their gauzy bodices and slit skirts carried the train of her dress off the ground. Jacey paused for a moment and looked down at herself. The diaphanous gown bared her shoulders and molded to her breasts. The silk fabric in the lightest shades of blue clung to her ribs and stomach, then flared into a full skirt complete with a six-foot train. On her feet, she wore jeweled slippers.
As she crested the small hill, she saw the Dajarka fields spread below her complete with their panoply. Wooden bleachers surrounded the fields, except for one end, upon which sat a raised dais covered with a golden awning. Two chairs sat empty. One for her and one for Aidan. If he survived.
Jacey gulped.
I can’t think like that. He will survive. He has to
. His confession of love rang in her memory still. If she closed her eyes, she could feel his warm breath tickling the side of her neck. His words, husky in her ears. A shiver darted down her spine.
“Are you all right, my lady?” The foremost servant, her revealing outfit a coral pink, stepped forward. “Is there anything we can do?”
Take me away from here. Take me back to Earth
. The words hung in her mind, and she pressed her lips closed to keep herself from issuing the orders. They would obey. Aidan would obey, she knew, but she couldn’t tear herself from here. Not until she’d seen him fight. “No,” she replied softly, her heart clenching on the traitorous words.
I don’t know what I’ll do if I’m given to Jodarin. I’ll ask to go back to Earth, but not if there’s a chance that I can keep Aidan in my life. This is my chance. Ebony had always said she thought I was meant for better things. Maybe this is it.
Jacey stepped forward. The grass cushioned her feet in the thin-soled slippers. The heavy gems made her feel as if she wore chunky combat boots instead of dainty treasures. Few men practiced on the field. She searched for Aidan, her heart falling when she realized she didn’t see him among those currently on the field.
Already, the stands began to fill. The spectators looked like the peasants who had met her and Aidan when they’d landed. Women dressed in bright colors sat next to strong-looking men in vests and breeches. Children ran rag-tag around the outskirts of the field, and the harried shouts of mothers carried up the hill.
Jacey pressed a hand to her stomach.
I’ll never be a mother
. She’d never given it much thought until now, but watching the children playing reminded her that Aidan was an android. He’d told her his seed was simulated, not real.
If he dies, I won’t even have a part of him to keep with me
. She forced her steps not to falter as she made her way down to the covered awning she assumed was her seat.
Heads began to turn as she descended the grassy knoll. Closer now, she heard the hushed whispers though couldn’t make out the words.
They’re speaking about me
. She still saw no sign of Aidan, and she tried to will her heart to behave. Her main servant led her past the bleachers that towered over her head, toward the raised platform. The spectators followed her progress, and when she reached the dais, trumpets blared.