Authors: Lily Marie
“Anji.”
The warm, deep voice she was afraid she’d never hear again had her sitting. “Kiele—”
His lips cut her off, both hands circling her waist. When he eased back, his jewel green eyes studied her, so alive she wanted to pinch herself to make sure it wasn’t a dream.
“I needed to touch you,
t’anling
. To know my dreams of you were not merely dreams.”
“I’m here, alive. Now you need to get back in the water—”
He cut her off again, taking her down to the bed this time. She gasped against his lips when his erection brushed her thigh, hot and hard. Her hands slid down his chest. His bare chest. God—he was naked, and still damp from the water.
“I need to hold you, Anji.”
She cradled his cheek. “You shouldn’t be here. God, Kiele—you nearly died—”
“I thought I lost you down there.” He pulled her in, his arms wrapping around her, strong, real. He was here, he was alive. “All that kept me breathing was the desire for vengeance.”
“I’m glad you’re so stubborn.” She kissed his chin, then reached up to kiss her way along his jaw. She wanted to touch every inch of him, know he was safe. Her fingers caught in the silver chain around his neck, slid down to touch the dolphin pendant. “Does this do more than look pretty and open doors on your ship?”
He smiled, his deep voice edged with amusement. “It is the symbol of my family, one that goes back many of your centuries. What it represents is the reason I wanted it for our tattoos.”
One arm freed her, and he removed the pendant, settling it on the nightstand. Anji swallowed, knowing what he meant to do. His hands caught her around the waist—and he showed her just how much he’d recovered when he sat, taking her with him until she straddled his lap, his thick cock between them, pressing against her.
“Anji—” His low, raw voice stretched out her name, turning her on even more than she already was. “I need—if you are well enough, I need you, my heart.”
“Kiele.” He felt so good, but he couldn’t do this. They couldn’t do this—not when he had been so close to death a day ago. “I’m fine, but we can’t—oh, God…”
Her voice faded when he shifted, his cock sliding along her already wet panties. All she wore were those and the thin blue camisole, and he was like heaven against her, only a whisper of silk separating them.
“Let me love you, Anji.” He kissed his way down her throat, taking her already hard nipple in his mouth. She arched into him, a low cry escaping her.
“Kiele—I want you, but it’s too soon—” She moaned when his fingers found their way under her panties, two of them slipping inside her. “God—Kiele—”
He stroked her, his tongue circling her nipple at the same maddening, slow pace. He lifted his head, his eyes dark with passion. “I will be happy simply touching you. Let me touch you, my heart.”
She didn’t have time to do more than open her mouth before he took her other breast, his teeth scraping her nipple through the thin silk camisole. Heat shot through her, and she started moving against his hand, her body tight and hot around his fingers. They slid deeper, his breath uneven against her breast. She wanted to touch him, take him in her hand and give him the same pleasure, but she was afraid the exertion might be too much—
Kiele made the decision for her by guiding her hand to his cock. Her fingers brushed the hot, smooth skin and he jerked, groaning as he freed her breast. She closed her hand around him, stroking his impressive length. He growled, then pulled his fingers out of her, moved the soaked fabric aside and pressed the tip of his cock into her.
“God—Kiele—we can’t—”
“I am healed, Anji.”
“Orlen told me you stopped breathing. You need to be—”
“With you, love. I need to be with you.” His left hand caressed her cheek. “I nearly lost you, Anji. I never want to feel so helpless again. I want this lab destroyed, and the faction responsible made accountable for what they do under the cover of secrets and lies. That is for tomorrow. Tonight, I need to be inside you, to join with you.”
She swallowed. “Let go of me.”
Surprise flashed in his eyes. But he did as she said. She kept her gaze locked with his as she stripped out of her camisole and panties. The surprise changed to desire.
“Anji—”
“One sign that you’re overextending, and I’ll drag you back to the water tank myself.”
“Agreed.” He caught her around the waist, and they both moaned when he lowered her to his cock and she took him in, slowly, inch by thick, hot inch. “Anji—you are so tight, so wet. I have to—”
She clutched his shoulders when he drove up into her. He filled her like no man ever had, touching her deeply, with his body, and his heart. Her body moved with his, and she tightened her grip on his shoulders to keep from grabbing him, to avoid touching his back. He didn’t make it easy, stroking her slow and deep. She nearly climaxed when he pressed his wrist to her lips and hot liquid washed through her.
“God—Kiele—faster, please.”
“As you wish,
t’anling
.”
He thrust up, hard, touching her core with every stroke. The pressure built, hot and throbbing, long before she wanted it to.
“Kiele—”
He captured her lips, kissing her with breathless need as he loved her. Her body stiffened, and she cried out against his lips, clenching around him as her orgasm rocked her. He lowered her to the bed, driving into her, his own release sending her over the edge again. When she collapsed on the bed, he freed her lips and buried his face in her tangled, sweat damp hair.
“I love you, Anji,” he whispered, moving inside her.
She felt him, still hard, and lifted her hips to take him deeper. He groaned and dug his fingers into her hips, pounding into her, hard, fast, so thick she knew he was ready to let go. His second release spilled his seed deep inside her. He finally shuddered, and lowered himself to her, sweat slicking his skin.
When her breathing evened out enough that she could talk again, she kissed his throat, smiling when his low growl vibrated against her lips.
“That second orgasm still surprises me,” she said. “But I have to admit, it’s a nice bonus.” She studied his face, looking for signs of pain. All she saw was the passion still darkening his green eyes, healthy color in his face. “Are you—”
“No pain.” He kissed her, his cock twitching inside her. “If I may ask a favor—I would like to sleep here, with you inside you.”
“You should go back to the water.”
“I am already saturated, Anji. We will be scorching the lab tomorrow, and I will have to spill the blood of my own. Tonight, I want to be surrounded by your warmth, your love, so I can face tomorrow.”
She framed his face. “You don’t need to ask. How do you want to…”
“On my right side. We can spoon. That is the correct term?”
“Yeah.” She smiled at him. “I would love to spoon with you, Kiele Suun.”
He eased out of her, and she scooted over so he could stretch out on his right side. When he pulled her in, she wasn’t surprised to feel his hard length pressed against her ass. She reached behind her and closed her fingers around him, arching so he could slide into her.
They both moaned as he filled her, his hand spread over her stomach to pull her against him, take him deeper. He tucked his legs up, changing the angle of her body, and slid all the way in.
“Kiele—oh, God, you feel so good.” She wanted to move, to feel him stroke her. Like he read her mind, he pulled out, then filled her again, moving at a slow pace, his free hand closing over her breast. She gasped, every inch tingling, her body clenching around him as she headed straight for another orgasm. “Kiele—please don’t stop.”
“No chance of that, love.” He sounded as breathless, his movements less controlled.
She grabbed his hip and pressed back against him, needing to feel him deeper, harder, faster. Instead, he kept up the slow, torturous strokes, his fingers teasing her nipple. She fought to breathe, her body tightening around him—and let out a raw cry as the orgasm slammed into her.
Kiele kept stroking her, faster now, his breathing ragged. He held her in place and thrust up, hard and deep, his release stretching out her climax. Finally, they both relaxed, panting. Kiele wrapped his arm around her, sweat slicking them both.
She turned her head to look up at him. “I thought you said sleep.”
“My body had other ideas. Now I will sleep, if you are comfortable like this.”
“You’re not going anywhere.” He chuckled, pulling her closer. “Unless the exertions were too much for you, and you need some more immersion time.” She was only half joking. His breathing had evened out, but she’d let him go in a second if he needed to go back in the tank.
“I only need you at this moment, my heart.” He covered them with the sheet, then curled his arm around her waist, already hard again.
She smiled, knowing he couldn’t see it. There wasn’t going to be much sleep tonight, for either of them.
***
Morning found Anji
before she was ready, wrapped in Kiele’s arms. He was already awake, and looked like he’d been watching her as she slept. Hopefully, drooling hadn’t been featured.
“Good morning,
t’anling
.” He kissed her temple, then pulled her in tight, his erection pressing against her hip. “The household is stirring, so any indulgences will have to wait. Though I would ask for a kiss.”
She turned in his arms, searched his face for any sign of pain or exhaustion. His green eyes flashed with amusement at her inspection. “What? We had a long night. I just wanted to be sure—”
“I am not fragile, Anji. You forget my ability to heal. I was immersed for more than a day, far longer than my normal cycle. I know I was not conscious during most of that time, which allowed my body to focus on healing.”
“And you don’t feel any pain? Any—I don’t know, difficulty with your gills?”
He eased out of her arms and sat, showing her his back. She pushed up, and laid her hand in the middle of his back, between both sets of gills. The scar was still there, across the left side, but there was no sign of the blood that had scared the hell out of her, or any inflammation.
“Do I pass inspection?” The amusement in his voice—his full voice, not the scraped whisper—had her leaning in to kiss his broad, freckled shoulder. She smiled at his warning growl and slipped her arms around his waist. “Anji.” This time his voice did sound strangled. “My back is—”
“Oh.” She let go of him as realization smacked her. “Sorry.”
He whipped around and had her flat on the bed before she could blink. “Never apologize,
t’anling
, for what you would not know.” He lowered himself to her, spreading her legs, the tip of his cock pressing against her. They both moaned at the contact. “Soon, when we have the luxury of time, I will show you every part of my body that is—sensitive.” He slid along her already slick folds and she arched off the bed. “Then you will show me yours.”
“I think you—know mine. Kiele—stop teasing me.”
“Forgive me.” He leaned down and brushed his lips over hers. “May I have that kiss now?”
She tangled her fingers in his hair and kissed him with all the love, all the desire she had for him. He groaned against her lips, and pushed himself inside her. Anji opened herself to him, needing to feel him again, whole, alive. He loved her, slowly, their kiss smothering any sound that might give them away.
When he started thrusting deeper, she dug her fingers into his arms and met every stroke. Their tongues matched the ever more frantic pace, the kiss turning wild as he drove into her.
Pressure built, hot and fast, and she moaned against his lips when her orgasm hit, her body clenching around him. He stroked her faster, and stiffened, groaning into her mouth as he spilled himself inside her.
Anji gentled the kiss, framing his face and meeting every stroke. She wanted to take him higher again, feel him lose control, like he only did with her. When he started panting against her lips, thrusting hard and deep, she held on, part of her wishing their love could make a baby.
***
Kiele kissed Anji
again, one long, breathless kiss, and left the bedroom. He wanted her with him, but this time the danger was too high, the chance of success—almost zero. He refused to expose her to such risk.
He wrapped the leather protectors around his wrists that Orlen had brought from the ship, and met him outside the human’s house, as planned. Orlen handed over the crude map, and a pack.
“I took what weapons I could, without them noticing. Are you certain, Kiele? She will not be happy to see you.”
“I can stop this, Orlen.” He gestured to the house. “The humans will storm into the lab and accomplish nothing but their deaths. The guard that shackled me was an experienced soldier, and there will be more of them, sent by her faction, waiting for an attack. Watch Anji for me.” He laid a hand on Orlen’s shoulder. “Keep her safe.”
“You have my word, Commander. I find myself liking her, despite my original misgivings.”
“She does know how to get under your skin.” Kiele swung the pack over his shoulder. “Give me one hour, then take them in. Hopefully I will be meeting you at the lab. If not, send them out and find me in the city.”