“You don’t understand, Bannor. You’re not safe with
me
. None of you are. I’ll be hunted for the rest of my days.”
He smirked. “You think that matters to us?”
When she said nothing, he murmured, “Cindra, why don’t you let go of the worry for once? Let go of the past.”
“I can’t—”
“I’m not asking you to bury your head in the sand. I’m just saying allow yourself to live a little. For once.”
Live a little.
His words resonated within her soul, because they were so very true. She didn’t know how long she had left of this life. The Malucons might hunt her down tomorrow. Why not live just a bit for today? After all, what was the worst that could happen?
She allowed her gaze to lock with his, letting all her emotions and desires go into that one loaded glance. His pupils widened and his nostrils flared, and a moment later he crushed his lips to hers.
All her fears, all her worries, disappeared, leaving nothing but sinful, amazing heat. She melted into Bannor, giving him everything she had.
* * * * *
Bannor felt Cindra curl around him like a ribbon of heat and passion. After all that had happened these past few days, after all that she’d been through, she was finally letting go just a bit, and the thought of that excited him to no end. He pushed himself into her, closing his arms over her hips, while his cock hardened to painful intensity, tenting the fabric of his loincloth. Ecstatic as he’d been to get to wear his customary dress once again, it certainly didn’t do much to conceal the depth of his passion for her. Then again, that could be a very good thing. Now that she wore a Spygian tunic, there were but two very thin layers between them and ecstasy.
“You taste like heaven,” he murmured against her lips. She was like clover and wine, a heady concoction, and he longed for nothing more than to devour her.
“Bannor,” she whispered against his lips.
Bending her backward until she lay fully reclined on the mattress, he pulled away to gaze into her luscious, heat-filled eyes.
“Do you know how crazy it’s driven me knowing that you let Stefon and Tempos taste you?” he confessed.
Her cheeks grew pink but her gaze didn’t waver. “Really?”
“Yes.” He slid his fingers down her neck, grazing one full, round breast before tugging the silky fabric down to her navel. “I’ve stayed up at night imagining the taste of your juices in my mouth, the slide of your silken folds along my tongue.”
The color in her cheeks increased. “The thought of that truly tempts you?”
“Do you doubt it for one moment?” The look he gave her was so disbelieving she’d have no choice but to believe the veracity of his words. His fingers trailed lower, rubbing lightly along her mound through the fabric of her tunic. “Will you let me taste you now?”
Her lips parted on a breathless sigh, and she gave him a slow nod. His gut tightening, he wasted no time in moving back on the bed, then dropping to his knees. He parted her legs and she let out a gasp, but didn’t fight him.
By severn, she was stunning. The petal-pink folds of her femininity glistened with dew, making his mouth water from the temptation. And her scent was of the purest honeys.
Drawing her legs over his shoulders, he placed his mouth at the juncture of her thighs, sliding his tongue out to taste her essence. She cried out, and his cock jerked. Heavens, but she was beyond delicious, better than he’d ever imagined. With a growl deep in his throat, he set about feasting on her delicate flesh, laving and sucking at her juices before thrusting his tongue within her tight walls.
“Gods, yes,” she cried out, her legs quivering, and he spread her with his fingers so he could fuck her deeper and harder with his tongue. The knowledge that she’d taken no man there before, that she was virtually untouched, was almost his undoing. He increased the intensity of his thrusts, plunging his tongue over and over into her moist, delicious cavity.
Finally she let out a deep moan and pulled up on his hair so his gaze met hers. The crazed look in her eyes almost drew his cum from his body. He flexed his thighs for control and held on for dear life.
“Please,” she gasped, her expression wild. “I want your rod in my mouth.”
Hell, he hadn’t even dreamed that she’d ask that of him.
Rising to his feet, he crawled onto the bed, positioning his crotch at her head while bringing his face back to her mound. As much as he wanted his cock between her lips, he wasn’t willing to sacrifice a moment of tasting her.
She gasped and lifted his loincloth, grabbing his ass to force him down into her mouth. Obeying her silent command, he continued the deep, erotic movement of his tongue between her folds, focusing on the sensitive nub at her entrance.
When she moaned and urged his rod between her moist lips, he plunged in deep, knowing he should be more gentle but unable to do it. She didn’t seem to mind, however. She merely dug her fingers into his ass to force him down harder, opening her throat to take more and more of him in. By severn, the woman gave head like a pro, even though he knew she’d never done it before that time with Stefon and Tempos.
He repaid her efforts by thrusting two fingers into her wet body, using his tongue to prod and lave her flesh. When she let out a little scream and arched her body, he surrendered to the urge to follow her into oblivion. Unable to tear himself away from her greedy hands and mouth, he let out a hoarse cry as his seed tore from his rod, pulsing down her throat. She pulled him deeper and greedily swallowed his essence, continuing to grind her hips into him until the last of her tremors had died away.
By the stars above, that had been amazing. It easily equaled every sexual experience he’d ever had in the past, and it was easy to understand why.
She was his mate.
Before he’d even had a chance to recuperate, the ship’s intercom buzzed and Devan’s voice sounded out.
“Bannor. Bannor, please contact the control room.”
Cursing, he slid out of Cindra’s mouth. He rose from the bed but leaned over to smooth stray strands of her long, blonde hair from her face. Her gaze was unfocused but a satisfied smile transformed her face. After pressing a kiss to her lips, he asked, “Are you okay, beloved?”
“Yes,” she murmured dreamily. “That was amazing.”
With a self-satisfied grunt, he straightened, tugging the loincloth down. “Ship, connect me to the control room.” When the static receded, he said, “What is it?”
“Sorry to disturb you, Bannor, but we’ve been contacted by a close-by Spygian ship.”
Their treks through space occasionally resulted in run-ins with other traveling Spygians, and it was customary to greet each other, but that wasn’t something that necessarily needed his presence.
“And so?” he growled impatiently.
“Well,” Devan continued. “They have some interesting information for us.”
“What is it?”
“You’re not going to believe it,” Devan said, a hint of a wondrous laugh in his voice. “You should get up here immediately. And bring our mate.”
Something that required Cindra’s presence?
Interesting indeed.
Turning to their gorgeous mate, who still lay on the bed with a happy smile on her face, Bannor cocked a brow. “Well, beloved, it appears we are being summoned.”
Cindra’s curiosity built to a crescendo as she followed Bannor to the control room, her hand ensconced safely in his. Her legs were still shaky from his incredible lovemaking, and she could taste his essence on her tongue. Part of her wanted to do nothing more than lie on her bed, basking in the afterglow of their encounter, but Devan had been insistent that she accompany Bannor to the control room.
What could be so important that they’d want her there? She didn’t know any other Spygians, so she couldn’t see how the other ship was of any import to her.
Maybe it was customary for Spygians to present their mates to one another.
But then, why did Bannor seem so bemused about the whole thing?
They entered the control room just in time to hear Devan say, “Permission to board granted.”
Bannor stopped short inside the entrance, one of his thick brows arching. “They’re coming aboard?”
From his position at his controls, Devan turned to face them, grinning like a loon. “With good reason.”
Before Bannor could say anything further, the air shimmered in the transporter portal set up in one corner of the room. Three figures appeared. Cindra’s gaze automatically passed from the smaller person in the center to those on the ends. They were two large Spygians who looked mouthwateringly similar to Bannor, Devan, Stefon and Tempos, complete with long hair, bare chests and loincloths. But then the familiarity of the center figure registered. Her eyes going wide with shock, Cindra dragged her gaze back to the woman.
Hauntingly recognizable eyes stared back at her, shimmering with unshed tears. The woman’s long, honey-blonde hair tumbled in loose waves down her back and her tawny skin gleamed under the harsh lighting, its soft shimmer visible even under her cream-colored tank top and tan breeches.
No…no…it can’t be.
“In-Inara?” Cindra choked out.
“Cindra,” the woman replied, her voice hoarse and shaky.
Inara’s voice, a voice she’d thought to never hear again, made her vision splinter and her ears echo. Cindra swayed, fearing for one moment she was about to pass out, but when Bannor tightened his hold on her, turning toward her with an expression of concern, she broke away and rushed toward Inara.
Inara met her halfway, closing her arms around Cindra with a force that stole the breath from her lungs. Scarcely aware of the tears streaming down her face and the choked sobs tearing from her throat, Cindra pulled back to gaze on Inara’s face. She moved her hands to Inara’s cheeks, tracing the lines and curves she knew as well as her own.
“I thought you were dead,” Cindra mumbled. “I
knew
you were dead. The Malucons were chasing you.”
Inara shook her head, large drops of moisture rolling down her cheeks and dripping onto Cindra’s arms. “I escaped. I’ve been searching for you ever since. And I
knew
you were still alive. I felt it in my bones.”
With a crazed laugh, Cindra pulled Inara in once again. “I can’t believe this.”
She lost track of how long she and Inara held one another, but finally Bannor cleared his throat. “I take it you two know each other.”
Pulling away from Inara with a soft chuckle, Cindra locked gazes with Bannor. “Inara’s my cousin. My father took her in when she was a small child, after her parents died. We grew up like sisters in my household, and we fled Chivea together when the Malucons invaded, but we were separated shortly thereafter.”
“I searched for her ever since, through the worlds,” Inara said, entwining her fingers with Cindra’s as if she never wanted to let go. Cindra could understand the compulsion. “We landed on Keulot several days ago and traveled throughout, until we came to a small town. The natives told us they’d recently been visited by Malucons, and that another Chivean woman had disappeared at about the same time, as well as a pod of visiting Spygians.”
“I can’t believe this,” Cindra murmured. Her chest swelled with love and hope and disbelief as she gazed upon her cousin. “The odds of us finding each other again were so small. For this to have happened…”
“I knew it would. I just felt it.” Inara grinned and her gaze traveled around the room, taking in each of its occupants. Cindra didn’t miss the gleam in Inara’s eyes, or the way her companions stiffened just a fraction. Her grin grew wider as she turned back to Cindra. “I can’t believe you found a pod of Spygians for your very own.”
Inara’s words made Cindra freeze with shock. She hadn’t put it together until this moment, since she’d been so caught up in her reunion with her cousin, but of course it made sense. There was only one reason Inara would be traveling with a pod of Spygians.
“You’re mated to them?” Cindra asked, her voice quivering with surprise.
Inara nodded. “Those two lugs are Neichon and Valeron. And I’ve got two more back on our ship, Petros and Reyu.” Throwing Cindra a wink, she said, “I guess Chivean women make a good match for Spygians, huh?”
Cindra’s cheeks heated. “I’m not…we have a lot to catch up on.”
“I hear you.” Inara nodded and then grinned. “Why don’t we do it in the dining hall? For the first time in a long time, I’m suddenly finding myself ravenous.”
Now that she mentioned it…it was as if a huge weight had been lifted off Cindra’s back and yes, she was starving too.
Cindra tugged on her cousin’s hand. “Let’s go.”
* * * * *
His heart light, Devan watched their mate exit the room hand in hand with her cousin. When he’d first been contacted by the Spygians and received the news, he’d been totally shocked. The thought that Cindra was about to be reunited with her long-lost cousin had propelled him into action. Seeing their beloved happy made him ecstatic, and as he looked around the room at the faces of his brethren, he knew they felt the same.
The man who’d identified himself as Neichon turned to Bannor. His lips curled into a friendly grin. “You can imagine our surprise when we learned Cindra had indeed come with you. We feared the worst for Inara’s cousin. It’s a relief to know she’s being taken care of.”