Serendipity

Serendipity

©Joanna Wylde

Prologue

Able and Mali crouched in the pantry, watching the kitchen through a crack in the slightly opened door. Mom was out there. She was talking to Jax, the man who had checked into their hostel yesterday. Something about him made Able nervous, although Mali liked him a lot.

Of course, what could you expect from a little sister? Mali wasn't old enough to understand that Jax was dangerous, maybe as dangerous as their father had been. But what could you expect from a three-year-old…at seven, he knew better.

"What are they talking about?" Mali whispered, biting her thumbnail nervously. Able sighed in disgust. Mali never seemed to understand
anything
. It was almost scary how much she didn't know about the world. If he wasn't around to take care of her…

But he would always take care of her, he reminded himself. He was the man of their family now. Mali and mom needed his protection, something he'd better not forget.

"You have to be quiet and listen," he whispered back. "I'll explain everything later, but I want to hear what they're saying. If you keep talking we'll miss everything."

Mom was speaking now. She was upset; he could hear it in her voice.

"You know, I'm sick and tired of men who think they need to take care of women," she said harshly. "I had a husband who
took care
of me regularly, and I wouldn't wish marriage on any woman. It's a trap, and Calla's falling into it. It's a trap," she repeated.

Mom was right, Able thought. They had all been trapped with dad. He hurt them. Of course, Able was able to take dad's licks, but it had been too much for Mali. He looked down at his sister protectively; remembering what her little face had looked like, all bruised. He was glad dad was dead. He wished Aunt Calla wasn't leaving. Mom was right.

Marriage was a trap, and Aunt Calla was falling into it. Just thinking about it made the lump in his stomach swell and burn.

Jax was talking now. The sound of his voice made Able's stomach feel worse, but he forced himself to listen.

"That's not true," Jax said. "For a Saurellian—"

"Don't give me your crap," Mom replied. Her voice was strong, and Able was proud of her for standing up to him. She stood and paced across the floor, arms folded in front of her. "Get out of my kitchen, get out of my hostel. You brought him here; you're responsible for this. Go back to Saurellia, because I don't ever want to see you again."

Able's expression turned grim and his head started to throb. Not only was Jax a threat to their mother, it was his fault Aunt Calla was leaving to get married. This was too much…somebody had to do something to stop him. The sound of his voice caught Able's attention again.

"I'll give you some space, Sarai," Jax said. "But I'm not ready to leave Hector Prime just yet. I'll see you again."

"Don't threaten me," Mom replied, her voice sounding tight and harsh.

"I would never threaten you," Jax said. "And I'll never lie, either. I'm not your ex-husband, Sarai. I'm a good man, and I won't hurt you."

He left the room, leaving mom alone. Able sat back on his heels trying to think. Mali watched him carefully, her small face twisted in concern.

"What's wrong, Able?" she asked in her soft, little girl's voice. She plucked at his shirt, looking for reassurance.

"Well, I think he likes mom, and wants her to go with him like Aunt Calla's going with Seth," Able whispered back. Mali's face crumpled, tears welling up in her eyes.

"You mean mommy might leave us?" she whispered despairingly, her small face pinched in pain. "What will we do without mommy?"

"Oh no," Able said, pulling her small body on to his lap. He held her close, rubbing her hair with one hand. It was so hard sometimes, trying to explain things to her. "Mom would never leave us, Mali. You don't have to worry about that. But Jax might want to stay, and that's not good."

"You mean stay and be with mommy?" Mali asked. "Like a daddy?"

"Yes, although we don't need him," Able said fiercely. "You remember what dad was like. He was horrible. We don't want another one of those, do we?"

"I suppose not," Mali whispered back. Daddy had been mean. He used to hurt her, and hurt mommy. But still…

Jax didn't seem like daddy. He seemed different. Nicer. She had even seen him in the garden earlier that morning, and he'd waved at her. She'd been too afraid to go near him, but she remembered how nice he looked. And he'd been tall enough to get her flying disk out of the tree in the garden. It had been stuck up there for two days. Not even mommy had been tall enough to do that.

"You know," she whispered. "Kally likes her daddy. He plays with her all the time.

Kally's mommy seems to really like him, too. Maybe not all daddies are like ours was."

"We don't need a father," Able replied fiercely. "You and mom have me. I'll take care of you."

"I know you will," Mali replied softly. "You've always taken care of me, Able. But sometimes I wish I had a daddy, like Kally."

Able sat up, spilling her on to the floor.

"That's a stupid wish, Mali," he said. "We have to get rid of him. It's just you, mom, and me. That's all we need."

"I don't think it's a stupid wish," Mali said, grabbing the shelf to steady herself. She stood up and looked down on her brother, small fists on her hips. "And besides, I can wish for anything I want, and I want a daddy. There's nothing you can do to stop me."

Able just stared at her in disgust. Sometimes there just wasn't any point trying to reason with a little sister. They just didn't understand.

Chapter One

He was out there. Watching her.

He'd been watching her for days. Seven days, to be exact.

That's how long it had been since Calla left with her new man, Seth. Unfortunately, Seth had forgotten to take his big, stupid friend Jax with him.

Sarai rolled over in her bed, punching the pillow to soften it up. Her room was too hot.

She knew how much more cool and comfortable the air would be if she could open the sliding door to the garden, but if she did he might take it as an invitation.

He'd been trouble from the minute he'd set foot in their small hostel. Usually they catered to students. After all, Hector Prime was one of the best places in the quadrant to study biology. From desert to jungle, the planet-wide nature preserve had something to offer everyone. But the only thing Jax wanted was right in her bedroom.

Sarai rolled again, settling on her back. What was it about him? She hadn't been able to sleep that first night, so she'd gone out into the garden, her private refuge. He had been waiting for her then, too. A twist of desire coiled through her at the memory. He'd touched her in the darkness, and she had lost control.

His hands, tugging at her gown, had been rough and calloused. She could still feel the way they caught against the smooth skin of her belly, before dropping lower…

Unconsciously, Sarai raised one hand to her breast and fingered her hardening nipple.

He had touched her there, too. She remembered the scrape of his finger, back and forth against her taut flesh. Mirroring his actions with her own fingers, she twisted in her bed as an ache spread through her body.

He had been so hard.

She dropped her hand lower, searching for the space between her legs that would give her relief. She hated how much she needed to touch herself, but she knew from experience that once the ache started, it had to be appeased. Otherwise she would toss and turn for the rest of the night.

She found the small nub, then started slowly rubbing it, back and forth. Slow and steady. What was he doing there in the darkness? Did he ache, too? Was he touching himself like she was? She could just about picture him.

He would be leaning back against the bench, legs splayed out before him. One hand would drop slowly to the bulge in his crotch, testing it. It would grow, lengthen under his hand. Would he grip it? Would he work it up and down between his fingers, or simply finger the head softly?

Her own fingers were moving faster now, and she gave a little whimper at the thought of the smooth, hard length waiting for her in the darkness.

All she had to do was open the sliding door and she could have him. He would be on her in a heartbeat, pressing her back against the soft bed. Being kissed by him was an experience in and of itself. His tongue, thrusting inside her, taking what he wanted. He had no mercy when he kissed. It was a brand, a mark of ownership. Her lips burned with the memory.

She thrust the image from her mind, forcing herself to focus on her own movements.

Thinking of him wouldn't help. It would just make things worse. She needed to focus on the pleasure she could give herself. She had been massaging her nipple as she rubbed her clit, but the feelings were becoming more intense now. She couldn't do both things, she couldn't concentrate. Back and forth, harder and harder. She could feel the pressure building, but she wanted more.

She wanted him.

His cock was like a pillar of granite. So hard, so deep. He'd plunged into her like he had something to prove. When he'd come to her that night, it felt like the first time she'd ever been with a man. He'd stretched her open; she'd been splayed beneath his strength.

Completely helpless, she had no choice but to give into the ecstasy his touch could bring.

Heat rose in her. Her fingers were moving so quickly now that it took all her strength not to arch up beneath her hand. Was he watching her? She'd pulled the drapes, but they were all too sheer. Did he know what she was doing?

What would his tongue feel like on her? She could imagine it, slippery and hot, darting back and forth against her aching center. Would he tease her, bringing her close to the edge before falling back? Or would he keep moving, bringing her to orgasm time after time?

She'd never felt a man's tongue there, but she'd heard it was a wonderful thing. If only she could feel something like that…

The pressure was intense now. It pushed against her, and she felt like she was climbing to the top of a cliff. She could see the end, she was so close to it, but she couldn't quite make it over. Her fingers flew faster and faster, seeking desperately to provide her with some relief. She had to get some relief, or she would die. Either that, or she would call out to him to come to her.

No.

She wouldn't do that.

She pressed harder, her body shaking from the strain of remaining perfectly still. The sensations built up in her, heart pounding. Her breath was coming in ragged breaths, but she held her position. A swooshing sound, the sound of her own heartbeat, filled her head.

Just a little more.

Around and around.
Don't think about him, his hard cock stuffing you so full that you
feel like you might choke,
her traitorous mind whispered.
Him pounding against you, your
whole body shaking from the force of his thrusts.

Her treacherous body wasn't listening, though. There was an empty hole where his cock should be. Her entire body was ready to explode, but there was no one for her to explode against. Her fingers flew, her mouth opening in a silent gasp of aching need.

Against her will, her head arched back against the pillow as the orgasm hit her. She shuddered under the onslaught of sensation, biting the back of her hand to keep from crying out. What would he see if he were watching her now? What would he think?

That night in the garden she'd seen the look on his face as she came, every muscle in her body clenching his tightly. His face had been filled with a pleasure so intense it was painful to watch. But she wanted to watch it again.

Slowly, her breathing returned to normal. She allowed her hand to drop to the mattress.

The sound of her heart faded, and she let her hands fall to her sides. After a few minutes her breath was slow and steady again. The ache was better, although she could still feel a trace of tension.

She rolled onto her stomach, punching the pillow to soften it up. Then she lay her head down and forced her mind to calm. Would the night never end?

Finally, after another hour, she finally relaxed enough to fall asleep. Morning would be there all too soon.

* * * * *

Jax sat in the dark garden, watching Sarai's room. It would be so easy to go in through the door, to push her back on the bed and kiss her until she gave in to him. And she would give in, he already knew that. Her response to him from the first time he'd touched her had been incredible.

A physical response wouldn't be enough, though. Not to convince her she needed him in her life.

What was she doing in there, he wondered? Was she sleeping, thinking of him? Did she have any idea how much he wanted to be with her?

She was his life mate—he was certain of it. He had spent the first thirty years of his life believing he'd be alone forever. After all, he'd had no life mate among his own people, the Saurellians. Until a few weeks ago he'd never heard of a Saurellian finding a lifemate anywhere but Saurellia.