Squeezing her eyes closed, she sucked in her breath and braced herself to hit the ground.
Damn Ban and
his practical jokes. I’m going to strangle him.
She fell into a pair of strong arms, was hugged against a muscular chest.
A deep voice said, “I have you.”
Throwing her arms around his neck, she held on for dear life.
Opening her eyes, she locked gazes with Marljas. Slowly, he loosened his arms and allowed her to slide down along the length of his muscular body.
Even more slowly, he slid his hands down her arms.
Goose bumps erupted on her arms.
He looked deeply into her eyes and smiled a slow smile. He slid his right hand down her side and caressed her hip. “I will always catch you.”
Before she could react, he released her and stepped back.
Yet another set of hands grabbed hers, and she was whirled away into the crowd—but not without craning her neck to search for the dark form hidden in the shadows.
Marljas had watched Jamiros’ introductions from the shadows at the side of the stage. Those guests who noticed him stayed well away, none of them comfortable in the presence of a Gattan with his claws extended.
A teasing scent reached his nostrils, and he tensed as Jamiros hugged his daughter and turned her to face the crowd. He scowled at the thought of other men seeing how revealing her dress was. Her nipples pushed against the soft blue material and, when the breeze flattened her dress against her hips, the small tuft of springy hair at the juncture of her thighs was obvious.
Every man in the crowd who wasn’t a relative had to be lusting after her.
From the corner of his eye, Marljas saw Ban’s signal. Bracing himself, he caught Sheala as Ban tossed her down to him, grunting at the strain it put on his almost-healed ribs. Ignoring her shriek of surprise as she wrapped her arms around his neck, he dropped her legs and quickly wrapped his other arm around her, cupping her firm buttocks and pulling her hard against him.
Her eyes locked with his as she slowly slid down his firm body. When her feet touched the ground, he slid his hands down her arms, stroked her hip.
“I will always catch you,” he murmured and stepped back.
His smiled faded as Sheala was pulled away from him.
Then his smile returned. The night had barely begun.
* * * * *
“You haven’t danced with me, Sheala.”
Slowly, she turned around to face Marljas. “You haven’t asked me.”
“I couldn’t get near you. You’ve been surrounded by men all evening.”
She grinned. “You didn’t try very hard then. Crowds have been parting before you all night.”
His grin was feral. “You noticed?”
Glad she didn’t blush like Brianna, Sheala dipped her head and changed the subject as she slipped out of her shoes. “Can we just find somewhere to sit down? My feet are, as Brianna says, killing me.”
Marljas held out his arm. “I’d be happy to sit with you. There’s a bench there, under that Chotton bush.”
Placing her hand on Marljas’ bare arm—he wore a sleeveless shirt that displayed the scars on his arms—Sheala walked towards the bench with him. She moved her fingers slightly, enjoying the soft feel of the hair on his arms against the pads of her fingers.
A bird called.
A muscle in his forearm flexed.
She looked up and batted her eyelashes. “Will you fetch me a drink, please?”
Marljas sighed. “Don’t practice your flirting on me, Sheala. If you’re thirsty, I’ll be happy to fetch you a drink. All you need to do is ask.”
Sheala began to pout but then broke into her more customary grin. “I keep forgetting when to stop. I’m sorry,” she answered, rubbing her thumb against the tendons in his wrist. “I would like some punch, if you don’t mind.”
The muscles in his arm jumped again. “Sit and rest your feet. I’ll get you a drink.”
Smiling, Sheala sat down. “Thank you, Marljas. I’ll be right here.”
He has a remarkable ass, she thought as she watched him walk away.
Returning with two glasses of punch to where he had left Sheala, Marljas found himself alone. The rustle of leaves off to the left drew his attention, and he set the punch on the bench and followed the soft sounds through the shadows.
In a matter of minutes, he found Sheala in the grasp of a young Drakian.
“What are you doing, Histenc?” she spat as she tried to wrench her arm from the young man’s grasp.
He jerked her forward and wrapped his other arm around her waist. “Just what you want me to. You’ve been teasing me for the last year. Tonight your teasing stops.”
She struggled against him. “You must be deranged. Go away and leave me alone or I’ll scream.”
“No one will hear you,” the young man snapped as he tried to kiss her.
Turning her face away, Sheala kicked his shin, gritting her teeth against the pain that shot through her bare toes.
Histenc cursed but didn’t let her go.
In the shadows, Marljas lashed his tail. The fool had dared to lay a hand on Sheala! On Gattan, he’d be free to gut any man who tried to drag a woman away from her family. Here, though, there could be ramifications he didn’t know about. Best to keep his temper under control. After one last deep breath, he stepped into the moonlight and crossed his arms over his chest. “Drop your hand, Drakian—or lose it.”
Both Sheala and Histenc froze.
He glared at Marljas. “This is none of your business, Gattan. Leave while you still can. I have friends with me.”
Marljas grinned, flexed his muscles as he uncrossed his arms, and unsheathed his claws. “Come then.
You
and
your friends.”
The tall young man looked back over his shoulder. “Rejis, Pazco, where are you?”
More leaves rustled, and the sound of running footsteps faded away.
His gaze locked on Histenc, Marljas drew a claw across his forearm. A fine line of blood appeared.
“Your friends decided to leave. I suggest you do the same. Unless you wish to challenge me?”
As he watched a drop of Marljas’ blood fall to the ground, Histenc swallowed nervously.
Sheala kicked him again and jerked free.
A full snarl erupted from Marljas when he saw the red marks on her arm. “Go, Drakian. Go now, if you wish to keep all of your blood.”
After one more look at Marljas’ claws, Histenc turned and ran.
Marljas’ gaze never left Sheala. “Are you all right?”
Anger flashing in her eyes, she snapped, “I could have freed myself.”
“I know,” he answered with a grin, “but he found my claws far more intimidating.”
For a moment she glared at him. Then she sighed heavily. “True. I wish I could get some for myself.”
Marljas chuckled softly.
She continued to stare into the bushes where her assailant had disappeared as he stepped closer and gently clasped her upper arm.
“Sheala?”
“Why was he so mean? What did I ever do to him?”
Marljas slid his knuckles along her cheek. “He wants you.”
She shook her head. “But why? No matter what he says, I never encouraged him.”
Glancing up, she lost herself in his intense, golden gaze.
Marljas didn’t answer. Lifting her wrist to his mouth, he kissed the angry red lines caused by Histenc’s fingers. Then he slid his hands up her arms, over her shoulders and up the sides of her neck. Gently, he cupped her face. “You’re very beautiful, Sheala. Few men can resist you. I know I can’t.” Lowering his head, he nuzzled her lips, then placed soft, quick kisses on the corners of her mouth.
She sighed and slid her hands up his forearms. He sucked her lower lip into his mouth. Moaning, she wrapped her fingers around his forearms.
Freeing her lip, Marljas pulled back slightly and gazed down into her face. He stroked her jaw with his thumb. “I have wanted you since the first moment I saw you.”
A mischievous smile appeared on her face. “Oh? Why did you cut yourself when I was watching?”
His own chuckle answered hers. “To test your courage?”
“Like hell,” she murmured as she placed her palms against his chest. “You wanted to scare me away. I don’t scare that easily.”
“For which I am eternally grateful.” Marljas covered her mouth with his, moving his lips slowly.
Sheala leaned into his body and opened her mouth.
Dropping his hands from her face, Marljas wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his chest.
Slipping his tongue between her lips, he caressed the sides and top of her mouth, reveling in her taste.
She was sweet and tart all at once, better than the finest Gattan wine. The silk dress she wore was a flimsy barrier, and her flesh quivered beneath his hand as he stroked her back and buttocks.
Her nipples stabbed his chest. Never had he wanted a woman so much! Then he slid his tongue against hers, groaning when she sucked it deeper into her mouth.
A shudder raced through Sheala’s body.
Marljas’ tongue was rougher than that of anyone she’d ever kissed. It circled the inside of her mouth, stroked teeth and palate, slid and twined about her own, its rough texture titillating and exciting.
Her nipples tightened more, and moisture seeped between her thighs as Sheala clung to his soft leather shirt, grateful that he was holding her so tightly because her legs were shaking. Inside her dress, her tail was twitching. If it were free, she’d have wrapped it around his thigh and tickled his balls with the tip.
He slid his hand down her back, cupped her buttock, and pulled her against his erection.
She rose on tiptoe and rubbed her hips against him.
His cock was a long, hard ridge in the front of his pants.
She wanted that cock, wanted it buried deep within her.
When he pulled his mouth from hers, she fisted her hands around the two braids of hair hanging in front of his ears and tried to tug his head back down to hers.
Sucking breath into his body with huge gasps, he resisted and stared down into her face.“Look at me.”
When she did, he steadied her and then stepped back and held out his hand. “Come.”
Her heart racing, Sheala looked at his outstretched hand. His voice both demanded obedience and cajoled at the same time. She hesitated only a moment. Silently she placed her hand in his and followed him into the darkness.
* * * * *
The attraction between them had finally become too strong to resist.
He looked off into the darkness towards the landing pad where Marljas’ ship sat. That’s where he’d taken her, to a place where they wouldn’t be interrupted.
Ban shook his head again, still amazed that no one else had noticed the growing attraction between them. How his grandmother had missed it, he’d never know. Sighing, he tucked Sheala’s slippers under his arm. “I just hope the two of you know what kind of problems your actions might cause.”
Fifteen minutes later, Marljas halted next to the
Scrathe
, his warbird. Taking a small controller from his belt, he entered the code that opened a small door in the side. A flexible ladder dropped to the ground.
Marljas turned to her, his voice low and intense. “Sheala, do you wish to come up?”
She looked up at the sleek ship and shivered in the gentle breeze. “Yes.”
Marljas hadn’t realized that he’d been holding his breath until he let it out. If she had asked, he’d have immediately taken her back to the house.
He grabbed hold of the ladder. “You had best go up first. I’ll follow so I can catch you if you fall.”
She punched him in the arm. “Fall! There’s not a tree on the estate I haven’t conquered.” Grabbing the ladder, she climbed up.
Marljas admired the supple play of her buttocks against her thin, blue dress as he followed her up the ladder. The tip of her tail as it dipped below the hem of her dress was tantalizing.
Once they were inside the ship, dim lights flickered on. Marljas pulled the ladder up behind him then closed and locked the door. He took her hand and led her deeper into the ship.
Sheala looked about curiously. Gattan warbirds were deceptive in their size. She’d been in many types of interplanetary ships over the years, but no non-Gattan had ever been in a warbird. Fully capable of extensive interplanetary flight, they were also able to enter a planet’s atmosphere, making a landing shuttle unnecessary. The
Scrathe
didn’t seem that large yet was capable of carrying a full complement of ten warriors. Though cramped, there were sleeping quarters, a small mess and sanitary facilities that included a small shower. As captain, Marljas had private sleeping quarters. It was to those quarters that he led Sheala.
Before they entered, Marljas pulled her to him for a quick, hard kiss. “Wait for me here. A light was flashing in Communications, and I must see what it means.”
Sheala nodded silently. That kiss had taken her breath away.
Marljas made his way back to Communications and pressed a button to save whatever message had been sent. His mind was completely on Sheala, or he would have realized that the message demanded immediate attention. Marljas and his brother had come to Drakan with the understanding that there would be a complete communications blackout with their family on Gattan. Only something very important would have caused their father to try to contact them.
Sheala glanced around Marljas’ private quarters. There wasn’t much to see. The bunk took up most of the space, and it was to the bunk she went. A mischievous smile appeared on her face. Pulling her dress over her head, she dropped it on the floor and arranged herself on the bed.
When Marljas returned to his quarters, Sheala was stretched out on his bunk. She’d removed her dress—he’d already known she wore nothing underneath. The pearls that had fallen so gracefully from her shoulders were now draped down her body, the strands parting around her pouting breasts and finally coming to rest between her legs, the luminescent pearls tangled amongst the dark tuft of curls on her almost completely shaved mons.