His cock never lost its erection, and once she recovered, she pulled it toward her lips, sucking it into her mouth while his balls brushed her face. His
snard
still bathed her slit, and she pressed her thighs together, savoring the orgasmic creaminess. Placing her hands on his hips, she encouraged him to move up and down, fucking her mouth until he came again. His cum tasted like candy as he obligingly gave her more of it to savor and swallow.
Her body was already on fire when the
snard
effect hit her, sending more heat pulsing outward from her core. She could barely move, but she could talk.
“Fuck me, Jerden. Hard.”
***
She didn’t have to ask him twice. The gentle, romantic lovemaking he’d begun could wait. He was hers to command, and if she wanted a good, hard fuck, he would not deny her. Time had no meaning when they were together anyway. He could give her anything she asked for and still be able to indulge in any whim of his own, whether it be showering her with rose petals or fucking her senseless.
The moon rose higher in the sky, casting a glow on her face as he placed her feet up on his shoulders. Sliding into her slick passage, he groaned as he swept her inner walls with his cock, leaving no surface untouched. Her soft moans drove him onward, making his cock pulse and forcing out more of his own lubricating fluids. If she wanted it hard, she would need the extra juice.
The sharp scent of her lust filled his head along with the pleasing fragrance of her love, enhanced by the smell of the earth, the grass, and the bruised petals of her roses. He slammed into her hard and deep, delighting in the sounds she made and the expressions on her face. Her eyes had drifted shut, but she was missing so much.
“Open your eyes, Sara.”
The wind picked up, tossing the roses about as clouds scudded across the moon, momentarily dimming the light. Once they’d passed, he glanced down to see his semen glistening between her breasts. Letting go of her legs, he fell forward onto his hands and licked it off. With a loud purr, he kissed her, his cum-slick tongue delving deeply into her mouth. As he backed off to watch, another orgasm burst into flower behind her eyes.
“My God, that’s beautiful,” he whispered.
Her fingers toyed with his long curls as she traced a line from the point of his ear to the center of his chest. Her gentle touch sent waves of anticipation spiraling toward his groin. He wasn’t done yet. Not by a long shot.
Rocking into her slow and deep, he reveled in the way her body hugged his cock, squeezing it, milking out every drop of cream. When he came again, he waited only long enough to see her eyes react before pulling out and rolling her over. Lifting her hips with both hands, he dove into her from behind. The moonlight shone down on her back, illuminating her tumbled curls and her firm, shapely bottom, his brown hands in stark contrast to the white glow of her skin. Separating her cheeks, he ran a fingertip down the cleft of her buttocks.
Her shuddering gasp told him all he needed to know.
“Hold on.” His withdrawal made her groan in protest until he pressed the blunt head against her anus, bringing himself to climax with a few quick strokes of his hand. As his
snard
spewed into her, he felt her body contract and then relax completely. Moving carefully, he teased the tight ring of muscle until it, too, relaxed and allowed him entry.
“Fuck me, Sara.”
In seconds, she was up on her hands and knees, her head thrown back, creating a hollow dip along her spine. With a guttural snarl, she backed into him until he was balls deep in her ass.
“
Ohhh…
”
He didn’t have to see her face to know how good it felt to her; her eager backward thrusts were proof enough. “I can’t believe it,” she gasped. “I never—” The rest of her words were cut off by an orgasm that squeezed him so hard he saw stars where there weren’t any and wrenched a yell from her that made him grin.
As she banged into him again, Jerden shifted his knees apart and settled his weight for maximum stability, fully intending to hold that position until she wore herself out.
She
was the limiting factor here, not him. The view of her gorgeous, moonlit bottom coupled with her scent would keep him hard until morning or until she passed out, whichever came first.
Her moans became increasingly higher in pitch until she was practically screaming with each thrust. Still, he waited, forcing his eyes to remain open, knowing what was about to happen.
With one final push, she let out a cry that would’ve curdled his blood if he hadn’t known the reason for it. In the next instant, she lay sprawled in the grass, sobbing helplessly. In another instant, he was beside her, cradling her in his arms while she wept.
“You could have
warned
me,” she wailed.
“Ah, but that would’ve spoiled the surprise.” He chuckled wickedly. “Good?”
“You have no idea,” she whispered. “
None
.”
“I probably don’t.”
But he did. Not from firsthand experience, perhaps, but he’d seen it with many of his clients. Still, he liked to think that her pleasure was greater than theirs had been. Perhaps it was. The only thing he knew for certain was that his own enjoyment was quadrupled. He’d never had anything more at stake than a woman’s enthusiastic response to his technique—the testament that she’d gotten her money’s worth. Love made a huge difference in the way he felt. He could only hope it did the same for Sara.
There was a lot to be said for living in a climate that consisted of a rainy season and a dry one. An outdoor event could be planned without fear that rain would spoil it. Even so, Sara was pleased to awaken on the morning of her wedding day to a cloudless sky and the promise of a hot afternoon.
Bonnie had volunteered to help with the preparations. Lucy and Tarq would be providing the main course, and the rest was a pitch-in. Salan and her parents were bringing cheese and ice cream, which was all Bonnie’s kids cared about, aside from the chance to swim in Jerden’s lake. Sara was surprised when Nate accepted the invitation, but she wasn’t about to let his presence ruin the day for anyone else. Perhaps he and Salan could commiserate.
Bonnie’s friend Zuannis, a Twilanan native and the best baker in the region, was providing the wedding cake, and fortunately, didn’t charge an arm and a leg for it. Sara reminded herself that Jerden’s fortune made her continued attempts at economy superfluous, but it was a hard habit to break.
Sara’s parents, Bob and Linda Shield, had arrived two days before, and her brothers, who were unable to attend, both sent their love. Neither of her parents had ever met a Zetithian before, but having traveled from Earth on Jack’s ship, which was filled with two families of them, her mother—a tall, slender woman from whom Sara had also inherited her coloring—was in complete accord with Sara’s decision to marry one.
“I’ve always considered your father to be a handsome man,” she confided to her daughter. “But he can’t hold a candle to these Zetithians.” She paused, tapping her chin with a contemplative finger. “They seem to age well, too—and so have their wives.”
Cat and Jack might have been in their fifties, but they certainly didn’t look it, and neither did Leo and Tisana, who were roughly the same age. Being Zetithian, Sara wasn’t surprised that Cat and Leo didn’t show their age—Leo’s hair was as golden as Cat’s was black, and both were still tall and handsome, despite the scars acquired during twenty years of slavery—but why Jack and Tisana didn’t was a mystery.
Jack’s tall, athletic build hadn’t sagged anywhere. Her only wrinkles were the laugh lines around her eyes and mouth, and her hair was still dark brown without a hint of gray. Tisana was bewitchingly lovely with dark hair and green eyes and a body that hadn’t suffered a bit from giving birth to two sets of triplets. Now that she thought about it, Sara realized that Bonnie didn’t look like a mother of seven who was pushing forty, either.
Being the outgoing sort who rarely guarded her tongue, Jack showed no reluctance to enlighten anyone who cared to listen. “Vladen says it’s from carrying Zetithian children. It’s pretty technical, but apparently mothers pick up billions of stem cells from their babies, which help them live longer than men in general. Getting stem cells from the children of a race with a longer lifespan and remarkable regenerative capabilities is sort of like finding the fountain of youth, whether the mother is Zetithian or not.” She gave Sara a hearty pat on the back. “I’ve carried three litters so far. Best I can tell, I’m gonna live forever.”
Sara couldn’t imagine a better fate than living a long, healthy life with Jerden. And to think, she’d actually resisted Bonnie’s efforts to introduce them.
Things
happen
for
a
reason.
It was the kind of cosmic karma thing best not dwelt on for very long, because otherwise simple, random events would take on too much significance. If, for example, at this point in time, she were to turn left instead of right, how would that affect the rest of her life?
Sara’s reverie was interrupted when Jack eyed her with sudden suspicion. “You aren’t doing anything to
keep
from having children, are you?”
Sara’s eyes widened. “Well… no. I’m not.”
“Good,” Jack said with a firm nod. “Glad to hear it. Jerden’s already sired a bajillion kids, but a few more couldn’t hurt.”
Actually, Sara had an idea that delivering triplets would hurt a great deal. The fact that Jack had done it three times said a lot for her dedication. Then again, Cat was probably every bit as irresistible as Jerden was.
“And don’t worry,” Jack went on as if she guessed Sara’s thoughts. “Having triplets isn’t as bad as it sounds, and there seems to be a built-in form of birth control so that litters don’t arrive too closely together. Tried like hell to get around that, myself, but no dice. Still haven’t figured out why that is, but it’s probably for the best.”
Sara tended to agree. Jack had already given birth to nine children, ranging in age from eight to sixteen—something Sara couldn’t imagine doing herself.
“She’d have had
ten
litters by now if she could,” Tisana said drily. “With nineteen of us aboard, the ship is already pretty crowded.”
Jack waved a dismissive hand. “The
Jolly
Roger
is plenty big, and there’s lots of room to expand if we put living quarters in the cargo hold.” She ran a hand through her short locks, shaking her head. “And to think I used to fly around in the damn thing all by myself. Shocking waste of space.” She winked at Sara. “Nothing to stop you out here, though. With two houses and all this land between you, you and Jerden could have
dozens
of babies.”
Linda gave a little gasp and Sara felt the blood drain from her face. “Dozens?”
Tisana chuckled. “Don’t pay any attention to her, Sara. Like she said, Jerden already has children scattered all across the galaxy. One litter will be plenty.”
Once again, Jack fixed her penetrating gaze on Sara. “All those other children don’t bother you, do they?”
Sara had already given this some thought and knew exactly how she felt about it. “No. That all happened before Jerden and I ever met. I mean, everyone has a past.”
Some
better
than
others.
“Good girl.” Jack nodded her approval. “Now that that’s all settled, let’s quit fiddling around and get this show on the road.”
***
Sara and Jerden might’ve had two houses, but since the number of bedrooms was limited, they had set up several tents for their guests. As a result, the area around the lake looked like a family campground. Sara gave up her room to her parents, and she and Jerden moved to his house for the duration of the festivities. Though her own home was comfortable and peaceful, the lakeshore setting and rustic furnishings appealed to Sara.
With so many children visiting, Jerden’s pets got plenty of extra attention. Cria was especially content, purring serenely while the younger kids brushed and petted her. The rest of his menagerie seemed pleased to be back home, the wide verandah being far more conducive to lounging than the small stoop that constituted Sara’s back porch.
My
back
porch…
She sighed, recalling the night that Danuban had deposited a senseless Jerden on that very spot. Yet another turning point in her life, as well as his.
What
if
Danuban
hadn’t brought him there? What if I hadn’t taken him in?
The thought of how close she’d come to never meeting him at all chilled her to the marrow—yet another possibility it was probably best not to dwell upon.
Jerden must’ve noticed her pensive mood, despite the flurry of activity as they set up tables under the large canopy they’d erected near the lake. “Having second thoughts?”
She smiled, shaking her head. “Not at all. Just thinking about everything that had to occur before we wound up here together.”
“Scary, isn’t it?” Obviously, he understood.
“You bet it is.” She glanced toward the road where a large hovercraft was approaching. “Looks like we’ve got more company coming.”
“That’ll be Dax, Ava, and Onca—and three more kids.” He raised a hand in greeting and then lowered it to shield his eyes from the sun. “Looks like they’ve brought Waroun, too. He’s Dax’s partner and navigator.” With a wink, he added, “Don’t worry, you’ll like him. He’s Norludian.”
Though she’d never considered the matter before, Sara
did
like Norludians, possibly because she envied them the ability to carry on sexually oriented conversations without batting an eyelash—something she’d never been able to do herself. “I don’t think I’ve ever been around two of them at the same time, which should be interesting. Reutal will be pleased.”
“Jack won’t be. She can’t stand them, but they’ll keep us laughing, you can count on that.”
Sara certainly couldn’t argue with that. “When you’re right, you’re right. C’mon, let’s go say hello.”
Jerden took her outstretched hand and kissed it before tucking it into the crook of his arm.
They waited while Dax brought the
Juleta
to a halt and shut down the engine. Onca was the first to climb down the ladder. “Hey, hot stuff! I hear you got your mojo back.”
Jerden hugged his old friend. “You could say that. I prefer to say I fell in love.”
Onca laughed, his green eyes twinkling with mischief as he shook his thick auburn mane back over his shoulder. Having known Onca nearly all his life, it was a gesture Jerden remembered well. He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed him until that moment. “I always knew someone would catch you eventually. I just hope it doesn’t happen to me.”
Onca had been one of the few babies rescued from the demise of Zetith, and thus had no memory of his family or his homeworld. His only home had been aboard the ship, his fellow refugees his only relatives. Jerden could understand his attitude toward settling down; never having had real a family, Onca had no idea what he was missing.
“You got something against being happy?” Jerden teased.
“Nope. Just not ready to tie myself to one woman. Not sure I ever will be.”
“With that attitude, it’s probably just as well,” Dax said as he climbed down the ladder. He took up a position at the bottom while his pregnant wife, Ava, came down after him. “But then, I once felt the same way myself.”
Actually, Dax’s problem stemmed more from not finding a woman whose scent aroused him than not wanting to be tied down, but until recently, Jerden had never appreciated how much the love factor must’ve added to the equation. Dax had been a thirty-three-year-old virgin when he met Ava and had fallen hard for the lovely human/Aquerei woman.
Their three daughters were herded toward the ladder by Waroun, the Norludian navigator. “Hurry up, you little catfish! Jerden’s waiting!” Squealing with laughter, the tiny girls clambered down the rungs and ran to Jerden. He knelt down as they approached, receiving multiple hugs and kisses from each of them.
Why they remembered him with any kind of affection surprised him a little. He couldn’t imagine why a bunch of three-year-olds would care anything about the man he’d been when he’d traveled to Terra Minor aboard Dax’s ship. Then again, having still been in shock from Audrey’s death, he didn’t remember much about that voyage.
What he
did
remember was how beautiful the children were. Unlike the offspring of unions with other species, these girls didn’t appear to be pure Zetithian. They all had the larger, more rounded eyes that Ava had inherited from her Aquerei father, and, like their mother, could breathe underwater. And if the way they greeted Jerden was any indication, they didn’t share the standoffish attitude toward men that characterized purebred Zetithian females. Aside from that, they resembled their father, with the same catlike fangs, pointed ears, and long, curly hair—though not as tightly curled as Dax’s, which grew in such tight spirals it was often mistaken for dreadlocks.
Though Dax still wore a single earring and a tattoo flamed up over one side of his face and neck, he clearly no longer lived up to the renegade bad boy persona he’d done his best to cultivate. He was a family man to the core—a goal to which Jerden now aspired. He couldn’t wait to have lots of kids with Sara’s flaming locks and dazzling green eyes.
The girls ran off to join the other children as Waroun scampered down the ladder. “I hear you’ve got a Norludian working for you, Sara. Bet he’s getting high on your essence!”
“I doubt that,” Sara said drily. “It isn’t as though he’s got his fingers on me all the time.”
Waroun smacked his lips. “Not like he hasn’t tried, I’ll bet.” He waggled his fingers at Sara. “I’m surprised I can’t feel it in the air. You’ve got a hot one there, you know.”
“Yeah, I know,” Sara said, grinning.
“He can go all day and all night—or so I’ve been told. There are a lot of ladies who were
very
upset when he retired.”
“I didn’t exactly
retire
,” Jerden said. “It was more like a permanent sick leave.”
Waroun waved a dismissive hand. “Makes no difference. They’re still pining for you.”
“As long as none of them come looking for me, we’re okay,” Jerden said. A frisson of warning tightened his scalp as he remembered the woman he’d seen on the square in Nimbaza. In a purely instinctive move, he put his arm around Sara, pulling her close. “None of them have been asking questions, have they?”
“Don’t worry. We’re not telling anyone where you are,” Onca said quickly. “Though I can’t promise word won’t get out. You know how people talk.”
Jerden figured he had nothing to lose by tossing the idea out for discussion. “Haven’t heard anything about the woman who killed Audrey, have you?”
“Chantal Benzowitz?” Onca shook his head. “As far as I know, she’s still locked up somewhere.”
Sara gaped at him. “As far as you
know
? They’d tell you if she wasn’t, wouldn’t they?”
“Let’s hope so,” Onca said with a shudder. “That woman was nuts.”
Chantal…
Jerden had somehow managed to block the name from his memory—if indeed, he’d ever known what it was. He couldn’t even recall testifying at her trial, though he must have. Then again, he hadn’t been the only witness. She’d killed Audrey right out in the middle of a busy street, making it an easy case to prove. Unfortunately, it was also a relatively easy crime to commit—and one for which there was no protection.