Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

A shlyn

She didn’t think to protest when Zade turned her around and held her through the storm, an anchor in rough seas. As she cried, a weight lifted from her chest, leaving her lightheaded, her thoughts jumbled and chaotic.

Eventually her tears subsided, and she calmed, tranquility stealing over her. She turned her head away and drew her knees to her chest. Zade was huge and she could curl up in his lap or use his thigh as a pillow. She didn’t ask herself why she didn’t jump out of his arms at the first chance she got.

Her emotions were all over the place, raw and tender. She’d never cried so hard. She hated her body’s weakness. Hated that she wasn’t more angry. Mostly she hated herself for wanting to cling to him for comfort; for needing anything from him at all.

His hand continued to brush through her hair in a soothing motion, the other resting on her hip, a warm, comforting weight. “Tell your sister you have changed your mind about Antonelius.”

“No,” she protested, her fists clenched angrily and her jaw set in a determined line. Her eyes flashed with renewed temper. She sat up, refusing to acknowledge the sense of loss in her as her contentment vanished.

Zade grit his teeth. “You are beyond stubborn. No one will believe you. Desire cannot be faked.”

“Who says I would be faking, you arrogant..”

Zade grabbed a fistful of her hair, not enough to hurt, but strong enough to force her to look up at him. He bent down, brushed his lips, feather light, against her ear, and whispered, “Tsk. Tsk. Careful with the insults, shenga. Have you forgotten my rule? Insults from you will be seen as a request for more spanking. Do you need more?”

“No,” she grated. In a tone that was meant to be sarcastic but came out breathless instead, she asked, “Who said I would have to fake my desire, Your Almighty Highness?”

He made a low rumbling noise deep in his chest. “You know we can smell lies, don’t you?”

“I’m not lying.” Caldorians couldn’t really smell lies, could they? Technically she only asked a question, which was not telling a lie, she silently justified in her mind. “He’s a hottie.” Also not a lie.

“Mm,” he hummed as he bent his head so that his lips skimmed lightly along the edge of her ear, caressing the side of her neck, barely grazing her skin. “Then tell me..what color are his markings?”

“Blue. Teal, actually.” She trembled. Her nipples pebbled. How could she want Zade after what he’d just done to her? Her skin prickled with awareness and rekindled desire, completely uncaring of her inner conflict.

Zade paused long enough to whisper, “Yes. You have an excellent memory.”

Warmth spread through her at his praise. What the hell is wrong with me? I don’t need a man’s approval to feel good about myself. His mouth is amazing, though. Would it really hurt..just a little more.. She tilted her head farther, closed her eyes in bliss as he gathered her closer, moaning as his mouth resumed its erotic journey back toward the swell of her breasts.

“And how tall is he?”

“About 6’5”,” she panted. He was casting some sort of spell on her, his lips the instrument of her demise.

His fingers lightly brushed across one breast until he found her nipple. His thumb traced the areola until she arched her back in pleasure, the taut peak visible, in the offing, through her thin shirt and bra, the one place guaranteed to send a zing straight to her core.

Another moan escaped as his thumb and forefinger latched onto the peak through her clothes, tugging and pinching, just short of the point of pain, the assault on her senses sending electric shockwaves pulsing through her feminine sheath. Her hips bucked in summons, an urgent call to mate.

“And the color of your lover’s eyes?”

“Ah!” Her hips thrashed again as desire pooled, hot and thick, deep inside her. Oh god, what is he doing? “They’re…they're... gold,” she panted.

“Stubborn little shenga .” Zade's voice was full of satisfaction. “That’s right. My eyes are gold.”

Ashlyn froze. Her eyes snapped open. What? Oh, no! What have I done? No. No. No. Antonelius doesn’t have gold eyes. They’re lavender, with a ring of blue around the outside. Zade’s eyes are gold. “I’m really starting to despise you.”

“You were correct, you are not a good liar.” Chuckling, he pulled her closer into his hard warmth, gently tucked a loose curl behind her ear before playfully tugging on the end, as he’d seen her do several times that day. “Try to relax, Ashlyn Faro of Earth. I am not going to hurt you.”

Hoping to regain a little composure, she took a deep, calming breath, then pulled away so that she could see into his eyes, read his expression. "I need you to know, Zade," she said firmly, her voice barely above a whisper. "While I can't deny the attraction between us, my feelings haven't changed. No matter what happens between us right now, my decision stands."

Zade kept playing with her hair. “On the contrary. What happens now, in this moment, is all that matters, shenga . I will be the victor. Your sweet nectar I shall claim as my prize.”

Sultry heat unfurled in her body as she imagined him claiming her as a reward. Not money. Not power. Just a taste of her. She wanted what he was selling, all night long, which was why she had to stop them. Right. Now. Before she gave in and handed him everything he wanted. “Please,” she implored. “I can’t believe I’m saying this after you spanked me, but I still want you. I do, which is why we can’t do this right now. Antonelius was right. He said..”

"We can," he interjected before she could finish, "and we will." His eyes filled with a mix of desire and determination. Ashlyn's heart raced as she saw the intensity in his gaze. Her breath hitched as tension arced between them.

He leaned in close, his breath hot against her ear. He captured her wrists in his hands as he looked into her eyes. His grip was firm but gentle, sending a shiver down her spine. Her body responded to his dominance. Her pulse quickened and her breath became shallow.

She couldn't let herself be swayed by the emotions he was stirring inside her. She turned her head away before she gave in, trying one last time. “I don’t want to be fake with you.”

Zade's expression didn't change. He reached out and gently tilted her chin up, forcing her to look at him. “Then we agree. I will tell the others.”

“No!”

“Yes.”

They sat in charged silence. The tantalizing scent of citrus, wood, and Zade weakened her resolve. He smelled soooo good. The unique combination would be forever burned into her memory. Clean. Masculine. Sexy. No! Don’t give in! Be strong!

His mouth slowly descended, slipped in through her parted lips, took charge, demanded a response. She finally gave in, surrendered to his will. It felt so good, so right, as he drew her deeper under his spell.

Arms like steel bands, he effortlessly pulled her closer. Dominant. Powerful. Alpha. Her willpower crumbled as desire stabbed deep in her core. Her inner walls, achingly empty, clenched with need as his hands wandered, roamed over her body.

He captured her wrists in one large hand and pulled them behind her head, locking her in place. The position arched her shoulders back, raised her breasts, already heavy and aching, in the offing. His dominance, like a match to tinder, ignited a raging fire within her.

Her pulse quickened; her breath came in short bursts. Her nipples, already sensitized, pebbled harder, into tingling little buds clearly delineated through her t-shirt. She didn’t have to wonder if he noticed. He gave a low, masculine sound of approval then spent the next few minutes teasing them with his mouth.

Every playful tug of his teeth sent a zing of pleasure racing through her body, supercharged lightning striking a direct hit. Desire, dark and hungry, ate away at her resistance. “Please.”

“Please stop or please continue?” he asked, his voice deep and guttural, just as affected as she.

His hand, the one free to roam, stroked her inner thighs, hips, and the rounded globes of her bottom, every touch enticing, tempting her to spread her legs and beg him to fill her. Drill deep. Stop or continue. Was that the question? Her logical mind was in a losing battle, shoved aside by the carnal needs driving her body.

“Answer me,” he demanded.

She shook her head to clear the fog, then let out a cry, her eyes opening wide in surprise as he moved his hand to cup her through her jeans, pressing as deeply as the soft, stretchy denim would allow, kneading, grinding the material against her engorged clit. Her hips arched up off his lap when he hit the right spot. “Ah!”

Zade let out a deep, masculine growl of satisfaction. “Your body begs me to continue. Shall we take that as your answer?”

Ashlyn screamed in frustration. “No! I’m not begging!”

His hand froze, his eyes leisurely traveled up her body until they connected with her own. His stare was intense. Determined. “Are you sure about that?”

He leaned down and murmured in her ear, “You forget I am not human. I can smell your desire and if I had to guess, I would bet your panties are wet beneath your leg coverings.”

She flushed with guilty embarrassment. “You would be wrong.”

His hand moved, lightning fast, to the top button of her jeans and popped it open. “Shall we check?”

Ashlyn tensed. “You wouldn’t.”

His response was to slip his hand into her loosened jeans, the soft, stretchy fabric no hindrance, to unerringly sink one long, thick finger deep inside her. They both groaned long and loud.

“My only mistake,” he said, the corner of his mouth lifting in a slow, burgeoning smile, “was in thinking you wore any. You’re soaking wet, shenga .”

“Bastard.”

He chuckled. “I am beginning to understand you. Open,” he ordered, his tone and demeanor changing to one of absolute command.

Cursing her desire to obey him, to give in to the pleasure she knew would come if she did, she spread her knees, giving him unhindered access to her body. He added another finger, pushed deep and found the spot that drove her crazy while his thumb flicked and teased her engorged nub. His touch was like an inferno, burning through her every defense.

He worked her into a state of frenzy, then stopped just before she could climax. She mewled like a kitten in protest, the soft whimper nearly breaking his resolve. “You still have not answered my question. Do you want me to stop, or do I continue and give us both what we need?”

“You know what I want. Please don’t ask me to choose you. Please…” she panted, her heart pounding in her chest. There were a dozen reasons she should choose him and only one not to; the truth. She wanted him for real, for keeps. She didn’t give a shit about the Council seat, definitely didn’t want to live on Cappra, didn’t want to be a politician for the rest of her life. She only wanted him.

"Stubborn female. I'm not asking you to choose me." His long fingers stroked hard and deep, amplifying every sensation, every stroke, forcing her higher and higher, setting off an explosive climax, as he uttered softly, “I'm telling you that you already have.”

A moan of pure joy escaped her as the wave crested, pounded through her body, radiated outward from her core with an intensity that made her dizzy. The tang of citrus and wood filled the air, locking his scent, this moment, into her memory as he propelled her relentlessly over the edge.

She cried out, trembling as he pushed a third finger deep inside her, stretching her, readying her for his cock, his rhythm strong and steadily increasing. She knew what they were doing was wrong, she’d chosen someone else, yet she couldn’t stop herself. This was what she really wanted all along; wanted him more than she’d ever wanted anything.

Hands locked behind her, legs open, she was at his mercy. Pull and thrust; his fingers worked her into a mindless pool of aching desire, pushed her into that place where nothing else existed, carried her away from all her troubles, into a world of pure sensation. Her whole body shook uncontrollably as she clenched rhythmically around his fingers.

“That’s it, shenga . You know you’re mine. Come for me.”

She cried out as ecstasy pulsed from her core, the waves echoing through her entire being. “Can’t stop. Ah..Ah..Yesss..”

Gasps from the doorway caught her attention. She turned her head, almost in slow motion, toward the sound. Still trembling from the pleasure of the moment, Ashlyn's core clenched around his fingers harder than before. She cried out again, her mind still foggy from the moment.

Standing in the entrance was Antonelius, her sister, her brother-in-law, and two of the strangest looking aliens she’d ever seen.

The first had large, almond-shaped eyes of a deep blue, with two smaller, round eyes of a light purple located above and to either side of the standard pair. A wide, snub nose and full lips gave her pale gray face a pleasantly distinguished look, while her hair was a blend between black and gray, drawn back in a severe bun.

Clearly, she was a member of the Intergalactic Council. Her clothing was tailored to perfection in shades of blue, gray, and purple. She wore a deep blue cloak with a high collar, beneath which was a sleeveless gray tunic with purple trimming, loose-fitting trousers of deep blue, and tall, pointed boots of a matching color. A purple belt with a silver buckle around her waist completed the ensemble.

Her four hands pointed toward Zade and Ashlyn, her outstretched arms adorned with beautifully ornate jewelry, including silver arm bands, complementing rings of a deep blue hue, and a medallion of shimmering silver which hung from a cord around her neck. “If those are C’bor Ubrion’s chains of obedience on the female’s legs, then it appears you have been replaced, Prince Antonelius.”