Chapter 17

Kalpar landed the flyer at an obscure landing field that didn't feel the need to register arrivals and departures. He paid the modestly exorbitant fee for that privacy, then made his way quietly to Thompson Tower. As he had suspected previously, the underground garage was almost laughably easy to infiltrate, especially since he knew exactly which areas the monitors covered.

Once he was inside, it was simply a matter of concealing himself and waiting. The first time Marshall came out, he was accompanied by three other men, and Kalpar reluctantly decided it wasn't worth the stir it would cause to take on all three of them. He settled back to wait for another opportunity.

It came later that night when Marshall returned alone.

He waited until the other male dismissed his driver, then came up behind him and put his knife to his throat as he drew him back into the shadows. Marshall froze as the blade touched his throat, but when he spoke his voice was as calm and icy as ever.

"What do you want?"

"To provide you with two pieces of information. First, Vexian is dead."

"I agree that is an interesting piece of news," Marshall said slowly. "It could prove very useful. But since a knife seems unnecessary for the delivery of such a message, what is the second piece of information?"

"Your daughter is no longer a bargaining tool."

Even this close to the other man, Kalpar couldn't detect any visible reaction to his statement.

"That is unfortunate, but hardly news. I assumed it would be the case as soon as she left my protection."

Protection?He let his knife draw a thin line of blood.

"She is much better off without your so-called protection. I just want you to understand that she is of no further interest to you."

After the slightest pause, Marshall shrugged.

"With Vexian dead you are correct that I have no use for her. No current use, anyway. Especially if she is no longer… intact."

His knife pressed a little deeper.

"No current or future use," he warned.

"You do realize she's my heir?"

"She's not interested."

"Perhaps not now, but after living in squalor for a few years that may change. You may tell her that I would be willing to… discuss such matters in the future."

He wanted to snarl that she would never be interested, but he reluctantly decided that it was pointless to argue.

"Then that concludes our business."

He let the knife drop and faded back into the shadows. Marshall didn't even look around. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief, dabbing delicately at the thin line of blood before continuing to the elevator bank as if nothing had happened.

Kalpar watched him go, hoping he hadn't made a mistake in leaving him alive. He didn't trust the man for a minute, but he did believe that Marshall was motivated purely by self-interest. If he had decided that Constance was of no further use to him, he had no reason to pursue her. The fact that he had not bothered to earth for her lent credence to that assumption.

He slipped back out of the garage and returned to his flyer. He reached the farm just as the sun was rising. He wiped the trip data, programmed an erratic flight pattern that would eventually return the flyer to his contact, and sent it on its way before hurrying back to his house.

Constance was asleep on the couch and he suspected she'd fallen asleep waiting for him. She looked so pretty and innocent in her sleep that he didn't have the heart to wake her. He bent over, intending to carry her to their bed, but as soon as he touched her, her eyes flew open.

"You're back!" She gave him a quick, anxious look, then wrapped her arms around his neck with a relieved sigh. "Did everything go all right?"

He smiled and sat down on the couch, pulling her onto his lap.

"Yes. I delivered the message. Your father appears to have accepted that you are out of his reach."

"You didn't have to… hurt him?"

The hint of anxiety on her face was the other reason he had let Marshall live. Although she claimed to be uninterested in her father's fate, he didn't entirely believe her.

"He was fine when I left," he assured her.

The almost imperceptible sigh of relief confirmed his suspicions.

"Do you really think he will leave us alone?"

"I… hope so. If nothing else, I believe he will be occupied taking over as much as possible of Vexian's empire."

"Too occupied to worry about the farm?"

He wasn't quite as sure about that, but he kept his doubts to himself.

"I believe so, but we will continue to work on improving our security."

She nodded thoughtfully, accepting his words, and then her small hand stroked a teasing line down his shirt.

"I missed you last night. I don't like sleeping without you."

The first real smile tugged at his lips.

"I can assure you that it is something you will never have to do again. I missed you as well."

She looked up at him, her eyes gleaming.

"Why don't you show me how much?"

His cock jumped at the invitation in her voice but he forced himself to speak in a stern tone.

"You need your rest."

"Don't you want to help me sleep?"

He fought to keep his face stern but his cock had already made its choice and it was growing rapidly as she wriggled her little bottom against it.

"Very well. Merely to make you sleep well."

"Of course," she said innocently.

He laughed, then rose with her in his arms and carried her into the bedroom. He laid her gently down on the bed and undressed her slowly, letting his hands linger on every inch of newly exposed skin. She tried to speed up the process by tugging at his clothes, but he caught her hands and pulled them above her head.

"No. I intend to savor this."

She gave him a playful pout and he lowered his head to kiss her, licking gently at the seam of her lips. She opened eagerly, her small tongue dancing against his as he explored her slowly. He nipped lightly at her plump lower lip and her hips arched off of the mattress as she whimpered against his lips.

"Kalpar. Please."

He trailed kisses down her throat and took his time tasting the silky skin of her neck. When he reached her mating bite, he lingered, sucking hard. She shivered in response, her body writhing beneath his.

"More."

He obliged her, licking and nipping his way down to her breasts. They were so soft and delicate he tried to restrain himself but she urged him on impatiently. He used his tongue to caress one tender nipple, and she moaned as he switched to the other one. He moved his hand to her neglected breast, rolling the peak between his thumb and forefinger and tightening his grip as she arched against him. He returned to her mouth, kissing her with all the passion he'd been holding back, and she returned the kiss just as enthusiastically, her mouth eager and demanding.

He left her long enough to tear off her own clothing, then stood for a moment admiring the delightful picture she presented. Her pretty lips were pink and swollen, the exact same shade as her stiff little nipples, and even her mating bite glowed pink against her flawless skin. When he bent down and brushed his fingers along her delicate folds, he found her hot and wet. When he pressed the tip of his finger inside her, she gasped but he found no resistance and he added a second finger.

"That feels so good," she whispered, rocking against his fingers as a tide of pink spread from her cheeks down to her pretty breasts.

He sank to his knees next to the bed, his face level with her sex. As he slid his fingers gently in and out, he put his mouth over her and drew her swollen clit into his mouth.

She cried out, her hips arching and he continued his steady assault, stroking her with his fingers as his tongue stroked her little bud. The scent and taste of her intoxicated him and he would have been perfectly happy to spend hours devoting himself to her pleasure, but she began to shudder and cry out, her small fists clenching in the sheets and her body quivering.

He suckled harder, fingers curling and twisting until she came, calling out his name in a low, hoarse cry. Her climax was sweet and lush and he kept up his stimulation until she was lying limply on the mattress. Her eyes were heavy with pleasure as she watched him bring his fingers to his lips and lick them clean.

"Delicious."

Her face flushed adorably, but a satisfied smile curved her lips.

"Can I do it to you?" she asked shyly.

"Not today," he said firmly, stroking his throbbing shaft. "This time, I need to be inside you."

She gave a happy little sigh and parted her thighs in silent invitation, the tempting sight impossible to resist. He braced himself over her as he captured her mouth again, then placed the head of his cock at her entrance. The head had already assumed the pointed shape designed for penetration and she took the tip easily enough.

He still had to work the rest of his shaft inside her, but she was hot and slick from her climax and she adjusted to his size as if she'd been made just for him. Her channel gripped him so tightly that he tried to restrain himself, to give her more time to adjust, but she moved frantically against him, sweet little cries falling from her lips and he could hold back no longer. He surged deep, filling her again and again as she cried out in pleasure.

"Yes, yes, like that. More," she demanded and he happily complied, driving into her over and over again.

Her body began to quiver, her inner walls clutching at him as she cried out his name and he roared as his own climax shook him, pleasure sweeping through his entire body.

As the last ripples died away, he gathered her close, cuddling her against his chest as he fought to catch his breath. No one was ever going to take her away from him. He would guard her and keep her safe for the rest of her life.

"I love you," she whispered, lifting her face to his.

"I love you too, sweetheart."

She gave him a beaming smile and he wrapped his arms around her, marveling at the unexpected gift he had found. She had filled a void in his soul that he'd believed would remain empty forever, and he would always be grateful.