Adira's Mate (17 page)

Adira
slipped her hand into his and
smiled up at him. Giving his hand a squeeze, she nodded and allowed him to get
them moving toward the mess hall. Once they were there she started to pick out
food she wanted, laughing when Fin grumbled something under his breath about
the food she was eating.

Once seated at the command staff
table, with the guard off to get his own meal,
Fintan
leaned in slightly. “I do have a question for you,
Adira
.
How will that Little General moniker work if we end up having a girl?”

“
What says that she can’t be a
general as well?”
Adira
knew that had they been on an
Imarian
vessel, there would be no way that a female
could be in the military. “Although, I would prefer our daughter, if we are
blessed with one, didn’t join the service. She would still be our Little
General, however, because I have a feeling she will rule over everyone in her orbit
of influence.”

“
If she chose to join the Armada,
she could very well rise to the level of general or beyond. Unlike your
military we don’t limit our females to only certain tasks. I’d prefer she
didn’t either, but that may very well be that protective streak I apparently
have, according to you, kicking in.
As to the rest.”
He gave her a small smile. “She’ll only be taking after her mother. Don’t give
me those big, innocent eyes,
Adira
. I see how
everyone on this ship jumps to do absolutely anything you ask when you give
them a smile. Every day I feel as if I’m more of a token figurehead around
here.”

Adira
got just a bit sad. “I would
rather she didn’t. My brother is still out there.” She hurt inside knowing that
he wasn’t there and that one day she and Fin might one day face Petr out in
space. “As for you and being protective, I love it. It makes me feel all kinds
of warm and fuzzy. Please never stop being you?”

Reaching over,
Fintan
covered and squeezed her hand gently. “I won’t stop.
I doubt I could, even should I try.” He rubbed his thumb to her hand lightly.
“Eat your food so we can go and have our nap.”

“
That sounds lovely.” She pulled
back from him and began to eat. As she ate,
Adira
noticed that he was back to tasting her food first and that had her frowning.
“Is there something I should know?” she asked when he pushed another cup of
food her way. “Why
are you tasting
my food again? I
noticed it yesterday as well. Is all well?”

“
It’s the only way I can get any
of these dishes these days,” he said. “Someone, not naming names, keeps taking
all the last portions. As I said before, I’ve apparently become a figurehead
around here, because the dining hall
staff only save
you a dish while I’m left wanting.”

Adira
was snickering; she couldn’t
help it.
“Oh mercy.
You are too cute,” she told him.
“But you know that they do look up to you. They do honor you and hold you in
great respect. I believe that they do this for me because of you. You are good
to them. That’s why Markus refused to take your position. You are a great
commander. You are a leader of men and it’s all so natural to you that you
don’t even realize just how much you mean to them. I see it, though. How they
look up to you.”

He merely let out a grunt and
went back to eating off his own plate. When he finished he pushed it aside and
leaned back in the chair. His attention was fully on her while she ate her food
at a slightly slower pace.
Fintan
seemed all about
getting the food in and getting moving while she preferred to savor and enjoy
her meals.

Once she had finished eating,
Adira
shifted so that she could lean against him. “Thank
you for feeding me. I’m feeling so much better,” she told him.
“After the shot from the doctor and now food.
So much better.
That reminds me, I need to go back by there
and pick up the pills she has for me.”
So that she could feel
a bit better in the mornings when he left her.
“I typically feel okay
until you leave me in the mornings. That’s when I start to feel sick.”

“
It’s the bond likely helping to
ease the queasiness. The closer we are to one another the more effective it is.
I’ll have to make sure I’m around long enough for you to take the pills, and
for them to kick in before I head off each day. I’ll see what I can do about my
schedule to add a little more flexibility to it. As everyone will likely know
what’s going on before day’s end, I doubt it will shock them greatly if I
change things up a little.”

“
Too true, especially since the
guard that was with me this morning followed me to medical. I’m sure that he’s
well aware of what’s happening.” She shrugged and stroked her hand over his
arm. “I would appreciate anything that you could do in order to be with me in
the mornings. After that I’m fairly good, just tired and hungry. But that’s
typical.” For pregnancy, that was. “I’ll ask her to run a scan on the baby when
we hit our trimester to ensure that all is well with him or her. Once that
happens we will have a better idea of what my body needs to make sure that this
pregnancy goes without a hitch.”

Nodding, he put his free hand
over the one on his arm.
“Whatever you need,
Adira
.
All you ever have to do is ask, little wife.
You know that, yes?” At her nod he squeezed her fingers. “All right, time for
you to get in some sleep. Let’s go back to our rooms so you can rest.” Getting
to his feet he helped her out of her chair. Then he stacked the dishes they’d
used, and took them back to the kitchen. She’d noticed he did that after every
meal they took in the dining hall. While others left their dishes on the tables
for the staff to take care of, Fin, Markus, and a couple of others always
cleared their dishes away.

Once he had put the dishes away
in the kitchen, she wrapped her arm around his middle and
lay
her head on his shoulder as they walked away from the mess hall, the whispers
starting the moment their backs were turned.

Chapter Sixteen

Adira
woke to a soft caress to her
cheek. From the puff of air that came at regular intervals she knew it was
Fintan’s
nose brushing up and down her skin. She could feel
the weight of his warm hand resting over her belly, his fingers spread to cover
as much of her as he could. “Did you sleep well?” he asked softly.

“
I did,” she told him and shifted
under him slightly. “Did you rest well?” she wanted to know. Her fingers slid
over his hair gently. “I feel good too. I think waking with you like this makes
all the
illness go
away.” She moved so that she could
wrap her leg around his waist. “What plans do we have today, Fin?”

“
Nothing at all, just ensuring you
rest as you need to. Tomorrow we’ll get the medication you need from the doctor
and spend a lazy day together. I think the crew can manage to keep us going the
right way without me for a day. They managed it for three months, so I have
full confidence in them. And I’ll have to decide when to give you your surprise
as well. I’m still unsure when would be best.”

“
Now is a good time.” She pulled
back and looked at him with a grin. “Just telling you, that is. I love
surprises, so anytime at all that you would like to give it to me is perfect. I
say the sooner the better.” She was snickering, breaking into small giggles.
“As for your crew, I have full confidence that they will keep us going. They
rather like you, husband, and they want to make you proud.”

He made that face again. He’d
done it several times before, usually when she mentioned his crew and their
feelings toward him. It was as if he was uncomfortable with the mere idea. Fin
didn’t seem to mind when someone mentioned the obvious respect the crew had,
but mention anything further and he got weird. “I’ll think about when to give
you the surprise a little longer. It’s a bit
…
”
he trailed off. “Let’s say that it has
a seriousness
to it as well and leave it at that for the moment.”

That had her frowning but she
nodded. “All right, when you are ready, I’m ready.” She touched her fingers to
his cheek and smiled. “You are who is important to me. If you say that it needs
to wait then I also need to wait. Now, how about the two of us do something
about being naked here in this bed together? Please?”

Up went one of his eyebrows. His
lips curved slightly as well when he tipped his head into her touch. “What
exactly did you have in mind, little wife? You really should be resting, so I’m
not sure what plans you have that could facilitate that.”

“
I had a wonderful nap.” She
shifted slightly so that she could rub her body against his once more. “I have
another need that I would love to have filled. I need you, Fin. I want to feel
your hands on my body again, your mouth on me, and your cock inside of me.
Please?”

Interest filled his eyes as he
looked down at her. “Is there anything else you would like,
Adira
?”
he asked. She felt his hand on her belly, sliding lower to cover her mound, his
fingers slipping down to brush lightly over her clit.

“
Everything.”
She lifted herself against his
hand and closed her eyes as she moaned. “I’m yours. I give my pleasure into
your control.” Because he would never deny her and he would always ensure that
she received as much pleasure as she could handle, and then some. “The question
truly is
,
what is it that you want, husband? What have
you been holding back that you want to do to me, with me?”

“
I don’t think there is enough
time left in the day for the entirety of that list. Some of which won’t be
happening while you are carrying our child. Others I’ll have to see if they
could harm him, or her, before we try them. And then there are still others
that I fully intend to show you. Not tonight, though. Tonight is for us. It’s
for pleasure, and for connecting, rejoicing, and celebrating the new life you
will one day be bringing into our world. Tomorrow we’ll get back into more
interesting adventures.” Lowering his head,
Fintan
pressed a kiss to her throat, his tongue flicking out to slide warmly over her
skin.

“
Our child is safe inside of me. I
doubt that you could do anything to hurt him or her, because it would cause me
too much pain.” She had tilted her head to the side to allow him more access to
her neck. “I look forward to any and all adventures that we will have in our lives.
I know that they will be wonderful.” She tightened her hand on his shoulder and
tugged him closer. “Please,” she whispered in need, her leg rubbing his thigh
hungrily.

“
Patience,
Adira
,”
he said quietly. Fin bit her neck in a gentle reprimand while his fingers
stroked lower between her folds. Slipping them into her body, he began a slow
thrust while he nibbled and licked along her neck.

“
I’m trying.” She opened her legs
wider for him and arched her neck. “Fin.” She loved the way that he would twist
his fingers inside of her pussy, his thumb stroking her clit as he did so.
“That feels so good.” She was now rocking faster against his hand as he stroked
her.

“
That’s the idea,
Adira
.” He let out a snort before nipping at her jaw.
Shifting slightly, he began to kiss his way down to her breasts, dragging his
teeth lightly over her nipples before latching on to suck and toy with the
tight buds.

Her hand fisted in his hair. She
shuddered when his teeth lightly scraped her nipple and cried out as he suckled
at her breast.
“
Fintan
.”
She
moaned his name loudly. “There.
Heavens, please.”
She
was lost in the feelings, lost in simply being loved on by her husband.

He was moving his fingers in and
out of her pussy faster, his thumb pressing to her clit as he rubbed the tight
nub. Moving to her other breast, he sucked her nipple into his mouth and
flicked it with his tongue. With his free hand he cupped her other breast, his
fingers moving to tug, squeeze, and lightly flick her nipple.

She was lost in the feelings, in
the emotions that were rolling off of him as well. She was rocking against his
fingers and hand. “Please, Sir.” She gave in and told him with that one single
word what she needed. “Please, I need. Only you can give me what I need.” Her
hand on his shoulder was clenching, releasing, and trying to tug him closer.

His teeth clamped down on her
nipple and tugged. Lifting his head he looked at her.
A quick
kiss to her lips, demanding and forceful.
Then he drew back. “On your
hands and knees, ass up in the air,” he ordered.
Fintan
didn’t move his hand between her legs though, just gave her a look and waited
for her to figure out the maneuver.

Adira
nodded and shifted slightly.
“Yes, Sir.”
She was soon on her hands and knees, her
shoulders on the bed and ass in the air. She was moaning and found herself
pushing back against his hand that was still buried between her legs. “Is this
how you need me, Sir?”

“
Closer
to the headboard so you can hold on to it.
Don’t dislodge my fingers,
Adira
,”
he warned right as she started to move. Fin was keeping up the thrusting of his
digits in and out of her pussy, but as she moved she quickly figured out the
pace to move since he seemed determined to torture her a little.

Her hands were on the headboard
now and she was opened fully for him. “Is this where you need me, Sir?” she
asked and clenched her pussy against his fingers. She shivered in reaction to
the hard thrust of his fingers, the brush of his thumb to her clit. She was so
close to coming but knew she had to wait. She couldn’t climax without his
permission.

“
Knees
wider,
and further back. I want you stretched out so there’s no chance you can hit
your head,
Adira
. That’s better,” he said when she
wiggled into position. She also got two hard slaps to her ass that pushed her
closer to the edge of orgasm.

“
Yes, please, Sir, may I come?”
she begged as he worked her body just on the edge of brutally, what she loved,
what she needed. She eagerly soaked up the feelings of his roughness, his
torturing her body as much as he did himself.

“
No,” he said. Then he withdrew
his fingers from her pussy. Cool air drifted over her damp folds, adding a new
sensation. The bed moved slightly and soon enough she felt him blow a
concentrated breath over her throbbing clit. “How close are you,
Adira
?” he asked. Looking down she saw him on his back, his
head between her legs, looking up toward her.

“
I’m close, it won’t take much for
me to come,” she told him as she clenched her pussy to keep from coming.
“Please, Sir. I want to come. I need to come.”

“
Not yet,” he said. He put his
hands on her ass and pressed down so her pussy was closer to his face. “When I
slide a finger into your tight little ass you may come, not before. Not while
I’m playing with you, licking you, or stroking that tight bud.
Only when I press my finger in.
Do you understand?”

“
Yes,
Sir.
I
understand. I can’t come until you slip your finger into my ass.” She fisted
her hands into the headboard, clenched her teeth to keep from coming. “I am
yours,” she whispered and shuddered again. She loved the way that he was
treating her, the way that he would make her wait to climax. It was perfect and
everything she had always needed.

“
Yes you are,
Adira
.
All mine.” He pressed on her ass a little more so his mouth could latch onto
her clit. He began to suck hard, no build up, very little warning, and he was
using his teeth as well. One of his hands slid around to press a couple of
fingers into her pussy again, stroking in time with each draw of his mouth.

She shouted, her hands tightening
impossibly, her knuckles going white. “Please, Sir, I’m too close.” She was
ready to explode. Her whole being was shaking now. “More. I’m begging. Please.”
She didn’t mind begging him. It was her right as his wife to plead for more.

His only answer was to suck
harder on her clit. Meeting his gaze she could see the command there, don’t
come until he gave her the nonverbal permission. There was a warning there as
well. She couldn’t disobey him, no matter what.

She was panting, sweat rolling
off of her body, but she held back her climax. She knew that it would be worth
it. He would always ensure that she had everything she needed. She gasped, her
body tightening again on him. “Yes, please, Sir,” she begged in desperation.

It seemed to be an eternity
before his other hand drifted over her ass, his one finger rubbing lightly to
her puckered hole. He increased the pressure a little, but didn’t slide that
digit in. He was teasing her, testing her, pushing her to her limits and
beyond.
Fintan
was watching her with
an intensity
. When she thought she couldn’t last another
moment, he pressed a finger into her ass.

Adira
screamed as she came. The silent
approval for her to climax was all she had needed. She gasped as a second
powerful orgasm rolled into the first one. She was gasping for air, desperate
and needful for more. “Thank you, Sir.
For allowing me to
come.”
She was panting as she said that, pushing back against his
fingers and mouth as she did so.

He pushed her through another
body-shuddering climax before he withdrew his fingers and pulled his mouth from
her body. Moving from his position,
Fintan
eased up
behind her, wrapping his hands around hers and gently pulling her fingers free
of the death grip they had on the headboard. Settling back in a seated position
with her in his lap, he massaged each of her hands one at a time. “Are you all
right?” he asked, pressing kisses to her cheek and shoulder.

“
Oh yes, I’m very good.” She was
leaning against him and smiled. “Thank you for that. It felt incredible.” She
wiggled against him and smiled. “However, I truly feel like I need you inside
of me as well. Are you still in need or was that all that you needed to ease
your ache?”

He gave a snort against her
cheek. “You are wiggling on my lap,
Adira
. Can you
not feel that my need has yet to be eased? Silly female,” he muttered. Giving
her another kiss, he told her to flex and relax her hands a few times while he
watched carefully. When he seemed satisfied she was truly all right he helped
her to turn in his lap to face him. His cock rubbed against her overly
sensitive clit and rested against her belly.

Adira
wrapped her legs around his
waist and leaned her forehead to his. “I feel your need. I feel your desire.”

Running his hands up and down her
back,
Fintan
kissed her. “Lift up,” he said against
her mouth. “Lift up, and I’ll slide in so you can ride me. I like watching you
as you move.”