Cecilia's Mate (6 page)

“I
love hearing you talk. I would do anything just to hear you talking to me. I
knew what we had to do, but I wanted to hear you say it.” She licked her lips.
“Will you kiss me again, please?”

Softly
he brushed his lips to hers before taking her mouth in a full kiss. His free
hand cupped her ass, pulling her closer and lifting her up to her toes.

She
threw herself fully into the kiss. She was pushing so close to him that she
could feel the breath he drew in and released. Cece shuddered. She licked her
lips. “I love your kisses so much.”

“Good,
because there will be many more where those came from,” he said in a rough tone
that had her shivering. “Along with other things, too.” He gave her another
slow kiss, ending by lightly biting and tugging on her lower lip before lifting
his head.

It
wasn’t until the doors slid open on the lift that Draven pulled back from her.
Smiling at her, he took her hand to tug her along the corridors. Finally they
reached one of the docking bays, where he checked the screens. “Ship’s still
coming in, so we have a few minutes.” The sound of boots coming up the corridor
announced a number of crew members before they rounded a corner.

Cece
watched the men as they milled around, the women as well. She liked that about
her people. The women could serve in their military, unlike the Imarian society
if she recalled correctly. The women in the service of their people, however,
were covered from neck to toe in clothing. “So what do you think Bracken and
Sadie are up to today?” Question out of nowhere, she knew.

“Sadie
dragged him off shopping. She needed his opinion, or so he claims. Personally I
think she wanted him there to lug all she bought for you around.” A buzzer
sounded, followed by a
hiss
of air. “They were planning to have dinner
in at the house, but if the general’s destroyer came in on schedule they were
going to meet up with him and his wife instead.”

“Sounds
like they’re going to be very busy. And the general and his wife, they are
doing okay?” She hadn’t met them yet. But she looked forward to meeting the
Imarian woman that had taken the heart of one of their fiercest generals.

“They’re
doing well,” he told her. “You’ll get to meet them soon. We usually cross paths
with them a few dozen times while out on patrol.” Another beep sounded, and
Draven told her to stay put out in the corridor before disappearing into the
landing bay. She knew what Draven was doing by the set of his jaw. He was making
sure there was no one on the tramp that would cause her distress. He was
protecting her even now.

Cece
was amazed by the ship. She’d never been on one before so to see it in person
was amazing. She looked from the men to the walls that should look sterile,
though were anything but. They held a warmth to them, and it almost seemed as
if the walls pulsed with life. Yet another thing on this incredible journey
that was honestly far different from what she had expected.

Chapter
Six

Draven
was watching her pace. Cecilia could feel his gaze on her as she moved around
their quarters. “You’re going to exhaust yourself if you keep this pace up. You
do realize that, right? Besides, they are on final approach and will be here
soon. I’m not sure why you’re all worked up now that he’s about to be on board.
Personally you should have been worrying about it when I was worrying about it
two days ago. Now it’s too late. He’s already been logged into the destroyer’s
system and knows you’re keyed in for access to my quarters and no others.”

“This
is true.” Cece moved to where he was sitting and settled into his lap. “I just
need him to understand how much you mean to me. I need him to know that even
though we have our contract we haven’t done anything together. As much as I
have wanted to,” she grumbled. “When do you think we’ll be able to do that?
Make love together?”

“Once
we clear the air with your brother. Not that we’ll tell him that part, but it
feels wrong going forward while keeping it secret from him. When we clear it
all up with him, let him know we’re bond mates and that we’re planning a life
together, then we can get on with that life. Does that make sense, little one?”

“Yes,
that does. I appreciate you loving me enough to know that my brother’s
acceptance of our relationship means a great deal to me. But sleeping next to
you naked has been driving me to distraction.” He had on loose pants but she
was naked and needy.

Draven
let out a groan and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her in tight to his
body. “Believe me, I fully understand your position there. It’s been incredibly
difficult to sleep with you for the last couple of nights and not do more than
sleep. But I consider your brother to be a friend.”

“You
won’t let him take us apart, right?” She asked a question she already knew the
answer to. “And soon you’ll ask me to marry you?” In her mind they were already
because they had signed their contract and were bond mates. They were meant to
be. Period. They would be and she knew it.

“Like
he could keep us apart,” he said, adding on a snort. “I will ask you to marry
me when the time is right. But we are bond mates, and we have our contract so
under our laws we are married. I do have the distinct impression that you’d
like to do the whole affair up properly. Am I correct in my guess on that?”

“Only
with you and my brother and new sister-in-law. I don’t want a big affair. You
know me, Draven. I hate being the center of attention. I just want to be
married to you.”

“We
may need to ask the general to do the services since I think your brother may
want to walk you down the aisle. So we’ll have to include his wife as well, if
that’s all right by you, of course. But no others if you don’t want them
there.”

“Of
course that’s all right with me. That’s actually far more than I could have
ever dreamed of.” She was the lowest daughter of her family and therefore she
was the one that mattered least, at least in her mother and father’s eyes. “Do
you think you can get that all ready for us? The wedding, and all of that?”

“We’ll
put the notion in Sadie’s head, and she’ll see that she gets it done. It’s
amazing what that woman can talk your brother into.” He chuckled, then suddenly
groaned when he was advised via his ear piece that her brother was now on board
the vessel. “Speaking of your brother. They’ve made it on board and we’ve been
summoned to his office.”

“Oh
boy.” She took a deep breath and nodded before rising to her feet. “I’m as
ready as I’m going to get.” Another deep breath and she smiled. “Let’s go.”
Cupping her face, he leaned in so his forehead rested to hers. “Take a deep
breath, Cecilia. Let it out nice and slow. There’s no reason to be so nervous.
This is your brother, who loves and adores you.” He pressed a light kiss to her
lips, then pulled back and slipped his arm around her. Then they were heading
up to the command level and Bracken’s office.

Cecilia
trusted Draven. If he said it was going to be all right, then she knew it would
be. Taking a deep breath, she walked into her brother’s offices at the side of
the man that she loved. “Bracken, Sadie,” she said in greeting. “It’s so lovely
to see you both again.”

Bracken
didn’t move from where he was seated behind his desk. He was drumming his
fingers on the desktop while Sadie came forward to greet her. “Sadie, would you
mind giving us a few minutes alone?” he asked his wife.

Sadie’s
look said so much more than what she spoke aloud. Leaning down, she kissed
Bracken’s cheek, then whispered in his ear words that Cecilia didn’t quite
catch. A little louder, she asked, “Do I need to take Cecilia with me or is she
good?”

“Take
her with you for a moment. I’ll need her back in here soon enough, but this
first part needs to be only myself and Draven.” Pushing to his feet, he brushed
his fingers lovingly to her cheek.

“Of
course.” She leaned in and kissed his cheek once again. Sadie then walked away
from him to stand at Cece’s side. “Come on, Cece, let’s go and have a walk
around this deck and then we will come back and pry them apart because they’ll
likely be having words.” She shrugged. “It’s good, though, because it reminds
them how much they need us. Come on, I have secrets to share, baby sister.”
Cece watched Sadie grinning and she just shook her head and looked to Draven as
if saying,
help!

He
gave her a one-shoulder shrug and sighed. Given the look on her brother’s face,
though, Cece was pretty sure she’d actually be getting the better end of the
deal.

*
* * *

Once
the women were gone Draven warily turned to look at Bracken. He kept his mouth
shut and his eyes on him as the man lazily walked around his office. This could
go very bad, or it could be fine. He unfortunately had no idea which way it was
leaning.

“How
long?”

Blinking
at Bracken’s words, Draven could have played dumb but he knew better. “I’ve
known since she was nine. The day I hauled her out of the mud puddle. I kept my
distance until she came of age, but by that point it wasn’t exactly easy to
gain access to your parents’ home. Especially since you seemed determined to
never go there, and I didn’t feel right telling your mother we were bond mates
given her reaction to you and Sadie.”

Bracken
nodded slowly, his steps measured as he continued to move. “Likely wise,
considering what we uncovered while planetside.”

Most
men would have relaxed at those words. Draven knew they were only the beginning
of what was coming and didn’t let his guard down. Draven knew what was
happening as he had been there at his friend’s side through much of it and had
gathered much of the information for Bracken.

Lucky
for him, since Bracken was nearly nose-to-nose with him a moment later. “You
hurt her in any way, you make her cry, you make her regret this bonding and I
will make sure you suffer. She seems to believe I don’t actually have any use
for her, but she truly doesn’t understand how sick Mother is if she believes
that. I kept my distance and kept up appearances to keep her safe. I hope to
make her understand that one day, but that’s on me. What is on you is to keep
her happy, keep her safe, and to never, ever hurt her.”

“She’s
my bond mate, Bracken. I would rather do myself harm than hurt her, as you are
the same with Sadie. She is everything to me,” Draven said softly.

He
got a grunt for his words. “Keep it that way. Now, when are you two getting
married?”

Rolling
his eyes when Bracken turned away to go back to his chair, Draven scratched at
his jaw. “She wants to keep it small and intimate. I suggested maybe asking the
general if he’d do the honors so that you could walk her down the aisle and, if
you are willing, also stand at my side for the ceremony.”

“Cecilia
has always hated being the center of attention. She used to have dozens of
diversionary tactics to get Mother’s attentions on one of the other sisters any
time she came under her direct attention. I’ll talk to Fintan before we leave
port, see where our first rendezvous might be, and that will give us the time
frame we have to work in to get this arranged.”

“She’ll
appreciate that, sir.”

Bracken
shot him a look that was hard to read. “Catch me up on everything I need to know
prior to our departure tomorrow.”

“Right.”
He nodded. Letting out the breath he’d been holding, Draven passed over the
data pad he had in hand and began his report.

*
* * *

Sadie
looked to Cecilia and smiled. “For so long they hid you from me. Now I understand
why. You were never like them. They were so good at showing me just the parts
of themselves that they wanted me to see. They did it to Adira too. They are
good. Very good.”

Cece
nodded and sighed. “They are. It wasn’t just the two of you. It was everyone in
their sphere of influence. Everyone that they wanted and needed to do as they
wanted them to. They are master manipulators.” She smiled and looked toward the
door. “It’s over, though. I’m not under their thumb any longer. Now I’m able to
be with the man that I’ve loved for far too long. I’m able to be me.”

“I’m
glad you were able to get away from your mother and sisters. Those women were
toxic. I just hate that I didn’t see it. That I allowed myself to be blinded
for so long to what they were.”

Instead
of saying anything, Cece rose and walked to her new sister-in-law and hugged
her. When she pulled back she nodded. “Now then. Enough sadness. You have the
man you love in your life and I have the one that I love. I think this is cause
for celebration. Soon we’ll be out in space, where my family will never be able
to reach us. We have Bracken and Draven and an entire ship of men and women
that will stand between us and them if we need it. Right?”

“Of
course,” Sadie replied, then grinned when she turned. “Looks like our other
halves are finished with their
chat
.”

Cece
turned to see Draven approaching and had to keep herself from moving toward
him. She wanted to. She wanted to run to him but waited instead.

He
came straight to her, scooping her up in his arms to press a kiss to her lips.
“I survived,” he whispered not very quietly. Smiling at her, he kissed her
again before letting her slide down his body. Pressing another kiss to her
lips, he brushed his thumbs lightly to her skin. “We have a couple of hours
before we need to be at the evening meal. What do you say we go see what all
Sadie bought for you?”

“That
sounds wonderful. Hopefully there will be clothing that actually fits and
covers me.” She knew that wasn’t exactly the Craegin female way, but she hated
showing all of her body to the world.

“Then
we should return to our room,” he said. “Bracken had one of the security
officers drop everything off. Should be all sitting waiting for us. Let’s go
collect it, and you can dig through it all while we have the time.”

“Fabulous,”
she told him with a nod, then looked to where Bracken was carrying Sadie away.
She laughed. “Looks like he couldn’t wait to get her back to their quarters.”
She looked up at Draven with nothing but happiness in her heart. “And what did
my big brother have to say to you?”

“Mainly
keep you very happy or I’ll be extremely unhappy with what he does to me.”
Shrugging, he bent to hook an arm under her knees and lifted her. “Which I
fully expected. He’s very protective of you. He’s upset with all you’ve been
put through in your life already and wants me to make sure you know nothing but
happiness, freedom, and pleasure for the rest of your days. Although I
seriously doubt he meant pleasure the same way my mind chose to hear it.”

*
* * *

She
reached out and grabbed a couple more bags, shaking her head. “Good Lord, I
can’t believe just how many bags are here.” She saw the parcels that were
clearly from an art store and could have jumped in joy. “Art supplies. How did
they know?”

“Because
I told your brother,” he said. At her look, he shrugged. “You had mentioned it,
so I passed it along to him to see what he could get for you. I wanted you to
feel a little more at home here and thought it might help.”

“Thank
you,” she said with a grin. “Tomorrow we’ll figure out a place to put all of
this. Right now I need you.” She had been aching for him and now she was going
to be able to have him and couldn’t wait. “This is going to be so good between
us, right?”

Setting
the many items down inside their quarters, Draven shut the door and activated
the locking mechanisms. “It will be perfect between us. We were meant for each
other, Cecilia.” Taking her hands in his once she put her bags down, he tugged
her toward him while backing up. “The first time will be for us, to connect
even more and to begin to learn about one another. It will be pure love making
at its very finest.”

She
touched her hands to his chest, then wrapped them around his neck.
His
hands moved to cup her ass, and he lifted her against him.
Turning, he leaned over so he could settle her on her feet near the bed. Then
he stepped back to look her over. “Naked works best,” he told her. With a wink
he moved to sit down so he could work on the laces of his boots.