DangerouslyHis (11 page)

He tasted and groaned his pleasure. Her body shivered when
he pulled her lip into his mouth, suckling and releasing, only to do the same
to the other side. And when his tongue dipped lower, she froze.

He couldn’t.

He could.

His tongue swiped past her forbidden entrance. She stilled
him with a hand. “Justin…you can’t.”

His gaze flicked up to hers. The sight of him made the fire
within her boil even more.

“I can’t what?” he teased.

He licked her again. This time his tongue lingered and
probed.

She rolled her hips and squirmed. “Lick me there.”
Even
though it feels so good.

“I want to taste all of you.”

His tongue delved inside her. “Ancients!” she murmured.

She pulled on his head, tugging him. She didn’t know exactly
what she wanted. But she wanted
something
, and she wanted it bad.

His hands gripped her thighs, forcing them wider still. She
bucked against him. Her body seemed to be in a knot, one she needed to unravel.

“Justin, what do I do? I feel…feel…so…”

There were no words. She’d never felt this way before. What
did she need?

“Let me take care of you, relax.”

His tongue delved inside her valley again. She bit back
another cry. That was what she needed. Right there.

Just when she thought she couldn’t take any more, he blew
into her.

Her eyes rolled back and the world stood still. The fire
inside her exploded. She whimpered, trying to hold back the scream she wanted
to unleash.

Her body shook and trembled as she fought to recover. Her
breaths came out hard and labored. Wetness covered her skin, and she wasn’t
sure if it was from sweat or from the bath.

“I’ve never done that before,” she panted.

“Did you like it?”

She tried to hide her embarrassment with a hand. “Yes.”

“Good. I plan to do that all night long.”

Her eyes opened wide. “All night?”

He smiled and turned her onto her stomach. He spread her
legs and looped his arms underneath them, making her butt rise high in the air.
“All night,” he promised.

“Why do you have to get married?” he asked.

He and Saia lay curled against each other in her bed. He
rubbed her arm, enjoying the softness of her skin.

She stiffened. Instantly he knew the subject was
uncomfortable for her. “Because my father has contracted the union.”

He inhaled, catching the scent of her hair and alien
flowers, whose aromas were carried on a breeze wafting gently through the open
balcony doorway. Wanting to distinguish the two smells, he picked up a generous
midnight-black lock and brought it to his nose, inhaling again, this time
deeper. Her hair smelled clean and fresh with a specific scent he didn’t
recognize.

“And you can’t get out of it?”

She used a finger to trace the outline of his nipple through
his shirt. It ached almost painfully under her teasing touch. He wanted to take
her hand and lead it to the bulging impression of his cock, but restrained
himself.

“No, my father is responsible for me. As the head male in my
life, I must follow all of his commands.”

He’d already figured as much, but couldn’t help asking.
Having her verbalize it didn’t lessen the blow that struck his heart. “Do you
have any say about it? I mean, can you pick someone else?” His stomach clenched
with the possibility.

She sighed. The sound was so soft that if he hadn’t been
paying attention to every detail of what she was saying and doing, he would
have missed it. “I didn’t pick Ranuit Pi and my father didn’t take my wishes
into consideration.”

He shrugged. “Maybe this guy won’t like you.”

She looked up at him. Generous lashes framed her sultry
lavender eyes. “Why wouldn’t he like me?”

JB snorted. “Look at you.” He ran his hand through her hair.
“You have all of this thick, long hair.” He gave a mock shudder. “And your
features are so, so hideous.” He flicked a finger on the tip of her perky nose
and stuck out his tongue playfully.

Saia giggled and ran a hand across her face. “Are they? I
never noticed before.”

“Oh for sure,” he added. “And your eyes.” He ran a finger
over her perfectly arched brow.

“What about my eyes?” she asked, staring into his.

He couldn’t pull his gaze away. “They’re the most
mesmerizing—” He shook his head. “I mean arresting…no,
hideous
color
that I’ve ever seen on a female.”

“You’ve already used ‘hideous’ to describe my features,” she
whispered. “Think of another word.”

He smiled and tilted his head. “Unflattering. They’re the
most unflattering color I’ve ever seen.”

She laughed. “No, they’re the most unflattering color that
anyone
has ever seen.”

“Right. And your body.”

She settled onto her back. “Oh yes, we can’t forget about
the rest of me. Where shall we start?”

“Your legs.”

She held up a leg, making the hem of her nightgown fall to her
thigh. His gaze latched on to lean, golden flesh. She pointed her toes and
rotated her leg from right to left, inspecting it. As she did, he tightened his
fist. The urge to run his hands up and down the length was almost overwhelming.

“Just look at how long…golden…and slender they are,” he
croaked.

She wiggled her toes. “Don’t forget about these ugly
appendages. They look like five little fingers.”

He groaned as he bit back the urge to suckle each one.

She rolled to her side, facing him once more. “Close your
mouth, you find me atrocious, remember?”

JB groaned again, this time louder. “Not even a blind man
would find you anything but beautiful.”

She lowered her leg and pulled her gown into place. “That
was very nice of you to say.”

“It’s the truth. One look at you and Ranuit Pi isn’t going
to let you out of his sight.” He ran a hand down her arm and laced his fingers
through hers.

She brought their hands up and kissed his knuckles. “I was
thinking…”

“What?”

“Well, I was wondering actually…if Ranuit Pi would still
want me if I weren’t a virgin.”

“Did your father promise him a virgin?”

Saia shrugged. “I don’t know what my father promised him. I
haven’t seen the bonding contract.”

If he made love to her, the bonding contract might be
voided. His heart skipped a beat at the thought of having Saia all to himself.
But even as his mind raced with the idea of building a life with her, a
realization settled over him like a black cloud. “I wouldn’t do that to you,
Saia.”

His heart constricted as he spoke the words.

“What? Save me from a cruel warlord?” she whispered.

“If I could, I wouldn’t hesitate. But I can’t take your
virginity and hand you over to Ranuit Pi. If he
is
expecting a virgin,
he could harm you in so many ways and there wouldn’t be anyone to save you. Not
me, your brothers or your father.” He tightened his grip on her fingers. “I
couldn’t risk it.”

She snorted. “My father wouldn’t care if Ranuit Pi beat me
daily. In fact, I think he suspects that he will.”

“Don’t say that. You’re his youngest child and the only
girl. I’m sure he spoiled you rotten.” When she looked at him, confused, he
added, “It means that he gave you everything you wanted.”

She closed her eyes, remembering all the hateful words he
had spat at her over the course of her life. “My father doesn’t love me,
Justin.”

“Why would you say that?”

“Because it’s true.” He’d told her as much on numerous
occasions. “And you know what? It doesn’t feel so bad to actually say it out
loud. I’ve known it since I was a child, but I always hoped he would change his
mind.”

The memories of her trying to please Olo drifted to the forefront.
When he became mesmerized by an off-worlder’s singing voice, she had taken up
singing lessons. When he seemed enthralled by a troupe of dancers, she had
taken that up too. But Olo had never heard her sing or seen her dance.

He didn’t want anything to do with her.

“He’s in your life and taking care of you. It seems like
that should count for something. I don’t know my father. He didn’t stick around
to take care of me and my sister. Maybe your father has a different way of
showing his love.”

“No, I’m certain of it. Actually, I’m certain he doesn’t
like Taio or Kiehle either, but I’m convinced he dislikes me the most.”

He didn’t beat
them
. He wouldn’t dare. Unlike Saia,
her brothers were trained in fighting techniques and renowned for their skills.
She couldn’t defend herself against a child; fighting was not something females
were trained to do.

Justin kissed the top of her head and hugged her closer. “Oh
sweetheart, I’m sorry. As sweet as you are, you deserve a father who would do
nothing but make you happy.”

Olo made it a point to do everything he thought would make
her
unhappy
.

That’s the only reason I’m contracted to a warlord.

She tried to hold back a laugh, the sound bubbling in her
chest until it finally erupted from her. She laughed until she cried, her body
shaking with the sobs.

“What’s the matter? What did I say wrong?” Justin asked,
concern in his voice.

She wiped the tears from her eyes. “He beats me.”

Every muscle in Justin’s body stiffened. “Who beats you?” he
asked slowly.

“Olo, my
loving father
.” She pulled away and rolled
to her back again, looking up at the ceiling.

Justin rose to his elbow and leaned over her, his eyes
glinting with anger. “He shouldn’t be allowed to do that.”

“He’s King Olo Xochis. He’s allowed to do anything he wants.”

“Does Taio know?”

“No, Taio doesn’t know that my mother and I are beaten,
kicked, bitten or spit upon.”

He inhaled sharply and moved to the edge of the bed. “I’ve
never tried to willingly cross paths with Taio, but this is something I’ll
gladly wake him up for.”

She reached for him, stopping him from rising. “No, you
can’t! You don’t understand.”

He frowned. “What is there to understand? Your father is an
animal and if anyone can stop him, it’s Taio.”

“He can stop Olo, but at a price.”

Justin raised a questioning brow.

“If Taio found out, he would kill Olo.”

“I’m sorry, Saia, but that doesn’t sound like such a bad
thing to me.”

“We aren’t barbaric. We have rules in place. If Taio killed
Olo, he would have to face the Galactic Council.” She let out a heavy breath.
“I don’t know how to explain it to you.”

“Figure out a way or I’m going to Taio.”

She patted the empty place next to her. “Come lie down.”
When he did reluctantly, she began again.

“You know all of the natives of Sonis are from Drazlan,
correct?”

“Yes,” he said curtly.

“If Taio invades Drazlan to overthrow Olo, he would be
asking for brothers to kill brothers.”

“Why not just kill Olo when he comes to Sonis for your
engagement party? He’d avoid an invasion.”

She nodded. “He would, but tell me this—what do you think
Taio would do to anyone who knew of the beatings and did nothing to stop them?”

“He’d kill them,” Justin stated.

“He’d kill them for
obeying their king
.”

“But—”

“Olo is the king, and right or wrong, to go
against
the king would ensure your death. Whether by Olo’s hand or Taio’s, I can’t have
that kind of bloodshed on my conscience. And besides that, Taio would be
investigated by the Galactic Council. If it is determined he was in the wrong
and the council deemed what he did as murder, he’d lose his seat. My family has
held a seat with the council for generations. Yes, he would give up his seat
for me, but I wouldn’t want him to do such a thing.”

“But you can’t go back to Drazlan. I just can’t agree to
that, Saia.”

“I’m not going back.”

“And what about Ranuit Pi? You said Olo thinks he’ll beat
you? Um,
no
, sorry babes, but you aren’t marrying him. I understand why
you don’t want Taio to know, but we can tell Eva. She seems to be the only one
who can talk sense into your brother, she’ll know what to do. I’ll ask Taio if
I can stay longer and we’ll come up with a plan together.”

She shook her head. “They already have a plan.”

“Okay, great, let’s hear it.”

“During the party, Taio is going to speak with Ranuit Pi
alone. He is going to come to an agreement with him, regarding my care.”

“That’s not the kind of plan I had in mind.”

“I know, but it is the only way.”

“It’s
not
the only way.”

“Yes, it is. He’ll speak to Ranuit Pi and I’ll be safe on
Syntorian, away from Olo.”

“And what if Ranuit Pi decides he doesn’t care about his
agreement with Taio and starts thumping on you anyway, then what?”

“Justin, it has to work out.”

“Let’s pretend this plan of yours works. Taio talks to
Ranuit Pi, and this guy who has been at war for—how long?”

“Um, generations.”

“Oh, right, generations. So this guy who’s been at war for
generations decides, ‘Hey, beating people is what I do best, but since I have
an agreement with Taio—who means nothing to me—I’ll uphold my end of the
bargain and not beat my wife.’ What about Olo? He just has free reign to beat
you and your mom until you bond?” He chuckled, but the sound didn’t hold any
amusement. “Some plan.”

“I have a plan to stay away from Olo too,” she pointed out.

“Awesome. Let’s hear it,” he said sarcastically.

“During the engagement party, I’m going to ask Ranuit Pi to
move up the bonding ceremony. I want it done right after the party.”

“Uh huh.”

“And I’ll convince him to let my mother come with us.”

“Oh, it gets better.”

“We’ll have protection on Syntorian from Olo.”

He was quiet. She could hear how ragged his breaths had
become.

“Justin, I know it’s not the kind of plan you would have
come up with, but it will work.

“I don’t want you to go,” he finally said.

She wrapped her arm around his chest, melting into his embrace.
“I would be happy to stay here with you.”

His breath hitched before his chest began to rise and fall
sporadically and his heart thumped at an uneven pace beneath her ear. He seemed
to want to be with her just as much as she wanted to be with him. This was so
right. This was what love was supposed to feel like. This was how life should
be spent, in Justin’s arms.

“I’d want nothing else,” he whispered so low she could
barely hear him.

There was nothing she could do to get out of bonding with
Ranuit Pi, but she could live in the moment and enjoy Justin while she had him.

“Do you mind if we change the subject and talk about
something else?” she asked. “We don’t have much time together and I don’t want
to dwell on what can’t be changed. I don’t want this to take up what little
time we have left.”

“Saia, I don’t know what else to talk about. I can’t stop
thinking about what might happen—what
will
happen.”

“Shh.” She ran her hand up his arm, playing with the black
hairs that were plentiful there. “How was your life on Earth?”

He became quiet again.

“Justin, please. I want to remember everything about you. I
want to know all about your life.”

He took a deep breath. “I owned my own business. I built
houses for a living. It was pretty typical.”

“Were you happy?”

He hesitated before answering. “I thought I was. But when I
think back on it now, I was really lonely. I surrounded myself with a lot of
friends…women to try to fill the void. When I was younger, we didn’t have much,
but I remember the house being filled with so much love. There was always
laughter, singing and games. My mother and grandmother made sure my sister and
I experienced life to the fullest.”

“It sounds like you had a very happy childhood.”