Read Mercenary's Reward Online
Authors: Stephanie Snow
Mercenary's Reward (14 page)
With his fingers teasing at the hard button of her arousal and the round head of his penis lodged against the deepest part of her, Mieli felt desperate for release. “Please, Jai, please.” She tried to buck against his maddening hand. “Please."
"Please what, Mieli?” His fingers moved farther away, toward her navel. “Please leave? Please stop?"
She whispered a pained “No."
"What then?"
"
Move!
Please move inside me!"
"Why? What will happen, Mieli?” Jai began to lift her off his hard cock and away from his body, only to stop halfway and let her slide back onto him.
Mieli felt out of her mind, teased and tormented. “I need to come. Please, just move so I can come!” At these words, Jai began to lift and lower her, a slow deliberate glide that separated and joined their bodies at a snail's pace until Mieli thrashed and begged again. “Please, Jai, faster.” Climax was close but frantically out of reach, and as long minutes passed with no change in tempo, Mieli started to cry, quiet sobs of anguished arousal.
"Shh, all right. It's all right. I'm sorry.” Jai's arms tightened around her, and suddenly Mieli was flying apart under the onslaught of his quick thrusts and the insistent rub of his fingers against her slick apex. Harsh sobs and tremors racked her small frame in the aftermath, and she was only dimly aware of Jai carrying her to the narrow bed. Once settled there in his lap, Mieli was suddenly ashamed and afraid. She'd confessed to him, and what had just happened felt angry. As if he were punishing her or trying to humiliate her. The thought only made her cry harder.
JAI
WAS
ANGRY, but it wasn't about her confession. They had needed to come together again on more equal footing, and it wasn't a surprise to him that she'd thought about the less-than-ideal start to their relationship. What he'd not expected was that she still felt indebted to him.
The last thing Jai wanted was to feel like Tarin, desperate for her love and passion but doomed to only get gratitude. So yes, he was angry, but he knew instinctively that he shouldn't have tried to punish her for not returning his feelings. Even now, though she no longer cried in his arms, he could feel the occasional hiccup and sniff where her cheek was pressed to his chest.
"I'm sorry, Mieli.” And he truly was regretful. “I don't know why I did that. I hope I didn't hurt you.” He used one hand to lift her face to his, to take in the red-rimmed eyes and damp, flushed face that had so recently been happy. “Are you all right?"
At first, she didn't answer, but after a moment, she nodded hesitantly and tried to lean into him again. Jai held her away with one hand and easily transferred her from his lap to the bed. Mieli had never looked smaller or more fragile to him. He took this last chance to kiss her soft lips and wipe the tears from her cheeks. She didn't protest as he stood, then bent to tuck her under the covers.
"I have to talk to Gienna. Rest for now.” With one last look, Jai gathered his clothes and re-dressed before he let himself into the hall and closed the door behind him. In the silent hallway, he leaned against the closed door. It was everything he'd feared in the long months they'd been apart.
Mieli had seemed so happy to see him, and he'd foolishly looked no deeper. But she'd made it clear she had only come into his arms so easily because she felt guilty, even that she thought she owed it to him. Hell, she'd said she would do it again, but just to satisfy a debt, and he couldn't live with that.
It was unbelievably difficult to walk away, but Jai instinctively knew that going on like this with her would just destroy him. The flare of rage and animosity he'd felt at her confession was only a small taste of what would happen to his heart if he didn't give up on this impossible dream of love with Mieli. He already resented her for failing to be what he needed her to be. Given enough time he would hate her for it.
He had to leave now while he still had the strength to walk away from what he wanted most in this universe.
When Mieli woke, the sun had set, and Jai was gone. She found Gienna at the kitchen table, drinking tea.
"Where is Jai?"
"Mieli, he's left.” Gienna pushed out the chair next to her own and gestured for her to sit. “I don't believe he will be back."
Mieli sank into the offered seat, sick with dread and on the brink of tears. “Why? Why won't be come back?"
"He's a proud man, and he sees you have a place here that makes you happy. He would not take that from you."
"But I told him—I said he could always have me!” The tears that threatened now fell, and Mieli buried her face in her hands. “I...I would have done anything for him."
Gienna's broad, strong arm came around her shoulders, “A man like that, he wouldn't ever be happy with what you could give. He'd want nothing less than every part of you. It probably took a lot for him to walk away, but it was what was best."
Mieli wiped the tears away and turned to face her friend, “Where is he now? Can you please take me to him? I have to see him again; I have to talk to him before he leaves.” She could already see the refusal in Gienna's eyes. “Please. I'll never be able to be happy here unless I talk to him. Please, Gienna."
In the bright lights of the hangar, Mieli tried desperately to rush Gienna along as they looked for the right bay. Jai was scheduled to depart on a small transport that would dock at the orbiting terminal where his ship waited. It was due to leave in just fifteen minutes.
"There! There it is!” Mieli left Gienna and raced for the bay, frantically scanning the passengers in line as she approached.
"Jai! Jai!” She reached the front of the line and tried to barrel past the crewman checking tickets, pushing to see inside the transport. “Jai!"
"Mieli?” She heard his voice and then he was there. He stepped out of the doorway and led her away from the line. “What are you doing here?"
"Why did you leave? You didn't say anything. Gienna said you were never coming back!” Mieli's words were rushed, and she struggled to catch her breath as she waited for his reply.
"You were asleep; I thought it would be easier this way."
Jai's words were devastating. He didn't deny that he'd never planned to return. The crewman she'd bumped into called for the last passengers, and she feared for a moment that Jai would just turn and walk away. She had to say something to change his mind, maybe convince him to give them another chance.
"Don't go, Jai. Not like this. I haven't seen you in so long, and you're already leaving!” She stroked her hands down the firm muscles of his chest and brought her fingertips to rest on the waist of his pants. “We could take some time to get to know each other now that we both speak the same language.” She smiled impishly, hoping he couldn't see how earnest she was. “I could use some more time to show you all I've learned."
Jai didn't seem swayed by her arguments at all. “Mieli, you don't have to prove anything to me. Gienna told me you've done very well. She also told me how busy you are, how many good friends you have. I don't want to intrude on your new life."
He sounded so final, looked so sad, that Mieli knew he was trying to tell her good-bye for good, but she didn't want to hear it. She'd found the best, most giving man in the universe. and if she couldn't say the right thing, he was going to walk out of her life forever.
Lost for words now that the time was here, Mieli struggled for something that would make him stay but save her pride. In the end, she couldn't do both.
"Please don't leave, Jai, or just...just take me with you.” She was too short to hold him, so she grabbed his hand and clasped it to her face. “I can't be happy here without you. I can't be happy anywhere without you.” She lost her nerve and her control and gave way to the tears that had been so close.
"Mieli.” Jai's voice was soft, but whether it was pity, embarrassment or care, she couldn't tell. “You don't have to do this. I can come back if you'll miss me. I can visit whenever you want."
"No. “ She raised her tear-streaked face to look at him fully. “I'm sorry. I shouldn't ask you for more when you've given me so much. I love you, Jai. Please don't leave me."
And then his arms were around her, lifting her, and Mieli was back in that moment, when Gienna opened the door and Jai was standing there after so long. Except this was how it should have happened. Caught up in his arms, close to his heart, with his whisper in her ear.
"I love you too, Mieli. I'll never leave you again."
Stephanie lives in Southern California where the days are sunny and the nights are...well, not. She works (when she must), she writes (when there's nothing on TV), and she collects her government check every weekend (party!). She has a very nice family (who tells her she's adopted), a very nice boyfriend (that we're scared of), and a cute cat (that she clearly doesn't deserve). Her greatest aspiration is to someday be immortalized on YouTube. Preferably engaging in “lewd and lascivious acts” (per the police report). Sadly, the last time that happened the only people who got it on video were the crew from “COPS."
