Scandalous Heroes Box Set (182 page)

Pryde gave him one sharp nod. “As I said, they are clever.”

Unwilling to stand around and discuss the attributes of a people that abducted males and confined their abilities for their own selfish reasons, he said, “Well, Krysteena has now moved on and I must follow. Thanks for the conversation.” Rym turned and started away.

“One last thing.” Pryde called after him.

Halting, he turned and stared at the father of his mate.

“Give this all a true chance. Krysteena has a kind and trusting heart that she tries to hide. I know my mate granted you a boon.”

Rym was surprised to know Queen Eyleen had stooped to discussing her plans with a male, even her mate. He kept his thoughts to himself.

“Think on it wisely. Every choice and action you make no longer affects only you.” Pryde gave him a hard stare. Gone was the kind informant.

It was clear to Rym that the man now standing before him was a father who would do nothing short of killing a male to safeguard his child.

Unwilling to make any promises of what he would or would not do and refusing to disrespect the other male, Rym gave a short nod and walked away.

~YH~

The night had been much longer than Krysteena had intended for it to be. She had danced, drank, eaten and flirted with her new joined mate. Taking the time to stop by every vendor and see all the new items that had arrived on the planet. She’d even purchased several things that Morni would ensure were brought to her dwelling.

Krysteena knew she’d stretched out the time of her joining celebration. It had been a purposeful move to keep from returning to her dwelling too soon with Rymingten. Not because she was apprehensive of his questions. Captured mates always had questions.

It wasn’t even because she feared his anger. No. He had a right to be angry and she knew it was her job to help him past his enraged emotions to acceptance so there would be peace in their home.

As she crossed into the entrance of the dwelling, she knew precisely what she dreaded, her desire for him. What she felt for Rymingten, regardless of the emotional battle that raged between them, was pure, fierce lust. The raw passion that had remained as a low hum while they had been cursed to Earth had built to a powerful level since the moment of their return. Become stronger with every kiss they shared.

During their joining ceremony she had almost forgotten to ring him once her lips had touched his. When he’d taken hold of her hips with his large, warm, strong hands everything had started to fade away.

It was only by the galaxy gods’ grace that she remembered to place her adornment on his neck.

Now she would be trapped until the third sunrise of the following day with Rymingten for them to begin their breeding.

Rymingten had remained silent since their joining. He stayed within her view, but kept his distance. That posturing was not something normally done or accepted, but she allowed him the space he needed to process his rage.

She knew he was pissed. Had seen it in his body and gaze the moment she fastened the ring on him.

Once they were sealed within, she faced him. “Rymingten, I know—”

With a single raised hand he stopped the speech she had prepared. “When we were cursed on Earth for that year the worst thing for me was not being away from my people.” He stayed where he was, barely a step in the door. “I had kept the hope of one day seeing them again. However, the thing that ate at me every day was the collar they had placed on us. The one they said would protect us from the vermin that plagued their animals.”

Her brows pinched tight as she recalled how Rymingten would flip around the floor scratching and clawing at the thick plastic ring on his neck. She’d thought he was performing more of his ridiculous antics and ignored him most days. A heavy weight pressed down on her shoulders as she allowed him time to continue.

“Do you know why, Krys?” He took a step toward her.

Slowly she shook her head, watching him, but remained quiet.

“It chokes my true nature.” He moved closer. “The male you see before you is only half of who I am. In actuality, it is secondary to my real form…that of my feline.” His voice may have been calm and in control, but she could practically see the agitated energy around him and feel it pressing against her through the space between them.

The weight that was on her shoulders now settled around her heart. Understanding was beginning to dawn on her the gravity of her actions. What her people’s custom required. What she had done to him was akin to someone slicing off her hair—the conduit of her power. Who she was as an Argona majji.

“I can’t change the traditions…the mores that govern how we live. If you are not adorned you have no freedom. Besides only the queen and the council—” Her body was trembling causing her words to become trapped in her throat. It was her job to protect and make her mate feel secure and honored and she would never be able to truly give Rymingten that.

He now stood directly before her. “I know that. Tonight as we moved through the festival, mingled with your people I saw, witnessed and tried to understand the way of life on Argona. It is very different than my home planet. I can see the bond between those that are joined, but you must understand. I am limited in my protection of you if there is an attack.”

“I can and will protect us.”

There was a low rumble that came from him, more from his chest than his mouth.

He closed the gap between them. “Know this, Krys, I may not have much say in the archaic customs of your home planet, but I
will
not
stand in the shadows while my mate is threatened.”

The heat of his body caressed hers. The cut muscles of his chest stretched the black tunic he wore and grazed the tips of her breasts. Behind the tight joining outfit that squeezed and lifted her breasts high, her nipples pursed and tingled. She couldn’t stop herself from taking a deep breath to feel the stimulation again.

“Th-at’s not what I meant.” Her voice was trembling, not from fear but need. It had been too long since she had visited the pleasure hut—the full extent of the Earth year and then once she had returned those males had held no appeal for her. Only one male caused her body to pulse with need. Lifting a hand, she rubbed the dew from the back of her neck. She felt heated enough to find the wild water that ran through the center of the jungle and swim in its coolness for days. However, she knew that wouldn’t satisfy her craving.

“What did you mean?” Raising his hand he stroked a single finger along her chin and carried it across her mouth.

Unable to resist, she slipped her tongue out of her mouth and licked the rough pad. The slight taste of him made her dizzy with desire. Rolling in her bottom lip she took a deep breath to try to keep track of the conversation.

“Do you want a weak, useless male as your mate?” That wicked moistened finger journeyed over her chin and down the sensitive flesh of her throat. “Tell me, Krys.”

No longer willing to hesitate and delay what was growing between them, the reason they were there, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him to her. “The male I need at my side is strong, brave, fierce…and passionate.”

The eyes that met hers were dark and intense. He didn’t hold her in return, just stared at her.

“Tell me,
Rym
, did I make a mistake in my choice? Are you male enough—”

He growled, locked his arms around her and lifted her feet from the ground as he claimed her mouth, cutting off her words.

Everything between them seemed to crackle and sizzle with the heat blazing from them. She could feel them moving. She knew Rymingten had no clue where the sleep quarters were in their dwelling, but it wasn’t in her to stop the deep kiss he was giving her in order to direct him. Instead, she wrapped her legs around his waist and returned the oral assault.

He tasted of everything wonderful she could imagine. It was as if everything she loved, desired and enjoyed was combined in his mouth. She feasted, driving her tongue inside trying to consume him as she felt like he was doing to her.

He gripped her ass, palming and squeezing it as he held her tighter against him. Over and over again, he captured her tongue as it slipped into his mouth. Each suckle he gave her caused her clit to pulse.

Her back bumped against something, when his lips left her mouth and began kissing…or rather nipping her neck. She opened her eyes and realized they were pressed against the panel for the bathing room.

Moaning, she turned her head to give him more access. He was turning her world upside down.

“If you keep going down two more panels we will reach the sleep area and a more appropriate place to—”

“This works.” He lifted his head, meeting her eyes as he ground his hard cock against her. “Something you will learn to understand about Kitcy warriors, we mate anywhere and everywhere and often.”

“Wha-a-at…” Did he think that she didn’t have anything else to do but to have him thrusting inside of her whenever the whim struck him? Argona females were passionate people, but they generally only required a seasonal mating when their hormones were elevated.

“You can’t grab a cat by his tail and not expect to get his claws.” A twinkle in his eyes winked at her as a single corner of his mouth kicked up.

She never believed she’d ever see anything other than desire and anger in Rymingten’s gaze. It lifted her heart to know there was a glimmer of possibility to have a little joy in their joining.

“True. We may have to discuss a schedule.”

“Enough talking. Do you require this clothing for anything else?”

Her brow tightened. “No. It is only for our joinin—…Ah!”

One slice was all it took from a single sharp nail that appeared at the end of one of his fingers to have her top split and peeling away from her breasts as they spilled out.

“This is what I’ve been dying each galaxy second to see.” He caught the bounty and gathered the plump flesh together flicking the erect tips with his blunt thumbs.

He was a wild man. For a moment her heart thumped hard in her chest with apprehension. It was her first doubt since she’d seen him on his planet and desired to capture him as her mate. What had she been thinking, could she truly control the male?

Yes, her mind demanded.

No, her body countered as a shiver of heat raced into her core.

At this moment she could be honest with herself that she didn’t want to. It was time for her to show him that she could be just as untamed and bold as he.

“Are you going to toy with me, kitty-kitty,” she taunted using the Earth term the old man would call them to meals with. “Or please me?”

Tilting his head to the side, his eyes darkened. “Both.”

She found herself dragged to the floor. Her back had barely kissed the wood before Rymingten had his mouth all over her breasts. The strong pull of his mouth had her burying her hands in his hair. She was arching up and pressing herself closer.

Her sex felt as if explosions were going off between her thighs.

It was the scrapes of his course tongue or the edges of his teeth.

Licking a line from the middle of her breasts down her stomach, he made her scream. She wasn’t sure at what point he had divested her of the remainder of her clothing, but she became aware of the cool air of the room on her bare heated flesh, the layers of her skirt laying in tatters around her on the floor.

He kissed her right hip, the top of that thigh and her knee. She watched his gaze travel down her body to her pussy as he held her open for his viewing.

“I want to see you as well.” Reaching up, she gripped the collar of his tunic and pulled hard until the fabric started ripping. She continued to tug until it fell from his body. All of his ripened, muscular chest, so different than her own, was bare to her. She didn’t want anything more than to look at him—except touching him. Her hands connected with warm flesh that was hard and firm.

He allowed his head to roll back on his shoulders showing that he enjoyed her touch. Rising up on her elbows, she brought her mouth to one of his pecks and circled the flat disk with her tongue.

She felt the tremor that rocked his body. Wrapping an arm around his chest, she pressed the center of his back holding him to her as she bit into the taut tip.

When he groaned and bucked his trouser-covered cock against her sex, she moaned.

Laughing, he said, “Feeling a little needy, my mate?”

Bringing her hand around, she caressed his side then brushed the peak she’d teased with her thumb. “Get ready for a long night, Rymingten. Argona females are not easily satisfied.”

He pressed his palms into the center of her thighs and widened her legs. “Neither am I, but my cat must have his portion of cream first.”

“Of whaaaa…”  Her words drifted away on a sigh as he lowered his head and lapped along the folds of her labia showing her exactly what he was talking about.

Up and around, his agile tongue moved over her. This was a talent that men in the pleasure house never performed. The sex she’d had in the past with those weaker men had been strictly to get her off quickly and often. Generally, the position was the males on the bed on their back while an Argona female rode them hard to reach completion. The males were given herbs to keep them up because it took several climaxes until a female was satisfied.

A pleasure such as Rymingten was giving her now had never even entered her mind to be possible. She’d never been taught an act in this manner. But, oh, stars she was truly enjoying it. With every swipe of his talented tongue she couldn’t stop her hips from lifting and moving, following the path wanting more.

“What are you doing to me?” she mumbled, her head rolling from left to right along the floor.

When his thick tongue pressed inside her sex she cried out. The sensation was so potent and thrilling as he drew out and pushed in further caressing her walls that it made her feel as if her very bones were being singed from the heat flaring up in her body. Every muscle in her body began to quake and hot shivers raced through her veins as her pleasure was building to a climax.