The Impatient Lord (14 page)

Riona didn
’t move. All laughter drained out of her. She said nothing and waited, willing Mirek to fall asleep and stop talking.

Love? He loved her?

No, it was dream talk. It didn’t mean anything.

Love her?

Love?

Riona found it hard to breathe
. No, not love. Please not love. Not love. Not love.

Fear seized hold of her. Nothing good
could come of love. She remembered the explosion, the silent death of a planet from the ship’s space portal. Even Lantos had died and he was as close to an adoptive father as she’d ever had.

“
You don’t want love,” Riona whispered, hoping that whatever part of his unconscious brain she talked to would listen to her. “You want sex.”

Mirek stirred more forcefully this time
and sat up. “Riona? Did you just come to bed?” He sounded more aware.

“
I’m sorry,” she answered. “I didn’t mean to wake you. I was trying to be quiet.”

“
Mm, no, that’s all right, I’m glad you did. I was having strange dreams.” Mirek chuckled. “I’m not usually such a hard sleeper, but I guess I didn’t get much rest these last several months and my body is playing catch up.”

His hand searched for her on the bed. Finding her naked
waist, he slid her next to him. The covers blocked his hips from hers, but she easily felt the naked flesh of his stomach and chest against her. He wrapped a strong arm possessively around her. She slid her fingers up the length of it to his shoulder. There was so much strength in his muscles. His fine form excited her. She felt small and protected next to him.

And vulnerable. Very vulnerable.

Still, she didn’t pull away.

Rio
na couldn’t speak, not right at this moment. Her usually quippy remarks warred with how she truly felt. She held her breath and waited to see what he’d do next.

Mirek
’s hands were gentle and caressing and a little aimless in their movements. The soft whisper of his breath tickled her skin. Were these tender moments—when she allowed herself to shut up and just be—what love felt like?

H
e kept his hand moving, gliding the open palm over her flesh like a Ven-5 sand ray without the teeth. The subtle movements of his body somehow worked the covers down his legs. She stirred against him and closed her eyes. His internal temperature was always a few degrees hotter than hers, and she soaked in his warmth. The sensation of him wrapped her in a cocoon.

Her lips brushed
his jaw and she darted her tongue out to taste him. They’d had sex several times, but never like this. Normally they came together in a windstorm of searching hands and thrusting bodies. This time was soft and comfortable. The desperation to feel stayed tempered.

Is this what love felt like?

Riona’s nose burned with unshed tears. His face nuzzled her ear and he pushed her jaw aside to allow him access to her neck. Soft kisses found her skin. She trembled violently in response.

Mirek made love to her slowly. They remained on their sides, facing each other. The position gave
one hand plenty of space to roam and he explored her ass and thighs. In return, Riona touched his chest, rubbing his nipples to feel them harden at the contact. That was not all that hardened. Between them, his desire grew. The smooth, hot shaft nestled into her hip. Her body answered the primitive plea with welcoming moisture.

The magnetic force that pulled her to him was undeniable.
Every piece of her lived in that moment. Her toes curled along his calf as she hooked her leg over his. She drew the tips of her fingers up the indention of his spine and back down again. He sprinkled wet kisses over her neck. She shivered as he sucked gently at her flesh. Mouth open, she turned her face to his. He gave her the deep kiss she sought.

Mirek
’s tongue began a slow, rhythmic thrust to mimic the sex act. He rocked his hips. Riona moaned. She tried to roll him on top of her. He resisted. Instead, he lifted her leg higher before maneuvering his hips so that his cock met the slick folds of her sex. The tip entered her but was unable to slide deep.

“
Turn around,” Mirek whispered.

Riona refused and tried to
press tighter against him. Mirek took firm hold of her and urged her to turn. When her back was to him, he drew his knees into hers to bend her legs forward. He worked his thigh between hers as he lifted her leg to open her body to him. Within moments, he was slipping inside her. The position made for slow, deep thrusts.

His hand found her breast
and he skimmed his fingers over a tight nipple. The pleasure built between them until it crescendoed in a blissful eruption. Riona cried out softly as she came. A tear slipped from her eye at the rush of emotions that followed the release. She wiped it on the bedding so he wouldn’t find it.

Mirek breathed hard behind her. He didn
’t let her go. Slipping his body out of hers, he then snuggled her against him, curling his entire length around her. It did not take long before his breathing evened and she knew he slept.

Was this what love felt like?

Riona lay awake, staring into the darkness as she counted his breaths. Fear would not let her sleep. She refused to love him. Bad things happened when she loved.

“I hear you’re going up today?” Aeron came into Mirek’s home unannounced.

Riona looked at her sister in surprise. She stood wrapped in a drying linen. The material clung to her damp skin and water droplets made little splats on t
he polished stone floor as they dripped from her hair. Mirek had left early that morning to oversee the flight plans. Riona, thankful for a little alone time, had taken advantage of the giant water bath. The tub was like a spa, constantly cleaning itself as hot water bubbled continuously inside it. However, seeing her sister, the tension began to work its way back into her shoulders and neck.

Aeron
’s face had rounded some with her advanced pregnancy. Instead of taking away from her beauty, it merely added to it. She looked healthy and her smiles came easier.

“
Ri?” Aeron prompted.

“
Oh, sorry, I’m…wet.” Riona pulled the drying linen closer to her body. “Mirek was nice enough to hire me to help out. Hopefully my experience with alien cultures will be good for something.”

“
Hire you?” Aeron asked, with a tiny laugh. “I don’t think that’s what it’s called when you’re married. I think you mean you’re helping out.”

“
No, I meant hired,” Riona insisted. She made her way to the stairs. “I need to get dressed. You can follow me if you like.”

Aeron made her way up the stairs at a slower pace.
“How does that work exactly?”

“
I work. He pays me.” Riona tried to keep the sarcasm out of her tone, mindful of what she’d been told of the last time Aeron visited. Her sister had left crying. Not wanting to set off the emotional time bomb, she added, “I have to pay my debts somehow.”

“
Oh, you mean Range?” Aeron tilted her head. “Since you weren’t on a gambling ship, I don’t think the law will actually recognize the bet you made with Range. He didn’t really lose anything by you not paying, so he acquired no personal hardship. Qurilixen doesn’t recognize Federation law, so really, I wouldn’t stress about paying off a pirate. If he comes here, your new family will take care of it for you.”

“
This is not my family,” Riona said a little too quickly. She softened her tone, seeing the stunned expression on her sister’s face. “You are my family, Aeron. Just you.”

Tears formed in her sister
’s eyes.

“
Oh, no, don’t do that, uh…” Riona rushed to the closet and jerked a tunic off a hook. She hurried over to her sister and shoved it toward her face. “Here. Stop that. I meant to be nice to you, Aeron. I wasn’t trying to make you cry.”

“
It was nice,” Aeron cried harder. “It was the sweetest thing you’ve ever said to me. Yet the other thing was so sad. I want so much for you to feel like you have a family here.”

Riona backed away, unsure
of what to do with so many tears. She’d rather Aeron yell at her and call her names.

“
Mirek worked so hard to take care of you. I didn’t make it easy on him. I questioned his every move.” Aeron blotted her face with the tunic. “To the Draig, questioning them is like slapping them across their honor—deeply insulting. I didn’t really understand that when I did it, but I would have questioned him anyway. You’re my sister. I was so worried. And he was worried.” She sniffed. “And Clara came to visit you all the time. She’s telepathic or empathic or, I’m not sure what they call it. Did you hear her trying to communicate with you?”

Riona made no sudden movements and slowly shook her head in denial.

“Ah, well, I think her powers work better with animals and sensing human emotions rather than actual mind communication.” Aeron waved the tunic as if to dismiss that part of the conversation. “I digress. Mirek was so distraught. Bron worried about him because he was taking care of his ambassador duties and tending to you. He wasn’t sleeping. And honestly, he was a bit grumpy at times. He even spoke to a couple of aliens who claimed to be able to exchange minds and bodies. It ended up being a scam, but I think he would have traded places with you if he could. Oh, wait, I wasn’t supposed to know about that last one. Forget I said it.”

“
I am very grateful for what Mirek did for me. He is a nice man and I wish him well with his future.”

“
What do you mean his future? Don’t you mean your future?”

“
Aer, we both know I’m not the marrying and settling down type. I’m very glad you found something here. At first, I thought you were drugged or whammied, but I can see you’re happy. Family life looks very good on you.”

“
What do you have to go back to?” Aeron asked. “Gaming and piracy? That can’t be a satisfying way to live.”

Riona dropped
her hold on the linen and used it to pat at her wet, cold hair to stop it from dripping. She didn’t really care if her sister saw her naked. “I have to get ready.”

Riona
disappeared into the wardrobe to find an appropriate outfit for the ambassadorial trip. Mirek’s report indicated that Draig attire would suffice, so she grabbed one of the tunic gowns and pulled it over her head.

“
Ri,” Aeron insisted, coming around the corner to confront her.

Riona sighed. She should have known her sister would press the issue.
“I don’t expect you to understand, but that debt is mine to pay and I will pay it. I live by my word. Sometimes it’s all I have to get by. Mirek has agreed to let me earn a little money. When I get some cash up I’ll be able to buy my way into a game. It will take some time, but I’ll get Range paid.”

“
Gambling is how you got into this problem to begin with,” Aeron scolded. All emotional teary outbursts left her as she began to lecture, “I think you have a real problem.”

“
Why do you always insist on belittling my life?” Riona demanded. “The games I play take skill. Yes, there is minor chance involved, but mostly skill. I stay away from things that have too much risk. To tell you the truth, there’s not a lot out there for single women looking for work. Would you rather I be stuck on some fuel dock, living in a room no bigger than a prison lock? Or prostituting myself in a red district? Gambling is my job. I’m good at it. It’s not illegal. I don’t have to take my clothes off. I get to eat most nights.” Shaking her head in frustration, she pulled at her wet hair. “What do you think I was trying to do at that tournament? I was one throw away from winning. I had it, Aer, I
had
it! I’d studied each opponent’s playing style in advance. I prepped for a year for that tournament. I would have won the side bet with Range. I would have won the championship pot, including a brand new ship. A new ship is as good as any home. That was my ticket out of the constant hustle that is life.” The frustration poured out of her and she couldn’t stop it. “I am so tired of your judgments, sister. You hid away on a Federation ship. I was out there living. You have no idea what my life has been like. I’m glad you found your happiness here. I’m glad you liked your safe, perfect life on the Federation ship. But before you dare tell me I have a problem, you’d better get your facts straight.”

“
I’m sorry,” Aeron whispered. “I thought it was just a game. I didn’t know what that tournament meant to you.”

“
It’s done,” Riona dismissed, suddenly not wanting to talk about it. Having a family was a lot easier when they avoided conversation.

“
No, it’s not.”

“
I don’t blame you,” Riona said, forcing herself to calm down. “I shouldn’t have bet Range. That’s my fault and I’m going to deal with it. What you came to me for was more important than a game for money. These are good people. They didn’t deserve being destroyed over fuel ore. I’ll figure out the thing with Range. I always do.”

“
Mirek has money—”

“
No,” Riona cut her off before she could finish the thought. “I’m not taking advantage. I’ll earn a fair wage. When I have a couple of thousand credits saved I’ll find a ride with one of the visiting dignitary ships.”

“
Then you will come back? You are married.”

“
No, I’m not. There were some parts of the ceremony that were not completed. Mirek knows my plans.”

Aeron
’s face fell. “But you…and he?”

Riona felt heat creeping over her face. “
We, ah, yes, we did have sex, but it was just two consenting adults blowing off steam.”

“
I’m not sure you know what you’re doing. The Draig are not like most men. When they mate with a woman, it’s for life.”

“
Then I guess it’s a good thing we’re not mated,” Riona said. That trait made sense. Mirek did seem to want to settle down and have a family. The sooner she was out of his way, the sooner he could do that. The thought made her a little sick to her stomach, but she ignored it. The quicker life got back to normal, the better.

“
But his crystal is gone,” Aeron insisted. “I have never seen him wearing it.”

“
That part we did do. I broke it. But the rest didn’t happen. I’m sure he can get a replacement stone.” Riona hooked her sister’s arm and led her out of the wardrobe.

“
I don’t know if that will work. I’m not sure if—”

“
I really do have to get ready. Maybe we can have lunch when I get back?”

“
I would like that,” Aeron agreed. She grabbed Riona’s arm tightly and looked her in the eyes. “I’m very happy you didn’t die in the isolation chamber.”

It wasn
’t “I love you”, but it was as close to the sentiment as Aeron had ever gotten.

Riona smiled. “
And I am happy you are getting the family life you deserve. Motherhood looks good on you.”

* * *

“
The Sharryn
. Nice ship.” Riona left Mirek at the top of the long, narrow stairwell to go toward the machine. They were high in the mountain fortress, near the top where a landing pad had been smoothed out into the stone. Large overhead doors protected the area from the elements. As in most parts of the home, small carved holes filtered in light to see. Draig men worked around the fleet of ships—some doing pre-flight system checks on the ship, others inspecting bolts and seams, still others were carting ore crates into the cargo hold. Rocks jutted out to create a corner on the far side of the room. She heard more men working beyond her eye line.

Riona
lifted her hand to touch the underbelly of the ship they were to take. The smooth, cold metal caused a shiver to work up her arm. The ship was a good size, big enough to carry a decent size crew and cargo but not so big as to be forced under luxury liner flight checks. “It’s a little older, but in great shape.”

“
The specs said it’s been flying for about thirty years but it was built before that. Travelers traded it to us for ore. I half-expected someone would come looking for it, but no one ever did,” Mirek said.

“
You thought it was stolen?”

“
The trade was strange,” he admitted. “I really only agreed to get the other ship out of our sky. Since they were stranded, fuel was the only way to do it.”

Seeing one
of the nearby workers with a laser wrench, she motioned toward the tool. “Can I see that?”

“
My lady?” the man questioned, hesitating before giving it to her. He had a kind, open face and it took Riona all of two seconds to size him up. He’d make a horrible gambler, not that he would be the type to play.

Riona took the wrench and ducked beneath the ship.

“Uh, my lady?” the man called after her.

“
It is fine, Vihelm,” Mirek dismissed the man. “Riona? What are you doing?”

Riona found the small
access panel and used the wrench to make quick work of the plate cover. She pulled the metal back. Whistling low, she thrust her hand inside and ran her fingers over an engraving hidden behind the oxygen cylinders. She closed her eyes, concentrating as she read the seemingly random pattern of bumps.

“
Checking the ship’s history,” she said.

“
Next to the oxygen supply?” Mirek frowned, looking into the open panel at the tanks. “The ship’s logs are available from inside.”

“
Ships are full of interesting facts, if you know where to look. Normally, it’s not in the official logs.” She chuckled. “You, my lord, have traded for a smuggler. The markings behind the tank identify it to other people of questionable career paths. It’s how deals could be made without the interested parties being seen talking to each other. And, if you’re smuggling something off a planet, you want to be able to tell which one is the correct ship in a docking lot.” She reached in again. “This ship belonged to Kinny. He, uh—” she ran her hand over the symbol, “—he specialized in food simulator technology.”

“
How is food simulator technology worth smuggling?” Mirek wondered.

“
Oh, up until about twenty-five years ago, it was a hot black-market item. People could get units, but they were expensive and those units didn’t come with full recipe programs. Before they came out with the easy-to-program units, you had to have a specialty technician do it for you. I’m guessing Kinny would steal empty units, program them and then sell them. Everyone needs to eat. There was also a lot of money in the molecule pack refills needed to make the dishes. This was before technology advanced to make the cartridge inserts obsolete.” Riona dropped her hand and moved to put the access panel back into place.