Adira's Mate (18 page)

She liked it too, a great deal.
She loved watching him as she rode him. Lifting, she shifted slightly so that
she could take him into her body,
then
began to slide
slowly down his cock. She cried out and arched back as his cock began to fill
her. “I love the way that you feel inside of me. I will never get used to the
way that this feels, how incredible and how perfect that it feels.” Knowing how
they connected, feeling the pulse of his heart in his cock as he pumped inside
of her pussy.

Another kiss to her lips as he
slipped his arms around her. “Ride me,
Adira
.
Slowly,” he told her. Then she got a deeper kiss, one where he made love to her
mouth while she tried to remember what he’d told her to do.

Adira
rode him slowly. She took her
time as she brought them together. Her hands were wrapped around his neck and
she kissed him back. This was them making love, something she would always want
and always need. “Perfect,” she whispered against his lips and rode him,
clenching on his cock as she slid up and down his long, hard shaft.

Fin’s lips curved against hers.
“Agreed, you are definitely perfect.” He kissed her again before she could come
up with her standard protest. Still smiling, he nipped at her lips, teasing her
into another slow kiss while his hands drifted over her back.

She didn’t argue with him. She
knew she wouldn’t win. Instead she happily moved with him and knew that the two
of them would always be like this, always want each other desperately. “I love
you, Fin. Always.”

“
As
I love you,
Adira
.
Always,” he whispered. Fisting a
hand in her hair he tipped her head back so he could kiss, lick, and nibble on
her throat. His other hand moved to cup her ass, pressing a finger into her
anus just enough to give her some additional sensations.

“
I love when you touch me there.”
She was rocking just a bit faster on him. “One day I want you to take me there
too, need for you to be there again. I love the way that it feels when you do.”
She loved the way that it felt when he was inside of her ass and spanking her
as he rode her hard.

“
Tomorrow,” he said. A promise,
she knew.
Fintan
was always careful in his words, yet
also very giving. If he said he’d do something, he followed through on the
promise no matter what. “Right after I give you your surprise.”

She whimpered while she rode him.
“I have nothing to give you,” she said with a frown, her forehead to his. “I
came into your life with
nothing,
you’ve given me so
much.” She just had herself to give to him, and she gave herself freely to him.

“
You’ve given me so much,
Adira
. You gave me your trust when I’m not sure I truly
deserved it. You’ve given me your love, your heart, your very soul. And now
you’ve given me a child to cherish alongside his, or her, mother. I’ve given
you material things,
Adira
. Not a one that holds a
candle to what you’ve given me, and continue to give me each day.”

“
You give me all of that as well.”
She brushed her cheek to his, rocking against him as she did so. “You give me
your heart, soul and body. You are good to me.
Always.
You might give me things, but you give me so much more than that. You have
given me a home. A future, and our child,” she added and kissed him once more.

His teeth caught her lip as she
drew back, lightly scraping the tender flesh. “Then we are even. What I have
for you is merely an extension of everything,
Adira
.
A symbol of all I feel for
you,
and the future I hope
we’ll have together.
Long, and plentiful if you were wondering.”

She brushed her nose to his and
kissed him again. “More,” she whispered against his mouth and began to move
just a bit faster on him, just a bit harder.

He tightened his grip on her
hair, drawing her head back so her throat was bared to him. Fin’s hot mouth
covered the spot where neck met shoulder, and he scraped his teeth repeatedly
to the spot. When she began to tighten around him he bit down a little. At the
same time he pushed his finger deeper into her anus and used that odd hold to
control the motion of her hips.

“
Fin.” She sobbed his name and
pushed harder against him. She had her eyes closed and head back. Her hands
were in his hair and held his head to her neck, begging for more without saying
a single word. It was all in the movement of her body with his, how she held on
to him and moved with him.

Slowly he tightened his teeth on
her shoulder and thrust his finger ever so slightly to match the roll of her
hips. He was leaning back a bit now, changing the angle of her thrusts and
causing her clit to drag over his cock.

“
I’m so close.” That was the only
warning she could give him as she rode him faster. “Fin, please tell me that
you’re close.” She was panting as she sped up, rocked harder against him and
demanded more from him.

His growl was all he gave her.
Which was good enough for her.
Normally she’d have waited
for a verbal cue from him, but in this instant that growl was more than enough.
Especially when he let her
hair go
to land a slap on
her ass before squeezing the cheek hard.

Adira
allowed her head to fall back
then and she screamed. She climaxed again, her pussy clenching his cock
tightly, and she demanded that he come along with her. She was desperate for
him, needed everything that he had to give her.

Fintan’s
head snapped back away from her
as he let out a yell. She could feel his cock pulse inside of her sheath before
the heat of his seed slid over her inner walls. With a shudder he gathered her
closer to him and fell back onto the bed. His breathing was ragged as he
cradled her close and stroked her back.

Adira
was gasping for air and had her
eyes closed. She was smiling as she lightly stroked his chest. Words couldn’t
express to him just how amazing that had been, how fabulous their loving had
been. She pressed a kiss to the center of his chest and pulled back to look up
at him. “Perfect.” That was all she could say because it really was just that,
perfect.

Chapter
Seventeen

Fintan
was dawdling. There was no other
word for it. Whenever she assumed they were ready to go and see the surprise
he’d promised her, he would come up with some other task he needed to see to.
He was really starting to annoy her, all except for that mischievous look in
his eyes. It was likely the only thing keeping her from demanding to know what
the surprise was.

Finally
Adira
looked up at
Fintan
and pushed the stop on the lift
that they were in. “Now, please tell me why you keep putting off giving me
whatever surprise it is that you have for me? It’s really starting to get to
me, babe,” she admitted. “Please, tell me what the surprise is? You know that
I’m dying to know.”

“
I’m just waiting for,” he paused
when there was a beep. Holding up a finger he touched the earpiece but didn’t
say anything. He was listening, and a look of relief finally crossed his face.
Touching it again, he pulled it free of his ear and dropped it into a pocket.
“I’ve been waiting to hear that it was all set. We had a small delay due to an
air relay short. Now we can proceed with going to where your surprise is.”
Reaching out, he pressed in a code for the lift and she immediately felt the
shift in direction.

“
Okay, I’m a little nervous. I
won’t lie. I’ve never seen you asking anyone for help with the surprises that
you give to me. Well, except for our wedding and since we’re already married I
don’t see us getting married again.”

“
I couldn’t very well run off to
see to the staging of things with my promise to remain close, now could I? But
Markus has assured me, under dire threat to his life
expectancy,
that
everything is as it should be.” Stepping off the lift, he tucked
her hand through his arm. They were on the hydroponics level, and if she wasn’t
mistaken they were heading straight for it.

“
I love it down here.” He knew
that, of course. “Did we get more new plants and seeds that we need to take
care of?” she asked while they walked toward the bays. “Oh, are we meeting up
with another destroyer so that we can get the seedlings that I asked Bracken to
find for us?”

Fintan
shot her a look that was a cross
between confused and frustrated. “
No,
and no.” Shaking
his head he muttered something under his breath she didn’t get. It sounded
Craegin
, but nothing she’d learned so far assisted in
deciphering it. At the door to hydroponics he dug out a blindfold and moved
behind her. “I need you to wear this until I have you in position. Only when I
tell you to remove it can you, understood?”

“
Of
course.
I
happen to love when you blindfold me.” He had only done it once so far, but she
loved it. She had her eyes closed and once she was in the blindfold she
squeezed his hand when he took hers. “Lead on, Fin. I will follow wherever you
go.”

“
I’m going to move slightly ahead
of you, so hang on to my arm and use your other for balance. We’ve never done
this with you walking, so it could be disorienting. I’ll guide you in. There
won’t be anything in our path. At least if Markus hopes to keep his job, that
is.” Fin released her hand,
then
guided it up to his
arm just above the elbow. Once she had a solid grip he began to move at a slow
but steady pace. She heard the doors slide open, and a few moments later as the
humid air of hydroponics wrapped around her body, they slid shut behind them.

She moved along with him,
tightening her hand on his arm only once. “Wait a second. I’m feeling all
turned around,” she told him and stepped in closer to his heat. “Sorry, I hate
this. I love the blindfolds, but you’re right. I’ve never done this while we
were walking, so it’s taking me a moment, okay?”

“
That’s fine, little wife.” He
stopped moving to give her the time she needed to feel slightly more oriented
in the space. She still had no clue where they were really, but the spinning
sensation had ceased. When she gave the word he began moving again, but slower.
Finally he stopped and eased her hold on his arm. “There’s a chair directly
behind you to sit on.” Fin took her hands in his to help her settle down.

Adira
nodded and reached behind her
for the chair, then sat. Once she was sitting in the chair she leaned back and
relaxed a bit. “Okay. Now what? Can I pull off the blindfold yet?”

“
In a moment,” he said. She could
hear him moving around, and moving things around.
Then
silence, absolute and total.
Another couple of minutes
dragged by before she heard him come back to her side.
A little more
shuffling,
and he finally told her to remove the blindfold.

Adira
removed the blindfold and
allowed her eyes to adjust to the darkness. Her eyes then went wide. She was
stunned. There were candles that were strewn all over the bay, the overhead
lights were all out, and there before her was Fin on his knees with a wooden
box in his hands. “Fin?” she asked,
then
smiled. “This
is wonderful, beautiful.” She was stunned. The whole area was filled with
romance and that made her love him all the more.

He took the blindfold from her
and set it aside. Then he placed the wooden box on her lap but kept a hand
resting on the top. The latch was already open so all she’d have to do was lift
it. “In my culture this is often more revered than marriage. I think the two
should go hand in hand, personally. I only waited to ensure that you were truly
comfortable in our life before offering this to you,
Adira
.
And it’s also something I want you to think about before agreeing to. Open the
box,” he said, sliding his hand off the lid to rest on her knee.

Lifting the box, she stopped dead
in her tracks when she saw the large silver choker type necklace in there. The
piece was at least three inches from top to bottom and she knew that if she put
that on it would cover most of her neck. “This is beautiful, but I don’t
understand.” She stroked her fingers to the piece and looked at him, watching
him. She paused and saw the loop on the back of the necklace and cocked her
head to the side. “What is this?”

“
It’s a collar,” he told her. He
was watching her with that reserved expression on his face. The one he used
when talking with his crew, no emotion showing and everything he was thinking
tucked neatly away. “In
Craegin
culture it’s a
visible sign that a man has fully claimed his woman. She is his in all ways,
not only his but his equal. There is no higher form of proof to the culture
that a couple is on equal footing in all things. It’s also a sign that we are
in full agreement in our lives, that we have some form of understanding that
works for us, and that no other may ever question without repercussions.”

“
I love it,” she said with a nod.
“I want that. I love the idea that you will be mine and everyone will know that
I’m yours. We are in full agreement in our lives, all parts of our lives. Will
you put it on me?” She belonged to him, so having the collar was only a
reinforcement of that fact.

“
Of course,” he said softly.
Easing to his feet, he lifted the piece from the box and moved around behind
her. “The clip is very easy to use, yet secure. Never wear it in your bath, or
shower. It would only cause the clasp to seize because of the moisture.” He
settled the piece around her neck and fastened it. When he let it go she was
surprised by how light it was, and how little it truly interfered with the
movement of her head.

“
This is incredible.” She touched
the piece and looked up at him with a grin.
“How?
How
in the world were you able to get this and me not
know
that you had gotten it for me?
How did you know how large to
make it?”
The choker was tight to her neck, but not enough to hurt or
cause her any discomfort.

“
I know every inch of your body
intimately,
Adira
. It wasn’t all that hard to figure
out the size required. Getting it made, and out here, was an entirely different
challenge, but one I’ll share some day.” Taking the box from her lap he set it
aside before pulling her to her feet with her hands in his. As if by some cue,
low music began to filter through the space, and
Fintan
pulled her into his arms. “I should warn you, for as light as I am on my feet
in most things, when it comes to my skills of dancing I appear to be missing a
key gene.”

“
That’s
okay,
I won’t tell if you won’t.” She moved into his arms and held on to him as they
began to move, began to dance. “Thank you.
For my surprise.
It’s perfect.” She had gotten the markings on her body with his name and now
this.

“
I told you I had a surprise in
store for you,” he said. “I always deliver on my promises, little wife.” His
arm tightened around her waist while he trailed his fingers up and down her arm
slowly.

“
You really do.” He never failed
to amaze her. “So we’re bonded in all ways now, aren’t we? You carry my name on
your body as I carry yours, I wear the choker that you gave to me, we are
married, and we have a child on the way. We are forever. Nothing will ever come
between us.
Right?”

“
Right,” he said simply. Then he
gave her one of those rare, full-out smiles of his. “I think I’ve managed to
find every way possible to ensure you are mine for the rest of time,
Adira
. But if I’ve forgotten anything, do tell me so I can
make sure I do that too.”

“
No, there is nothing that you’ve
forgotten,” she assured him with a grin. “So, now that we have done everything
that we possibly can to tie ourselves together, what is next?” She loved that
they were in hydroponics together, alone. “Why hydroponics, by the way?” she
asked suddenly.

“
It was the only spot on the ship
that didn’t feel like, well, a ship.” He gave a lazy shrug as he watched her.
“I was originally planning on waiting until we could be
back
home, but I hated the idea of waiting that long. Under the circumstances this
was the best I could manage. I even had the cooks make some of the honey tea
you like so much. I figured since it was a special occasion we might as well
break into the reserves for a little of it.”

“
Really?”
She moved closer to him and
hugged him tightly. “You are really so good to me.” She praised him and kissed
the underside of his chin. “Yes, this is the perfect place for this. We married
on a destroyer, why wouldn’t we connect together with this necklace on a
destroyer as well?”

He grunted at that, a thoughtful
look on his face. “You know, I didn’t even consider that detail. Damn, I’m
obviously way better at this whole planning thing than even I realized.”
Pressing a kiss to her lips, he spun her around in a lazy circle.

She moved with him, a dance that
was all their own. “And more than likely our child was conceived on Bracken’s
destroyer.” If the doctor was correct she had gotten pregnant practically the
first time that she and
Fintan
came together.

He stopped moving to stare at
her, then wrinkled up his nose and let loose with a few choice
Craegin
words, swears if she wasn’t mistaking the tone.
“Can we not tell him that part?
At least not for a few years.
He’ll damn well hold that one over my head. He’ll likely use it as leverage to
ensure he’s our child’s guardian at the very least.”

“
You know as well as I do that he
will figure it out. Bracken might pretend at times to be a bit dense but he’s
not. He’s a very intelligent man and once he realizes that we are with child he
will start to do some addition and come up with the same thing that I did.” She
was snickering, however, and added, “I’m fine with him being our child’s
guardian should anything happen to us.
Who better than
someone we both trust, right?”
Because she knew that she would likely
never see her brother again. She felt herself frowning, the sadness heavy in
her heart from that confession.

“
There is truth in that,” he said
quietly. “What’s upsetting you,
Adira
? Don’t say it’s
nothing. I can see it in your eyes. Tell me what it is, little wife. Maybe I
can help you with it, maybe I can’t, but I won’t know until you tell me what
has you so sad.”

“
I will never see my brother
again. He will never know this child. That makes me sad,” she admitted to him
without hesitation. “It breaks my heart knowing that I will never see him
again.”

Fintan
was silent for a time as they
continued their slow dance. “I can’t make any promises, but I’ll see what I can
do about at least getting him a message. That you’re safe, loved, and expecting
a child. I don’t know if it will make it through. I don’t even know if he’ll
listen to it once he sees the markers on the message. But I’m willing to give
it a try for you,
Adira
.”