Jaded (7 page)

She jerked as it sent her headfirst into her release. Jayd shook hard and bit her lip as a sharp whine pierced the air.

Truanic held her tight, and he bucked his hips against her a flurry of times before he shuddered in his own personal heaven.

Once her breathing had returned to something resembling normal, she asked, “How did you know how to do that?”

“Make love? They took us aside after puberty and explained it.”

“No, the thing with your nails. I was never sensitive to that before. It is very pleasant.”

He laughed and kissed her shoulder. “Ah. That. I did some research when I saw your file. Ontex use rough handling when they mate and I thought that if you have crossed your skin with theirs, it might be pleasant for you.”

She shivered at the memory of his hands down her back and across her breasts. “It is that.”

He laughed. “I am glad. I noticed that you did not ask me to stop, nor did it mar your skin. I am delighted to have guessed correctly.”

She snuggled in and he wrapped his arms tightly around her, he was still inside her and she felt his cock moving slightly, swelling again.

Jayd kept her knee bent and raised but not at the extreme angle he had used. Under the sheets and with Truanic behind her and inside her, she shifted her hips back against him until they were fully together once again.

She shouldn’t have been able to sleep with him slowly arousing her again, but she did.

Light kisses on her shoulder woke her. “Hmm?”

“We have landed. Time to relax.”

She grunted and rolled over, glaring at him. “I was relaxed.”

He grinned, but there was an excitement around him. He dropped a bag on her bed. “Come on. The beach is calling. You can swim, can’t you?”

She grimaced and got out of bed, stumbling to the lav. “Yes, I can swim.”

A few minutes later and she was less sticky, had far less musk clinging to her and was moderately more awake.

She reached for her uniform, but he put his hand over hers and put her casual clothing in her hand instead.

“Casual only. We are here to relax. You are simply Jayd Gonzalez, working for the legal department of the imperium. I am your devoted lover and we are here for vacation.”

She got dressed and wrinkled her nose. “Devoted lover?”

“It is how the Shushan speak of interpersonal relationships. We are staying at my cousin’s resort.”

He had her bag over his shoulder and she shuddered to imagine what he had packed for her while she had been asleep.

“Harry, are you cool with this?”

“Truanic has allowed me to provide him with a pager and has promised to check in once per day. Go and reset. Your mental output is filled with static.”

Jayd hated starting a day on a grump fest, but it seemed to be what she was going to do.

They exited the shuttle and a smiling man in a small conveyance was waiting for them.

Jayd stumbled a little, but it was no surprise. It was the middle of the night.

Truanic put his arm around her waist and escorted her to the transport. “Jayd, this is my cousin, Readic. Readic, this is my beloved, Jayd.”

She elbowed him subtly, and he squeezed her waist.

Readic inclined his head and opened the door for her. “Welcome to Ghaluud.”

“Thank you. What time is it?”

He chuckled. “Dark. We do not measure time here. It is for relaxation only.”

Jayd sat down and Truanic sat next to her, lifting her hand to his lips for a kiss.

Readic started the vehicle and they left the tarmac, skimming across the land and making their way downhill toward the sound of roaring.

Jayd could not see much in the darkness, but when they shifted around a stone cliff face, she was looking out at a vast expanse of water illuminated by two huge moons. She grabbed for Truanic’s hand when the waves crashed in once again.

“You do not care for the sound.”

She whispered to him. “It is not something I am used to. I am sure that I will get the hang of it.”

“I will be with you the entire time.”

Jayd sighed. “You had better be, but I think you can swim in that, and I will sit and just meditate on the beach.”

Readic chuckled. “If that is how you relax, you should enjoy yourself.”

The resort was a huge structure that expanded against a sheer wall of rock and left the wide expanse of the beach completely clear. The vehicle pulled into an alcove and Readic opened his door, moving around to let her out of the transport, touching her hand lightly.

There was a light spark as she touched Readic, but he jerked his hand back and surreptitiously rubbed it on his thigh. She chuckled and stood aside as Truanic picked up their bags and put his arm around her again.

The vacation was about to commence.

She could smell the sea in the air; all the windows of their huge rooms were wide open and facing the ocean. The curtains ruffled and billowed as the sound of the surf came in and wrapped around her.

“The resort offers beach wear.” Truanic opened the wardrobe and pulled out a few long swaths of fabric.

“I am not wearing that.”

“Good. It is men’s clothing. Yours is still in the wardrobe.” He peeled out of his clothes and began to wrap the fabric without hesitation.

She chuckled and moved to the carved wooden clothing storage and saw a set of fabrics in a deep blue all hanging together. “How the hell does this work?”

He snorted and moved past her, wearing the wraps with ease. One went on as a form of loincloth and another was a panel that hung down to his knees in front and back. It was different but had more dignity than Terran board shorts.

“Allow me to assist.”

He removed her clothing from the ship, stood her with her arms extended out straight from left to right, and he wrapped her breasts with one length, snugging and supporting her with a strange final twist that connected the first edge to the final edge behind her neck.

She was then allowed to put her arms down.

The bottom was arranged like his was, the front and rear panels were actually one piece slipped between her thighs and tied around her hips to hold it. The last length of fabric went around holding it over her hips and covering the curve of her buttocks.

Jayd turned from left to right and checked it in the mirror. “Well, I guess that is fine.”

Truanic walked up behind her and loosened her hair. “That is much better. Come with me.”

She looked at the darkness outside and back to her partner. His red eyes were glowing, so she shrugged and allowed him to lead her out. He wanted her to see something, so she would let him lead. Heck, he had to listen to her when they were working, she could return the favour during their time off.

The warmth of the air that ran up her inner thighs and stroked her back the moment that they walked out onto her balcony was a soothing welcome to the world.

“We have a private staircase down to the beach and can come and go as we please. There is a dining room and room service available to you and beach service as well.”

They left the steps and the sand was still warm under her feet, as if the ground under them were alive. He hauled her to the water without hesitation.

“If you will be all right, I would like to swim a little. It has been a while since I have been in the water.”

“You aren’t a water breather, are you?” She had examined his body and hadn’t seen any gill signs.

“No, Shushan just love the water. There is a chair over there if you want to take a nap.”

She grinned. “Fine. Go swim.”

He kissed her quickly then turned and waded into the surf.

She watched his silhouette dive into the water under the bright moons. She walked up the beach and took the seat that he had pointed out to her.

The moons gradually dipped beneath the sea and the sun crept up. Jayd got to her feet and walked to the edge of the sea, dipping her toes in the surf and letting the tide crawl up her legs with steady pulses.

The sun glowed on the horizon and formed a perfect semicircle. As if she had summoned him, Truanic rose out of the water and walked towards her.

The set of his shoulders were relaxed and his thighs pushed the water out of his way as he joined her.

She went up on her toes and kissed him, tasting the salt on his skin before his flavour came through. “Did you enjoy yourself?”

He groaned and lifted her against him. “I was thinking of nothing but you.”

She looped her arms around his neck. “I was thinking the same thing. You can hold your breath for a really long time.”

Truanic sighed. “Not as long as I used to. My mother’s people live at the seaside because they depend on the ocean for food. It was good to do some fishing while I was out there.”

“You went fishing?”

He wrinkled his nose. “Sort of. There is a reason that I can kill with neural disruption. It is how the Shushan hunt. Normally, we use the touch to stun, but due to the shift in my bloodlines, I kill.”

“And yet, I have no problem with you having your hands all over me.” She laughed and kissed him again.

“I know. It is a relief that you came to me that first time. Honour compelled me to keep my hands to myself. It is also a relief that you enjoy a little bit of rough handling.”

It was her turn to wrinkle her nose. “I don’t think of it like that. It just feels good.”

He used his nails and slowly stroked her back. “I am aware of that, but if you were one of my own kind, the clawing would have had you bleeding everywhere.”

She blinked. “Huh. There is finally a bonus to the alteration. Glad to know it.”

He used that slow stroke up her thighs until she shivered uncontrollably.

To her surprise, instead of walking to the room, he backed into the ocean.

She clutched at him. “Oh no.”

“Oh yes. It will do you good to experience all that Ghaluud has to offer.” His hands tightened and he kept her in his grip while he backed up.

When he was thigh deep in the water, he fell backward, hauling her under the waves with him.

She held her breath and almost let it out when his eyes glowed red and his skin illuminated the area around them. Her eyes stung a little, but after blinking rapidly, the sensation faded.

He kicked them deeper into the water and she held her breath until her lungs felt like they would burst. She fought to free herself, and instead, he pressed his lips to hers, a stream of oxygen blew into her mouth. She pulled away and exhaled, then placed her lips back over his and breathed in.

Once she wasn’t freaking out, he began to swim again, showing her the underwater world as it was touched by light.

He needed to breathe once every ten minutes, and she knew it was because she was sucking so much of his air. It made her feel bad until she remembered that he had hauled her into the sea without asking.

By the rise of the sun, it was an hour later when they emerged from the water. He walked, she staggered. Her limbs were not up to swimming for that long.

“You did better than I thought, Jayd.”

She grumbled. “You owe me breakfast.”

“This way.”

“Do they mind that we are soaking wet?”

“They had better not.” He laughed, and once again, his arm came around her as they hiked through the resort common areas.

“This is a really nice resort.”

“I am glad you like it. It is new. Readic is branching out from the family business, so we have managed to get in before it becomes popular for off-worlders.”

A server came to get them and seated them at a table for two.

She scowled at Truanic when he ordered for her in a fast language that was not Nyal common. “What did you order?”

“A standard traditional breakfast with a few additions that you will recognise. We eat a lot of fish, so this way, you can find something you will be willing to eat.”

She laughed. “Fine. So, what do we do now?”

“We rest, swim, eat, have sex. Not necessarily in that order. This is a vacation. Enjoy it.”

“I might slip a little. Where is Harry?”

“I am not telling you. You are going to sit here, relax and not have anyone in your mind.”

He extended his hand, palm up, and she slid her hand along his, enjoying the texture and the heat. She expanded her mind a little and could find nothing but workers delighted to be at the resort and a few guests who felt the same.

“This place is very tranquil.”

“I know. Ah, morning, Readic.”

Readic looked a little tired, but his blue-green eyes were bright. He was wearing a black version of Truanic’s garb, so he was right, it was proper clothing. “Cousin, it is good to see you so relaxed.”

“It is the company.”

Readic inclined his head toward Jayd, “It is good to see you again. I thought that your pallor was due to exhaustion. I am glad to see it is natural.”

“Thank you for your hospitality.”

“It is my pleasure to repay Truanic for his assistance in getting this resort up and running. He managed to work out all the permits and authorizations I required.” Readic grinned.

Jayd looked at her companion. “Legal business?”

“You don’t think I would take a job with the imperium for the money? It was a trade. My services for a fast track for the permits needed to open this resort. It is a two-year contract.”

Truanic smiled, and Jayd had to push away the cold feeling in her belly. She had begun to think of a life with him in it, and now, he was showing her the expiry date.
Damn.

Readic looked at her face, and he suddenly got flustered. “Please excuse me.”

Truanic looked at her and asked, “What is wrong?”

“I just forgot that we work together and that it will come to an end. You will go on and I will get a new partner.”

“I am only under contract for two years, after that, I can choose to be your executioner.”

She leaned back. “Why would you do that? You have a family, you could come and join the resort business with Readic.”

He kept his grip on her hand, got to his feet, pulled her to her feet and then he sat down, pulling her into his lap. “I don’t want to go into business with Readic. I have been with you for just over ten days, and I cannot imagine not having you with me. If you allow it, I will remain with you until the imperium retires you.”