TICEES (44 page)

She breached the impasse. Touching his knees with the soles of her feet, she slid them up his powerful legs to his hips, her thighs splaying wide before him. “Take me,” she offered seductively.

He released her with his hands as his body instantaneously pressed her forcefully against the wall. His hands wove under her thighs, supporting her bottom as his upper arms pressed in against her legs, spreading them wider still on either side of her pinioned body. Then his mouth found her neck, and he bit into her, hard.

Chelan gasped and grabbed onto his thick hair as she braced herself for what was to come. She felt him tilt his pelvis, and she tensed. But still he did not penetrate her. Instead, his rock-hard shaft halted at the entrance to her opening, the head pulsing, teasing, baiting. She squirmed against him in desperation, her need almost painful. “Take me,” she begged. “Oh god, please … fill me.”

Her carnal plea put him beyond hope. The heat of her silken flesh and the allure of the moisture that dripped over him like honey stripped away any last reservations he may have had. He pierced into her, one long, slow, powerful drive, sheathing himself to his base. A deep guttural rumble erupted from his chest.

Then he froze, realizing with a shock that the small woman he had impaled had swallowed him whole, all his length, all his girth, all that his distended arousal could possibly give. And she was so exquisitely tight that he was temporarily addled. Then she whimpered, squeezing his penis with her internal muscles, firing off every nerve he possessed, and he lost it. He took her hard, thrusting into her over and over as powerfully as he dared. She cried out again, her nails raking over his shoulders, drawing blood, and he intensified his drives.

Dar continued relentlessly, the feel of her milking his organ sending him into delirium. Her breasts were crushed against his chest, yet as he pounded into her she dug her talons deeper and deeper into him, urging him on. “Yes!” she cried. “Oh god, yes!”

Then his body exploded, the intensity of his orgasm stunning him. With one final thrust, he pierced her so deeply he was sure he had torn her, but she writhed against him, wringing out every tendril of rapture. He kept himself buried within her as surges of ecstasy rippled over his body and through his pulsing shaft. And the sensations just kept coming and coming. He was thunderstruck.

Finally, he released her neck and peered into her bright eyes. “God, woman,” he growled as he panted for air. “What you do to me …” He shook his head slowly.

Chelan leaned forward and ran her tongue up his chin to his lips, kissing him hard and deep. Dar shifted his hips slightly, and Chelan wrenched back. “Don’t you even contemplate leaving my depths,” she hissed.

Dar smiled deviously. He released her legs, allowing her to wrap them about his waist. Then he straightened and walked with her to the bed. There he bent at the waist and laid her on the bed as he sank to his knees on the floor before her. He looked down between them, his eyes widening at the sight of his massive organ within her, stretching her almost impossibly. He withdrew ever so slightly, watching her silky skin caress him, his penis slick with her cream.

“No,” came her soft order, her eyes flashing. “You are mine until morning.”

Dar hesitated. He urged her legs from his waist, and then he pushed them back and apart, spreading her as far as humanly possible. He glanced down at the glistening folds that enveloped him, and his mouth watered. He licked his lips as he looked back into her beautiful eyes. “I will abide by your demand, my Lady, after I have had my fill of you.”

Chelan went to protest, but he hushed her. “I will have my taste of you if I have to tie you to the bed. You have enacted countless hours of love over my body over the years, and now it is your turn. I will not be denied.”

Chelan gasped as he began his torturously slow withdrawal. And when he finally slipped free, she watched as his engorged penis popped up against his abdomen, the length of him still pulsing with hunger. But he was right. She was well aware of his other appetite, the desire to consume her orally. Over the years she had never allowed him to touch her there in any way, and now was his time. She had always craved his body, and he had always allowed her unhindered access to him. Now it was time to return the favor.

She relaxed back and smiled lovingly at him. “I am yours, my Lord.”

Honestly, Dar felt like sinking to the floor before her and worshiping her for what he had already experienced. But allowing him this additional pleasure at long last was almost beyond his wildest dream. He reached for her almost tentatively, his finger just grazing her swollen clit, and she arched to him. So much for savoring the moment. He instantly hunched forward, burying his face in her sweet folds.

Chelan grabbed for his hair. His hands surrounded her thighs and held her fast. His tongue and lips were everywhere, and before she could hardly draw a breath, the first orgasm hit her.

Her hands flew to her breasts, and she grabbed her own nipples, her eyes wide. Then his fingers were in her, his mouth sucking her, and she came again. God, she was in heaven. And he was insatiable. He gave her no quarter, no respite from his feeding. As her fists finally went to the sheets, grasping for purchase, she felt every fiber in her body clenching. If it was possible to die from obtaining the peak of ecstasy time and time again, sure as hell he was going to kill her.

But Dar was oblivious to almost everything around him. All he knew was she had finally offered him all, and he was going to devour every last drop of her nectar. He wanted her scent so deep in his pores it would last him a lifetime. And most of all, he wanted to give her climax after climax as she had so generously done for him so many times.

When finally he felt her weakening, he released her from his oral feast and rose from her. Chelan looked up at the god standing over her, and her breath caught. The site of his virility so blatantly displayed, so wonderfully eager, resurrected her energy. Her hands took her own full breasts again, and she squeezed them seductively. “Now, for my demand.”

Dar watched her like a man deranged as she edged to the center of the bed. Once again, she parted wide for him. Then he held his breath as he followed her motions, one of her delicate hands slipping into her own hot folds, her fingers splaying herself in open invitation. “Come to me … deep, deep inside of me.”

The sound of that epicurean voice, that soft pleading, the picture of the fine femininity laid out before him truly made him wonder if he could leave in the morning. But he quickly shelved the inevitability. He crept over her on hands and knees. He let his legs split wide apart, his full sac just brushing the bed. Then he reached between them, his eye never leaving her gaze. His fingers swept through her vaginal moistness, transferring it to his swollen organ, lubricating himself fully. Then he guided himself into her, reveling in the proliferation of wondrous feelings that once again surged over and through him.

He embedded himself deep as he settled on her. He would gladly submit to her demand from this point on until the morning light cleaved him from her. This was where he truly wanted to be, forever buried within his pretty lady.

And as this gentle lovemaking began, Chelan looked up at the ceiling. This was the purest of loves, and this love was going to carry her on through whatever chaos was cast in her direction. This was what she would cling to: the blonde deity filling her with love, fortifying her soul, and preparing her for whatever was to come. His touch, his scent, his memory would be the life raft she required for simple survival, but surviving just what had yet to reveal itself. But until tomorrow’s light, nothing else mattered. For now she was immersed in his world, protected and bathed by him, made love to … by him.

Dar had arisen at first light, and Chelan had remained in bed, never wishing to leave. The night had been pure ecstasy. He parted from her in the morning, unspeaking, for no words were necessary or adequate to describe what had gone before. Nothing said could accurately express their mutual love—or their mutual grief.

Chelan remained motionless, Dar’s scent still permeating her skin, his touch still upon her even in his absence. She had no wish to shower lest she wash away the last threads of his love, and with it, her security.

The morning light thinned, and soon the afternoon was upon her, and with it, desperate loneliness. She knew that RIBUS 8 was gone, surging through space. And with its departure, another piece of her life was extinguished. She had not said anything to Dar, but she knew deep within her soul that she would never see him again, either. Now all three men were lost to her forever.

Slowly she rose and sat on the edge of the bed, hugging her warm body, her thoughts aimless, her emotions spent. It was time to face Ticees, and she slipped into her white gown. Confronting him no longer mattered to her, for she had nothing more to lose. She had lost it all with the morning light, and now she forced Fremma, Dar, and her beloved Korba into the depths of her memories.

She headed for Ticees’ chambers, not sure of her actions or her words, but she did not care. She did not bother to announce her arrival but simply stepped in on him.

Ticees rose from his chair to meet her, his face solemn, his eyes full of concern. “My Lady,” he whispered.

“Sire,” she returned, tonelessly.

Ticees hesitated and then stepped up to her. “Are you well, my Lady?”

Chelan worked her jaw momentarily, wondering if he was actually serious or just plain stupid. “Yes,” she lied calmly. “And I would like Salizar returned to me, if you permit, my Lord. I will need something to occupy my time.”

Ticees smiled. “Of course, Chelan. I would be delighted to do so.”

Chelan smiled weakly, eyeing him warily. “Thank you.” She turned to leave, but his voice halted her.

“Will you be dining with me tonight, my Lady?”

Chelan did not look at him. “Yes, I suppose I will be,” she said dryly, and she left.

Ticees was numb. Suddenly, he was not so sure of his actions. He loved the woman, but at the same time he was destroying her. Worse than that, he was destroying his lifelong comradery with his trusted friends. He was turning powerful allies into deadly foes, and he really could not afford such folly. The Empire needed the Primary Warlords and their unconditional trust and allegiance. Without them, he was nothing. Yet without Chelan, too, he felt he was dead.

He looked down and closed his eyes. His decision was quick and immutable. What mattered most was Chelan. He would take care of the beautiful alien as if she were his own, preserving her for Korba’s return. He would not harm her emotionally, and he would not touch her physically. She was a precious gem to be cherished, a goddess to be worshiped. He had made a terrible mistake sending his men away, and now he had to make up for it. He knew that for her sake he had to keep Toran away, and in the meantime, there would be three months to endure before both ships returned. Ticees just hoped he could ease her pain, and he hung his head. She did not deserve this, and neither did his men. He collapsed into his chair, his heart burdened, his mind tormented.

*****

The next Iceanean month went smoothly for Chelan, and she was indeed surprised. Ticees’ behavior was exemplary. He met her every need, his presence attentively warm, and most importantly, he never laid a finger on her. For the second time since she had stepped foot on the icy planet, she wondered if she had misread the great Emperor. Maybe his behavior the day of the tour was blown out of proportion in her mind. After all, he did stop when she said no. Was Korba right all along? Had she overreacted to his forward mannerisms out of her anxiety over being stripped of the comfort and security of RIBUS 7? Or was it that his looks simply reminded her too much of her own selfish and unfeeling men, the men of Earth?

Regardless, Ticees was rewarded for his respectful behavior, as Chelan warmed to him considerably. She no longer feared going to his chambers, and as the time slipped into the fourth month since Korba’s departure, Chelan began spending evenings with him, engaged in light conversation, both about his world and hers. He also exposed her to what limited fashion there was for the women of the Empire, treating her often to gifts of gowns and accessories. Chelan almost always wore these tokens of his generosity while in his presence, but whenever she returned to Korba’s domain, it was Dar’s gift that she donned, the pretty white gown and her only fragile link to her Warlords and their love.

Ticees reveled in her company, her gentle demeanor warming him beyond words. He was amused and attracted by her innocent coyness, and of course, he was spellbound by her feminine beauty. But most of all, he was impressed by her brilliance, and their conversational topics ranged from the simply entertaining to the technically advanced. They spent hours together discussing Earth, its peoples, its achievements, and its downfalls. Ticees in turn relayed to her his experiences with similar civilizations, offering his conjectures on whether the little blue planet would prevail under the burden of its human onslaught, or if her species was doomed. The philosophical, cultural, and sociological aspects were immensely complex and fascinating, the subject absorbed and explored at length, and thoroughly enjoyed by both.