Chapter 16
SIXTEEN
Samantha trembled.
She should’ve been afraid, should’ve been terrified. How many times had James hurt her when he told her to close her eyes? How many times had he abused her trust?
But this was Arcanthus . Though she’d only known him for a short time, she did trust him. She couldn’t help a twinge of fear for the unknown, for letting herself be so vulnerable, but excitement overpowered that fear.
She yearned for his touch. Her nipples were hard and aching, her sex wet and throbbing, and only Arc could satiate the excruciating need consuming her. She wanted him inside her. It didn’t matter that his cock split into four independently moving parts, it was still him.
More than anything, she wanted to share this intimacy with Arcanthus. She wanted to make new memories with him, memories so heated and passionate that they’d burn away all the horrible experiences she’d endured, that the ghosts of her past would blow away like ash on the wind.
Sam could still taste him on her tongue, and that only aroused her more. He tasted like lavender, floral and sweet. She’d been shocked at first; it, like his cock, had been wholly unexpected—but it was also wholly welcome.
What had she expected though? He was an alien. It was foolish to have gone into this as though he’d have human parts.
She’d always despised using her mouth as she just had, but she’d found herself eager to do so for Arcanthus despite her past experiences. She wanted to pleasure him again and again; she’d found satisfaction for herself in it. The act had been immensely enjoyable—especially when she’d watched him come apart in the throes of ecstasy. He’d been exquisite with his head thrown back, his brows low, his lips curled in a snarl that revealed those enticing, sexy fangs, and his body moving helplessly.
All because of her mouth, her lips, her tongue.
It had made her feel powerful .
Now…it was her turn to surrender. Her turn to be pleasured.
Arcanthus’s hands settled on her thighs. Samantha started at the contact. His palms slowly trekked upward, their warmth radiating through her leggings.
“I want you to feel everything ,” he said.
He slipped his fingers under her shirt and hooked its hem with his thumbs, drawing it up as his hands continued their journey. Within moments, his fingertips were running over the bare skin of her sides, moving from her waist to her ribs. Sam’s breath caught in her throat when his thumbs brushed over her hardened nipples. A moment later, her breasts were bare, and his warm palms slid over them.
Those fleeting touches were all he gifted her sensitive flesh; he lifted the shirt farther up, bunching it as it moved. His hands trailed along her arms, higher and higher, and drew the garment over her head. Her hair fluttered back down around her shoulders a few strands at a time. Once the shirt was off completely, the air flowed over her naked skin, carrying a chill in the wake of his heated touch.
Taking hold of her wrists, he guided her hands to his shoulders, both of which were warm and solid—one velvety flesh, the other sleek metal. Then his fingers smoothed downward, sweeping around her hips to slip beneath her backside. He lifted her bottom off the bed, hooked the waistbands of her leggings and panties, and drew them down her legs.
As the clothing neared her knees, something thick brushed along her pussy—the end of his tail. Samantha gasped and attempted to close her legs, but his hands kept them spread.
“Already wet for me, little terran?” Arc purred. He peeled her clothing off the rest of the way. “Open your legs wider.”
Heat suffused Sam’s cheeks as she slowly parted her thighs.
“Wider,” Arc coaxed. “Show me that glistening pink slit.”
Oh God .
His command sent a rush of desire through her; Samantha clutched his shoulders and opened her legs wider.
Was it possible to climax from his words alone?
“Such an alluring, delicate little flower.” He lowered his shoulders and settled his arms over her thighs. His silken hair brushed over Sam’s stomach and leg.
Her belly quivered. As he slid back, his arms looped around her legs, forearms nestling beneath her knees. He pressed his lips against her mons a moment later, right above her clit.
Samantha gasped, and her pelvis jerked forward. Her breath quickened, coming out in shallow puffs. She opened her eyes.
Arc’s head was between her thighs, his lips curled into a wicked grin. Though his lower eyes were focused on her sex, his center eye was staring up at her.
“Eyes closed , Samantha. ”
She snapped them shut.
He exhaled, his breath hot and heavy against her wet folds. His chest swelled against her inner thighs as he inhaled deeply. “Ah, my sweet flower, you smell delectable .”
Samantha whimpered. Her body trembled, aching for his touch.
“Do you yearn for the feel of my mouth against your slit, Samantha?”
“Yes,” she rasped.
He turned his head and brushed his lips along her inner thigh, trailing slow, sultry kisses away from her core. As his mouth moved, he took hold of her wrists again, guiding her hands to his curved horns. “Lie back.”
Sam grasped his horns and eased her back onto the bed.
Wedging his shoulders between her legs, he placed his hands on her thighs and parted them farther. He slid his palms closer to her pelvis. His thumbs settled on the soft outer folds of her pussy and spread her open.
She panted, clinging to his horns, simultaneously eager and afraid as liquid heat flooded her. “Arc…”
“ Feel me, Samantha.” His mouth pressed against her sex an instant later, followed by a long, slow stroke of his tongue, licking her from bottom to top.
Samantha couldn’t hold in her gasp of delight as she arched her back. She tugged on his horns, pulling him closer. It was the most shocking, thrilling, exquisite thing she’d ever felt.
Arc’s hands tightened around her thighs, and he moaned, licking again before giving her another kiss—this time directly on her clit. Her hips jerked at the jolt of pleasure, but he held her firmly in place. Arcanthus growled; the sound vibrated into her, heightening her pleasure as he sucked her clit into his mouth .
Samantha gasped, and her toes curled in rapture before her cries rose to fill the room.
He released her clit with a husky chuckle. “Your cries are the most beautiful music I’ve ever heard, and your taste is ambrosial, little terran. I don’t know how I denied myself earlier.”
Giving her no time to recover, Arc lowered his head. He ravaged her with his mouth, licking, sucking, and kissing every inch of her pussy. His tongue was ruthless as it delved deep into her channel, thrusting with surprising strength.
When his mouth moved back to her clit and he took it between his lips, stars burst in the darkness behind her closed eyelids. Ragged breaths tore from her throat, and she writhed in wild abandon as she came. Arcanthus eased his grip on her thighs; she undulated her pelvis, grinding her sex against his hungry mouth. Her cries were mindless as she succumbed to his erotic kiss.
The tremors coursing through her dulled as Arcanthus continued to leisurely lick and caress her with his lips. Her thighs quivered, and her core clenched. Though she’d come hard, she craved more . She felt as though there were something missing.
Arc .
She needed him inside her.
Samantha opened her eyes and raised her head to peer down at him. It was such a salacious, arousing thing to see his head between her thighs, to see his yellow eyes and markings bathing her skin in their soft glow.
He lifted his head just enough for her to see his mouth—which glistened with her slick—and ran his tongue slowly over his lips. “ Vrek’osh , my flower, I could drink from you forever.” He dipped his chin and slid his tongue along her sex from bottom to top, releasing a deep groan. “Are you ready for something more?”
Samantha shivered at his deep, rumbling voice. “Yes.”
Arcanthus slipped his hands under her backside, bracing his arms along her back, and shifted her farther onto the bed. He climbed up a moment later and crawled over her slowly. His long, dark hair fell around him, brushing over her sweat-dampened skin as he moved up her body, his hypnotic eyes never leaving hers.
His mouth came down hard on Sam’s. She felt the scrape of his fangs and tasted herself upon his lips and tongue, sending new spirals of ecstasy through her. She clutched his sides, smoothing her hands over his flesh, and hooked her arms around his back to draw him closer.
Arcanthus dropped his hands to her hips and rolled suddenly onto his back, dragging Samantha along with him. She pressed her palms against his chest as she came down atop him, straddling his hips. He grinned up at her.
The tendrils of his shaft tickled her backside, teasing her wet sex, seeking entry. Her core clenched at the thought of having them inside her, so alien and yet so arousing. What would they do? What would they feel like?
Arc stroked the back of a finger over her belly. “I am going to fill you, and you will feel everything .”
Heat rushed to her face. “How did you…know what I was thinking?”
He chuckled, captured a lock of her hair, and caressed it, twirling it around his finger. “It’s written upon your face. It’s burning in your eyes. You can’t hide yourself from me, Samantha.”
Arcanthus released her hair and moved his hands down to cup her ass, grinding her against the base of his cock. Samantha gasped, her fingers curling upon his chest like talons.
“Do you want me, Samantha?”
“Yes. I want you.”
“Then claim me. Make me yours.”
Anxiety constricted her throat. She’d never been the one in control. “I-I don’t…”
Tightening his hold on her, Arc lifted Sam so she was raised on her knees. “Grasp my cock.”
Cheeks still aflame, Samantha reached between their bodies and slid her hand down his shaft; his tendrils brushed over her fingers, and a shiver coursed through him. Emboldened, she wrapped her hand around his base. The tendrils sealed.
Arcanthus slid his hands down her thighs. “Now take me into your body, little terran.”
Samantha lowered herself until the tip of his cock touched her entrance. Her legs trembled. She bore down, and he breached her, sliding into her sex.
Arc groaned and squeezed her thighs.
She bit her lip, pushed back up, and dropped down again, welcoming him into her body, taking him deeper. He filled her, stretched her, and the nodules lining his cock stimulated her with every shallow pump.
“Yes, just like that,” Arc rumbled, bringing her eyes to his.
Panting softly through parted lips, Samantha released his shaft to flatten both hands on his chest. She lifted her hips again and slammed down on him, forcing her body to take him fully.
Her breath hitched, silencing her cry. Arcanthus filled her completely, stretching her nearly to the point of pain, but the discomfort quickly subsided.
Only incredible, exhilarating fullness remained.
Arcanthus hissed through his teeth, his eyes momentarily closing as he tilted his head back. When his eyes reopened, intense and burning with hunger, they fixed upon Samantha.
“Use me, my flower,” he said. “Take what you will. I am yours.”
Keeping her gaze locked with his, Sam set a steady rhythm. She and Arc moaned in unison as she rocked back and forth. She felt every one of his nodules against her inner walls; each stroke of his cock pushed her pleasure higher and higher.
Arcanthus slid his hands up to cup her breasts. He squeezed them, kneaded her flesh, and pinched her nipples, sending shock waves straight to her core. Her pussy greedily clenched around him.
“Do you feel how well we fit together?” he asked. “Do you feel how perfect this is?”
“Yes,” she panted, eyelids fluttering. She could feel it, could sense her peak, so close and yet just out of reach. It was becoming difficult to keep rhythm—her elbows and knees were weak and trembling, refusing to support her weight as tingles spread through her limbs.
“Yes, my little terran.” Arc chuckled through a moan, dropping his hands to her hips. “Let go. Seek your pleasure. Demand it from my body. Demand it from me.”
His strong arms supported Samantha, lifting and dropping her to meet the upward thrusts of his pelvis, each of which was a little stronger than the last.
Her desire overrode everything else; he was all that mattered. He was all she needed.
Samantha’s nails scratched and bit into his skin as Arcanthus quickened the pace. A fresh wave of pleasure blasted through her, and her elbows buckled. She fell upon his chest, and Arcanthus lifted his head, claiming her mouth hungrily. His lips dominated her, and she submitted, returning his kiss with a fervent sort of intensity .
Her body tensed, racked with tremors sparked by sensations she could not describe, until she’d succumbed to reckless abandon. She cried out against his mouth. Her thoughts fragmented as she was hurtled beyond the point of no return. Euphoria flooded her, sending torrents of rapture through her body.
She came apart at the seams, but she knew, in the end, Arcanthus would be there to put her back together.
Arcanthus growled against Samantha’s mouth as her sex clenched around his cock and a gush of liquid heat flowed from her. Her body pulled him deeper, greedy for what he had to give her. He thrummed with intense pleasure from top to bottom—even in limbs that were no longer flesh and blood—but he held on. He wasn’t ready to be done; he’d not yet had enough of her.
Samantha tore her mouth from his and pressed her face against his neck, muffling her cries. Her breath was hot against his skin. Her entire body tensed and quivered over and around him, resisting his rhythm.
Something new sparked inside him—something deep, something ancient, something he’d never fully glimpsed.
It was the result of his people’s mixed ancestry, a beast left dormant in his blood. A beast woken by its recognition of its mate.
He hooked an arm around her shoulders and rolled, flipping Samantha onto her back while keeping himself buried within her. As she writhed atop the rumpled bedding, Arcanthus shifted onto his knees, threw her legs around his waist, and grasped her hips. He yanked her down onto his cock, seating himself deeply inside her and producing another gasp from her kiss-swollen lips .
She clutched the blanket and looked up at him, eyes glazed and half-lidded. “Arc…”
He met her gaze and drew back his hips. He had no more words for her. When her pink tongue ran across her lower lip, any semblance of control he might’ve maintained burned away. He unleashed himself; he thrust into her hard, simultaneously slamming her against his pelvis.
Her cries gave way to ragged, panting breaths as he set a frantic pace, driven by an animalistic urge to have her, to claim her, to fill her with his seed. Guttural sounds rose from his chest and forced their way through his bared fangs.
His cock easily delved in and out of her wet channel, which sucked him in hungrily. He inhaled, filling his senses with the smell of sex, the perfume of his mate. Possessiveness tensed his muscles.
She was his. His .
Samantha squeezed her eyes shut and arched her back, thrusting her breasts into the air, as she crested again. She tightened her legs around him and dug her heels into the backs of his thighs, pulling him deeper.
The sight of his mate awash on a sea of ecstasy might’ve been enough on its own to send Arcanthus over the edge, but combined with the tightness of her convulsing channel, it was more than he could bear.
A maelstrom of sensation rushed through him. He held on for as long as he could, but the pressure was too great. Throwing his head back with eyes closed tight, Arcanthus roared. His muscles seized as his tendrils split open, latching onto her inner walls to force open the path to her womb, and his seed pumped into her.
Unimaginable pleasure blasted through his shuddering body, obliterating everything inside—it swept away every other feeling, every conscious thought, every bit of sensory input not related to her. For a few blissful moments, he didn’t even know who he was. Only Samantha remained. Samantha, his mate.
His…everything.
When his awareness returned, he found himself bent over Samantha with his arms to either side of her head. Her dark hair was strewn about her, her pink-tinged skin glistened with sweat, her eyes were closed, and her lips were parted.
She was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.
Spasms raced through his body as his cock continued to flood her with his seed; his cybernetic limbs, in contrast, were locked in place, and refused to comply with his mental commands.
When he was finally able to move again, he lifted one arm and delicately brushed a few strands of damp hair away from Sam’s cheek.
Her eyelids fluttered open, and she turned her face to look up at him. A contented smile graced her lips. She placed her palm on his chest, over his pounding heart.
“I’m not sure what that was, little terran, but I intend to have it again and again until my body finally fails me,” he said.
Her smiled widened. “I…won’t mind.”
He grinned, sweeping his gaze over her face; he wanted this image of her forever in his memory. “I don’t know if I’d give you a choice either way.”
She grasped a thick hunk of his hair with her free hand and tugged him down. Helpless to resist, Arc bent and lowered his head as she tilted her chin up and kissed him. It was a tender kiss, an affectionate caress of lips, seeming to convey everything she felt but could not voice.
With any other female, Arcanthus would’ve panicked in that moment. He’d never wanted anything more than a fleeting physical connection; he’d never committed to anything beyond a bit of mutual pleasure. He didn’t fully understand the things Samantha made him feel, but he recognized them in her kiss, felt their echoes from her soul, and he accepted it all. So what if he didn’t understand? This female was unlike anyone else, and her magnetic pull on him only strengthened with his every step closer.
Her hand slid up into his hair, and she broke the kiss. “I really like your hair.”
“How could you not?”
Samantha laughed; the gentle vibration from her body flowed straight to his cock. It was only then that he realized it hadn’t relinquished its hold. Her laughter only made his tendrils tighten their grip.
Her laughter died and her breath hitched. “Are…are you… stuck ?”
“Yes. Yes, I am. Much as I’d prefer to tell you it’s normal, I’ve never had this happen before—not for this long, anyway. My body seems rather covetous of you.”
“Oh.”
“ I am rather covetous of you.”
Sam’s eyes rounded. “ Oh .”
Arc grinned as he grazed one of his hands down her arm and over her hip to palm her ass. He kissed her again. A few days ago, she would’ve shied away from his slightest touch, and now she actively sought it, lifting her head to meet his lips. Her trust in him filled Arcanthus with warmth.
When his cock finally deigned to release its hold, Arcanthus reluctantly drew back his hips, slipping free of her channel. His seed spilled from her. The sight filled him with an unexplainable, savage pride, and a resurgence of possessiveness; though he’d withdrawn from her, part of him lingered inside.
His shaft slowly receded into his slit until only the tip protruded .
He slipped off the bed, reached forward, and pulled her toward the edge. Samantha didn’t resist as he scooped her up; she looped her arms around his neck and shivered. Her flesh was hot against his, and the air was chilly in comparison.
Arcanthus carried her into the bathroom and stepped into the pool, flicking the nearby controls with his tail to lower the pool’s floor. He sat on a submerged ledge, letting the water deepen until it was up to his chest, and positioned Samantha on his lap.
“This place is amazing,” she said.
“I’ve always believed a home is a reflection of its owner.” He dropped one of his hands onto her thighs and gently massaged her flesh, wiping away the lingering stickiness of their joining.
She turned her face toward him and grinned. “Have you always been this arrogant?”
“I can’t be considered arrogant if it’s all true. Only confident and self-aware.”
She chuckled. Looking down into the water, she placed her hand on his arm. “The water doesn’t affect them?”
Arcanthus huffed. “No. I spent good credits on these limbs. They weren’t pieced together on some backwater planet, they’re top of the line. Only the finest for myself…and my female.” His fingertips danced over the soft flesh of her pelvis, just centimeters away from her sex.
How could he have experienced so much pleasure only moments ago and still hunger for more? How was his want for her so relentless, so insatiable?
She pressed her thighs together, trapping his hand.
“Hmm…I suppose you’ve earned a respite, if you feel you require one,” he said, dipping his face to brush his lips against her cheek and nip her ear.
Arcanthus cleaned his mate, taking pleasure in the simple task, especially when contentment relaxed her features as he washed her hair and massaged her back. By the time he was done, she was limp and nearly drowsing, her eyelids drooping.
He gathered her close, rose, and carried her out of the pool. She rested her head on his shoulder. He paused only long enough on his way out of the bathroom to let the auto-dryer do its work; the floor and ceiling briefly glowed white, and tingling warmth flowed over his skin, easing away the moisture.
Once he was beside his bed, he shifted his tail around to his front, hooked its tip beneath the bedding, and peeled the covers back. He gently laid Samantha in the open space. She curled on her side, and he pulled the blanket over her body.
After brushing the backs of his fingers over her delicate cheek, he turned to leave.
She caught his wrist.
Brow furrowed, he glanced down at her. “What is it, Samantha?”
“Stay with me,” she said sleepily. “Hold me.”
Her request caught him off guard; habit dictated that he never slept with anyone , that he never allowed himself to be so vulnerable. But what weight did habit hold when it came to Samantha? He’d already violated so many of his normal behaviors for her, had already risked so much. He’d demanded trust from her…and she deserved trust from him in return.
He lifted the blanket again and eased himself onto his side next to her. His heart pounded, and his mouth was suddenly dry. The logical part of his mind said this was just sleeping. What was there to be nervous about?
I feel for her so deeply, so wholly, and I don’t know what these emotions are. They’re so powerful, so intense…
And this was another step toward the edge. A little farther, and he’d plunge into the darkness of the complete unknown, he’d tumble beyond the limits of his experience .
As he laid his head down and wrapped his arms around Samantha to draw her against his chest, he realized that he wanted to delve into the unknown with her. He wanted to discover what their relationship would become, what it was meant to be.
Samantha rested her head on his flesh-and-blood bicep, and her soft, warm breath wafted over his chest. Her arms, with her hands curled into fists, were bent between her body and his. Within moments, her breathing slowed; she was asleep.
Arcanthus tightened his hold on her and wrapped the tip of his tail around her leg, wanting as much contact as possible. He rested his chin atop her head.
Even if he couldn’t decipher his complex emotions regarding Samantha, one thing was certain—lying with her in his arms felt right. It felt like this was what had always been missing in his life. Like she was the piece that had been left out of him all along, and he’d only just figured out how she fit.
He didn’t realize he was succumbing to sleep until it was too late; Samantha’s intoxicating scent, mingled with his own, was the last thing he was aware of before oblivion claimed him.