CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Ash
For the third time in her life, Ash drifted to consciousness.
This time, awakening did not come with an accompanying sense of dread.
In her fuzzy, in-between state, she had the sense of eagerness to be awake.
She had something to do, or someone to see, and her mind stretched toward the muted noises and the shadows moving on the other side of her eyelids, rather than cringing away from them.
One voice in particular sounded familiar, and warm, and…sexy.
Zade. Her heart leapt at the recollection.
Memories were returning, becoming clearer.
She was on the Raplan-B, not Earth. No one had died—at least, not yet.
Zade’s voice sounded strong and confident, as always.
He was giving orders to people, and there were a number of others around, turning the mix of murmured voices into mush.
Slowly, she willed her eyes to open. The lids felt like they were being pulled down with lead weights.
The room was dim, of course, except for the blue of her reju table.
She remembered feeling ill, dizzy, then throwing up.
After that, she must have passed out. A glance at the readouts on the wall monitor revealed all blue and green—no yellow or red—indicating that she was in good health.
She stretched, long and deep. It felt so good, and she could tell that any tubes that had been attached had been removed.
That meant she had come through whatever had made her ill.
A hand closed around hers, warm and strong and large. She gathered up her strength and squeezed it. He was next to her, gazing down at her with a tender expression. “My love,” he murmured. His head lowered and his lips brushed her knuckles. “I am so pleased to see you have awakened.”
Ash took in his shining hair, gleaming like gold, and his pale, shadowed face. “I am happy to be awake.” Her mood darkened. “You look ill,” she said. “Are you okay? You didn’t catch whatever I have, did you?”
“Had. You are fully cured.” He smiled. “And I am perfectly healthy. Simply tired. It has been a trial, but Yoli found the cure for the toxin that made you ill.”
The tall female standing behind Zade made a noise in her throat and shook her head, but Zade turned to her. “You deserve full credit for this and you shall receive it. You and the team you assembled have saved countless lives.”
Yoli’s cheeks flushed. She stared at him in shock, then looked away, rapidly blinking.
“In fact, you have proven yourself capable of taking on more leadership roles on this ship, if you are willing?”
Yoli looked like she was about to faint. “Stars, yes,” she said in a strangled voice. “I have wanted that for so long.”
“Good. We will discuss it later, then. I will be stepping down from some committees.” Zade turned back to Ash; his gaze was warm and possessive and made Ash’s toes curl. “I will have other duties to attend to.”
He made it sound like her residency on the Raplan-B would be a permanent one.
It was a huge step, although it did not appear to be in the slightest bit a question to her Baylan mate.
In his eyes, they were bonded for life. It was something Ash had done once already and thought she’d never do again, but another go at marriage—or whatever the Baylan’s called this bond—was definitely looking better.
Their gazes locked and her belly tightened.
He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Your vital signs have returned to normal.”
“That’s nice.” She reached for his hand and tugged him down. “Can we make all these people go away?” she asked into his ear.
He chuckled. Straightening, he waved a hand and the room cleared instantly.
“That’s better.” She sat up and looped her arms around his neck. He lifted her, carrying her carefully to his larger reju.
She kissed the underside of his cut jaw and slid her fingers into his hair, but he captured her hands and held her away from him. His brow was stern.
“You are recovering from a deadly toxin. I will not stress your body further with sex.”
“You are stressing me more by not touching me.” She moved over and patted the space next to her. “Just lie with me, then.”
He did, lying beside her and gathering her in his arms. Ash rested her head on his wide chest and drew lazy circles around his peaked nipples with her fingers. He sighed and closed his eyes. Ah, she did enjoy torturing her gorgeous Baylan.
“Tell me, how are the other people on Earth who were bitten by this creature?” she asked.
“Those who could be saved have received the antidote. They are recovering.” His voice was clipped. She moved her hand lower, tracing the cut ridges of his abdomen, then lower. His nostrils flared. “My female has a cruel streak.”
She laughed. “You know, I almost died. I don’t intend to waste another minute of my life not taking what I want.”
His hand moved from her shoulder to cup a breast. “Is that so?”
“Mm-hmm.” She slipped a hand between his thighs and found his cock, long and hard and ready for her. He moved his legs slightly apart to give her better access.
“And what is it that you want, Ash?” he rasped.
“Oh, a little of this…” she cupped his balls through his suit, running her nails over the sensitive skin. “A little of that.” She took hold of his length and tugged. He sucked in a harsh breath.
In one move, he rose and flipped them both so she lay on her back and he hovered above her. “You will get a lot of that, if you do not cease your fondling of me.”
Ash smiled sweetly. “I really like fondling you, Zade.”
He lowered his head and brushed his lips over hers. “I think that you are sufficiently recovered.” His body scraped over hers, tantalizing sensitive nipples.
She arched her hips off the table and rubbed against his engorged cock. “Thank you for seeing things my way.”
He frowned. “Do not be mistaken. I am not a compliant male.”
She took his lower lip between her teeth and licked. “Good.” She hooked one leg over his ass and pulled his body down to hers. “I’m not quite sure why I’m so horny.”
A skilled tongue slid over her nipple. “It is the bond,” he ground out. “The early stages of it are quite…intense.”
She tilted her head back as his lips moved up to her neck and nuzzled. “I’ll say. And this deal is for life?”
He went still. “It is. I know you lost your partner once.” He did not sound pleased to mention that.
“I did,” she replied softly. “I thought I could never…” Ash looked up at him intently. “When I first awoke, you called me ‘my love.’ What does that mean to Baylans?”
“The same thing it means to humans,” he replied.
“It is a declaration of strong feelings of attachment, commitment, and affection. I will desire no other female and you will become fertile to me alone.” He thought for a moment.
“Your family is welcome here, and of course you may visit Earth when you wish.”
“Wow. My brothers will lose their tiny little minds.” Ah. Ash just remembered her family. She put a hand to her forehead and closed her eyes. “Oh man, my parents.”
“I have spoken to them.”
Her eyes flew open. “You what?”
“I informed them that you are my biological mate,” he replied, looking not at all sorry. “It had to be done. You were unconscious.”
Ash groaned. “What did they say?”
“Your father wished to know if I loved you and if I could support you,” he said with a puzzled frown. “I did not quite understand what the last part meant.”
“Oh, man.” She covered her face with her hands. “What did you say?”
He shrugged. “I said I loved you very much, and explained to him my position on this ship. It seemed to satisfy him.”
“Did you say the word ‘doctor?’”
“I did, because—”
“Okay.” Ash held up a hand to stop him. “That was all he needed to hear.”
“Your mother informed me that there would be a wedding.” He looked slightly aggrieved at that. “We do not have such things here.”
Ash chuckled. “You do now. My mom felt cheated out of a wedding the first time and I’m the only daughter, so she won’t be denied this time.”
He raised one eyebrow. “You did not have a celebration with your deceased mate?”
“Nope,” she replied, deciding now was not the time to educate him on “mate,” versus “husband.” “We eloped. She never forgave us.”
Zade sighed and ran a finger down her cheek. “This should be interesting.”
“So, you really do love me?”
“Yes,” he replied. “The question is, do you feel the same for me?”
She looked away, focusing on nothing but the churn of her own thoughts.
“I am not familiar with this mating process of yours. It’s very different from the way we humans do it, and I admit, it’s unnerving.
But I can’t deny how I feel. And we’ve all seen how things have gone with the other human women who have Baylan partners.
” She pulled in a breath and let it out slowly.
“I have trusted you so far—with my leg and my life. I have no reason to doubt that this bond is the real thing, that these feelings I have are actual love.” She pulled him down into her embrace, into her heart.
“I do love you, Zade. It feels crazy and overwhelming and there’s no one else I’d like to spend time with. Let’s see how this thing works.”
He lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her. This kiss was different from any other that they’d shared. It was hard, insistent, possessive, but brimming with tenderness. He braced his forearms on either side of her head and kissed her, taking everything, including her breath.
“One other thing,” she gasped out, ripping her lips from his. “Are we going to get actual quarters? Because this work-life space thing is not ideal. And I’m going to need a closet. I have a lot of shoes.”
He laughed, stroking her hair and tipping his forehead against hers. “It is already taken care of.”
“It is?”
He nodded. “The Saar-king has been urging me to accept my rightful chambers on the command wing, but I saw no reason to, until now. We have a full suite which you may customize as you please. I’ll show you…” His lips were on hers again, teasing, tasting. “After.”
Her body writhed beneath his. His hips ground against hers, sending friction sparks between her legs, igniting her clit and wetting her pussy.
He ripped away the loose gown she was dressed in and growled in approval.
His gaze roamed over her exposed flesh. Hunger and need shone in his electric blue eyes.
With eager fingers, she pulled at the seams of his suit.
He helped and shrugged out of the garments.
They were skin on skin, heat to heat. Ash bucked her hips.
She wanted his thickness between her legs, sliding inside her, stretching her and filling her.
Her juices were cool against her thighs. Her pussy tingled with anticipation.
“I want you, Zade.” She lightly scraped her nails down his chest, then grasped his cock with both hands. “You’re more than ready.”
Without a word, he reared back, positioned himself at her entrance and plunged inside her.
Ash gasped, back arching, skin exploding with sensation.
He rocked his hips, sliding deep inside her, then halfway out, before thrusting hard again.
Her body adapted to his girth and length as if it had been made for him alone.
She could see the slight sheen of sweat on his shoulders, hear his ragged breathing.
His eyes blazed his need as they took on a luminescence in the darkened room.
The soul markings covering his body undulated, like light through the depth of water, as her fingers touched them. He was beautiful. He was hers.
She met his thrusts, taking each powerful stroke and giving it back.
The pleasure rose in her. A great pressure built, delicious and hot.
Her breaths turned to gasps. Her heart pounded rapid and frantic.
She moaned his name as the dam burst and her body went taut with the waves of orgasm.
Every nerve ending flooded with bright, delicious pleasure that only Zade could bring her. Only Zade.
His breathing was ragged as he pounded into her harder, running a desperate pace as he crashed toward his own release.
Her pussy tightened on his cock as it swelled.
He thrust one last time, reaching her depths, touching the core of her.
He released his seed inside her on a bellow of ecstasy. Of triumph.
Ash felt complete, so utterly fulfilled. She draped her limp arms around him as he lowered himself over her. He shifted his weight to the side and tugged her so she sprawled half over his chest. His heart pounded low in his abdomen, where Baylan hearts grew.
She wondered, if they made a baby together one day, would its heart grow there, as well? The idea made her smile against her mate’s broadly muscled chest. The glow of his soul markings was warm beneath her cheek. He idly played with her hair.
“That was…amazing.” It was hard to find the right word. Even that one didn’t do it justice.
“Hmm,” murmured her mate. “You will do, female. This will do.”
Yes, she thought. It would.