Captives of New Pompeii (11 page)

“Vulcan is not searching for Fedorans. We
have the unpleasant distinction of being favored by Venus. The
Fedorans are harboring us, so it is in their best interest not to
mention us to anyone.” She shook her head. “As long as a person
believes in the gods, it’s all perfectly reasonable.”

“And the miraculous way they were
transported to another world will reinforce their belief in
Venus.”

“Exactly.” He shook his head as well, a
reluctant smile curving his lips. “It’s crafty. You have to give
them that.”

“It’s diabolical. But in the long run it
might be what’s best for my people. Their lives will continue on as
they have always been, while mine is in complete upheaval.”

He opened his arms and she went eagerly into
his warm embrace. She didn’t want to need him, but already she felt
more balanced, more secure when he was around. “I would have spared
you this upheaval, but you saw right though my ploy.”

She eased away without leaving his arms.
“You were claiming to be what I am. Did you honestly think you
could fool the real thing?”

His brow arched. “You are one of six
priestesses we’ve processed so far. You’re the only one who
second-guessed the cover story. You’re not the average priestess,
my dear.”

Pleased by his praise, she decided to tell
him her decision. “This is going to happen with or without my
cooperation, so I’ve decided to help you. I want the transition to
be as painless as possible for as many of my people as I can
help.”

“That’s wonderful!” He pulled her back
against his chest and hugged her for a moment, his hands moving up
and down her back. “We’ll have to be really careful. You’ll need to
stay in the infirmary as much as possible.”

“Is that where the orientations take
place?”

“Yes. It’s important to minimize everyone’s
exposure to the ship and the crew.”

For a long moment they just stood there,
content in each other’s arms. “This feels really nice.” She rested
her head on his shoulder and surrounded herself with his scent.

“Can I sleep here tonight?” His voice was
barely a whisper, yet need resonated through the hushed tone. “We
don’t have to do anything you’re not ready to do, but I want you in
my arms.”

Summoning all her courage, she met his
smoldering gaze. “I’d like that.”

He kissed her then, the caress soft and
tender. His tongue brushed against her lips but went no farther.
She wrapped her arms around his back and pressed against him,
loving the feel of his strong body and eager to explore him more
fully. She parted her lips, wanting a deeper connection, wanting
more. But he pulled back and smiled then kissed the tip of her
nose.

“We’ve got work to do,” he reminded. “This
will have to wait.”

The rest of the day passed in a blur of
emotion and frustration. Felicia changed back into her robes, which
had been washed and pressed by another machine. The refugees
accepted the cover story more readily with her assistance, but they
also felt more comfortable asking questions. She did her best to
alleviate their fears, but Aiden kept reminding her that they were
on a very tight schedule.

When the final group had cycled through for
the day, Felicia was left with a vague sense of doom. Was she a
traitor to her people, or had she simple offered them what comfort
she could in an impossible situation?

“What’s the matter?” Aiden squeezed her
hand, which was entwined with his as they walked back to his cabin.
“You’ve been suspiciously quiet for the past few hours.”

“How will the houses be assigned? What will
become of the people who travel from one city to another? Much of
Pompeii’s commerce was dependent upon trade.”

“They will trade with Fedorans now and
visitors from other places. I suspect once the city is operational,
people will come from all over the place. It really is a unique
concept.”

“What about the fishermen? How will they
make a living now?”

“I saw a holo-model of the city. A section
of the ocean will be inside the barrier. Fishermen will still be
able to fish. The barrier will just keep them from venturing to
other ports.”

She sighed, unable to resolve the
fundamental problem. “They will all be living a lie.”

“Yes, but they’ll be living.”

She had no response for that argument.
Laetif had used it to shut her up as well. Was captivity really
better than death—even if one didn’t realize one was a captive? “I
need to stop thinking about this. I am driving myself crazy. How
will I continue on as before when I am no longer sure of the
goddess I serve? I’m a high priestess. There should be no doubt in
my heart.”

He opened the door for her and they stepped
inside his cabin before he replied. “You don’t have to stay in New
Pompeii. In fact, as much as you know, they might not let you.”

“I will not desert my people.” People came
to her for advice and comfort in their bleakest times of need. Her
gift allowed her to find lost children and predict disasters.
Regret reinforced her frustration. If the governor had heeded her
warnings about the volcano’s eruption, none of this would have been
possible.

Aiden’s hands came to rest on her hips and
he pressed his forehead against hers. “You’re right. You need to
stop thinking about it.”

“What will you do when we reach Fedoros?
Your obligation ends when we are delivered, does it not?”

He framed her face with his hands and tipped
her head up. “No more talk about the future. I’m exhausted and so
are you. Let’s go to bed.”

Excitement tingled down her spine. Would he
couple with her if she asked him to? Did she want him to climb on
top of her and push his cock into her pussy? His words for the
involved body parts were more enticing than hers. Laetif seemed
certain that Aiden would be gentle, that he would be able to make
it good for her. Felicia wasn’t convinced that any man was that
patient.

If her goddess didn’t exist, there was no
reason to keep herself pure. Once they reached Fedoros, she would
be sequestered again, forced to live separately from the
masses.

“I can see uncertainty in your eyes.” He
kissed the corners of her eyes then followed the arch of her
eyebrows with soft, feathery kisses. “I will not touch you unless
you want me to. I’ll just hold you and we’ll go to sleep.”

“That’s the cause of my uncertainty. I am
not sure what I want.”

“Then I say we find out.” He picked her up
and set her on the edge of the bed, kneeling in front of her as he
removed her sandals. “Do you like it when I touch you? How does
this make you feel?” He rested her foot on the center of his thigh
and caressed her calf, gently massaging the muscle.

She leaned back on her hands, trying to
relax. But his hands were strong and warm, his touch undeniably
evocative. “Your brother spanked Laetif,” she blurted, too nervous
to concentrate on what she was feeling.

Aiden’s hands stilled and then he laughed.
“Sounds like Caleb. He is incorrigible. Was she upset about
it?”

“No. She liked it.” He pushed her robe up to
mid-thigh and eased her legs apart, scooting closer as his hand
slipped under the material. “They have not coupled yet, but I know
they will.”

“How detailed was this vision? I know they
were naked or at least partially undressed. How were they
positioned?”

His hands moved over her thighs, dipping to
the insides then outward again. She kept talking, needing the
distraction from the needs he was unleashing within her, longings
she wasn’t quite ready to embrace. “She was bent over a bed and he
was behind her. His hands were on her breasts.” She swallowed as
the image returned in all its graphic detail.

“Shall I touch your breast? Would you like
to see how it feels?” His face was on a level with hers, which made
it hard to avoid his gaze.

“All right.”

One of his hands pushed up to her hip and
the other came out from beneath her robes and gently cupped her
breast. “I love the shape of your breasts, firm and full, perfect
for the palm of my hand. You’re so soft. Will you let me look at
you? I want to touch your nipple and watch it harden. Would you
like that too?”

She bit her bottom lip as desire blossomed
between her legs, the hot, hollow ache making her restless. By way
of an answer, she unfastened the shoulder clasps and tossed them
aside then allowed the material to pool around her waist. She
watched his eyes, needing reassurance but too proud to verbalize
her insecurity.

“So beautiful.” His voice was hushed and
reverent, his fingers incredibly gentle as he touched her bare
skin. “Would you like me to undress too?”

“I would like that very much.”

Pleased by her assent, he removed his
uniform jacket and pulled the undershirt off over his head. His
lean chest rippled with taut muscles she hadn’t realized he
possessed. He wasn’t built like a gladiator, more like a messenger,
all sharp definition and sinewy strength.

She splayed her fingers across his chest and
closed her eyes. “You are so warm.”

“That’s my job, to keep you safe and
warm.”

She smiled, pleased by the sentiment. Her
hands pushed up to his shoulders and squeezed before the descended
along his arms. “Is your entire body this warm?”

“Would you like to find out?”

Before her building courage deserted her,
she nodded and reached for the waistband of his pants. He let her
unfasten them then he took over, standing briefly as he shed the
rest of his garments. His body was perfectly proportioned and a
feast for her curious gaze. It wasn’t that she’d never seen a naked
man before, but he was aroused and inches from her face.

He took her hand and guided it to his erect
cock, wrapping her fingers around the shaft. “Well? Am I warm all
over?”

“Oh yes.” He slid her hand down to the base
and then up to the tip and her eyes widened. “Is this what you want
me to do?”

“Oh yes,” he echoed her breathy tone, and
then grinned. “But only if you want to.”

Exploring his body was far more exciting
than she ever imagined. Perion had not allowed her to touch him, so
this was new territory. No, nothing about this resembled the abuse
she had endured with Perion. She would never again think of them in
the same context.

Emboldened by the thought, she stoked Aiden,
watching the subtle flexing of his muscles and the obvious pleasure
on his face. She knew women took men into their mouths. She’d seen
that often enough in the temple. Would Aiden mind if her
exploration became a bit bolder?

She leaned down and kissed the tip of his
cock, startled to find it dewy. “Can I…” She couldn’t bring herself
to say it.

“Do whatever you like. I want you to enjoy
this as much as I do.”

One of her hands lightly cupped his balls
while the other continued to stroke his shaft. Then she parted her
lips and took the flared head into her mouth. He groaned and
touched her face, brushing her hair back and caressing her cheek.
She sucked him deeper and he slowly pulled back then pushed even
farther into her welcoming heat. Slowly, understanding expanded
through her mind. He wanted her to slide up and down.

Creating a tight seal with her lips, she
bobbed her head, taking as much of him into her mouth as she could.
He was hot against her mouth, hard and yet soft. The contrast
fascinated her. And his taste—salty and sharp yet natural. This was
the literal essence of life.

“Oh sweetheart, you have to stop or I’m
going to come in your mouth.”

She paused and looked up at him. Did she
want to watch him lose control, knowing she had brought him to this
point? “I want you to.”

“I think it’s better if we start…”

She sucked hard and pushed her mouth all the
way down on his cock. He pressed against the back of her throat
before she slowly reversed direction.
Come for me, Aiden. I want
to taste your seed
.

He steadied her face between his hands as he
began to fuck her mouth. Sliding her lips up and down on him had
been pleasurable, but this was thrilling. He was taking her,
filling her mouth as he would fill her pussy. She kept her lips
snug as he rocked in and out. His balls grew tight in her hand and
his speed increased.

His body seemed to vibrate with his
impending climax. He shook and his thighs flexed, and then he
pushed to the back of her mouth and came in hot spurts. She
instinctively swallowed and he gave her some more. He pulled back
and she swirled her tongue around his tip, not yet ready to release
him.

“You are unbelievable.” He eased out of her
mouth and pulled her to her feet. His chest rubbed against her
breasts and she realized her nipples were hard. She parted her lips
for him as his mouth settled over hers. His tongue swept inside and
he groaned, crushing her against his chest. He pulled her robes out
from between their bodies and they slid to her feet.

He placed her on the bunk and lay down
beside her, slipping his arm under her neck. “I can’t believe you
did that. I wanted tonight to be about your pleasure.”

“I enjoyed that immensely. Do you not find
pleasure in giving pleasure?”

“We’re about to find out, because I’m going
to lick your pussy until you scream.”

“We found him, Sir.” Quade clasped his hands
behind his back and waited for Xyell to look up from the risk
assessment he was studying.

Xyell powered down the holo-pad and glared
at Quade. “It took you long enough.”

The temple attendants had been grouped
together, so Quade had been relatively certain the high priest was
on this ship. The priestess they’d interrogated assured them that
the high priest had been in the temple when “Venus swept them
away”. Even so, it had taken Quade several hours to locate
Perion.