Fallen Star (40 page)

Sobehk stopped by a blooming vine and reached out to touch an open white flower. “Terran Moonflowers, very nice.”

Khan walked past him, his arms folded behind him. “I told the gardeners I wanted flowers that bloomed in the dark.”

Fallon gathered her courage and approached the broad column of a gigantic plant dead center in the walled enclosure. She leaned back, but the broad canopy of branches and leaves spreading over her hid the top. She reached out to touch it. It was rough and uneven under her palm, and very solid. It was also cool. She had thought it would be warm. She knelt to touch the grass under her feet. It was cool, too. Living things, but no warmth.
Huh
 ...

Impulsively, she tried to measure its diameter with her hands. It was too big to get her arms around and very unmoving. She looked up. The whole top of it moved, but the main column didn’t budge.

Khan chuckled. “So you like the oak that much?”

Fallon released the tree and put her hands behind her back. She turned to look at him. “I was just ... measuring it.” Her gaze drifted upward. The leaves were too far away to touch.

Sobehk smiled. “You should be able to climb it.”

Fallon’s mouth fell open. “Oh, I couldn’t ...”

Sobehk choked on a laugh. “Oh, come on! I watched you scale a steel wall! A tree should be easy!”

Fallon stared at him. “Steel walls aren’t alive.”

Khan rolled his eyes. “As long as you don’t step on a branch too weak to hold your weight, you won’t hurt it.”

Sobehk raised a brow at Khan. “We may have to chain her when the mowers come through.”

Fallon froze. “Mowers?”

Khan grinned. “To cut the grass, prune the trees, and pull up the weeds.”

Fallon felt the hair on her neck rise, and a low growl rumbled in her chest. “You don’t mean that.”

Sobehk dropped his head and started to laugh.

Chapter Thirty-Five

Amid a lot of amused ribbing, Khan and Sobehk finally coaxed Fallon back into the suite and then through the door on the right. The chamber was done in white marble veined with midnight blue and slate gray. The mirrors on the walls were bright glass rather than smoked, with silver mesh curtains closing off the oval nest of a bed against the back wall. A large desk of clear glass and bright chrome occupied the left wall and both Khan’s and Sobehk’s trunks occupied the right.

Fallon gazed at the whole thing and frowned. The suite was supposed to be one of Khan’s, but it was clearly unlike Khan’s taste. It looked more like something Sobehk would choose. She looked over at Khan and raised her brow.

Khan scowled at her. “Don’t you dare say it.”

Fallon pressed her fingers to her heart and opened her eyes very wide. “Say what?”

Sobehk looked around and nodded. “Very nice.” He grinned at Khan. “Thank you.”

Khan’s shoulders hunched. “It wasn’t nice. It’s
supposed
to be your suite.”

Sobehk rolled his eyes and strode over to Khan, catching him by the shoulders. “I know what it’s supposed to be.” He lifted Khan’s chin, dropped a kiss on his lips, and grinned. “Learn to suffer a little gratitude.”

Khan flinched back. “You are taking this dominant role a bit seriously.”

Sobehk snorted. “What are you talking about? I’ve always been dominant.”

Fallon rolled her eyes. They were flirting again. She could feel their rising arousal through the telepathic link. Time to make herself scarce, before they started ripping each other’s clothes off -- and hers, too.

She walked over to the door on the right wall and discovered an opulent white marble and midnight blue facility. A frosted glass and chrome shower occupied the left wall.

She stripped out of her sweaty suit in seconds.

The water was hot and delicious on her fight-strained muscles. Fallon leaned against the wall and let the water pound relaxation into her body.
Spoiled, I’ve been spoiled rotten by all this water.
And good food. And constant affection.

She sighed. She was disgustingly happy. She had no idea how in fury it had happened, but she was. Both men were infuriating in their demands -- ask permission, be respectful ... She curled her lip. Be polite.
Bleck!

She pressed her forehead against the marble wall. She knew she loved Sobehk, but for some strange reason, she was beginning to love Khan, too. He drove her up the walls, and down again, and he
wasn’t
nice. Not in the usual sense of the word, but then, he could be terribly ... sweet. And he cared for her. She could feel it pulsing against her heart. She smiled. She wasn’t the only one with interesting thoughts on occasion.

Sobehk ... Sobehk loved them both. She could feel that, too. Sobehk would kill for either of them in a heartbeat, just as she would kill for both of them.

And Khan? She felt a chuckle bubble up. The Maker help anyone who even thought about harming Sobehk ... or her. Her heart ached suddenly and violently. She did love them. Both.

Fallon was pitifully grateful for the shower spray running down her cheeks.

* * * * *

Fallon stepped out of the shower with her suit over her arm, wrung out and more than ready to pass out.

The curtains over the bed’s alcove were parted, showing that both men were naked and already in bed and under the midnight-blue covers among the white silk sheets and pearl-gray pillows.

Sobehk had Khan spooned against his chest and wrapped in his arms with Khan’s head tucked under his chin. Sobehk opened one eye. “If you want to watch station dawn in the garden, your fighter-practice clothes are on the top of my trunks.”

Actually, she’d love to see the garden in full station daylight. Fallon walked over to the trunks and lifted a deep-blue padded short robe and the black pleated trousers. A narrow white sash went with it. Sobehk’s colors. She looked over at Sobehk. “Thank you.”

His eyes were closed. He waved, then snuggled against Khan, who was apparently fast asleep.

Fallon dressed and went out into the garden barefoot. The grass was still surprisingly cool and damp. She eyed the oak in the center of the walled garden and wondered what the view would be like from up there.

It took less effort to climb than she thought it would, but the branches thinned sharply the higher up she went. She stayed very close to the main trunk to avoid damaging the smaller branches. She stopped about halfway up. The tree definitely felt alive as it swayed under her body. The trembling leaves were a loud rush in her ears. It was exhilarating. She climber higher.

Her head reached the upper branches and suddenly, she could see past the leaves ... a million lights in the darkness, everywhere, all around.

The air brightened and became tinted with pink. Mist curled and eddied up from the trees.

She looked up and saw clouds. The station was large enough to actually possess real clouds. Light bloomed brighter just beyond the clouds. Pink lightened to gold.

A chorus of fluting sounds burst out around her. Small feathered flying creatures burst into flight. Birds ... Real living birds.

Bright yellow flowers exploded from the tops of the trees and fluttered madly. They were joined by other colors, all fluttering in huge colored clouds. They were butterflies as big as her outstretched hand.

The mist thinned and parted, revealing an entire world of green and blue crawling up the sides of the horizon and arching all the way over her head. There were lakes directly above her head. And birds flew everywhere -- where anyone could see them.

It was incredible. It was paradise.

Fallon sat down on the branch and held onto the tree’s trunk with both hands as her heart burst from within. Great gasping sobs exploded from her chest, and she let them. There was no one up here to see. She was alone in this moment of perfect beauty. She would remember it, and treasure it, for the rest of her life.

* * * * *

Stretched out and perfectly at ease sprawled across one of the stronger triple-forked branches of the oak, Fallon napped. The tree rocked soothingly under her with birdsong and rustling leaves wrapping her in a sweet green lullaby.

“Isabeau!” Khan sounded annoyed, but she could feel his amusement through her link. “Are you still up in that tree?”

Fallon didn’t bother opening her eyes, or shouting back.
Yes, ‘Syr.

“Don’t you think it’s time to come down and get some sleep?”

Fallon smiled.
I
was
sleeping, ‘Syr.

“You need to eat, too.”

Fallon’s stomach rumbled. Damn, he was right. She groaned and sat up.
On my way down.
She slipped down the branches and dropped to the ground from the last branch. The grass was much warmer under her feet, and so was the direct station sunlight. Halfway to the door she stopped under the heat of the station sun and stretched, coming up on her toes. She dropped to her heels and jogged to the door.

Just within, Khan leaned against the right wall in a long black dressing robe. His brow lifted, as did the corner of his mouth. “Enjoy the dawn?”

“It was ...” Fallon couldn’t think of a single word to describe the wonder of it -- and he had arranged for her to have it. She lunged at him and grabbed him around the shoulders. She pressed a kiss to his mouth, trying to express straight from her heart what he had given her.

Khan started under her mouth, then grabbed her shoulders and turned suddenly, pressing her back against the wall. His mouth opened as he kissed her back, answering her with a spear of feeling that stabbed her straight through the heart. Heat and physical need flashed white-hot through her body. Cream soaked the crotch of her trousers.

He groaned into her mouth, and his hands dropped to her sash, unknotting it, then untying her trousers. The pleated black fabric dropped to the floor. His hands cupped her ass, and he lifted her up against the wall.

Fallon wrapped her arms around his neck and lifted her legs, locking them around his hips.

His fingers delved into her core.

She was wet -- she was far more than wet, she was running down the inside of her thighs. She sensed rather than felt him rubbing her cream on his secondary cock and then she felt his primary cock and the bar that speared it pushing for entry. She released his mouth and arched back against the wall to let him in.

His primary cock surged halfway in. He gasped. His second cock nudged at her anus.

She moaned and pushed to open for him. His broad cockhead and the metal bar that pierced it pressed past her tight ring.

He shoved hard and buried himself fully.

Fallon gasped ... filled, taken, possessed.

Khan groaned, set his feet, and gripped her ass with clawed fingers. Taking her full weight in his hands, he surged hard and fast into her body. Then again, and again ... fucking her with merciless strength. His lips pulled back from his long teeth as he slammed into her.

Fallon moaned and bucked against his thrusts. He felt so good. Each stroke filled her and struck a spark of fire that led toward glory. He felt so right. He belonged in her body.

A potent cocktail of confusing emotions washed from Khan across the link ... possession, affection, and blinding need. He wanted her body with obsessive hunger, but he wanted more. He needed her to care for him.

She opened her heart as wide as it would go ... she did care, she did.

He wanted her love. He wanted her to love him. Desperately.

Fallon wanted to give it, but she was afraid. What if she lost him?

He snarled. Determination and a hot wash of possessive rage answered her. They would not be separated. He would not allow it. He would kill anyone, anything that tried.

Fallon clawed his back and snarled right back. She, too, would kill anyone, anything, that tried to separate them. Her thoughts shifted abruptly to Sobehk and discovered that he was included in Khan’s thoughts.

Khan saw Sobehk as his, too. More than merely instinct and affection, they fit together. They belonged together. They would stay together. Khan would have it no other way.

Climax rose higher, surging upward to crest in a white-hot wave, stopping right on the very edge. Fallon cried out with the ache in her body and in her heart.

Pain ached from Khan’s heart. He would not ask for her love. He wanted it given. His teeth sank into her shoulder.

Release exploded through Fallon in a roaring wet wave that tried to rip her apart. She cried out as her mind shouted that she did love him. She did. Barely aware under the roll of pleasure, she buried her teeth in his shoulder, determined that he feel her answer.

Khan shuddered hard and choked as climax took him. His thoughts disappeared under a white wave of intense pleasure.

Fallon was slammed hard up and then over into a second burning orgasm. She screamed. A third climax roared out of nowhere and ripped through her with violent force, washing her mind clean away.

Panting in Khan’s arms Fallon grasped his braid and tugged. “Did you hear me?”

Khan groaned. “Hear ... what?”

Fallon tugged harder and sucked in a deep breath. “That I love you, you thick-headed, white-haired, kinky-assed pervert.”

Khan smiled tiredly and pressed his sweaty brow to hers. “Yes, I heard you. But I wanted to hear your mouth say it.”

Fallon choked on a tired laugh. “There, my mouth said it, too.”

Khan chuckled as his heart slammed against hers. “That has got to be the most disrespectful, unromantic declaration of love I have ever heard uttered.”

Fallon groaned and smiled. “Yeah, well, what did you expect? I
am
disrespectful and unromantic.”

“Mother Night ...” Khan released her legs to let her stand but wrapped her in his arms and pressed her against the wall. “I
really
need to beat you.”

Fallon smiled. “Beatings have never made all that much of an impression on me.”

Khan grinned and flashed long teeth. “Perhaps not, but I impressed you.”

Fallon rolled her eyes.
Oh, please ... Hello, ego.