Stud (44 page)

He shook his head slowly. “No. Not entirely. The aroma of motherhood was there, of course, but I could also smell your desire—and it was there even before I heard your voice or gazed into your beautiful brown eyes.” He smiled, dipping his head to scatter kisses on her cheek and down the slope of her neck. “I was lost the moment we met.”

“And you never felt that way about anyone else? All those other women?”

“Not a one.” Her lips were soft and delicate beneath his own. “That’s because out of all the women I’ve been with, you were the only one I ever truly made love to. Just you, Lucy. Only you.”

Lucy gazed up into the deep blue glowing eyes of the only man she had ever loved—and the only man to ever return that love. “You’re sure you won’t miss the… variety?”

His lips curled into a smile. “Variety is highly overrated once you’ve found the perfect mate—in fact, it’s practically impossible.”

Frowning, she raised her hand, letting his hair brush across her skin, delighting in the feathery touches. “How so?”

“Zetithians mate for life, Lucy. Once that happens, straying from that mate simply won’t happen.”

“Really? You mean you can’t do…
this
… with anyone else now?”

He sighed deeply, his purr caressing her soul. “Can’t, won’t, and don’t want to. I tried. I had another client in Reltan. Couldn’t do it. Her scent was all wrong. Everything about her was wrong. And do you know why?”

Lucy shook her head.

“She wasn’t you.”

His kiss drowned any words she would have spoken, his tongue tracing her lips, delving inside, letting her feel him, taste him—delicious and delightfully decadent, like a chocolate pie still warm from the oven. If everything about that woman in Reltan had been wrong for Tarq, everything about
him
was right for Lucy.

Sighing, she threaded her fingers through his hair, pulling him closer, loving him with every beat of her heart. “Mmm… I’m so glad you came here looking for women to bear your children. If you hadn’t, we never would’ve met, and I agree with Terufen: The time we spent in the mountains was the best time of my life.”

Tarq grinned wickedly. “Lucy, m’dear. Trust me. You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.”

Her eyes widened as he began to dance and plunge inside her—pushing her to the heights of ecstasy and beyond.

He kissed her again. “Feel good?”

“You know it does.”

Chuckling softly, he licked the side of her neck. “Amazing how much better it can be in a proper bed.”

Lucy gasped as he shifted into another gear. It was all she could do to nod her agreement.

“We’ve made love in a tent, on a riverbank, in a cave, on a rock, on the ground, and in your tiny little bed—and it was all good—but here I can do things I never did before. Like this…”

In an instant, he’d flipped over onto his back, taking her with him. The few times Lucy had ever been on top, she’d been lying down or facing away from him, with his muscular thighs stretched out beneath her gaze. This time, however, she sat upright, facing him while Tarq lay flat on his back, his hair spread out over the sheets and his hands behind his head, displaying the muscles in his arms. Then there were his glowing cat eyes, gracefully pointed ears, the tips of his fangs, and the way he
smiled…
The view from up there was positively stunning—almost too much for one pair of eyes to process—and when she spoke, her voice was a whisper tinged with awe. “You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

Tarq shook his head slowly, his smile stretching into a broad grin. “That’s
my
line.”

She snorted a laugh.

“You don’t believe me, do you?”

“I guess it’s one of those ‘eye of the beholder’ things.”

“You can think that if you like, but I know better.” His smile was slow and secretive. “And I can make you even more beautiful.”

“Oh yeah? How?”

Flexing his pelvic muscles, he sent a gush of his orgasmic fluid pouring into her core. His curved cock then began to glide back and forth—slowly at first, and then with increasing speed—driving her wild as it stimulated every surface and nerve ending. Lucy’s soft sighs became moans that soon transformed into cries of ecstasy.

His lips curled into a satisfied smile as Tarq changed his tactics, thrusting upward, driving his cock deep into her body. The steady push sent more of his juice to mingle with her own, and as it worked its magic, her abdomen contracted and she fell forward, bracing herself with both hands on his chest.

“Getting prettier,” Tarq whispered. The relentless motion had Lucy gasping for breath. There was no way he was telling the truth.

Rocking, rotating, and thrusting until at last his hips bucked up from the bed, Tarq signaled his climax with a feral growl. Lucy felt the spurt of his
snard
, bathing her in its creamy warmth while she waited breathlessly for the impact.

A sigh escaped her lips as his
snard
began to stir her blood from within. Moments later, passionate fire raged throughout her bloodstream, flooding every erogenous zone with searing heat while radiating blissful warmth to each muscle, nerve, and fiber of her body. His scalloped corona began its sweeping motions, prolonging the superb sensations as she lapsed into peaceful
laetralance.

Lucy heard his quiet laugh and opened her eyes.

“Now
that’s
beautiful.”

***

Breakfast the next morning was in the dining room on the
Valorcry
, which was fancier than any restaurant Lucy had ever seen. She felt as though she should be wearing a formal gown at the very least.

She liked Tarq’s friends, though, and had no trouble feeling comfortable around them—even after telling them the real story behind her “marriage” to Tarq.

“Want a ceremony?” Waroun asked. “Dax is captain of the ship, you know.”

“He can do that?” Lucy asked with surprise. “Even when the ship is sitting on the ground?”

Waroun cackled with laughter. “Well, we could always lie about the time, or take off. Whichever you like.”

And so, after Dax had put the
Valorcry
into orbit, Lucy and Tarq promised to take one another for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, never to part until death should claim them. Lucy kissed Tarq with all the love she could put into it, caressing the line of his jaw as she tasted the warmth of his lips one more time. How had she ever convinced herself that she could walk away from him? As it was, she never wanted to let him out of her sight.

Later on that afternoon, the discussion at the lunch table turned to some less than pleasant topics.

“And did you hear? Fred, Tuwain, and Lenny were some of the ones arrested,” Lucy said. “I wonder if Fred—”

“Still has his dick?” Tarq chuckled. “I hope so—though he might be a little sore.”

“You
hope
so?” Lucy couldn’t believe her ears. “Tarq, he deserved everything he got and you know it,” she said hotly. “Don’t go defending him now.”

“I’m not. It’s just that I can… sympathize… sort of. I’d hate to think how I’d feel if someone did that to me.”

“Someone
did
do that to you—almost. Besides, I didn’t truss him up
that
tight—I mean, I managed to show
some
restraint, though I’d never been so angry before in my life. You can’t know how I felt.”

“No? What about when that vrelnot was coming right at you?”

“That’s different. You expect an animal to act that way. It’s not expected of a creature with intelligence—though I’m not sure the word ‘intelligent’ applies to Fred.” She glanced at Dax as something else occurred to her. “Speaking of intelligence, mind if I use your comlink?”

“Sure,” Dax replied. “Go right ahead.”

Tarq frowned. “Who are you calling?”

“My father,” Lucy replied. “Figure I ought to let him know what happened to me—though I should probably just talk to Jublansk. Not sure anyone else would care.”

Taking a seat at the console, Lucy tapped in the number for her father’s restaurant, knowing full well he’d never be the one to take the call.

“There you are!” Jublansk was beaming as her image popped up on the viewscreen. “I knew we hadn’t seen the last of you. You’re looking mighty fine, Lucy. Running away from home seems to have agreed with you.”

“You could say that,” Lucy said. “I, um, well… Tarq and I just got married—and I’m pregnant, too. Thought I should tell somebody.”

“Congratulations to you both—but I could’ve guessed that,” Jublansk said with a smirk. “What with you two making eyes at each other all the time.”

“Oh, come on, Jublansk. We weren’t
that
obvious.”

“Yes you were. To me, at least. And I’ve got an idea your dad saw it too. Could’ve told him he was driving you away, if he’d ever listen to anybody. But some things never change. So you’re married, huh? And expecting too? Where’re you headed now?”

“I don’t know,” Lucy said truthfully. “Tarq says we can go anywhere we want.” She paused, glancing at her new husband. “He’s filthy rich, you know.”

Jublansk snickered. “Told you he made a killing on Rhylos with that fancy cock of his. He’s planning to retire, isn’t he?”

“Yeah. He sort of quit that job after he met me.”

“That’s nice to know.” Jublansk tapped her tusk contemplatively. “Don’t s’pose you two have any plans to open a restaurant somewhere, do you?”

Lucy looked at Tarq, who shrugged and said, “Why not? We could start a Zetithian place on Rhylos, or even Terra Minor—wherever you want.”

Lucy smiled. If this kept up, she was going to be
so
spoiled—not to mention how much he would dote on their children. “Maybe,” she said to Jublansk. “Why do you ask?”

“Well if your father gets any meaner, I’m gonna be lookin’ to find me a new job. Neris, too. Ever since you left, he’s been more of a bear than ever and business has dropped off considerably.”

“Well we
do
need to go into Yalka to pick up Tarq’s speeder. We’ll be there in a day or two. I probably should tell my folks where I’ve been—not that they’d ever believe it.”

Jublansk barked out a laugh. “You’ve been all over the news, Lucy. Trust me, they know
exactly
where you are and who you’re with, which is probably why the old man is so pissed. If I was you, I’d say my good-byes over a comlink.”

“I might just do that,” Lucy said. “But I’ll see you in a few days anyway. Be looking for me.”

“I will,” said Jublansk. “You take care.”

Terminating the link, she turned to Tarq. “So, a restaurant of our own? Really?”

“Hey, between your chocolate pie and Jublansk’s bread, we’re bound to make a killing.”

“And don’t forget your knack of being able to tell what’s in anything you taste—even Kentucky Fried Chicken.”

Tarq laughed. “But Colonel Sanders made me promise I’d never tell anyone the secret recipe.”

Lucy smiled wickedly. “Guess that means you’ll just have to make the batter yourself. And if we’re working together, I’ll be able to keep an eye on you.”

“Don’t worry, Lucy. I won’t be looking at any woman but you.”

“Who says that’s why I want to keep an eye on you?”

Lucy burst out laughing and Ava chuckled right along with her. Ava was pretty sure she knew exactly why Lucy wanted to keep an eye on her husband and it had nothing to do with his attractiveness to other women.

“Hey, wait a minute,” Ava said with a frown. “Colonel Sanders has been dead for at least a thousand years. People have been trying to duplicate that recipe ever since. No one’s done it yet. You’re saying that Tarq knows what’s in it?”

Lucy nodded. “Yes, and I’m sure he can make it. Tarq can do anything.” Lucy cast a sidelong glance at Tarq, daring him to disagree.

Tarq appeared to give this some thought before he spoke. “You know, as long as I’ve got you, maybe I
can
do anything. Might even learn to read better.”

Lucy grinned. “Right answer.”