Tangling With Topper (7 page)

She climbed from the bed and yanked on a robe over her naked body. Walking briskly out of her bedroom, she walked through the connecting hallway to the room where Stark was sleeping.

Only he wasn’t sleeping. He was sitting naked in a chair by the window, staring out at the stars. Stark turned and smiled when he saw her. “I couldn’t sleep for thinking about you.”

Topper nodded. “Same here.” She walked slowly across the room to him. “I have many reservations, but if we don’t do this, I think I’m going to die of frustration.”

Stark held out a hand. “I know. Come sit with me. We will adjust to the idea together.”

“Doubtful. I’ve been trying to do that for the last three hours without success,” Topper snickered, but she let Stark pull her into his lap. He adjusted her body until she was draped across him. Then he tucked her chin into his shoulder and ran a hand down her arm. A sudden rash of cold shivers made her tremble. Beneath her, Stark went very still.

“What’s wrong?” She raised her head to see Stark staring at his fingers resting against her wrist.

“What is it?” she demanded again.

Stark shook his head and ran his fingers up and down Topper’s arm again. He watched the crystals form designs. “Icela has a habit of surprising me, but she’s outdone herself this time,” he whispered. He lifted Topper’s fingers to his mouth for a reverent kiss. “Now I know why I was so determined to do this mission myself. You are the female the Goddess has chosen for me. I should have guessed that when I could not control my arousal around you.”

Topper leaned away. “What are you talking about?”

Stark smiled. “It doesn’t matter tonight. All that matters in this moment is that you came to me—that you want me back. It was more than I hoped would happen after I left you.”

Topper started to pull away, but Stark’s hand slipping inside her robe to cup her breast wiped away the urge. Instead, she marveled again that he could pull such a fierce, nearly instant reaction from her. She leaned toward him, pressing her breast into his large hand.

“Now kiss me, powerful witch. Make me feel wanted. I crave it from you,” Stark ordered, pinching her nipple firmly until Topper’s mouth opened in a gasp.

Despite the dizziness he was causing, Topper managed to find his mouth with hers. She dragged her lips across his, stopping to nip along the way. He groaned against her and she let her tongue slip out to look for his. Suddenly, she was lifted and spun around until she straddled him. Her hands held his face while she tormented his mouth. Her knees slid down on either side of his hips as she leaned into him.

She pulled her mouth from Stark’s and kissed her way down his neck as her hands slipped between her legs to stroke what had risen against her.

“It’s been a long time for me and the last few men… well, let’s just say they were not like you,” Topper whispered.

Stark leaned forward to kiss her eyes. His fingers went to her robe and undid the tie. He spread it open and grabbed her hips to move her closer to him. Topper moaned as he slid her already wet entrance across his erection. She had reason for concern. He was harder for her than he’d been since a youth.

“I will be as gentle as I can be—at first. Once inside you, I know I will not be able to constrain myself. You will have to stop me if you are uncomfortable.”

Topper laughed. “Stop you? I don’t even know why I’m here. I’m nothing but confused about why I feel like I have to do this.”

“Let me show you why then,” Stark said. He slid one hand under her and lifted her up so he could kiss her again. His other hand slid between her legs, two fingers gently slipping inside her.

“You are ready for me and I am honored by the fact,” he whispered against her mouth. “Take me inside you, Witch.”

“Yes, oh bossy one,” Topper declared, biting his bottom lip and liking his groan. She reached between them, gripped his hard length, and then braced a hand on his shoulder as she slid down on him.

“Open your eyes while you do it,” Stark ordered.

Her startled green gaze flew to his dancing silver one as she eased herself further down on him. His eyes nearly crossed when he was completely sheathed.

“Now ride me,” he commanded. “I need to be taken by you. I need to know I am who you want.”

Topper shook as she rose and fell until Stark was seated deep within her and breathing hard. She rose again, this time rocking her hips forward as she came down. Stark hissed beneath her. She watched his face as she rode him, watched his bliss take him over. She rode him lightly, reluctant to change what felt so good for her.

Until Stark grasped her hips and growled in her ear. “Harder. Don’t make me keep you up for the rest of the night getting my fill.”

Topper lowered herself and rocked her hips forward and back. She heard herself panting but couldn’t care. Stark’s commanding whispers were driving her on… but they were also driving her crazy.

“Shut up,” she ordered back. “I can’t concentrate with you barking orders at me.” His husky laughter made her stop mid-slide. “And now you’re laughing… okay, I’m done.”

“No, we’re not. Far from it. I don’t think we will ever be done,” Stark declared.

He stood with Topper wrapped around him. He buried his face in her shoulder. She had to wrap her legs tightly around his waist to keep from sliding down his body. He loved every second of her desperate clinging.

Then her back hit the bed. Topper stared up into Stark’s eyes as he stared back. “I’m sorry I couldn’t finish you off in the chair. I’m out of practice.”

Stark chuckled at the least of his concerns. “You won’t be by tomorrow morning,” he promised. “We will be experts on each other by then.”

“You are so damn arrogant. I hate that in most men,” Topper whispered.

He took her mouth ruthlessly, his tongue seeking hers as his body surged forward to bury his mating organ in her depths. Topper moaned around his tongue and her legs quivered as they tightened around his waist. He chose a rhythm and held it, knowing it might take his out-of-practice lover a while to find her pleasure. That was fine with him. There was a perfect bliss from just being inside her. In time, he would find a thousand ways to please her. But this first time was about raw need and their acceptance of it.

When Topper hissed and arched her hips, he wanted to yell like a warrior, but instead he bent his large body enough to bury his face in her throat.

“Stark,” she said, panting in bliss.

“Goddess, I love to hear you say my name so desperately.”

Unable to hold back anymore, he raised up on his hands and drove into her hard, Topper’s body giving with every push until she shattered around him. He kept on moving until his body found release and then he slid arms under her to hold her to him, unwilling to let her escape.

He was still kissing her face when Topper’s breathing returned to normal. Her hand moved to his face and her fingertips traced his lips. He smiled against them.

“Now I get why all those alien women stand in line for a turn with you,” Topper teased.

Stark shook his head. “Not really. But eventually you will understand. Tonight was rough. It was a hard won concession for both of us to give in to each other. Now we can focus on more pleasurable pursuits of our bliss.”

Topper snickered. “I should never have praised you. You’re arrogant enough as it is.”

She fell asleep only to be awakened some time later by a hot mouth suckling her nipple while several icy fingertips teased and stroked her throbbing clit. When a couple of those icy fingers slid inside, her moan incited a riot in the male torturing her. His mouth and hands traded places and Topper screamed when the orgasm from Stark’s suckling rolled over her. The nearly violent pleasure was overwhelming, but especially so when followed by Stark’s determined erection giving her spasming channel a bigger reason to be grateful.

She could tell he held nothing back, but as sore as she knew she was going to be, all she really felt was a profound sense of being desperately needed. It was thrilling and she couldn’t believe she’d found it with someone like him.

Following instinct, which in this case meant rejecting her sanity, Topper reached out and grabbed a handful of Stark’s silver hair. She pulled hard and forced his matching silver eyes to meet hers in the dimly lit room.

“Harder, alien. I need to know you want me,” she mocked, sending his words back to him. She let go of his hair only when Stark growled and lifted her hips to plunge even deeper.

When pleasure took her over again, she—human female that she was—wept with emotional relief, as well as physical. In the middle of the most astounding climax she could ever recall having in her life, Stark’s body had seized and fallen down heavily on hers, his breathing harsh as his body still strained inside hers.

Topper sighed raggedly in contentment and ran fingers through his silver hair while he panted in effort. “Stark—talk to me. Are you okay?”

His head moved side-to-side next to hers and made her laugh. He slid gently away until his face rested on her breasts.

“I am like a young male with no control at all with you. I prayed to the Goddess that I didn’t harm you in my enthusiasm.”

Topper’s giggle as she met his gaze was uncontrollable. She’d earned that silver-eyed glare she’d gotten for laughing, but his concern still amused her. “I’m not harmed… at least not permanently. But if you wake me up again, I may have to turn you into a toad. This is incredibly nice, but I need my rest.”

Stark huffed and laid his head back down on her breasts. “Why should I fear you, Witch? Your magic didn’t work on me when I got here.”

Topper giggled again. In a saner moment, the truth of that might have worried her, but she was still feeling the glow he’d given her.

“You’re right, Stark. I forgot that. Guess I’ll have Theo fry your alien ass. Let’s see if you’re immune to dragon fire.”

“After all the pleasure my alien ass—as you call it—has given you tonight, I would have thought you might feel more kindly toward me.”

Topper played with his silver hair. Stark was right, but for some reason, she didn’t want him to know it. “Why should I feel special? I’m just the next female in line. Not that I’m complaining. Like I said earlier… you’re as good in bed as you claimed to be. I certainly won’t be calling you a liar.”

Stark sighed against her. “My dearest Topper, you are not the next in line—you’re the
last
in line. You are my chosen one. Now sleep. We will talk about this tomorrow.”

Topper snorted. “It is tomorrow, Mr. Bossy. The sun is coming through the windows.”

“Then sleep for a short time anyway. I’m sorry I woke you so often. I couldn’t stop myself. I find your uninhibited responses to me very interesting.”

Topper giggled. “Yes. I feel that interest rising against my thigh again. Are you really that insatiable?”

“No—at least not usually,” Stark declared. “I just have never found a female who could handle me as well as you do. It’s like I was starving for this level of satisfaction, but I didn’t know I was starving until I’d had you a few times. Now I know only you and I feel I have a lot to learn. Being an impatient sort, I want to learn it all tonight.”

“Oh,” Topper replied, staring at the ceiling. “You know, I think you’re right. I need more sleep. But we need to get up in a few hours. We still have to find the dakkari.”

“And we will,” Stark declared, “but for now—let’s both sleep—just for a while.”

He slid off Topper’s body reluctantly, but fitted himself against her side. In moments, her even breathing told him that she slept. Unwilling to think of the decisions ahead for both of them, Stark closed his eyes and rested as well.

Topper woke up groaning when she tried to roll to her side and it hurt. Before she could get mad at her aging body over the discomfort, she remembered the night’s activities and laughed. There wasn’t an inch of her that had escaped Stark’s attention. She would be paying for that debauchery the rest of today unless she called Nonny for a tonic.

As full consciousness returned, Topper also realized the guest bed was empty of the male who’d used her so thoroughly. Guess Glacierans didn’t hang around to chat the morning after. They were not much different than most Earth men in that regard.

Snorting at her silly sense of abandonment, she swung her legs to the floor, only to find out they were not very willing to hold her up this morning. She laughed again, then cursed the horny alien who’d caused her weakness.

She gingerly walked out of Stark’s room to hers, then directly to the shower where she turned on the hottest water she could stand. It went a long way to easing her aches. By the time she was dry, she was nearly ready to face the day… and the alien who hadn’t bothered to face her the morning after.

To deal with the remaining discomfort, she settled for popping a few of the painkillers she found in her medicine cabinet. Real healing would have to wait for later. At least now she would be able to walk without wincing with every movement.

This time when she entered the hallway, she heard male voices in the kitchen. She walked in on a conversation that halted as they both turned to look at her.

Stark bowed his head once, his silver eyes gleaming with pleasure to see her. The way he was looking at her almost made up for waking alone. And damn, that reverent head bowing thing he did was sexy. The alien was so constrained most of the time.

To know what he was like under all that calm demeanor made her want to smile at him like a mad woman. It also made her want to go sit in his lap and say good morning for real despite her aching body. Luckily for her still aching legs, their audience put a damper on that urge.

Theo grinned at her around his coffee cup. “Look who finally got up today. Stark and I have been out here talking for over two hours. All that extra sleep must have been good for you though. You’re actually smiling this morning.”

“What are you talking about, Theo? I’m not smiling,” Topper denied, heading to the coffee pot. She started to pour herself a cup and then stopped. “Wait—I don’t like coffee. I drink tea. What am I doing?”