“You’re so wet.”
I panted and moaned softly, feeling the urge to move my hips for more friction. His fingers continued their gentle torture.
“You’re soft everywhere, lin’de,” his voice whispered against my ear. His finger slid out and rubbed around my clit, spreading moisture and making me tremble with need.
“I want to feel you.”
“Where?” he asked innocently.
“Inside me. I want to feel you there.” I felt like I was pleading.
After taking a moment to slide a condom in place, he ran the head of his erection over my swollen sex lips, spreading the creamy moisture, and shoved into me, overcoming my soreness from the previous night with the delicious feeling of fullness.
“Ah, damn, Taylor,” he said through gritted teeth. “You feel so good. Open your mind to me.”
Tearing down my mental barrier, I let him feel my spiraling heat, the slow burn that was sweeping over me. With a slow pump of his hips, he made me moan with the sharp pleasure of it. Caressing my shoulder and neck with his lips, he pumped his hips again, building a steady, slow rhythm that was sweet and hot and beautiful. His fingers curled around mine, palm down on the sheet, and we held on to each other, riding the crest of the wave.
“Ryder...”
“I know...” He pumped harder, and I could feel the buildup, the tightening. We were riding the edge, and it was so close and so hot and so good.
My muscles bunched, my toes curled, and I spun a beautiful free fall. I cried out as the ripples of pleasure swept through me. Ryder growled his own release, but he continued to pump into me softly a couple more times, breathing in deep, primitive grunts. Then he was covering me, pulling me powerfully into the curve of his body, still attached, so he could press a lingering kiss to my neck.
“You are...precious to me.”
Blossoming joy unfurled in my heart at his tentative admission. I sensed they were words he hadn’t said to many, if any. Tears pricked my eyes, and I couldn’t help but say, “I care so much about you too, Ryder. This is all new to me.”
He pressed a fervent kiss to my neck, leaving his lips there like he was trying to soak me in. “I’m glad I got to show you the lake last night. It’s meaningful to me.”
“Does that mean I can come back to it with you?”
“I would love to take you there in person.”
“Can we go skinny-dipping?”
I felt his grin against my neck. “I’ll hold you to that.”
I wiggled my ass against him again and said, “You can hold me to that any time.”
Ryder chuckled, a sound that was like beautiful music to my ears, making my heart melt. “That can be arranged. But right now, you need to get dressed. I need to take you to the high court.”
It took only a second for my reaction.
“I have to do what?” I couldn’t help the slightly screechy tone that came out of me as I sat up, clutching the sheet again. The bloom was off the rose as panic set in. “Wasn’t that where you were going to take me for, like...torture?”
The sheet pooled at his hips as he sat up and languidly leaned against the blue stone wall behind him. The sight of his washboard stomach distracted me. I still hadn’t traced the ridges with my lips and tongue. Definitely a pleasure I wanted to indulge in at some point.
“Don’t look at me like that,” he warned with a sharp look. “We need to get moving or we’ll be late. And just so you know, I wasn’t going to take you to the high court yesterday.”
“You were trying to scare me,” I deduced with a scowl. It had worked. I’m not big on pain.
“Look, Taylor. I think you have a better sense of the history of our survival now. It wouldn’t be unheard of for someone to do anything to infiltrate our ranks and breach security, including enlisting Earth humans. We’re always at risk.”
“Okay, okay.” I did know. I had actually experienced one of those breaches in security at the marketplace. “Can I assume they just want to know what happened yesterday?”
“Yes. I also insisted they keep it informal. Instead of using the high-court chambers, we’re going to meet in my father’s office.”
“That’s right. Your father is going to be there. Did I understand correctly that he’s in charge of the high court or something?”
“Probably both of my parents are going to be there.”
“No problem,” I muttered. No stress here. I just had sex like three times with their son, was contemplating another quickie in the shower, and still had to look them in the eyes.
“Don’t worry. You’ll do fine.” He gave me a crooked, heartwarming grin. “I’ll take you up on the shower idea later.”
I answered his grin with one of my own. I hoped he would.
The cool thing was that I actually had clothes and shoes that fit. Cynthia had left them for me from our purchases of the day before. My confidence was boosted in that I was dressed appropriately, and attractively. The drape of the cottony pants was actually elegant, and the blue blouse was soft and fitted. Cynthia was right that it made my eyes pop.
After a quick, solo shower, I dressed, fluffed my hair and nervously took note of my overall appearance to see if there was anything missing. I didn’t have any makeup, but I didn’t usually wear that much of it anyway.
“You look beautiful,” Ryder said from the doorway. He was wearing his usuaclass="underline" jeans, T-shirt and boots. He was also back to wearing his closed, inviolable look, which made me nervous. It was like he was somewhere else. I had a sense that he wasn’t entirely comfortable with going to the high court, and I wondered if it had to do with me.
“Thank you.” I walked toward him hesitantly. “Everything okay?”
“Why wouldn’t it be?” Answering a question with a question. Was he stressed? I didn’t have time to ask, because a beeping sound prompted him to snag a device from his pocket that fit into the palm of his hand. In a clipped voice, he said, “Ryder.”
“We’re coming,” Nick responded just as shortly.
“We’re ready. Out.”
“Out.”
A few seconds later, Cynthia and Nick pushed through the narrow passageway from the private transfer room. It was that quick. We met them in the main rec room. Cynthia was wearing a floral tunic in a light material, while Nick wore a uniform of black pants, long-sleeved shirt, boots and armed utility belt.
I no longer sensed anger between them, but kind of a delayed anticipation. Cynthia was being closemouthed about it, and I had too much to think about, what with facing some very official-sounding people, so I just gave her a hug and was glad to see her.
“You look fantastic.” She smiled. “I knew that was a good color for you.”
“I trust your fashion sense, Cyn,” I offered, trying to find the behavioral rhythm I usually had with her. “You always manage to look superchic.”
“Why, thank you.” She bowed her head in teasing acceptance of my praise.
“We ready to go?” Nick broke in impatiently.
What was his deal? I stole a quick look at Cynthia, but she was rolling her eyes with exasperation.
I was about to affirm I was ready when I realized something was missing, and it sent me into a panic. My mother’s bracelet. I hadn’t seen it since work a few days before.
“I’ve got it,” Ryder offered, reading my thoughts. With an indulgent smile he added, “The latch got caught in the blanket two nights ago. You were drunk, so I took it off to keep it safe.”
“I was not drunk,” I replied teasingly, “and if I was, it was entirely your fault.”
“Yes, you were drunk, and yes it was my fault.”
“I’d love to wear it now. Is that okay?” I didn’t want to break any cultural codes or rules of conduct in public or whatever.