Haven: Alien Surrogate Agency #2, page 8
17
Haven
Haven closed her eyes, trying to absorb the sensation of his hands on her breasts, his words echoing in her mind.
He couldn’t be serious, could he?
Of course not. This whole thing was just role play, to get them both in the mood.
Not that she needed it. She had been burning for him since the moment they first locked eyes.
But today’s pretend date and pretend evening at home was turning into a pretend mate claiming now. She could play along with that.
“Haven,” he rasped.
She opened her eyes to see him lick one nipple into the heat of his mouth. She let her head fall back, not even realizing the low moaning sound was her own.
What if it’s real?
That was impossible.
He licked and teased her other nipple now, massaging her breasts with his hands and sending her into a frenzy of need.
Mate…
If it was real, then she should be grateful. She had never had any value to anyone before without a primary heir. But if what he said about the bond was true, then by definition she would have to be enough for him, even if she couldn’t give him a child.
He pressed his lips to her navel and trailed kisses down over the lace.
She could feel his hot breath through the thin layer of fabric, tormenting her right where she needed him.
“Gods, Haven,” he growled, sliding his hands down her hips and catching the scrap of material, wrenching it down her thighs, letting it hang from one ankle as he pressed her thighs apart with a proprietary air.
Then his mouth was on her and she was helpless to do anything but let the sensations carry her.
Kai fed on her as if he were drowning in the desert, her juices the only thing sustaining him. His wicked tongue flickered over every millimeter of her. There was nowhere to hide, no fold left unattended by his hungry mouth.
Haven felt herself being driven closer and closer to the razor’s edge of sanity, her hips trembling and lifting to meet his mouth, her core tightening on nothing as he licked and lapped but never penetrated.
“Please,” she moaned as his tongue traced a circle around her stiff little pearl without touching.
He groaned against her, the sound sending toe curling vibrations through her.
She felt the tip of his finger tease and then part her folds, easing inside her so slowly she could hardly bear it.
When she was whining with frustration, he added a second finger, and then a third.
Pleasure swirled, tightening the tension in every muscle. But Kai wouldn’t let it break. Finally, he began moving the three fingers inside her, stretching her, as she cried out for relief.
“Easy, little one.” His voice was low and rough with need.
He stood, removing his clothing so quickly that she had no time to fear his rippling golden muscles. He palmed his thick, rigid cock lightly as he looked down at her.
She wondered what she must look like, panting, cheeks on fire, lips parted as she gazed up at him, pleading wordlessly for a cock so big she wasn’t sure she could take it all.
“I won’t hurt you,” he growled, as if he could hear her thoughts. “Do you trust me?”
“Yes,” she moaned without thinking.
His eyes lit up with delight and he fell on her, caging her head in his arms and nuzzling her nose.
She tilted up her chin and he brushed his lips to hers, so gently.
“Kai,” she murmured.
He kissed her again, his lips firm this time.
When he thumbed at her jaw, she opened for him, allowing him to invade her mouth.
He tasted like her, and she realized for the first time that he had practically ravished her before their first kiss.
She twined her arms around his neck, giving in to the pretend idea that he was hers forever.
He moaned against her mouth, as if he had sensed her surrender.
She could feel the rigid length of him, pulsing against her belly. She arched her back, feeling him slide against her slippery, oiled skin.
The ripple of thick muscle under her hands was her reward.
She lifted her hips, unwilling to end their kiss to beg him for more.
But he pulled back anyway, gazing into her eyes as he took himself in his hand.
“Forever, Haven?” he asked her, his beautiful eyes searching hers.
“Forever,” she agreed, loving this scenario, wishing it was real, but perfectly content to play along if it was going to feel this good.
When he guided himself against her, pleasure licked at her core. There was no room for fear, only a pull like suction, and a feeling that if he didn’t fill her, she would die.
He pressed inside her so slowly, hissing in his breath as if he were in pain.
There was a stretching sensation and then the floodgates opened to unearthly pleasure.
She sank her nails into his shoulders, unable to speak.
“I know,” he murmured, his face a study in pain as he fought to hold himself still and let her get used to him. “I know it hurts. I won’t move until you’re ready.”
She jogged her hips up in despair, unable to find the words to beg him to move.
His eyes lit up, the green fiery ring practically glowing.
She had just enough time to wonder at his masculine beauty, and then he was pulling out of her and thrusting back in.
The pleasure was blinding. She lost track of her own sounds, desperately fighting his slow rhythm by lifting her hips and wiggling against him, racing toward a climax that frightened her almost as much as she craved it.
I’ll splinter to pieces. I’ll go insane.
Kai gazed down at her, his eyes hazy with lust, lips parted as if in wonder. His abs were rigid, as if he was holding himself back.
“Please,” she begged.
Growling, he slid a hand between them to massage her on her clit as he sped up his thrusts.
The pleasure was almost unbearable. She tried to absorb it and hold back, but it was too much.
“Now, Haven,” he roared. “Give it to me now.”
Her pleasure lifted her into the stars and then broke in a rush of unholy waves.
She felt herself tightening on him rhythmically, each squeeze an ecstasy, and then he was letting go, claiming her with a ferocity that would have frightened her if it hadn’t pushed her into a second climax so intense that she shivered and shook with it.
Then he was shouting out his own pleasure, filling her with jet after jet of his hot seed, each one extending her rapture until she was limp and breathless.
“Haven,” he murmured when it was done, lowering himself down beside her and stroking his hand down her side, breast to hip.
“Wow,” she whispered.
He pressed a kiss to her forehead and pulled her onto his chest, cradling her in his arms as if she were very small and very precious.
“I know you’re tired, my angel,” he whispered into her hair. “But we only have a few minutes. Do you need a drink of water or anything else?”
“A few minutes until what?” she asked him sleepily.
She felt like a rag doll, wrung out and floating on air. Sleep would take her in an instant. She was sure of it.
“A few minutes until you need me again,” he told her, nuzzling her neck.
What?
“Again?” she echoed, feeling boneless with exhaustion.
But his breath on the tender place between her neck and shoulder seemed to connect to her core with a line of electric heat and she felt the stirrings of need in her belly again.
“Kai?” she murmured in confusion.
“This is the mating frenzy,” he told her. “Don’t fight it. It’s better to let yourself go.”
She wanted to stop and think over the fact that this wasn’t pretend after all.
It was very, very real.
But a bottomless hunger was yawning inside her, and she could only cling to him with a need that bordered on despair, as he used his hands and mouth to bring her back to the desperate edge of rapture so that he could take her once more.
18
Kai
Kai awoke happy from a dream he couldn’t remember.
It wasn’t until he began to stretch that he realized his body was wrapped around something warm and soft and sleepy.
Haven…
He opened his eyes to find his mate sleeping soundly beside him.
Her pale hair was tangled, soft lips darkened from his savage kisses. But she had survived the frenzy, and she looked peaceful in her slumber.
He slowly and carefully unwrapped himself from around her, pulling the blankets up to cradle her in his stead.
She made a sad moaning sound, but didn’t wake up. He stroked her hair, and the furrow in her forehead smoothed out as she let sleep pull her back into the deep.
The room was filled with soft morning light, but he wasn’t sure what morning it was. Nights and days had passed during the frenzy, and he hadn’t bothered to count them.
Food had occasionally appeared by the bedroom door, and they sometimes ate a few bites before the passion took them again.
He had a memory of licking spilled soup from Haven’s breasts when they suddenly abandoned a meal to devour each other instead.
Smiling, he headed into the bathroom to clean himself up a little. He was ravenous, but there was no way he was leaving this room without at least rinsing off, if there was any chance he was going to bump into some poor soul trying to leave food.
He thought fondly of Haven as the hot water pounded over him.
It was one thing to have a bonded mate to feed your sexual hunger and provide you with heirs.
It was another to know he was going to spend his life with Haven herself. She was funny, energetic and smart. The rest of his life was going to seem like a party with her along.
It felt as if he had been living in darkness and someone had just turned on a light.
He only hoped she didn’t hate the necessary formalities of his job - mostly charity balls and company luncheons here and there. He had a feeling she would make those events a lot more fun.
He dressed quickly and made his way out to the great room, hoping the kitchen was stocked. Haven would be hungry when she awoke, too.
He tried not to let himself overthink the chances that she was already carrying his child.
In order to be part of this program, she had to have had fertility issues on her home planet. And though his seed should awaken her womb, there were no guarantees that it would happen quickly. Or at all.
He instructed himself firmly not to make any remark or expression whatsoever this morning if she was not with child. Haven was enough for him, more than enough. They would get an heir another way if she could not provide it. This was likely to be a painful subject for her, and he was determined not to burden her further with his expectations.
Happily, there was coffee to be made, and there were fresh eggs and vegetables as well as whisper thin slices of Maltaffian cheese.
He started a pot brewing and began chopping vegetables for an omelet.
Though he had never been one to sing, he found himself humming a happy tune as he worked, his heart filled with satisfaction at the idea of feeding his mate.
As he began whisking eggs, he heard stirring in the bedroom. He decided to give Haven a little space to wake up, and applied himself to getting their meal ready.
He was just sliding the omelet onto two plates when he heard the shower turn off.
Pouring out two steaming cups of coffee, he reminded himself not to question her about morning sickness or other possible signs of pregnancy. Their lives would unfold in their own time. There was no rush.
He was just placing the last item on the table when he heard soft footsteps.
“Good morning,” he said, looking up at her and pointedly meeting her eyes. “Are you hungry?”
“Ravenous,” she replied, her green eyes dancing when she saw the table. “Did you make that?”
“I did,” he told her. “It’s just an omelet and some coffee. There might be bread somewhere, too.”
She slipped out from behind the counter, revealing herself fully to him.
“Haven,” he breathed, his eyes fixed on the small but obvious curve of her belly.
“What?” she asked.
“Did you look in the mirror this morning?” he asked.
“It was still steamed up from your shower,” she told him, her hands automatically going to her hair. “Is something wrong?”
But he was moving toward her already, too choked up to say the words.
He wrapped his arms around her, sliding behind her so that he could cradle the almost imperceptible bump in the palm of his hand as tears prickled his eyes.
“Kai?” she breathed, her hand moving to meet his, tentatively caressing the curve that wasn’t there last night.
He pressed his lips ardently to her temple.
“Knock, knock,” a voice called out from the front door. “It’s Dr. Pan. Oberon tells me you’re awake?”
“Hi, Dr. Pan,” Haven said quickly, breaking unceremoniously out of Kai’s hold and heading for the door.
He felt a pang of pain, but reminded himself that she was not Maltaffian, and her Terran culture might make such intimate contact unacceptable in front of one who was not part of her family.
The two women strode back into the kitchen together. Though Dr. Pan had dark hair and features and Haven was porcelain pale all over, they were clearly of the same race - both small, slender and hornless.
He smiled at the idea that the Center had sent a Terran doctor to look after his mate. She would be able to advise Haven more perfectly and understand her feelings better since they shared both biology and tradition.
“Congratulations,” Dr. Pan said to Kai, meeting his eyes, her own twinkling.
“Thank you, doctor,” he said. “It is good of you to come so quickly.”
“Please, sit and eat,” Dr. Pan said. “I’ll chat with you both for a few minutes before I do the check, and I’m sure you’re both starving.”
“Thank God,” Haven said, flinging herself into her chair and devouring everything on her plate.
Kai sat down calmly and spooned his own omelet onto her plate as soon as it was empty.
“Sorry,” she mumbled around a massive bite. “I’ve never been this hungry before.”
“Do not apologize,” he told her. “I’ll just keep cooking while you speak, if you don’t mind, Dr. Pan?”
“Of course not,” the doctor replied. “That’s exactly the right thing to do.”
He busied himself in the kitchen once more, as the doctor sat in the chair beside Haven’s.
“First of all, I want to thank, you both for not activating privacy mode,” Dr. Pan said crisply. “You were observed not out of titillation, but so that we can better anticipate client needs during a mating frenzy, if it ever happens at the Center again. It’s important that you know none of our biological staff continued viewing the feed once it was clear what was happening. But Oberon was able to chart the course for us so that future pairings may have more of what would make them comfortable.”
“Uh, thanks,” Haven said.
He glanced over at her to see that her cheeks had darkened to a dusky pink. But she hadn’t stopped eating.
Good girl. Feed our baby. And never feel shame at our passion. It is a benediction, and we are forever anointed.
He would talk with her when the doctor left and explain to her how rare and precious their frenzy was.
“As you read in the entry paperwork, Maltaffian gestations are very different from Terran ones,” Dr. Pan went on, pretending not to notice Haven’s mortification. That must also be a Terran civility. “Depending on the strength of the mate bond, and a few other factors, you will deliver that baby somewhere between a few days and a week from now.”
“A few days?” Haven echoed, gazing up at Dr. Pan with a horrified expression.
“To a week,” the doctor replied. “Give or take. The important thing is to take good care of yourself so that no matter how many days it takes, you and the baby are comfortable. Eating plenty of good food is key. Your mate has the right idea.”
Haven glanced over at Kai. Her eyes were frightened.
He felt heartsick. He had told her everything before she accepted him. How could she look so sad and surprised?
Turning his attention back to preparing her third plate of breakfast, he counseled himself not to have any expectations of her. This was an emotional time, and there was no wrong way for her to feel.
“Most Terrans experiencing a Maltaffian pregnancy do have some morning sickness,” Dr. Pan warned her. “Just let it happen and keep eating. You need all the nourishment you can get.”
Kai set a glass of juice down in front of Haven and she guzzled it immediately, placing the empty glass on the table for him to refill.
“You may experience more of the mating frenzy,” Dr. Pan went on. “If you do, follow your desires. You can’t hurt the baby and intimacy is found to increase serotonin.”
Haven scraped the last of the omelet from her plate and got an odd look on her face.
“Go on,” Dr. Pan said. “Let it out.”
Kai ran over with the bowl from the eggs and held Haven’s hair back as she heaved the contents of both their breakfasts into it.
When she was finished, he kissed the top of her head and took the bowl to the bathroom to dispose of it.
By the time he returned, Dr. Pan was putting the second double omelet onto Haven’s plate, and he watched proudly as his mate inhaled it.
She was tough. She would be a fierce and valiant mother.
“Now, Oberon planned a gentle activity for you today,” Dr. Pan was saying. “If you’re feeling up to a walk, you can do some golfing. It’s outdoors, in case you need to be sick. And we’ll send a cold hover droid along with provisions, so you won’t have to worry about getting hungry. The main goal is to enhance the mate bond to help with the baby’s development.”
Golfing, that was something Kai was good at. But surely, Haven would want to relax by the fire and let him care for her.
