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SHAWN:
ALL AROUND HIM, everyone froze. Noises stopped. Fists stopped the constant smacking of sweaty skin, grunts stopped, even the labored breathing in the ring grew quiet. All heads were turned toward the gate.
Tempest had arrived. She was casually leaned up against the door frame. But damn. Something about her looked different. Was the leather corset that she wore a bit tighter? Was the skirt she wore shorter? He didn’t remember her boots reaching up to her delectable thighs.
Surrounded by blood and sweat and men, his dick hardened. Fuck, he needed to get laid and soon.
He grew irritated with the way everyone stared at her luscious but exposed purple skin.
“Tempest,” he snapped. “Over here.”
The Xeno Sapien he had been sparring with looked relieved as he made his way down the ropes of the ring.
The little skirt swished when she walked. “We are sparring here? In the ring? Not in the pit?”
“The pit’s already reserved,” he said. “Why are you here? Today’s not your practice day.” Normally he didn’t mind when she showed up unannounced but today...today she was wearing a fucking flirty little skirt. A sexy leather halter. Tall, fuck-me boots.
“No.” She shrugged delicately. “But I felt the need to let off a little steam.” She smiled. She fucking smiled at his goddamn misery as if she knew he shifted the fucking pole in his pants. A little steam was what she called this lustful attraction between them.
The little steam was about to blow.
“What are you wearing?” he growled.
“Same thing I always wear.” She shrugged, her delicate shoulders moving up and down, raising her breasts, showing him the hardened points of her nipples through the thin casing. He’d seen her nipples before, of course. Xeno Sapiens weren’t shy about nudity. And hell, it had just been last night that he’d stripped that deliciously flimsy, gold, barely-there dress from her gorgeous body, stared his fill, and then pulled her close.
He could see them whenever he closed his eyes. Hard. Flushed a darker purple than the rest of her. Her areolas were large and for some reason, that turned him the fuck on. He wanted to suck as much of her breast as he could into his mouth. But it wasn’t worth it. She’d hate him afterward. Any leeway he’d made months ago dropped dead when he did.
“Maybe everything looks different with my new boots,” she said, twirling for him. Her sassy little ass bumped up and he knew he wasn’t imagining things. Her corset was tighter, her skirt was shorter.
Tempest was up to something.
So he dropped into position, turned up his palm, and motioned her closer.
As usual, she didn’t start light. She blasted into him with an uppercut he blocked, a hook he ducked, and a kick he caught. But instead of thrusting her leg away, he pulled her in, watched her eyes widen and then slapped her ass as he tossed her away.
Oh, yeah. The goal was to piss her off.
They still sparred even when the last two men waved, heading to the showers. He glanced at the clock. The mess hall would be open for another forty-five minutes. Just enough to get her fed...and put to bed.
“How are you not tired?” she gritted. “You sparred before I even arrived.”
He refrained from pointing out he wasn’t weak. She’d have to figure that out on her own.
His leg swept out, knocking hers from underneath her. He landed on top of her—didn’t even brace for the pain that might erupt.
No pain.
She didn’t stab.
“Good job,” he murmured softly.
“It was easy,” she warned. “But if you would have landed on the bottom...” she stopped speaking when he slipped his arm underneath her and swept it along her body, down her spine, over the curve of her sweet ass.
“Nothing broke through behind you,” he pointed out. Not like that day she was so terrified of.
“But it could,” she insisted.
“No,” he said. “You have more control than that. You just don’t know it.” And then he did the unthinkable.
He covered her mouth with his.
Her plump, sexy lips were soft and parted in surprise. He took advantage to slide his tongue across her bottom lip. She moaned softly. Blistering desire shot straight through him and he lost all thought processes as his need took over. There was a hot thrust of his tongue, her returning stroke and he realized she was greedy, just as greedy as he was. A note of desperate arousal sounded deep in her throat as her body lifted as if trying to get closer to his.
With a low groan, he tore his mouth from hers. Fingers bunched in her hair, he tilted her head back, bearing the long expanse of her graceful neck. His teeth scraped the side of her neck before his lips kissed her over her racing pulse, licking his way up to the curve of her jaw as she trembled in his arms.
She was fucking delicious. Honey and flowers, but something wild and exotic, too. Strength wrapped in beauty. He found her lips again and this time she was ready for him, her tongue stroking against his, her delectable breasts pressing against his chest.
This time when he released her sweet lips, they were both gasping. But for a totally different reason.
“That was unprofessional,” she said.
“Yeah. It was,” he agreed. “Also made you forget the fact that you were afraid to lose control and stab me. If my kisses don’t make you lose control, nothing will.” He winked, and then rose from his prone position. He held out a hand to help her up.
“Go get cleaned up,” he said. “We’re heading to the mess hall before it closes. There’s something else I want to discuss with you.”
He’d learned long ago never to ask with Tempest. Never force her...but never give her a chance to refuse. He pushed her off to the right while he took the showers on the left. He was done in a flat ten minutes and waiting for her where the showers both exited into the lobby.
He’d been right. She wore a fresh sparring outfit and it was definitely not as tight. Not as short. Still, with those new tall boots she wore, it was still sexy as hell. She was the epitome of warrior princess. She had natural grace, natural beauty, all wrapped up in a wary package. But most of all, what people didn’t notice—she had a heart of gold. She was one of the most caring, sensitive Xeno Sapiens out there...and no one knew. Not one person suspected what Tempest gave up so the rest may live.
He knew. And he’d make her realize how perfect she was if it was the last thing he did.
He rose when she exited the showers. “Ready?”
She nodded briefly, eyes on his lips like she was a bit wary, then fell in line beside him. He nudged her with his shoulder, bumping her enough to make her unsteady. “Quit.”
“What?”
“Quit being wary. It’s just me.”
“I know,” she said, exasperated. “But I was thinking about that kiss. And then I wondered how I should act afterward.”
That was his Tempest. Honest and open to a fault.
“You should kiss me to balance things out.”
She stopped in her tracks. “What?”
“Balance the power, right?” He suppressed a grin. “I kissed you. Without permission. It took some of your power, left you feeling uncomfortable. Wondering where you stood. Now you kiss me and it leaves me wondering about the kiss the entire walk to the mess hall.”
“Really?”
He was about to reply when she gathered his shirt in her fists and brought his head to hers. As soon as her plump, delectable lips found his, he groaned. They opened their mouths at the same time, teeth crashing together, tongues flicking and tasting each other.
Sliding right back into where they left off.
She broke the kiss, leaning back, gasping. Peering at him curiously. “Do you now feel confused? Disconcerted?”
“Oh, yeah,” he said, and deliberately shifted his junk.
Her eyes followed his hand and she flushed.
“Well, good, then,” she said, leaning back. “I guess I have now regained my power.”
“Sure thing,” he said, flinging an arm around her neck and bringing her close as they continued to walk.
“Shawn,” she protested, trying to move away.
“Tempest,” he grinned, bringing his lips to the top of her head. Her hair was still slightly damp from the shower and smelled of honey. An underlying smell that was her.
“Someone will see,” she said.
“Trust me. It will shock no one. No one will even blink. They’ll take it in stride if they notice at all.”
Her eyes flicked to his. “You’re kidding.”
“Oh, no.” He laughed. “This is an experiment. Watch.”
Her curiosity rose and she relaxed against him, her stride in tune with his. She brought one hand up to her shoulder to loosely clasp his, and the other arm she snaked around his waist. A bit rebelliously, at first. As if she wanted to dare anyone to notice. But he’d take the challenge to have her in his arms. To pretend for a little bit that it was normal; that she was his.
As they entered the mess hall, a few looked their way, and looked away again. No big deal. It was Shawn and Tempest, just like he’d told her.
They headed toward the buffet, where he was a bit reluctant to let her go, but they needed both of their hands to grab food. He leaned down to whisper in her ear.
“See? Told you.”
“It appears you were right.” She looked up at him, her lovely mint-green eyes sparkling. “However, a part of me wants to figure out why. I think it is merely because the mess hall is more focused on food than anything and nothing other than food sparks immediate interest.”
He chose to let her believe that. He could have told her everyone was used to his eyes following her around whenever she was present. He could have told her they were all over each other when she was drunk at the dance. He could have told her that everyone accepted it because it was a normal for Tempest to be butted up against his side because she was his.
But she wouldn’t believe it. Not until she figured it out for herself.
They piled their plates high because sparring required extra calories. Of course, so did fucking. He imagined a life with Tempest—fucking and eating. Sparring and eating. Sparring and fucking. Fucking and then fucking some more. It would be perfect. He just had to play his cards right.
He nudged her to a small table in the corner, a bit more secluded as more people were heading out of the mess hall. The lights dimmed, a warning that the hall was closing down for cleanup. The lights would remain dimmed for the next half hour.
“What did you want to talk about?” she asked.
“I wanted to know why you tightened your sparring outfit.”
He continued eating, aware that she stopped. Would she deny it? Play coy? Nah, that wasn’t Tempest’s way.
“I was planning to seduce you. Just once,” she added, as if he might be getting other ideas. Apparently she wasn’t aware that it was impossible to think when all the blood flow from his brain ran straight to his dick. “I thought satiating the need would put us back on an even keel.”
“Hmm. Just like the pact we made months ago?” There it was. He brought it up to the surface.
“The pact was a bit different,” she said. “We’d agreed to get it out of our systems. That had no end date in sight. I realized I need an end.”
“Okay,” he said, because really, at this point he’d take anything he could get.
“Okay?” Naturally her voice was wary.
“Yes. I agree to your terms. I promise to take your edge off. To make you come until you can’t see straight.”
He took a drink of his seltzer water like it was the most casual thing in the world. Fact was the drink was to calm his raging dick.
“You will come, too,” she negotiated. There was that soft heart, making sure he reached his. He fought a grin.
“Thank you.”
She frowned. “I mean, it’s only fair.”
“Yes. And we must keep things balanced.” He raised his glass to toast the deal, feeling the utmost satisfaction when she raised hers to clink. She had no idea how unbalanced this relationship would be. They were going to have to strive to keep it even; to have the same balance of explosive orgasms. Strive to keep it casual. Strive to keep it...fulfilling. So many things to strive for.
But his sweet thing smiled like this arrangement was the easiest thing since sliced bread and clinked her glass to his. He waited until she set her glass down before he asked, “Does tonight work for you?”
AS SOON AS HE DROPPED the question, the tension had grown so thick he could hardly breathe. Her eyes had roved down his body, lingering on his chest. The pronounced bulge at his groin.
They’d left the mess hall quickly. He barely remembered the walk down the hallways to the residential units, but suddenly they were in her quarters.
She felt so small in his arms, so delicate. But she was anything but. She was strength and desire and wanton need. His hand felt huge as he pushed it between her legs and her thighs invariably locked, clenching around his waist. Her hand gripped his forearm but it wasn’t to push him away. It was to pull him closer.
He gave her what she needed, sliding his hand under the lace of panties, seeking the heat that drew his palm like a magnet.
She coated his fingers, she was so slippery.
“You’re drenched.”
She didn’t respond. She was panting, gazing at him with her beautiful green eyes, waiting for him to give her what she needed. And God help him, he’d give her anything.
“You need me. You need this. You tell me next time you need,” he instructed her, commanded in his best trainer voice. “I’ll be the one to take care of all your needs.”
She gave an involuntary shudder and then her back arched, her thighs squeezed tighter around him as if she fought to suppress that need. But then she gave up and simply pushed her pussy harder into his hand.
A groan erupted from his throat.
“Where do you need me, baby?” he muttered, his voice barely a rasp. “Here?”
He rubbed her hot, slick arousal against her own flesh, smearing her own heat.
“Yes.” The admittance emerged on a ragged breath as if she still thought to deny this attraction between them. He’d make her need it and he’d make her admit it. He paused the friction against her pussy.
“You need more here?”
Her fingers tightened on his forearm, the small nails digging in. “Yes. And I need you to tear off the barrier of those panties. I only wore them so you could rip them off.”
He smiled. “Good. But not yet. Lean back. Let your trainer take care of you.”
His fingers pulled the edge of her panties aside so he could peer inside, the wet fabric falling easily aside and baring the most beautiful sight to him. Her beautiful pussy. She was puffy with need, so swollen as her body prepared to sheath his raging fucking cock. But not yet. He’d make sure she was completely satiated before he took her.
He ran his fingers up her slit, sliding over drenched curls, back down, slipping into her swollen folds.
A tortured moan ripped from her.
And then he pushed deeper, his long fucking fingers that he always hated because his momma was sure he’d take to piano were a blessing now as he pushed them into her, opening her up, letting her scent waft up between them.
“You’re so hot. So fucking wet. I can’t wait to sink my cock into this,” he said.
Then she arched her back and he’d never seen such an erotic sight in his life as his long fucking piano fingers buried deep in Tempest’s pussy. With his thumb, he circled her clit.
“Shawn,” she gasped, shaking her head. “Shawn.” It was like she reverently chanted his name instead of having something to say.
“You like this, my pretty? My big fingers stretching your pussy? Filling you?”
“Yes.”
“Yes, what?”
“Just fucking yes,” she moaned. “It feels good. So good.”
“You want to come?”
“Yes,” she whimpered.
“Come now.”
He knew exactly what she needed. His thumb slicked harshly over her clit and she started to shake when he repeated the movement, over and over. Her hips began to rock and then, like it was in his fantasies, she was fucking his hand. He pressed harder on her clit, giving her friction as his fingers pumped and she exploded, her inner muscles clamping down as she cried out, the pleasured sound music to his ears.
He’d remember her orgasmic cries for the rest of his life.
Her body was locked, frozen in bliss, her back bowing, but her pussy released convulsive pulses around his fingers.
His tortured groan was for his dick because that should have been his thick, hot cock pounding deep inside her.
“Just like that, baby. Oh fuck, you’re squeezing me so tight.” His groan was rough as he let her pant it out, his fingers buried inside her.
His breath was hot and ragged against her neck as his fingers slipped from her pussy. He lifted his head, seeking out her gaze.
“Now I’m going to lick you all up.”
