Chapter 5

Bretton watched Sera step over the threshold into the sealed room he’d found. Curiosity lit her gray eyes, made them sparkle. His hands fisted at his sides as she slid past him. The smell of her and saltwater caressed his nose. He pulled in a deep breath to capture the sweet scent. She’d not spared him so much as a glance the past hour—had hardly spoken to him.

“What were you doing with Oeric at the rim ranches today?” He bit back a groan when she bent over to examine something, her tight silver suit pulling taut across her lush backside. His nudity would do nothing to hide the effect she had on his cock.

“Maintenance checks.”

He waited a beat for her to say more, but she didn’t. She seemed to have no problem ignoring him. He spoke through clenched teeth. “I was visiting my aunt and uncle at their ranch.”

She made a small humming noise in her throat. “That sounds nice.”

Anger whipped through him. He couldn’t bear this distance between them. It was intolerable that she would pull away from him. It was irrational, this rage bubbling through him. Imperfect. But he couldn’t stop it. And that angered him still more. He had no control—her mere presence stripped it from him.

She seemed so unaffected by him now. It challenged him, made him want to bring her down to this raw, wild level where he’d found himself. He ran his hand over his hair, a slow smile tugging at his lips.

He stepped into the bathing chamber, picked up a tiny tray full of some kind of slippery substance, and dipped his fingers into it. “What is this?”

“Gel soap.” She flicked a dismissive glance at his hand.

His brows arched. “Gel soap?”

She sighed. “It’s similar to the cleansing sand some of the shops in Atlantis sell. Except it doesn’t start out rough and then lather. It’s slick. Gel.”

“Ah.” A wicked smile pulled at his lips as he set the tray on a small table near the door. “Interesting things can be done with slick substances.”

Her eyebrows lifted, and she finally looked at him, at the erection that curved his cock up to his navel, at the lust he knew was reflected in his eyes. She flushed under his gaze, and he saw her nipples bead tight against the thin fabric of her suit. She released a shaky breath. Relief filled him when he saw the heat and passion he was used to seeing stamped on her features. “We shouldn’t. You don’t really want this.”

“You don’t think so?” His hand dropped to stroke the soap over his cock, up and down until it was coated in the slippery gel.

She nodded, her gray gaze following every movement of his fingers as they played over his overheated flesh. “Here?”

“Oh, yes. Here.” His free hand shot out, and he keyed the panel to shut and lock the door. “Undress. Now.”

Her fingers slid down the seam of her suit. “For once, Ambassador, I’m overdressed for the occasion.”

His chuckle rumbled in his chest. “Come here.”

“I’ll come anywhere you want me to.” She wriggled her hips to ease the tight wet suit down her legs.

His gaze swept down her in an appreciative glance. She shivered in response. Her nipples tightened further.

He crooked a finger, and she stepped forward to press her breasts to his chest. She shifted her torso to drag the hard tips over his flesh. He groaned.

His mouth swooped down to kiss her, running his tongue along the seam of her lips until she opened for him. He plunged into her mouth, making her moan when he scraped his teeth over her lower lip. He loved the sounds she made, loved to make her cry out with need for him.

His palm rose to cup her heavy breast. She whimpered when he flicked his nail over the nipple and then pinched it. Her thigh lifted to wrap around his hip. The satin feel of her skin on his, the friction as her soft belly rubbed over his cock, made him groan. He gripped her leg and pushed it down to the floor again.

She broke the kiss, panting. Her pupils were dilated with passion. “I thought I was supposed to come.”

“You will, fire fin. I promise.” He spun her around and pushed her forward over the table. He pulled her arms behind her back and gripped both her wrists in his hands. He’d explode if she touched him, and he wanted to savor her. Show her how much he craved her, even if he could never allow himself to claim her publicly. A hot band of emotion tightened around his chest.

Tossing her wet hair out of the way, she glanced over her shoulder at him. “What are you doing?”

“Turn around.” He slapped her ass. She jerked, her silver eyes widening. Oh, yes. He wanted to savor every moment with her. He slipped his fingers between her legs, dipping into the hot wetness there. She gasped, pushing herself into his touch. Neptune’s blood, she was so responsive. He loved that, but he wanted more from her. “Turn around, fire fin.”

He pulled his hand away until she obeyed. Her hips wriggled back, trying to get closer to him. “Please, Bretton.”

“I always give you pleasure, don’t I, fire fin?” His palm cracked across her backside again.

“Yes.”

He dipped his fingers inside her again. She’d grown hotter, wetter. He grinned and pulled back to spank her harder. His palm heated with each smack, as did the soft cheek of her ass. Her hips danced with each strike until she screamed and wriggled against the hold he had on her wrists. “Oh, yes, Bretton. Please, please, please,” she chanted.

He scooped some of the gel soap into his hand and moved to stroke between the smooth globes of her ass. She froze, her breath shuddering out when he pressed the soap into her tight anus.

“I’m going to fuck you here, slide in deep, and you’ll still beg for more, won’t you?” He gritted his teeth over a groan. His cock throbbed painfully. He needed to be inside her. Now.

She nodded, sobbing in gulps of air. Her muscles shook beneath his hands. “Please, Bretton. I need more.”

Working the soap in deep, he made sure she was slick enough to take him easily. He had no desire to harm her. He rubbed the remaining soap up and down his hard cock before he stepped forward to push the head inside her ass. His jaw clenched at the hot feel of her closing around his flesh. He waited for a moment, letting her adjust. When her hips gave an impatient wiggle, he grinned and shoved deeper in small thrusts until he was embedded to the hilt in her backside. The muscles gripped his dick so tight he groaned at the ecstasy of it. Fire burned through his veins, robbing him of coherent thought. Only Sera had ever been able to do this to him. Strip him of control. He shuddered, fighting the need to come hot and hard inside her.

“Bretton. More,” she breathed.

“Yes.” Releasing her wrists, he placed her hands against the table and covered them with his. Pinned her in place. Perfect. Just where he wanted to be, over her, inside her, inseparable. It was so right and so wrong. He shoved away the thought and focused on her. He wanted her to scream for him.

Withdrawing, he slid back into her ass slowly. She whimpered and lifted her hips to meet him. The silk of her skin pressed to his chest, and he loved the feel of it as they moved together.

Her fingers laced with his, and she squeezed tight. “Harder. Faster. Now.”

His cock slammed forward inside her, the slickness of the gel making him slide smoothly in and out. The drag of flesh as her muscles gripped him made him groan low in his throat. He wanted to move slower, but his body demanded he listen to Sera. Harder. Faster. Heat spiraled tighter and tighter in his belly. His hips slapped against the curve of her backside, and their breathing panted out in harsh gasps. Sweat dampened their skin until their bodies sealed together. “We fit so perfectly, fire fin. I crave you.”

“Bretton.” Sera sobbed beneath him, twisting her body as they moved. Her muscles locked tight around him as she came. “I love you. Oh, God. I love you.”

“Sera,” he breathed. He kissed her shoulder. Sweet Neptune, how he treasured her. Her words sliced straight to his heart, clouding his mind. He had no choice, no control—his hips bucked as he buried himself inside her again and again until he froze, shuddering as orgasm dragged him under.

Perfect. Nothing had ever been this perfect. They lay there for long moments, nothing breaking the silence in the small room except their heaving breaths. The sweat dried on their skin, and he closed his eyes to hold on to this moment with her. She shifted beneath him, so he levered himself up and pulled his still semi-hard cock from her ass. They groaned together.

He lifted her up and swung her into the shower. Pressing the panel, he started the hot spray. She wriggled away from him to wash herself off. He watched her intently, but she wouldn’t meet his gaze, wouldn’t look at him. Was this how it felt for her when he had sex with her and then walked away? It hit him like a fist to the gut. Guilt slid down his spine. Sweet Neptune, he’d hurt her. He’d just never understood how much.

He couldn’t stand the distance between them, but as painful as he found it, he knew he deserved it. She dressed in tense silence, neither of them willing to talk about what had happened between them. The unspoken arrangement that had carried them through the past Turn was broken, but he had no idea what they would become in the future. Nothing was the right answer, the one that ensured the life and career he’d always imagined for himself. Everything was the answer his soul demanded. He swallowed, dragged a hand through his hair, and tightened the thong that held it back.

When they exited the room and rounded a corner in the corridor, they ran into Oeric. Sera smiled at him, and ugly jealousy twisted through Bretton. He’d just had her in his arms, and bitter envy ate at him. Other than the slight arch of a brow, Oeric pretended not to notice their disheveled appearance, turned around to precede them, and started opening doors along the corridor back to the main dome. “We must be in the laboratory quadrant, Doctor. This one is an exact replica of your current quarters.”

They peeked around him to see he was correct. That meant Pacifica had a layout opposite of Atlantis, where the lab corridor was in the southern sector. Interesting.

The water had dropped to almost nothing, so it was easier to move as they went. Oeric opened another door and then slapped a hand to the holoscreen to shut it again. His face went ghostly pale.

“What’s wrong?” Sera surged ahead to look.

He shook his head, his big body blocking her when she tried to reach for the panel. She paused and tilted her head up at his. “They missed a body, huh?”

A sharp nod was her only answer.

“You look a little green around the gills, Oeric.” A sassy grin flashed across her face.

He rolled his eyes, his shoulders relaxing when he saw she wasn’t going to insist on looking, and kept going. By the time they reached the main dome, there was no water left, but the ceiling dripped in steady streams, and clumps of purple algae dropped onto their heads. They did their best to dodge it, but the stuff covered every surface, so there wasn’t much they could do to avoid it.

Bretton lagged behind to try to get a grip on himself. This was the first time Sera had turned away from him after sex. It had left him shaken. He’d never doubted she was his, and now his arrogance mocked him. She’d chosen him, but nothing said she couldn’t make a different choice. Hadn’t he done everything he could to break her of her need for him? Tried to convince her all he’d ever wanted from her was sex? Now he stopped to consider that perhaps she wasn’t the only one emotionally invested in their relationship. Not just as a friend or lover but as more. It wasn’t sex with a compatible personality. It was…more.

And where did that leave him with his career? Would she continue to accept that he couldn’t claim her publicly? He doubted it. Breaking her heart as often as he had just might have killed all that sweet love she’d once showered on him. And he’d been so unworthy of it. Of her.

She laughed when a large clump of algae splattered down Oeric’s face and chest. He swiped it away and flung it at her.

“Hey!” She ran for the main control center, narrowly missing his next throw. “You’re supposed to be respectful of your elders.”

He followed her in. “Have a care, or you’ll begin to sound like Counselor Hahn.”

“Ha. See? I’m not the only one who thinks he’s a moron.” Bretton rolled his eyes and fought a smile at the sentiment but froze outside the door at Oeric’s next words.

“Hardly. There’s a serious break between the old guard who run the Senate and the younger generation who want more independence and free thought.”

It was true, but how would Sera respond to such a bald statement? Bretton tried to balance himself between the two extremes. Unless he played by the current regime’s rules, he’d never get the power to make changes for the younger citizens of Aquatilis. It was only recently that he’d come to understand just how much that limited his ability to grow as a person. Even if he couldn’t gain perfection—as Sera claimed—he believed in the importance of constant self-improvement. And he was no longer certain he’d chosen the right path to better himself.

Sera’s voice dropped until he had to strain to hear her. “My coming along to question everything the Senate says didn’t help much, did it?”

Oeric grunted. “It depends entirely on which side of the argument you’re on.”

“Does Bretton know your political views?”

“I don’t hold them close, but I’m nowhere near the most vocal opponents of Hahn.”

“Cuthbert Hahn.”

“Perhaps. Thus far, the younger Hahn dances to the Senate’s tune.”

“Bretton is no one’s puppet.” Bretton had told Sera some rather biting things about the Senate when they were in private. If it wasn’t for him, the Senate would have vacillated with the perfect path to follow when Varad had shown up on his maiden trading voyage. Bretton’s actions made him the only choice for the new ambassadorial corps, even though he was significantly younger than anyone else allowed in a position of power.

Oeric continued on as if she hadn’t spoken. “We need to stop perfecting the old and start progressing toward the new. We’ve stagnated too long.”

Bretton doubted she could agree more, but she had to know they were on dangerous political ground, and for once she kept her mouth shut. The irony didn’t escape him that now that she wanted to put some distance between them, his cautionary message had sunk in. He heard her sigh. “Well, let’s do some final checks and go dance for the Senate.”

Oeric lapsed back into his customary silence. Bretton swept a last glance around the algae-encrusted main dome before he stepped around the corner to enter the control room. It would take a substantial amount of work to make Pacifica a viable settlement, but if Sera said it was possible, then it was. Now they just had to convince the Senate.

 

Bretton clenched his jaw when they entered the Senate chambers a few hours later. A flurry of whispers erupted throughout the room. Sera rounded the corner to come in behind Oeric and Bretton. She’d insisted they stop in their quarters to change into their best clothing for this meeting because she didn’t want something as foolish as their manner of dress to dissuade the Senate from listening to them.

His breath had seized and his heart had stopped when he’d seen her. She’d put on the gown he’d commissioned from the Mermaid’s Purse. He’d been right. She looked phenomenal. The dress cupped her soft curves with the kind of intimacy reserved for a lover. For him. It made the deep red of her hair gleam like the fire fin he called her. Her eyes glowed as if they’d been made of silver as she took the podium before the Senate. Her giant assistant stood just behind and to the right of her.

“Doctor Sera Gibbons,” the Senate secretary intoned. Every political official on the planet was in this room, from the chancellor of the Senate to Elia and his father. They all leaned forward to see what kind of commotion Sera would cause this time.

She took a deep breath that lifted her breasts. He suppressed a groan—she needed to stop doing that. “Counselors. Senators. Chancellor Pell. On a routine check of the rim ranches, Oeric Fane, Ambassador Bretton Hahn, and I decided to explore the lost city of Pacifica. We found it was not quite as lost as history claims. The city can be restored and house citizens of Aquatilis.”

A few murmurs went through the room, and Chancellor Pell raised her hand for silence. Senator Laddon broke in. “Who gave you permission to initiate such an exploration?”

Sera’s eyes flashed, and Bretton braced himself for the sarcasm that such a look usually preceded. It didn’t come. “No one, Senator. There are no restrictions on exploring any part of the planet. Nor is there a law that says I can’t use my skills as a mechanical engineer to restore any equipment that belongs to the citizens of Aquatilis.” Her gaze swept the group of political officials, pinning each of them in place. “I realize you may be wary of such a change. Pacifica failed once, and people died, so many tests would need to be run before the city could be repopulated. However, even with the careful measures you’ve taken to control population size, the people of Aquatilis will someday overcrowd Atlantis. With any luck, the four planets will have recovered enough technology by the time Pacifica reaches capacity to be able to build new cities.”

The rumble of negative comments that erupted drowned out whatever Sera tried to say.

Bretton folded his hands behind his back and stepped forward to capture the room’s attention. “The point is we will need Pacifica. Perhaps not now, but in the future. While we have the expertise of Doctor Gibbons to recover the city, we should take advantage. She will not live forever, Senators. It is something to consider.”

“Thanks so much for the reminder,” Sera muttered as he passed her. She lifted a glass of water to her lips to cover her words.

He fought a grin. Neptune’s blood, the woman kept him on his toes. Someone needs to help them come to a decision before you expire of old age.

She choked on the sip of water she’d taken. Oeric reached over to pat her on the back. Jealousy whipped through Bretton that the other man was allowed to touch her so casually.

He turned back to the Senate, tamping down the envy. Chancellor Pell brushed her silver hair away from her cheek and spoke up. “I agree with you, Ambassador Hahn. My question is this: who will settle Pacifica? Many fear the stories about the lost city. I won’t force our citizens to relocate there.”

“There are those of us in the younger generation who might appreciate the hard work and adventure of a settler’s life.” Oeric’s deep voice filled the wide room, and every single person froze to stare at him.

The young man made an excellent point. Many senators would find it advantageous to rid their sectors of political dissidents by sending them to a new province. Make them someone else’s problem. And whoever took leadership responsibilities of Pacifica certainly had his work cut out for him. Bretton didn’t envy him.

Chancellor Pell drew a breath. “The Senate will form a subcommittee to discuss this matter more fully. In the meantime, Doctor Gibbons and her assistant will continue restoring the city to working order. The Senate will require weekly reports on this matter.”

Sera winced, and Bretton knew she dreaded the idea of speaking before the Senate so often. He may not be able to claim her as his own, but he could help her with this. He cleared his throat. “I’m certain Doctor Gibbons will provide detailed written reports as often as the Senate would like.”

The chancellor’s lips twitched, but she inclined her head and turned to speak to a counselor on her left. The session broke, and everyone stood to leave.

Sera pushed back her hair and watched Oeric’s eyes follow the ambassador who’d just returned from Harena. What was her name? After a moment it came to her. Elia Iden. Her orange and red hair was distinctive. When she shifted, she’d probably look like a fancy goldfish from Earth. Very pretty.

Folding her arms, Sera cocked a hip against the railing that separated the audience from the senators. “So, you have a jones for Elia.”

“A jones?”

“A hankering. A longing. An addiction.”

Fierce intensity filled his gaze. “Addiction. Yes. That’s an excellent word to describe it.”

“I understand.”

He nodded. “With Ambassador Hahn.”

“Yeah.” She sighed, and they both watched the objects of their affection schmooze with the senators. Jealousy squeezed her heart when Bretton put a casual arm around Elia’s shoulder. “A damn shame, isn’t it?”

A rough chuckle was her answer before he offered her his arm and gave her a formal bow. He was surprisingly graceful for such a big man. “Shall we, Doctor Gibbons? Pacifica’s restoration awaits.”

She looped her arm through his. “We have plans to make. Let’s get on with it.”

Exiting the main chamber, they were accosted by several young mermen. The news of Pacifica had spread like wildfire and, as Oeric had predicted, many younger merpeople were interested in settling the lost city.

She wished Bretton were here to talk to them because, no matter how opinionated they might be, neither she nor Oeric were much in the way of orators. She’d used up every molecule of her diplomacy with her little speech to the Senate. And Bretton still had to step in and save her. Both she and Oeric heaved a sigh of relief when the men left.

“This way. It will take us directly to the Titan sector.” Oeric lead her into a narrow side corridor.

She fought a groan when Bretton and Elia stepped into the hallway as well. Bretton’s eyes dropped to Oeric and Sera’s linked arms. She lifted her chin and stared him down. He didn’t want her for anything other than a quick bout of sex, so he could stuff it about who she spent time with. Something flashed in his gaze before he looked away.

Elia smiled brightly, her red, orange, and gold hair catching the light as she moved. “Ambassador Hahn and I were just discussing our interest in relocating to Pacifica.”

Sera’s heart tripped hard against her ribs. Oh, God. Pacifica looked less and less like a refuge. It had never occurred to her that Bretton might want to live there as well. He was a politician, and political movers and shakers should be in Atlantis. But Oeric said Pacifica wasn’t that far to swim. She bit back a whimper. She couldn’t do it. She could not watch Bretton find a more suitable mate. Someone as unlike Sera as possible. Pacifica just wasn’t far enough to escape that, and she wasn’t strong enough to endure that kind of pain.

For Oeric’s sake, she hoped Bretton didn’t choose Elia, but for Sera, it didn’t matter who he picked. He wouldn’t pick her, and that was the only thing she needed to know.

She had to leave. Not just Atlantis but Aquatilis. It might be cowardly to run, but she knew herself well enough to know what she could handle and what she couldn’t. She needed to talk to Varad. He’d once offered her a place in the Vesperi palace, and they were the second-most technologically advanced people. Maybe she would be happy there. Or less tormented by the daily spectacle of Bretton with another woman.

“I’d be happy to discuss it with you, Ambassador.” Oeric stepped away from Sera to offer his arm to Elia.

“Call me Elia.” She smiled, placed her hand in the crook of his elbow, and the two moved off down the corridor.

Bretton and Sera watched the other couple until they disappeared at the other end of the hallway. He straightened his tunic and put on his coolest diplomatic demeanor. “Well, that went well.”

Her nostrils flared at his sudden formality when he’d just bent her over a table in an abandoned city. “Why do you insist on being such a cold fish?”

Anger sent sparks shooting through his turquoise gaze. “Cold, am I? You didn’t think so just hours ago. I believe you screamed and begged for more.”

Her jaw clenched. “That’s just sex. We’re in private, Bretton. That’s the only time I see the side of you that thinks I’m slightly better than pond scum. The rest of the time… Well, I’m good enough to fuck but not for anything else, isn’t that right?”

“Sera, you know my position—”

“Right. Of course.” Tears filled her eyes. “Why do I even bother? It’s hopeless.”

“Fire fin, please. Try to understand.”

“I understand. That doesn’t make it hurt any less.” She swallowed. “Will it even matter to you when I give up and try to find someone else? Someone who likes me.”

“I like you.”

“Not enough.”

“Will you turn to Oeric?”

Her eyes popped wide, and pure rage flashed through her. “Oeric?”

His chin dipped in a sharp nod. “You seem to be growing very close.”

“You insisted that I work with him.”

“I know that. You think I don’t know?”

She shook her head, tears slipping down her cheeks. “You don’t want me to love you, but you don’t want me to love anyone else either. You can’t have it both ways, Bretton. How did you put it? I’m not at your beck and call.”

“Damn you to Hades.”

“I’m already there. You don’t want me, Bretton. So leave me in peace.”

“Not want you?” Molten anger exploded in his gaze. “I can’t stop wanting you no matter what I do.”

He backed her up against the wall and didn’t stop until her breasts crushed against his chest. They both groaned. “Wh-what are you doing?”

“You’re a genius, Sera. What do you think I’m doing?” His fingers gathered her dress until it bunched around her waist. She shivered at the sensuous slide of saltwater silk on her bare skin.

“We’re in public.” Shifters didn’t bother with underwear, so she wore nothing under the gown. She’d stripped out of her wet clothing and grabbed the first proper thing she could find. The Mermaid’s Purse had delivered the dress the day before, so it had still hung from a high shelf, and she’d thrown it on before she’d run for the Senate chambers.

His fingertips danced over her thighs, making her sex flood with moisture. He chuckled. “Since when has that been a problem for you?”

This was madness and completely unlike him. A bitter little laugh spilled from her mouth. “Anyone could walk out here and see this. That kind of scandal would end your precious career.”

“Unlikely. The Senate session is over. No one is coming out. No one except us.” His hand slipped between her legs to stroke her pussy. She knew he’d find her wet and more than ready for whatever his pleasure was. “Ah, not as resistant as you sound, are you?”

“When have I ever resisted? You’re the one who—”

His lips slammed down over hers, his tongue shoving past her teeth and into her mouth. She moaned, her nipples going rock hard.

They moved together in an angry rush of passion and pain, lips, tongues, and teeth sucking and nipping at each other’s flesh. She broke away and threw her head back, gasping for breath and holding on for dear life to the crumbling edges of her control.

She should resist, should push him away and run as fast as her shaky legs would carry her, but she couldn’t. Time enough to go without him when she was gone. One last time, she needed it, and she was going to take it. When this moment of insanity passed and she told him she was leaving, he’d never touch her again. The mere thought ripped at her heart, but she shoved it away to focus on this moment with him. She’d enjoy while they lasted the sensations only he could wrench from her.

One more wild ride in his arms.

Slipping her hand between them, she jerked open the front of his pants, and reached in to stroke his hard cock. He grunted and spanned her hips with his big hands, lifting her against the wall until their sexes aligned. She wrapped her thighs around his flanks and pulled him as close as she could. Her eyes pinched closed, and she focused on the heat rushing through her veins while her heart pounded in her chest.

“Look at me, Sera. I want those pretty gray eyes on me when I fuck you.”

She choked, pure fire burning through her when she opened her eyes to obey him. “Please, Bretton.”

The head of his cock nudged her slick pussy lips. She whimpered, tightening her legs around his waist. His breath feathered over her ear, making her shiver in response. “Tell me how you want me, fire fin.”

“You want me to beg?” Anger shot through her. He didn’t want her, but he wanted her to beg for him. She narrowed her eyes at him.

“I want to hear it.” He swallowed, a shudder running through him. “Tell me.”

She arched her hips, rolling the bulbous tip of his dick in her wetness. “Doesn’t my body tell you everything you want to hear, Bretton? Can’t you feel it?”

His breath hissed out. “Fire fin.”

“Fuck me now, Bretton.” She held his gaze with hers and twisted her hips against him. The hot press of his flesh to hers made her want to scream. “Hard and fast. Now.”

He slammed deep into her pussy, and she almost came. She was so wet, so ready. His palms curved over her buttocks, lifting her into his pounding thrusts. His movements bordered on rough. Oh, God, she loved it when he went wild.

Burying his face against her neck, he slammed inside her again and again while she shuddered from the impact. He licked her flesh, sucking kisses along her throat and collarbone. The scent of sex and him filled her nose, and it made her burn hotter, pushed her higher. She buried her fingers in his hair and clenched them in the long ebony strands. She pulled hard enough to feel him wince against her throat. He bit her neck in response. Hard. Just the way she liked it.

“Bretton!” she cried. Her sex fisted tight around his thrusting cock. Tears welled in her eyes to slide down her cheeks.

He panted, and the turquoise began to spread from his irises. “I love my name on your lips, fire fin.”

“Bretton.” It was so good with him, so amazing. Why couldn’t he see it? Why couldn’t he love her the way she loved him, needed him, craved him? Lust and despair twisted inside her until she sobbed for breath.

“Sera?”

She shook her head wildly, clenching her walls around his dick hard enough to make him groan. She moved her hips with his, faster and faster, deeper and deeper until they both panted. Sweat rolled down her temples, and her muscles shook.

“Make me come, Bretton. I want you. I want you so much.” I love you. But she couldn’t make herself say it out loud again. Her body could have him, but her heart never would.

His hand dropped between them until his fingers rolled over her clit. She froze, her back bowing before her hips snapped in hard thrusts on his cock. Tingles raced over her skin, and molten heat followed in its wake. She came in a rush so hot it left her weak and shaking in his arms.

He ground his pelvis against hers, and she moaned, the after effects of orgasm making her pussy clench again. His eyes bled to pure turquoise before they slid shut. A muscle twitched in his cheek, and he froze, his hot cum filling her. He groaned. “Sweet Neptune. Fire fin.”

She arched her head back against the wall, tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. Swallowing, she waited for her breathing to slow, for her heart to stop pounding, for her muscles to stop shaking. For the world to stop spinning. God, this was it. It was over. If she stayed, it would hurt her to a point she couldn’t recover from. For his sake, for her own sake, she had to leave. They both knew she wasn’t what he wanted, who he needed. And the only way to stop it was to go.

Forever.

 

Something was wrong. He knew it. Sera had been too quiet the last two days. Avoiding him. And he hadn’t been able to speak to her, because he’d spent much of his days closeted with his father and the Senate, negotiating final details of trade treaties with the other planets and deciding how best to settle Pacifica. He loved the bartering, the challenge of politics, but it now left him unfulfilled. He missed Sera. He wanted her, but from what he could gather, she’d been visiting extensively with the Alysians and Vesperi. He didn’t want to interrupt her last few days with Jain, so he reined in his impatience. Barely.

Still, it worried him. It wasn’t like her to be so willing to stay away from him. The last time he’d had her, against the wall outside the Senate chamber, burned into his mind, haunted his dreams at night, made his cock twitch in his pants.

He approached her quarters, tapped his knuckles against her laboratory door, and waited for her to call out, “Come in.”

Her lab was in more than its usual chaos. Every shelf and cubbyhole seemed to have been emptied onto her worktable. “Going to Pacifica?”

“No.” She stuffed several mechanical devices into a bag.

“Oh.” His eyebrows arched when she said nothing more. “Then, where—”

“I spoke to Varad.” Her gray eyes were shadowed, her vibrant red hair pulled back in a tight plait. With no pause, she met his gaze and announced, “I’m leaving.”

The news hit him like a blow to the chest, and for a moment he couldn’t breathe. No. No, no, no, no. He opened his mouth and shut it again. A muscle ticked in his jaw, and pain lanced through his chest. He tried desperately to reason with himself and not to give in to the need to bury himself inside her until she knew she could never part from him. But that was wrong, irrational, imperfect. Selfish. She was not happy here. It was best that she go. She was a temptation he didn’t need. She confused things, confused his purpose. What he should want and what he actually wanted twisted whenever she was nearby. But losing her would be bad for Aquatilis. Any personal feelings he had in the matter shouldn’t factor in. He knew he lied to himself, but what else could he do? She was leaving, leaving Aquatilis, leaving him. He swallowed and tried to come up with a suitable response.

A dry chuckle rippled from him. He’d had a great deal of trouble coming up with “suitable responses” since she’d crash-landed in his life. “The Senate will be upset to see you go.”

“The Senate.” All lingering traces of hope vanished from her eyes, a light that had been just for him winking out. She gave a slight nod. “I see. I think I finally see.”

“No. You don’t.” But he couldn’t allow her to see either. If she knew how desperately he craved her, he would never be rid of her. This was the first sign she’d ever shown of not pressing the relationship between them. If it caused him pain to see her love turn cold, he had no one to blame except himself. “What about Pacifica?”

“Oeric can handle it. He’s more than capable of restoring and maintaining the domes. Inventing might be a problem, but he can do what you need.” Her shoulder lifted in a shrug.

He balled his fists. “He’s a child.”

“I was fifteen when I received my doctorates, Bretton.” She arched a brow. “You can understand how my perspective is different than yours.”

He swallowed. What more could he say? “I hope you enjoy Vesperi. Or Harena. Or Alysius. Or wherever you’re going.”

“I’m going to try to reestablish as much of the technology as possible on all the planets.” She pulled in a deep breath, and his gaze again dropped to the lush curve of her breasts. “Metals to build with are going to be scarce soon, so mining operations are vital. That means a solution to Alysius’s predator problem needs to be reached.”

“I am certain Lord Kesuk will be grateful for the assistance.”

She laughed, but there was no humor in the sound. “No, he won’t. He’ll be glad to get rid of the threat to his people, but I doubt I’ll fit well on any planet. If I can’t make it on Aquatilis…”

Her shoulder lifted in a small shrug, and she turned away to continue packing her tools and gadgets. The rooms would be as empty of clutter as they had been before she came. He regretted complaining about the mess now. The whole city would feel deserted without her. He’d taken it so for granted that she would always be there that he couldn’t even imagine a time when she wasn’t.

Stumbling back, he fled her quarters. He walked down the winding corridors of the city, blind to everything but the turmoil of his thoughts. Leaving. She was leaving. It ricocheted through his mind, taunting him with the finality, with the lack of all hope. No more Sera. Not ever. Gone.

Neptune help him.

Word of Sera’s imminent departure spread through the city, and the chancellor herself insisted on speaking to Sera to convince her to stay. The meeting was a failure—probably the first in the older woman’s entire political career. A week crawled by, and Bretton forced himself to stay away, to complete his duties as head ambassador, but his heart was no longer in it.

His father noticed and came to his quarters the day of Sera’s departure. Bretton had assigned Elia to see the trading party off. He couldn’t do it. If Sera wanted to go, he wouldn’t make her stay…so he removed himself from the temptation to beg her not to leave. Misery dragged at his very bones, and a weight had settled on his chest that would not let him breathe through the agony of it.

Cuthbert folded his hands behind his back and paced the length of Bretton’s quarters. “Son, I’ve been thinking about your difficulties with the human lately, and I think I’ve found a solution.”

Bretton’s eyebrows arched. There must be some mistake. His father suddenly wished to help him with Sera? “Oh?”

“You need a mate.”

“Do I?”

“Yes, a nice mermaid to take your mind off of one so unsuitable as Doctor Gibbons.”

A bark of laughter wrenched from Bretton’s chest. Of course. Not help keeping Sera, help getting rid of her. He doubted it was possible. She’d found her way into his heart, and he’d never be free of her. He didn’t want to be. He pressed his fingers to his eyes, and his hair slid forward to cover his face. He hadn’t been able to bring himself to tie it back this morning. Sera liked it loose.

What was he going to do without her? The estrangement of the past seven days—knowing it would be the last she ever spent on his world—had ripped at his soul. What if he never saw her again, held her again, fucked her again?

For perhaps the first time he saw what his life would be without her. He’d become his father. Bitter, entrenched in his beliefs, sacrificing for his career the one woman who’d ever mattered. What hollow alternative was that? Why had he never recognized this before?

He’d been so focused on preserving the life he had, never straying from the path before him, that he’d missed how fundamental a change she’d wrought inside him. What life would he have now with no Sera to brighten it? One that would be empty of joy, one that would eventually wear away to nothing more than a bleak existence. No Sera meant no more wild passion, no more days of anticipating the night with her soft body wrapped around his. She challenged him, infuriated him, made him think, made him laugh. He needed her. He loved her.

Neptune save him, he loved her so much it strangled the breath from him. And he was letting her walk away from him forever. He knew if she boarded that ship, it was over. Done. Whether he saw her again or not, she would never be his.

No. A thousand times no. He couldn’t do it. He wouldn’t lose her. He knew what he risked by going to her now. He’d lose everything else. His position of influence, his career in politics. Unlike his father, he couldn’t imagine it making him bitter and cold. Cold was life without Sera—everything else was a pale substitute for the real moments of sheer perfection he found in her embrace.

“Father, I want you to know that I’m mating with Sera.” Bretton shoved himself to his feet. No more waiting, no more hesitating. He’d already hurt her so much with his inability to let go of his dogged need to follow in his father’s footsteps. Could she forgive him? His heart clutched tight. Whatever it took, he would keep her.

Cuthbert’s face mottled to a dark, ugly red. “That is a mistake.”

“Then it’s my mistake to make.” Bretton shrugged, grabbed a satchel, stuffed a few changes of clothes in it along with a sheaf of Vesperi monetary units, and raced for the door.

His father blocked his path. “Bretton—”

Bretton fisted his fingers in Cuthbert’s tunic and hauled him up until they stood nose to nose. “I love her, Father. That’s the end of the discussion. I understand if you don’t approve.”

He set his father aside, slipped out the door, and ran for the dock.

“Bretton!”