Letting go of her hair, he returned his hands to her hips. There was no need for words as he lifted her with ease, positioned her. With one hand on his shoulder for balance, she used the other to guide his shaft to her wet heat. She took a deep breath in and out, then squeezed his shoulder, letting him know she was ready.

He lowered her a fraction of an inch. For a heartbeat, her body resisted penetration.Too big. Too big..A frisson of unease struck her just before gravity forced her body to adjust, to give way. Her whole body trembled in reaction as the head finally slipped in.

Face taut with tension, Zade's arms shook, not with the effort of holding her in place, but in an effort to resist his instinct to take her all at once, bury himself in one stroke. She had him clamped so tight he was in a special kind of hell.

Only when she loosened her death grip on him did he slowly lower her, allowing her to adjust one inch at a time, until fully seated. Her head fell back, mouth open, yet no sound escaped.

Stretched beyond imagining, hyperconscious of every hard ridge, every vein pulsing against her feminine walls, she knew what it was to be taken. The tip of his cock nudged the entrance of her womb. Hot precum coated her inner walls, readying her for the next stage of his assault.

His mouth sought hers as he lifted her up until only the head of his shaft remained inside her, then slammed her back down, his hard length riding roughshod over electrified nerves. She'd never been so thoroughly conquered, possessed, as he invaded her mouth and feminine sheath at the same time.

He swallowed her shocked cry, his breath as ragged and shallow as hers. Charge and retreat. He relentlessly drove her higher and higher, pushed her from one explosive orgasm into another; every fiber of her being focused on the sensations inside her. She rode him hard—he demanded it— stoking a burning inferno within her. Lightheaded, her head lolled back on her shoulders as if he'd driven all the oxygen from her body, stolen her breath.

Just when she thought she couldn't take any more, he rolled her beneath him and started all over again. The new angle rocked her G-spot like he was custom made. Her toes curled. Her back arched and she met every deep thrust. She cried out as waves of pleasure pulsed through her body. Her inner walls clenched. Released. Clenched. She'd never felt so alive. Connected. She let go. Soared to the stars.

Zade's balls drew up tight and he froze, held himself still. He’d waited—made her come again and again, pushed her limits—but she was having none of that this time.

She reached between her legs, played with her engorged nub until fresh waves of pleasure hit her. Like ripples in a pond, the second wave amplified the first, putting a stranglehold on his cock. He'd never felt so good. With a roar he gave in and followed her over the precipice.

CHAPTER NINE

Ashlyn

Ashlyn stretched contentedlylike a sleepy cat bathed in warm sunlight. She must have dozed off after the marathon sex she had with Zade. How many orgasms had he given her? Five? Six? She'd stopped counting. A grin flashed across her face.Greedy bitch is what you were. Couldn't get enough of that cock, had to go back for seconds. Thirds.

A combined groan and chuckle bubbled up as Miss Va-jay-jay let her know exactly how she felt about that. She was still tingly down there, and her pulse thrummed languorously through her channel as a reminder of Zade's very thorough possession.

Lids closed, she took stock of her surroundings. She was still in her bed, the one she always slept in when visiting her sister on base. Butter-soft sheets slid decadently beneath her fingertips as she stretched out her hands. They would've cost a minor fortune had the Caldorians not been able to make them out of their nanotech fabric. She didn't understand the specifics, but her brother-in-law once tried to explain the scienceto her. The alien technobabble gave her flashbacks of her high school chemistry class. Her eyes glazed over as soon as he said 'programmable metamaterial'. The rest she didn't need to know as long as it worked, and right now her sheets were the softest, most luxurious fabric she'd ever slept in.

Beneath the sheet, something warm and heavy rested on her bare abdomen. A very large, masculine hand.Zade.Her eyes popped open. He was awake and staring down at her. Captured by molten gold, she couldn't look away.

He lay stretched out next to her, one arm crooked, head propped on his open palm. He leaned down slowly, giving her time to turn away, until his lips brushed gently against hers. “I do not know how I will get through the dinner tonight when all I will be thinking about is you and how much I want to be inside you again.”

“Yes,” she agreed, her heart giving a strange lurch. “I wish this moment could last longer. I will never forget it.”

The hand on her abdomen began a leisurely exploration of her curves as his lips traveled to the sensitive area along the nape of her neck. She tilted her head to give him better access. He took immediate advantage.

“You will not forget,” Zade chuckled, “as I will be sure to remind you frequently.”

She tensed. “Zade, wait.”

He sighed and raised his head. “You are right. We must wait. Everyone is expecting us to make an appearance soon.” Reluctantly moving away, he rolled to the edge of the bed and stood up, his back to her.

She watched him stride confidently out of the room, buck naked.That man is hot enough to melt a glacier.

Zade returned moments later with a small silver cylinder. He grinned, eyes twinkling. “I came to your room, intending to askyou to share in this tradition with me, but then I saw you in the bath and forgot all about it.”

Unease crept up her spine. She sat up, careful to tuck the sheet around her. “We should really keep things as straightforward as possible, don't you think?”

“Do not be afraid, shenga. Inside the cylinder is a harmless substance called maju paste. This is what lights up our markings, as well as heals us. Caldorians are very territorial. Lighting our markings serves to warn others not to touch us, as we have already been claimed, or are permanently bound to our mates. I assumed you knew about this tradition since your friend is mated to King Dagan, and their markings are lit.”

He took the lid off of the cylinder to show her the mixture inside. The paste looked like a thick, liquid prism, reflecting a rainbow of colors and sparkling like diamonds. “Will you honor me by painting mine?”

Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit.She knew about maju paste, all right. Apparently more than he did. Maju paste, as well as the maju infused water they drank for healing, didn't work the same way on humans. Maju paste nearly killed her friend Sasha, and the few people who knew about its effects on humans were keeping a tight lid on the secret.

Hadn't she just accused Rachel of choosing her as a replacement fiancée because she already knew their secrets and could be trusted not to tell anyone?And if they haven't shared the secret with Zade or the other princes, then I can't, either, not to mention the fact that I have no business lighting his markings in the first place. We had sex, make that mind blowing sex, yes, but that doesn't mean the plan has changed. I can’t tell him what touching that paste will do to me. I can’t tell him it will transform me into something not quite human, kill me if I don’t have an anchor. Just like it almost killed Sasha and the other women.

Think, damn it.“Uh, you're right. Sasha and Dagan light their markings. But did you notice my sister and her mate, Cam, haven't lit his?”He doesn’t want to accidentally kill her, and I support that decision. “I'm sure the Council doesn't expect us to follow that tradition. Especially, you know,” she gesticulated with one hand, the other keeping the sheet from slipping, “since this is all fake. Under the circumstances, I think we should stick to essentials.”