Page 58 of Sheltered in the Storm

Damn it, I couldn’t tell him not to honor the customs of his homeworld. Even so…

I leaned over and raised his chin so he could see me smiling. “On my homeworld, my people show their respect to their mates during courtship by cooking and eating a good meal together, sharing secrets or gossip, maybe watching some form of entertainment, and then having lots of sex—not necessarily in that order.”

“This is true?” His gaze searched my face, as if he thought I wasn’t being serious. “You do these things rather than kneel?”

I could think of several things I could enjoy that involved him kneeling at my feet, and vice versa. “Well, we can respect both cultures,” I said.

He smiled. “Excellent.”

Suddenly, I found myself wrapped in his tentacles and we were heading for the open door of his house.

“Hey!” I protested. “Why go inside? It’s not raining.”

“You said on your homeworld your people show their mates respect with lots of sex,” Vos reminded me, hurrying through his front room and heading for his bed—ourbed.

“I did say that, didn’t I?” I trailed my fingertips over one of his tentacles. It quivered in excitement. “I suppose we can spend a few hours being respectful to one another, then, if that sounds good to you.”

“It most certainly does.” He placed me on the bed as carefully as ever, though my injuries had all but healed. His tentacles ran over my body, tugging at my uniform’s fastenings. “My Calla, what do you want?”

“Your beautiful cock, of course.” I entwined my fingers through his and drew him onto the bed so his body was above mine. “Then rain or not, I want you to take me to the ocean.”

CHAPTER 20

VOS

I madelove to my mate until she lay exhausted and sated in my arms, gasping for air and trembling as I kissed her all over, drinking in the scents and tastes of her body and our lovemaking.

When the rain returned, she murmured protests when I rose to close the windows and door, then nestled into my tentacles again when I returned to the bed, her head against my chest. Though she dozed, she did not lapse into a healing sleep.

My Calla was well again, and for the first time I did not feel fear in addition to relief at the thought.

She wants to stay. She wants to visit the ocean with me.

In my hearts, disbelief warred with joy and profound contentment.

“An Alliance credit for your thoughts,” she murmured, startling me from my reverie. Her eyelashes fluttered open, revealing her lovely green eyes. “So quiet, my Vos.”

My Vos. Such simple syllables, but they filled me with warmth.

“I am thinking of you, of course,” I said, brushing damp, sweaty hair from her forehead. “What else could I have on my mind?”

Her wry smile made me smile in return. “You don’t really have to flatter me so much, you know. You got your way. I want to stay. Now you can just be yourself.”

At first I thought she was teasing me, but some shadow lurked in her eyes, making me think her thoughts had taken an unexpectedly serious turn.

“My Calla, I have never been anything but myself with you,” I said. “In fact, I do not think I have ever beenmoremyself.”

“I was afraid of that.” She cupped my face with her hand and brushed my lower lip with her thumb. “Do you think you would have been half as interested in me if I wasn’t your true mate? If I’d just been a human female pilot whose fighter crashed nearby, would we be lying in this bed right now?”

Unease began to replace my contentment. “Why do you ask me this?”

“How could I not wonder?” My Calla laced our fingers together with her free hand. “You said you’d never sought companionship until you smelled me, and then finding, healing, and making love to me suddenly became everything to you—so much so that you’ve hardly been to the ocean or left my side since you brought me home. Doesn’t that bother you?” Her eyes had that bruised look again that worried and disturbed me so much. “I feel like I’ve bewitched you and you’re not doing this of your own choice.”

I did not need to read her mind to know these questions arose more from her belief that she was not worthy of my care and worship than any fear of having actually magically enchanted me.

“I promise I have made many choices that led to this moment.” I kissed her forehead. “I do not say my biological drive has not been a factor, because most assuredly ithas. Butthat is far from the only reason I call you my Calla. And you have made choices as well. Many more lie before us. We will make our own future.”

“But would you have wantedme?” Her voice was quiet now. “Imagine you’d found me in the boat with the raiders but Iwasn’tyour true mate—just myself, Calla Wren. What would you have done?”

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