Page 56 of Retribution
Tomorrow. They would consummate their marriage tomorrow.
He kissed her again and joined her in sleep.
* * *
A cool breezeruffled the curtains. Layla stood at the window, gazing at the twin moons and the star-encrusted sky.I have them all now. The moon and all the stars. Or, moons, in this case.
Zamek had healed ridiculously fast, thanks to a medicinal salve that the Holy Ones made from an orange flower that grew right here on the mountainside.
At this time yesterday, Zamek had been lying abed, still a sickly shade of light purple, his breathing erratic. But this morning he’d risen from bed as if nothing had happened, as if he hadn’t almost died.
Her heart ached at the thought of losing him. Thank God the threat was over, his enemies—and hers—dead or subdued. The High Council members who’d arrived with Commander Vavvis yesterday had even been suspended, pending an investigation into their ill-fated friendship with Vavvis.
Layla didn’t quite understand the intricacies of the High Council or even how Kall law was sometimes interpreted, but Zamek was entirely confident that she was now safe on his planet and she trusted him.
She’d seen him at his worst—glimpsed his darkest, cruelest moments—but she’d also been on the receiving end of his compassion, his gentleness. And so, she trusted him and even harbored a growing affection for him.
Her breath caught at this realization. She’d come to care about Zamek. How could she not? He hadn’t just shown her compassion, but he’d risked his life for hers and she would never forget.
Footsteps in the corridor set her pulse to racing. Perhaps Zamek had returned from escorting Brother Hollinx back to the temple. She turned and stared at the door, her heart thumping faster as the footsteps got closer and closer.
Zamek entered the room and his gaze softened when it landed on her. He’d already removed his weapons’ belt, though he looked formidable enough in his warrior uniform alone. Her heart skittered at the sight of him, and she offered him a tentative smile that he was quick to return.
Alone. Today had been a busy day, but now they were finally alone.
Given the dark, feral gleam that suddenly entered his eyes, there was no doubt in her mind about how they would spend the rest of the evening. He’d made several comments to her today about consummating their marriage and heat abruptly gathered in her core, pulsing white-hot as flutters erupted in her stomach.
“Wife.” He reached her in three large strides and took her in his arms, peering down at her with an intensity that made her quiver with need.
“Husband,” she whispered.
He leaned down to place a kiss upon her lips and his tenderness shocked her. He’d never kissed her with such sweetness before, and she wrapped her arms around him and met the slow, careful thrusts of his tongue with her own, drinking him in and reveling in his touch. Occasionally, he would withdraw from the kiss, only to stare down at her with that same feral intensity for a few seconds, then he would press his lips back to hers for another gentle kiss.
When she stepped closer, she felt the hardness of his massive erection poking at her stomach. A thrill rushed through her and she shamelessly ground her hips into him, desperate for more than his sweet kisses.
He growled and guided her to the bed. But he didn’t push her down right away. Instead, he arranged three pillows atop one another in the center of the bed. He removed her clothing next and nodded at the mound of pillows.
“You’re to crawl up there and present yourself to me, wife. Arch your bottom up and part your thighs.”
Her pulse thundered in her ears as she complied, moving over the pillows and positioning herself to his liking, with her pussy on display. Her breasts felt heavy and her hardening nipples ached as she settled into place.
A brief rustle of clothing and then the bed dipped behind her. She glanced over her shoulder and her breath hitched at the sight of Zamek in all his naked glory, his powerful red body gleaming in the light of the sconces, one hugely muscled arm flexing as he grasped his cock and lined it up with her entrance. Not for the first time, she marveled at the many scars covering his chest, including the new one near his right shoulder, the one that had nearly ended his life.
She gasped and braced herself, thinking he meant to shove straight inside her, but he only dragged his shaft through her increasing wetness. Whenever his cock grazed over her clit, she whimpered and pushed backward, seeking the relief that only he could give her.
He ran his hands down her back and reached underneath her to tweak a nipple. She cried out when he pinched hard. He chuckled darkly and soon gave her other breast the same rough treatment.
“You are so beautiful, little human.” His deep voice drifted over her like a possessive caress, and she shivered in response. “I am grateful that you’re mine and I vow to you that I will protect you always.”
Her throat burned at the conviction in his tone.
“I-I’m grateful that you’re mine too,” she said in a trembling whisper, overcome with both emotion and arousal.
“I love you, human,” he said, and for several long moments she couldn’t breathe. “I never expected to love another, not after… but I do. I love you.”
All at once, the world tilted on its axis. Had she misheard him? She swallowed past the abrupt dryness in her mouth and struggled to process this new information. She was already aware that he cared about her, that he felt possessive of her, but love… love was different.
Love was scary, so scary that she’d refused to allow herself to even contemplate the question of her loving him.
