Battling Rapture (19 page)

He molded her breasts, presenting them to his sucking mouth
as he latched onto her nipples. She wound her hands in the silky strands of his
hair, and urged him closer. Her head fell back as she attempted to experience
every tug, and lick. He showed equal attention to each breast. She was flooded
with sensation.

His hand moved back down her torso, glided down her belly
and cupped her sex. He slid several fingers into her slit and rubbed. She
couldn’t help grinding her pussy against his fingers. His palm pressed against
her clit and she bit her bottom lip as the first quivers from the little bundle
of nerves jerked her body.

She widened her legs in hopes that he would thrust his
fingers inside her. He did. She squeezed his fingers and he thrust faster. She
rocked her hips, fucking herself against his thrusting digits. Her hands
clutched his shoulders for balance. He pulled away from her breast and slid his
fingers from her pussy at the same time. Her nails dug into his skin in
protest.

“I want you to come in my mouth,” he whispered.

He kissed the area below her bellybutton and moved her back
on the bed. She stepped back unsteadily as he released her. He lay on his back
and touched the back of her calf. He tugged gently and she stepped forward. He
guided her leg across his chest so she straddled his body. She gazed down at
him and smiled.

“This is the best view I’ve had all day,” he said.

He raised his hand to her pussy and rubbed his thumb through
the wetness there. He pulled his hand to his mouth and sucked her wetness from
his thumb.

“Feel free to drink from the source.” In fact, she might
have to insist.

“I’m waiting.”

She moved forward carefully and knelt so her pussy was above
his mouth. She clutched the headboard as he grabbed her ass and guided her
closer to his mouth. The first touch of his tongue was electric. He was
voracious as he pleasured her. He wasn’t as gentle as before and she couldn’t
imagine why she would want him to be. His tongue was magic as it circled and
suckled her clit. He lapped at her folds and imbibed her juices.

His hands on her ass encouraged her to grind her cunt into
his mouth. He was the best at pleasuring her pussy and she told him so. He
chuckled and the vibration against her sensitive flesh caused her entire body
to shake. He sucked forcefully on her clit and she stiffened, then convulsions
coursed through her body.

“Rhine!”

With her attention on her still twitching pussy, she didn’t
protest as her arms were gently pulled, forcing her to release the headboard.
She tumbled onto her back and he spread her thighs wide. Her eyes focused at
the exact moment Rhine slid into her willing body. She groaned in delight. His
expression was serious. His hair swirled around them and tickled her face. She
leaned up and kissed him quickly, then lay flat again.

He smiled slowly and her already wet pussy gushed and
clamped more securely around him, as if it too wanted to keep him forever.

“You were made just for me,” he said softly.

She thought so too. He began to move within her, pulling out
and pushing slowly, but forcefully. She panted a little with each thrust. She
couldn’t hold back the exhalation. He stared into her eyes and she was unable
to look away. A thrill ran through her. She secretly loved it when his total
focus was on her. She would look up from a conversation or eating, and find his
eyes on her, unwavering and possessive. She ate it up every time. This moment
was no exception.

She wrapped her arms around his back and tightened her legs
around his waist. Their pelvises ground together, and with every buck of his
hips, her clit reaped the benefits. She was seconds away from a climax.

Damn, I love this man.
The shock of admitting her
feelings to herself pushed her into her release.

He sank into her faster, never stopping even as she writhed
under him. She gasped for breath, catching it only to have him steal it with
his next plunge. Their bodies created a smacking sound as flesh met flesh.

“You are my woman, Niki.”

She orgasmed again. His words claimed her and her body
agreed wholeheartedly.

When she calmed, she slid her palms around to his torso and
smoothed them up his chest and neck. She grasped the hair at the back of his
head. She kept her eyes on his. His mouth was set in a determined line. He
moved faster now, rocking the heavy bed as he silently demanded the right to
possess her.

“You’re my man.”

He took her mouth. His kiss consumed her. She tugged his
head closer as he froze over her and jerked, spilling his seed within her. She
wanted everything he had to give, including his heart.

Rhine cradled Niki close to his side. The feel of her
pressed so near was extraordinary. He’d taken her mind off her disquiet for a
little while. It didn’t last. Even as she rubbed his side, he could feel her
anxiety returning. She halted her caress and clutched him tightly. He could ask
her again what troubled her, but she would only change the subject or tell him
he was imagining things.

Yesterday she’d told him to go see the empath doctor because
his sixth sense was on the blink. Camryn had laughed, but he still wasn’t
exactly sure what she’d meant. Maybe she needed a break or a change of scenery.
When she’d been surrounded by fewer people on the ship, it had been harder for
her to put him off. So he would take her where there were fewer people.

“We’re going on a little trip,” he said.

“When?” She raised herself on her elbow.

“Now.” He forced himself to leave the warmth of her body.

“You never said anything about a trip. What about my sister?
What about my Ordanian lessons with Awya?”

He stood and stretched. He smiled as he felt her hand smooth
down his back and across his buttocks. She could never resist if he flexed a
muscle.

“I just decided to go, and as you will remember from our
agreement, you are to come with me. Your sister can live without you for a
little while. You’ll be back, and as for your lessons, I can read and write,
Niki. I’m sure I can teach you.”

“Are you sure?” Her tone implied his literacy was in
question.

He shook his head and walked to the closet. He pulled out several
bags. He gave her the biggest one. She clutched it and looked up at him in
bewilderment.

“Get packed. We will be gone for a while.”

“Are we going into space?”

“No.”

He went into the bathroom to wash. When he returned, she was
still sitting in the same spot, clutching the bag and worrying her lower lip.
He crossed to the bed and kissed her.

“Why won’t you tell me where we’re going?”

The anticipation would keep her mind off whatever was
troubling her.

“You’ll be going wrapped in a blanket with all of your
things still in this room in a minute. Maybe we should have gotten you a lady’s
maid.”

She climbed off the bed. “I don’t need a maid. I don’t wear
the elaborate clothes Cam does and I can pack my own bag.”

“Hmm.” He made sure to sound as dubious as possible.

“Put a Sir in front of some people’s names and they get
bossy.” She muttered the words as she entered the bathroom.

He didn’t always understand the meaning behind her words,
but he recognized the tone. Her mumbling always made him want to smile. It was
unique to her and she was his.

He packed the few things he would need quickly and left the
room. He found the castle manager, Nolf, and directed him to have his
hovercraft readied. He walked to his cousin’s study and requested entrance. The
door opened and he was greeted with the familiar sight of Camryn draped across
the room’s settee, reading from her information pad. Venn looked up from
paperwork on his desk.

“You’re leaving,” Camryn said.

He smiled. She always said the same thing and he could never
figure out how she knew.

“Yes.”

“You’re taking my sister with you.” Sadness laced her voice.

“I will bring her back and we will be less than half a day’s
ride by hovercraft.”

“I know. The change will be good for her. Something is
bothering her. I’ll go help her pack. She’s probably just dumping everything in
the bag.” Camryn smiled weakly before heading out the door.

“Niki was concerned for Camryn when I informed her we were
leaving.”

“They’re a lot easier with each other. Which may come back
to bite us both with this Anti-Slavery Alliance matter,” Venn said.

Rhine sat down in the armchair across from Venn.

“What have they done already?”

“Niki hasn’t done anything, yet. Camryn has enough
questionable activities to force a council hearing if she’s found out.” Venn
ran his hand over his face.

“Can we go back and cover it?”

“Olaf and Gunter have been working on it. I wondered why she
was inviting every lady and edela on Ordan to the keep. Apparently it was a
massive public relations campaign. She wanted to show them she was a real
person and not just an object for them to whisper about. She hoped their
opinion would sway their husbands, fathers and brothers.”

It was a good plan.

“Have we heard anything else on the Bute Chaeen matter?”
Rhine said.

He clamped down on the anger he felt whenever thinking of
the beast shifter.

“He’s dead. The virus you all released into his computer
mainframe made him vulnerable to a coup. They’re in the middle of a civil war
and apparently he was the victim of an assassin attack. I know you wanted your
chance at him, but with Niki here, you have other priorities now,” Venn said.

“I’m not the one who needs convincing. I did have to resort
to blackmail to keep her.”

“You might be surprised how little convincing she really
needs. Camryn has already started planning your wedding. I can’t seem to
convince her Niki won’t appreciate it. She says her sister promised her she
could, when they were ten and eleven.”

Rhine winced. He didn’t see that ending well at all.

Venn leaned forward. “I guess it’s my turn to offer you some
advice. I wouldn’t wait too long to tell her how you feel.”

“Venn, she’s—”

“More skittish than a wild
hastut
? Yes, she is, and a
little too smart for her own good. I bet she’s worked some things out in her
head which aren’t true. At least not anymore.”

“Would you speak clearly? If you know something, you should
just tell me.”

Venn smiled, and stood. “Would you care to take some people
with you? You only have a small staff and I don’t know how long I can keep my
wife off your doorstep.”

Rhine shook his head at the change of subject. He wouldn’t
get any more from his cousin, even if he attempted to beat it out of him.

“No. Give me a few weeks and bring them when you come.”

They walked together to the front entrance. Niki and Camryn
were hugging each other tightly as the family stood around solemnly. He was
just going to his home as he did for several weeks every few months. You would
think they were leaving forever. He almost changed his mind. Then Niki looked
up at him watching them and her worry seemed to escalate.

“Time to go,” he said. “If we leave now, we should be there
before nightfall.”

* * * * *

They traveled at a steady pace and reached the walls of his
home with the sun low in the sky.

“You guys love stone walls,” she said.

“They deter enemies.”

He deactivated the entryway so they could enter without
being shocked and drove to the front steps.

“Where are we?”

“This is our house.” If she didn’t like it, he’d get her a
new one.

“I don’t remember buying a mansion. And a house is one of
those buildings we passed in the last town we drove through. This is bigger
than a house.”

She stared up at the building. The door opened and Egil
appeared in the threshold. The man stood straight despite his age.

“Sir Rhine, we are ready to meet the mistress,” Egil said.

Rhine placed his arm around her waist so she wouldn’t run
away. He should have anticipated the servant’s interest in the only woman he’d
brought home. They also would have learned Niki was Lady Huntu’s sister from
the Huntu Keep servants and anticipated that her visit was somehow important.

“That’s fine, Egil.”

He walked with her up the steps and through the door. He
kept a small staff since he was the only person in residence and he wasn’t
often home. His mother had remained in exile with his father and died there. He
was an only child. His male cousins were his brothers. Bronwyn and Camryn were
his sisters. He glanced at Niki. Now that she was in his life, he considered
her his top priority. She was his family.

He introduced them by rank, since they’d turned out in
uniform. “This is Egil, the house manager. This is Cook. She makes the best
pastries in the area. Koll is our manservant and Sibbe is the house maid.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Niki said.

Rhine couldn’t help noticing their nostrils flaring. They
weren’t used to being around an exotic as the Keep servants were. It would
irritate her for a while, but they would adjust. Young Koll looked as if he was
already in love. He’d have a talk with him later.

“Have the bags taken up, Egil. We’re going out to the
hangar.”

“Yes, sir.”

He steered her toward the rear of the house and out the
exit. She was quiet. Maybe too quiet.

There was a slight chill in the air as he led her across the
rear lawn to the hangar. It was a large, rather ugly building. Inside was his
newest toy. He wanted her to see it. She would be the first person, other than
his cousins, he would show it to.

He paused at the door and deactivated the alarm. The door
slid open and the lights came on.

“It’s beautiful.”

He smiled at the awe in her voice.