Hinekiri (15 page)

“Are you rich?” he blurted as they stepped outside.

“I earn good currency from my work,” Hinekiri said.

Yeah, figured. She was rich too. Why the hell would she want a Kiwi cop? Stunned by the depths of his disappointment, Richard took her into his arms and started to waltz. She never hesitated, following with the ease of a woman who had danced many times before. Richard snorted inwardly even as he held her close. It figured. A woman like Hinekiri did everything well. Why would she need him when she could have anyone?

A voice shouted without warning inside his head. “
Richard, stop feeling sorry for yourself
,” the voice said. “
Enjoy the adventure. Don’t spoil it and sour the moment before it ends. You are a fine man and you deserve happiness
.” Richard misstepped and almost set his foot on top of one of Hinekiri’s dainty shoes. That voice had sounded a lot like Felicity’s when she was in a snippy mood.

Richard blinked at the silent lecture going on in his head. He inhaled deeply, his nose and chin brushing Hinekiri’s soft, fragrant hair. Felicity was right. As always. And with a smile, he danced with Hinekiri beneath the twinkling stars and bright moon. Over her shoulder, he saw the distant glint of the waterhole and the silhouettes of several acacia trees on the other side. They were in Africa. It was a grand adventure but there was still a problem. Richard thought he might be falling in love…

After dinner and several more dances, they wandered back to their room carrying two doggy bags. Richard opened the door for Hinekiri to enter and the smell of wet dog hair hit him straight away.

“
Eew
,” Hinekiri said, flapping her hand in front of her nose. “That’s horrid.”

“You back,” Killer said. “Bout time. We hungry.”

“I’ll open the door a bit wider and windows,” Richard said.

“Killer, outside. Harry too. I’ll serve up dinner out on the verandah.”

Killer’s tail wagged so hard it blurred. “Yay! Food. Come, Harry.” She trotted outside and the young hyena trotted after her.

“Aw, isn’t that sweet.” Hinekiri watched the two creatures plant their butts on the verandah to wait for dinner, their eyes glued firmly on the two doggy bags she carried.

“Good smell.” Killer’s tail thumped the wooden verandah.

Harry yapped and whistled in agreement.

“At least they didn’t go into the bedroom.” Richard took a minute to enjoy the way Hinekiri’s long dress tightened over her arse when she bent over to serve dinner for the canines. He watched her rip open the bags so the contents were easy to get to and move away so they could start dinner.

“That’s the two of them sorted.”

“Good.” Richard waggled his eyebrows in a comical manner even though he didn’t want to laugh. He was pretty sure his feelings for Hinekiri were unshakable. But she was leaving once they returned to Sloan. He had to keep reminding himself of that fact. “I’m ready to call on that promise we spoke of earlier.”

“I’m with you, sailor.”

Richard offered her his arm and they strolled inside and headed for the bedroom. Of course he could talk to her… Nah, bad idea. It smacked of wearing his heart on his sleeve. She’d made it clear she was leaving. He’d just go with Felicity’s advice and enjoy the adventure.

“Did I tell you how beautiful you look tonight?” He ran his gaze over her bare arms and the deep V of bronzed skin, the shadowed cleavage and plump rounds of her breasts. Richard couldn’t see her skin markings because her lingerie covered them, but he knew they were there. She was so sexy and confident, and she was his until she left Earth. He was a damned fool for wanting more.

“No. I’m all ears.”

Richard grinned. “Yep, I can see they’re waggling. Now, let me see.” He tugged on the jeweled clip that fastened her hair. Slowly and reverently, he undid the thick plait and ran his fingers through the fragrant blonde locks. Bending his head, Richard breathed deeply, drawing in the vanilla scent of her damp hair. “Your hair is beautiful. Soft.” Richard cupped her face and stroked his thumb over her soft, pink lips.

Without warning, Hinekiri opened her mouth and took his thumb inside her warm mouth. She sucked, her cheeks hollowing slightly. Richard felt the suction clear to his toes. His breath caught, a tremor working down his body and surging into his cock. His breath eased out with a slight hiss. Oh man. The woman had a talented mouth.

She let go of his thumb with an audible smack. Her violet eyes twinkled up at him. “What else? Surely not just my hair?”

Richard smiled at the blatant demand for compliments. Hinekiri must receive a lot of attention. The woman probably had a man on every planet she visited. She was such a sexual being. A shocking flirt. His grin widened. “Your eyes remind me of precious amethysts. The color of your lips reminds me of sweet cotton candy. And your breasts…” Richard watched her breasts rise and fall with increasing rapidity. He reached behind her and fumbled for a zipper. When he didn’t find one, he glanced at her. “What’s the secret word to unfasten your gown?”

“My name.”

“Say it,” he said with quiet insistence.

“Hine…” She swallowed under his intense scrutiny.

Richard leaned down and kissed her tenderly. He tasted the wine they’d drunk with dinner, spicy and rich. He’d meant to keep the kiss light but couldn’t resist lingering. His tongue slipped inside to explore and savor. Languid and lazy, the kiss went on until the need to breathe drove him to lift his head. Her eyes drifted open, her pupils big and black against the soft violet. She looked confused. Shell-shocked. And she made him smile.

“Go on,” he whispered against her lips. “Say the word.”

Her gaze met his, still uncertain and maybe a trifle shy. Uncharacteristic for her but he liked the subtle change. It made him feel stronger and more certain that what was between them was meant to be.

“Say it.”

“Hinekiri,” she whispered.

The sexy sea green gown parted enough for the material slide down her arms and she had to hold the bodice in place.

“Let it go,” Richard said.

Hinekiri let her arms fall to her sides and the fabric fell away from her breasts, catching for an instant on the erect tips of her nipples and her bra before falling with a whoosh to pool on the ground at her feet. Richard helped her step from the circle of material.

“Let me look at you,” he murmured, standing back to take in the awe-inspiring vision in front of him. “Oh yeah. Beautiful and very sexy.”

Hinekiri’s mouth worked as if she might speak and then to his astonishment tears welled in her eyes. One ran down her cheek. She gulped and ripped her gaze off his face.

“Hinekiri? Sweetheart, what is it? Why are you crying?” Hell, he wouldn’t upset her for the world. He hadn’t felt about a woman like this since Felicity. Hadn’t wanted to have sex with another woman as much as he wanted Hinekiri. He approached her warily, unsure of how she’d react to his touch. Hell, he didn’t pretend to understand what made females tick. They constantly surprised the heck out of him.

When she didn’t flinch, he drew her into his arms but allowed enough space between them to study her face. To his dismay, another tear ran down her cheek. “What is it, sweetheart? You can tell me anything.” Their bodies jostled together, sending “hello, thrilled to see you” messages to his groin. Richard tried to control his reaction, but since meeting Hinekiri, his dick had developed a mind of its own. Blood surged, pooling low and his cock jutted out, pressing painfully against his khaki trousers.

“I’m sorry. I…it’s nothing you’ve done.” Hinekiri made a hiccupping sound and sniffed. “Well, it is, but it’s not what you think.”

Okay, now he was confused. He patted his pockets for a hanky but came up empty. He hurried into the bathroom and grabbed a handful of tissues off the top of the vanity unit.

Richard handed them to Hinekiri and watched while she dabbed at her face. “You’d better tell me.” He led her to the bed, gently pushing her down to sit. He perched beside her, part of him wanting to bolt instead of attempting to deal with feminine emotions. Despite his age, he felt as ineffectual as he had when he was a teenager.

“No one has ever told me I’m beautiful before,” she mumbled.

“I have,” he protested instantly. He was sure he’d told her. It was nothing more than the truth. Richard stared at her face, her damp violet eyes and his gut churned. Confusion didn’t quite cover the spectrum of his feelings in this instant.

“But you mean it. You like me as I am, faults and all.”

“You don’t have any faults, Hinekiri. You’re beautiful. Sexy. Capable.”

“Capable.” Hinekiri jerked upright, almost decking him with her elbow. “I hate that word!” Her eyes flashed and he saw something else. Strength. Determination.

“Don’t.” He patted her shoulder in an awkward manner. His tongue felt thick and his brain had frozen up, but dammit, he’d try to explain it to her. He cleared his throat, preparing to begin even though he had no idea how to make this evening right. It had been going so well. “Do you have any idea how refreshing it is to find a woman who can think for herself, who takes everything she finds in her path in her stride without breaking down and having hysterics? You’re intelligent. I know that despite the act you put on sometimes.”

“Males aren’t attracted to intelligent, capable women.”

“Tell me what they want then,” Richard said, still at a loss as to what was happening here tonight—how his plans for hot sex had slid down the toilet right in front of his eyes.

“They want someone young, capable of bearing many children. They want someone who is accomplished in the feminine arts, a female who is submissive and follows orders.” Hinekiri paused to take a breath and to scrub the back of her hand over her damp eyes before leaping to her feet. She stood in front of him like a nervous youngster, shredding the tissues in her restless hands. “They want a female with a compatible horoscope.”

Oh hell. Richard’s eyes widened and traces of irritation unfurled inside. Not that bloody mumbo-jumbo stuff. He’d fallen into a minefield. He thought rapidly, trying to understand. Best he proceed with due care. “That is not what I look for in a woman.” The moment the words left his mouth, he knew exactly what he did want.

It was Hinekiri.

Hinekiri in all her guises—tough, confident, capable, independent, sexy, teasing, generous and loving.

Richard stood, his jaw flexing with determination. This was gonna come from the heart and if it sounded hokey, then so be it. “I look for a woman who makes me laugh, a woman who makes me forget everything when I’m with her.”

“Like your wife Felicity?”

A pang of sadness pierced him then. He’d loved Felicity but their marriage had been far from a perfect partnership. If Felicity hadn’t become sick, he wondered if they’d still be together. A sliver of guilt pierced his conscience at the disloyalty, but if he and Hinekiri had a chance, he needed to tell the truth. “Felicity and I were in love when we married,” he said carefully. Richard closed his eyes for a second, thinking of their wedding day and the promise they’d sealed with a kiss. ’Til death do part. His eyes flickered open to find Hinekiri’s gaze fixed on him. “We grew apart and ended up wanting different things. In truth, if Felicity were still alive, I don’t think we’d still be together. We changed.”

“On Dalcon, we mate for life. Once the last ceremony is completed we are bound.”

“So where do the horoscopes come into the equation?”

“We have a caste system with the royal family at the top and the nobles on the tier below. My family belongs to the merchant caste, which is one tier lower still. Mostly the castes mate within their caste, but if the horoscopes are compatible the mating ceremony with a different caste might go ahead with the agreement of the families.”

Richard caught the flicker of intense sadness and yearning that flashed across Hinekiri’s face. “What else?”

She shuddered but produced a game smile. “Nothing else. Let’s make love.”

Chapter Nine

Hinekiri stood and slid her feet from the shoes before kicking them under the bed. Swallowing, she inhaled deeply and attempted to stuff the pain she normally kept tucked away out of mind, back into hiding. It didn’t want to go, so instead she sought distraction.

Richard.

The man was everything she’d ever wanted. Everything she’d never have since she was destined to remain unmated. “What about it, sailor?” Hinekiri managed a wink as she sauntered closer to the tall, silent male. The knowledge that his marriage hadn’t been a total success was a surprise, but he had children—a son and a daughter. Hinekiri had no one to love and pass on the wisdom garnered from her years. Apart from Janaya.

Janaya was the closest thing to a daughter she would ever have, which was why Hinekiri was so determined Janaya didn’t go through the ceremony with Santana. The male was a worm despite his noble status and she couldn’t think of a worse match for her niece, no matter what the horoscopes forecast. She forced a smile and trailed her hand across Richard’s shoulder. The warmth from his body seared through the thin cotton shirt he wore, the heat as hot as the intensity in his brown eyes.

“Why do you call me sailor?”

“You remind me of a friend. He traveled through space, mostly trading but doing a bit of piracy. Glaxo always considered himself a sailor, voyaging through the universe.”

“A boyfriend?” Richard’s words were gruff and held a demand to know.

Hinekiri’s smile was gentle and understanding as she peeked at Richard through lowered lashes. When it came to possessiveness, she was beginning to understand. She shouldn’t feel jealousy toward Richard’s wife yet she did. “Glaxo died many years ago in an interplanetary war. You look a little bit like him.” If he knew about her unsuccessful relationships—the mummy’s boy, the abuser, the sex addict. Oh yeah, she could pick them all right.

“Oh.” Richard planted a soft kiss on her forehead.

Hinekiri frowned. She wanted more than a pity kiss from him tonight. Her head jerked backward and her chin thumped him in the nose.

“Ow!” He held his nose before gingerly touching the painful spot with his fingers. “What did you do that for? If you don’t want sex, all you have to do is say.”