Jo's Journey (10 page)

“Manota,” Jo whispered as she stared into his eyes. “I love you.”

“
I love you as well, my beautiful human mate,” Manota murmured as he leaned back against the pillows. “Ride me,” he demanded hoarsely.

Jo
’s hands slipped down to his chest. Her fingers brushing his distended nipples, drawing a low rumble from him. She loved the power of being on top, watching the expressions flitting across his face as she moved. She was controlling the rhythm and speed of their love making based on those expressions.

A loud groan ripped from his throat as she swiveled her hips at the same time as she pressed down as far as she could go. His eyes flickered, drooping until they were almost closed as she did it again and again. At the same time, she pulled his hands from where he was gripping her hips up to her breasts.

“Yes, baby. Oh yes,” she hissed as his fingers wrapped around her sensitive nipples. “You can pinch them harder,” she groaned out.

Manota
’s eyes glittered as he watched her face as he rose up, pushing deeply against her womb while at the same time pinching her swollen nipples between his fingers. A loud hiss sounded as he replaced his fingers with his mouth. He pulled and sucked at the same time as he rocked his hips in rhythm with her downward movement. His arms moved around her, holding her to him as he began increasing the speed. Releasing her breast with a pop, he growled out as he felt his climax building. Wanting her to find her release, he slid his hand down between their joined bodies until he felt her swollen nub. Flicking it with his finger, he felt a sense of satisfaction when she cried out harshly and froze over him. Her vaginal walls fisted his cock as he continued to drive into her.

Manota drove upward burying himself as far as he could go and exploded into her. He could feel her body shaking as it reacted again to his hot seed spilling into her womb. Her body melted down onto his, her head nuzzled under his chin.

“I love you, my Jo,” he whispered tenderly even though he knew she didn’t hear him. She had already fallen into a sated sleep.

“
Tony, he is going to kill you, you know that?” Marcus said dryly as he watched the younger male eyeing Jo. “Something tells me these aliens play for keeps.”

Tony shrugged his shoulders and grinned at Marcus.
“He’ll have to catch me first,” Tony replied. “Besides, I called dibs on Jo years ago.”

Marcus shook his head.
“What makes you think she is going to notice you any more now than she did when you were seventeen?”

Tony turned and looked at Marcus with a wry grin.
“I don’t, I just want to have a little fun. Hell, if nothing else it’ll liven the place up a little. There aren’t any girls here that I’m interested in and Jo knows I don’t really mean it anymore. It’s become a bit of a game over the years,” he admitted.

“
This is a game that is going to get you killed, my boy,” Marcus muttered. “If that huge male hanging protectively over her doesn’t do it, Walter will. You are the only one that Myrtle will let around her and her calf right now. If you get hurt, it’s going to be a pain in the ass to take care of them,” he added, thinking of the mother elephant and her nine month old calf.

“
Walter already knows and you don’t have to worry, I won’t get hurt. That’s where you come in to help.” Tony looked at Marcus with a cross between a plea and a hopeful look. “Come on, Marcus. When was the last time you lived dangerously?”

Marcus snorted.
“Might I remind you I was the one looking down the end of a sword not too long ago,” he reminded Tony. “I thought for sure I was going to end up a shish kabob on the tip of it. You live as dangerously as you want. I’ve been at the bottom of a grave looking up and it isn’t all it’s cracked up to be,” Marcus replied as he shook his head at Tony before he handed the younger man some of his vanishing powder.

“
Just use a little bit of it,” Marcus warned Tony. “You don’t want to smoke everyone out of their homes.”

“
Wish me luck,” Tony said before he walked over to where Jo was standing next to Ricki and Jane.

“
You, my dear, dear boy, are going to need more than luck,” Marcus replied softly with a chuckle. “I just hope there is something left of you when this is over.”

*.*.*

Jo saw Jane stiffen and scoot behind Ricki just a little. She rolled her eyes as a knowing grin curved Ricki’s lips. The look of amusement could only mean one thing, Tony was up to his tricks again. She turned and shook her head at the mischievous smile on his face. He was definitely up to something and it did not bode well for him. It never did.

Laughing, she put her hand up in the air and waved her finger at him.
“I wouldn’t do whatever you are thinking if I were you,” she warned in exasperation. “I don’t know what you are up to but it has to be a bad idea with the shit-eating grin you have on your face.”

“
We’ll see you later,” Ricki said softly. “I don’t think Jane is ready for a front row seat for what is about to happen.”

Jane looked inquisitively between Ricki and Jo before nodding and following Ricki as she headed back to their living space. She looked up at Ricki who just shook her head and mouthed
‘watch what happens’ with a grin.

“
See you later, Ricki – Jane,” the large blond male called out.

“
I hope so,” Ricki called back with another shake of her head. “If you live through this one,” she added under her breath as she headed back across the long storage bay to warn her dad that Tony was up to mischief again.

“
So,” Tony said turning his attention back to Jo who was gazing at him with a very suspicious look on her face. “Are you tired of He-man yet?”

“
Tony, I …” Jo started to say until she looked into his eyes again. They were a dark, sad brown that pulled at her heart. “Tony, don’t,” Jo said, groaning softly.

He stepped a little closer to her causing her to bite her lip in indecision. She didn
’t want to hurt his feelings but then again, she didn’t want to give him a false hope. Jo froze as he reached out and gently touched the long braid on her shoulder. He ran his fingers down it before he tugged on the end just enough to force her to jerk forward in surprise.

“
You can’t blame a guy for trying,” Tony murmured as he slid his other hand along her waist. “Just one kiss. That is all I ask… just one.”

Jo shook her head and placed her hands on his chest.
“You know I don’t feel that way about you. I thought you understood that,” Jo murmured in concern. “I love Manota.”

Tony leaned a little closer to her.
“I know,” he whispered, before a wicked gleam entered his eyes. “Think of this as a little science experiment.”

Jo
’s head jerked up as she suddenly realized he wasn’t really sad about her loving someone else. “What are you doing? Tony, this has to be one of your worst ideas to date,” Jo muttered just before he sealed his lips over hers in a short fierce kiss.

He pulled back slowly and chuckled.
“Stan is trying out a new program that taps into your alien friend’s video feed. He wanted to see if it worked. I told him I would help him out,” he said with a shrug. “If it means stealing a kiss from you, how could I say no?”

Jo put her hands on his shoulders and groaned.
“You listened to Stan? Have you ever thought there was a reason so many people were looking for him? He doesn’t always have the greatest ideas. He was the one that posted that live video on the Internet of those six whaling ships killing dolphins and sharks and tossing them overboard causing a riot before he posted the billionaire from Germany hunting at the wildlife refuge in Africa which went viral, remember?”

“
Yeah well, Stan is taking bets to see how fast your guy can move. As it is, it has been almost a minute and a half and…,” Tony broke off as a loud roar echoed in the storage bay. “Not bad,” he grinned. “Time to go!”

Jo turned, her eyes locking with Manota
’s dark, deadly gaze as he stood just inside the doors leading into the storage bay. She grimaced as his eyes moved to Tony who was grinning like a jackass as he walked backwards. She rolled her eyes when Tony gave the red-flag salute guaranteed to end his life.

Turning back, she stepped in between them and raised her hands up.
“Manota, I can explain.”

“
He is a dead human,” Manota growled out, pulling his sword.

“
You can’t use a sword on him,” Jo said walking toward him. “It was just a joke. He didn’t mean anything when he kissed me.”

Manota
’s head swiveled from where he was watching Tony’s retreating back. “Kiss?! He put his lips on you again?”

Jo winced.
“You didn’t see that part of the video I’m guessing,” she grimaced, placing her hands on his chest in an attempt to calm him.

“
HUMAN!” Manota roared in a blinding rage of jealousy.

Jo gasped as she was lifted up and placed to the side. Manota retracted his laser sword and handed it to her. She looked at his face and grimaced again at the dark intent on it.

“I will not use the sword,” Manota snarled. “I’m going to wrap my hands around his scrawny neck before I rip him apart.”

Jo opened her mouth but Manota was already picking up speed as he stalked toward Tony who glanced over his shoulder before deciding it was time to run like hell. She shook her head when she saw Tony toss some of Marcus
’ vanishing powder over his shoulder. From the bright flash and thick smoke, he must have used twice the amount he was supposed to. It was enough to cause Manota to pause as the thick smoke blinded him for a moment, giving Tony a slightly larger head start. Jo watched as Tony disappeared through the maze of campers anchored to the storage bay floor.

“
If your mate kills Tony, he’ll be taking care of the damn elephants,” Walter growled out as he came to a breathless stop next to Jo. “I’ll be damn if I’m going to shovel their poop piles.”

Jo fought hard to stop the giggle that threatened her but she couldn
’t. Giggling out loud, she turned and stared down at Walter who was watching as Tony rolled out from under Katarina’s camper. It was too low to the ground for Manota to get under. He raced around so fast, Tony let out a loud curse before he ran as fast as he could and disappeared into the Big Top.

“
Do you think we should go help him?” Jo asked nervously, folding her arms across her chest and tilting her head in question.

“
Naw,” Walter said. “I called the clowns and Marvin and Martin in to help save Tony’s bony ass if he needed it. I have Stan filming the damn thing to see if it will be good enough for a performance,” he added gruffly over his shoulder.

Jo
’s mouth dropped open as Walter’s statement sank in. She watched as Walter walked hurriedly toward the Big Top. She quickly followed, stepping inside as Walter held the flap open for her. She looked down at the small ringmaster who was grinning like a Cheshire cat. The knowing look in his eyes proved what she was afraid to think. The sneaky little devil was looking for a new act and auditioning her mate for the part!

“
Walter, you are a very devious man,” Jo giggled. “You know he will never become an act in the show, I hope?”

“
You never know,” Walter said confidently as he watched Manota try to catch Tony as a couple of the clowns stuffed the elephant trainer into a barrel and started to roll him as fast as they could between them. “He is fast, agile, strong…” He was saying distractedly.

“
Deadly… in charge of a planet… a member of the royal family,” Jo continued as she watched Manota jerk back as several more clowns started jumping rope in front him. She breathed a sigh of relief when he made it through the rope without getting tangled up in it. “Has Tony ever been fired out of the cannon before?” She asked curiously as her eyes moved to follow Tony who had climbed up a tall ladder.

Marvin and Martin were stuffing Tony down the huge, multicolor star covered cannon the clowns used. She figured the answer was
‘no’ when Marvin motioned for Tony to wiggle back up so he could jam the helmet on his head before Martin pushed him back down again. Both Mimes scrambled down the ladder and hurried to the other end to aim it just as Manota reached them. Marvin stepped in front of Manota, holding out his hands before taking both of Manota’s hands in his. Jo giggled again as Marvin pulled Manota’s fingers out and stuck them in his ears before doing the same with his own. A moment later, a huge boom sounded. It echoed through the storage bay, drawing members of the circus into the tent to see what was going on. Even from this distance, Jo could see Manota’s eyes widen as Tony flew through the air to land in a huge net half a tent away.

“
I think it is time to call a halt to the chase,” Jo said before she grunted as she was thrown forward as the warship rocked.

Manota turned sharply, bracing himself even as Marvin reached for him in surprise. He shook the Mime off, growling into his comlink. The look on his face was nothing like what it had been when he was looking to kill Tony. This one sent a shiver down everyone
’s spine. His face now reflected the look of a cold-blooded, ruthless killing machine.

Jo started to rise again but was thrown sideways when the warship rocked again. She gasped as she was suddenly lifted up. Gripping Manota
’s huge forearms, she looked up at him in fright.

“
What’s going on?” She asked.

“
We are under attack,” Manota growled out as he held her around her waist even as he held his hand out to Walter. “There has also been an explosion in engineering.”

“
What can we do to help?” Walter asked as he nodded his thanks for the steadying hand.

Manota reluctantly released Jo.
“I need you to get all your people in here. We will seal off the storage bay and I will assign a group of warriors to protect you. I need you to protect my mate, Walter.” Manota instructed quietly. “I have to go to the bridge. Kev is working on engineering.”

“
Who would attack a Kassisan warship?” Jo asked stunned.

Manota looked at her grimly before he pressed a hard kiss to her lips.
“Pirates,” he replied before turning and leaving.