Lisia's Journey (9 page)

were in the same room, he was close to her or watching her. His attitude was openly

possessive.

Lisia had been so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn‟t notice that Jarritt had

left his seat until he‟d picked her up and slid into her seat. He cradled her in his lap. She

stiffened in surprise as his arm slid around her waist, his hand resting on her thigh.

“If you‟re going to sit there glowering at me, I want the benefit of having you in my

arms while you do it,” Jarritt murmured a moment before his lips brushed over hers.

She held her body stiff in his arms for all of two breaths. That was as long as she

could last. She liked the feel of his lips against her and the warmth of his body too much

to deny herself the pleasure of enjoying it. His scent swirled around her, pulling her to

him just as much as the desire she felt pouring from him. Knowing that he wanted her

so much was a potent aphrodisiac. Because they were in the middle of the common

room, she felt safe enough to let the desire take her. She knew that nothing would

happen here. Just like it hadn‟t in the past few nights when she‟d kissed and held him.

He‟d kissed her and his hands had roamed, but he‟d restrained himself from more than

that. Even in the privacy of the hallway outside her door, he‟d held back and stopped

when she‟d asked.

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Rebecca Airies

That had surprised her a bit, but she didn‟t pretend to understand the way his mind

worked. He could be starting with the idea of having her come to him and initiate the

contact. She didn‟t really care what he was scheming right now. It allowed her to enjoy

the pleasure of his touch without taking their “engagement” to the next level.

He lifted his head and threaded his fingers through her hair. “I love the way you

taste, the way you respond. I can feel your hard nipples pressing against me even

through the fabric of your shirt.”

She looked up at him, her mind clouded by desire. “You smell so good.”

She wanted to snuggle into him and draw in that intoxicating scent, but his hand

tightened in her hair, holding her away from him.

“Do you like the way I touch you? Is your pussy wet for me?” he asked.

She frowned confused. How could he ask that? He should feel her desire just as she

felt his. He should be able to smell her desire. Why did he need her to say it?

“I love the way you touch me. No one‟s ever made me want them as badly as I

want you.” She drew her fingers across his cheek.

He kissed her again and held her close before drawing back. “I‟ll make you feel like

that every time I touch you.”

Lisia licked her tingling lips. Arousal hummed through her body. A bed, she

needed a bed and him in it. Or at least a wall. At first, all she could think about was

how much she wanted that. Slowly her mind began functioning beyond the desire she

felt. She couldn‟t give in to the urge to drag him to the nearest bed. He‟d see that as a

definite commitment and press for more.

“Are you ready to eat?” Jarritt asked.

She stared at him a little stunned by the change of subject and his attitude. He

didn‟t seem half as aroused as she felt. She didn‟t know how he could sound so calm.

She nodded. Eating would give her time to think and time for the need to cool. She

desperately needed that. The food was already on the table. She began to realize just

how much she‟d missed. Lisia walked over to the table at his side. Succulent meat

dishes, vegetables and grain dishes filled the tables.

“Are you still angry with me?” Jarritt asked as he began to fill his plate.

“What do you think?” She turned and leveled a disbelieving stare at him. Of course

she was still angry with him. That kiss hadn‟t changed anything. If anything, it had

intensified the feeling. Now, she was aroused and angry.

“What are you angry about?” he asked, a broad smile on his face.

He knew very well what had angered her. That smug smile told her that much. His

attitude practically screamed his belief that he could talk her out her of that emotion.

That arrogant confidence only made her even more determined to stay furious with

him.

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Lisia’s Journey

“What I‟m angry about hasn‟t changed. I still don‟t like the fact that I‟ve been

pushed into the position of your Lady when I haven‟t agreed to anything.” She kept her

voice low so it wouldn‟t carry far.

“You‟ve already given your promise. The position is yours. There‟s nothing wrong

with you taking it before you assume the role formally as my mated wife.” He sounded

too cheerful.

When he reached over and patted her on the hand she tensed. He could have meant

it as a soothing gesture, but to her it seemed like the condescending pat someone would

give an annoying child. She took a deep breath and tried for calm. Screaming and

jumping up from the table wouldn‟t solve anything. She had to calm down and think.

Only if she managed to find a way out of that promise she‟d made would she have a

chance of getting off this world unmarried.

“So you say, but I haven‟t seen any proof of this law. As far as I know, you could

have made the whole thing up that night.” She put down her fork and folded her arms

across her chest. As much as she‟d like that to be true, he wouldn‟t leave an opportunity

for her to wriggle through.

“Are you saying that I‟m lying to you?” A growl rumbled in his voice.

She blinked. Realizing she‟d unintentionally questioned his honor, she silently

cursed. Now, she had to calm him down and think of a way to say it that didn‟t make

him a liar.

“I wasn‟t saying you were lying. What I don‟t know is if this law you mention is

actually a law or just a custom. Customs aren‟t as binding as a law.” She licked her lips.

“It‟s no custom. It‟s a written law. You can look it up tomorrow.” His narrowed

eyes hadn‟t softened a bit.

“Not tonight?” she asked. She couldn‟t resist pressing the issue.

“I don‟t think seeing the actual law will change the way you feel.” He gave her an

assessing stare before returning to his meal.

He was right. Seeing the law in print wouldn‟t change her mind or how she felt

about that “promise”. She‟d still try to find a way out of it. She‟d had some slim hopes

that it was some kind of unwritten custom, but that had been erased.

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Rebecca Airies

They made it through the rest of the meal without any more arguments or

misunderstandings. She breathed a sigh of relief and left the table. Luckily, he didn‟t

follow her. He went to talk with Arik and a few of the other men.

She talked with a few of the other women until she began to get tired. Bidding them

good night, she headed for the door to the
Shi’an
‟s section. She slipped through the door

and into the hallway with a sigh. She was relieved to get out of there without another

confrontation with Jarritt.

He seemed determined to make her think of him as much as possible. She saw him

at almost every meal. The only reason it wasn‟t every meal was because he‟d been busy

during a few of those. Skipping out of the
marrohl
again hadn‟t been an option. He‟d

always met her in the hallway in the mornings. She wondered sometimes if he‟d put an

alarm on her door so he‟d know when she was leaving. She hadn‟t been able to find any

indication he had, but the way he was always there did make her wonder.

The door behind her opened and Jarritt walked into the hallway just as she reached

her door. She pushed the button to open her door, but looked back over her shoulder at

him. Smiling he continued walking down the hallway. He seemed to be in a good

mood.

“Trying to slip out on me? We still have things to talk about,
liana
.” He didn‟t hurry

but his long stride carried him down the hallway before she could get into her room

and shut the door.

“I‟m not trying to slip out on you. I‟m just tired. I didn‟t realize you wanted to talk

about anything else.” Lisia met his eyes as he stopped just in front of her.

“There‟s always something I want to say to you even if it‟s just „I want to kiss you‟.”

His hand lifted and briefly cupped the side of her cheek before his thumb traced her

lips.

Her lips tingled even after his finger lifted. She slicked her tongue over them. “Is

that all you want to say tonight?”

“No, I did need to talk to you about tomorrow,” he said as his mouth lowered,

stopping just before their lips touched.

His lips were so close, so tempting. She could feel his desire for her. Its effect on her

hadn‟t changed. She wanted him to kiss her. Almost without thinking about it, she

leaned into his body. Their lips touched and brushed. She drew his lower lip into her

mouth, sucking on it. His hands settled on her waist and then slid around and down

molding over the curve of her buttocks. Her tongue slicked over his lip just before she

released it.

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Lisia’s Journey

Jarritt took over the kiss. His mouth slanted over hers and his tongue drove into her

mouth. She sighed relaxing against him and enjoying the feel of his hot mouth on hers

His taste and scent flooded her senses. His desire almost seemed to pulse through her

mind. It was so strong. She lost track of any thought other than how much she wanted

this, him.

His hands tightened on her, pulling her snug against him. She could feel his hard

cock pressing against her stomach. His thigh slipped between her legs. She wriggled,

rubbing against the hard muscles of his leg. A low groan rolled from his throat and his

hips arched into her.

She wanted to get his clothes and her own off. She needed to explore more than his

arms. Her breasts ached and the swollen flesh tingled where it pressed against the tight

fabric. He urged her slowly backward.

She heard a slight swish but ignored it. The noise barely registered as they kissed

and his tongue dueled with hers. She knew even without looking that it had to be the

door to her room closing behind them. Slowly, as if they had all night, he lifted her off

her feet, aligning their bodies. His cock pressed against the covered mound of her

pussy.

She lifted her legs locking them around his hips as he walked. She didn‟t know

where he was going and didn‟t care. Being like this felt too good. She could feel the slick

moisture coating her pussy and probably dampening the crotch of her pants.

Lisia trailed kisses down his neck, nipping just at the base. His breath hissed

between his teeth in surprise. A growl erupted as his grip tightened in response to that

show of aggression.

She felt sharp teeth scrape the skin just below her jaw. His tongue swirled over the

skin. He placed small kisses along her neck, just at the neckline of her shirt. In between,

he feathered little nips. Her skin seemed to become hypersensitive. She never knew

what to expect and she wanted more. His lips left her neck.

“Let‟s get you undressed. I want to see your pretty body,” he said as his hands

tugged at her legs, urging her to release him. “I promise I‟ll let you wrap those around

me again soon.”

She didn‟t hold back her groan of disappointment. Slowly lowering her feet to the

floor, she savored every moment of contact. His fingers went to her shirt and hers slid

under his, exploring the hard muscles of his stomach. She felt her shirt part and a rush

of cool air over her nipples. Prickles danced across the sensitive tips as they tightened.

“Now that‟s a beautiful sight. Would they get any redder if I put my mouth on

them?” His eyes dropped to the mounds of her breasts.

She followed his gaze and saw his eyes lingering on the darkened tips of her

breasts. She drew in a sharp breath as the image of his head bent over her flashed

through her mind. A shot of fiery desire hit her. She resisted the urge to arch her chest

forward, but just barely. Smoothing her hands up his chest and ignoring the bunching

fabric, she scraped her nails over his two hard, flat discs.

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Rebecca Airies

He hissed a curse and stiffened beneath her hands. “You‟re playing a dangerous

game.”

“Maybe I‟m not playing.” She looked up into his brown eyes and met the questions

she expected with quiet certainty.

He knew how much she wanted him. He could feel her desire just as she could his.

She didn‟t want to think about later or about how much this was going to complicate

everything. All she knew was that this felt right. The questions, the doubts, and

everything else were pushed away by that certainty.

He stripped off his shirt flinging it away without even looking to see where it went.

She licked her lips as her eyes roved over his chest. He was absolutely gorgeous. She

had to touch him. He pulled her closer until her mouth hovered over his dark brown