Page 89 of Hope Forged
“A small house near a fish-filled lake.” Her chuckle was breathless. “A place of my own, to be left alone for the most part, almost like another Vora.” She peered at him, shielding her eyes with her hand. “I mean, I could live in theHaile, but I like beds and cleansers.”
“My fault,” he said, keeping his tone light. He ached to share that—a home, a bed, a cleanser—with her. After the chaos of the last week, nothing had ever sounded more blissful.
She hummed. “More garments like these, a med-gun, and a dagger.”
“You ask for too little.”
Her smile was serene. “A life of peace is never little, Illan. But Macy tells me you’ve taken care of that for me,” she said, glancing at him, her expression expectant.
“Yes, porting between theCeleeri, the facility, and theHaileseemed a waste of time.”
Her eyes warmed, her face softened, and in that moment, she’d never looked more beautiful. “Why do this for me?”
“Like you said: where you go, I go.”
She harrumphed. “Not much of an answer.”
He chuckled, drawing her closer. The sun-kissed scent of her skin called to him. He couldn’t resist pressing a kiss to hertemple, each cheek, the tip of her chin, before claiming her lips. A groan slipped out when he registered the hot softness of her mouth.
“Elorach,” he mumbled, breaking away to dust kisses along her jaw.
“What did the Maloidian reveal?” she asked, her voice husky.
“So much,” he mumbled, not wanting to go into it.
“Good.” She caught his face between her palms and kissed him, snatching his breath.
“Ziamee,” he rasped, cupping her breast through her chest armor. He growled at being hindered. “Come, let us…retire.” He snatched her hand, pinning his palm to hers.
Sensual images slammed into him, peppered with emotions too intense for him to handle. But he wouldn’t break contact, not for all the knowledge in the universe. Every moment spent with her would be treasured.
He waited for her to don her boots, then led her up the steps and along a path.
A warrior awaited them. “This way, Lord Illan,” he said, guiding them toward a row of buildings north of the beach.
Illan raised their clasped hands and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. “My thanks,” he said to the male, then spoke no more until the door to their quarters closed behind them.
Ziameesupposedsheshouldinsist on knowing what the ambassador had revealed, but the heat in Illan’s eyes promised something more…important. Whatever secrets he’d learned had rattled him. In time, she expected him to share, so she’d practice being patient. Besides, she needed to claim her male, as decided.
And if she judged by his kiss, intimacy was in her near future. Maybe, if he told her he loved her in the throes of passion, she’d answer him, making him realize his confession and acknowledge hers. If she was lucky.
The room they’d been given was similar to Macy’s, just devoid of color. Not that it mattered, though. Ziamee pulled her hand free and ventured deeper, crossing to the door at the rear. A bedroom lay beyond, a cleansing room to the side.
She thumped her chest, parting her armor, then shrugged out of it, only to catch and lower it to the bed. Next went her boots and pants, all while Illan hovered in the doorway, his eyes blazing with a need that burned within her. An ache throbbed from between her thighs.
“Lie on the bed,” he commanded, entering the room to lean against the bulkhead.
She obeyed, eager to discover what he had planned.
“Spread your legs for me,” he said, peeling off his tunic.
She licked her lips at the sight of his sculptured chest. Her fingers twitched in memory of how he felt beneath her touch. Slowly, she shifted a foot to the side, then the other, biting her bottom lip at the air cooling her heated sex. She shivered but not from the cold.
“So beautiful, Ziamee.” He drew closer, placing his fingers on her ankle. “Never did I think I would find such joy with the female who threatened me with a worn dagger.” He trailed along her calf, around her knee, then up her inner thigh.
Her hips jerked, anticipation sparking every nerve.
He placed his knee onto the bed, then fell forward, catching her thighs and hoisting her legs up. His mouth along her seam made her cry out, his tongue inside her, flicking her sensitive spot, had her whimpering.
