Janwar moaned, slipping his tongue within to stroke hers as fire burned through him, hardening his cock. Shifting his hold on her, he cupped her tempting ass with one hand. When she locked her legs around his waist, he groaned and tore his mouth from hers. “Really?” he panted. “That’s what turns you on? Holding hands on the bridge?”
She laughed. “Hell yes, it does. How fast can we get to your quarters?”
“Fast,” he declared and took off running.
Simone couldn’t believe it, but she broke into giggles as Janwar raced through the corridors, trying to kiss her, feel her up, and watch where he was going, all at the same time, with hilarious results. He looked boyishly happy and carefree as he laughed with her.
And he loved her.
Janwar loved her.
At last, they burst into his quarters.
“Privacy mode, T,” he called as the door shut behind them.
Sheesh. She’d forgotten about that.
Spinning around, he pressed her up against the door. Simone gasped, eyes rolling back as he leaned into her and ground his hard cock against her clit. One of his big hands yanked her shirt out of her pants, found warm skin, and slid up to cup her breast. His warm lips found her neck as his thumb tweaked her nipple through her bra.
She moaned. “Too many clothes. We’re wearing too many clothes.”
He thrust against her. “We’ll have to work around them. I don’t think I can let you go long enough to—”
With preternatural speed, Simone pushed him back, disentangled herself, and tore off their clothes.
A second or two later, Janwar stood before her, his big body bare of everything except his boots, erection jutting toward her. His eyes widened as his jaw dropped.
Simone was naked, too, except for her boots.
He looked so stunned that she couldn’t help but laugh. “You were saying something about working around our clothes?”
Grinning, he shook his head. “Just for that, I’m keeping my boots on.” Then he closed the distance between them and drew her into his arms. “Drek, I love you.”
Just like that, the urgency returned. Lips melded. Hands explored with passionate caresses.
“Say it again,” she uttered between fiery kisses.
“I love you.” Lifting her effortlessly, he lay her atop the covers on his big bed. Then he loomed over her, settling his big, muscled body between her parted thighs as he kissed her neck just beneath her ear. “I love you.”
A shudder of pleasure shook her.
He palmed her breast, kneading it and tweaking the sensitive peak with no more cloth impeding him.
Writhing beneath him, Simone buried her hands in his hair and clutched his braids.
“I love you,” he murmured again, trailing kisses over her collarbone and down to the other breast.
Heat engulfed her, searing her veins as he teased the taut peak with his lips, teeth, and tongue, laving and sucking. “Janwar,” she moaned.
When he started to move lower, she slid her arms between them and pushed him over onto his back. A heartbeat later, she straddled him. Her eyes met his and clung as she curled one hand around his long, hard cock. So much heat simmered in his gaze as he fastened his strong hands on her hips.
Guiding him to her entrance, she slowly lowered herself upon him, inner muscles stretching to accommodate him. “I needed you inside me,” she murmured. “And you were taking too long.”
His lips curled in a wicked smile. “Simone the Conquerer,” he murmured, his voice rough with desire as she took every inch of him.
Bracing her hands on his muscled chest, she gave the crisp hair there a tug. His cock jerked. She rotated her hips, eliciting more moans from them both. “Now, I’m going to conquer you.”
He slid his hands up to cup her breasts, squeezing, teasing, and ratcheting up her need as she began to ride him. “You already have.”
Simone lacked the breath to speak further, urgency driving her to take him harder and faster. He felt so good inside her, so hard, stretching her, stroking her. And the way he touched her, slid a hand down to brush her clit even as he tweaked her nipple…
Their movements grew rougher, more frantic, his grip almost bruising as the pressure built and built until she threw her head back and cried out in ecstasy. Janwar groaned her name as her inner muscles clenched and unclenched around him, following her into orgasm.
Collapsing onto his chest, Simone fought to catch her breath. A fine sheen of perspiration bathed their skin as their hearts pounded in their chests. Little post-orgasmic ripples of pleasure continued to rock her.
When Janwar wrapped his arms around her and hugged her close, she smiled. Warmth suffused her. He was a snuggler. Yet another thing she loved about him.
“This is just the beginning,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
Nodding, she knew he wasn’t just referring to the night’s lovemaking. “The beginning.”
Peace settled upon them as they lay there, neither interested in moving for many long minutes.
Then a chuckle rumbled in the muscled chest beneath her ear. “Next time, let’s remove our boots first. Those soles are rougher than I expected.”
She laughed.
Janwar didn’t sleep. He couldn’t. His mind kept racing, returning again and again to their upcoming mission.
Usually, he would embrace a challenge like this and even look forward to the heart-pumping adrenaline surge the danger would spawn since little else thrilled him.
He glanced down at the lovely female curled up against his side.
Or little else had thrilled him before Simone had fought her way into his life.
It was an odd feeling, knowing he had something to lose now. Once Krigara had grown and matured enough to fend for himself, Janwar’s need to survive for the sake of others had faded. The thirst for revenge—to finally unseat the murderous, greedy bastard who had ordered his parents’ deaths—had taken its place and driven him then. But he’d grown weary over the years. Jaded. Less and less satisfied with the blows he managed to strike against Chancellor Astennuh.
Less and less satisfied with… everything, wanting more.
Simone sighed in her sleep and snuggled closer, draping a thigh across his.
He couldn’t remember the last time an impending battle had filled him with so much anxiety that it deprived him of sleep. Yet there he was, envisioning the future he and Simone could have together and fretting over every little thing that could go wrong tomorrow and drek that all up.
When another hour brought no slumber, he carefully eased out of bed.
Simone slept so hard she barely moved.
He smiled. Perhaps he had finally tired her out.
Making as little noise as possible, he donned a shirt and a pair of loose workout pants, then left his quarters.
No, their quarters. Janwar didn’t want to spend another night away from her.
The ship was quiet, the Tangata’s engine noiseless, as he padded barefoot through the corridors. Night sounds from the park drifted through the hallways courtesy of the hidden speakers in the ceiling. The whole crew had unanimously voted in favor of that to eradicate the loneliness utter silence could worsen.
Entering his office, he closed the door behind him. “T, contact the Ranasura. I wish to speak with Eliana and Commander Dagon. Full encryption.”