Page 137 of Tempting Fate

Imani let out a soft cry.

“They are most sensitive here?”

“Fuck. Please.”

It was a heady power to make her pliant the way she did me. I teased her, testing the best way to touch her, discovering what elicited the deepest gasps or made her writhe her hips in need.

Palming one breast, I brought the peak to my mouth, sucking it inside.

Imani’s desperate moan was a song, the huge splash of nearby water the percussion.

She jerked away. “What the fuck was that?” Her eyes were hooded and glassy, but she cast them around the cavern. “Shit.”

She rose, water sluicing off her body.

My pulse raced, and I ignored the insistent throb of my cock. Keeping Imani safe was the only thing that mattered.

She pulled a towel from our pile of things and wrapped it around herself, casting wary glances around. The surface of the other pool bore rippling waves, and as Imani headed towards it, I caught her hand. “We should dress.”

“Why?”

Truly, it made little sense, but even a layer of cloth felt like some form of armour.

I retrieved our clothes and we headed back to our small alcove. “You stay here, I’ll investigate once we’re dressed.”

“Don’t be daft, we look together. What does your tablet say?” She ran her eyes over my torso as I towelled off—and I may have taken my time before donning my tunic.

“No life signs,” I said, checking the device. No network either. “Wait.” Something large but faint moved in and out on the sensors.

Imani finished dressing and rose. “Whatever it is, it’s not here. I’m checking that other pool.”

I followed suit; though I was concerned for her safety, all I could do when she was this determined was stay close.

We approached with caution, Imani’s torch roving around the edges. “See those holes in the wall there, under the water? I’m pretty sure it was just Big Fish.”

I let out a faint laugh. “We were scared of a fish?”

“Not a fish. The Big Fish. You’d be scared too if you saw it.”

Something in her voice gave me pause. “Then we had better not bathe again.” Truly, it was a shame. Even though we’d only just gotten dry, I wanted to go straight back to where we’d been. Her in my arms. Exploring each other in this new way, this meeting of mouths. Kissing.

“Let me double check.” She took my hand, and we crossed the mossy expanse to the warm bathing pool. “See? No big outlets. This one is safe.”

A good omen. “I will always keep you safe, Imani.”

She rose on tiptoes as I bent to meet her. “I know you will. Same.”

CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

Ballroom Lights

Airida

I SAT ON the moss with my datapad, reviewing everything my sister had sent over. Incredible though kissing was, we had a problem. Shohari’s message. Rokharu. Without commnet access to find more information, I wrote down everything I knew of Orith, of its treaties with the galaxy, of Mother and how she’d been likely to act.

Imani examined the rocks and plants, making notes for her geology project, returning periodically to see how I was doing. “Find anything?”

“No. Did you?”