Page 93 of Tempting Fate

I broke free with a gasp, the thought sending furious heat to my clit alongside a rush of fear.

“More, please.” Gently, he pushed me down, sliding his dick between my lips.

I hollowed my cheeks, my left hand gripping him as best I could, working in rough tandem with my mouth.

Airida shuddered beneath me, whimpering as his shaft hardened, beads swelling in my hand.

That’s it, baby, come for me.

Thick spurts of cum landed on my tongue. I swallowed him down, humming in delight. Spiced coffee. More.

So much more. He flooded my mouth, and I pulled away, gasping, unable to help as he streaked that pale purple over my face and his tunic, his deep moans peppering the air.

He gazed at me in wonder. “Imani, that was…”

My heart thumped too hard in my chest. Amazing. Delicious. Addictive. “Efficient,” I said, forcing my voice to calm when all I wanted to do was kiss him and sink into his arms. “Glad we worked it out. We’ll give you a few minutes then we can get back to the village.”

Both my hands throbbed in earnest now, and we really did need to get home. It would be fine. It had to be fine. I’d never flown in the dark before, but I’d never tasted Airida before either, so today was one for firsts. Hopefully night flying would work out too.

I rinsed my face and sent a quick comm to both Tokki and Daiytak, assuring them we were okay and on our way back. No point telling them more; they’d find out the truth of it when we returned.

The closer we got to the village, the more my hands throbbed with heat and pain. Airida had taken another fifteen minutes to be strong enough to get in the speeder, and the paths looked so different in the faint moonlight and craft underlights. Thank fuck for autonav and assisted flying, or we’d have been camping here.

But I forced my concentration to stick it out despite being so lightheaded and nauseous I wanted to sleep. Airida spoke to me in gentle, rumbling tones as we flew, telling me about each plant in his garden, how there was a flower on Orith that only opened at night and glowed under a full moon, how there were vines growing up his cottage wall that needed pruning weekly, or they’d weave their way under the window frames.

I knew what he was doing, trying to distract me with something I’d be interested in—and I was thankful for it. Worry threatened to creep in, and like the vines, he pruned it with every new plant he mentioned, every pollinating insect he’d seen on each of the flowers.

I wanted to tell him he should get his own corner of the gardens here, that I’d help him, but it took all my energy to fly the hovering craft, and I stayed quiet, only speaking once the glow of the village appeared ahead. “At last.”

His hand rested on my shoulder, a comforting weight. “You did it, my moonlight.”

I had. And I didn’t know what I liked better, the relief of getting back safe, him touching me—or the way he called me his.

Fenn and a number of shaa’ith clustered round the speeder as I lurched it to a stop. The last thing I wanted was to be the centre of attention, but that ship had well and truly sailed.

At the riot of questions, I held up a hand. “Medic.”

“Fuck, babe, what happened?” Fenn gaped in horror as they looked and, oh.

No wonder it hurt, all red and swollen and angry, the spiralling lines now darkening and spiderwebbing out. Not good. Not good at all. “I got attacked by a tentacle monster because I’m a fucking idiot, and Airida saved me because he’s amazing, but he drank some of its blood and I think he’s poisoned. Wait, not like in a vampire way, he just had to bite it to….”

Someone hauled me into their arms and carried me off. I was placed on a bed, head spinning, nothing left but drained weakness now the adrenaline had fled my system. Shit, was this how Airida felt half the time?

Airida. How was he? But my words came out a garbled moan, and the medic pressed a cold filament cloth to my forehead.

“A sedative,” he said, as the faint hiss of a medspray prickled at my neck, “while we find the right treatment for your physiology. You will be well, I swear it.”

The square lights in the roof pulsed in bright patterns until they diffused into a soft glare, shimmered, and faded.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

My resolve is the rock that withstands the storm

Airida

A RIOTOUS HEADACHE thumped behind my brow ridges. Nausea roiled in my gut, but I couldn’t tear my eyes from Imani’s small form on the medical bed.

She looked so fragile, so vulnerable lying there, her beautiful, soft skin marred with ugly black-and-red lines that already festered, her pretty features twisted in pain, even in sleep.