“I’ve never felt this way before either,” she admitted, raising one slender arm up to him. “I need you, Ristèard.”
The flames inside him ignited into a raging inferno. Her soft admission ‘I need you’ swept through him like a wildfire out of control. She needed him, not just wanted, but needed him.
Kneeling on the edge of the bed, he ran his hand along the curve of her left foot, up to her ankle. Wrapping his hand around it, he lifted it until it rested on his shoulder. A triumphant smile curved his lips when she gasped, but didn’t resist. Instead, she lifted her other leg and placed it on his left shoulder. The move opened her moist core to him.
He wanted to fan the fire inside her until it was burning as hot and out of control as it was inside him. Moving slowly up between her long legs, he forced her legs farther apart. He paused briefly to press hot, nipping kisses along the inside of her thighs.
Her loud cry and passionate response echoed through the room. He breathed in her heady scent of arousal as he continued to tease her with his lips. His eyes narrowed on the moist curls protecting her hot channel. Wanting to explore, he ran his fingers down along the dark, moist slit.
He was rewarded with another smothered cry and the tightening of her heels along his back, pulling him forward. Her back bowed when he slid his finger past the curls and deep into her. The moist, heated core tightened around his finger making him groan at the answering response of his cock.
The image of him, buried to the hilt, deep inside her made his cock jerk. The brush of the tip of it against the satin sheets almost made him come. A shudder ran through his body and he had to breathe deeply to in an effort to get his body back under the thin strands of control that he was desperately trying to keep over it. Breathing deeply did not help. If anything, it ripped another thread of his control from him as the heady scent of Ricki’s desire melded with his.
“Ricki,” he muttered.
“I need you,” she whispered in a strained voice, pressing her heels against his back and shifting restlessly. “Ristèard, I ache.”
His throat closed at her words. She wasn’t the only one hurting. Right now, ache was too mild of a word to use to describe the hardness of his cock and the tight pressure in his balls. He would classify it more under the terms excruciating torture.
Leaning forward, he gently spread her soft lips. His eyes lit with satisfaction when he rubbed his thumb over the small, sensitive nub. Flicking his tongue against it, he was rewarded by her loud gasp. Determined to bring her pleasure, he teased the nub while stroking her warm vaginal channel.
"Ristèard!" Ricki gasped loudly. "I... Oh my!"
Increasing the pressure, he pushed another finger deep into her. Shock coursed through him when he felt a barrier. Confusion, then comprehension, suddenly registered. A powerful wave of possessiveness shook him.
Closing his eyes, he focused on her pleasure, licking and teasing her until she exploded around him. He forced his eyes open, looking up. Her back was bowed as she shattered around him. All he could see was her flat stomach and her breasts, the nipples taut and pointed. Frustration burst through him. He wanted to see her face as she came.
Pulling back, he gently slid her legs from his shoulders so he could rise up over her. Her hands fisted the covers under her as if she was holding on to a lifeline. Her eyes were closed and her face tense as her body shuddered. Ristèard watched her eyelids flutter open when she felt his hard shaft pressing against her slick channel. Reaching down, he wrapped his fingers around first one wrist, then the other.
"Wrap your legs around my waist," he demanded, pulling her arms slightly up over her head and holding them there. "Do it, Ricki. Wrap your legs around my waist now."
He held his body frozen against hers, the tip of his cock pressed against her entrance. All it would take is one thrust to claim her as his Empress. He gritted his teeth, waiting for her to comply with his demand. He didn't want to hurt her, but he was close to losing the slim control he held over his body. A shudder ran through him when he felt her wrap her legs around his waist and press her heels into his buttocks.
"Now, you are mine," he muttered hoarsely. "My Empress."
Rocking his hips forward, he slowly pressed into her. Sweat beaded on his brow when her slick, warmth surrounded him. He could feel her body fisting his cock, stretching, as he gradually pushed into her. His breath came in small pants that matched hers when he felt the barrier once again. His head bowed until it was only a few inches from hers. Locking his eyes to her vivid pale blue ones, he slowly pushed forward through the barrier. Pain flashed through her eyes and her fingers curled into a fist, but she didn't protest.
"Ricki," he whispered in a thick voice. "I... You make me feel things inside, things that confuse me."
Releasing her wrists, he carefully lowered his body down over her, rocking his hips gently until he was buried deep inside her. Never before had he felt such a need to be gentle. The fact that he had caused her pain tore at him, even as another part of him roared in triumph at being her first lover.
Closing the distance between them, he sealed his lips over hers in a hot, possessive kiss. Strange emotions wash through him, changing, building, and crashing with each stroke. His arms tightened around her, holding her as close as he could against his body while his lips and tongue explored her mouth. He poured the emotion he was feeling into each caress.
Pulling back, he looked down at her again. He could feel his balls drawing tighter. He wanted... needed... to come, but he wanted to watch her come apart first.
"Come for me, Ricki," he demanded, his hips rocking faster, harder than before as his orgasm built. "Come for me, my Empress. Let me watch you shatter in my arms."
A shudder rocked Ricki at his words. Her hands, freed earlier from his grasp, gripped his forearms. He resisted the urge to capture her lips again when they parted, instead, focusing on her eyes as he pumped into her harder and faster. He felt her body tightening around his cock just seconds before she cried out again. Gasping, his own body exploded as she pulsed around him.
Collapsing over her body, he remembered just in time to keep his elbows locked so he wouldn't crush her. Their combined heavy breathing echoed loudly in the room. He turned his head to press a hot kiss to her temple.
"Ricki, I think I understand what it is that you make me feel," he murmured quietly in her ear.
Ricki tilted her head back enough to look at his face. "What is it that I make you feel?" She asked in a sated voice.
"Love."
Chapter 16
Ricki was stunned by Ristèard's confession. Love... Was it possible that he could have fallen in love with her? Doubt and confusion poured through her. If he felt love, then what did the feelings coursing through her mean? Was she in love with him?
Lifting her arms to hold him close, she tried to rationalize her feelings. Yes, she had been acutely aware of him since the first time she saw him, but she had put that down to exasperation more than anything else. He had been extremely arrogant... and, well, bossy. Neither a characteristic that she found attractive.
Still, she couldn’t deny that she had agreed to go out with Stan in an attempt to push Ristèard out of her mind. Now, she knew that would never happen. Pressing her lips to his shoulder, she closed her eyes and let her hands explore his body.
There was nothing logical about the way she felt. She wanted him physically, and the more she learned about him, the more she acknowledged that she enjoyed talking to him. While he was all gruff and rough on the outside, his compassion and determination to help his people showed a side to him that many might not see… he was a man who cared.
She opened her eyes when she felt him lift his head. Another smile tugged at the corner of her lips when she saw the scowl on his face. From the small protrusion of his lower lip, he wasn’t getting what he wanted.
“You are supposed to replied that you adore me and love me as well,” he stated bluntly. “I’m waiting.”
Ricki co
uldn’t keep her chuckle of amusement from escaping. Her mind raced through her emotions, trying to name them. Did she love him? Possibly, but she wasn’t ready to admit it yet. Not until she knew for sure.
“I’m deeply attracted to you,” she admitted. “If I wasn’t, we would not be here.”
The scowl on his face deepened and his silver eyes glowed with determination. A low gasp escaped her when he shifted his hips. She could feel his cock swell inside her.
“That is not what I wanted you to say,” he replied with a challenging look. “I know that you love me. I will just have to claim you again and again until you admit it. I am the only male for you now, my Empress.”
Ricki’s temper flared briefly at his challenge. He needed to learn that he couldn’t just demand that she tell him that she loved him. She would tell him when she was good and damn ready! Her eyes widened at her thoughts.
Yes, I love him, she reluctantly acknowledged to herself.
She just wasn’t ready to admit it yet. There were still too many unanswered questions and trying to deal with a relationship when she didn’t even know who she was, was too much for her right now. She could handle the physical aspects. She just wasn’t ready to deal with the emotional ones until she knew who she was, where she came from, and who her biological parents were.
Not to mention, saving a planet, she thought as doubts and feelings of being overwhelmed threatened to drown her.
“You are thinking too hard,” Ristèard muttered, breaking into her thoughts.
“I was just thinking I needed more time to understand who and what I am and everything else that has happened,” Ricki admitted, gazing up at him before a low moan escaped her when he rocked his hips. “Besides, you can’t just demand that I tell you something. That isn’t the way it is done. You should… Oh, that feels good,” She broke off, looking up at him as intense pleasure burst through her again.
“It will feel even better before I am done,” he promised in a husky voice. “Then… You will tell me you love me over and over again.”
Ricki’s fingers curled against the hot flesh of his back. Arching upward, she hooked her legs around the back of his thighs. The movement pushed him deeper into her.
“Maybe it will be the other way around,” she teased before another low moan escaped her.
*.*.*
Ricki glanced back at Ristéard’s sleeping form. She needed time alone to get her thoughts and emotions back under control. Last night had been…
Unexpected, foolishly impulsive, and incredible, she thought as she quietly slipped from his room and back into hers. She placed her dirty clothes on the chair before picking up some fresh ones that her mom had given her last night. She hurried into the bathroom and took a quick shower, ignoring the unfamiliar tenderness of her breasts and between her legs.
Leave it to my mom to remember the essentials when she was going on an adventure, Ricki thought in amusement as she buttoned her blouse.
Picking up the blue gown and robe, she crossed to the bed. She draped them across the end and picked up her trusty notepad. There was something soothing about being able to write something down with a pencil and paper. Technology was great, but sometimes doing things the good old-fashioned way helped her work through a problem.
Stepping quietly out of the room, she strode down the hallway and through the living room. She opened the door to the room, smiling politely at the two guards standing outside of it. Straightening her glasses, she nodded to them as she stepped out of the room.
“Ricki,” Nema said, opening the door to their living quarters. “I told your dad you would be up early.”
Walter came out, tucking his shirt into his pants. Ricki couldn’t quite keep the smile from curving her lips. Her dad always looked neat and tidy, even in his jeans and button up shirt. His dark brown hair was slicked back and damp and he had his usual early morning scowl on his face. He was one of those people that you didn’t talk to until after he had his first cup of coffee in the morning.
“Good morning, dad,” Ricki murmured.
“Morning, Ricki,” he grunted. “Do you think they have coffee on this planet?”
“I’m sure they do,” she chuckled, turning as Marvin and Martin quietly walked up. “Hey, guys.”
“Good morning, Ricki,” they both replied, looking at her with an intensity that made her blush.
“Ricki, your dad and I were about to head to breakfast,” Nema commented. “Do you know where we might find the kitchen?”
“I will escort you,” one of the guards stated. “The Grand Ruler has asked that his Empress not be left unescorted.”
Ricki’s cheeks flared with color when her mom and dad looked at her with a questioning stare. Tucking a wayward strand of hair behind her ear, she glared at the guard. The color in her cheeks deepened when Marvin and Martin chuckled behind her.
“His Empress?” Walter growled. “What the hell does that mean?”
“I’ll explain it later, dad,” Ricki said, adjusting her glasses again out of habit. “I need to look at the door to his office and the tapestry in it again. I’ll join you guys in a bit, if you don’t mind. I shouldn’t be long.”
“I’ll escort your parents to the dining room, then you back to the Grand Ruler’s office,” the guard said with a nod.
“That would be wonderful,” Ricki replied in relief.
*.*.*
The small procession moved through the elegant corridors. Ricki giggled when her mom reached out and touched the walls. Brilliant threads of gold shot out against the black stone before fading. She listened absently to her parents talking about how they could use it as an attraction or part of one of the shows.
Her focus was on the beautiful paintings and the artwork on display. Different pictures hung along the corridors depicting a variety of time periods in Elipdios’ history. She could spend weeks studying the ones in this corridor alone.
Releasing a sigh, she realized she was falling behind the others and hurried to catch up with them as they turned the corner. She stopped when she bumped into a woman turning the corner from the opposite direction. The impact knocked the notepad out of her hand to the floor. Before she could pick it up, the woman had knelt down.
“I’m so sorry,” Ricki said in a quiet voice, glancing at the woman before looking up to see that the small group had paused in front of a sculpture farther down the corridor.
The woman was looking at the page of notes she had taken yesterday. Ricki gently took the notepad from her with an apologetic smile and closed it. For some reason, something was telling her that she should be careful about sharing her findings with anyone other than Ristéard.
“You are the female that the Grand Ruler claims as his Empress,” the woman stated, looking Ricki up and down. “I am Cherissa, his consort.”
Ricki’s eyes widen in surprise. “That is… interesting,” she replied, not really sure what else to say. “If you will excuse me, I must catch up with my parents.”
Cherissa stepped in front of Ricki, blocking her way. Her eyes were narrowed as she assessed Ricki’s pale complexion. Ricki took another step to the side, but the woman moved with her.
“He is finished with you for the day? If so, I will go to him. An Elipdios’ male can be very aggressive when he seeks a woman to be with,” Cherissa commented. “You do not look as if you could satisfy him the way I can.”
Ricki’s mouth tightened into a straight line. There were certain things she didn’t discuss with others. Her sex life was one of those things. If Cherissa thought she was about to address that brash statement with one of her own, the woman was in for a sad surprise.
“If you will excuse me,” Ricki replied in a clip tone, stepping to the left again to pass the woman. “I must catch up with my family.”
Cherissa once again stepped in front of Ricki. Counting to ten slowly under her breath, Ricki swore if the woman stepped in front of her again, she was going to bitch-slap her upside her blue head. Deciding that dip
lomacy would not work with Cherissa, Ricki decided being blunt about what her intentions would be if the woman didn’t let her pass.
“I know how to take care of his needs,” Cherissa murmured under her breath. “I know how to bring him pleasure.”
Ricki glared coldly back at Cherissa. “I really don’t give a damn what you know how to do. Now, I suggest you don’t try to block my path again. If you do, I will remove you from it,” she stated.
Cherissa looked at her with resentment. “I have a good life in the palace,” she replied in a low, menacing voice. “I plan to keep it. The Grand Ruler has been pleased with my attentions until you came. I will not let you take him from me.”
Ricki refused to respond to the other woman. Stepping around her, she smiled when she saw Andras glance up from where he was talking to the guard. Walking toward him, she fumbled with her notepad to hide the tears of anger in her eyes.
“Lady Ricki, is everything well?” Andras asked in concern, glancing over her shoulder at Cherissa in warning.
Ricki gave him a tight smile and nodded. “Yes,” she replied, looking behind him and down the empty corridor. “My parents?”
“The guard has escorted them to break their fast,” Andras replied. “He said you wished to returned to Ristéard’s office for a short time.”
“Yes, thank you,” Ricki said with a weak smile. “There are a few things I would like to look at again.”
Andras nodded, turning back so he could walk with Ricki. “You have discovered a way to save Elipdios?” He asked, glancing at her with a sharp, assessing look. “A source of Blood Stones?”
Ricki nodded. “Yes, well, maybe,” she admitted reluctantly. “I’m not sure yet, but I think I’m close. I just need a little more time to see if what I’ve found really is what I think it is.”
Andras paused as he opened a door at the end of the corridor. He looked down at her with a serious expression. His eyes flickered to the notepad in her hand before returning to her serious face.