Amorous Overnight (30 page)

Hastion squirmed. “I wouldn’t have my sister know about this.”

“Of course not. But to my thinking, Shauss is the planet’s foremost authority on dominance and submission, as well as sex between males. Quite the revolutionary, though he would hardly be proud to admit it.”

“If you think it necessary, you may speak to him. But there’s nothing either of you can do for me. I simply wished you to know what had happened. I imagine some will be irked that Dr. Snow might have been right, that our males being unable to orgasm without spur penetration might have been a psychological issue.”

Tiber smiled. “They’ll recover, I’m sure. Are you ready for a meal?”

To his surprise, Hastion found that he was.

Dinner with the minister was a lot more relaxing with Hastion, Tara and the kids at the table. Well, Tara wasn’t much help—her disposition hadn’t improved at all during their afternoon at the beach, and even though both men tried to draw her into the conversation, she wasn’t biting.

But the twins kept things lively for a little while. Thrilled as always to see the minister and Hastion, they both demanded to be held. Wyatt enjoyed making a rat’s nest of Cecine’s hair and tugging at his zipper tab while Kallie flirted with Hastion. But almost as soon as they sat in their high chairs, they started nodding off, wiped out by hours of splashing naked in the surf.

She, of course, had swum in panties and a tank top, though she’d briefly considered abandoning them when she had to empty a couple of pounds of sand from the lining of her panties for the third time.

Tonight’s selection of dishes smelled delicious but tasted just as disgusting as ever, though Shelley was beginning to see the appeal of finger foods. Cecine picked up another one of the small angelfish-shaped things by its head and lowered it into his mouth, sucking the meat off its bones with a delicacy that made her think of other things he could do with a mouth like that. His throat rippled as he swallowed it all without chewing and she swallowed compulsively in response, her heart beating raggedly. Adam’s apples were so freaking masculine.

“Sea quill is one of Monica’s favorite dishes,” he said, setting the neat little skeleton on his plate and picking up another.

“No accounting for taste,” she murmured. She had to concentrate to keep from squirming as she watched him devour that one too. How could she be so attracted to him, knowing how coldly he treated Hastion? So what if their deal didn’t involve romance—that didn’t mean he had to be a complete asshat, did it?

He smiled as he dropped the bones and sucked the juice off his fingertips. “Have you tried it?”

“I don’t like eating with my fingers,” she said in a discouraging tone.

“I could hold it for you.”

Her breath caught at his roguish grin but she managed a cool look. “Maybe another time.”

“Surely you’re not afraid of a bit of meat.” He glanced at Hastion and then picked up another, holding it high over her plate. “Ms. Gale ate hers without complaint.”

A hot flush stole up her neck as she waged war on the raging hormonal slut inside her, who wanted to eat just about anything from his fingers.

She tore her gaze from his face to look at Tara’s plate, and sure enough, there were three little skeletons in a pile. “Really? You like them?”

“I’ve eaten worse,” Tara said flatly.

Shelley barely restrained a sigh. Maybe she’d ask Monica to find Tara some Midol.

“Just try it, Shelley,” Hastion said. His expression was hard to read, but she was pretty sure that was a spark of unholy amusement in his eye. Why in the hell was he egging the minister on?

“Come now, Ms. Bonham,” the minister prodded. “Your children aren’t afraid to try new things, nor should you be.”

“They may try new things, but sometimes they spit them right back out.”

“You’re welcome to do the same.”

She sighed. “Fine.” Leaning forward, she tilted her head back and opened her mouth, trying not to cringe as he lowered the creature into her mouth. When she closed her lips, they caught the tips of his long fingers and the contact sent a rush of heat through her, tightening her nipples and dampening her panties.

“Use the tip of your tongue to coax the flesh from the bones,” he advised as he tugged upward. “And don’t chew it. Just swallow.”

Easier said than done when you were breathless with arousal, but she got the job done.

“How was it, Shelley?” Hastion asked with a slow grin that only exacerbated the growing ache between her thighs.

“Not too bad,” she admitted, licking her lips. Maybe that was the secret to surviving Garathani food—swallowing it without tasting it.

Or eating it directly from the fingertips of a hot Garathani.

“Would you like another?” the minister offered.

“Thanks, I’m good.” Another taste of his fingers and she might try to blow both of them under the table. Pushing her chair back, she said, “I think it’s time for sleepy babies to go to bed.”
And horny mommies to get themselves off.

She quickly wiped Kallie’s face off with the warm, damp cloth Yutan had left on a plate for her while Tara did the same to Wyatt.

“Thank you for joining us, ladies,” the minister said, rising when they did. “Have a pleasant evening.”

As she and Tara carried the boneless twins upstairs, Tara said without looking at her, “So you’re sleeping with both of them now?”

Shelley stumbled on a step and caught herself on the handrail, then looked back to make sure no one had heard. Reining in her temper, she took a deep breath and followed Tara into the dim nursery. Under other circumstances she would have stopped and marveled at the ceiling, where stars and moons in the mural actually lit up at night, but right now she was too annoyed.

“Not that it’s any of your business, but no, I’m not sleeping with either of them.”

“So that wasn’t you I saw on the beach with Hastion last night?”

Shelley tightened with wariness. “Last night?”

“He’s got your panties, by the way,” Tara said as she laid Wyatt in his crib.

Oh hell. Had she slept with Hastion?

Her cheeks burning with embarrassment and anger, Shelley demanded, “Just how long did you watch?”

“Long enough.” Tara turned. “Look, it’s no skin off my nose, but you’re a mother now. You might want to try a little discretion for the babies’ sake. You don’t want to get a reputation as a slut.”

Shelley ground her teeth as her cheeks got even hotter. Tara was right, but damned if she was going to apologize. “I’ll be more discreet if you’ll mind your own business.”

“Whatever.” Tara turned on her heel and flounced out the door. Shelley just stood there, her heart pounding and legs shaking as Tara’s flip-flops slapped their way down the hall to the next room and the door slammed. Kallie fussed a little and she realized she was holding her too tightly.

Taking a deep breath, she laid the baby in her bed and then made her way quickly to her own room.

“Shit, shit, shit,” she whispered as she kicked off her sandals and padded into the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth. How could she have slept with Hastion last night? If she did, why didn’t she remember it? And why hadn’t he said anything?

Granted, she hadn’t seen him all day and it would have made for awkward dinner conversation.
Hey, thanks, Shelley—it was great getting laid on the beach last night! By the way, here’s your underwear…

But still, you’d think he might have given her
some
hint—a quick kiss on the cheek or a game of footsie under the table or
something
.

Or maybe he was just trying to be discreet and taking his cues from her.
She
certainly hadn’t acted like they’d had sex on the beach. God, how unfair would it be if they had and she didn’t remember? She’d have no idea how it was, if she’d enjoyed it or—

Oh hell, who was she kidding? Of course she’d enjoyed it. There was no way she hadn’t. But had Hastion?

Stripping off her T-shirt, shorts and panties, she dropped them into the sanitizer. She really needed to sit zazen for a while and do her evening asanas, but she just didn’t have the patience for it at the moment.

Someone had left a clean nightgown and panties folded on the counter, and Shelley grimaced as she pulled them on. Having household help was nice but she’d done her own laundry since high school and it felt weird knowing someone else was touching her intimate items.

She climbed into her unmade bed, but getting herself off was the last thing on her mind now. Clutching the light blanket over her breasts, she stared at the ceiling. What if she’d had sex with Hastion? Would he really be done with her now that she’d finally had her way with him? Or would he come looking for more tonight? God, what if they’d made plans and she was supposed to meet him again?

Then she sat up with a horrified gasp. What if he hadn’t used protection? If not, she was screwed—Garathani semen triggered instant ovulation in human women, and their mighty sperm crossed the goal line and spiked the ball. Every. Single. Time.

“Shit!” Hopping out of bed, she pulled on her robe. She had to know tonight, now, or she’d never fall asleep.

Cecine neared Hastion’s room with a trepidation he was coming to know all too well. Having hardly slept the evening before, he wanted nothing more than to sink onto his bed and forget everything, but his conscience wouldn’t let him. Once again he had amends to make to the ensign, and this time he wanted to do it without the entrapments of rank, so he’d changed from his uniform into his evening loungewear and approached Hastion instead of issuing a summons for him to appear.

When Armitran announced him, Hastion met him at the door, his face a mask of cool indifference. “Yes, sir?”

“May I speak with you, Ensign?”

“Of course, sir.”

When he didn’t move from the doorway, Cecine resisted the urge to raise his brow imperiously. “In private, please.”

After a deliberate and meaningful hesitation, Hastion stepped to the side, allowing him entrance. He didn’t extend an invitation to sit, so Cecine turned in the middle of the room to face him.

“I must apologize yet again, Ensign,” he said. “My behavior last night was inexcusable.”

Hastion couldn’t have looked less interested. “Oh?”

“I should have stayed to ensure that you were well.”

“As you can see, sir, I am well, so your concern is misplaced.”

Perversely offended, frustration all but spurting from his pores, Cecine attacked. “Frankly, it shouldn’t have happened at all. Why in Peserin’s name would you put yourself in that position, Ensign?”

For a moment Cecine had the satisfaction of seeing Hastion’s blue eyes narrow and his jaw tighten, but then he blinked and the mask was back in place. “Curiosity, sir.”

“Curiosity,” Cecine repeated flatly.

Hastion shrugged. “Just because I no longer participate in demonstrations doesn’t mean I’m no longer interested in sexual experimentation. Where would our race be without it?”

“Where, indeed.” Intrigued and only slightly less annoyed, Cecine decided to use the young warrior’s insouciance against him. “Tell me, Ensign, what else interests you?”

Watching him warily, Hastion didn’t reply.

“You opened the door, Ensign, so tell me,” Cecine pushed as arousal snaked through him. “What other sexual experiments do you wish to perform?”

Shelley peered both ways before venturing out of her room. The very last thing she needed was for Tara to see her going into Hastion’s room.

But the hall was empty and all the doors were closed, so she hurried down on tiptoe and stopped in front of Hastion’s door, trembling with nerves. And maybe just a teensy bit of excitement.

It didn’t open.

Duh, of course it didn’t open. It wasn’t her room.

“Armitran,” she whispered, looking around furtively.

“You require assistance?” Armitran responded loudly.

She winced. So much for discretion. “I need to see Ensign Hastion.”

“Request submitted.”

She fidgeted, her hands in her robe pockets. Wait, what if he wasn’t here? Just because she’d gone straight to bed didn’t mean he had. What if—

The door slid open and there stood Hastion in nothing but a pair of low-hanging black pajama bottoms.
Oh. My. God.
He was a work of art, sheer perfection sculpted from flesh and bone and muscle instead of stone. Her heart thudded thickly in her throat and ears, and her mouth began to water as heat blossomed over her skin.

He frowned. “Shelley?”

“Oh my fucking God,” she breathed, putting her trembling hands on his hot, naked chest. She’d come here for a reason but she couldn’t quite think what it was at the moment. Something about sex.

Mmmm, sex with Hastion…

“Shelley, what’s wrong?” he asked, looping his arms around her. Jesus, he smelled good. Like freshly poured peanut brittle, all hot and sticky, and sweet and buttery and salty…

“Mmmm.” She leaned into him, pushing up onto her toes to nuzzle the hairless bulge of his pectoral. While she was there, she licked his nipple.