Skyport Virgo 1 - Refuge (22 page)

A loudly cleared throat interrupted the magical moment. Pike broke their kiss, his reluctance evident on his face. He touched his forehead to hers. "Wait for me."

"Yes," she whispered breathlessly.

"In our new quarters," Pike clarified, setting her gently on the floor, her jeans raking against the front of his pressed trousers. He must have seen the surprise on her face. "I had our things moved while you were gone. I thought we could use a fresh start."

His words were so softly spoken only she could hear them. He tenderly swiped the apples of her cheeks with his thumbs, gathering her tears on his skin. "I might be a while."

She smiled lovingly up at him. "I'm not going anywhere."

Pike practically ran through the corridors. He'd spent the last two hours trying to figure out where the
Magellan
had come from and what to do with the battered ship. The crazed lieutenant had been placed in a medically induced coma and quarantined until further notice. Teeth on edge, Pike had flown through the necessary forms and filed the required reports. He could barely concentrate, his thoughts focused squarely on Laleh.

He'd had to start and restart some of his reports for all the mistakes.

The familiar sensation of her lips pressed to his, of her arms holding him close, had nearly brought tears to his eyes. Even now a lump rose in his throat. He swallowed hard as he hustled around a corner. Embracing his emotions wasn't of Pike's strong suits. But the relief he'd felt at Laleh's eager agreement to wait for him was overwhelming. In that moment, he'd finally understood just how much he'd almost lost. There was no other woman in the universe like Laleh.

And she was his.

Pike burst into the entry hall of their new quarters. Cock aching and pulsing in his pants, he strode down the short hall into the living room. He spied Laleh sitting atop a moving crate. At the sight of him, she jumped up and ran into his arms. He could barely breathe, barely think, as he gathered her tightly to his chest and claimed her lips. He had only goal: to show her how much he loved her, how desperately he needed her in his life.

"I'm sorry," Pike whispered against her lips. "For everything."

"So am I." Laleh trembled violently in his arms.

He cupped her cheek and tilted her head gently back. He searched those gorgeous blue eyes, the topaz flecks even more pronounced tonight. "What?"

She gulped, tears shimmering in her eyes. "I thought I was going to lose you to that crazy man. Please," she begged, "don't ever do anything like that again, Pike. I can't—I couldn't…" She shuddered and buried her face against his neck, seemingly unable to finish the thought.

His chest tightened. He needed to know. He needed to hear her say it.

Pike kissed her tenderly. "Tell me, Laleh." He teased her lips with his tongue. "Tell me."

"I love you."

Elated at her confession, Pike swallowed her ragged sob in the most passionate of kisses. He scooped her into his arms and sidestepped boxes as he carried her through their new home to the master bedroom at the rear of their quarters. He was grateful he'd had the forethought to place crisp, clean sheets on the bed.

Laleh's lips were on his neck as he lowered her feet to the floor. They wasted no time undressing. Side by side, they kicked off shoes and stripped off socks before shucking pants and shirts and undergarments. At the sight of Laleh's honey skin, Pike bit back a groan. His hands shot out on instinct, palms gliding over her supple curves. He cupped a breast and lowered his lips to the erect peak, sucked it inside and rolled his tongue over it.

Laleh sighed and arched against him. The neatly trimmed curls guarding her sex brushed against his thigh.

Pike gently pressed her backwards toward the bed until she fell back onto the mattress. Her brown waves splayed wildly on the white comforter. Pike crawled over her, pinning her to the mattress. Knees planted on either side of her thighs, he made love to her mouth, flicking his tongue against hers and playfully nipping her lush lower lip. His hard cock slid against her belly, the stimulation just enough to keep him on edge.

They'd barely begun their sensual dance, but already Pike could smell her arousal.

The tantalizing scent of her pussy teased his nose. He slid a searching hand along the slope of her belly, down over mound, and between the lips of her sex. Slick cream coated her skin. His mouth on her throat, he guided a pair of fingers into her cunt. She bucked at the intrusion. Her low moan encouraged him to continue pumping. His thumb brushed over her clit. Laleh quaked beneath him.

Pike slowly removed his wet fingers and placed them against Laleh's lips. Her eyes widened with surprise, but that didn't stop her soft pink tongue from darting out to swipe her own juices from his skin. Pike shivered at the sensation of her tongue sucking on his fingers. He bent low and kissed her cheek, his lips mere centimeters from hers. He skimmed his mouth over her chin and along the curve of her throat. His kisses danced across her collarbone and between her perky breasts.

Swiping his tongue over her torso, he licked his way to her navel and pecked a straight line down to the apex of her thighs. Pike grasped her inner thighs and forced them wide. The dewy petals of her sex glistened in the low light. Her juices leaked from her core and dampened the comforter. Desperate for a taste of her, Pike slid his tongue into her wet hole. Salty musk exploded on his taste buds. He nuzzled his nose between her folds and rubbed the tip of it against her swollen clit.

Laleh yelped and tried to pull away. Pike kept a firm grasp as he explored every delicious inch of her cunt. As he lapped and sucked, Laleh squirmed and whimpered. His teeth grazed gently against her tender flesh and she gasped. Pike slurped her clit between his lips and circled his tongue over the firm bud. Laleh rocked her hips, pushing her pussy against him. Pike went wild on her clit. He wanted to feel her shatter against his mouth, to taste her sweet cum on his lips.

"Pike!"

White hot excitement rippled down to his toes. When she called out his name like that, it made his dick so hard. Her clit pulsed against his tongue. She sucked in a long breath and went rigid as she came. As the explosion of her orgasm's beginning passed, Laleh gripped his head and rode out the waves of ecstasy. Driven nearly insane by her endless shrieks and groans, Pike lapped at the pink pearl until she was reduced to absolute putty in his hands. With every touch of his tongue to her cunt, she shivered and shook.

Pike took pity on his blissed out wife and abandoned his sensual torture. He kissed her inner thighs and moved back up her body, covering her small frame with his much larger one. Laleh reached up and ran her fingers through his hair, pulling his face down toward hers. She kissed him, her tongue searching and sliding against his. As their mouths mated, Pike realized just how much he'd missed her.

He nudged between her thighs, his stiff cock seeking entrance to her wet heat. Pike bit his lower lip at the unbelievable sensation of her slick cunt as he slid home. Stilled, he stayed just like that, buried to the hilt in his wife. It was the sweetest of homecomings.

Pike touched his forehead to hers, their breaths mingling, as he thrust agonizingly slow. Laleh rose up to meet his movements, her gaze trained on his. He lost himself in the blue pools, her desire for him taking hold and swallowing him up whole. Something incredibly powerful seized his heart, knocked the breath from his lungs.

"I love you, Laleh." His voice was thick as he finally confessed his secret. "God, I love you."

A knowing smile curved those pouting pink lips. Laleh's arms curled around his upper body and she clasped his shoulders. She held tight as he took her with increasing force and speed. He plunged her silken depths in a desperate bid for release. Her lips brushed against his ear. She murmured softly with encouragement. "Take me, Pike. Show me how much you love me."

He could do no less than she asked. He took her with as much intensity as he could muster. Their bodies rocked and bucked atop the bed. Her heels pressed into his ass. He leaned on his elbow for better leverage, his fingertips brushing her forehead as he held her gaze and made love to her as only he could. He wanted her to remember this night always. The night they declared their love for one another for the first time.

Tension coiled low inside him. One of Laleh's hands drifted to her clit. She teethed her lower lip and inhaled shallow breaths. He swept his lips over hers. "Come with me, Laleh."

"Pike," she whispered breathlessly. "Pike! Unnhhh."

The spasms of her wet cunt pushed him over the edge. Laleh's shaky breaths buffeted his cheek as she shook beneath him. Her nails bit into his flesh as he slammed into her again and again. With a primal growl, Pike spilled inside his wife. The mixing of their fluids only further cemented their bonds of love. Tonight it meant so much more than it ever had before this.

Their passion spent, they clung to one another, bodies hot and sweat-slicked. Pike trailed his fingertips over her face as they traded languid kisses. It was as if the world outside their bedroom had ceased to exist. In their ecstasy-induced haze, they lived only for the moment, only for their love.

Pike realized there was no better time than now to do what he should have done weeks ago. He uncurled her arms and moved away from Laleh. She pouted and protested with a mewling whimper. He kissed her nose. "I'll be right back."

He slipped from the bed and crossed to the built-in dresser. He found what he wanted under a pile of neatly folded socks in the top drawer. Small blue box in hand, Pike returned to the bed. All his carefully laid plans and scripted words seemed rather out of place now. He'd imagined this going a different route altogether. There would be candle light and wine and, well, clothes.

Pike decided to wing it. He climbed in bed beside Laleh who now sat back against her pillow and frowned curiously. He was reminded of the first time he'd done this, all those many weeks ago in Houston. Then, she'd been bleary-eyed and battered. He'd been less than appropriately dressed in just his boxers.

Sitting back on his heels, Pike suddenly felt rather vulnerable. She loved him, yes, but was it enough? Was she really ready to forgive and forget and move forward?
Christ,
I hope so.

"What's that?"

He chuckled at Laleh's insatiable curiosity. "It's for you."

"Oh?" Interest sparkled in her eyes.

Pike cracked open the box to reveal the rings he'd chosen only days earlier. Laleh gasped in surprise. Her hands flew to her mouth. He smiled in satisfaction, certain he'd chosen just the right set for her. As he'd perused the selection at Virgo's best jeweler, the pale purple Dooneelian diamond had caught his eye. A sizeable square stone, it sat in a rather unique setting with white diamond trillions on either side. Curling tendrils of platinum hooked together to form the intricately designed band. A matching platinum ring similar to his complemented the engagement ring.

His mouth dry, Pike gently tugged Laleh's left hand from her face. It trembled slightly in his as he held tight. Pike met her questioning gaze. "Laleh?"

"Yes?" Her whisper soft words were barely audible.

"Will you stay married to me?"

She nodded quickly, determinedly. "Yes. Absolutely yes."

Pike broke out in a broad grin and threw his arms around her. They held fast and shared a series of short kisses. Pike took the rings from the box and reverently placed them on Laleh's ring finger. He pulled her into a loving embrace and reclined against their pillows.

As she examined the rings now glinting on her finger, Pike stroked her shoulder. A sense of calm pervaded his every bone and tissue. He squeezed her tight and kissed her forehead. "I'm glad you're home."

*

Laleh snuggled closer to her husband. "Me too."

They settled into a comfortable silence. Laleh closed her eyes and reveled in the sensation of Pike's arms holding her close. Cuddling with Pike after those nights of separation was as satisfying as the first drink of water after wandering in the desert. She couldn't imagine being away from him again.

"Did you enjoy your weekend?"

"Very much."

"I'm glad to hear it."

Pike's caresses changed. Laleh could tell he was thinking about something. She shifted in his arms and glanced up at him. "What is it?"

He seemed hesitant but spoke anyway. "Your brother came to see me while you were away."

Dread clutched her heart. She went rigid. Pike gave her a reassuring hug. "Shh," he murmured against her ear. "It's all right. I asked to meet with him."

"What?" Laleh bolted upright and stared down at him. "Why?"

Pike sat up and kissed her temple. He wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder. "I won't allow him to threaten you. This was his one chance to get whatever it is he wants."

"And what did he want?" She hated the fear coloring her voice.

"A letter of apology addressed to the Hezman court and your father where you also rescind your rights. If you do that, your father will forget you even exist."

Laleh's skeptical gaze settled on her husband's face. "He's willing to just forget about everything? I don't believe that for one minute."

"Your father wants to join the Federation. He knows he's got to make compromises.

I'm sure granting you your freedom is a calculated move on his part. Jai seemed honest when he delivered the demands. He did make sure to point out your refusal wouldn't be looked upon lightly."

"So that's it? A letter?"

"Your father also wants your mother's wedding jewelry returned."

She frowned. "Jewelry?"

"Apparently your father is remarrying and doesn't see a reason to buy another set when another will do," Pike explained.

Laleh snorted. "Why doesn't that surprise me? I doubt his new wife will like the set. I remember it was a very strange metallic creation, no stones at all." She racked her brain for a moment. "I don't even know if I still have it. Mother might have sold it after we arrived in Houston all those years ago. We needed the money."