Secrets of New Pompeii (12 page)

Pushing back her chair, Naloni laughed.
“Stubbornness defines my father. Unfortunately for him, of his
three children, I’m the most like him.” She stood and walked toward
Max, ridiculously appealing in her borrowed uniform. “We both gave
up too easily before. I knew we were meant to be together, I just
didn’t see a way to make it happen. So I allowed your retreat.”

“You ‘allowed my retreat’?” His pride took
exception to the description, but in essence she was right. “If I’d
known you really wanted me, there would have been no stopping me.”
He placed his hands on her shoulders, keeping her from burying her
face against his chest. He needed to see her eyes, gauge her
reactions to this long-delayed conversation. “I would have battled
any foe to protect you, risked any danger to keep you by my side.
But the one thing I wouldn’t do was to force you away from the life
you deserve.”

“I have no idea what I ‘deserve’.” Her gaze
was open, her emotions accessible. “But I know what I want, what I
always wanted.”

“Then why did you lie to me, pretend to be an
entirely different person?”

“How would you have reacted if ‘Princess
Naloni’ had summoned you to her chamber and ordered you to take her
virginity?”

He searched his memory, tried to honestly
examine the question. He’d been so bitter in those early days. The
founders hadn’t misrepresented the situation when they’d recruited
him, but he hadn’t been prepared for the utter isolation of
existing on an alien world. He was powerless and trapped, and he
channeled all his anger into resentment for all things Fedoran.

“I would have hated you.”

“I didn’t set out to make you fall in love
with me, but I needed a connection, an emotional balm for my
wounded spirit. It was selfish, I know. But I thought we could help
each other, heal each other. Maybe find a few weeks of
happiness.”

“And then what?” He surrounded himself with
the warmth of her gaze, refusing to let the past hurt him. “How was
it supposed to end?”

“I wasn’t sure, but I knew I couldn’t give
you up. The connection was stronger than I ever imagined, and I
fell for you way too hard. I took you to the resort so you could
understand the world I came from then I’d meant to reveal my true
identity.”

He wrapped his arm around her waist and
brushed his lips over hers before expressing the final frustration.
“When I saw the vid and realized you had been lying all along, I
was convinced I was a game to you, that you’d used me like all the
other Fedorans.”

“So you hurt me before I could hurt you.”

“I wasn’t merely hurt, I was…decimated. You
were the last straw, the final insult. I was honestly afraid I
would lose control. Convincing you that Fedoros overwhelmed me
wasn’t hard after that. I was so angry and so sad. You showed me
freedom, a life without masters, together with a woman who loved
me, and then the door was slammed in my face.”

“I’m so sorry.” Tears swam behind her long
lashes and she pressed her lips together in an attempt to mask
their trembling. “I didn’t know how to react when you rejected my
world and me along with it. I didn’t know… I couldn’t…”

He pulled her close and stroked her hair. “My
rejection was just as dishonest as your introduction. We’re both to
blame and we can’t change what we did.”

“But we can learn from it and move on?” Her
warm breath teased his throat, awakening his senses.

“Absolutely.” He eased her back again and
looked deep into her eyes. “I love you, Your Highness. I always
have and I always will.”

“And I love you, Max. Nothing will ever
separate us again. Not while breath remains in my body.”

Their mouths locked in a long, explorative
kiss. Despite the desire rushing to the surface, he reined in his
need and took his time. Her mouth was soft, her tongue responsive,
and he savored the moment to its fullest.

“So, what’s our strategy for tomorrow?” he
whispered against her lips.

“We remain calm and respectful, no matter how
outraged Father becomes. And we do not back down. Never again will
we compromise our happiness.”

He loved her feistiness, but she was ignoring
the obvious flaw in the approach. “What if he comes as emperor
rather than father? He is the ultimate authority on Fedoros.”

“He won’t.” Her smile was confident and her
expression calm. “It might be a bumpy road getting there, but in
the end Father wants my happiness. He’ll do the right thing. I know
he will.”

Not sharing her blind faith in the emperor,
Max decided he would work out an alternate ending with Caleb. If
negotiations broke down, and it became apparent that the emperor
would not relent, they needed an exit strategy. And quick escapes
were Caleb’s specialty.

Naloni tugged Max’s shirt out from inside his
pants and pushed her hands up under the loosened material. “Can we
find something better to do with our mouths? I’m tired of
talking.”

Tearing the shirt off over his head, he
cupped the back of her head with one hand and pulled her against
him with his other arm. His mouth sealed over hers, his lips urging
hers apart. This time he controlled the kiss, delving deep to tame
her tongue.

He felt restless and aggressive. If he’d
trusted his instincts, loosed his inner warrior, perhaps they could
have avoided all the wasted years. They could not rewrite the past,
but he could make damn sure nothing came between them ever again.
He would fill her so full of himself that there would be no room,
no possibility of anyone or anything interfering in their
happiness.

Her hands ran up and down his back, nails
digging in as she ground her pelvis against his. He wanted to feel
her sweet mouth sliding up and down his cock, yet he ached to
thrust deep into her snug pussy. His cock hardened, his balls
tightening so fast it made him groan. If he didn’t slow down, this
would end before it began.

But the reality of what they were facing
thrilled him, excited him as nothing before. He could hold her,
touch her, fuck her whenever desire ignited between them. Waking in
the morning with her by his side and falling asleep with her
snuggled against him. The possibilities intoxicated him and aroused
him.

He tore his mouth from hers and stripped off
her shirt. Her breasts were jostled by the sudden movement and his
hands acted of their own accord, cupping the soft mounds as if he
would never let go. She smiled and went to work on his pants while
he squeezed and stroked her soft breasts.

She knelt and tugged off his boots then
helped him remove his pants. Her gaze took in his naked body with
obvious appreciation. She ran her hands up his legs, then reached
behind him and squeezed his ass. The motion brought her face close
enough to his cock to make him tense. Could he hold off his release
if she sucked him into her mouth? Maybe it would be better for her
if he didn’t even try. If she took the edge off his raging hunger,
he’d be able to concentrate on her, ensuring her satisfaction.

He brushed her cheek with the back of his
fingers then traced her lips with his thumb. “I need your mouth,
love.”

She required no other prompting. Her fingers
closed around his shaft and she smiled up at him. “I won’t stop
this time, even if you beg me. I want you to lose control.”

That had been his intention all along, but he
didn’t correct her perspective. He widened his stance and she
sucked the tip of his cock into the soft heat of her mouth. His
fingers tangled in her hair, holding without pulling. Her hand
stroked up and down while her lips and tongue adored him. Gods she
was good at this, had always been good. She gave selflessly,
demonstrating her caring with each pull of her mouth and each slide
of her fingers.

As he feared, his desire barreled toward
release. If he’d tried to hold back, he would have failed. Her
tongue swirled over the ultrasensitive cap and sent tingles up his
shaft to burst within his belly. His balls contracted and his cock
twitched against her tongue. He quickly adjusted the angle of her
head and thrust to the back of her mouth.

Sucking and swallowing with unbelievable
fervor, she milked every drop from his straining cock. Her nails
anchored his hips while she commanded his release. Her gaze gleamed
with possessive pleasure as he shuddered and moaned.

She licked her way to his cock head and
released him with a lingering kiss. “Feel better?” The subtle
smugness in her tone pleased and challenged him.

He dragged her to her feet and kissed her
deeply. Finding his taste on her tongue only made him more anxious
to combine the sharp flavor with her evocative cream. “It’s your
turn, Princess. I’m going to eat you until you beg me to stop and
then I’m going to eat you some more.”

Naloni laughed as heat cascaded through her
body and gathered between her thighs. “When will you learn that’s
not much of a threat? I love having your mouth on my pussy.”

“We’ll see.” He walked to the bed and lay
down, propping his head on his hand as he studied her. “Finish
undressing then come here.”

His commanding tone thrilled her, stirred a
dark, primal part of her spirit she seldom acknowledged. He seemed
different now, freer perhaps. Knowing she loved him without
reservation was allowing him to express himself more honestly.

She bent and unlaced her boots, tossing each
aside as she tugged them off. His crystal blue gaze followed her,
caressing her with tangible intensity. Feeling mischievous and
daring, she loosened her pants then turned around as she pulled
them down. His audible groan rewarded her efforts and made her
smile.

Pausing with her back to him, she stretched
and ran her hands slowly down her sides. “I love being naked,” she
whispered. “If it were up to me, I’d never wear clothes.”

“Whenever we’re alone, I encourage you to
indulge your preference. I will never tire of looking at you.”

She looked over her shoulder, her smile soft
and sensual. His cock was already starting to harden. Damn, the man
had stamina. “Are you sure all you want to do is look?”

“If all you want is to be naked, then I am
content.”

He had just enjoyed a powerful orgasm.
Doubtlessly, her need was greater than his right now. She turned
and sauntered toward the bed, watching his eyes drift from her face
to her body. It was exhilarating and liberating to inspire this
sort of longing in such a powerful man.

“Are you wet?” His gruff question halted her
steps.

“Why don’t you find out?”

“Why don’t you show me?” he countered, eyes
narrowed and challenging.

She licked her lips and skimmed her hands
down along her body. He thought she wouldn’t do it, hadn’t realized
how uninhibited he made her feel. She parted her outer lips and
showed him the cream gleaming on her inner folds. Then she pushed
her finger into her passage and brought him the shiny proof of her
excitement.

He grasped her wrist and drew her hand to his
mouth, licking then sucking her essence from her finger. “Come
here, love. Straddle my face and put that creamy cunt right above
my mouth.”

Trembling with excitement, she climbed onto
the bed and positioned herself as he’d described. She flattened her
hands against the wall, steadying herself as his mouth latched on
to her sex. Her head dropped back onto her shoulders and a
strangled cry escaped her throat. He wasn’t gentle. His lips sucked
and his tongue stabbed, demanding she respond. He found her clit
with his tongue and lashed the sensitive nub, flicking and circling
until she rocked her hips against his mouth.

He reached up and rolled her nipples,
squeezing and pulling as his mouth continued its tender assault.
Pleasure gathered within her, strong and tight like the caresses
inciting it. She bit her lip, holding back a scream as she came in
powerful spasms.

His tongue thrust up into her passage,
prolonging the pleasure and urging her higher. She ground herself
against his mouth, riding his tongue like a miniature cock. She
felt wild and demanding, wanting more of the untamed feelings,
needing to be as free as Max.

Urging her up just a bit, his fingers
replaced his tongue as his mouth focused on her clit. She cried out
sharply as his fingers curved, dragging the front wall of her
vagina. Over and over, he caressed her, inside and out. Her legs
trembled and her abdomen quivered. Then he pulled his fingers
out.

“No!” she whimpered. “I was so close.”

He chuckled, a deep, sexy sound. His tongue
circled her entrance then passed across her clit. “I know you
were.” He pushed her up, not off, just making more room between her
pussy and his face. “You told me you never get tired of being
licked. It’s my obligation to prove you wrong.” His middle finger
pushed into her pussy, lightly fucking her as his tongue worked her
clit. “Does that feel good?” He stopped licking but keep his finger
moving, a teasing hint of penetration.

“Yes.” She tightened her inner muscles,
determined to bring herself off, with or without his
cooperation.

“How about this?” Sopping wet from her pussy,
he moved farther back and gently entered her ass.

Her core tightened and her clit twitched.
That drove her crazy, and he knew it! “Please let me come.”

“I want you to come around my cock. I want
you to squeeze me so hard I see stars.” His finger pulled back then
pushed inward, ever so slowly. “But you only want my mouth.” He
gently licked her clit, keeping her simmering.

“All right! I want your cock. Please fuck me
properly.”

With one strong surge, he lifted her off his
face and sat up as he brought her down across his lap. Her legs
opened wider to accommodate his hips and his cock drove into her
waiting pussy.

Naloni whimpered, closing her eyes against
the ecstasy. Pleasure rolled through her, tingling and hot, a
release of emotions as well as sexual tension. This joining, the
physical union of his body inside hers completed a circuit and
freed a rush of tenderness so powerful tears filled her eyes.