Page 20 of 3 Secrets to Love (Romance Tales from the Quadrants #2)

“And this is how I wash up.”

He pulled on a cord that plunged another metal chute from the top of the alcove into the waterfall.

It collected a stream of water and guided it toward a spout under which one could wash.

The floor sloped toward the falls to prevent it from leaking into Nunki’s home.

“It’s rather cold most days, but better than nothing.”

An ingenious invention, and a better system than what we’d had growing up.

The High Council had never worried about the quality of infrastructure beyond the Official Rotunda.

Probably one of the reasons why government officials spent most of their time there, leaving their families and the other residents to suffer with unclean water and little access to off planet supplies.

If not for the community of mostly women and children working together to grow and harvest crops, we would likely have starved.

After leaving Ma’an, I’d learned the High Council saw women as a vessel to provide pleasure and children, while the kids provided a pool to choose their replacements and future brides from.

If you weren’t one of the chosen, you mattered less than those they favored, living in sub-par conditions.

Nunki proved a perfect example.

But under the falls, I realized, he thrived. Maybe he’d found the best place for him.

Suddenly a loud banging echoed from inside his home.

We both looked toward the sound, but he blocked the doorway.

“Stay here. Wash up. Do…”

He glanced at the makeshift toilet.

“Whatever you need to do. But don’t come inside until I tell you it’s safe. You don’t want anyone to know you’re here, right?”

I nodded.

As much as I wanted to visit others, Nunki remained the only one I knew would keep my presence a secret.

I couldn’t risk anyone else seeing me.

After slipping through the doorway, Nunki closed the door behind him.

Alone, I suddenly caught a whiff of myself.

Definitely not appealing after being confined in a crate for the journey.

Plus, my bladder couldn’t hold out any longer.

I had to pee.

I relieved myself then removed the rest of my clothes to wash up.

When I stood under the chute and pulled the cord, the water hit me like I’d crashed into the ice planet, Noit.

So cold.

But I doubted I would have the opportunity to wash anywhere else on Ma’an without getting caught.

Using the bar I assumed was soap, I lathered one body part at a time then quickly jumped under the spine-tingling stream to rinse that part off, the water too frigid to stay under for longer.

Nunki returned as I rinsed off the last of my body.

I didn’t know whether to cover up with my hands and arms or let him see everything.

After all, we had swum together naked, as kids.

But my body had changed a bit since then.

While I tried to decide, the chute for the shower suddenly moved and doused me with a face full of water.

I sputtered and choked, and probably flailed every which way.

No point in trying to cover myself.

Dropping whatever he’d had in his arms, Nunki rushed toward me.

“Are you okay?”

I held out my hand.

“I’m fine.”

While I no longer cared if he saw me naked, I didn’t want him to touch me. Not yet. Not while in such a state.

“Just choked on the water.”

I coughed a couple more times before plastering on a smile.

“I’m good. Really.”

He raised his eyebrows.

“Okay, well, I brought you a cloth to dry off with and some clothes to change into. They might be quite baggy, but at least they’re fresh and not an obvious sign that you’re you.”

“Thank you.”

Without a drying tube to speed the process, I took the body-length cloth from him.

Nunki turned around while I dried off, and, with the soft cloth wrapped around me, I tapped his shoulder.

“I’m ready to get dressed.”

Facing me, he handed me his extra clothes with a gulp.

“I…I know you shouldn’t be here. But I’m really glad you are.”

I held in a shuddered breath.

While I knew what I had to do on Ma’an, I hadn’t taken into consideration how hard it would be to leave Nunki again.

Why couldn’t we both have been born on a different planet? One where we could be together without any complications.

Choosing not to respond to him, I shimmied the borrowed clothing over and under the damp cloth until I covered myself enough to remove it.

I rolled up the sleeves and pant legs and folded over the waist to get a better fit.

“I know you weren’t expecting me, but I truly appreciate your hospitality.”

The corner of his lip turned up, but it wasn’t a smile.

“I had a dream last night that you came here. But the High Council found out. Eta, you have to be really careful. I can’t lose you that way.”

“I will.”

After taking a step forward, I rested my hands on his broad shoulders and pushed to the tips of my toes so I could kiss his cheek.

“I will. I promise. And you’re going to help me.”

With a groan, he glanced away.

“I know I shouldn’t ask. I know I should send you back, but what do you have planned?”

Plans? I didn’t have any plans. It had been so long since I’d lived on the planet, I had no idea how to accomplish my goals for the trip. But Nunki would know.

“I wasn’t here to help with the washing of the body. Or with the cremation. I want to be there to help send my unda’s ashes into the sky.”

“Eta, that’s—”

I held up my hand.

“And I have to get Deyal’s hormone therapy to her. Usually, I would send it using Unda Cha’ee’s company, but since he… It’s not possible. So, I brought it with me.”

Nunki ran a hand across his sun-kissed dark mane.

“The hormones for Deyal won’t be a problem, but getting you to the sky ceremony unseen? I don’t know how that’s possible. You may have dyed your hair, but I can still see traces of pink. People are going to spot you right away.”

“You are going, right?”

He nodded, his lips pursed.

“Of course.”

“Then take me with you. You could hide me someplace so no one would see me, but where I would still be able to be there.”

Chuckling, he shook his head.

“As much as I would love to tuck you inside my clothes, have you pressed up tight to me, I don’t think you’re that tiny.”

My body tingled at the thought of being that close to him, heat culminating low in my belly.

“I… That’s…not what I meant.”

Though I wouldn’t object to being pressed against him or under him, I didn’t want to do it in public.

I took a deep breath to calm my racing heart.

“I was thinking up in a tree or in your hovercar. Something like that.”

Nunki’s stare became intense, as if fire flared behind his eyes. He reached out for me, and when I took his hands, he pulled me into his chest. Holding me close, he leaned down to whisper in my ear.

“I will help you. But you have to do everything I say. No exceptions.”

My breathing became ragged with our proximity, but at that moment, I didn’t want to be anywhere else.

“I promise.”

“Okay.”

He lifted my hands above my head then trailed his fingers down my arms and my sides. Clasping my hips, he pressed his groin against me.

“Stars, I’ve always dreamed about the day we’d see each other again. Though I never expected it to be today, and definitely not here.”

My pulse pounded in my ears as fire coursed through my veins. I may not have wanted him to see me naked earlier, but I changed my mind. I wanted him to see and touch every part of me.

“I dreamed about that moment, too. About what we’d do together.”

Being around space racers for my job, I’d had several hit on me. Even as a lowly runner. But I’d always turned them down, knowing I would be with Nunki one day.

He crashed his mouth to mine, our kiss a little sloppy at first.

But as we grasped at each other, removing clothes piece by piece, I felt his power.

His need.

His desperation.

All of it matched my own.

We were always meant to be together, and I didn’t know when I would see him again. We had to make the most of our time with each other.

Suddenly, he scooped me into his arms.

“Let’s go inside. It’s more comfortable there.”

With only rock surfaces in the alcove, I agreed.

After he laid me on his sleeping pad, the softest bed I’d ever laid on, he leaned over me on his hands and knees.

“I still can’t believe you’re here. Feels like one of my dreams.”

I reached up, wrapping my arms around his neck.

“Definitely not a dream. Now take me. We both want this.”

While staring into my eyes, he slid his hand between my legs, his fingers fumbling to find their way inside me.

“I’m sorry.”

He winced.

“I don’t know what I’m doing. This is my first time.”

“Mine, too.”

Clasping his wrist, I guided him to where he needed to be.

And when his finger entered me, I gasped, rocketing my hips up into him.

He jerked away.

“Did I hurt you?”

I shook my head.

“No. I liked that. It felt good. Really good.”

“Oh.”

His cheeks reddened.

“Okay. Well, if something does hurt, you’ll tell me, right?”

I nodded again, pulling him on top of me.

“And same for you.”

He didn’t answer but returned his finger to my apex.

Though overly gentle, his touches left me squirming and moaning.

It felt so right to be with him.

Like the universe had drawn me to the planet to connect fully with the man I was always meant to be with.

I placed my hand on his and pulled him away from that special spot.

“I’m ready, now let me get you ready.”

Nunki sat on his knees and glanced down.

“I think I’m already there.”

With hesitation, I reached for his length. I had seen him naked when we were younger, but his parts had never been in such a state.

As I wrapped my fingers around his hardness, he moaned, gripping my wrist.

“If you do that, I won’t be able to do anything else. Your touch feels too good.”

“Okay.”

I lay on my back with my leg spread.

“Let’s be together now like we were always meant to be.”

Nunki moved over me, aiming his length for the space between my legs. Slowly, as I gripped his arms, he pushed into me.

The sensation wasn’t like anything I’d expected.

Some beings had told me the first time hurt.

Others claimed sex wouldn’t be enjoyable without previous experience.

Yet, being connected to him made me feel like I floated among the stars.

Everything felt right. Complete.

When Nunki moved, I clutched his sides.

I wasn’t ready for the connection to end.

But before he pulled completely out, he plunged into me again, escalating every sensation.

He repeated the motion in a slow and steady pace, each rock of his hips amplifying the tingling inside me.

It felt like my insides were on fire.

And I wanted more.

Suddenly, Nunki’s eyes glazed over, and his motions became erratic.

He pushed in harder. Faster.

I thought I would want him to stop.

Instead, I craved more.

I wanted all of him.

Then, the fire inside me burst.

I gripped Nunki’s arms, crying out from the overload of sensations.

I felt like my whole body had exploded.

And I could still feel him inside me.

A moment later, he slammed himself into me, throwing his head back with a roar.

I wanted to cover his mouth, hoping no one had heard.

But it made me proud to hear him make the sound of a poepa when with me.

The universe wanted us together.

After cleaning up from our intimate connection, I fell asleep with him, cuddled into his arms and confident we would find a way to be together forever.

Little did I know that after making love, when I slept in his arms, he injected me with a sedative and returned me in a box to Eurebly.

When I woke up in a strange, cold room, the voice of my roommate arguing with someone on the other side of the door, anger rose up from my core.

But the pain in my heart hurt much worse.