Page 15 of Accounting for Taste (Shattered Stars #18)

She dragged her breath in as he moved her carefully over him.

He shuddered, and she felt a slick offering that let him move her more easily.

She pressed her forehead to his chest and looked up at him when he whispered to her, kissing him when he tilted his head to hers.

The slow coupling stroked her nerves, and when she came, it was in a cascade of shivers that moved her in a slow shimmy against him.

Wenvari chuckled. “I can still feel you pulsing around me.”

She nodded. “So can I.” She pressed her forehead to his chest. “I think I need to eat something.”

“Of course, Reem. We will get you something in a moment.” His hands stroked her back, and he smiled. “You have satisfied me; it is only fair that I do the same for you.”

“You have about half an hour. My head is pounding and not in a good way.”

He threaded his fingers into her hair and massaged her scalp. “I will pay attention. I will keep you safe and healthy.”

She smiled and rocked her head against his hands. “It is a strange pain.”

He moved slowly but efficiently. “What do you need?”

“Tea with honey. Fruit. Fast and accessible sugars.” She opened her senses, and her body was completely out of balance.

He slid out of her, leaving a wave of cum running out of her, but the pounding of her head got more intense.

She tried to black out, but it wasn’t letting her. Time paused to her senses, and he held a cup to her lips that tasted of oranges and lemons. The pain eased, and she opened her eyes carefully.

He was holding a glass to her lips, and she drank slowly. She paused and murmured, “I should have eaten something when I got out of the unit.”

“I forgot to offer it. I was so happy you were free.”

“Yeah, I seem to remember that.” She sipped again and relaxed.

“Is it better?”

“Yes, but my monitors are still screaming at me.”

“They are visible to you?”

“Yes. Implants in my eyes. They have a separate composition and are telling me that I am physically exhausted. You were right. Stamina will have to improve over time.”

She looked up at him, and his grey features had lemon-yellow lightning in them. “It’s okay. What colour am I?”

“Dark green.” He smiled. “Purple and blue streaks.”

“Well, dark green is tired but not distressed. Purple is well... you know what purple is.”

He chuckled. “Why did you get the emotional-sensing nanites in your hair?”

“To make the populace more at ease with me. Occasionally, I had flares of emotion, and they felt better when they could see it.”

“Understandable. What else do you need?”

“More juice; keep it coming.”

He nodded. “Yes, Consort Reem.”

They spent two hours setting her to rights. He murmured, “Let me know when it’s calling for collagen and protein.”

“Why?”

“Because you are destined for wings, and I will make sure you have everything you need when it comes time for them to sprout.”

“I am getting Hmrain wings?”

“No, you are getting Assessor wings. They are lighter and might not enable you to do more than glide, but they are lovely. All the colours available to any species.”

She looked up at him. “Why?”

“Birthright. They could have overwritten your genes, but it is much better to work with them.”

“Right. I think so.” She groaned and stretched.

“You were working as comptroller while I was inside you.”

She flushed guiltily. “Someone had a question.”

“We will have to get you an assistant.” He cuddled her against him and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “You shall not split your focus while with me.”

“What if I need a distraction to slow down?”

Wenvari chuckled. “Ask me. I would rather you hurtle into pleasure as fast as you can so we can do it again, but I understand how tiring that may be for you.”

“Yeah, foolish mortal that I am.”

“You have gained an extended lifespan. You can live as long as you wish. The longest time that a consort has remained with their Hmrain was over five hundred years. I am betting that you can defy what others have done before and remain with me longer.”

She narrowed his eyes. “You had better be exceptionally entertaining.”

“Or our children will be. That should occupy your focus now and then.”

“I... oh, right. I was rebuilt.”

“With Hmrain eggs and a working womb.”

“Who got their eggs into me?”

“The designers put the cells in that unit.”

“Oh. Delightful. Well, here’s hoping my cycles ease up.”

“I looked forward to your visits to the centre.”

“I know.”

“How do you know that?”

She looked around the room they were in. “You followed me across space. You arranged for me to see my cousin, if only for a little while.”

“Apologies for my impatience.”

“If she leaves Aten, she will do it at the side of her partner, and I know she will come to Wenavik.”

“You have faith in her?”

“I do. We were not very close as adults, but as children, our lives were twined.”

Wenvari nodded. “As much as I would like to remain here, I think we should dress and go for a walk.”

“Probably a good idea. Need to keep my legs moving.”

He smiled. “That is a lovely thought.”

“What?”

“Your legs. Right. Let’s get dressed and stretch your muscles.”

She got dressed and asked, “May I remain comptroller?”

“Of course. I don’t want to do it.” The confidence of the statement was absolute.

Reem laughed brightly and got dressed. It was time to be seen by more of his people. No surprises for the people around her.

As they walked the halls, she took care of the colony, and he grinned. “You are very good at that.”

“Thank you. Turns out the cranial implant was Designer in origin. It was meant for a Hmrain but was rejected for being unsuitable for them.”

“Why?”

“A Hmrain with this would just remain in place and manipulate things from behind the scenes. That was not their intention. They needed guardians, not beings simply sitting back and watching.”

“Why do you have it?”

“Because I like the world I am in and the people it has brought to me. Rath has asked me to keep my senses open to communications about breaking bond contracts on the part of the bondholder. Apparently, he has a justice boner.”

“What is that?”

She chuckled and explained how some folks focused on justice to the exclusion of all else.

“That does describe him. He and his consort had a daughter before the consort was killed in an accident. His daughter was his world, and she was kidnapped for ransom and tortured. He takes that sort of thing very seriously.”

Reem said softly, “Did she survive?”

“No one knows. Rath created the Daughters and trained them to control their rage and avenge themselves and others. There has been no mention of his daughter since.”

“Oh, that’s so sad.”

“It is. Our children will be under strict guard until they are old enough to defend themselves.”

“That is optimistic.”

“That we have guards on Wenavik?”

“That there will be more than one.”

“I have confidence that you will be fascinated by a child with my features and want to do it again.” Wenvari smiled and slid his arm around her waist.

“Do you think you will know your own children?”

“Yes. They will have part of you, and I can see that. The slight uptilt of your nose, the wide expanse of your eyes, and that funny curve to your mouth when I lecture you.” He chuckled.

She felt the twist he was referring to. She changed direction. “Is the apartment above the Pleasure Centre right for your attempts to start a family?”

“No. I don’t need that proximity anymore. I think my estate in Norweller is sufficient for that purpose.”

“Oh. Right.” She got the maps up and found it. “Yeah, that should do.”

She tried to bring up images, but all she could see was the aerial view. “There aren’t any views of your home.”

“Surprisingly, I like privacy.”

“I can’t be comptroller from your home.”

“Of course you can. It’s a six-minute skimmer ride or four minutes if I carry you.”

She paused. “You would carry me in?”

“Of course. You can’t fly yet, and when your wings do come in, they are not for speed, they are primarily for display.”

“I am still not sold on the wings.”

He lifted her hand to kiss her knuckles. “You will be. You have all the time in the worlds.”