Page 28 of Champion (The Outlander Book Club… in Space! #6)
Our bodies were a tangle of limbs and skin, crashing together like thunder and lightning. Hands grasped, nails dug into flesh, mouths explored every inch of each other. Every touch, every kiss, every movement expressed raw, primal passion.
The sounds of our moans and gasps, along with echoes of skin slapping skin and heavy breathing, filled the room. The flickering yellow light cast a warm glow over our skin as we moved together in a frantic dance.
My vision faded, the world around me disappearing into a hazy blur as waves of pleasure overtook me.
My body arched and trembled, muscles tensing and releasing with each wave.
As I gasped for breath, the surrounding air felt heated and thick with our combined scents.
A symphony of pleasure and ecstasy filled the room as my screams of release mixed with the sounds of Charick’s lusty grunts and growls.
Every nerve in my body was alive with sensation, every inch of skin tingling and craving more of Charick’s touch. My fingers dug into his skin, leaving marks in their wake as I rode out the waves of pleasure.
The dimly lit room danced with shadows as Charick’s body moved above mine, his muscles flexing with each thrust. I focused on his face, contorted with pleasure and desire, while my body tightened around him.
I felt him swell and pulsate inside me, his hardness and my wetness creating a friction that sent waves of pleasure through my body.
It was a tempestuous dance, an electric current that surged with each thrust, building to a crescendo of pleasure and release as his body trembled before finally releasing its molten desire within me.
With one final roll of his hips against mine, Charick crashed to the mattress beside me, his muscular arms encircling me, pressing me against his chest.
“I love you,” I whispered, feeling his rapid heartbeat against my cheek as he held me tightly, as if afraid to let go.
“My mate,” Charick groaned, his fingertips pushing away the strands of hair sweat-glued to my forehead, following the movement with gentle kisses.
“I wish we could stay like this.” I snuggled into his embrace, laying my cheek against his heartbeat and smiling as I recognized my own heart copied the tempo.
“We can.” Charick took my chin in his fingers, raising my gaze to meet his. Molten gold eyes burned me with their intensity. “You only have to ask, and I will take you away from here… to the Bardaga , and we can let the Alliance deal with Nansar.”
The proposition was like a siren’s song, tempting and alluring.
The thought of escaping with my mate, leaving behind the weight of responsibility, and letting someone else deal with Nansar was almost too much to resist. But even as I longed to say yes, the heavy weight of duty held me back.
This was our mission. Despite the circumstance beyond our control, it was now our responsibility, and from the flicker of regret in Charick’s golden gaze, he knew it too.
“We can’t,” I whispered. The words felt raw and uneasy.
“I know, my heart.” Charick’s heavy sigh echoed through the room, a sound of resignation and determination. The longing to leave together was palpable, a burning desire that crackled and sparked in Charick’s eyes. Yet, duty and honor held him back, just as they bound me.
Our lips collided in a fierce and tender kiss, melting away the worry, leaving only the urgent and intense sensation of our mouths dancing together. I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck…wanting to stay like this forever, even if only in my dreams.
But my dream crashed into reality when Charick ended the kiss, rolling to his feet.
“Someone is coming,” he muttered, nodding toward the door as he reached for his clothes.
I had just finished dropping the tunic over my head when a resounding bang came from the doorway. I jumped, skittering closer to my mate.
“It’s only Adtovar,” he promised, dropping a kiss to my forehead, taking a moment to finish fastening his pants before striding to the door.
For a split second, I thought Charick’s super ears had been wrong. The being looming in my doorway wore a navy and teal green uniform that vaguely resembled the Marine Corps dress blues. Then my gaze reached his face, and Adtovar grinned at me.
“You look nice,” I said, sinking my teeth into my lower lip to keep from giggling.
Adtovar rolled his eyes at me and tossed something to Charick… something that I realized was another guard uniform when the cloth hit my mate in the chest.
“You’re kidding? Right?” Charick glanced skeptically at the heap of fabric lying at his feet.
“Do you know what I went through to steal that?” Adtovar huffed, settling in one of the wooden chairs.
My mate rolled his eyes in playful annoyance but dutifully retrieved the uniform from the floor.
In a few swift and fluid movements, he shed his leather pants and slipped into the form-fitting uniform.
The fabric stretched taut over his broad shoulders, emphasizing the powerful muscles underneath.
Despite the slightly shorter length of the pants, he still looked impossibly handsome.
“Only three guards are patrolling the entrance,” Adtovar reported. “Zahavi and Kariosak are already in position, ready to drop the smoke explosives when we arrive.”
Charick gave a curt nod but made no movement other than to pull me into his arms.
“I do not wish to leave you, my mate. There must be another way.”
“I don’t want you to leave either, but you have to get a message to the Bardaga about the Kerzak.” I sighed, laying my head on his chest. Behind me, Adtovar made grumbling noises, like a teen catching his parents during a make-out session. I slipped a hand behind my back and gave him the finger.
Charick nodded, but his arms tightened around me.
“I will keep her safe.” Adtovar’s voice was part exasperation, part vow. I heard the chair scrape across the floor as he stood.
My mate watched Adtovar carefully as he came to our side, sinking to one knee and crossing his arms over his chest.
“I give you my vow as a warrior. I will protect your mate with everything I have, including my life.”
A low growl rumbled through Charick’s chest, and slowly, almost to slowly to notice, he inclined his head at Adtovar.
I tried to step away, but Charick’s strong arms wrapped around my waist, and he pulled me in for a last kiss. His spicy scent, mixed with the taste of his lips, made it hard to break away. Eventually, he let go, and I took a few steps back, trying to catch my breath.
A warm, comforting hand landed on my shoulder, and I raised my gaze, finding Adtovar smiling down at me. “If all goes well at this time tomorrow, we will be celebrating our victory and the start of your future together.”
“I’d like that,” I murmured, keeping the worries of what might happen if all didn’t go well at bay.
Charick paused by the table, his hands roaming over the too small uniform. He’d never pass for an Aljani up close, but at a distance… please let this work!
Golden eyes caught mine, swimming with equal parts affection and worry. “Bolt the door when we leave and don’t….”
“Don’t let anyone in but Adtovar… I know,” I completed, trying to make myself smile so he wouldn’t see how my soul agonized over the prospect of him walking out that door. Not because I worried about myself. My concern was solely for my mate.
“Cristox and Zahavi will stand guard outside until I return,” Adtovar’s words didn’t seem to lessen my mate’s worry.
“Please be safe,” I begged them both. “You’re not the only one who can worry."
Adtovar gave me a sideways grin that said I was being silly to worry about them and stepped out into the night. Charick lingered, turning back to draw me once again into his arms, pressing his lips against mine one final time before reluctantly following Adtovar out the door.
My heart stuttered as I watched him leave, wondering if the organ would keep up the slow, sorrowful beat until we reunited. Despite being only a few minutes, I could feel the weight of separation already settling heavily in my chest, like an anchor dragging me down toward the depths.
I went to bolt the door but stalled, letting my eyes follow Charick’s figure as he disappeared around the corner. The last time he walked away from me like this, he nearly died. But this time, we were in control.
At least I hoped we were.