Page 40 of Needed in the Night (The Fortusian Mates, #2)

The cabin plunged into darkness other than faint glow from the comm panel near the door and the starlight outside the window. Now our reflections were easy to see .

Her gaze on mine in the glass, she hooked her leg behind my knee so I had total access to her sweet clit, and we had a perfect view of my cocks buried inside her.

“Heaven has nothing on this moment,” I said, my head resting against her as her chest heaved. I curled my arm underneath her and cupped her breast in my free hand. “Do you see us, my beautiful mate?”

“Yes.” She gasped, her fingernails digging into my thighs in what had rapidly become one of my most favorite sensations.

I wished my skin was not so thick and scaly so her nails would hurt more and she could leave marks on me as I had left on her.

“Gods, Mikas, I’ve never watched myself come before,” she breathed.

“I do not mean to spoil the surprise,” I said, trailing my lips along her neck. “But you are beautiful and perfect when you come.”

Her laugh dissolved into ragged gasps.

When I took her over the edge, her orgasm was soft rather than hard, and her breathless moan and the way she clenched around both of my cocks made my hips jerk.

I could have made love to her again, perhaps twice more, but she was tired now and sated.

“My mate,” I said, and licked her sweet juices off my fingertips. “This will be how we spend our journey to Aloris. Do you object?”

“No.” She drew me down for a kiss. “Not in the least,” she murmured against my lips. “Not in the least.”

Other than our first night together in Onat’ras, the three-day journey to Aloris were the best hours of my life.

As pleasurable and satisfying as it was to make love to my mate without worrying about our safety or interruptions, it was pure bliss to simply hold her and talk—about ourselves, our pasts, our hopes for the future.

We talked about inconsequential things too, from the gourmet food delivered to our suite to the planets we passed as we lay on the lounge in the main room, in the bed, or on the luxurious, almost throne-like basking stone in the bedroom.

“We’re officially spoiled.” Isla sat sideways on my lap facing the floor-to-ceiling bedroom window with her head on my chest. The radiant heat from the stone and the warmth from the overhead lamps could not compare to the summery contentment of my hearts.

“I’m sure whatever accommodations we have for the rest of the trip won’t be anything close to this,” she added wistfully. “And Brae won’t have nearly as big of a ship to explore either, or a beautiful rain forest conservatory that reminds him of home.”

“It has been far from a tent on a barren moon,” I agreed with a chuckle, my chin on top of her head.

She smelled strongly of me, and I of her, and I could not get enough of those scents.

“To me, the real luxury is having you close every moment of these past few days. A smaller cabin simply means I will be more spoiled.”

She kissed my chest. “You’re not the only one of us spoiled by all this closeness. But if our next cabin doesn’t have a basking stone, you may be cold and singing a different tune.”

“I do not anticipate being cold,” I murmured into her hair. “I will simply put you on top of me and we will generate our own heat.”

“I like that plan.” Isla laced her fingers through mine. “We could probably book our travel now if we wanted to, rather than waiting until we get to the port on Aloris.”

“We could,” I allowed. “I have never been to Aloris, or any ice planet, and thought we might do some sightseeing before continuing on our journey. ”

“Oh, that sounds like fun.” She wiggled happily. “We can be tourists. I’ve never been a tourist.”

I grimaced. She laughed and kissed the soft skin at the corner of my jaw. “We’ll be good tourists,” she amended. “Not the ones who came into Zaa’ga and made us miserable by being loud and demanding and not tipping.”

“We will be travelers ,” I countered. “Lovers seeing the wonders of the galaxy on our way to our new home.”

“I like that.” She snuggled into my chest. “Once we’ve seen Aloris, we can choose where to go next. Maybe a desert world like Solan? Or Tivor’s oceans? Or maybe our diplomatic credentials could get us permission to visit Hyderia?—”

“My love.” I kissed her knuckles. “Happiness and freedom to choose your destination has made you even more beautiful than before, and I did not think that could be possible.”

She scoffed. “You’re just saying that so I’ll let you do more naughty things to me on this basking stone before we disembark.”

“I would not mind doing so,” I said, cupping the side of her face. She was so warm on the basking stone, and that made me deeply content. “But I mean every word. I have longed to see you so happy.”

“I wanted you to be happy too.” She leaned into my hand and closed her eyes. “If I’d paid more attention to the fact your unhappiness made me so unhappy, I might have figured out what you really meant to me earlier.”

Her sorrow and regret had a distinct scent—one that made my spines bristle. Despite my assurances, she still carried guilt she did not deserve to carry.

“We have discussed this,” I said softly. “Think of all the nights you sat at the bar and we talked while you ate your jampas. You were happy?”

She took a shaky breath. “Yes, I was.”

“So was I.” I stroked her cheek with my thumb. “We have a lot to be grateful for and no need for regrets.” A distressing thought made me pause. “Isla, you do not feel guilty for being happy, do you?”

“No.” Her voice was soft. “Well, maybe.”

I feared as much. I wrapped my arms around her. “You deserve happiness. You deserve joy and pleasure and to be treasured. These are not privileges you have to earn. This may be difficult for you to believe, and I am sure you cannot simply accept what I say. But it is the truth.”

She went quiet for a while. Finally, she said, “Why is it I feel that way about you, but it’s so difficult to believe it for myself?”

“Because we have led difficult lives, and too often we extend grace and kindness to others that we do not believe we deserve for ourselves. It is a strange state of being.” I nuzzled her hair and forced myself to add, “At first, I questioned what I had done to deserve for you to come to Zaa’ga.”

She raised her head. Her violet eyes had never looked so beautiful as they did now, reflecting the starlight that passed by outside the window as the ship traveled at hyperspeed—other than when I looked into her eyes as we made love.

“Oh, that’s very close to how I feel.” Isla bit her lip. “How did you convince yourself otherwise?”

“I am still working on that,” I admitted. “But I have the benefit of feeling the comfort and joy of finding my true mate. I now accept that I am meant to care for you and love you. I hope in time you will share that feeling. I have heard that is often the case with humans who have Fortusian mates.”

“That’s a lovely thought.” She smiled, which lightened my hearts immediately. “I think I’ll get there. I’ve been contented in your presence almost since the moment we met. That bodes well, doesn’t it?”

“Yes, it does.” I glanced at my wristcomm. “We have a few hours before we must get ready to disembark. How would you like to spend that time? ”

“Right here,” she said immediately, then seemed to reconsider. “Oh, you can’t just sit on the stone for two more hours. We’ve already been here a while.”

“I do not mind.” I caressed her arm. “But we have done little exploring of the ship since we boarded?—”

She huffed. “Wasn’t that the plan?”

“I did not say it was not,” I said with a smile. “But I do not want you to feel you have missed out on seeing the wonders of a luxury cruiser because I kept you prisoner in this cabin.”

“I’ve been a very willing prisoner, and my guard has been extremely generous.” She studied me. “You’d like to look around before we arrive at the port, though?”

“I would like to walk with you on the promenade,” I said. “And visit the observation deck.”

“Brae did say the observation deck was beautiful.” She made a face. “Ugh, clothes .”

I laughed at her expression. “Such an inconvenience.”

“It’s not the inconvenience so much as I’ve enjoyed spending the last few days looking at you,” she shot back. “I suppose you intend to put on a shirt as well as pants?”

“I do.” I caught her hand. “Unless you demand I do not. I told you I obey my mate in all things.”

Her expression turned thoughtful. “In all things, you say?”

“In all things.” I eyed her. “What is my mate plotting?”

“You’ll find out later.” She rose and tugged on my hand to draw me to my feet. “Let’s find Brae and do some exploring before it’s time to disembark and play tourist—I mean, traveler .”

To be teased by my mate was one of my greatest joys of all.