Page 16 of Taking Jenny (Planet Orhon #4)

Tiger

T hey started with running, which Jenny made clear she hated. When she returned with Longshot, she collapsed onto the terrace, red-faced and gasping, “I’m going to die.”

I raced to her side, crouching down to examine her. “What is wrong? Are you hurt? Why is your face so red?”

She closed her eyes and shook her head, until she could breathe enough to speak again. “Just meant…they’re going to catch me. Right now…I’m fine. Sort of.”

Longshot stood over her, hands on his hips. “You will die, with that kind of an attitude.”

I stood back up and glared at him. “Do not mock her!”

“I was reminding her to keep her mindset where it needs to be, Tiger,” Longshot said firmly. “I was not mocking her.”

She patted my leg to get my attention again. “He’s right, Tiger. I can’t let myself think like that. I have to keep going.” She struggled back to her feet and asked him, “What’s next?”

“Do you have any weapon or combat training?” Longshot asked.

She shook her head. “No.”

“Do you have a profession on Earth?”

“I’m a barista.”

He squinted at her. “In your world, that’s a person who makes coffee, right?”

She grimaced. “Yes. The most athletic things I usually do are sweep and mop the floors at work or have sex. I don’t think either of those are going to help me right now.”

Longshot rubbed his jaw for a moment. “They might, actually.”

I immediately inserted myself between them. “You’re not having sex with her.”

The other man chuckled. “What I meant was, if she has sex frequently, then her core muscles are likely fit, so that gives her an advantage with regards to her posture, her breath work, her endurance. So, sex is good, and a healthy exercise. And relax, boy, I don’t fuck humans.”

Jenny frowned, obviously surprised to hear him say that. “Ever?”

“No.” Disgust coated his voice.

Jenny huffed indignantly. “I’m feeling insulted for my people.”

“No insult intended,” Longshot said. “It is merely my preference. Your people are too small and breakable. I’m not sure how I could enjoy that.”

I smirked. “You should try it sometime. Might surprise you.”

Longshot didn’t look convinced. “Our next round of training is in ten minutes, Jenny.” He left us at the end of the terrace.

“I’m going to go take a bathroom break and get some water,” she said, giving me a brave smile. “Then, I’m going to train some more, while I still can.”

I nodded. “Let me know if I can help.”

“I will.” She touched my arm and stretched up on her toes to place a soft kiss on my cheek. “Thank you for checking on me, Tiger.”

Inside the mansion, I made my way back to my room but Mal was standing by my door, his expression like a leering black cloud. I didn’t have the patience to deal with him.

“What do you want?” I snapped.

“Do you truly find me so abhorrent?”

His sly expression enraged me, mostly because I was equally as attracted to him as Jenny was. “I was assigned to you as a person for you to torture,” I said, my voice a low growl. “How should I think of you?”

He lifted his perfectly shaped brows and tipped his head. “Fair, I suppose.”

“Are we to begin my torture, while she trains? Is that why you’re here?”

He sighed. “I’m not going to torture you or Jenny. I thought that was obvious by now.”

“I don’t…” Words failed me. I didn’t want to piss him off, but I was boggled by him in many different ways. “Justice Bateen is your boss. Why are you not following his order?”

“It’s that simple for you, isn’t it?” He sounded fascinated. “When you’re unclassed, you just do what your boss wants without question…it sounds like a relief.”

“You’re jealous of me?” Or is he mocking me?

Mal gave a small shrug. “In some ways, yes. A simple life is very appealing. Letting someone make all your decisions for you, no need to strain through whatever intrigue comes your way… I am jealous of you, but only by a little. I do enjoy this life,” he gestured around his mansion, “and the perks that come with it.”

I balled my hands into fists at my sides, trying to resist the urge to take a swing at the overbearing man in front of me. “Then why are we here, Mal?”

“I want to know how you can aid in Jenny’s training,” he said, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms over his solid chest. “I don’t know you, but your state file is frighteningly thin. What are your skills?”

“Mostly ship maintenance and talking my way out of problems.” I grit my teeth in frustration, because those mundane skills would not provide useful to Jenny’s situation. “I don’t know what I can do to help her.”

“Ah,” he said knowingly. “Hence why you’re so angry.”

I narrowed my gaze at him. “I don’t need you to remind me of how helpless I am in all of this, Mal.”

“I am not your enemy, Tiger. Regardless of what you think of me. There is no need for the attitude, when I am trying to help you both.” His eyes flicked down the length of me, then back up to my face, and I hated how my body responded to that interest. “In fact, some gratitude would be nice.”

“ Gratitude ?” I laughed bitterly. “If you actually wanted to help us, then you would get us off-world. Instead, you’re using Jenny to piss off your guardian because he hurt your feelings when he wouldn’t share his plans.

You and all your friends are using her like a pawn in some stupid game with Justice, and it’s a game Jenny will lose, but that doesn’t matter to you, does it?

Because all of us unclassed, we’re just toys for you to play with.

Nothing matters to someone like you. Nothing but whatever petty cina waste that occupies your days,” I sneered, then added, “You disgust me.”

“Do you know what would happen, were I to get you off-world?” he asked mildly, while casually picking a piece of invisible lint from his sleeve.

“You would be hunted. A simple word for a complex process. You would be pursued, from one end of the cosmos to the other. You would never know a moment’s peace.

Your friends and what little family you have left would be tortured and executed in their search for you.

Their friends and family would be, as well.

And so on, until no one on any planet knew your names.

Justice would never stop hunting either of you down, Tiger.

Not ever. He wouldn’t care if he had to slaughter millions, if only to prove his power.

An insult like that would end in the deaths of countless people.

I don’t think you or Jenny want that, and I know that I don’t, regardless of what you think of me. ”

He wasn’t lying, I could tell that much. But I also sensed there was more he wasn’t saying. “What else is it, Mal? What aren’t you telling us?”

His dark blue eyes shone purple, like they couldn’t make up their mind what color to be. “If you think of a skill you have that would help Jenny, please speak up. I’ll be…around.”

He started to pass me, but I grabbed his arm and stopped him. “Tell me what you know.”

“I thought you said talking yourself out of trouble was a skill of yours and yet, I find you grabbing me which is quite the opposite,” he said with an edge.

I did not release him. “Tell me.”

“What I know is this—Longshot said you forbade him from having sex with Jenny, which is endlessly amusing, but also means you and Jenny are involved, which is less than amusing for me. If all of this goes wrong and she fails her trial, then you’ll want to know she went to her grave having had the best sex of her life.

” He jerked his arm from me. “So don’t pick a fight with me, Orne, when you should be reserving your energy for her.

Since you have no viable survival skills for her, the least you can do is fuck her until she forgets her problems. It might even make you feel less helpless. ”

Then he turned and left the hall.

As much as I hate him, he has a point .

I huffed my anger out, wishing for a fight. Anything to burn off the steam building in me. But then I realized there was something else I could do.

Vine directed me to the mansion’s library. It was vast, with books from floor to ceiling, and almost as long as one of the mansion’s halls. There, I found the books I needed. If I was to give Jenny the best sex of her life, then I needed to educate myself better.

I spent the day in the library, from anatomy to the sex spells of the Elinock, I studied. There was quite a bit I didn’t understand, so many pleasure techniques to digest, but I wanted to learn it all for her. By the time the moons rose, I was ready.

Checking both our washrooms, Jenny’s had the largest insulated tub.

It had enough room for two Ladrians, so I thought that would be the best. The shower was separated from the tub, and each item followed the same pattern as the rest of the mansion.

Gray marble floors, black walls, silver faucets, with the occasional colorful item.

I drew a steaming hot bath and dripped flower-scented oil into the water.

With Vine’s help, we filled the room with candles and fresh flowers that would hopefully relax Jenny.

Vine smiled kindly at me. “This is very thoughtful, Tiger.”

“I hope she likes it.”

“If she doesn’t, I’ll kick her out and take the bath for myself,” she said with a wink.

By the time Jenny returned to her room, her shoulders were slumped and she was dragging her feet, clearly drained of energy. She was filthy, too, like she had tumbled in dirt for half the day. But she managed to smile when she saw me by her door.

“Hi,” she said, perking up a bit.

“Are you ready for supper?” I asked.

A half laugh escaped her, which seemed to take effort. “I just want to shower and go to bed.”

“I understand.” I gave her a nod. “Sleep well.”

“Tiger, wait,” she said, before I could disappear into my room. “Do you want to sleep in my bed with me so you’re…not alone?”

An odd relief coursed through me. “If you’d like me to, then yes.”

“I do.” She walked into her room, and I followed behind. “I’ll be quick in the shower. I’m ready to drop and that bed is calling my name.”

“Understandable.”

When she opened the washroom door, she gasped. “Oh my…” She glanced back at me, her eyes soft. “Tiger, did you do this?”

I walked up behind her. “Only if you like it.”

She laughed as she stared at the little oasis I’d created for her. “Wow. I just…this is wonderful and so sweet after the day I’ve had, Tiger. I love it. Thank you.”

“You deserve this and more, Jenny.” I kissed the top of her head, despite the sweat and dirt caked on her. “Go on. You don’t want the water to get cold.”

“I’m going to shower off first. I’m gross and I don’t want all this dirt and grime in the tub.”

I watched as she clumsily removed her clothes. As taken as I was by the view of her naked body, I couldn’t miss the bruises already blooming on her smooth, pale skin, sending my heart speeding. “What happened?”

She stepped into the shower, rinsing off. “Sparring. Discord wanted to test my proficiency with weapons. She didn’t believe I didn’t have any fighting skills. She believes it now.”

“I am sorry for all of this,” I said, meaning it.

“I can’t let myself think about regrets right now,” she said, smiling at me. “I just want to enjoy the hot water.”

I nodded, not wanting to upset her further. When she was done in the shower, I helped her into the tub. Using the soft cloth Vine had delivered, I washed her back, careful to avoid her bruises.

She practically purred. “That feels wonderful.”

“Are you at least enjoying training?”

She gave a wry laugh. “I would, if I had any skill at it. Right now, it’s mostly just frustrating because I’m so awkward and inept, but I’m doing my best.”

I rubbed the cloth over her shoulder, then down her chest. Her nipples peaked as she moaned. Those sounds made my cock rise to attention, but I hid it below the edge of the tub.

“Feel good?” I asked her.

“Mm, hmm,” she said, sounding more relaxed now. “My legs have never ached this much in my life.”

“Let me massage them for you.”

“Okay.” She laid back, with just her head out of the water, resting on the rim of the tub.

I abandoned the cloth for my hands, carefully working up her calves to her thighs, kneading all the muscles I came into contact with. Her moans echoed through the room. Her legs fell open for me, surrendering to my ministrations.

Jenny gasped as my fingers brushed her pussy. “Tiger, I can’t touch you laying in the tub like this.”

“This isn’t for me,” I murmured. “This is all for you.”

I stared into her half-lidded eyes, while my thumb circled her clit. Her slickness was evident, even in the water. But I was careful to make sure she was ready before I slipped my finger inside of her.

She whimpered, her hips shifting beneath the surface.

I leaned in and kissed her, enjoying that human custom, while I gently searched for that sensitive spot inside of her I’d learned about today.

When I brushed up against it, she groaned in my mouth.

I worked her over, my thumb outside, my middle finger inside, relishing every sound she made.

It was a gift to pleasure her. She rolled her body in short movements.

Her hands lifted out of the water and clutched around my neck, like she needed to hold onto me.

I worked with the rhythm of her hips as she rocked back and forth in the water.

When she cried out in my mouth as she orgasmed, I almost came myself.

Her pussy spasmed around my finger, pulsing as she writhed.

When she finally stilled, her head tipped back against the tub once again.

I pulled my fingers away and she jumped a little, clearly sensitive after the orgasm I’d given her.

With a soft, satisfied sound, she closed her eyes, her breathing evening out as she gave herself over to exhaustion.

A moment later she started to slip beneath the water.

“Hey,” I said, catching her before she went under completely. “Let’s get you out of there.”

She groaned. “I…I don’t think I can move.”

“Very well.”

I effortlessly scooped her from the water and carried her to her bed.

There, I dried her off and rolled her tiny body to the dry side of the sheets and covered her with a light blanket.

Her hair was still wet, but I didn’t think she cared.

She was asleep by the time I stripped off my clothes and joined her.

I tucked in behind her and wrapped her in my arms for the night, satisfied that I’d given Jenny so much pleasure, even if I was still hard as stone against her backside.