Page 6 of Tender Captivity (Human Pets of Talin)

Unlike earlier, when Jinna woke up this time she knew exactly where she was—snuggled in Holian’s strong embrace. Only now they were in a bed with his larger body curled around hers instead of sitting in a chair.

One section of the wall near their heads was set to semi-transparent so it glowed with early morning light. Lifting her head, she looked over her shoulder to find Holian’s eyes open and watching her.

“Good morning,” she whispered, and then remembered Talins didn’t use that term. “Rise with the ancestors.”

Holian began purring as he answered with the Talin equivalent of saying good morning back to a person. “Let their wisdom guide us.”

Wiggling in his embrace, she moved until she was facing him. “You guys like to make even simple greetings complicated.”

“At least we aren’t like the Matok,” Holian replied, his purring interrupted with a rumble of amusement.

She snuggled a little closer to him, putting her head under his chin. “What do they do?”

“They will use their arms to embrace each other and then jump as high as they are able while shouting each other’s name. The louder they are and higher they jump is how much affection they feel for each other,” Holian explained.

“I like this better,” Jinna said with a chuckle.

Then she felt it—the hard press of flesh against her belly. She was a grown woman who’d had a husband and borne a child. There was no mistaking the organ pressed against her.

Holian must have belatedly realized what was going on because he tried to draw his hips away from her. “I’m sorry. I’ve never shared a bed with anyone before.”

That made her draw back in surprise. “I thought you had a son?”

“I do,” he answered with a quizzical rumble. “What does that have to do with sharing a bed?”

“You must have had sex with his mother,” she pointed out, feeling as confused as Holian sounded.

“Ah, I see where this conversation went wrong,” Holian said with an amused rumble. “You haven’t learned some aspects of Talin culture and law yet.”

“Then tell me,” Jinna urged.

“Giving birth to a child is illegal among Talins as it’s considered a waste of resources.

When a couple enters into a marriage contract, they donate genetic material to a facility.

They grow our children in artificial wombs and then raise them in the cresh until they are almost adults.

Each Talin is expected to have one male and one female child, for the good of the empire.

When the child is of age, they move out of the cresh and join the family. ”

Jinna sucked in a horrified breath. “Do married couples even sleep together?”

“They’re expected to engage in coitus a few times, as a way to cement a partnership bond,” Holian answered slowly.

“But my wife died soon after our marriage ceremony and we never had a chance to share a bed. I’d hoped to talk her into breaking the law and bearing our child, but thankfully we’d both donated before she died, and we got to have one child together. ”

“You must have been heartbroken,” Jinna murmured.

“Our marriage was arranged,” Holian explained. “She was a clever woman with similar views on government and politics. I was content with the match at the time.”

“At the time? Have you changed your mind on marriage now?” she asked, wondering why her heart was beating so hard.

“After seeing the love matches between humans and Talins, I wanted…” He paused, his tone wistful and his purr going silent. Thinking she’d hit a topic that was too painful to discuss, she redirected the conversation.

“What about your son? Did you let the cresh raise him?”

“No, I pulled my son out of the cresh soon after he was born. I wasn’t a commandant yet, but I was respected enough that no one raised a fuss.

He got to grow up on Kalor, surrounded by friends and other children.

Ianino was raised by me, as I was raised by my mother.

I broke every rule, and I believe he’s all the better for it. ”

Blinking back tears, Jinna stretched up her head to place a gentle kiss on Holian’s chin. “You’re a good father.”

“Thank you, little flower,” Holian whispered. “But please don’t mention this to anyone. These secrets could get me killed and others severely punished.”

“I would never,” she assured him. Then she remembered what had started this entire conversation. “So you’ve never shared a bed, but have you had sex?”

A sharp clatter from Holian’s back plates startled her. It ended almost as soon as it started, and Holian switched to a soothing purr. “I’m sorry, you startled me with your blunt question,” he admitted. “I’m not a virgin.”

“That’s good,” Jinna said as she reached for the hard flesh that kept brushing the skin of her belly. “Because it’s been a long time, and I want to feel alive.”

Holian jerked and hissed as her hand closed around his erection. She’d never seen or touched a Talin penis before, so she took her time exploring it. The thing was commensurate with Holian’s size. That was to say the man was packing!

The covers had slid off them when she’d rolled over to face Holian.

Looking down, she watched her hand pump up and down his throbbing shaft.

When she got to the root, she ran her fingers over the taut skin under the base of his cock.

As she touched it, his balls emerged, and she realized Talins had flesh pouches that held their cock and balls safe when they weren’t aroused.

All the naughty things she could do to him when he wasn’t fully emerged made her skin heat.

Holian wasn’t touching her back, so she worried he wasn’t truly interested. Bodies could react even if the mind didn’t want it.

“Can we do this?” she asked. “Do you want me?”

“I want you more than my next breath,” Holian assured her in a harsh whisper. “But the choice is yours. Within my home, all humans have sovereignty over themselves. I’d be honored if you wished to rut with me, but I’d never want you to feel pressured.”

“I don’t,” she promised as she wiggled down his body. “But I want to find out if you taste like apples.”

“If you—” his words were cut off with a gratifying moan when she took him in her mouth.

He did taste like apples! Tart and sweet at the same time.

She sucked him for a while, using one hand to hold his girthy cock still while she dipped her other hand between her legs.

She’d never felt so turned on in her life.

Sex with her husband, Mateo, had been pleasant.

She’d slept with a few other compatible males and one female over the years, but all of them had been nothing but a way to fill time—a diversion.

Holian was so much more. He felt like the key she’d been waiting for to unlock herself.

Her eagerness caused her to take a little too much of him in her mouth and she gagged slightly. Before she had a chance to recover, Holian was moving the two of them.

“Oh no, my little flower,” he gently admonished her. “You’ve had your fun. Now it’s my turn.”

He settled her on her back and then placed himself between her legs. She expected him to start pounding into her, but he didn’t. Instead, he teased her clit with the bulbus tip of his cock as he sucked one of her nipples into his mouth.

She had a brief moment of fear. Talins had sharp teeth!

But she shouldn’t have been afraid. He nibbled but never with enough pressure to cause harm, and the little bit of pain she felt with his teeth shot straight to her clit.

He alternated between her breasts, and soon she was writhing under him, undulating her hips and desperate for more.

“Holian, fuck me!” she demanded.

“If fuck means sink my shaft into you, I will,” he answered.

“Yes!” she agreed. “I nee—oh!”

He eased the tip of his impressive cock into her, going slowly and allowing her to adjust to his size. She was so damn wet he slid into her easily without any discomfort.

And boy did he feel good! By the time he’d sunk himself fully inside her, she was panting. She whimpered at the exquisite feel of him.

“Does it hurt?” he asked, a worried rumble overtaking his sexy purr.

“No pain,” she assured him, moving her hips. “It’s perfect. Great. I need…only a little…”

Her words trailed off as the orgasm that had been looming suddenly blossomed inside her. She’d never come so easily before, and it hit her hard. Her entire body convulsed as she wrapped her legs around his hips to hold him still so she could ride out her climax on his cock.

When she thought it might be done, she started to relax, and he moved.

Nope, she wasn’t done.

All it took was for him to pull out and slowly thrust back into her. His long dick dragged across her sensitive clit and set off another orgasm.

“You’re squeezing me like a fist,” he breathed, his voice unsteady. “I won’t last. My little flower, it’s too much.”

Shuddering under him, she brought her hands up to frame his face, running her thumbs over his glistening scent glands.

The touch made him tremble. His strong arms were on either side of her, holding his body up so he didn’t crush her with his bulk.

She watched those muscled arms quiver as her finger pressed more oil out of his glands.

“Come with me,” she demanded, bringing one of her thumbs to her face. She slowly rubbed his bonding oil over her lips and then licked them.

“Jinna!” he cried before crushing his mouth to hers. He thrust violently into her, the movement causing a final orgasm to flash through her system. Everything was so intense. Her heart was ready to pound out of her chest, and she was pretty sure her eyes were permanently crossed now.

Warmth flooded her feminine channel as he convulsed. They both went still, breathing ragged and hearts racing. Finally he rolled to his side, gathering her to him, his slowly softening flesh still embedded deep inside of her.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“I think I should be saying that,” he answered, rubbing his cheeks on her hair. Along with sex, the scent of apples filled the air.

Forget peaches and eggplants. As far as she was concerned, apples were now the sexist fruit.