Chapter Fifteen

SAMANTHA

I hoped he was pretending again. I didn't think he could fool me anymore. I had seen the person behind the mask on the island. The person next to me now and walking beside me was a ghost. I thought he was acting and trying to keep up his cover.

I didn't see what the point was when Harrington already knew Jori was on his trail, but perhaps he had a purpose I didn't understand. Maybe his boss wouldn't let him drop his cover until the mission was complete. What did I know? I was just his wife, and it looked like I was back to sleeping alone. He could try to keep me at arm's length. He would find out I wasn't easy to push away.

If he thought it was difficult to resist me before, he was in for a surprise. I was going to put myself on a platter for him.

I didn't know how long it was going to take to save these kids, but I was not going back to celibacy after the mind-blowing sex on the island. I had needs. It was his job as my husband to fill them. I would tell him to his face later when I had fewer clothes on.

"Where are we going?" I huffed. I needed to walk fast if I wanted to keep up with his long legs.

"To a hotel. We need to get cleaned up."

"And then what?"

"There's a guy I need to talk to."

About the kids, I thought. I didn't say it out loud.

"He's having a party tonight. He has a party every Friday night."

Not another fucking party. I would be a happy woman if I never went to a Vandwan party again.

I didn't say anything. He looked over at me, realized something was the matter, and slowed down.

"It's not that kind of party." He smiled. I was surprised he had read my mind.

"What kind is it, then?"

"His parties are casual."

"What's casual to you people? Designer sweat pants that only cost four thousand credits?"

"Regular people casual. They wear nice clothing but not designer sweat pants. He's rich, and so are his friends. You don't want to know where they got their money."

"Is this supposed to make me feel better?" I said. "Because it's making me feel worse."

"I'll call for some clothes. Jeans, a T-shirt and a hoodie should be fine."

"A hoodie?" I said. "You've got to be kidding me. Who is this guy?"

"Farrell Waterby," Jori said. "He's not someone you want as your enemy."

"Are you his enemy?"

"I hope not. I'm his friend."

"And how do you know that he's not your enemy?"

He turned in at a lavishly decorated building. I assumed it was our hotel.

"I saved his life. He owes me, and he knows it." Jori walked past the desk, not bothering to stop and get us a room. The clerk nodded at us. "He wouldn't hurt you or me, Sam. He can help us."

I frowned but kept pace beside him.

"Aren't you going to get us a room?"

"I have one here."

"All the time?"

"I have it whenever I want it. I called ahead."

I began to understand what it was like to live the life of the ultra-rich. It was a world I had never known until now.

We got on the elevator. Jori punched in the sixteenth floor. Not the penthouse. I had assumed all the rich people took the penthouse in hotels.

When we entered the room, I realized the penthouse was, at most, on par with this suite. The decor was perfect. The furniture looked comfy and chic at the same time. It radiated wealth, without jumping in your face screaming riches.

Jori was going through the room, running his hands under tables and feeling along the baseboards. He was checking for something. Maybe looking for a bug? Then he took out a device from his pocket, scanning everything all over again.

I was checking for something as well. I spotted a king-size bed in the bedroom, and I planned on getting him into it.

He finished what he was doing and came over to me, but kept a respectful distance between us.

"Sorry Sam, but no."

"What?" I said innocently.

"I'm sleeping on the couch."

"Why?" I took a step towards him.

"There are eyes and ears everywhere."

"They must know we're married," I said, moving a little closer. "Shouldn't we make it look authentic?

I stepped into his personal space then, allowing my breasts to brush against his chest.

His breathing got ragged. I thought I had won the argument at that moment. He managed to step back.

"I need to focus."

"That's my point," I said. "You can't have lust clouding your judgment."

He almost cracked a smile. "Sam. It'll have to wait," he said.

I shrugged. "Whatever you say, husband."

I unzipped my bodysuit from my left shoulder all the way down to my right ankle, peeling it off slowly to reveal my naked body. I had lost my underwear somewhere on the island.

Jori was watching, of course. How could he look away? I stepped daintily out of the pile of bulletproof fabric.

"I'm going to take a shower," I said, making sure to sway my hips as I walked away. "Feel free to join me."

When I closed the bathroom door, I heard a groan come from the living room. I smiled wickedly to myself in the mirror.

This was going to be fun.

JORI

I sat down on the couch; I was ready to do anything to distract myself. I absently ran my fingers through my hair, trying to erase the image of Sam's naked ass headed for the bathroom. Her blatant invitation to go and have my way with her body wasn't helping.

She wanted me. I knew that. We had fucked more times than I could remember on the island. When we had the opportunity together, we couldn't get enough of each other. Once we crossed the line the first time, it appeared that our desires were not going to remain on the island.

I ached for her, and it took all my willpower to stay on the couch. I wanted to tear my clothes off right now, walk into the bathroom, and take her in the shower. I used every technique I knew to calm my raging erection, but nothing was working.

In desperation, I called the concierge, asking them to get new clothes for us that would properly fit us. I had to check Sam's bodysuit to get her size. I didn't know it, of course; in my mind I separated women into small and large, and that was the extent of my analysis. I knew our bodies fit together perfectly, but that wasn't a size on Vandwa. It wouldn't help the concierge.

Once I requested the clothing, I felt like I had some momentum and I asked them to stock the fridge as well. I had a feeling we would be staying here for a few days at the minimum. I remembered there was a restaurant that served Earth food and put in an order.

I had spent a while placing orders, and there was no sign of Samantha. Was she taking an extra long time in the shower? I wondered if she was hoping I would change my mind. Her devious plan backfired when all the orders came in while she was still in the bathroom. They put the food in the kitchen and the clothes in the bedroom. As I was putting things away and tidying up, I finally heard the water go off. She came out with a tiny towel wrapped around her body.

I busied myself in the kitchen, avoiding her gaze. She came over to see what I was doing.

"Is that real food? I've been dying to eat something other than seaweed since the last party," she said, taking one of those strange things called French fries and popping it sensually into her mouth. She moaned. I closed my eyes, praying for self-control. "That is so good."

"Glad you like it," I said.

"I do," she said, leaning over to kiss my cheek. She made sure her breasts brushed me. She knew how much I loved her lush mounds. I swallowed hard as she whispered in my ear. "Thanks, Jori."

I pressed my lips together, not answering.

"I'm going to get dressed now," she said as she stepped back. I tried to look away, but I couldn't help myself. When she dropped her towel, giving me an unobstructed view of her luscious body, I froze. I knew if I moved at all it would be in her direction. She smiled sweetly at me and went into the bedroom.

"If you want to help, I could use some assistance with my zipper."

I breathed shallowly through my mouth trying not to smell her sweet orange scent. Her aroma was mixed with a hint of intoxicating sex underneath. I wondered if she was as wet for me as I was hard for her.

We would have to wait.

Samantha and I sat eating on the island of our hotel suite's kitchen. She had stopped teasing me finally and wore some of the new clothes I had ordered. Unbelievably, she looked just as sexy fully clothed as when she only wore a towel.

Her clothing was simple - jeans and a T-shirt from Earth. The jeans sat low on her hips. The T-shirt stretched tightly over her breasts. The shirt ended above her stomach, allowing a tantalizing glimpse of her navel. I had never thought belly buttons were sexy before. I was beginning to realize I found almost everything about Sam sexy, especially when I couldn't have her.

"What's the deal?" she asked, biting into a meat product called a chicken finger. To my knowledge, chickens did not have fingers. What was that thing she was eagerly consuming? I tried not to look appalled and pay attention to what she was saying. Between my arousal at her appearance and my disgust at her food, I had completely forgotten her inquiry.

"What was that?" I said and she smiled knowingly.

"I said, what's the deal, Jori? Am I going to get shot at this party?"

"No. Probably not."

"Your answer is not reassuring."

"Let me put it this way. There's no need for bodysuits," I said.

"Really?" she said. "I was starting to enjoy mine."

An image of Samantha removing her tight bodysuit and dropping it onto the floor invaded my mind. I don't know if I was staring blankly off into space, but something about the way I carried myself revealed my thoughts to Sam.

"You know," she remarked. "You're going to have problems concentrating if you don't get it out of your system."

I didn't want to talk about it, but I couldn't help myself. "Get what out of my system?"

"This," she said, reaching over and cupping my groin.

"Don't do that," I growled.

"How are you going to fight the bad guys if you can't get the image of me stripping off my bodysuit out of your head? You need to let off some steam. Then you can focus on what's critical."

Once again, I forced myself to push a vision of Samantha out of my mind. Perhaps being honest would work. "I don't think it is a good idea," I said, looking her in the eyes. "I let myself go on the island. I probably shouldn't have."

"You're not going to tell me that you regret what we did," she said, her eyes flashing. "Are you?"

"I don't regret a second of it." I couldn't communicate with Sam telepathically, but I wanted to convince her. "I hadn't meant for us to take that step until I was a free man."

"But Jori!"

"I don't want to talk about it anymore, Sam."

She looked frustrated but thankfully changed the subject.

"Fine. What should I expect from this party?"

"Farrell's got some odd tastes. There's lots of drinking, dancing, sex, and drugs."

She raised her eyebrows. "I've been there and done that. It was called my early twenties."

"We won't be participating in the extracurricular activities," I said.

"Especially the sex part." She had to mention it again.

I silently counted to ten as she smirked.

"He's guaranteed to have the information we need, Sam, so we're going to have to blend in."

"Blend in. Me? You know I'm from Earth, right?"

"You bring a party with you wherever you go. You're the fun-time girl. You shouldn't have any trouble with this crowd."

She stared at me. "Is that how you see me?"

"Of course, Sam," I gazed at her tenderly. "You're fun. The opposite of me. Happy, cheerful, and crazy."

Sam smiled shyly. I wondered if she saw herself the same way I saw her. My description of her might not be how she thought of herself, but I could see that my opinion was making a positive impression on her.

"I guess I'm ready. Party on."

I studied her intensely for a moment. I reached out and slowly wiped my thumb across her lips. She sat still. I had avoided touching her since the island, and it was the most sensual thing I had done to her since our rescue.

"You had something on your mouth. What's that red stuff called?"

"Ketchup?"

"Some ketchup. Right there," I said, reluctant to tear my gaze away from her lips.

She didn't move. This would be the perfect opportunity to kiss her, but I managed to turn away and start putting away the dishes.