Chapter Twelve

“I suppose this isn’t much of a honeymoon.”

Samira laughed and shook her head as they walked across the compound toward the furthest building.

“Not really,” she said. “But I’m proud of you for remembering that we still need one.”

“Of course,” he said. “How could I forget all the plans that we made on our luxurious wedding night?”

Samira laughed again, remembering cuddling together in the storage room of the basement. Though it had been a horrible situation, filled with fear and the unknown, seeking any humor that they could find helped to alleviate the pressure that they had been under. The time that she had spent on the ship away from her husband had been some of the most difficult days of her life and now she wanted to enjoy being with him again. Though she knew that there was so much more ahead of them, in these moments she needed any moments of brightness, any light that they could find.

She could see the end of the collection of buildings ahead of her and Ty turned toward one of them. He had told her that he had chosen this particular building for them to call their home while they were on Penthos because it was far from everyone else, providing them with some of the isolation and privacy that they craved in the early days of their marriage. What was meant to be some of the happiest times in their lives had had a rough beginning and she knew that the dreams that she had for them would have to wait, but any moments that they could have together away from the rest of the world were treasured and gave her hope for what they would someday enjoy.

They were far enough away from the rest of the compound that Samira could barely hear the voices. She pretended they were the tumble of waves against the sand, a sound of peace and beauty that she had hoped that she would be able to share with Ty. Visits to the beach had been one of the few luxuries that she had been able to enjoy when she was younger. Though they became far less frequent as she got older, she cherished the memories that she had of the time that she got to spend with her mother, feeling the sand and listening to the waves. When they were at the beach it was like they could pretend that Randall wasn’t there, that he wasn’t a part of their lives.

He delighted in telling people that he was bringing them on vacation to the beach and allowing those looking into their home life from the outside think that he was wonderful for creating these memories with them. In reality, nearly as soon as they arrived at the hotel he would disappear into the bar and remain hidden beneath an endless supply of liquor and beer until the very end of the trip when he would dry up just enough to take a picture of them together on the sand. This was the one time that Samira wouldn’t pull away from his touch. She knew that Randall relied heavily on the belief of those around him that he was a good husband to Valerie and a good father-figure to her, and that this picture on the sand was an element of that, a critical piece of a tenuous little structure that he built, and if it wasn’t convincing enough, he would see no purpose in continuing the trips and would stop them. So, Samira went along with the picture, even leaning in toward Randall and allowing him to wrap his arm around her so they could create the image of a happy family. Though those were some of her most hated moments of her life, she reminded herself that with every one that she suffered, she earned more time listening to the waves.

It hadn’t been enough. Their trips to the beach had ended a few years before and she had longed to be back there. When she and Ty discussed their honeymoon and the lives that they would share after their wedding, she always knew that she would bring him to the beach. He had never seen an ocean and she could think of no better way to further erase the thoughts of Randall than to replace them with those of being in Ty’s arms on the sand.

They stepped into the small building and Ty settled the torch he carried into the holder on the wall, filling the small front room with light. Samira noticed one door leading off the front room and walked through it, finding a bed carefully made in the center of the room. It wasn’t as large or as comfortable-looking as the bed that they shared when on Uoria, but just because of the fact that Ty was there with her meant that it was the most wonderful bedroom she could have had. She dropped the bags she had brought from the ship to the floor and crossed to the bed, falling forward to lay across it.

Samira felt Ty’s hands came to her ankles and the thrill of feeling the warmth of his skin against hers again rocked through her. Her husband’s touch moved slowly up to her calves and he wrapped his hands around them, easing them apart before continuing up to move her skirt out of the way and position her legs further apart. Finally, he reached her thighs and paused so that he could trace his fingers along the outside of each thigh from her knee to her hip and then down to her knee again. The feathery touch made Samira tremble with anticipation.

Ty’s hands glided back up her thighs and over her hips until they settled on the small of her back. Samira gasped slightly as he flipped her over onto her back and pulled her forward so that her thighs settled on either side of his waist as he knelt on the bed between her legs. She sat up to bring them face-to-face and Samira felt Ty’s breath brush across her eyes and lips, then trail down her neck and onto her chest. He drew his hands out from behind her and cupped them on the sides of her face, so he held her jaw in his palms. He stroked his thumbs along her lips and traced the outline of the bow and the bottom curve as if rediscovering something that he had missed so desperately. Samira opened her mouth slightly and Ty dipped the pad of his thumb between her lips.

Samira’s eyes drifted closed as she tasted his skin with the tip of her tongue. A moment later his thumb moved away from her mouth and he replaced the touch with his lips. She sighed into the delicious pressure of his mouth on hers and eagerly offered herself to the coaxing of his tongue by parting her lips to welcome it. There was nothing rushed or urgent in the kiss, though it sent shivers through her body. Instead, they savored each other, more aware now than ever of just how precious the other was and the value of every moment and every touch. Samira placed her hands on the sides of Ty’s ribcage then slid them up and over his shoulders so that they could rest at the back of his neck. His long strands of silky white hair tangled around her fingers and she combed through them, realizing just how much she had missed this. Usually, the warriors wore their hair in tall mohawks, but in the time that they had been away from Uoria they had started to wear their hair down more frequently. Though Ty was the baker of the clan and not technically a warrior, he identified with them and often wore his hair the way that they did. She loved to see him with his hair down. It gave him a look that was sexy and free rather than the tight control of the mohawk.

Ty pressed closer to her and Samira felt the hard swell of his erection nudging into her belly. She tilted her hips to seek him and Ty adjusted his position to press against her harder. The feeling made her whimper and he responded by pressing against her a little more, letting her feel his incredible desire for her. Ty’s hands ran down her back tenderly as their mouths tangled and became reacquainted. When his hands reached the small of her back he paused and gathered her skirt up to her waist. Samira lifted her hips so that he could guide the fabric away from her body, and then lifted her arms so that he could peel away her shirt and toss that away as well.

When she was only in her panties, having not bothered to wear a bra through the blistering heat of the desert, Samira noticed Ty step back and admire her as if taking her in fully. Samira felt delicate and vulnerable, beautiful and desired in the way that she always did since the first time that she offered herself to Ty fully and completely. It was a feeling that she had never experienced and one that she luxuriated in now. Ty ran his fingertips along the center of her chest, kissing his way along the skin after he stroked it. His touch was soft, patient and reverent, and he seemed to purposely avoid touching the swells of her breasts. Samira took a breath and lifted her chest toward him, aching for attention on her heavy, sensitive breasts.

Ty’s head dipped to allow his tongue to slide between the full globes, adoringly tracing the curve along the side of one before dipping back into the valley, and then moving to trace along the side of the other. He gently flicked the tip of his tongue across each of her taut pink nipples, causing Samira to sigh as the air touched them, the cool feeling amplified by the warm wetness that his mouth left behind. An instant later she gasped as his mouth closed down over breast and his tongue began to encircle her nipple. He gave an insistent yet gentle suck and Samira moaned, reaching forward to cup her hand behind his head so that she could press further into the sensation. Ty’s hands settled onto her hips and she felt him tighten his grip and then lift her effortlessly so that he could position her on her back on the bed. She parted her legs slightly as she took the position and felt Ty’s already raging erection ready against her.

Samira rocked her hips against the delicious hardness of his cock and Ty let out an enticing moan, making her arousal soar even higher. His mouth came to her neck and he trailed kisses to the curve of her shoulder as he subtly guided the rolling of her hips against himself. When he pulled away from her, Samira reached down and eased her panties away from her body, dropping them off the side of the bed so that she was finally fully bare in front of him, nothing keeping her from him. She had never felt so feminine and beautiful as she did when Ty looked at her. From the moment that she first met him, he was different, set apart from the rest of the men she had known in her life. He wasn’t frightening or demanding like Randall. He wasn’t bawdy or obscene like the men who frequented the bars that Jane had sometimes insisted she visit. He didn’t look at her like the men in the laboratory. With other men, even those who she had dated, she always felt as though they were looking at other women, as though they had settled for her because of something that they might have seen in her personality that they found attractive, but that they were always wishing that she was smaller, more delicate like the other women. Ty never made her feel this way. He loved that she was tall and strong, and looked at her as though he had never seen anyone who was more beautiful or more desirable than her.

Ty undressed quickly and then climbed back onto the bed with her. Now that there was nothing between them, Samira eased forward on her knees to touch the front of her body to his and luxuriate in the feeling of his skin pressed against hers. She slid her hands around his waist to rest in the center of his back and he winced slightly as her fingertips touched an area of skin that was still tender from his injuries in the battle that were not severe enough to warrant healing from Ciyrs, Elianna, or Eden.

“I’m sorry it hurts,” she said.

He shook his head.

“It’s fine,” he said. “It’s just a bruise. I’ve suffered much worse.”

Ty ducked his head and captured her mouth with his. Samira sighed into the passion of the kiss and pulled herself harder against him so that she could keep their mouths more tightly linked. After a few moments, Ty eased back from the kiss and looked at her briefly before touching his hand to the center of her chest so that he could lay her back on the bed. He cupped his hands around the back of her thighs and brought them up onto either side of his body so that they were held up and apart. Samira reached up and pulled the pillow beneath her head, so she could look at Ty in front of her. This brought enough of an incline that she was able to watch him scan her body with his eyes, his gaze focusing directly on her core, open, hot, and ready for him. She reached down and trailed the fingertips of one hand along the inside of her thigh and the other hand touched his chest.

Ty followed her invitation willingly, dipping his head to follow the trail of her fingers with his tongue. The sensation sent a shiver through her and Samira closed her eyes briefly, lifting her hips slightly toward him. He reached the juncture of her hip and thigh and continued on, kissing his way over her hip and onto her belly. His tongue ran along her skin as he made his way back down toward the valley between her hipbones. He was so close to her core, to the sensitive folds that were aching for his touch, but he was moving in measured, controlled movements that allowed him to worship her body for longer.

Ty lifted his head and blew cool air along her skin. He continued his progress down her body and she lifted her hips up further to urge him to continue. Finally, she felt him draw his tongue through her hot, wet folds. Her mind and body nearly lost control in that moment and she felt herself come up off the bed slightly as she cried out with pleasure. Ty pressed one hand onto her belly to keep her steadily in place and drew his tongue through her core again with confident familiarity. He paused for a moment at her hypersensitive peak and used the tip of his tongue to bring her clit out further. The attention left Samira trembling and she stared down at him, digging her hand into his thick white hair.

“I want to touch you,” she gasped.

Ty took his mouth from her and grasped her wrist so that he could pull her up into a full seated position. The position ensured that she could see him fully. His erection was incredibly long and thick, making her mouth water as she looked at it. She bit down into her bottom lip, but he didn’t seem to want her to maintain any sort of control. Still holding onto her wrist, he guided her hand forward toward his body so that he could wrap it around his warm, velvety cock. She rested the shaft against her palm and wrapped her fingers firmly around it. Ty moaned at the touch and his head dropped back. Samira began to stroke him and Ty brought his hands to her thighs. He kneaded into her flesh as her hand glided indulgently along his length, occasionally swirling at the top to gather the slick fluids that made her movements smoother.

Samira ran her other hand along his rippling chest and belly. Her fingertips traced along the definition of each muscle and dipped into his navel. She bent her head down to draw her tongue along the tip of his erection. The flavor of him made the desire in her belly surge and her body clenched as if searching for him to plunge inside of her. She lifted her head to catch his mouth in another kiss as she stroked him faster and more intensely. Finally, Ty gripped her wrist to stop her and eased her hand away from his erection. He laid her back on the bed and stretched out over her so that their bodies pressed against one another as they kissed languidly. Here they slowed the pace that had begun to get frantic and allowed themselves to relax as their mouths played against one another and their hands softly stroked along each other’s bodies. Ty’s hips nudged hers softly and Samira let her thighs part so that he could settle between them. This brought them even closer and she relished the feeling of their bodies so close to one another. In this moment she was blissfully thankful for her larger size, appreciating that every inch of her height brought her closer to the size of her tremendous mate, allowing her to touch even more of him.

Ty’s hand slid down into the curve of her waist and over her hip onto her thigh so that he could lead her leg up and onto his waist. The movement caused the tip of his erection to slide up through her wet, hot core and dip just into her opening. Samira drew in a breath and met Ty’s eyes. They didn’t need any words in that moment. He touched his lips to hers in another kiss and then tightened his grip on her thigh for leverage as he eased forward to sink completely into her. They both gasped and Samira closed her eyes, savoring the first seconds of her walls enveloping his delectably engorged cock. It had been too long since she had held him within her and now she felt fulfilled, whole again as she cradled him. Samira could feel the rapid rhythm of Ty’s heartbeat pounding through his chest toward her. She enjoyed knowing that she was the only woman in all the Universe who could ever experience the type of love and passion that Ty offered her. She was his mate, created for him and intended for his devotion even before her birth. Any other woman who attempted to touch him without a specific purpose, such as a healing, would experience excruciating heat radiating from his skin that made it impossible for her to continue touching him. He was fully and totally hers and they were inextricably intertwined for life.

She relaxed around him and Ty started to roll his hips, sinking deeper into her body with each masterful stroke. Her body welcomed him and she felt emotion welling within her as their bodies melded, a physical celebration of the bond of their hearts and minds. Samira ran her hands along his back and tilted her head to provide him greater access as he kissed his way along her neck. He moved his hips, so their bodies remained pressed together and she held his waist tightly with her leg to keep the connection. He filled her so completely, with his body and his love, that she felt as though they were being whisked away to another existence she had never known, and yet she felt that it had always been waiting for her, a promise hovering just on the horizon that she could persevere through the suffering of her youth on Earth and discover the life that she was meant to live.

Ty grunted slightly as his thrusts became harder and faster, and Samira let herself go completely, allowing her own high, passionate sounds join his so they blended into one beautiful, harmonious expression of their combined pleasure and love. He sped up again and she felt him pounding so deeply into her that the pleasure he created neared pain, creating a sensation that was so delicious Samira felt that she was nearing the brink of her control. Ty used his hands pressed to either side of her to gain leverage, creating an even greater level of intensity with each stroke. She watched his face, enjoying the way that it contracted and changed with the pleasure that he was experiencing.

The rich orange shade of his eyes, changed the moment that their bond was completed in order to express to anyone who looked at him that he had found and linked with his mate, glowed intensely as if light was emanating from inside of him. Samira dug her fingers into his back as powerful pressure tightened through her belly, thighs, and hips, harkening her oncoming climax. Ty’s sounds grew ever-louder and she knew that he was in the same place, experiencing the same incredible upward spiral that she was. Suddenly he thrust into her with one final intense stroke and threw back his head, roaring as his cock throb within her. The feeling of his rapid pulses spilling into her was too much for her to handle and Samira tossed her head forward to scream into his shoulder as she felt herself crash into her own blinding orgasm.

Each of her trembling spasms met the deep pulses of Ty’s erection within her, deepening their meld as they seemed to draw him deeper inside of her. She wrapped her legs tighter around him, not wanting him to withdraw yet as she gave her mind over to the delirious feeling of him filling her. Ty let out a shuddering groan as he shook with the last waves of his climax and slowly lowered down onto her. The weight of his body pressed her down into the bed and Samira welcomed it, allowing his presence to surround her.

Outside of the house, she knew that the compound was bustling with everyone trying to piece together all that had happened and integrate into a more cohesive group, ensuring that they were ready for the next attack, or for the next move that they would choose to make. When the morning came she and Ty would have to leave the treasured private space that they had created and return to the fray, but she didn’t want to think of that right now. There was nothing else. There was no one else. There was only her and her husband, only the wonder, and contentment of their marriage, only the relaxation and satisfaction of their bodies. She felt like she could lie there with him, ignoring the existence of everything around them, forever.