Destin's Hold Read online

  She cried out, writhing on the covers.

  Destin released her breasts and moved down, pressing tiny, moist kisses along her heated skin as he worked his way down her body. Her hips rose again when he gripped her leggings and pulled them down. Sula’s hands dropped to the bed and her fingers tangled in sheets, clawing to hold onto something when he paused to press a kiss where her womanly core was on fire.

  He nipped her, causing her head to jerk up to stare at him. A mischievous grin curved his lips and he opened his mouth to run his tongue along his upper lip. She knew her own mouth had to be hanging open at his torturous teasing.

  “I ache,” she snapped in confusion. “You are making my body do things that were not in the files.”

  “Honey, we are going to be doing and feeling a lot of things that weren’t in your files before the afternoon is finished if I have any say in the matter,” Destin promised.

  Sula’s eyes widened and her curiosity grew. “I would like to experience that,” she said, her eyes turning a darker blue at the thought. “Will the ache go away?”

  “Not for long if I do it right,” Destin teased and pulled her leggings off. “Will you trust me?”

  Sula tilted her head when he paused, holding her leggings in his hands. She studied his intense expression for several long seconds before she nodded. She wanted to experience it all – with him.

  “Yes,” she whispered. “I will trust you. Can I make you ache like this as well? I think I would enjoy torturing you.”

  “You already have,” Destin chuckled.

  He tossed her leggings onto the pile of their clothes, never taking his gaze off of her. A shiver of need ran through Sula. His gaze was hot enough to burn away the vestiges of her control.

  Her breathing accelerated when he rose up on his knees between her legs. She could see every proud inch of him. She could also see the scars that marred his darker flesh. The scars did not detract from the beauty of his body. If anything, they made her curious about how he received each one of them. She wanted to explore him and kiss each mark in reverence of his ability to survive so much. Sula knew she had led a sheltered life. That knowledge was one of the reasons she fought so hard to break free of the glass bubble her parents tried to cocoon around her. Destin was cut by the glass of the bubble he was born in. Each jagged scar was a testament to the challenges he had faced and overcome.

  “Lift your arms above your head and hold onto the frame of the bed,” Destin ordered, caressing her lower legs.

  “But… I wish to touch you,” Sula whispered, unsure of how she was supposed to pleasure him if she was holding onto the metal bar.

  “You’ll have a chance, but for now… just hold on and enjoy,” he instructed, lifting her legs up and sliding them over his shoulders.

  “Oh, are you going to…?” Sula started to ask before her head fell back and her eyes closed at the intense pleasure. “You have found the heat! Yes…,” she gasped, trying to press up against him while at the same time unsure she would be able to handle the unspeakable pleasure swamping her body.

  Destin’s soft, warm chuckle feathered her sensitive flesh. She couldn’t close her legs because he was between them. Her heels dug into his shoulder blades. The memory of the wound to his left shoulder swept through her mind. Worried, she started to lift her leg off of his shoulder, but he reached up and wrapped his arm around her thigh, stopping her.

  She abandoned all reasonable thoughts after the first touch of his mouth against her swollen womanhood. She had seen this thing done on the files she watched, but the feelings were entirely different than what she expected. Instead of being repulsed by such an intimate touch, she craved to know more.

  Closing her eyes, she focused on the explosions of pleasure bursting inside her. She pulled in low, gasping breaths when she felt his tongue caressing her. After talking with Chelsea and watching the files, she researched the differences between human females and her own body.

  Physically, most of the differences were superficial. There were the obvious differences in skin color, and her facial features were flatter. She has larger eyes and a smaller nose. Her mouth was wider, though she saw some human females with mouths not much narrower than hers. She also has two breasts, though they tended to be smaller than the average humans.

  Her feminine design was a little different. She did not have hair on her body except on her head. Like a human, a Usoleum female has one clitoris. It was highly sensitive to stimulation and was protected until the female became aroused by a male she chose to mate with; then it would swell, becoming accessible to the male. Without this stimulation, it was virtually impossible for a female to have a sexual relationship with a male.

  At the moment, Sula was more than stimulated. Her chemical and physical reaction to Destin was unprecedented. The taste of his kiss, the way he pressed his tongue into her mouth and teased her, and the way his hands felt against her body released the mating chemical which now consumed her.

  Her hips moved to the pace of his tongue. She could feel her body opening for him, ready for more, needing more. A hiccup of breath escaped her when he paused and she stiffened. It was as if he was waiting for that heightened sense of expectation before his hands slid up between her thighs and he exposed even more of her to his touch. A harsh cry ripped from her lips when he captured the swollen nub between his lips and touched it with his tongue. Intense pleasure soared through her body. Her hands gripped the top frame of the bed and her body arched in response. Destin’s hands moved back to her thighs to keep her from pulling away while he continued to suck on her. Sula could feel the tidal wave building, growing more intense before it crashed through her, sending her into a convulsion of aftershocks as she came.

  A low sob escaped her and she shook her head at the intensity of the feelings rushing through her. The stimulations she had performed on her body never prepared her for this. She was vaguely aware of Destin gently sliding her legs from his shoulders and moving back up her body.

  Another loud moan escaped her when he captured her right nipple in his mouth and sucked hard on it. Already over stimulated by her orgasm, the added touch of Destin’s almost painful attack on her nipple sent her back over the edge. It took her a moment to realize that an additional sensation was pressing against her. The hard, bulbous head of Destin’s cock was slowly penetrating her now relaxed vaginal canal. The tiny muscles of her channel moved along his silken length, greedily drawing him deeper.

  “Holy shit!” Destin muttered hoarsely, releasing her breast and rocking his hips when he felt the tiny muscles pulsing against him.

  “Yes!” Sula moaned, feeling him sink even deeper.

  She lifted her legs again, this time to wrap around his waist. The position connected them completely. Her body molded to his until they were one. Sula gave herself up to the utter abandon of pure pleasure. She had discovered her mate, an alien male unlike anything she had ever dreamed possible.

  9

  Destin woke with a start, sitting up in the narrow bunk. A shudder went through him and he ran his hand down over his face. The nightmare still gripped him. He turned his gaze to the empty space next to him and frowned.

  When in the hell did Sula leave? he wondered, dropping his hand to the covers.

  He glanced around the dim interior of his living quarters. It did not take him long to realize that she was not in the room. Shoving the tangled covers aside, he twisted and sat on the edge of the bed. He was not sure how much time had passed. From experience, he imagined it had only been a few hours, because he never slept more than that at any given time.

  He could only attribute his deep sleep to exhaustion from the previous night and his time with Sula. Hell, the way his body had melted after his orgasm, he was lucky he wasn’t comatose! He couldn’t remember ever having such an intense orgasm before – or being as satisfied afterwards.

  “Get a grip, Destin. You’re growing soft in your old age,” he muttered out loud.

  With a sigh, he p
ushed up off the bed and walked into the bathroom. It wasn’t much bigger than the bathrooms he was used to on Earth. Bracing his left arm against the back wall, he quickly relieved himself before turning to the shower unit and giving it a skeptical look. If this was like the other showers, it was more of a heavy mist with a soap solution in it. He learned that the water was filtered and reused on board the ships. That was a necessity considering there was no rain or places to stop and refill the tanks.

  He stepped inside, closing his eyes when the shower activated. Immediately, the image of Sula materialized in his mind. The feel and taste of her still lingered on his skin and mouth. A satisfied smile curved his lips when he remembered her smothered cry and her body arching against his hands. He bowed his head and opened his eyes. Staring down his body, he grimaced. It was obvious his cock liked the memory.

  “Another first,” he chuckled.

  Wiping a hand down his face, he shook his head at his errant thoughts. Over the course of the trip to Earth, he needed to focus on some of the items he placed on his To-Do list but never had a chance to take care of. He would also check in with Tim to see how things were going back home.

  No sooner did those thoughts flash through his mind, then his resolution to focus on them wavered, and Sula crept to the forefront again. With a growl of frustration, he opened his eyes and quickly washed the remains of the afternoon from his body. Once he was finished, he waited for the warm air from the dryer to evaporate the remaining water from his body and stepped out.

  Striding back into the other room, he picked up his duffel bag and placed it on the table. He unzipped it and pulled out the clothes he was going to wear: a pair of well-worn jeans, socks, jockey shorts, and a dark blue T-shirt. It didn’t take him long to get dressed. He quickly unpacked, storing his clothing in the drawers built into the wall, and slid the duffel bag under the bed.

  He sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled on his socks and boots. Once he was finished, he stood, turned, and made the bed. His fingers lingered for a moment on the covers, thinking of Sula spread across them. His lips tightened in agitation. He was used to waking up alone. Normally, he and his partner had a mutual agreement that once their physical needs were taken care of, there was nothing else to keep them together. His time with Sula a few hours ago was different. He wanted to wake up with her in his arms, in his bed, just as he had held her tightly before he fell asleep. Waking alone now felt wrong.

  A wave of irritation swept through him. This was uncharted territory for him and he wasn’t sure he liked it. He wasn’t delusional enough to think he was in love. Hell, he was not sure he even believed romantic love was possible for him. One thing he did know was that he was physically attracted to Sula in a way he had never been before. Still, that was a long way from something as undefinable as love. He knew and recognized infatuation and lust. Those two emotions he had seen and experienced. He experienced the first when he was a teenager with a girl in their old neighborhood. Now, that he thought about it, even that was probably more lust than infatuation. In the subsequent years since, he had purposely steered away from any woman wanting a more permanent relationship. The moment the ‘L’ word was mentioned, it was time to end the relationship. That was what he had liked about Maria. She had wanted him for his body and he had reciprocated. They had scratched each other’s itch without wanting or expecting more. It was a good, working relationship until Colbert’s insane jealousy made Maria a target.

  Destin shook his head and quickly pushed the wave of guilt away. The fact that Kali had warned him and he had brushed her concerns away would always haunt him. If he had listened, he could have prevented the deaths and miseries of hundreds, if not thousands, of innocent people. It was a burden he would always carry.

  Destin stepped close to the door and it slid open. A dark scowl crossed his face when he saw Trig standing outside of it with his hand raised. He didn’t miss the inquisitive glance over Destin’s shoulder and into the dim interior.

  “What do you want?” Destin asked with a raised eyebrow.

  “I was about to get something to eat and wasn’t sure if you were still occupied or not,” Trig replied with a slight smirk. “From your unhappy expression and biting tone, I will take it that things didn’t go well with the Usoleum Councilor. They aren’t known for their warmth, though you appeared to be defrosting this one. I’ve heard that Elpidiosian females are pretty aggressive. Ajaska warned they can be rather predatory if you aren’t careful.”

  Destin shook his head. “I don’t need a babysitter, especially on board the ship. If you are going to be a pain in my ass for the next couple of months, I should warn you that I’ll probably try to stuff you in the disposal tubes,” he groused, pushing past Trig. “And my relationship with Sula is off limits. If you so much as make one derogatory comment about her, I’ll beat the living shit out of you before I eject your ass into space.”

  Trig’s mouth tightened. Destin wasn’t sure whether or not Trig was trying to keep another smart-ass comment from escaping, he was just glad when the other man nodded. Destin eyed the door next to his living quarters and paused. He wanted to see if Sula was alright, but he did not want to do it with Trig standing there pushing his nosy ass in the middle of a situation Destin wasn’t exactly sure how to handle.

  “I could find out if she is in there for you,” Trig offered.

  Destin glowered at the other man in exasperation and shook his head. “Please tell me you are not going to be a boil on my ass for the next few months?” he asked with a pained expression.

  “What is a boil?” Trig asked warily.

  “Look it up,” Destin replied. “Let’s go get something to eat.”

  Trig nodded. “If it is on your ass, that does not sound promising,” he said with a grimace. “If it helps, this isn’t something I volunteered for.”

  “Well, until you tell me why Razor and Hunter are so set on having you as my babysitter, don’t expect any cooperation or sympathy from me,” Destin retorted, stepping into the lift and turning to lean back against the wall.

  “Noted,” Trig muttered, following Destin. “Level Eight.”

  * * *

  *.*.*

  * * *

  “Lesson sixteen,” Sula muttered, staring at the screen. “No, that isn’t it. Lesson twenty-one, lesson twenty-two.”

  Frustrated, she skimmed the contents, searching for anything that could explain what happened earlier. With growing aggravation, she closed the educational files her mother had given her. So far, she had not discovered anything that explained the intense physical reaction to Destin’s touch.

  Her people did not touch lips together. They showed their affection by pressing their foreheads and fingers together. While the files showed her how to relieve her own discomforts, they did not go into detail about the physical relationship between a man and woman like the human PORN files did. Even her brothers’ files were only slightly more descriptive.

  Deciding she had wasted enough time and energy on the subject, she opened the files pertaining to Badrick’s legacy and the current environment on Earth. The more she read about Badrick, the more she wished the former Usoleum Councilor was still alive so she could kill him. It was obvious the male had some mental issues that should have been diagnosed before his assignment to any position. Sula suspected it was only his family’s high position in the Usoleum government that had shielded him. She would have to recommend some reform in that area.

  Leaning forward, Sula rested her chin on the palm of her hand and stared out into space. The small, quiet room was nearly empty. There were only five others in the room set aside for relaxation; two couples who were talking quietly with each other and a male warrior sitting near the back wall, asleep.

  Setting her tablet aside, Sula reached into the small bag she brought with her and pulled out the game Chelsea had given her. It was in the shape of a triangle and contained numerous holes in it. Opening the clear bag containing all the pieces, Sula inserted the colored
pegs into all the holes but one. Over the next several minutes, she played the game, trying to leave only one peg remaining.

  “I’m just plain stupid,” she muttered with a sigh, gloomily staring at the three remaining pegs.

  “Maybe for sneaking out on me, but otherwise I’d say you were pretty smart,” an all-too-familiar masculine voice said, pulling her out of her reverie.

  Sula’s head jerked up and she twisted in her seat. Her gaze softened when she saw Destin standing beside her. Her lips curved when he glanced down at the game and grinned.

  “So, that is where you learned the word you like,” he murmured before returning his gaze to her face. The grin on his face faded and his expression grew more distant. “Do you mind if I join you?”

  “Yes…,” Sula started to say before she released a sigh. “Yes, I would like for you to join me, not that I would mind.”

  “Good,” Destin replied, swiveling the chair so he could slide onto it. He sat forward, clasping his hands together, and gazed at her in silence for a few seconds before he spoke. “Why did you leave?”

  Sula bit her lip and turned her gaze to the game in front of her. Her fingers played with one of the pegs, turning it inside the hole. She blinked when Destin gently placed his strong fingers over hers. The contact sent a wave of yearning through her. Almost immediately, she felt her nipples harden and her stomach clench in remembrance of the feel of his hands against her flesh.

  “I needed time to think,” she admitted, glancing at him. “What happened… It was very unusual for me. Everything about my reaction to you is unusual. I am trying to understand it.”