Chapter 17
Calabez felt her orgasm wrench through her. Then his eyes rolled back in his head as her inner muscles squeezed tightly around his cock. It took all the power he possessed not to lose his seed in that moment.
“My gods, woman,” he growled. “You’re magnificent.”
She smiled up at him and his heart beat harder in his chest. In that moment, he knew the words that had slipped out earlier were true. He was claiming her, making her his. She is mine, forever.And I dare any motherfucker to try and take her from me.
Her muscles squeezed again and he realized she was toying with him. He’d felt the evidence of her virginity, but it was obvious Gemma was a quick study. A smile sliding across his face, he picked up his pace, driving home deep inside her.
Gemma’s head fell back once again and he was filled with a determination to make her climax once more. He wanted all this woman’s pleasure, was unwilling to leave her even slightly less than sated.
Staring into her eyes, he cupped her face and seized her lips in a passionate kiss that made his cock throb inside her. It would be a tight race to orgasm because he was so close to the edge already. Gritting his teeth, he drove home into her warm and willing body.
Calabez bent his head to take a nipple into his mouth. Her sharp intake of breath and the answering rush of moisture around his shaft told him that she was close.
“Come for me one more time, my precious angel. Give me every ounce of your pleasure.”
His words had their intended effect. Legs shaking, breath coming in adorable little pants, he felt her climax rush over her. Unable to hold back a second longer, Cal gave into his own orgasm.
He was shaking too, he realized, with the overwhelming power of his climax. His cock throbbed as his seed shot deep inside her.
Collapsing beside her, he pulled Gemma into his arms. Cal knew it was a risk, every second that he stayed with her unhidden, but he wouldn’t even think of letting her go now. Turning on his side, he tucked a finger under her chin and lifted her face until her eyes met his. Stroking her silky hair, he searched her expression.
There was something there, in her face, some emotion he struggled to place. The closest he could come waswonder, but that failed to fully describe how she looked in that moment.
“Gemmaline,” he said, his voice low. “Are you all right?”
Tears filled her eyes, making them sparkle like sapphires. “All right doesn’t begin to cover it,” she said, then laughed.
Cal smiled, but a sliver of tension remained inside him. That laugh had sounded slightly unhinged. “How are you feeling then?”
Gemma raised herself on one elbow and looked down at him. “Have you ever woken up from a dream that was so real, you’d forgotten your waking life entirely?” A far-away expression wreathed her features. “I was locked away from myself, from who I really am. And now I’m awake.”
She focused on him, leaning in to press a soft kiss against his lips. “I know you wonder if you made the right decision, but let me assure you, Calabez Vartik. You did.” She stroked his cheek. “I would fight a million demons, fight the endless hordes of hell for all eternity, if that meant I was whole again. And you’re the one responsible. I can’t express how grateful I am to you.”
Cal felt slightly embarrassed. Sure, women were generally appreciative after spending a night in his bed, but he’d never been thanked so profusely before. There was another reason behind the gratitude, but it still made him feel slightly uncomfortable. After all, he should be the one thanking her. She’d been the most amazing female he’d ever had the pleasure of seducing.
Changing the subject seemed safest. “Well, I’m no doctor, but I’d say your catatonia seems much improved.”
Gemma giggled, but then her brow furrowed, and her face took on a dark cast. “Yes. I hope that it’s gone for good this time.” She shivered, causing Cal to tighten his hold on her. “I don’t ever want to return to that fog, unable to express myself, unable to control the input I’m receiving.”
“Input?”
She nodded, then lay back down, snuggling up close and tucking her head under his chin. “Yes, input from the world around me. It was like being bombarded by a billion pieces of data every microsecond, and I had no control over processing. I had to take it all.”
Calabez considered her words. Everyone was being bombarded by data constantly, in their perception of the world around them. But people generally had a choice what to pay attention to, what to take in and retain. Was Gemma saying she hadn’t had that ability?
“What does ‘take it all’ mean?” he asked, his voice tight. “You catalogued and remembered every perception from the world around you for every second of your consciousness?”
“Sure,” Gemma said, yawning. Her eyes slid closed. “I remember the first time I saw you, you were commenting on an authoritarian conspiracy. I realize now you were being intentionally critical of the dragnet the interstellar police had set up. What were you hiding?”
Cal’s eyes widened. He felt like he had whiplash. One minute, Gemma could barely talk, and now, she was smart enough to analyze his little performance for the cameras. This new Gemma would take some getting used to, but he already knew that he’d find her endlessly fascinating.
He leaned over and kissed her forehead. “No need to worry about that right now, precious girl. You should get some rest. You earned it.”
She smiled, but then her eyes snapped open in fear. “You’re not leaving me, are you?”
“Shh,” he said, kissing her gently. “We both earned the rest. I’ll be right here by your side for as long as I can.”
