Going Cold Read online

  Valat’s hand moved on her thigh. “The meteor shower is about to start.”

  “It is?” Time had slipped away from her.

  “I have a place we can watch it from.”

  She smiled. “You do?”

  He got to his feet and nodded to the group. “Please, excuse us.”

  He manifested his shadows, pulled her against him, and he held her tight as there was a jolt, and when he let her go again, she could feel colder air on her skin. She exhaled and saw her breath.

  “Look up.”

  She tilted her head and saw the outline of his hooded shadows, and beyond was the start of the cascade of falling stars.

  He turned her so she could see them fully while he kept her warm. Hesker watched the sky fall in rainbows of burning minerals. It was amazing.

  She stood staring up at the shower as Reuval moved through the path of the meteor. When the light traces slowed, she leaned back against Valat and smiled. “Thank you for this. It was amazing.”

  He chuckled. “Watching minerals scorching on entry to the atmosphere is the oddest aphrodisiac, but I am not going to complain.”

  “Is that why we are alone?”

  He stroked her cheek. “That, and this is the best view.”

  He was looking down at her, and she could feel the smile. “Um, you aren’t looking at the stars.”

  “No, but it is the best view on Reuval.”

  She smiled and turned in his arms. She wrapped her arms around him and held him close. “This is the best place.”

  He let out a low rumbling noise and sighed. “You are the most delicate deadly creature I have ever come across.”

  She chuckled. “Three worlds down. How many more to go?”

  “At least ninety.”

  She grinned against his chest. “I am allowed to defend myself?”

  “You are. Diplomatic immunity.”

  She sighed as her shoulders relaxed. “This is going to be an interesting journey.”

  “I will be with you every step of this journey and far beyond.”

  “That sounds like a threat.”

  He chuckled. “It is. Hold tight.”

  There was a tug, and then, he released her. She peeped around him, and they were back in her quarters.

  He murmured, “Have a seat.”

  She sat in the chair in front of the mirror, and he began to take her hair down using his long, sharp fingers. He pulled the pins and unravelled the pearls in her hair.

  When her hair was down, he eased her to her feet and put his hands on her shoulders before easing them down her back to release the tiny clasps that opened her gown and sent it slithering to the floor.

  He muttered in a strangled tone. “You didn’t wear anything under it.”

  “No. The way things were going earlier, I felt a little overheated.” She put her hand on his chest. “So, you are now the only overdressed one in the room.”

  He morphed into his Nyal form and flicked his clothing off in every direction. She smiled and gasped as he pulled her against him.

  “This form, this time. Yes?” He raised his brows.

  She nodded. “Yes.”

  He smiled and pressed a kiss to her forehead, the bridge of her nose, the tip of her nose, and then her lips. The kiss was sweet, tender, and it escalated quickly.

  Her hands ran over him, learning all the angles and planes of his body. He bent his knees, picked her up, and continued their voracious kiss as he walked her to the bed.

  His fingers slid through her slick heat, and he chuckled as her obvious enthusiasm confirmed her participation.

  He pinned her back on the bed and held her arms above her head against the sheets. Valat stared into her eyes as he fitted himself to her and slowly pressed inside.

  Hesker watched his face change as he eased into her until he was as far as her body would allow.

  “Are you all right?”

  She felt the twinges as her body tightened around him, but when she lifted her hips and he slid in a little further, she gasped and nodded. “I think so.”

  “Good.” He cocked his head. “Do you need anything?”

  She bit her lip. “To find out what happens next.”

  He smiled and eased nearly out of her before sliding back into her. She moaned, and he wove his fingers with hers, putting her hands near her head as he thrust again. She leaned up, and he kissed her, rocking into her again and again. The build-up was slow, but when it started to get out of control, she panicked.

  He paused and held himself completely still, his fingers flexing around hers. He nipped at her lips, and she nipped back before sliding her tongue along his. They duelled tongues for a while, and then, she calmed down and lifted her hips to his. He slowly started again, and the intensity of her impending release took over, but this time, she encouraged him to keep going.

  She gasped as her orgasm pulsed outward, and he kept moving slowly inside her, increasing the spasms and twitches, drawing out the dizzying effect of her release until he moved and she moaned in protest.

  He chuckled and leaned back. “How are you feeling?”

  She reached up to stroke his neck. “Floppy. You didn’t come?”

  He smiled. “It isn’t necessary.”

  She frowned. “It really is.”

  He cocked his head. “Why?”

  “Because I feel like I am the one on the receiving end of all the fun and the feeling of being limp and relaxed.” She lifted her hips and rocked them. “That is definitely not limp.”

  He chuckled. “Is that an invitation?”

  She grinned. “It is an order.”

  “It is going to be a little harder.”

  She nodded. “I expect nothing less.”

  He started slowly, and when she was meeting him thrust for thrust, he pulled out, and she thudded back to the bed in confusion. He released his grip and flipped her over on her hands and knees, driving into her with his thighs slapping against her ass; the loud rhythmic sound had her moans and a high whine in counterpoint.

  She shrieked as her body bucked against his, and her nerves caught fire. He seemed to get bigger within her, and he thrust a dozen more times, and then, his shout shook the walls.

  She felt his cock jerk inside her and was not surprised when his elongated hands slammed down next to her own.

  She groaned as a series of minute twitches continued inside her.

  He leaned down over her back and whispered, “What would you say if I mentioned that I was stuck?”

  She giggled. “I would say that it is a good thing you can teleport because this is not the way I want to leave through the spaceport.”

  He brushed the back of her neck with a kiss. “Out of all the women I have met over the years who tried to lure me into their beds, you are the only one to ever laugh with me.”

  “To be fair, I laugh at you, too, now and then.”

  He lightly slapped the side of her thigh. “For an imperial envoy, you are a little irreverent with your dutiful and loyal guard.”

  He withdrew from her, and she chuckled, twisting to see him. “So, not stuck after all.”

  The long shadows were floating around him. She touched his chest and felt her way until she could pull him in for a kiss with some accuracy.

  He pulled back and chuckled. “Again?”

  “Yes. The first was for me, the second for you. How about one for us?”

  He rubbed his knuckles between her thighs. “You will be sore tomorrow.”

  She smiled. “If my research is accurate, that means we have done it correctly.”

  He stroked her clit, and she inhaled sharply. Valat’s touch was careful, and he used the back of his folded fingers to caress her slick, hot flesh.

  “I confess I have never tried to join with a woman in this form. It feels strange.”

  She looked at him and smiled. “I am offering to be voluntarily impaled, talk about feeling strange.
”

  He groaned and covered her, his erection prodding at her swollen opening.

  She groaned and gripped his shoulders as he thrust into her, using their earlier fluids to ease his way.

  She gasped and clutched at him as he flattened her to the bedding. She was covered in his shadows, but the body within was very solid. He slid against her and into her over and over. He caught her gasps with his mouth, and she took in his moans as he did all the work.

  Her hands clutched his head and neck as her release swamped over her once again. He groaned, and his hips jerked into hers as he shook.

  Hesker held him until he collapsed on her and withdrew, taking on his Nyal form again to curl them together on the bed.

  She sighed. “One day, you will sleep next to me as yourself.”

  He chuckled. “This will be less shocking for the servants in an hour.”

  She wrinkled her nose and sighed as her body hummed its song of satisfaction. Valat cuddled her so close that she could feel herself stealing his body heat. Hesker smiled. She now understood what the fuss was about.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “I told you, you would be sore. Even your adaptations take some time to heal.” He murmured it to her as they took their leave of the amused Tah family.

  She sighed. “Worth it.”

  The captain choked on laughter. “So, you are going to be relieved that we will be back on the ship.”

  Hesker frowned. “Why?”

  Valat murmured, “No open windows.”

  She turned pink. “Ah.”

  She looked at the men in the skimmer, and she picked up Valat’s hand, pressing a kiss to the back of it. “Still worth it.”

  Valat’s grin was blinding.

  The captain groaned. “That is a very disturbing expression on you.”

  Valat shrugged. “Tough.”

  Hesker smiled, and when she went to release his hand, he threaded his fingers through hers.

  She was still in a good mood when they entered the spaceport. She was with Yish when her senses alerted her to danger. Her temperature dropped. Incoming traffic was surging around them, and when the monofilament blade was swung toward her, she shoved Yish down and kicked at the woman who was wielding it. She snapped the wrist of the woman with the press of her foot and removed her blade, holding it up before slicing off an ear. “Who sent you?”

  The woman was screaming, so Hesker drew a line down her torso with the blade. “I want to know who sent you. A scream isn’t an answer.”

  The woman sobbed.

  “Dame Hesker, stand aside. I will take her for questioning.”

  Hesker looked at Summoned Death, and she inclined her head. “Fine, but I am going to kill an assassin eventually.”

  He leaned down and kissed her, causing gasps in the port. “Yes, my treasure, but right now, on a neutral world is not the time. I have obtained the warrant here on Reuval and am going to carry it out. I will see you on the ship.”

  She nodded and got the sheath for the blade, handing the whole unit to Valat before letting herself be led off by the rest of her guards. He grabbed the injured woman and disappeared.

  Yish was a little wild around the eyes. “What just happened?”

  Krin chuckled. “Dame Hesker just kept you from getting your head ventilated.”

  The captain sighed. “I am thinking that we might want to shift from our duties as imperial guards and just wear our guardian uniforms. With Valat transforming like that, the secret is out.”

  They got into their shuttle, and she did a quick security sweep. They were clear to go, so they went. The customs officials gave them a wide berth, and they exited Reuval with considerably more interest than they had landed with.

  She sat in the shuttle and waited for their return to their travelling home.

  Yish murmured, “Thank you for pushing me out of the way. I never saw her coming. How did you?”

  Hesker shrugged. “I am good at sensing threats.”

  “I think I am going to have to work on my awareness. I was busy watching for dangerous men, not women.”

  She chuckled. “A woman can get closer to another woman in a casual environment. Since I am the target, it would have been suspicious for a male to approach. Teen girls are also common, as are children with poison needles.”

  “How do you know that?”

  She looked at the display that showed them approaching the ship. “That was how I started.”

  “You? Oh.” Yish nodded slowly. “That makes a certain amount of sense considering your relationship with Valat. He hasn’t really been interested in any female as far as I can remember.”

  She turned her head and gave him a serious look. “You don’t say.”

  “Not that you aren’t a female.”

  She snorted. “Nice recovery.”

  “I mean that in his normal form, he has women climbing all over him, but he doesn’t take them up on it.”

  “That is probably for the best from this point onward.” She smiled slightly.

  “Oh. Yes. Of course.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “This is not a conversation I ever thought to have.”

  “It is fine. You can just stop where you are.” She yawned.

  Yish chuckled. “It appears that you are short on sleep.”

  She looked at him with a narrow-eyed glare before she smiled. “Worth it.”

  He grinned and chuckled. “Let’s see if you feel the same when he goes into rut.”

  She shrugged. “I probably will. I have no idea what will happen when I go into heat, either. All I can do is count on the fact that Valat’s primary concern is for my person.”

  “That is a lot of trust with something like him.”

  She murmured, “Have you seen me stroking his neck with my thumb?”

  “Yes.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “It is my way of reminding him that I can incapacitate him. It might not keep him down, but I can put him down.”

  “What?”

  “He lets me into his personal space. That shows that he trusts me. I will probably not be able to permanently injure him, but I am very capable of launching an attack. He is aware of this, but he lets me touch him anyway.” She sighed. “The trust is an intoxicating thing.”

  Yish blinked. “Yeah, I guess I could see how it would be. Idress is causing Kirlus a lot of irritation.”

  “Who said that Idress was for Kirlus? She follows him because he is familiar, but sometimes, you need to step outside the familiar to see things properly.”

  Yish blinked. “But, they are both Nyal.”

  “They are. And you are a W’lyn, so when her body starts throwing off heat, you will know it before anyone else. If you happen to be with her when her blood rises, it might be even more convenient.”

  “You are saying that I should pursue Idress?”

  Hesker shook her head as they docked. “I am saying nothing of the kind. I am merely positing that she is not for Kirlus, so where does that leave her? Trapped on a ship and seeing the stars from a distance?”

  He blinked. “How do you know that she is not for Kirlus?”

  “She does not react to him. She clings to him because he is what she is used to considering as a lover. She will learn that he is not the one she needs, but it might be frustrating for her.”

  The shuttle settled, and she nodded to him. “There is nothing more frustrating than knowing that there is no one for you because the one you need has never appeared.”

  Yish stared at her. “It is an interesting thought.”

  “Get close and see what her body tells you. The W’lyn know by the smell of blood, don’t they?”

  “What if she does not care for me?”

  Hesker blinked. “I can’t believe this is coming from me, but why don’t you ask her to dance? It works wonders.”

  He smiled. “My people do enjoy dancing.”

  “I believe that we might be visiting
your world in the next three or four planets that we touch down on.”

  He grinned. “I believe you are accurate in your statement.”

  She got to her feet and headed for the door. The officer scrambled to get the exit working, and Yish barely made it ahead of her before the door opened. Even on her own ship, she had to be guarded in case she decided to do something fun or stupid.

  Hesker yawned and left the shuttle after Yish confirmed that the area was secure. He escorted her to her quarters, and she tried to take down her own hair.

  She got half the braids down before she was too tired to continue. She leaned forward and took a nap on the dressing table.

  A hand tried to shake her awake, but she swatted at it. She heard Valat’s laugh, and his fingers worked their way through her hair until her hair was loose and wavy. His hand opened the closures of her dress, and when he pulled her up, it slithered to her feet.

  Hesker let him do all the work, again. It was fun.

  “I can feel you smiling.”

  She chuckled. “I would apologize, but since you have had a rough day as well, I thought it would be nice to just have a nap.”

  He settled her on her bed and stroked her cheek. “Well, if you need sleep, I will just be next door.”

  Her eyes opened wide, and she grabbed his wrist, flipping him into bed next to her.

  She straddled him and pinned his shoulders down. “I might be more awake than I admitted to.”

  He grinned. “That was a good move.”

  “Thank you for not running me through. Good defensive reflexes.”

  She looked at his right hand, and it reverted to his Nyal form. His fingers flexed.

  “It was residue from cutting the ties out of your hair. I have been experimenting with sewing it in place, and my natural fingers are most efficient at removing them.”

  She leaned down to kiss him. “Did she say who sent her?”

  He nodded. “She did. And after we had it confirmed by three different sources, a warrant was issued, so that particular plotter has been removed.”

  “Good.”

  “Thank you for stopping her assassination attempt.” He leaned up and kissed her.