of control vanished. He pulled her closer, thrusting wildly, desperately. She met him just as eagerly and he felt her shudder, felt her body tighten, but he was lost to everything except the primitive need to bury himself inside her. He felt the base of his cock beginning to swell as he plunged into her one final time, fire shooting down his spine as his seed finally erupted and their bodies locked together. He heard her cry out, felt her cunt fluttering around him, but all he could do was hold on as triumph filled him. She was his.
Inzen barely slept for a second night but this time, it was by choice. He did not want to miss a moment with Jade. Even after his knot finally subsided, he spent most of the night holding her close, memorizing the feel of her soft body against his, embedding her fragrance in his scent receptacles. But despite his happiness, his thoughts were troubled. He still had not told her about Lily or the fact that he was raising her as his daughter. How could he hope to convince her to become his mate if he kept secrets from her?
A blinking light on his console alerted him to the presence of a message and he reluctantly separated himself from his female, covering her carefully with a blanket when she sighed at his absence. He went to retrieve the message with mixed feelings. It was undoubtedly from Abby – she had dutifully sent him a message at least once a day to assure him that Lily was doing well. She had been remarkably patient with the number of messages, warnings, and instructions that he sent in return.
The new message contained a small video of Lily splashing happily in her bath, and his chest ached. He missed her so much, but he was growing increasingly convinced that she would turn out to be Jade’s daughter. When she smiled up at the person holding the camera, her head tilted to one side and he caught his breath. The gesture reminded him so much of Jade. He froze the image and looked deeper, searching for a resemblance, but their coloring was so very different—Lily’s soft brown curls and brown eyes totally unlike Jade’s silky dark hair and her startling green eyes—that perhaps the small gesture was only a coincidence.
“What happened?” Jade sat up in bed. “I thought I heard a child.”
He knew he should show her the video, but he could not bring himself to do it, afraid of her reaction. He shook his head.
“I do not hear anything.” Now. It was not a lie, but it was close enough that his conscience tormented him. “Are you ready to break your fast?”
“Mmm.” She raised her hands over her head, stretching lazily, and the covers fell away to reveal her naked body. Her small nipples were already hard, and she gave him a seductive smile. “Isn’t it too early? The lights aren’t even up yet. Why don’t you come back to bed?”
“I…” His guilt overrode his desire but before he could come up with some kind of excuse, the lights began to brighten. “It is morning. I will prepare a meal.”
Her lips pushed out, more tempting than ever, but he forced himself to ignore her and turn to the cooking area. As he reached for a plate, her soft hands stroked his tail from the base of the spine to the very end and he shivered, his cock thrusting insistently against his pants.
“What a shame. I had plans for you.” Warm lips pressed against his back. He almost turned, almost took her in his arms, but then she was gone, the san door closing behind her. What was he going to do? As much as his conscience plagued him, he didn’t know how long he would be able to resist her.
For the rest of the morning, he did his best, burying himself in the ship’s records while she sewed. They ate lunch together and he could feel her watching him, her expression troubled, while he tried to keep up a neutral conversation.
When lunch ended, she looked at him, raising an eyebrow in obvious challenge.
“Do you want to train again?”
He did. More than anything. But he did not trust himself to be so close to her and not give in to his desires.
“I… need to continue working on my records.”
“I see.” Her face shut down completely, forming a smooth, impenetrable mask.
He knew he shouldn’t ask, but… “What do you