Thorn's Bondmate (Zarronian Warriors Book 2) (31 page)

Thorn watched it until it floated out of sight, then focused on her, catching a quick glimpse of her breast before she tugged the sheet higher.

"Happy now?"

Thorn slid his eyes down her sheet-covered body. "Has she moved yet?"

She nodded.

"What does it feel like? Could I feel it?"

"Maybe. I’m not sure."

Helplessly, he reached out and placed his hand on the rounded mound. Daria started to shove his hand away, then stopped herself when she saw his eyes. If she didn't know how ruthless and cruel he could be she'd almost believe there were tears in his eyes.

Thorn caressed her for a moment before moving away. He folded his hands beneath his head and stared through the skylight at the stars in the night sky.

Daria curled onto her side next to him. A few moments later he heard her breathing slow as she fell asleep.

He eased her into his arms and suddenly realized this would be the first time they'd ever spent an entire night together. He'd never once held her without making love to her first. Never once held her through the night and woken up with her in his arms.

Daria's leg slid between his as her hand slid over his shoulder. Her fingers curled around his neck and wiggled until they found a place between the pillow and his nape. By the time she found a comfortable position and relaxed against him, he was on fire.

His nostrils flared as her scent drifted to him. Thorn closed his eyes and forced the image of the cool meadow to appear. Daria's body heat filled the air around them as her body cooled and her arousal grew. She moved restlessly in her sleep. He managed to ignore her until her hand slid down his chest and onto his belly. He grasped it and held it still. She made a little humming moan and pulled her hand free.

His breath caught in his throat when her fingers curled around his erection. He lifted his hips and pressed himself into her hand as his heartbeat pounded in his chest and his arousal grew. He covered her hand with his hand. "Daria?"

"Hmmm?"

Thorn released her hand, then stroked the indentation of her waist and the curve of her hip. "Daria, I need you."

He rolled onto his side until he faced her and gently moved her thigh onto his hip. He kissed her, softly, then harder when her lips parted.

"Thorn?"

"Baby, I need you," he stroked the side of her breast, then trailed his hand over the curve of her body to her hip and gently massaged her bottom as he pulled her closer to him. He rocked his hips against hers and nuzzled her neck. Her hand tightened around him, drawing a groan of pleasure from his throat.

Daria grasped his hip and scooted closed to him. His hand speared into her hair and he pulled her head back. For a moment, their eyes met, then he covered her mouth with his as he slowly thrust into her.

His breathing was harsh and she felt his heart pounding in his chest.

His hand slid between them and touched her, stroking over her clit once then again. She rocked against him.

"No," he told her. "Be still, and just feel me touching you." He stroked her again. "Do you feel me?"

"Yes," she panted. "Yes."

He pressed deeper into her and she tightened around him.

"You're close, so close," he groaned, lowering his cheek to hers. "I've needed you for so long. Missed you so much. Yearned for your touch."

"Thorn," Daria gasped his name and shook as pleasure swept through her. She held him tightly.

He pressed his face into her neck and groaned her name. Daria's hand slid to the small of his back and caressed him. It was the most pleasurable moment of his life. She was the only female he'd ever loved. Would ever love. He'd die before he gave her up. He held onto her as a feeling of desperation overwhelmed him. He couldn't lose her.

The people of the Xenti Galaxy believed he was indestructible yet this one female had the power to destroy him simply by refusing to love him. He had his sons and soon he'd have a daughter, a fact he was still in shock over, but he needed her to complete his life.

She'd become his true bondmate. His heart and his joy and she'd brought him home.

Chapter Fifteen

Thorn stepped over the obstacles in his way. In the last twenty cycles he'd become used to plotting a course through the cluttered den. Frowning, he sat down behind the desk and began clearing a place to work.

He'd told Daria to purchase a desk for herself, but she couldn't seem to make up her mind which style she wanted. The first time he'd asked her about it, she'd told him she'd narrowed her choices down to five. Yesterday, she'd assured him only two choices remained.

Thorn lifted a stack of books and searched for a place to set them. Every chair, every table, and even the floor already held similar stacks. He dropped the books to the desk and strode to the door and shouted her name.

Daria stuck her head through the kitchen doorway. "You don't have to shout. I'm right here."

Thorn shoved his hand through his hair and grimaced when he saw the bowl of herbed bread in her hand. "Have you ordered a desk?"

Daria shook her head. "Not yet." she held the bowl out to him. "Would you like something to eat?"

Thorn held up his hands and took a step back. Just the sight of her favorite snack made him ill. If she came any closer he'd be sick for sure. "No."

"What did Borg say about the morning sickness? Did he give you something for it? You've lost weight and we're all worried about you."

"The same thing he said last week—it will pass. Eventually." Thorn studied her for a moment before he glanced back into the cluttered den.

He knew she was doing this to drive him crazy. When he'd pointed out how much easier it would be to work in an organized room she'd quickly informed him this was her method and she knew exactly what was in every pile. An outright lie as the books were stacked according to size not content.

He and Dane had begun avoiding the room as much as possible. Only Daria and Dev didn't seem to be bothered by the stacks of books and papers. If he complained about it, she merely shrugged and informed him it was one of the many reasons they were incompatible. A statement which was always followed up with a reminder of how much happier he'd be after she moved out.

"Daria, I've decided to add a room onto the house. Another den. For you."

"There's really no need to do that. After all, I'll be gone soon." She moved closer to him.

Thorn glanced at the bowl, then warned her, "Stay back."

Daria went back into the kitchen, got rid of the herbed bread, and returned to the hall. Thorn was gone. Alarmed, she searched the downstairs rooms for him, then hurried upstairs to their bathing chamber.

He was leaning over the sink, shuddering. Daria dampened a cloth but before she could approach him, he took it from her. "Go away."

"This has got to stop. Surely, there's something Borg can do." She pulled the cloth from his hand then wiped his face.

He frowned and turned his face away. "I thought you were enjoying this."

Daria looked away from him as her cheeks flushed. "Well, I was. At first, but it's not funny anymore."

He was surprised, and pleased, by her admission. Whether she knew it or not, she cared about him. It wasn't much, but it was more than he'd received in the past.

"I can't leave after the baby is born if you're too sick to take care of the boys," Daria mumbled.

Thorn shoved her hand away, then grabbed her wrist. "You and I are going to have a long talk. I've had it." Thorn pulled her into the bedroom and over to the bed.

"Sit down."

Daria glanced around at the cluttered room. "I'm really busy right now, Thorn. Couldn't we talk later?"

He placed his hands on her shoulders and pressed until she dropped onto the edge of the bed. He paced away from her, then turned to face her. "What exactly are you busy doing?" he asked, his voice going up in volume with each word. "I know you finished the article for the Council so you must mean you're busy trying to drive me crazy."

Daria met his eyes, swallowed with nervousness and traced the pattern in the carpet with her bare toe.

"Is that what you mean, Daria?" He shouted again.

She shook her head.

Frustrated, Thorn shoved his hands through his hair, then paced back to her. "Telling you I love you was a mistake. You've been using it against me ever since but it's going to stop. Now!"

Daria glared at him. "You only said that because of the baby."

"I told you I loved you before I found out she is my daughter. I trust you."

Daria crossed her arms over her breasts. "Right, Commander, and pigs have wings and can fly."

Thorn lifted her chin, then bent over and stared right into her eyes. "If you say that again, 1'm going to make you sorry. I've been to Earth and I know pigs don't have wings. If we live to be a hundred and fifty, I'll never understand why you say that."

Daria gave him an evil grin. "It means tell me another outlandish story." Daria pulled her chin away. "I know what we can do, Commander. We can go to the Council Building and you can stand on the lie detector and swear your undying love for me. How about it?"

Thorn thought about her proposal for a moment, then grinned. "Alright, I'll do that, but, afterwards, there's a few questions I'd like to ask you." He was determined to make her confess that she loved him too.

Daria shook her head. "No. I won't do that."

Thorn crossed his arms and settled into a warrior's stance. "I see. You want me to prove I'm telling you the truth but I'm just supposed to trust you. Is that right?"

Daria jumped up and shoved him away. Angrily, she spun away from him, then without thinking she rushed into speech. "I told you the truth and you refused to believe me. All you had to do was take me to the medical clinic and have Borg check me."

Thorn smiled. She'd just given herself away. All of his doubts fled and were replaced with a rush of possessiveness as he watched her pace back and forth in front of him with her slender hands resting on her well-rounded tummy. "We've already talked about that," he said as she passed in front of him.

Daria took a few more steps, then abruptly stopped. She'd been so intent on their argument that at first she hadn't noticed the movement beneath her hands, but now her full attention was centered on her child. She smoothed the fabric over her stomach then pressed her hands against the bulge. The movement came again as the baby stretched, her foot or arm pushing against the confined space.

Thorn moved around to stand in front of her. "Daria?" he asked his voice full of concern.

She grabbed his hand, then pressed it against her belly and waited. The baby moved again. Thorn gasped, then dropped to his knees as both of his hands pressed against her.

Thrown off balance, she clutched his shoulders to steady herself. She watched him as he stared at his hands, his gaunt face intent, willing their child to move again. When she did, he gave a choked cry then slung his arms around her and buried his face against her.

Tears filled her eyes. She didn't know if she was crying because of the beauty of the moment, or because of what she'd done to him. Stubbornly, she'd refused to accept his apologies and ignored his suffering. She'd convinced herself that this was all his fault when most of the blame should be hers.

If she'd asked Dane and Dev more questions and found out he was Valan's son she'd have known she could trust him. She could have then gone to him and he would have protected her from the beginning and none of this would have happened. He'd told her over and over that he loved her but she'd foolishly refused to believe him because of her pride. She slid down through the circle of his arms until she was on her knees in front of him, her arms around his shoulders. She met his eyes, then slowly moved toward him until her lips met his. She kissed him, softly, moving her lips back and forth over his.

Thorn slid his hands beneath her buttocks and lifted her until they were pressed together. He pulled her to her feet in front of him. Their eyes met and held as his hands caressed her bottom, urging her closer. She willingly moved to him. Her hands slid under the back of his vest and stroked his back as his lips lowered to her neck and nuzzled her.

She slid one arm around his neck and rose onto her toes, arching against him. She ran her hand up and down his spine, her nails scraping the sensitive skin and felt him shiver with pleasure.

He kissed a path to her ear and nibbled on the lobe. "I love you, Daria." His lips were warm against her ear, drawing a shiver of pleasure from her.

Daria pushed his vest from his shoulders and let it drop to the floor. She ran her palms over his shoulders, across his chest, and fanned her fingers over his nipples. Thorn shuddered as she scraped her nails over them and they hardened. She kissed a trail down his chest as she lowered her heels to the floor. She licked a nipple, then gripped his waist and stepped into him, forcing him to step back, until the backs of his knees hit the bed and he tumbled back onto it, taking her with him.

She straddled him as he rose onto his elbows then leaned forward and kissed him, hungrily devouring his lips. Thorn's hands gripped her knees then slid up to her thighs. Daria grabbed his hands, held them still for a moment and moved them away, pushing them to the mattress on either side of his head.

She sat up, smiled into his eyes and slowly began unlacing his pants. His eyes dropped to her hands. His chest expanded as he drew in a deep breath. Her fingers brushed over his erection. Thorn shoved the pants down until his cock was free of them. He waited for her to touch him.

"What do you want?" she asked him teasingly, her voice low and smooth.

Thorn grabbed her hands and pulled them to his erection but she jerked them away. "Huh-uh," she told him with a shake of her glossy head. "Tell me."

"Touch me."

Daria ran her hands over his chest. "Here?"

He shook his head, and she slid her hands lower to his belly.

She circled his navel. "Here?"

"Lower," he growled. Then, held his breath as her fingers slid a few inches lower.