She bit her lip, giving him her most seductive smile. "Is the marriage legal without consum mation?"
Nykyrian sat the juice on his nightstand. Before Kiara could blink, he had her pinned on her back, to the mattress. She welcomed his kiss, the strength of his hands on her body.
He trailed kisses to her ear, gently nibbling the lobe. Chills shot white hot through her body.
Everywhere he touched, she ached in pleasure. She dug her heels into the mattress and arched her back to meet him. Never had she felt so desired, so alive.
Kiara ran her hands over the planes of his back, feeling the scars. He belonged to her and no one would ever take him away, she would make sure of it.
"Now," she gasped, pulling his lips to hers.
Obeying her, he parted her legs with his knees. Kiara moaned as he entered her. She reveled in the feel of him and the knowledge that they belonged together.
Her release came quickly. "I love you," she said, stroking his hair from his face.
His answer was a deep, magical kiss.
He lay on top of her, his strong body melding to hers. Kiara forgot about her career, her life. All she wanted was Nykyrian.
They lay silently for several minutes. Kiara felt his heartbeat slow down to a normal thud. She kissed the salty flesh of his neck, reveling in the heady scent of musk that seemed to be a part of him.
"Care to join me for a bath?" he asked.
Kiara smiled. "I'd love to."
It didn't take long for them to bathe and dress. Almost too soon, they were in the fighter and headed to Gouran. Kiara dreaded meeting her father. She didn't know how he would react to their news, but she was sure it wouldn't be gracious.
When Gouran came into sight, she wanted to urge Nykyrian to turn them around. But she knew she couldn't. Her father was worried about her. She just prayed he would listen to reason and not jail Nykyrian immediately upon their arrival. A hundred fighters surrounded them as they entered Gourish airspace.
"Do you think your father's upset?" Nykyrian asked.
She could have done without his sarcasm. Kiara stared aghast at the number of ships.
"Drop your shield and disengage your main thruster," the controller ordered.
Nykyrian tensed as a warning light went off notifying them they were targeted by another ship's weapons system. "There's no need in this hostility," he said calm ly.
"You'll know hostility after you land, you son-of-a-bitch!"
Her father's loud shout echoed in her ears. "Papa, everything's fine," Kiara said, praying he would calm down.
"Angel?" His voice quivered. "Thank God you're alive."
The knot in her stomach coiled tighter. "See, everything's fine," she said in a low voice, not sure who their words were meant to reassure, her or Nykyrian.
They landed inside the main landing bay. Kiara trembled in apprehension. When her father was this angry, he was not reasonable. It looked to her like a thousand guns were angled on them from a large crowd of soldiers standing inside the bay.
"Send Kiara down first!" her father shouted.
Nykyrian's strong hands unstrapped her helmet and her safety straps. "It's all right," he whispered. "Do what he says."
Kiara nodded. Her head light with panic, fear, and anger, she descended the ladder. She moved slowly toward her father, unable to believe all the soldiers gathered. "What is the meaning of this?"
Tiarun placed two icy hands on her cheeks, then drew into his arms in a crushing embrace. She hugged him back, thinking he must be calmer now that he was sure she was fine.
"Papa, it's time you stopped this." She watched Nykyrian being removed from his ship by a blaster pointed at his head.
"You're right, angel." He smiled at her. "It is time to put a stop to this. Someone has to."
His arm s tightened around her as he looked up at his men. "Shoot him!"
Her father's order tore through her.
"NO!" she screamed, trying to pull free.
Her father's grip tightened and she spun around. Her father held her by her arms, preventing her from running to Nykyrian. "No!" she screamed again, but it went unheeded. Light erupted inside the bay. Nykyrian recoiled from the shots.
Kiara went cold. No sound would leave her lips as she crumbled to the floor, a denial screaming inside her soul, her father's hands still locked on her, preventing her from running to her husband.
"He's dead," a soldier said, straightening up from the floor where Nykyrian lay.
Kiara couldn't breathe. She wanted to die. It was a mistake, it had to be. Sobs choked her body as excruciating agony tore through her soul.
"Dispose of the body. Troops dismissed." Kiara stared at her father, unable to believe he could be so cold, so callous.
"I hate you," she screamed as he moved to help her rise. She struggled in his arms to no use. Despite her unwillingness to leave the bay, her father dragged her out, oblivious to her pain.
Two soldiers waited for the bay to clear. Nykyrian did his best not to breathe deeply. He ached more now than he ever had in his life. At least four shots had hit him at almost point-blank range.