Serendipity

Chapter Four

It was maddening, Sarai thought to herself, as she got ready for bed that night. Where the hell was he? He'd been gone all day, not a word about where he was going or when he'd be back. She hadn't seen him since she'd patched up his temple that morning.

She'd been looking for him, expecting him to appear in his annoying way. He didn't show up begging for lunch. She'd even cooked a bit of extra dinner for him, figuring she owed him after his patience with her son's attack. Nothing. No stolen kisses. No wildflowers on the table. Nothing.

And he wasn't in his room, either. Not that she'd been checking up on him, of course. It was just that she'd realized it had been several days since she'd put new soaps in the fresher for him. Lazy on her part, she thought. She usually checked on the soaps every day.

She pulled off her dress and stood before the mirror in her shift, staring at her reflection. She was still attractive, she told herself. Her long, blonde hair had lightened in Hector Prime's sun. It was beautiful now, and she knew he liked to touch it. Her breasts were high and firm. Well, at least as high and firm as they could be after nursing two children. Her body was slim, and her stomach was tight. Sure, she had some stretch marks, but they hadn't bothered him before. Why wasn't he here? The night was halfway over!

She sat down at her dressing table with a thump, making a disgusted face at herself in the mirror. Why should she care where he was, anyway? It was nice to get rid of him for the night. Only two and a half more weeks, then he'd be gone. Well, two weeks and five days. And then he'd be gone forever…suddenly it didn't seem like that much time.

She attacked her hair with the brush, willing herself not to think of him. She was glad he wasn't there. She needed to get some good sleep—last night he'd kept her awake until all hours.

But thinking of him last night sent a wave of heat through her. He'd been so strong, held her so close. He had been hard against her, too. She clenched her legs together, feeling herself grow moist. He could slide right into her; he wouldn't even have to touch her first, she thought. What was wrong with her? It was like she had completely lost control over her own body. Disgusting.

She finished combing her hair, and moved toward her bed. It was stuffy. She might as well open the sliding door. It hadn't proven much of a barrier to him last night, and he wasn't even around this evening so there was no point in suffering in the heat.

A sudden thought stopped her dead in her tracks. What if something had happened to him? What if he'd been injured? Was that why he hadn't come home? Her heart raced, her mind running through a thousand different scenarios, each worse than the last.

He could have been attacked, robbed. He could have gone for a walk in the rainforest, and been set upon by predators. It was dangerous out there, everyone had told her to watch her children carefully. Maybe his head wound was more serious that either of them had realized. Maybe he had collapsed somewhere, was in a coma and couldn't tell anyone who he was.

You're being ridiculous, she told herself firmly. Settle down. He's probably just in town at a bar. Maybe he had met a woman there, a beautiful woman who didn't have children.

For all she knew, he was boffing some floozy at that very minute!

Sure, he told her he wasn't going away, but he was gone already.

She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't even hear the knock on her door.

Then the knob turned slowly, and he slipped into the room.

"Sarai, are you still awake?" he whispered into the darkness. She whirled to face him, livid.

"Where the hell have you been?" she asked, keeping her voice low. "I thought you were dead! You've been gone all day!"

"Glad to hear you noticed," he replied in an amused voice. She could only see his outline in the darkness. He paced over to her chair and sat down, pulling off his boots. "I took a transport over to the space station for the day. I needed to send some messages to my family on Saurellia, and it seemed like it might be a good idea to give you and the kids a break from me. I hope you don't mind, but I picked up a doll for Mali, and a game for Able.

They just sort of jumped out at me. We can say they're from you, if you don't want them to know I've gotten them a present. I got you something, too."

"Oh," she said, feeling deflated. It seemed so mundane, so normal. "Well, that was nice of you. But you should have left a message for us. We didn't know where you were."

"I didn't realize you'd care," Jax said quietly, sounding pleased. He stood and started pulling off his clothes. She gritted her teeth; the man was too damn confident in himself.

"Do you want to know what your present is?"

"I had an inquiry about your room," she said, infusing her voice with sweetness. "If you weren't coming back, I wanted to rent it to someone else."

"Fine with me," Jax said, leaning over her and bracing both hands on the bed. "It's not like I plan to sleep up there any more. You might as well rent it out. I'll move my things into your room in the morning."

"No," she said quickly. He laughed in the darkness.

"Yes," he whispered back, his voice low and sexy in the darkness. "I want your business to be a success. If you can rent out another room and earn more money, I'll do whatever I can to make that possible. Oh, and it's a nightgown. To replace the one I ruined last night. Red silk…"

She tried to protest again, but then his lips were closing over hers. They were soft, warm. He smelled so good. She thought about her vision of him lying dead in the forest, and suddenly she was filled with joy that he'd come back to her. There was no floozy. He was here, and she could touch him all she wanted. And he got her a nightgown. No one had ever gotten her anything like that before.

Touching him was a bad idea, of course. But she didn't care. She just reached her arms up around his neck and pulled him closer to her. She could feel the tensed strength in his muscles, but he was tender, carefully resting his weight on his arms to keep her comfortable. He deepened the kiss, and she felt him lift his legs onto the bed, until he was lying on top of her, straddling her. His hips pressed down against hers and she pushed back without thinking. Back and forth, they slowly allowed themselves to touch in a rhythm as old as time.

Then his lifted his head and whispered in her ear, "You're so beautiful, Sarai."

She laughed, and brushed her lips along his jaw. It was rough and stubbly—so masculine it made her ache.

"Thank you," she replied. "You're not so bad yourself."

He laughed, and started kissing her again, this time on the neck. She wondered idly if she should try to stop him, but it felt so good. Could it really hurt to let go of herself for just one night, to enjoy him for the moment without worrying about the future? She had worked so hard for so long; was it really that bad to give herself this one small freedom?

His lips moved lower, nudging aside her shift as he moved until he reached the valley between her breasts. She shivered against him, nipples hardening in anticipation. He moved his head to the side, swirling his tongue in circles around the stiff peak. Then he flicked it before catching it with his mouth. He suckled and rolled it back and forth between his lips, starting a fire in her lower body. The night before he had only touched her with his hands, but tonight she wanted his hard length inside. He'd thrust into her, stretching her most delicate spot open. The thought made her quiver in anticipation.

She pushed her hips up at him, and tried to spread her legs. She wanted to feel him between her legs, to cradle him with her body. A soft, tickling need was building, and she knew that if she could just capture his length between her legs he could take care of that need for her.

Without pausing in his ministrations to her nipple, he shifted his legs, allowing her to spread hers wide enough for him to rest against her. In doing so, he pushed the covers aside, but her shift still separated them. He was naked, she could feel his penis resting in the groove of her clit, and his hips moved slowly against hers. It slipped along that groove with agonizing slowness, tantalizing her but not doing enough to build toward anything bigger.

She bucked up at him, trying to get him to move more quickly, but instead he stopped moving altogether, pushing down and holding her prisoner beneath him.

"What do you want, Sarai?" he whispered, lifting his head from her breast. He stretched himself out, laying his head down beside hers on the pillow. She pushed at him, trying to get him to start moving again.

"Oh, no," he whispered. "Not until you tell me what you want."

She sighed, frustrated. He was so close, so hard and warm against her. Why couldn't he just keep up what he had started?

"I want you to keep going," she whispered, straining up toward him with her hips.

"How far do you want me to go?" he asked, reaching out to delicately stroke her ear with his tongue. She shivered, tingles running through her body.

"I don't want you to stop," she replied, her voice sounding raspy in the darkness. "Not tonight."

"Anything you ask, Sarai. I'd do anything for you," he whispered.

Before she could respond, his mouth had taken hers for the second time. Where he had been soft before, almost wooing, this was a kiss of possession. His tongue thrust into her mouth, and his hips pressed down between hers. Hard. She could feel the wide tip of his cock pushing against her shift, searching for the wet slit between her legs. She twisted against him, clutching him close with her arms. She wanted him in her, wanted to feel like he was hers, at least for now.

His hand reached down between them, grasping the hem and pulling it up to gain access to her body. He lifted his hips and she whimpered, not wanting to lose that tantalizing weight that held her pinned. Then his fingers were slipping into her cunt, feeling for her clit. He lifted his mouth from hers and grunted, "You're hot and wet for me already."

"Yes," she murmured, and arched under his touch. "I need you to fill me, Jax. Please."

He answered by positioning his rigid cock against her opening, then thrust into her with all his strength. She was filled to bursting. His size was unreal. Having this man inside her was amazing, a curious mix of intense pleasure and stretching pain. She would adjust to his presence in a second, but for the moment she simply savored the sensation of him inside her body.

He withdrew partially, then thrust back into her again. This time there was less stretching, and she smiled up at him.

"You feel so good," she whispered.

"You feel pretty damn good yourself," he muttered, kissing her again, hard and quick.

He started moving within her, and after a second she reached around him with her legs, locking her ankles behind his back. The new angle let him come into her more fully; they both moaned.

Down he thrust, his cock scraping against her clit with each movement, and the tendrils of sensation and lust within her grew. Again and again, harder with every stroke. The pressure was growing within her, and she squeezed her inner muscles in anticipation. He grunted in response, dropping his head down to her shoulder. His breathing was harsh in her ear, and he moved faster against her. They strained against each other; coordinating their movements so that each time he came down into her flesh it rocked her back into the mattress.

She was getting closer. She could feel the tension winding tight between her legs. He was moving so fast against her that she could hardly keep the pace, each thrust hitting bottom, each motion rubbing her clit harder againsthim. Then he started moving his hips in a circular motion, grinding against her clit and stirring his cock within her. She closed her eyes and threw back her head, every muscle in her body stiffening. He gasped against her neck and she squeezed him, arms, legs and cunt, trying to wring the last bit of sensation out of him that she needed to push her over the edge.

Then her orgasm exploded, and she came with a deep, ragged moan that worked its way from low in her belly out into the night air. She clenched him, spasming, and he thrust against her hard. A sharp pain cut through her, and she realized that he was biting her shoulder, groaning into her flesh as his own orgasm ripped through him. She could feel the hot spurts of his seed hitting her, and she raised her hips to cradle him more closely. She wanted to pull him into her, take possession of him, and bind him to her…

They stayed like that for several minutes, panting in the darkness. Slowly, he allowed his weight to shift off of her, and rolled to her side. She felt his fingers touching her shoulder lightly, then he spoke.

"I bit you," he said, seemingly startled by his own actions. "I have no idea why I did that. I'm sorry, Sarai. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"You didn't," she replied, realizing it was true. His bite had stung, still throbbed a bit, but somehow it had fit in with the moment. Almost as if he had been marking her as his.

Her mind shied away from this strange thought—it was too much to think about right now.

He would be gone in a few weeks, so she needed to take pleasure in the moment.

"Well, I'm still sorry," he said, kissing the injured spot with soft warmth.

"That's all right," she whispered, nuzzling into his shoulder. She was suddenly very tired. Time to go to sleep…Jax cuddled her against his body, then pulled the covers over them. In the darkness outside the sliding door, she could hear the insects and small night creatures chittering and scurrying about. She drifted off to sleep, content in her decision.

Having a man around, however temporarily, was going to be all right.

She awoke early in the morning, hearing a muffled snoring next to her ear. For a moment she couldn't move, and panic filled her. Something was pinning her down, something heavy. She realized it was Jax, who had sprawled out on the bed, draping his arm and leg across her. She pushed at him with one arm, and he obediently rolled over on his back, still sleeping.

She was free.

She sat up a little, looking at him in the early-morning light. It was amazing to her that this man, so handsome and strong, seemed to want her, of all people. She leaned over him, examining his face closely. There was dark stubble along his jaw, and he was all sharp angles. There was no softness, even in his sleep, yet he had bought her daughter a doll at the spaceport, and a nightgown for her. He certainly seemed to have some softness inside of him.

She tried to sit up a little more, and realized that her unbuttoned shift was pinning her down. She slipped it off her shoulders, then moved closer to him. She let one hand touch the line of his collarbone, then slowly traced it down his body. He was a soldier, she had always known that. But this was the first time she'd really taken the time to look at his body.

There were several scars, small ones that were little more than white lines, and one large one on his side. She touched it in wonder, amazed that he had survived. It was as if someone had melted the skin there, superheating it and twisting it. Blaster fire? she wondered. She had never seen a wound like this, but it had to have been terrible.

She trailed her hand a bit lower, pushing the blanket that covered him down with it.

She touched the planes of his stomach, taut with muscle. There was no extra flesh on him, only hardness. He seemed so relaxed around her and the children that at times it was hard to imagine what his life must really be like. He said he wanted to stay with her, but he was a soldier. There was no way he'd be content living and working in a hostel on a backwater planet.

A twinge of sadness came over her, and for the first time she allowed herself to consider how nice it would be to have a man like Jax around. Someone to hold her, to teach Able how to be a man. Someone to show Mali that not all men were like her father had been. Someone who would love them not hurt them.

That couldn't happen, of course.

She trailed her fingers along his stomach, watching the tiny black hairs trailing down from his navel stand up under her touch. That wasn't the only thing that was standing, she realized. Directly below her hand, under the covers, his cock was coming to life. She stole a look up at his face, but he was still sound asleep. She wondered if he was dreaming of being touched; if he was dreaming of her. She stifled a giggle, feeling silly and happy all of a sudden. She had been denying herself any joy for so long. It felt good to relax, to enjoy another person's company.

Keeping as quiet as possible, she lifted the covers and pushed them lower, revealing his partially erect penis. It was flushed, hardening before her eyes, lolling to one side. The head was a darker red than the rest, a mushroom-shaped helmet that seemed almost to be watching her, waiting for her touch. She touched one finger to it delicately. His skin there was so soft. She rubbed her finger back and forth along the edge, mesmerized by its silky smoothness.

He was definitely growing harder. Where his cock had lolled to one side before, now it was straightening. The head grew more flushed as she continued her gentle stroking, and a tiny bit of fluid beaded up on the tip. It gleamed in the early-morning sunlight, and she was struck with a sudden curiosity about what it tasted like.

The thought shocked her.

She'd never imagined such a thing, tasting a man's seed. But why not, she wondered?

There was no reason she couldn't taste him. After all, he had tasted her. He certainly liked being touched there; why wouldn't he like the touch of her mouth? A shiver ran through her. It would be so daring to lick him. What would he think as he woke up? She had to find out.

Scooting down on the bed, she made herself comfortable and stole one more quick glance up at him. Still asleep. Good. She moved her head in closer to him, then reached out with the tip of her tongue to touch that small drop of liquid. It was salty, strange. Not unpleasant, but strange. She licked him again, and the length of his penis jumped under her touch. It was much redder now, and very hard. She ran her tongue around the edge of the helmet-like head, enjoying the smooth touch on her tongue. Then she was struck with another idea. What if she sucked the head into her mouth?

She opened her mouth wide; careful to keep her teeth covered by her lips, and slowly sucked his cock in. It was big, bigger than she'd imagined, and hot. She could taste a little more of the salty fluid, and his body shifted slightly under her. She pulled her head back up, and his cock came out of her mouth with a popping sound. She looked up at him suspiciously. Was he awake?

But his breathing was slow and steady, and his eyes were closed. She turned her attention back to his erection, then opened her mouth over it again. She sucked it in smoothly this time, exploring the surface with her tongue. She probed the little hole right at the tip, then swirled her tongue around it. He shifted again, but this time she ignored it. She wanted to see how much of him she could fit in her mouth, and started slowly lowering her head down on him. She made it about a third of the way before her mouth was full, so she pulled back up, sucking on it as she went. It was rock hard now.

He twitched again, and she started to lift her head up to look at him. The movement was stopped when his hand gripped the back of her head, holding her still on his hard length.

"Please don't stop," he whispered, his voice sounding strained in her ears. "You have no idea how much it would mean to me if you didn't stop."

He pressed her down, firmly enough to show her what he wanted, but not so hard she couldn't have gotten away. She didn't feel trapped at all, she thought. She felt powerful; Jax was completely at her mercy. She lowered her head again, reveling in the gasp he gave as she did so. He was hers to play with.

She moved her head up and down along his length, keeping a steady suction. She could feel the tension under her hands. His thighs were tight, and as she kept moving she realized they were actually quivering under her touch. This powerful man was hers.

His hands pushed her down against cock urgently. She took the hint, bobbing her head up and down more quickly. More liquid was seeping out of him now. She could taste the salty warmth in her mouth. His breathing was harsh in the morning air. She sucked him in time and again. Her jaw was starting to ache a bit, but the slight discomfort was nothing compared to the pleasure she knew she was giving him. She felt strong and powerful, completely in control of the warrior who lay before her. It made her feel almost giddy.

His hands gripped her head more tightly, and he gave a long, low moan. He was close to coming. She could tell every muscle in his body was rock hard. She sucked against him as hard as she dared, and he pushed her face down into his cock again, fingers tightly wound in her hair. She gripped him with her mouth, sucking and massaging him with her tongue, and then he exploded with a groan.

The wave of hot seed hit her and she swallowed, gulping each time he shot into her.

His orgasm seemed to last forever. Finally his hands released their tight grip on her head, and she slowly pulled away from him. She sat up, looking over his relaxed, spent body lying on her bed. He smiled up at her, his face softer than she'd ever seen it.

"Thank you," he said quietly.

"You're welcome," she answered, blushing hotly. "I'm not quite sure why I did that…"

"Well, I appreciated it a great deal," he said, a touch of humor on his face. "I'm not really worried about the analysis."

She laughed, then cuddled up next to him. He tucked her into the crook of his arm, hugging her to him.

"So what now?" he asked finally. She stilled, unsure of what to tell him. Then she spoke.

"I still don't think you have a place in my life permanently," she said softly. He grew still against her. "I don't need or want a man, Jax. I know you're not like Calvin was, but I still don't plan to open myself up like that again. But we have a deal, and it's pretty silly to pretend that I don't enjoy sharing a bed with you. Let's just enjoy ourselves for the next two and a half weeks. I don't want to think beyond that."

Jax stayed silent for a moment.

"All right," he said finally. "If that's what you want."

"It is," she said firmly. "I don't think I can handle anything more than that."