Chapter Thirteen
Mandy groaned as she opened her eyes. Her body felt sore, as if she’d spent the past week at the gym. She rubbed her face then tried to focus. The crinkling sound of a hospital gown was familiar – the same that greeted her when she awoke for the first time in the future.
Confused, Mandy stared at the material.
“Which Naki bastard did this to you?” Cesar’s face came into her vision. His dark eyes were angry, his face tense.
“What?” she asked. Her voice sounded rough. Her memory wasn’t working right; she didn’t know why she was in the hospital and it hurt to try to think at all.
“Someone put you here. Who?” Cesar demanded.
“What are you talking about?” Mandy pushed herself up, recognizing a healing ward. Cesar sat beside her round bed while a Naki in silver nearby appeared to be checking his watch. “What am I doing here?”
“You had the shit beat out of you by someone.”
“Seriously?” she looked down at herself.
“They have some sort of advanced medical magic or something,” Cesar said. “They fixed everything.” He twisted to face the lingering Naki. “Hey, doc, tell her what was wrong.”
“Skull fractures, broken ribs, internal bleeding, contusions on –”
“I get it,” Mandy cut him off. What is going on? She sighed. “I’m all fixed up, right?”
“You are healed, yes, though your body will retain its current level of exhaustion for several days,” the doctor said.
“So, what the hell happened?” Cesar asked again.
Mandy thought hard.
“Was it the guy you were sleeping with?”
“Akkadi?” she voiced then shook her head. “No, he wouldn’t do this. He’s …” captured or killed on some other planet. This memory made her breath catch. “How long was I out?”
“Two days.”
“I think I should go,” Mandy said and swung her legs off the side of the bed. Fear brought clarity to her mind, and she suddenly needed to know about Akkadi.
She heard the whisper of the guard, though this time, it was from the device in Cesar’s head.
“Tell her not now. I’ll do it later,” Cesar snapped back at the voice. “I swear these people are pains in the ass.”
Mandy snorted. She tried hard to recall something else of the day that led up to where she couldn’t remember more. The visit to the planet, the children’s ward, Akkadi going missing and Helen going after him …
Hichele.
“Oh, that bitch!” Mandy muttered. She stood and took a few steps towards the door before she felt a wall of dizziness hit her.
Cesar rose quickly and grabbed her before she fell. Mandy groaned. Her body went limp in his arms.
“You aren’t going anywhere yet,” he said firmly, guiding her back to the bed. “What bitch? I spent two years fighting for a living, and I’ve never seen that much damage done by a woman.”
“No, she had her guard do it,” Mandy replied. She released him and sat on the bed.
“Hey, doc, why can you put bones back together but not cure exhaustion?” Cesar called to the Naki in silver.
The Naki didn’t seem to know how to answer.
“I like messing with them,” Cesar admitted to Mandy. “Try asking one of them what their favorite color is. The responses are hilarious.”
Mandy giggled, unable to imagine what Akkadi would say if she did ask.
At the thought of him, all humor fled. Two days was a long time to be out. She understood it was better than spending six months healing, but she had no idea what happened with Akkadi in the time she was out.
“I really do need to go,” she said, restless. “I have to check on someone.”
“If you plan on taking on the guy who did this to you, I’m going with you,” Cesar said.
“Cesar.” Akkasha’s sharp voice made Mandy jump. “I’ve requested you to –”
“I got something else to do.” Cesar winked at Mandy. “Later, sweetheart.”
Mandy tried not to laugh at the look that crossed Akkasha’s face.
“You gotta try it,” Cesar whispered. “They have no clue what to do.”
Mandy grinned, no part of her pitying the shocked Naki princess standing a few feet away.
“Akkasha, how is Akkadi?” she asked.
Akkasha blinked, refocusing on her. “He is well. Vekko remains in a coma. They returned this morning.”
“Your mother is okay, too?”
“Very. Akkadi was able to contain the situation.”
Mandy rolled her eyes. They spoke so formally, even of their loved ones. Her worry unfurled, and she was able to breathe deeply at last. Akkadi was safe.
“There has been much inquiry into what happened to you,” Akkasha continued. “You will inform me of how you ended up here in such a condition.”
“No, thanks,” Mandy replied.
Akkasha stared at her. Cesar turned to see her reaction, grinning.
“It was not a request,” Akkasha managed.
“I know,” Mandy said. “But I’m gonna deal with this.”
“You may defy me, but you won’t Akkadi.”
Mandy frowned. It was a low blow for someone without emotions. She sighed. Akkadi might be able to get the truth out of her.
If he cared enough. Which he didn’t.
At least he was safe. A weight lifted from her shoulders. She shouldn’t be affected by him the way she was.
“He will require you to speak to him now that you are able,” Akkasha ordered.
“When she’s ready,” Cesar countered. “She had her skull smashed in. Give her some space.”
Mandy grimaced at the image in her head. She barely remembered the pain, but she did recall her fear. Convinced she was going to die for sure, she’d thought only of being in Akkadi’s arms again. The only place she’d felt safe since arriving, he was also the only man her body responded to outside of her control. Normally, she viewed sex as fun, if she was in the mood. Sex with Akkadi, however, was going to be different. She’d sensed that since the beginning.
“Yeah, I’ll see him later,” she said, disturbed by the uncomfortable warmth forming within her already.
Akkasha’s face was pink with anger. She said nothing but walked away. Cesar watched her, amused.
“It’s too easy,” he said, shaking his head. “You really do need rest. Don’t let them boss you around.”
“Oh, I do my best not to,” Mandy assured him. “Got any space Twinkies?”
Cesar stretched to a box on a table beside the bed. He shook it and opened it, holding it out to her.
“It’s much politer than what I call them,” he grunted. “I found out from Urik they do have animals for food, but it’s only the super rich who can eat them. Their chickens have three legs.”
“Oh that’s awesome!” she exclaimed. “I love drumsticks.”
“I don’t think you want to eat their chickens. No one will tell me what they feed them.”
Mandy didn’t ask. She ate a foam bar then another. After four, she began to feel less tired.
“Your clothes are in here, too,” Cesar said, manipulating the box. “Cat suit? Check. Shoes? Check. Hairpins? Check. I’m so freakin’ good.”
Mandy laughed. “You are,” she agreed. “Between the two of us, we’ll drive them crazy here.”
“There’s another three on the planet waiting to come up. They’re not nearly as fun, though,” he admitted. “Sandy is a forty-five-year old CPA. Talk about having a meltdown when she got here.” He shook his head. “Mike, from Orange County who just graduated with his Master’s degree in mechanical engineering. He’s kinda stuck up. Went to Harvard or something. The fifth is Berlin. He’s older than my grandpa. I have no idea how he survived anything.”
“I don’t know how we did,” she replied. “I can remember being on the plane and landing. The rest is gone.”
“Me, too. From what I hear, that’s probably a good thing. The Ishta-gods probably tortured us and tried to drain us of blood,” Cesar said. “Did you meet Gonor?”
“Yes! He rescued me. Well, pushed me out a window. Same thing, I think.”
“Us, too, except we used the back door instead of a window.”
“We’re all that’s left.”
His mouth spread into a grim line. He nodded.
Mandy didn’t want to think of how many people were on board the plane. It had to be a hundred at least. Only five survived. With a glance around, she wasn’t at all confident that the survivors were the lucky ones. She rubbed her face. She wanted to see Akkadi again to reassure herself he was okay.
But she didn’t want to seem too eager to see him, either. They had to have a talk she wasn’t ready for. Maybe she could find an excuse to drop by and leave quickly, like his mother was requesting to see her or something.
“Will you be okay here, if I leave?” Cesar asked. “If I don’t go see what that woman wants, she’s going to come back.”
“Yeah, I’m good. I just need some rest.”
He considered her for a moment. “If you need anything, let me know.”
“Thanks, Cesar.”
He rose and left her. Mandy’s gaze went to the wall. She ate another space Twinkie then tested her body again. Her legs held, and no dizziness knocked her down. Satisfied, she changed clothes. Her movements were slower than usual; she really was drained.
“I’d give anything for real food,” she muttered. Mandy sat to pull on the socks and catch her breath. Getting dressed wore her out more than she liked.
She ate another foam snack then pulled her hair up and did a few stretches to warm her body up. She exited the healing deck and checked the floor markings. She knew about where she was.
Mandy found herself heading towards Akkadi’s quarters. She wracked her brain for an excuse to leave fast after she saw he was alive and well. Maneuvering her way from the deck with the healing ward to the deck with Akkadi’s quarters, she paused in front of the panel she thought was his.
Mandy eyed the panel then moved to the next, not about to run into a wall or worse, walk into the quarters of a cousin looking to marry her. Her heart was pounding. She tried to tell herself it was from the exertion of walking, but the heat in her blood told her otherwise.
She entered the antechamber and grimaced at the sight of his two tall guards. She now had an appreciation for why they were chosen for such a duty after being beat near death by one.
At her hesitation, one motioned her to enter the panel between them.
She did. Mandy’s eyes swept around the familiar apartment. She wiped her palms on her thighs.
Akkadi’s lean form was at the windows. He was more rigid than she’d seen him, his hands at his sides and attention on space. The sight of his wide shoulders, tight ass and long, muscular thighs filled her with warmth. The sense of being grounded returned. Just being near him made her feel more at ease, except that this time, there was a thrum of something else in the air. She studied him, trying to figure out what it was.
“I did not request your presence,” he said in cold, hard tone.
Can you not be a jackass for two seconds? Mandy drew a deep breath. At least this meeting would be short.
“I came to make sure you were okay,” she replied. “That’s it.”
“I am.”
Her heart fell. He didn’t ask about her. She spent two days in the infirmary, compliments of the woman trying to marry into his family, and he didn’t care. Why did she want him to?
Disappointed, her gaze lingered on him. Even when he was irritated with her before, he at least looked at her.
“Is something wrong?” she asked.
“No.” The answer was too quick to be truthful.
Mandy padded towards him, uncertain why she felt the need to remain when he clearly didn’t want her there. She had chosen to see him rather than rest. It seemed foolish now.
And was she ready to talk to him? She’d been robbed of a full day of thinking about what she saw on the planet and what it might mean for her future.
“Are you sure?” she asked, stopping a few feet from him.
He didn’t answer.
“I can put my hair down. Tell you a joke. I’ll even try to dance or something,” she offered with nervous humor.
“I told you, I’m fine.”
There was nothing in ten thousand years she hated more than his cold rejection. Especially now, when it was clear something was really wrong. Akkasha had said nothing else except that Akkadi and Vekko were well. The Naki talent for understatement was never so vexing as it was right now.
Mandy reached up and tugged the pins free from her bun. Akkadi always responded to her hair, even when he didn’t seem much else to do to her. She almost rolled her eyes. She’d never won a modeling contract for her hair. She placed the pins in a fold of her sash and twisted, satisfied when they disappeared into the mysterious depths of the greatest purse she’d ever had.
With some trepidation, she moved forward again, this time turning to lean against the window beside him so she could see his face. Akkadi’s chiseled features were harder than she’d ever seen them, his eyes like the frozen ocean. Disturbed by the drastic change in him, she considered him for a moment. Her own body was warm while he barely seemed aware of her presence.
Of all the emotions she experienced, anger wasn’t one. She’d been pissed at him before for his unfeeling dedication to duties she didn’t understand at the time. Now that she’d seen firsthand what he was striving to do, she admired him, at least a little, for his devotion.
Mandy took his hand with one of hers and drew it up, resting it on her shoulder on her hair.
“You should not be here right now,” he said, meeting her gaze finally. He withdrew his hand.
Her pulse quickened. “I think you need a friend right now.”
Akkadi studied her. His eyes moved slowly over her body before returning to hers. She waited, sensing he was deciding what to do, whether to send her away or touch her.
He touched her. His hand tucked hair behind her ear then settled at the nape of her neck. He shifted, drawing her before him with gentle pressure. Mandy’s blood hummed. She breathed in his masculine scent, trying to ignore the way it made her insides tingle with anticipation.
Akkadi rested his forehead against hers. She listened to the sound of him breathing while marveling at the nearness of his strong, solid frame. She wanted to touch him but didn’t, waiting to see what he would do. He was absently working his hand through her hair. He released the strand when he reached its end and let it fall to her chest. His fingers followed it, tracing down her chest to her breast. He stopped short of touching her there, instead shifting towards the center of her chest.
Mandy waited with baited breath.
Akkadi placed his index finger along the thin seam at the top of the uniform at her neck. He deliberately trailed his finger down the seam to break the seal of her clothing.
Mandy’s heartbeat doubled. She didn’t move, didn’t dare let herself think he was doing anything other than toying with her once again.
His finger lightly traced the seam down her chest, between her breasts, down her stomach, past her belly button …
“Akkadi,” she objected, catching his hand as it reached her lower abdomen. “Don’t bother, if you’re just going to walk out again.”
He lifted his forehead from hers. His dark blue eyes were penetrating. He twisted his wrist to free of her grip then placed her hand at her side. He returned his finger to her lower abdomen. Mandy resisted the urge to shift. The ache at her core was within his reach, and she wasn’t about to be led on again.
Caught in his gaze, scent and nearness, she swallowed hard as the light touch of his finger continued its journey. Her lower belly quivered at the tickling sensation.
His movement continued past the track where the uniform sealed. Down her belly to the triangle of sparse curls above her intimate area.
He paused here, holding her gaze, as if wanting to see her reaction. Mandy struggled not to respond at all while her body roared to life with dizzying desire. Despite her attempt, her breathing was growing faster.
Akkadi’s eyes glowed with amusement at her struggle.
“Don’t mess with me, Akkadi,” she said between clenched teeth.
“I told you not to stay.”
“I swear, if you start something you can’t finish again, I’ll-”
His finger shifted farther south. Her breath caught.
“Is this all it takes to keep you quiet?” Akkadi lifted the corner of his lips in a small smile. “I wonder what it’ll take for you to bow right.”
Mandy’s brow furrowed. The idea he was teasing her didn’t seem possible. Robots had no sense of humor, and neither did Nakis.
He shifted a step back and lifted his hand. This time, he nudged the uniform off one shoulder. His eyes went to the breast he exposed. His large hand pushed the uniform down her arm, his gentle, firm touch following the uniform all the way to her fingertips. When her arm was free, he did the same with her other arm, his warm touch running the extent of her arm from shoulder to fingers.
With her upper body exposed, Mandy shivered. The fire was growing within her, but she stayed still, mesmerized by the slow, sensual touch. Akkadi’s mood was beyond her to guess, but the light in his eyes was one she knew. She sensed this time, he wasn’t going to walk away. Without clothes, neither was she.
Akkadi circled her and paused behind her. She jerked when his large hands settled on her waist. Her skin was sensitive enough that his breath against her shoulder made her shudder. His warm hands traveled down once more, pushing the uniform over her hips and down her thighs and calves.
She stepped out of the clothing pooled at her feet, facing him. She knew the effect her body had on men; what she didn’t expect was the way Akkadi made her feel close to losing control with a few simple touches.
He peeled off his shirt and tossed it, stepping close to her once more. Mandy touched him lightly, glancing up to try to get a read on him. It was hard to know what he thought, even harder when she was too aware of being naked. His hands went to her hips.
She willed herself not to react, but her breath hitched once more, like he was the first man ever to touch her when she knew very well he wasn’t.
Akkadi met her gaze, smiling again. Mandy rolled her eyes. She rested her palms against the supple skin of his chest, marveling at the smoothness of his taut skin.
His fingers trailed up her sides and around to her back and to her shoulders. He seemed to be trying to mesmerize the shape of her body, and she was still, overly affected by the sensations his movements caused.
He took her face in his hands and kissed her.
Mandy leaned into him, hot for him in a way she never experienced before. Their heated skin touched, ratcheting up her desire even more. She kissed him with hunger, loving the taste and heat of his mouth. His full lips were commanding this time, his tongue flicking into her mouth in a maddening tease while his hands slid down her back to grip her ass. He pulled her against his erection, and she sighed into his mouth, shuddering.
Akkadi wrapped an arm around her back and trailed kisses down her jaw and neck, licking and nipping his way down to her collarbone. He ran the tip of his tongue along the delicate area.
“Akkadi,” she whispered, yearning to feel all of him against her. Mandy ran her fingers through his soft hair.
His hot mouth found its way to one nipple. He tickled the hardened tip with his tongue before taking the aching bud fully into his mouth. He sucked and nibbled before trailing kisses to her other breast.
Mandy groaned at the exquisite sensations, digging her nails into his back. Her breathing was fast and shallow, the aching core of her body hot and wet for him. She clung to him.
Akkadi’s mouth returned to hers, and she kissed him hungrily, pushing him towards the bed. Her hands ran down his body, and she broke away to push his trousers down. The long, thick shaft of his penis was capped by an even thicker head, one that almost begged to be kissed.
A streak of mischief pierced her desire. Mandy took the shaft in her hand and squeezed gently, flicking her thumb across the rounded head. She slid it into her mouth, swirling her tongue around the tip before taking as much of him into her mouth as she could.
Akkadi groaned quietly, his fingers winding into her hair.
Mandy concentrated on the head of his penis, licking, nipping and sucking while one hand squeezed and stroked the shaft. With her other hand, she fondled his testicles lightly. She wanted him bad – but she wanted to see him lose control and become human first.
To her surprise, he took her arms and lifted her, capturing her mouth in a kiss that expressed the depth of his need. His intensity drove her back, and she clung to him, unable to keep her balance with his body pressing the length of hers.
“Akkadi!” she gasped, breaking away. “Please.”
His eyes were dark with desire. He responded by kissing her hard and deep once more, moving them back towards his bed. Mandy felt her calves hit the edge. Akkadi swept her off her feet in one simple movement, resting her on the bed and covering her body with his. He settled between her knees. Mandy’s hands ran down his back. She gripped the round cheeks of his ass, trying to hurry his entry into the part of her aching to feel him.
Akkadi’s passion was overwhelming. She was consumed by his demanding mouth and heady scent, the hands roaming her body possessively, the sensation of his hot skin against hers, his thick arousal pressed against her lower belly.
He positioned himself to enter her and pulled his head away. He was breathing hard, his eyes filled with the same need she felt. Mandy touched his face. He held her gaze as the tip of his penis pierced her.
She wriggled, trying to hurry his entry. Akkadi kissed her, nibbling on her lower lip, and penetrated her slowly, allowing her body to adjust to his size. Mandy moaned as he filled her.
She’d known sex with Akkadi would be different, but she didn’t expect it to be so intense! She never needed anyone the way she did him, even when he was buried inside her. She craved more of him already.
She pulled his face to hers, unable to stop the hunger burning her up from the inside out. He responded and moved in and out of her, slowly at first then faster. The combination of his size and movement, the friction of their bodies, and the madness consuming her caused a familiar tension to build at her core.
Mandy lost all sense of herself, drowning in the feel and scent of him. Akkadi wasn’t making love to her. He was claiming her in a way she’d never be able to forget.
Her body arched of its own accord, the tension so tight, she could barely breathe. He kissed her neck and continued sliding in and out of her.
Mandy’s orgasm broke. She cried out, clutching him as powerful waves of pleasure swept through her, robbing her of her last shreds of control and plunging her into a world of sensual feeling without thought.
Seconds later, his body went rigid atop hers. He muffled his own cry of release with the pillow then pumped a few more times before he went limp on top of her.
Panting, Mandy floated in the afterglow of her climax. She listened to Akkadi’s ragged breathing and gradually grew aware of her body once more. She wrapped her legs around his hips in a lower body hug and hooked her ankles over his ass to keep him inside her. Running her fingernails down his back, she took deep breaths to pull as much of him into her as possible.
“I can’t get enough of you,” she whispered, wishing she could get closer somehow.
Akkadi raised his head. He pushed her hair from her face with his fingers, his eyes roaming her features with fascination before he met her gaze.
They gazed at each other silently, breathing the same air and bodies filling the same space.
“Was that normal for you?” he asked.
She laughed hoarsely. “No. Everything is different with you.”
Before that moment, she hadn’t realized how true the admission was. His kiss, his touch. God help her, his lovemaking. She’d never be the same after experiencing him.
Akkadi sensed the impact of her words and studied her.
“What happened to you while you were gone?” she asked. “I expected you to be passionate, but this was something else.”
He lowered his head and trailed kisses down her neck.
“Are you trying to ignore me?” she demanded, surprised.
“Trying? No.” He captured a nipple in his mouth and sucked hard.
Mandy gasped.
“I’m about to succeed,” he replied.
He shifted his hips, and she released her ankles, lowering her legs. Akkadi kissed her before she was able to pursue, rendering her breathless with another of the kisses only he had ever been able to give her. His penis was growing hard inside her.
Desire rose hot and fast. Rather than the sensual exploration of her body he started with, his hands and mouth were demanding, as if he was desperate to taste and feel all of her. Mandy let his passion ignite hers and sweep them both away.
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