Page 16 of Braden

He lowered his head to kiss the soft spot where her neck met her shoulders. “Never alone, not while I’m alive.”

Before she could respond he thrust hard and she clung to him as he picked up the pace, rocking the bed and carrying her with him into near mindless ecstasy as she went over the edge into her second orgasm of the night. Braden arched his spine, holding her so tight she could hardly breathe and said her name in a voice she’d never heard before as his release sent her into a third climax before the waves from the last one had fully dissipated. They stayed locked together, Elodie clenched around him, sheltered in Braden’s arms. Then Braden moved, leaving the bed and going to the bathroom to get a warm washcloth and taking care of Elodie tenderly.

Then they lay together on the bed, her head pillowed on his shoulder. She was sleepy and content, tracing the pattern of one of his tattoos with a fingertip. “I guess IDA gets credit for bringing us together.”

He laughed. “In a roundabout way. I don’t think Ardanna will pay the match bonus in my case. We had to find each other.”

“I’m glad we did,” she said as she snuggled closer. “There’s a lot to figure out going forward but we’ll make it work, right?”

“Absolutely.”

Chapter Seven

In the morning Elodie awoke in an outstandingly happy mood despite lingering soreness. They’d had round two in the wee hours of the night, this time leisurely and protracted, learning each other’s bodies and where the special places were to evoke gasps, sighs and moans of pleasure. Then there’d been a third encounter at dawn, where Braden had finally let her play, first with her mouth on his cock and then riding him hard until they both climaxed and were satiated and limp.

If anyone had told Elodie she’d be up for a night long banquet of sexual experiences with a man she’d only known a few days, she never would have believed it. Maybe she and Braden were old souls who’d known each other before because they fit together so exactly and were in such harmony, in bed and out of it.

Stretching like a cat, she luxuriated in the moment and then got out of bed to search for the tee shirt she’d abandoned so many hours ago. Drawing it over her head she wandered barefoot into the main room to find Braden seated at the table with the usual array of breakfast dishes. She sat herself in his lap and took a piece of bacon. “Crispy, the way I like it.”

“The robo delivered this three minutes ago,” he assured her. “I was going to wake you up but you beat me to it. How are you feeling?”

“A little sore,” she admitted, “But happy and satisfied.”

“I aim to please.” His grin was triumphant.

“You definitely achieved your goal then.” She kissed him and went to her own chair, pouring herself a cup of coffee. “I thought my hotel was luxurious but this is pretty close.”

“IDA pulled out all the stops for Ardanna because it’s such a huge contract,” Braden informed her.

After checking her handheld, Elodie said, “I had a message from my hotel. The resort police want to talk to me this morning.”

“We’ll go there after breakfast then, not that we can tell them much. What else is on today’s agenda?”

“This is a free morning, surprisingly enough. I guess Tamarind and Renald assumed their guests would be exhausted after yesterday and the parties last night. The rehearsal is this afternoon at the wedding venue and then tonight is the rehearsal dinner, wedding party and plus ones only. The other guests are getting a second beach party or a sea cruise, their choice.”

“I don’t want you staying at that hotel, not after last night. Whoever searched your room obviously didn’t find what they were after and the level of vandalism in your bedroom is concerning. I have all this space so we might as well use it. Let’s move all your stuff over here after we talk to the police.”

“But you’ll be with me,” she protested. “I’m supposed to be at my hotel for convenience tomorrow, getting ready for the wedding at one.”

He shook his head and she knew she was going to lose this argument. Elodie found she really didn’t want to sleep in the other hotel room again, not even with Braden in her bed instead of on the couch.

“You can use the room there to prepare for the wedding if that’s going to be easier, but we’re not going to stay there. I can protect you better here, in the Ardannan space and here I have my friends for back up if needed.” He grinned. “And my pals happen to be Special Forces operators, not professional athletes and influencers.”

“All right, sounds reasonable to me. I didn’t want to spend any more time in my room there anyway. Such a violation of my personal space—it’s quite upsetting.” She gave in to his demand with grace and a sense of relief.

* * *

The morning flew by. Her meeting with the police was unsatisfying as they had no clues. The fact nothing had been taken seemed to make the authorities inclined to let the case lapse, although the detective in charge reluctantly agreed with an incensed Braden that the way the attacker had slashed some of Elodie’s dresses was concerning. There was also the fact that no other rooms had been invaded which pointed to this being related to Elodie herself. There hadn’t been any sensor data picked up to indicate who the prowler might have been and as the hotel security had said, the corridor holo cameras had been experiencing blackouts.

“That wasn’t very productive,” Elodie said as they left the small police station and walked toward her hotel in the distance.

“I don’t think this is going to be solved by them,” Braden agreed. “We’re only here another couple of days so we need to be vigilant and aware till we depart. You’re going to go home to Ardanna with me, right?”

She frowned and walked a few more feet before she answered. “I have a life elsewhere, you know. A job I worked hard for, things I want to do. I want to be with you but picking up and moving myself across the Sectors to a new planet is quite a leap.”

“When I reported to my people this morning to tell them about the incident in your hotel room, I asked if there was an archive on Ardanna.” He rubbed his chin and there was a twinkle in his eyes. “After he stopped laughing, Nikko—Grand Duke Nikko of Winddome by the way— informed me the king has a huge trove of documents and items of historical significance moldering away in the castle and it all needs sorting and cataloging. He assured me the king would be more than thrilled to appoint a Royal Archivist and give her total access and authority to make a useful resource out of the mess.”

Heart beating faster Elodie said, “Moldering, hmm?”