“Eve,” he warned. “I can’t take any more.”

She sucked harder, moved faster, and he totally lost the ability to speak. He’d expected her to stop but instead she pushed him beyond his limit. A loud groan filled the room—it came from him—as hot pleasure seized him. Wood snapped about the same time as his sanity when she swallowed his seed, her mouth milking him until his legs gave way.

Blackie fell back, hitting the bed instead of landing on top of his mate. His dick was pulled from her sexy grasp as he fought to open his eyes. He trembled a little as he attempted to recover, not sure how to react since he’d never experienced such a powerful reaction before.

Eve rose and climbed on top of him until she straddled his lap. “I love the way you taste.”

She lowered her head and brushed a kiss on his chest, inching upward until she nuzzled her face against his throat. “I hope you have a fast recovery time. That turned me on, Handsome. You make me so hot.”

“Take off your clothes.”

She rolled off him without further urging. He sat up and lifted one foot, tearing at his boot. He threw both across the room, not caring if they caused damage. The pants were already tugged midway down his thighs so it was just a matter of lying flat and lifting his legs to shove them the rest of the way off. He turned on his side to watch Eve finish stripping.

Her pale skin invoked desires to stroke his hands across every inch of it until he knew how all of her body felt. She removed her clothing and he lunged, surprising her with the quick, aggressive action, pinning her under him. He took care not to bruise her skin as he yanked her arms above her head and his knee pressed against the center of her legs. She parted them for him and he wiggled into the space between.

Her beautiful eyes sparkled with amusement as her eyebrows lifted. “You’re as hard as a rock already? I’m impressed.”

It was just a matter of adjusting his h*ps before he aligned the crown of his dick at the soaked seam of her sex. He rubbed up and down, using it to tease her clit. The soft moans she made only increased his desire to be buried inside her.

“Say you love me.” He needed the words.

“I love you.”

He maneuvered his pelvis until his dick pressed against the small opening of her pu**y and he pushed forward. Eve moaned louder as he thrust deep, making her take all of him in one firm motion. He paused there.

“You are home to me.”

She held his gaze.

“You are everything that is right in my world, Eve. I will never let you go or leave you. We’re one together and that makes us complete. I won’t allow anything to come between us.”

“Let go of my wrists.”

He released her and was pleased when she slid her fingers into his hair, holding it back from his face.

“I won’t either, Handsome. You’re my entire life and reason for living. You’re my mate, the other half of my soul. I will hunt you down if you try to leave me because I’d die without you.”

“We have a very long life ahead of us and we’re going to live it together. You’re my mate and I wish you to be my wife, the woman of my family unit.” He braced his spread knees and moved, the sheer pleasure of the friction was paradise. “I’ll keep you too tired to ever consider leaving me.”

She moaned. “I’ll give you blowjobs until your knees give way if you try to take off.”

The memory of what she’d done to him with her mouth was enough to drive him into a frenzied need to come again. He pounded against her, taking her more roughly than he’d intended but she didn’t mind as she locked her legs around his hips, using that leverage to grind against him until she cried out his name, her vaginal muscles locking so tightly around his dick that he exploded seconds after she did.

He remembered to roll over, taking her with him in a tangle of arms and legs. His weight might have left her unable to catch her breath. Eve lying sprawled over him felt right, as if she belonged there, always had and always would. He grinned.

“I will be a good mate.”

“You already are.”

“I worried I might fail,” he confessed. “You need things I wasn’t sure I could give you.”

“I worried you’d freak out when you found out how I bonded to you.”

“I’m relieved.”

“Me too. You want me.”

“Always.” He held her tighter. “I have since we met. I grieved your loss.”

“Me too.”

“Your memory haunted my dreams and I never forgot you.”

“You haunted my dreams too.”

“No more,” he whispered and brushed a kiss on her forehead. “We’ll dream about our future together while we’re sleeping side by side.”

She giggled. “Or on top of each other. I don’t know about you but I could use a nap and I’m really comfortable where I am.”

“Always tell me what you need, Eve. I realize I may seem cold or distant at times. That isn’t how I feel. You inspire so many emotions but they are difficult to express until I learn how.”

“You’re doing a great job and I’m not going anywhere. We have time to work out everything.”

“Good.”

Time passed in silence and Blackie nearly drifted to sleep.

“Handsome?”

He liked her endearment. “Yes?”

“I don’t expect you to totally change, okay? I mean, besides expressing yourself more. I love you for who you are.”

“I love you as you are too, Eve.”

“Are you freaked out still about me probably having more than one baby at a time if we ever have kids?”

“It came as a surprise but I will welcome having many children with you.”

“So it’s not a deal breaker?”

“No. It’s a bonus feature to you being my woman. I will warn you that I’ll worry about your health during a pregnancy and probably keep you within my sight at all times.”

“I can live with that. I just want to wait a while, enjoy some adult time before we have to learn how to change diapers.”

“I do as well.”

“Okay. ‘Night. Sweet dreams.”

“Sweet dreams to you as well.” He had just started to drift when the com buzzed. He ignored it. It buzzed again.

“What is that?” Eve lifted her head, glancing around the room.

“Someone is attempting to contact me but whoever it is can wait.”

Her eyes widened. “Shit! Danica. She probably woke up and is giving Gene hell. We better answer it before he needs medical attention.”

“She’s small. He can manage her until after our sleep cycle ends.”

“She’s my sister.” She showed him her hand as her sharp claws slid out. “Remember these? Gene is your friend, right? Do you really want him carved up like a Thanksgiving turkey?”

“I’m not sure what that means but I’ll assume it’s unpleasant.” He released her. “Put on something while I find my pants. I’ll activate a visual.”

Eve grinned. “You’re the best mate ever.”

Chapter Twelve

Eve was grateful to leave the council meeting. The cyborgs had been nice but she had tired of their questions. She’d pretty much had to give them a rundown of every meeting she’d ever had with Freedom about their plans to escape Earth together, the immediate aftereffects of discovering they’d been left behind and the years she and Danica had survived afterward.

Assurances that Parlis, Fleet, and Jazel would pay for their crimes had been issued. All three had been stripped of their ranks and privileges and were currently locked in cells, awaiting word from the council on their fates. One of the members had hinted it would be death. It wouldn’t change the past or bring her sisters back but the remaining council’s outrage had gone a long way to appease some of her pain.

“We offer our sincere apologies,” a dark-haired cyborg finally stated in the end. “We were unaware of the canine units when we fled Earth or we never would have left them behind. We’re prepared to do everything in our power to make your transition to our society a smooth one.”

“Thank you, Coval.” Blackie cleared his throat. “I would like to speak on behalf of Danica. She has refused to return to the surface until she’s given a few formal clarifications.”

“She doesn’t trust cyborgs after what happened to us so she wants a few things in writing.” Eve decided to be blunt. “I don’t mean to be rude but I can’t blame her for being wary.”

Rais, another male council member, smiled. “Nor do we. What does she ask for?”

“She’s terrified you are going to force her into one of those marriage contracts with multiple cyborgs.” Eve frowned. “She wants to pick her own mate when she feels ready to take one. She doesn’t know about breeding pacts but that won’t fly either.”

Blackie cleared his throat. “What Eve means is—”

“We understood,” Coval chuckled. “Tell your sister we’ll allow her to pick the male of her choice and we don’t consider her to be a cyborg. You were very clear yesterday that your line is opposed to polygamy. We were watching, remember?”

“I’ll personally write it as an official decree,” Rais offered.

“Thank you.” Eve relaxed.

“Gene is willing to host her so no living arrangements need to be made for her,” Blackie added.

Coval studied Eve. “She agreed to live with Gene?”

She nodded, not willing to outright lie by saying she had. The opposite was true. Blackie had explained Danica would be safer living with Gene than on her own. “That’s the plan.”

“That will be acceptable,” another male at the end of the table agreed. “Gene will be able to teach her our laws and help her adjust to this lifestyle. Are they testing their compatibility?”

“Yes.” Blackie tapped her leg under the table with the back of his hand.

She had no idea what “testing compatibility” meant, but acknowledged his signal and just nodded again, taking her cue from him.

“There’s one more topic to discuss.” A blonde female cyborg leaned forward. “We’re short two council members. Our numbers need to be twelve. Blackie, we held a meeting last evening and are offering you one of those positions. Will you accept?”

Eve turned her head to gauge his reaction. Surprise was evident in the way his eyes widened and his lips parted.

“I don’t know how to respond,” he rasped.

Zorus chuckled. “You have earned a higher status and you could represent the canine units. I know you were expecting to become a mission commander but I doubt you’ll wish to take Eve into space for weeks or months at a time now that she’s finally reached Garden. You’ve always been loyal to the council and we are certain you would make an excellent addition.”

Blackie glanced at Eve. “I need to consider it and discuss this matter with my mate before I accept or decline.”

Zorus stood. “That is reasonable. We’ll adjourn until later this afternoon. Please give us an answer at that time.”

The room cleared and Eve followed Blackie into the hallway. Zorus excused himself to speak privately to a few members, giving them a chance to be alone.

“Being asked to be a council member is huge, isn’t it?”

Blackie assumed a blank expression. “It is a high honor.”

“Do you want the job?”

He reached out and took her hand. “I do but it means we’d live fulltime on Garden. Council members rarely leave the surface.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

He hesitated. “I wouldn’t mind but would you?”

“We get to be together, right? Sleep in the same bed every night?”