Free Mercenary's Reward by Stephanie Snow Page B

his entire length. Jai's hands were on her hips now, and when her orgasm hit, he rolled her onto her back and started to thrust furiously.
    Her head swam with satisfied delight, senses slow to return after the intensity of her release. Mieli gradually recovered just in time to wrap her legs around Jai's waist and feel the pulse of his cum deep in her satiated body.
    WHEN THE FOG of sexual gratification had cleared from Jai's mind, he roused enough to add fuel to the fire he'd started earlier. Back on the blanket with Mieli, he surveyed her nude form with nothing less than deep contentment. The curly gold mass of her hair obscured part of her face, but he could see her eyes were closed. A small curve to her soft, sensual mouth gave the impression that she was pleased about something. He was pleased as well.
    There were no words to describe what he was feeling and how much he had enjoyed what had transpired between them. After today and what they had done together, he would never be able to return to a life as a soldier. That life of deprivation and sacrifice was transparent to him now, and no reward that path would lead to could equal what he had found in his little healer. No other woman would be able to rouse his passion as Mieli could. For the first time in his adult life, he felt a stirring of warmth, and a desire to make another person happy.
    And he would make her happy.
    Clearly, she needed someone to protect her from what the War Tribe had in store for the people on this planet. Left here, she would either become a laborer or, with her looks and bearing, a Native. Conquered races who were not worthy of being admitted to the War Tribe essentially became slaves under the command of the emissary given rule of this planet. They would work under Tribe officials to do everything from building roads to harvesting crops. It was not a dire fate necessarily, since laborers were treated fairly enough. But they were basically slaves, and one as beautiful as Mieli would suffer sexually, whether from his people, or her own.
    Of course, if she were recognized for her beauty and manner, she could be a recruited. Some select individuals would be selected to serve in other positions, namely to manage and supervise the laborers. Known as Natives, they were taught Tribe Standard and filled many skilled positions across the planet. A few even earned the right to become citizens, usually through a fortuitous relationship with a civilian. Marrying in, so to speak.
    That was a rosy outlook, though. It was far more likely that in the arduous and tumultuous process of colonizing this planet, Mieli would be like all the others. Lost in the mass of humanity, she would be traumatized and victimized a hundred times over.
    Jai would not let that happen to her, no matter the cost. By all rights he should have died in these woods, and Mieli had saved him from that. Whatever had motivated her care and kindness, it was a real debt he must acknowledge. He looked down at her pale form, gripped by a sensation he couldn't name. His heart burned with need to protect her, and his body yearned to possess her. Mieli. His woman.
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    Chapter Twelve
    Jai set a grueling pace across the forest floor. How he knew where he was going, she didn't know, but it was obvious he had a destination in mind. Clearly, he was making allowances for her much shorter legs, though she was still hard-pressed to keep up. Rather than let her stop at midday, he would simply pick her up when she couldn't go on.
    As galling as it was to be carried like a child, the rest from their tireless march was more than welcome. Their first day was doubly difficult because Mieli was still uncomfortably sore from the night before. At the end of the day, although he had carried her for the last two hours, her body had throbbed and tingled with aches and pains. She gave a brief thought to how easily he could heal her and then realized that might well be a limited