Serendipity (Saurellian Federation 1.5)
Page 3And Mali.
She was a little angel, a smaller version of her mother; only this version accepted him with open arms.
She had been shy at first, but now she ran up to him every time she saw him, demanding hugs.
But no matter how much her daughter loved him, Sarai would hardly speak to him. He wanted to sweep her into his arms, to take her with him to his homeworld and make her his. And by Saurellian law he was entitled to do that; she was his lifemate, after all, a bond created by the Goddess herself.
Simply taking her wasn't a real option, though. He'd realized almost immediately that if he ever wanted to win Sarai over, he'd have to woo her. She'd already been forced into marriage with one man. He had to prove he was different than Calvin, no matter what else happened.
He couldn't prove himself to her unless she gave him a chance, though. He needed to show her that he wanted more than her body, that he didn't need to control her. He wanted a partner, not a servant.
Unfortunately, she didn't seem to want him at all.
He would have to change her mind.
Chapter Two
Sarai was stirring a pot of porridge over the stove when Jax came into the kitchen. She could sense his presence immediately, of course, but she didn't acknowledge him. There was no way she'd let him know just how aware she was of his every move.
She lifted the porridge and turned to pour it into the bowls she'd set out.
"Mali, Able, do you want sweetener in your cereal?" she asked brightly. Then she turned and allowed herself to see him lounging against the doorway, arms folded in front of his chest.
"Do you have enough for me to have a bowl?" Jax asked softly. The question seemed innocent enough, but his voice was dark and silky. It caressed her ears, reminding her of how he had sounded as he came into her that night.
"No," she said tightly, walking over to the table and setting down the bowls in front of the children.
"Food isn't part of the arrangement here. I've told you that before. There are any number of places in town where you can find breakfast."
Jax simply smiled at her, and then sauntered across the kitchen to the table. She glared at him forbiddingly, but he ignored her. Coming up beside Mali, he swung one leg over the bench and straddled it next to the small girl.
"Good morning, Jax," Mali said brightly, carefully balancing her spoonful of cereal and blowing on it.
"Would you like some of my breakfast? Mommy always gives me too much."
"No thank you, sweetheart," Jax said, catching Sarai's eye. "I'll get something later. You'll need all your food so you have energy to play today, and do your studies."
Mali nodded, stuffing the spoon in her mouth. Sarai pursed her lips. She'd already asked him several times not to come into the kitchen, but she didn't want to make a scene in front of the children. They'd been through enough without having to watch that. Instead, she filled her own bowl and turned to the table. Jax watched her as Mali chattered on about her plans for the day. Able glared.
"Are you done with your food?" she asked finally, and the two small blond heads nodded in unison. "Put your bowls in the sink, and go on outside."
Mali hopped up and carried her bowl to the sink. Able followed more slowly, watching them carefully.
"It's all right, son," Sarai said, giving him as open a smile as she could manage. "You go on and play with your sister. It'll be time for your lessons before long."
"Mali tells me you had to carry pails of water for the vegetables yesterday afternoon," Jax said in a smooth, drawling voice. "She told me the water wasn't working right. Do you know what's wrong with it?"
"No," Sarai said tightly.
"Have you called anyone to fix it yet?" Jax asked, watching her face carefully.
"No," she replied, refusing to meet his gaze. "I don't want to spend the money right now."
"I can take a look at it if you like," Jax said lightly.
"And what would a soldier know about irrigation?" Sarai said sharply.
"Well, I wasn't born a soldier," Jax replied calmly. "I was born on a farm, and I used to work on the irrigation equipment with my father. They have farms in Saurellia, you know. Even soldiers have to eat."
Sarai was startled. She'd never thought of Saurellians as farmers. They were soldiers, conquerors. They came and took things; they fought the Empire. They didn't fix broken pipes.
"Well, I can't stop you," she said, standing abruptly. She scooped up her plate and turned away from him. "But I don't want you bothering me here. You need to leave."
"Sarai," Jax said quietly. "You can't just brush me off forever. I'm not going away. Why won't you at least give me a chance?"
"I don't want you in my life," she said tightly. "I don't want any man in my life."
"I'm already here," he replied, all but whispering in her ear. "I'm not leaving. We can't just leave this thing between us unfinished."
She whirled to face him, startled by how close he was. His chest was just inches from her face. His shirt was open just a bit at the neck, and a few dark hairs from his chest caught her attention. They were coarse and curly. She already knew what they felt like. They had been wiry against her hands that night.
She could smell him, too. He smelled a little like the soap she kept in each of the hostel's rooms, and a little like himself. Jax. She took a deep breath, hoping to calm herself. Instead she inhaled more of his scent. A thrill at his presence ran through her body. She could feel herself starting to tremble. Steeling herself, she took a deep breath and stared straight into his eyes.
"You have no idea what I've been through in my life," she said. "I'm free now, and so are my children.
We've lived under a man's control before. I won't go back to that. Ever."
Jax reached one hand up, lightly brushing her cheek with the backs of his fingers.
"I don't want to control you," he whispered. He leaned over and brushed a kiss against her ear. "I want to make love to you, and be with you. Nothing more than that."
She held herself still, longing to lean into him.