Lunch? Dinner? I can't tell what time of the day it is but one thing I know, I smell food. So that was the smell that woke me up. That, and her singing. You'd think I'd be sick of that, but she's got a great voice. When I left her on Hellion Prime with holy man, I had no idea she'd grow up so… perfect.
Man, I groan looking around and cursing myself. I can't believe this, I'm flat on my back and weak as a kitten. How the hell did I let that happen?
Caused you played with them before you killed them you asshole. The beast tells me.
"Hey, don't try and get out of the bed too fast." Jack tells me as she walks in with a tray full of food. On it is fresh bread, coffee and a bowl of steaming hot soup with meat and vegetables. I must be dead or in heaven cause it smells delicious.
She puts it down and checks my pulse. "I'm still here kid, stop fussing."
That gets me a smirk and a kiss, on the lips I might add. The day is getting better every second. "Hey."
"Hey." I answer. Man I need to get out of this damn bed. Jack's got those black pants on and she's let's just say, very distracting. She needs to get more clothes that do that, ones that hug all those curves I didn't think about all the time I was gone.
Hell if I'm not thinking about it now.
"Brought you something to help you get stronger. Sasha says you're over the worst of it and that you need to get moving soon."
That's the best news I've heard all day.
She places the tray on my lap and I'm gonna get spoiled rotten if she keeps this up. "Jack," I say inhaling the aroma of the foods in front of me, "had I known that you could cook like this, I'd of gotten more fresh food." I tell her.
Damn, she's fantastic. "And kept you in the kitchen where all the women folk belong."
I had to go there just to see that face.
The warm liquid is going down and I'm feeling satisfied. Damn it feels like ages since I ate last. Not that I've haven't been hungry before. I have, but this feels good.
"Hardly, knowing you, I'd be flat on my back with the veil on my face crying…Harder, deeper baby, oh yes-oh-yes! FASTER!"
Now that's not fair, she's mocking me now rocking against the headboard. That will come soon enough.
She's laughing. I can't help but smile. "You're making fun of me. That's gonna get you punished. And princess, when I have you flat on your back I want you looking right here," I say pointing to my eyes. "I want to watch you when I make you scream my name."
Take that Jack and see where that's gonna take you.
She goes to say something, but stops herself. That's right Jack, leave that alone while you can. I want to keep fucking with her but this food is too good and I'm starving.
"I'm glad you like the stew. Cooking is one of my favorite past times. Remember that payday? There's that list of reasons why he wants me so badly."
I got a list of my own. But I'm gonna ignore her right now. Food is now all important.
"A long list, I'm getting that Jack. There's one thing on that list is what he's never gonna get." His hands on you… "Damn Jack this is good. Is there anything you're bad at?"
"Trust." She says and there the entire conversation has gone serious. "Obedience."
Well I could have told you that. But then again she's never had to 'obey' me. I know she'll do what I say cause she knows it's gonna save her life, but I've never made her do anything. Trust, for the two of us has never been an issue, and I hope it never will be.
"Obedience was the worst. I've been bad." She admits and blushes like a kid, hey, she still is and I keep forgetting that. She's all grown up…. "I've been a naughty girl cause I break rules I shouldn't. I hate to be forced to obey, ask me and I have no problem (most times) but force me and you can fuck off."
"Nice mouth princess. I told you that I'd rub off on you." I remind her drinking the coffee. Her laughter is about as good as the food. It fortifies me for the next thing I want to talk about.
"Jack, I wanna talk about the other night. I didn't mean to hurt you. I was covered in blood, and feeling well, more of the animal in me than I wanted to admit, and you shouldn't see that."
I can't seem to look at her. Somehow I feel ashamed and that feels so wrong.
She takes the tray. I ate every single thing on it and I'm full. She sits beside me and smiles shyly. "Riddick," she says taking my hand, "it's part of who you are. I know that. I'm not afraid. You can't scare me." she tells me looking at me with a bold honest eye.
What a relief. I don't want to be afraid of me, ever. It would kill me not to be able to be myself around her. "You amaze me." I admit looking at her, my sliver eyes glinting in the dim light.
"Why, I'm nothing special. Bet you have a dozen nubile sexually attractive women waiting on your every need."
How can she say that? I've never heard anyone care about me, never had anyone believe in me either. She's damn special and needs to know it.
But she's funny as hell when she tries to deny what I think she realizes. My poker face is shitty around her and she knows it. "You see, I say something nice, and you go and get all stuck up about it." I tell her in mock disgust.
"You talk in your sleep there man o mine." She tells me kissing my forehead. "Good no fever."
She did not just say that shit to me. "What?"
"You were very interesting while unconscious. Would you like a play by play?"
"No I would not." I groan closing my eyes. I'm so fucked right now. What the hell could I have possibly said to her? Shit.
How about, I love you and can't wait to get you naked. Then find a desert island and have you all to myself forever. My beast growls.
Shut up.
Fuck you dickey boy, she's got your number.
Did I just say that out loud cause she's laughing her ass off at me? Damn I'm so fucked.
"What's so funny?" I growl.
"Your face, God I had you going so bad." She says nearly falling off the bed. I grab her with my good arm and pull her towards me and hold her face inches from my own.
"Jack, when I get out of this bed, you're gonna get it." I'm gonna spank your ass then rip those… I need to start thinking with big head now…
"Promises, promises." She says as my lips crush hers in a kiss that gives her the impression that I'm not gonna have her wait for long. Good, I need to get better fast.
Three days passed with no break in the routine. Jack would bring Riddick food and medicine, and he would sleep and bitch about being stuck in bed. She relented on the second day and allowed him free access to the mess where they would watch movies together and he would at least have a change of scenery.
"Jack?" he asked one night when she'd sat with him watching Aliens again, that being one of his favorites. When she didn't answer he just watched her sleep, snuggled against his chest. Since New London, he'd never gone to sleep without her near and he realized that that wasn't going to change, ever again.
"Riddick?" she said sleepily looking up at him. "Is it over yet?"
"No, go back to sleep." He told her knowing if she found out he was much stronger than pretended, all this petting and nursing would come to an end. And for some reason, this closeness was something he didn't want to give up.
On the fifth day, Riddick's strength had returned and he actually felt up to a little more than she'd let him. He'd gone to the med lab and had Sasha give him a check up.
"Good morning Riddick, what can I do for you today?" she asked, his mind hearing Jack and smiling.
"Give me good news Sasha. I'm tired to being an invalid." He snapped.
"Well, all your vitals are normal and you may remove the sutures if you desire." She said sweetly. "Where is Jack?"
"Asleep. She's exhausted." He told the computer as he snipped the black cord from his skin. "Am I fit to return to duty?"
"Yes, Riddick, and to Jack." She said and he could have sworn he could feel her smiling. "She's been very emotional while you've been incapacitated."
"I know." He gruffed as a stitch pulled against his skin. "Thanks, for the warning."
He showered and went to the mess, finding it dark and empty. He hadn't realized how much work it took to keep the ship running, clean and how much energy it took to take care of him.
It felt good to be dressed, shaved and strong again. But his muscles occasionally betrayed the fact that it could be weeks before he was himself. He checked the log and they were four days out of Meterora system, where he knew of seven planets they could hide in forever.
But he'd always be looking over his shoulder and that was not the life he wanted for them.
He remembered the other evening, when she had crawled into his bed exhausted and over tired. He laughed to himself recounting the request to have her with him every night, even though his only thought was carnal and not as it should have been.
It had been a good long while since he woke up next to a woman, if he ever had, and it was something of a fantasy to have Jack be that woman.
For years he never thought he deserved anything so remotely pure and good, that he was a worthless animal. But she gave him that hope, that someday he might be worthy of her.
"How long will I be stuck in this fucken bed?" he asked feeling edgy and restless.
"Another day." She said pulling up the blankets. "I'm gonna shower, I'll be back in a bit."
"Jack?" he remembered asking feeling like a fool. "Stay with me? You'll sleep better if you do." He asked knowing that the argument was lame and that he wanted to shout that he like feeling her near him.
Like she's gonna believe that his beast growled. Shut up, I'm trying here. He countered.
"Maybe, if you you're good. Sleep now, big guy." She ordered swaying her hips in the distance making him desirous for her company.
He remembered dozing, then feeling her slip underneath the sheets. She settled down next to him and in the darkness he opened his eyes, watching her get comfortable. "Thank you. I've gotten used to you being here and I kinda like it."
"You know you love it. I forgot to give you your good night kiss." She said playfully looking at him stare at her.
"I got other places you can put that you know." He purred daring her to answer him.
"I have no doubt of that. Can I ask you something?" she asked kissing him chastely and settling back down. "Am I still off limits or do you think it's because I can't handle you?"
"You handle me just fine Jack." He whispered back. "Go to sleep."
"Don't want to. I want to talk to you. It's been so quiet since we left New London and I'm going nuts."
He smiled and answered her, "Okay what do you want to talk about?" pulling her against him. He put his arm around her and rested his tired face against her ear, inhaling the vanilla and jasmine.
"Physics." She said quietly
"Physics. You want to talk about physics?" he asked laughing against her. The low rumble felt like shock waves through her body.
"The laws of attraction actually."
"Ah," he answered pulling her closer to him in an attempt to stop her wiggling against his hips. "Theory or practical application?" when she wiggled more he groaned sending more shock waves through her body.
"It depends."
"On what Jack?" he asked tracing small circles on her stomach.
"If the attraction is mutual or if it's one sided. According to the theory, one sided attraction tends to repel as opposed to attract. Mutual attraction works the best."
He growled and turned her over. His hips pinned her and she opened her eyes and found him staring at her. "Jack I'm gonna make you pay for that."
"What?" she asked innocently, feeling the not so innocent result of her constant wiggling.
"Only you can make science about sex." he growled looking at her, staring at her mouth.
"Well, if you put it that way, I guess the attraction is mutual." She said giggling a bit, just to make it worse. "Or am I mistaken?"
The drawstring pants she wore were thin and she felt him against her even through the fabric. "When I get better, and that's gonna be soon Jack, you're in for it." he demanded kissing her neck.
"Promises, promises." She quipped as she looked down at him smiling. His lips found hers and teased her into a frantically erotic set of penetrating kisses. His growl was all the encouragement she needed and shortly he began to pant. His head drooped and she could tell he was dizzy. "That's a switch, you getting dizzy instead of me."
"I make you dizzy?"
"Absolutely! The 'sun can supernova and I could care less" kind of dizzy. Now, Riddick, as much fun as this is, you need your rest. The longer it takes for you to heal the longer…"
She tried to squirm onto her side of the bed but he held her fast. "Don't move. Jack I mean it or you may make me do something I'll regret."
She ran her hands down his neck and teased the sensitive skin on his collarbone. He groaned and lowered his head. "And that is?" she asked kissing the side of his cheek. Her lips moved to his and he couldn't think straight, he wanted nothing more than to dive into her.
"Disappoint you." he groaned knowing his own strength was non existent. He had the will, and his sex drive was clearly working but no stamina meant bad performance. Jack's first time would not be shitty because of bad performance. She deserved something good and he wanted to deliver that.
"Oh that," she scoffed as his cheek descended to the fabric of her tank top. His eye spied her breast and he knew that he wanted a taste, no matter what. "Well, I could chalk that up to comparing it with the 5 minute man back on Hellion Prime."
His voice reverberated against her chest, "Never mention him in my bed again Jack." He ordered his lips a breath away from that succulent orb he'd been coveting for weeks.
He rubbed his cheek against her, as if to tease, purring like the big cat he was when content. "Gotcha. Riddick?"
A few moments went by and nothing. "Riddick?"
She smiled and rubbed his shoulders. He had fallen asleep laying on her breast. What he did not remember, was her smile, or the words. "Soon Riddick, soon."
After he removed the sutures he looked at the scar red and angry in the mirror. "Nice job kid."
He spent an hour looking over the star charts, and planet dossiers and felt better than he'd felt in a while. When he reached the mess again, she sat there reading a book. "It lives." She announced smiling. "Good morning Riddick," she said attempting to kiss his cheek. He turned at the last second and kissed her lips letting her know that he was back to his old self. "Wow, you must be feeling better."
"Thanks to you and you're long list of skills." He said sitting down. "You know where we are?"
"Crab Nebula, I think we're close enough to put down if you want some real air. There's a planet a few hours south if I remember,."
"No, I don't want to take any chances. You look tired." He noticed and felt a bit of guilt.
"I'm fine Riddick. I'm better. With you flat on your back, I've had a lot of time to think."
"Good or bad?" he asked looking at her.
"That depends," She replied looking at him. "on you."
"Well, you know me." he said smiling.
"I do, and as long as I'm not a liability, you'll stick around." She said defensive and unsure.
"What happened Jack?" he asked taking her hands to stop her from getting up.
"Nothing. I just realized that you being sick was just an excuse." She told him, "for me to delude myself."
She was flighty, and agitated and he knew it. "Jack, hey this is me and that pushing away bullshit isn't gonna fly."
"Have I lied to you?" he asked suddenly angry. How could she even think he had felt nothing?
"No, but then again, you don't have to." She said looking away.
"Are you trying to piss me off?" he asked his feelings very close to the surface.
"No, but that's just how it is. You get what you want and then it's well whatever."
"Is that the shit you think I'm gonna pull?" he asked looking at her like she'd grown a second head.
"Isn't that what you all do?"
So there was the entire argument. Trust again. He thought hers for him was absolute, and he realized that it was except for in this particular area. "Jack. I'm not gonna hurt you."
"You say that now."
"I say that period."
"But Riddick." She asked as his hand began to massage her wrist. "Stop that."
"Why? I know you like it." he crooned scooting next to her and putting her in his lap. "And I know you like this." He said making her straddle him.
"That's besides the point." She told him looking away.
"That's exactly the point." He told her rubbing her calves. The skirt she wore was one of her favorites and he used that to his advantage. "What happened between you and I over the passed two weeks was gonna happen and I'm not gonna pretend that it didn't. Are you?"
"No." she said suddenly ashamed because he was distracting her. "But…"
"Jack, I'll be fine." He said suddenly realizing why she was pulling back. She worried he would leave her, whether it was voluntarily or other wise.
"I know that." she finally admitted playing with his shirt. He wanted her to stop dwelling on this. "Stop squirming I want to check you're arm."
"Jack, I don't squirm." He announced in a booming playful voice. He did, however seem to be enjoying her squirm. "It's fine Jack. I'm a big boy."
"I know I'm just being fussy again." She said in a small fragile voice.
"You do nice work." He told her as she inspected his arm. "I like fussy, sometimes. It makes me feel like I'm loved and adored." He said smiling at her.
"Loved and adored my ass! You hate it." she said as he stared down at her breasts that were right below his chin. "Eyes back in your head convict. "
"Ouch… that was mean Jack" he said in mock distress. "My eyes are fine right where they are." he said never looking up at her.
"Do you like making me uncomfortable?" she asked trying to move off him.
"Sometimes." He answered and got a playful smack on his good arm. "You asked, and I won't lie. Sometimes I enjoy the shit out of it. Tell me you don't."
She couldn't lie either but she'd be damned is she'd tell him then. "You're still wearing those frumpy ass skirts. You," he said putting his hands on her bare thighs, causing her to sigh loudly," need something that shows these legs, and," he said bravely cupping her perfect cheeks, "this off. I can't," he said shifting because he was close enough to imagine what that would be like to really see her, 'imagine these naked quite as easily."
Her moan, quietly gave him his answer. "I don't have much else. But then again, you did remind me that if I needed anything you'd get it for me."
"True, so how about we put down, get what you want, and then get more fresh food? You're cooking has me spoiled and we're running out. Then once, properly dressed I can grab hold and imagine away."
"Deviant, and here I thought you were a perfect gentleman." She answered her breathing ragged because his hands started to become occupied by teasing her thighs. "A nice man, who I cold have babies with on a planet, free of uh mercs. Stop that Riddick. With my own, garden."
Now his eyes closed because he suddenly did remember his mouth losing the ability to keep shut. He groaned and continued to touch her. "You uh, don't seem to mind grabbing, mm now."
"Naked is a whole different story." He purred against her neck.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" She said feeling his fingers creep up towards no man's land.
"Every minute, of every day princess." He said kissing her collar bone.
"Horny pervert." She said as he stopped just short of the prize.
"Adeni." He whispered against her cheek as his lips grazed it.
"In my defense, I didn't asked to be named that." she said as his arms surrounded her in an embrace meant to claim her as his. She sighed loudly and snuggled against him.
"I know. And you didn't want to be a boy either. You know you couldn't be a boy, not in this life or any other. Jack, how much did I say when I was sick?" he asked nipping her ear lobe lazily.
The ability to concentrate was tenuous and Jack replied with a voice not above a whisper and very stilted. "A lot, mm you should really, mm stop Riddick. You're gonna, uh, over" she said feeling his hands stroke her shoulders, "exert yourself."
"Don't worry about me Jack." He crooned.
"Did you think I'd be this girlie?" she asked stroking his head.
"No, but it was a nice surprise. Not, that it would have mattered. You meant something to me and being gorgeous was just an added bonus." He said running his fingers through her hair and smiling.
She blushed. No one had ever told her she was beautiful, not that way. "How long before we can land this ship?"
"About ninety minutes." He said wanting nothing more than to pick her up and walk her into his bed. "You agree to go and buy some decent clothes?"
"Buy food, is more like it. You need your strength. I mean you ate just about everything we bought. Big appetite huh?"
"Voracious." He purred in her ear. She blushed again and let him play with her hair some more.
"Told you I could cook." She affirmed sitting up straighter and attempting to move off his lap.
"A few hours shouldn't hurt." He said getting up with her. "We're still the Carmichaels and we haven't used their idents or credit chips."
"Never pegged you as a 'shopper'." She smirked as he took her hand and led her to the bridge "A domesticated predator, now that's a laugh."
"Never, just content with my mate." He remarked his voice betraying little but pure possessiveness.
"Oh, is that what I am now?" she asked raising an eyebrow.
"Get used to it Jack, I'm not letting you out of my sight. Not now, not ever." He grinned looking at her with the beast pounding his chest.
"When did this happen?" she asked stunned by his admission.
"T2." Was all he said until they landed.