"Ben, may Ispeak openly with you?" she asked, and there was a little hesitation in her voice.
"Of course, my Queen," I assured her. "You can speak to me about anything."
She smiled and took a deep breath, and I could see she still had a lot of reservations about saying what was on her mind. She started to speak two or three times, but stopped herself before she did.
This was going to drive me crazy.
"With all due respect, Your Majesty, just spit it out." Ismiled.
Her tinkling burst of giggles warmed me up from head to toe. She really was so very enchanting, and I could hardly breathe around her.
"I must admit, at first,I was very hesitant and suspicious about you," she blurted out after she reined in her laughter. "I was sure you were some kind of spy or a bad person. We haven't had the best of luck with any males around here in a very longtime."
"I understand that, Your Majesty."
"I wanted to be as optimistic as Talise and my sister, but I couldn't bring myself to get my hopes up," she continued. "I was afraid history
would repeat itself, and I didn't want to get my heart tangled up in a mess when you betrayed us."
I just nodded my head in understanding. I knew trusting anyone,
especially a stranger, at their word was a dangerous step for a queen to take.
"I confess that when I took you on a tour of our village and the
coasts, it was a sort of … test," Nerissa admitted, but to her credit, she
looked me straight in the eyes as she spoke. "I expected you to show your true colors. To attack me or enact some other nefarious plot. I had warriors waiting in the wings. That is why Mira was able to return with others so quickly to collect the haeye carcass."
"So, there were people watching us the whole time?" I asked with a frown. "Why didn't they come to help when the haeye was chasing us up the beach?"
Nerissa shook her head. "I'd given them strict instructions to not reveal themselves unless you made an attempt on my life."
"Isee," I murmured. I couldn't really blame the queen for her
subterfuge. That was some smart thinking on her part, if I truly had been a spy.
"But you proved me wrong, Ben," Nerissa added softly as she looked deep into my eyes, "and I am incredibly grateful you did. You saved Mira and I from the haeye when you could have easily fled. Then, last night,
when the raiders threatened my people and their lives, you fought bravely
for us. You almost died for us. You defeated a foe that would have done unspeakable things to all of us if they had gotten the chance. I am …
eternally grateful and in your debt for protecting me and this village."
"Your Majesty …" Istarted.
"Please call me Nerissa, especially here in close company."
"Nerissa,I only did what I thought was right," Iadmitted, "I don't expect repayment or want to have you in debt to me. Even if it was
begrudgingly, you did save my life."
"That's exactly it, Ben!" she exclaimed. "You didn't have to do anything. It wasn't your responsibility or place, but you did it without thought and without reservation or expectation of anything in return."
"There was no way I could sit by and watch all of you get
manhandled, hurt, or much worse," Igrowled. "It wasn't like those
monsters were just going to raid your goods and leave you in peace. I heard what they planned to do …"
"They are barbaric brutes, there is no doubt about that," she agreed, "but it still wasn't your duty to do what you did, is what I am saying. I now know I had the wrong idea about you, simply because I was protecting my own heart. I apologize for ever doubting you."
She reached up to touch my face as she said these last words, and when I looked into her eyes, I felt like I'd fallen into the clearest sea and was willing to drown in it happily as long as I could stay there forever.
"An apology isn't necessary, Nerissa," Itold her, "but it is accepted, nonetheless."
"Thank you, you have eased a great burden in my heart with your words," she said graciously. "Now, I have a couple of things I want to discuss with you, but one of them can wait until you are out of the
infirmary."
"Fair enough. What's the other thing you wanted to talk about?"
"I want to formally invite you, Benjamin Ross Whitfield, to join our village and stay with us for the remainder of your days," Queen Nerissa
declared with a broad smile. "We don't have everything your world does, but we have one another. You will always have a home here and will always be wanted."
Istared at the royal beauty with my mouth gaping open. Had she really just asked me to stay here, to be one of them?
"You can give me your answer after you have thought on it for a while, if you wish," she said hesitantly. "I know you might be homesick,
but I don't really knowhow to return you to your home. So, please, consider just living with us?"
I took a moment to think about my old life and what I'd left behind. I'd already lost both of my parents and all of my grandparents in my life. I had my sister, but we'd been out of touch since she'd moved across the
country. I would miss her and being able to see my nephew grow up, but
they had their new lives in Seattle and would continue to thrive there. My roommate, Terrence, would have a hard time without me, but he was a
survivor. Also, he would have Tully there to comfort him, and he loved that cat more than he loved most people.
That was about it for my people. Sure,I had a group of friends and a boat, but I'd really kept to myself ever since getting out of the Coast Guard. I'd avoided social media like the plague and refused to fall into the trap of "friending" people from highschool and shit, just to discover they were all still the same old douchebags. The only other thing was I hoped Jess and
her family didn't feel too guilty about my disappearance. I had no doubt I was there for a reason and would do it all over again if given the choice, including saving the dog. I'd struggled to find a place in the world where I would fit in and could make a difference, but I'd found that on this island, and I was happy with my choice.
"Yes," I answered immediately.
"Yes, you want to think on it?" "Yes, I accept!" Ilaughed.
Suddenly, there was a shout of excitement across the room, and I looked away from the queen to see Talisedo a little dance in celebration. The vision made me burst out in laughter, and my shoulder twinged in disagreement with the sudden movement, but I was too happy to care.
"You make me and everyone else very happy, Ben." Nerissa smiled as she reached out and squeezed my hand. "I must take my leave now and make the announcement that you are not only okay, but will also be staying with us. We will speak about the other issue soon."
I started to tell her she could talk to me about anything else she needed to discuss now, but she wasn't having it.
"It can wait, Ben," she said gently and put one hand on my lips to stop me from arguing. Then she moved her hand slowly away and left a trail of heat across my cheek from her touch.
Nerissa stared at me for a moment and then leaned in and replaced her hand with her lips. The kiss started out soft, sweet, and almost chaste, but it grew into a more feverish kiss when her lips parted, and her tongue begged for entrance into my mouth.
I wasn't one to deny a queen, so I followed suit.
It didn't turn into a completely heated makeout session, she just let her tongue dance lightly across the tip of mine for a moment and then
pulled away after a light nibble to my bottom lip. It was definitely enough to drain all thoughts from my head and make my dick harden again
instantly.
Nerissa smiled one more time before leaving without another word. These women were going to be the death of me.
"You seem to be recovering quickly, Ben." Talise approached me with a knowing smile on her face, and she seemed very proud of herself when she snickered.
I just rolled my eyes at her in response.
"Maybe you would like something to eat?" she laughed. "Ithink you are going to need to get your strength back as soon as possible."
I couldn't help but laugh at the woman. That is what Talise did, she brought joy and humor and light to my world.
"Ithink that's a great idea," Itold her, and my stomach growled in agreement.
The healer left for a moment and returned with a tray with a bowl of some kind of soup, sliced banana, and a hunk of flatbread. She set the tray to the side while she helped me sit up higher in the bed, and she positioned
several seagrass pillows behind me so my back and shoulders were fully
supported before she placed another pillow on my lap. Then she brought the tray over, set it down gently, and then sat in the same spot on my bed the
queen had just vacated.
I could get used to this treatment.
"I think you can manage this on your own, since it wasn't your
dominant hand and arm that got injured, but I am going to stay by your side just in case," the healer told me.
"I like you being close by," I flirted openly with this woman. She brought it out in me so easily. I was amazed at how comfortable I was around her and how peaceful it was to be in her presence.
In response, Talise snuggled her lovely ass right up against my side to showshe wasn't going anywhere and then laughed at her own antics.
"You can do that as much as you want," Itold her as I picked up the spoon, "I don't mind one bit."
I winced as I tried to bring the spoon to my mouth, and the healer clicked her tongue.
"Oh, you are a sad guppy, aren't you?" she murmured in a husky voice. "I guess Iwill have to feed you."
I doubt I would have accepted this kind of coddling from just any woman, but I knew that not only would Talise be delighted to help me, she would make it sensual rather than emasculating.
Sure enough, she held the bowl under my chin and raised a spoonful of soup to my mouth,and she bit her bottom lip the entire time. Once the
soup was in my mouth, she watched me chew with an intense stare aimed at my lips. She fed me a few more bites without changing her expression, and my heart pounded in rhythm with my pulsating dick.
Her biting that bottom lip was driving me insane.
Talisepaused in feeding me to wipe a small drip off the corner of my mouth with her soft thumb, then she repeated the steps over until the soup was gone.
This time when she placed her thumb on my mouth,I opened it
slightly so I could gently flick her thumb with my tongue and graze it with teeth.
Her own mouth let loose a small moan, and her cheeks flushed a
tantalizing rose color. Then she slowly and reluctantly moved her thumb away.
"Uh--you, um, better eat that bread and enjoy it," she fumbled. "It's the last of it considering those evil beasts burnt the grain storage to the
ground."
This did a good job of taking my attention away from carnal thoughts and back to the current and desperate needs of the village. Fucking man-
beasts.
"I actually thought of a solution to the grain problem, at least until we can get the fields back in growing conditions," Itold her.
"Would you tell me about it?" she asked with bright eyes. "I would love to take some good news to the queen tonight."
"Of course, you are the one I was waiting to tell," Iinformed the
healer with a smile. "In my world, people started making flour out of
coconuts as a healthier option to making it from grain. It's pretty simple to do."
"How do we go about doing this?" she asked as she leaned into me with excitement.
"It's a process of soaking and then drying the white pulp of the
coconut," I replied with my own excited grin. "Then, once it is fully dry, it can be ground like flour. Plus, we will have lots of coconut milk and oil to use for whatever we need."
Her aqua eyes lit up with my explanation like a kid's on Christmas morning, or like she'd just won the lottery.
I found I really enjoyed making this gorgeous woman so happy.
"When do you think we can start?" she asked.
"In the morning, if you want."
"This is brilliant, Ben!" she declared. "You really are a lifesaver!"
She bent down and kissed me soundly on the lips and then stood up to start pacing the room. I'd noticed that about her, she liked to stay in
motion when her wheels were turning. She mumbled mostly to herself
about the things they could do with all the different products that came from the coconuts we were going to harvest. I didn't hear much of what she said, though, since my head was still reeling from two kisses from two different beautiful serpent women in less than an hour.
If only my old Coast Guard buddies could see me now.
Just then, Mira returned from completing everything she had to do, and she looked a million times better than she did earlier. There were still dark circles under her eyes, but she wore an easy smile on her face. Her jade green hair was shiny again and still damp from her bath, and I could smell the comforting and signature scent of the handmade soap as soon as she'd walked in. For the first time since I met her, she was wearing one of the feminine wraps instead of the warrior outfit I'd grown accustomed to
seeing her in. This one was a deep green a few shades darker than her hair and made her scales shine like they were the gates of heaven itself.
I couldn't stop staring at her.
"Did you get some food?" Talise asked and broke the awkward silence.
"Yes, though I feel quite guilty about it," Mira replied. "I was
ravenous once Istarted eating, and Hali fed me everything I could hold. Then I found out it is the last of the bread and that stubborn woman kept feeding it to me!"
I looked down at the tray Talise had given me and realized I'd
managed to finish everything on it, including the bread, while she'd been pacing and thinking.
"Hali has always had a soft spot for you ever since you saved her from a wild boar," Talise chuckled.
"Still, there is no reason to feed me all that bread when it is almost gone." Mira frowned. "It will take months to replenish the grain those evil douchebags burnt to the ground!"
I started laughing and choking at the same time. I couldn't believe I just heard her say "douchebag." I guess I was rubbing off on her, in some ways better than others, apparently.
"I learned that word from you," Mira interrupted as she pointed her finger at me and narrowed her gold eyes, "andIdon't even know what it means, you scoundrel!
This made me laugh even harder, and my shoulder surprisingly didn't put up much of a fuss. Still,I couldn't help it, regardless of how much it
might have hurt me. After a minute,I looked up to see an amused Talise and a perplexed Mira, and it took everything I had not to start laughing again at the look on the warrior's face. I didn't know why everything was so funny to me all of a sudden, but I was having a great time.
"Mira, Ben has a solution to the loss of our grain," Talise placated. "He knowshow to make flour, milk, and oil from coconuts that takes very little time and effort. He says he will tell us all about it tomorrow, and then we can get started. There is no need to feel guilty about eating your fill of bread. You needed the sustenance and the strength that came with it."
"Yes, Talise, you are right, as you usually are," Mira sighed as her face relaxed.
"Second," Talise went on, "I put ganjika and bromelain in Ben's soup, so he will be pain free for the rest of the evening and able to sleep when he is ready."