Marek (The Vartik King Chronicles Book 1)

by Liza Probz

  “Wait. Wait. Okay. You know I would never tell anyone anything you told me. You’re my best friend, so spill already. It’s a fucking nightmare without you here. The very least you could do is let me live vicariously through you. I’m working on a new program for breast augmentation here, just so I get the chance to see a pair of tits before I die.”

  Marek laughed. “I’ve seen my first pair recently to be honest. They are beyond beautiful.”

  “What? Did you go to a bar or something where there were dancers?”

  “First, you help me, and then, I’ll tell you about them.”

  “Good. Let’s see. How to turn down your ability to seduce women with your voice, your gaze, your thoughts—really your everything. That’s a tough one, Marek. We were created to procreate and the gifts you have are especially geared toward that. I will research it further, but you’re the strongest of us. Pull back mentally and force yourself to focus on not seducing everyone you see?”

  “It’s not everyone. Just one woman.”

  “Now you have my attention. Who is this woman and what planet did you see her on?”

  “She’s with me on the ship. I promised her safe passage to the next planet in return for sex.” Marek wagged his eyebrows, knowing his brother would be beyond impressed. Nojan was still young by their standards, and though he would be a fully grown male to most planets, they aged differently in Vartik.

  “No fucking way. That is the coolest thing I’ve heard… ever. What species is she? Is she the one with the tits?”

  Foreign emotion brushed by Marek as his brother spoke so casually of Jazmine, but the boy meant no harm. He swallowed his desire to lash out and put him in his place, working to focus on the questions he needed answered. He could fill his brother in on all of his adventures when he was home.

  “That’s why I need your help. She says that she’s from Territh, and honestly, I believe her, but she’s more than a human. She can see into the future and there is a lovely blue light that pulses around her.”

  “Wait,” Nojan started, lifting his hand as if asking Marek to wait. He disappeared from the screen and Marek turned to peer into the darkness, the girl nowhere in sight.

  He needed to end the call soon and find her. Their trip would be cut significantly, giving him only three or four days with her at most. Interest in her past swam through him and he started to get up as his brother’s voice called his attention back to the screen.

  “There are cases of Territhians having the ability to see in the future, but nothing on auras. Is it blurry and thick like a cloud or tight like a rope drawn around her?”

  “It changes as she goes through various emotions. It pulses bright blue when she is aroused or angry and fades significantly when she’s lying or pulling away from me.”

  “Damn. How long has she been with you?”

  “Today. I picked her up earlier this morning.” Marek rolled his shoulder, realizing what his brother was getting at. For her being a complete stranger, he had already witnessed a slew of her emotions.

  “Nothing here, bro. I’ll keep looking and buzz you when I find something. I will agree quickly with you that anything supernatural about her pushes her heritage away from Territh. They are the last remaining full-blooded humans.” Nojan glanced up from the book in front of him and nodded. “Anything else?”

  “No, that’s enough for now. I’ll tell you all about her tits and such when I get home.” He winked at his brother and pressed the button to cut the call off. There was no way in hell he was describing any part of Jazmine to his brother or anyone else. A sense of predatorial entitlement continued to tug at him, which wasn’t good at all.

  He checked the dial on the wall panel before getting up and walking back toward the bedroom. Stopping at the door, he coughed to catch her attention. She was laid out on his bed, her robe covering only the very tops of her thighs and up. He let his eyes move down the beautiful slope of her legs, the muscles accentuating her frame, but not so much that she resembled a Vartik. How he wished like hell the women of his planet were more robust and soft, but it simply wasn’t the way they were created.

  “Good conversation?” She put the book she was holding down and rolled onto her side, pulling her legs up as she curled up tightly.

  “Yes. My younger brother, Nojan. He was simply looking into a few things for me.” He nodded toward her legs. “Are you cold? I can change the temperature of the aircraft.”

  “No. Just getting sleepy.” She reached behind her and tugged at the large white blanket his mother had sent with him on the trip.

  “It’s late. I’m going to turn the ship on stealth mode and lock everything down just in case. I’ll be back shortly.” He turned and walked stiffly from the room, his mind spinning all sorts of scenarios where the next few hours were spent with her quivering and screaming his name. He simply had to focus on how not to seduce her in order to properly seduce her.

  “Fucking ridiculous,” he muttered and walked to the front of the ship.

  Chapter 10

  Jazmine let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding as he turned and walked from the room. She caught a portion of his conversation with his brother but felt guilty for listening too intently and decided some late-night reading would help her to relax. She yawned loudly, glad that her trick had worked.

  A laugh bubbled up inside of her as she turned to lay on her back, her hands moving to cup her head. Men were the same no matter what planet she landed on. They were more concerned with their next lay than anything else, but something told her that Marek might be a little different. He was demanding and almost too straightforward, but he was a Vartik. She glanced over as he walked back in the room and unbuttoned his shirt as he watched her.

  She waited for the wave of seduction to flow from him but simply felt surprise when it didn’t. Jazmine moved off the bed and stood up, fully intending to go to the bathroom and collect her clothes.

  “My shirts are in the second drawer over there. Grab you one and we’ll wash your clothes tomorrow, along with some of mine. If you need underclothing, just use a pair of mine if you want.” He shrugged and slipped out of his slacks, his underwear black, silky, and tight.

  Jazmine took a shallow breath and shoved down her desire to rub her hands all over the tight material. He glanced over his shoulder at her, a smirk on his lips.

  “I’m working hard at not using my power on you, and here you are, using yours on me.”

  “What are you talking about?” she asked, understanding and yet not.

  “My people were built to reproduce, our genetics derived from the gods directly. We were told to multiply and do so fruitfully. I am able to seduce anyone, anywhere, and yet I find myself not wanting to stand over you while you go limp beneath me.” He slid his hands into the top of his underwear and began to pull them over his hips.

  “Hold up. No taking the shorts off in front of me. I’m not built to reproduce but to run hard and sleep lightly. I plan on sleeping tonight and running like hell the minute you open that hatch door.” She shook her head and pulled the robe tighter. “I appreciate you not using your sexy powers on me, but I’m not doing anything to you. I promise.”

  “I can almost taste your arousal, Jazmine.” He slipped out of his underwear, ignoring her completely. His cock was half erect, the thickness and length of him almost stifling. There was no way that was fitting inside of her, even if she wanted it to. She turned her back to him and let out a long sigh.

  “I’m turned on because you look like the men from my planet, Marek. Not because of you necessarily.” She brushed her fingers through her wet hair and listened for the sound of his breathing to ascertain where he was in the room. “Tell me when you’re covered up so I can turn around.”

  “Have you never seen a penis before?” He laughed, the sound of him much too close.

  She glanced over her shoulder and growled softly at him as he gripped her arms and pulled her against him. He kissed the top of her head an
d released her, moving past her to crawl into the bed. Jazmine took a step back as desire rushed up her chest from the pit of her womb. He was so far beyond sexy and her lies weren’t convincing anyone of anything. He spread out on the small bed in front of her, his chest and abs perfectly chiseled, his thighs thick and strong. Everything about him screamed male, especially his huge manhood as it bobbed up and down occasionally.

  “I hate this bed, but it was the best my folks were willing to do.” He glanced over at her and shifted, his body contorted as his face moved into her vision. “Hey, stop looking at my cock. I’m up here.”

  She couldn’t help but laugh as she turned and walked from the bed. “I totally deserved that.”

  “Damn right you did.” He yawned loudly and she found herself yawning too.

  “How long have you been on this ship by yourself?” she asked while digging through his T-shirts and shorts in the dresser. She pulled out a beat-up white one and held it up to her nose, breathing in deeply. The musky smell of him filled her senses and she turned to face him, the widening of his eyes giving her a clue that something was wrong.

  “Six months. It’s been bliss, but my family is ready to receive me back home.” He turned to stare at the ceiling. “Feel free to use the bathroom to change. Just hit the light before you come to bed.”

  “Cover up the beast please. I can’t help but gawk at you. I’ve never seen anything so ridiculously large in all of my life.” She felt heat rush up to her cheeks and tried to think quickly of something to change the subject as he tugged the covers over his lower half. The sexy smile on his lips was enough to make her melt right there beside the bed, but she held herself in check. He was simply a means to an end and she was the worst concubine in the history of all sex slaves.

  She swallowed hard and walked toward the bathroom, pausing briefly. “Why did your eyes widen a few minutes ago? Seemed like something was wrong.”

  “That bright blue aura around you intensified. I think it happens when you experience deep emotions.”

  She looked down the line of her body and saw nothing. “No clue what you’re talking about.”

  Closing the door, she leaned against it and panted softly, so many different emotions assaulting her as she tried to catch her breath. Desire to be consumed by the handsome man just outside of the door was the worst one to combat, the need causing her body to throb at all of her pressure points. The hope of a friendship or something more plagued her as well. She didn’t have the time or energy to invest in anyone and no one deserved the life she had chosen.

  She had only been with him a day and she was already creating scenarios where they spent forever together, which made no sense at all. She had traveled with many different creeps over the last year, her looks getting her on any craft and her cunningness keeping her alive and untouched.

  Jazmine dropped the robe and moved to the mirror, leaning over and wiping at her eyes as they filled with tears. The problem was more than evident. Marek wasn’t a jerk, but a real man with a future and more personality than anyone should be allowed to have. She wiped away her tears, feeling insignificant and shallow. This was the reason she never got close to anyone. It wouldn’t take more than twelve hours in the presence of the right man and she’d become someone totally soft and willing to bend her future for him.

  Not having her parents and losing her brother a year back had left her so far beyond jaded that love and happiness seemed like a farfetched idea.

  “Because they are. Shut the fuck up and go to bed,” she growled at the vision staring back at her in the mirror. Angrily wiping her tears, Jazmine jumped at the soft knock on the door.

  “Are you all right?” His voice was deeper than she had heard it before, sleep obviously taking charge quickly.

  “Yes. Just fighting through a few demons. I’ll be there shortly. Don’t wait for me.”

  “Come out and let me push that fear and sadness away from you, Jaz.”

  He had yet to call her anything but girl, woman, or Jazmine. He was becoming attached too. Things were happening too fast. She would have to speed up the timing on the trip even more than he had already. She wouldn’t survive unscathed when they parted ways if she didn’t.

  “How are you so sure that it’s sadness and fear that I’m feeling? Perhaps it’s disgust at the sight of your naked body.” She pressed her fingers to her head and hated herself for lashing out at him.

  “Good try, you little tart. Get out here.” He tugged at the door, pulling it off the hinges as she moved back a step.

  “You could have just waited a second and I would have come.” She kept her gaze locked on his, the darkness of his eyes drawing her in. The solid crimson line pulsing around his vision gave his own high level of emotions away. He felt something deeply like she did but most likely not at all the same thing.

  Realization swept over her and she yelped, crossing one arm over her breasts and the other over her sex. Being fully naked in front of him was only going to lead to him drugging her with his power.

  “Gods you’re beautiful,” he whispered, his expression softening as he turned and walked back to the bed. “Come here or I’m going to manhandle you.”

  “Let me get my T-shirt—”

  He cut her off, his voice low and commanding. “Fuck the T-shirt. Come here. Now.”

  She walked out of the bathroom, the essence of his power wrapping around her and causing her to whimper softly. She had always been in control, always the one to stand at the top of the world and look down on everyone. He wasn’t allowing her to do that and the scariest part was that for the first time in her life, she didn’t want to be that girl anymore.

  “Don’t tell me what to do,” she whispered, fighting around the firm push against her with his will alone. “Don’t force anything on me. I don’t want this.”

  “No, you don’t. I can feel your sadness alongside your desire.” He turned on his side and patted the bed next to him. “Come here and let’s rest beside each other. I’m not going to force anything on you tonight. I’ll hold myself back as long as I can.”

  “You need to speed up the engine and get us to Killian faster. I don’t want any part of what you’re up to.”

  “You have no idea what you want, girl.” He reached out and tugged her toward him.

  Jazmine crawled into the bed and lay down beside him stiffly, hoping like hell that he would keep his hands to himself. She tugged the covers over her bare body, wishing she had something thicker so the outline of her figure would be better hidden.

  He was right, of course. She was lost on where she was going and where she would find what she was looking for. The bed shifted slightly as he moved to his hands and knees, pulling her over to lay directly beneath him.

  “I thought you said you wouldn’t seduce me.” Jazmine reached up and brushed her fingers down the thick muscle of his shoulder, over his large bicep, and down his side. The silky softness of his skin was a complete turn-on, especially with the strong muscle beneath it quivering under her fingers.

  “I’m not trying. I’m simply beckoning to you seducing me.” He tugged the covers from the front of her and took a slow breath, the sound of him adoring the way she looked almost causing her to cave. “I’m not going to fuck you until you beg me for it. I just want to explore a little. Relax and try to enjoy me.”

  “No. I don’t want this.” She groaned and pushed at his chest as tears filled her eyes.

  He ran his hand down the front of her, not touching her skin but leaving a trail of heat regardless. She took a sharp breath and glanced up at him as his eyes shifted to bright blue.

  “What was that?” Jazmine asked, running her fingers over her breasts and down her stomach. “Why did it feel like heat scorching me when you didn’t actually touch my skin?”

  “Your aura is burning so bright, it’s hurting my eyes, Jazmine. You’re not as human as you think, baby.” He leaned down and brushed his lips by her nipple as she arched her back sharply. “Your mind might
not want anything to do with me, but your body is beyond willing to beckon to anything I want from it.”

  “No. You’re wrong.” She reached up and slid her fingers in his hair, clasping his head and pulling his mouth toward her breast again. She groaned loudly as he made contact, the sensation exhilarating. Warmth spread throughout her limbs and caused her to grip the sheet with her free hand. The occasional brush of his tongue sent her head spinning and he was simply tasting her breasts. Terror washed over her again and she pushed at him.

  “Stop.” He looked up and pushed her hand away, taking her wrist in his strong grip and pinning her to the bed. “You want this so bad that your body glistens with sweat, Jaz. Let go for a few hours and let me have you.”

  “No sex.” She slid her legs up the side of his bent thighs, hating how badly she wanted to spend the next thousand years pinned beneath him. This was the birthing of fear and rightly so.

  “Hush, woman.” He leaned toward her mouth, hovering just above her lips. “I want to kiss you so bad, to taste your desire, but it would send you away from me again.”

  She leaned up, brushing her lips by his as a long groan left her at the flavor of his power. Lying back down, she pushed at his shoulder with her free hand, needing him to consume her.

  “Tell me what you need from me and I’ll give it to you,” he whispered against her skin, licking softly at the tight skin of her stomach before releasing her and moving to lie down between her legs. He forced her legs open with his shoulders and growled softly as she jerked in the bed below him, passion rushing through her veins.

  “I need you,” she whispered, never thinking the words would come from her. It was his kiss. He had the ability to bend her will, but earlier, he hadn’t taken advantage of her at all. Why? Because he wasn’t the bastard she made him out to be.

  “What do you need me to do, Jaz?” He swiped his tongue over her swollen sex, kissing softly near the opening of her body.