by Layla Nash
She’d staggered to a stop in the middle of the ring, trying to shake off the misery and grief, and whirled as something touched her shoulder. Wyzak had reached out and Gemma couldn’t take it. She buried her fist in his guts and pummeled him with all of her strength. Maybe if she drove him away too it would at least be clear that no one cared about her opinion, her presence. Just the arm. Just what Gemma the bounty hunter could do for them as a symbol to other bounty hunters.
Wyzak grunted at the onslaught and grabbed her shoulders, hauling her back and giving her a shake. “Stop.”
She needed to feel something. To feel normal.
Gemma seized his face and dragged his mouth to hers. Just one rowdy session. Just one repeat kiss, maybe more, so she could feel normal and whole. She wouldn’t have to see Wyzak ever again.
She closed her eyes and held tightly to his shoulders as he growled and his arms slid around her. His lips sealed to hers and one hand worked into her hair, yanking her head back, and suddenly Wyzak took over. Gemma gave up control and sank into his embrace.
Chapter 22
Wyzak
Wyzak didn’t know what went through Gemma’s head, but it was clear as the fight went on that she wasn’t fighting him. Her breath hitched and her balance faltered, and he would have backed off entirely if she hadn’t kept swinging. The fury in her eyes and the way her jaw clenched gave away that she still wanted to hit someone—maybe she needed to hit someone.
And by the twin suns of Xarav, he didn’t mind being hit. He wanted her to vent that frustration and rage at him if it made her feel better. She pummeled him with enough strength he felt it in his abs and thought her left fist peppered bruises along his side.
Just as she stopped moving and her eyes shone with unshed moisture, he knew it couldn’t continue. Something was deeply wrong. Perhaps it was the liquor Faros had passed around, making her crazy and unpredictable. Wyzak didn’t know how alcohol affected Earthers or females in general. It seemed possible that it triggered a meltdown like Gemma apparently experienced. He caught her shoulders to keep her from whaling on him more, and repeated gruffly, “Stop.”
She looked up at him with a crazed expression, eyes wide and panicked, and then her hands held his face. Wyzak almost jerked back in surprise, and not just from the cool metal of her mech hand. The female’s sudden closeness and determination as her mouth sought his almost set Wyzak back on his heels, and so he stood there for a long moment, being kissed and trying to formulate a response that would not hurt the girl’s feelings.
And then his brain finally connected to the rest of his body. Lust roared through him, fired by the scent of her sweat and the close quarters in the gym, and he seized her face to take over. She inhaled sharply and her lips parted; he took the opportunity to taste her more deeply, his tongue seeking hers, and Gemma made a soft noise that encouraged him to turn so he could press her against the ropes of the boxing ring with the full length of his body.
He growled in irritation at the layers of clothing between them. He wanted her naked and available, open to his touch and gaze and desires. Her head tipped back as he dragged his teeth down her throat and nipped her shoulder. Gemma’s hands worked into his hair. His arm went around her back, crushing her to his chest, and Wyzak staggered to the door, almost too drunk on lust and liquor to walk.
The gym was not the right place. He wanted to fuck her on a bed—on his bed. Mark her there in his quarters so his bed smelled like her and she smelled like him.
Gemma stumbled and almost fell as her feet got tangled up in his. Wyzak wasted no time in picking her up and slinging her across his shoulder, stalking into the hall with one thought on his mind. He didn’t know why the female wanted to mate, but he wasn’t going to argue. It would get her out of his system faster than boxing, that was for certain. He would have her and consider their first interaction resolved. Then he could send her off without hesitation or concern.
He bashed his fist into the panel outside his door, impatient when the door took too long to open, and nearly bent the damn thing as he shoved through and locked the door behind him. He’d kill anyone who interrupted them, including the captain. And he wouldn’t put it past Faros to deliberately ruin Wyzak’s fun.
Wyzak dropped Gemma on his bed and stood over her, breathing hard as he struggled with control. He wanted to jump on her and have his way, but had to restrain himself. She was soft and delicate, despite her prickly temper, and could not withstand the full force of his attention. She stared up at him, looking a little dazed, and he wrestled back the desperate need to feel every inch of her un-scaled skin immediately against his.
Gemma never took her eyes off him. “What are you waiting for?”
He growled in response and lurched forward before he regained control, though he kept himself off the bed through sheer force of will. He didn’t know why he waited. The slightest hint of unease plagued him at the thought that she’d been drinking and perhaps didn’t know what she was doing. He wanted her and should have taken the opportunity to have her, regardless of how it came about. And yet...
Wyzak clenched his fists and wanted to beat himself for being a stupid bastard.
And then she played with the hem of her shirt, never taking her eyes off his. The challenge radiated from her, as if it were just the continuation of their earlier fight. She wanted the high ground, she wanted control, she wanted to dictate what happened. He growled and caught her booted foot, prepared to drag her to the edge of the bed. Gemma peeled off her shirt and threw it at him, pulling her foot out of his grasp, and her eyes narrowed as she looked at him. “Lose the clothes.”
He could have argued but instead stripped off his robes and threw them across the room. Let her be in control, then. He was secure enough in what he wanted that he did not need to dominate a female in order to enjoy her. Wyzak cocked an eyebrow at her and waited as Gemma surveyed his broad chest, and something about her expression made him think she hadn’t expected him to comply.
Wyzak drew off her boots and waited, watching. Perhaps she would retreat, would flee, at his response. He was willing. More than willing.
Gemma abruptly unfastened her pants and lifted her hips, trying to shimmy them off while still laying down, and Wyzak grumbled in anticipation. Or perhaps she wanted to continue to the end. The mating haze lingered in his thoughts, making the room soft and close around them. He helped strip off her pants. His palms lingered on her long legs, stroking the smooth skin from her hips down to her ankles over and over, until Gemma stretched and sighed.
Her eyes closed as she arched her back, her lips parted slightly, and Wyzak fought hard against the urge to simply mount her and be done. She needed more. She deserved more.
His fingers traveled up the inside of her thighs, searching and exploring, and she moaned. Her legs opened slightly, but she forced her eyes opened and reached for him. “Don’t worry about that, just –”
Worry about? He snorted and put his knee on the bed so he could bend down and inhale her intoxicating scent. He wanted all of her, wanted to taste her, to memorize every inch of that impossibly delicate frame. Wyzak moved her back on the bed so he had enough room to put his shoulders between her thighs, resting her legs over his shoulders, despite that she lifted her head and started to look nervous. Without the fury to sustain her, she looked suddenly vulnerable.
She touched his head and flushed more. “You don’t –”
“I do,” he said, breathing against her. “I do not know why this is a fight for you, but it is not for me. It is a dance. A gift. Something to be shared and enjoyed together.”
Panic crossed her face. “That’s nice, but –”
“Let me give that to you,” he said. Whatever irritation he’d harbored for the female, based on their initial meeting, faded. She’d created a spot in his life that he hadn’t expected to ever share. She took part of him with her and kept it; if she disappeared, he would always be missing something. His world would never be complete without her.<
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Gemma gulped for air, still uneasy, and finally nodded. She lay tense and still, staring up at the ceiling, until Wyzak rubbed his cheek against her thigh and made her jump. He smiled and leaned down to explore, ready to distract her from whatever thoughts caused her to frown.
Chapter 23
Gemma
Gemma had assumed it would be quick – the Xaravian was clearly worked up and would no doubt want to slake his thirst, then kick her out. She kissed him and hoped it would at least relieve some tension and help her sleep if they screwed.
And then he got serious.
Those silver eyes glowed at her from the end of the bed and then he was kneeling over her, his hands biting into the mattress, as he murmured something about her being a gift. About wanting to share and enjoy. Her heart pounded against her ribs as their encounter took a completely unexpected turn.
Who knew the barbarians could be considerate lovers?
Not that she really wanted or needed a lover, exactly. Gemma closed her eyes and gripped the sheets as he breathed against her and his fingers squeezed her hips. Tilted her. Practically aimed her at his mouth. She gnawed her lip bloody to keep from moaning in anticipation. He kissed the insides of her thighs, dragged his teeth against her belly, did everything except…
When his mouth finally lowered against her slit, Gemma almost levitated off the bed. She groaned and arched to meet him, offering herself up even though she knew it was a terrible idea. It would just complicate things if they got feelings involved, if Wyzak actually thought he got a vote in what she decided to do with her life once she left the Sraibur.
His tongue, broad and flat, delved deep into her folds and he hummed against her. Gemma sighed and concentrated on breathing. Einstein’s mustache, he was good at that. He teased, advancing and retreating, moving around and around where she most wanted his attention until she could have screamed in frustration.
Ecstasy simmered low in her stomach as she moved to try to relieve the desperate need to feel more of him. Her thoughts spun as his finger teased her opening just as his tongue flicked against the aching knot at the top of her slit, and Gemma fell to pieces. She cried out as the simmer turned into a full boil, roaring through her until she shook and shivered and gripped the spikes that stood up from his shoulders so she wouldn’t spin into nothingness.
Wyzak growled and squeezed her hips in his massive hands, tilting her to give himself better access, and continued the dance. “Yes, Gemma. More of that.”
She meant to tell him to hold off, to give her a moment to recuperate, but his mouth sealed against her and he sucked hard at the same moment his fingers slid deep into her channel and she was lost. Done. Her hands tightened to fists and she couldn’t have cared if she ripped all of his hair out. Gemma moaned, a deep guttural noise she’d never heard herself make, as another tidal wave of sheer electric bliss overtook her.
Sweat broke out across her as she struggled to breathe, bright lights flashing behind her eyelids, and lay limp and boneless in his bed. Wyzak retreated somewhat, though his fingers remained buried deeply in her, and went back to nibbling and kissing her thighs.
Gemma managed to open her eyes, still dazed as trembling aftershocks rippled through her each time he moved or breathed, and tried to come up with something clever to say.
The intensity of his gaze as he rested his chin on her hip left her speechless. She’d never had anyone look at her that way – as if she was, in fact, a gift. Something to be treasured. Her breath caught and she was suddenly terrified. What if he learned more of the terrible things about her? What if he learned how many people she’d tricked and turned over to the people who offered their bounties?
What would she do if he decided he didn’t want her anymore?
She bit her lip and tried to push the thoughts away. It was just sex. He’d given her two rip-roaring orgasms and they hadn’t even gotten to the main event. She should just enjoy herself and deal with the consequences later.
Gemma cleared her throat and lifted her head. “Good job.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” he said, a hint of amusement in his gaze. He realized what she did, she knew. He knew she wanted distance, maybe needed the distance. And he didn’t call her on it. He didn’t insist on intimacy that she wasn’t ready to give. Wyzak bit her thigh playfully and squeezed her ass. “I wish to enjoy you more, Gemma.”
“On your back,” she said. She needed to take control back otherwise things would not go her way. She wiggled in his grip and he tensed, holding her in place immediately, and she arched her eyebrows. Maybe the barbarian didn’t want to…
Wyzak grumbled and straightened from where he’d leaned between her legs, and abruptly loomed over her. Gemma gulped for air once more. Maybe the Xaravians didn’t like to be ridden, maybe they only wanted to take for themselves what was offered. Not that she minded not having to do the work, but she wasn’t quite ready to just surrender.
He moved to lay next to her on the bed, on his side, and traced shapes on her stomach. He kissed her bare shoulder and murmured in her ear, “I will have you however you want to be had.”
Gemma’s head tilted back as she groaned. How could the male’s voice send still more shivers through her in anticipation? However she wanted to be had. It took far too much effort to gather her thoughts and nudge his shoulder, pushing him to his back, so she could survey the long, broad mass of him. His size was easy enough to ignore when standing and in a group, even in small rooms, but right next to her, reclined and at ease, he was huge.
Big enough that she reconsidered the wisdom of trying to straddle him. He watched her with those eerie silver eyes, still surprisingly relaxed despite the raging erection standing up from his pants. Gemma refused to be intimidated, despite her second thoughts, and tugged at the fabric at his waist. “You don’t need these.”
Wyzak raised his eyebrows and shucked them off, lifting his hips in a slow thrust that made Gemma think of all the things he could do to her, and her mouth went dry until she could hardly speak. “Good.”
The Xaravian watched her, dangerously close to entertained, and laced his hands behind his head. Gemma’s thighs trembled as she moved over him, sliding to sit on his thighs, and smoothed her hands up his chest. She wanted to feel him, to sense those scales. It still didn’t feel real, not truly, not after everything that happened. Hard to believe it was only a few days since they met in the bar and he’d smiled at her and she thought maybe there was something there.
Wyzak caught her thighs in his strong grip and moved her forward, until she sat astride his hard length. Gemma’s head tilted back as she braced her hands on his shoulders and let the Xaravian drag her back and forth on his massive cock. It felt amazing, like a delicious torment, and he eased his grip as she took over the back-and-forth. Gemma moaned and ground down against him as waves of pleasure built once more, firing through her body until sparks ignited behind her eyes.
She didn’t stop but moved in shorter, sharper jerks as his cock swelled and a bulge appeared near the base. Little gasps escaped her every time she rode over the head and bulb, a double-dose of ecstasy that almost paralyzed her as pleasure swirled up and up and up.
Gemma gripped his shoulders as she moved, using his body for her own pleasure without a thought for what Wyzak felt or thought. She should have cared but with every rising swell of bliss, her brain shorted out and she could only drive herself higher and higher. She held on to him as tight as she could until his hips lifted in a sharp jerk that drove his body against her slit and sent her rocketing over the edge.
Chapter 24
Wyzak
She was killing him. It had to have been a plot to get even for something, to murder him slowly while enjoying every moment of it. Wyzak could think of no other reason for the female to so leisurely take her pleasure. He enjoyed every moment of it, watching her body undulate on top of him, but it would have been so much better to be inside her, instead of watching her pink folds slide around him.
Wyzak growled as he held her hips tight and urged her to keep moving as her body shuddered and froze above him. Gemma squeezed his shoulders as her mouth hung open in a long, silent moan. He’d never seen anything so mesmerizing.
She dropped forward against his chest, the soft swell of her breasts crushed against his scales, and she whispered and stretched as the friction built. He couldn’t take it. Wyzak lifted his knees, rocking her forward, and used his thighs to raise her up enough he could press the head of his cock against her tight, soft opening.
Gemma pushed herself up and for a heart-stopping moment, Wyzak thought she intended to get off him and walk away.
Instead, she grasped his cock in her hand and moved on her knees, lifting up. Wyzak groaned as he watched her press his body into her. The slick heat enveloped him bit by bit as she stretched around him, and Gemma bit her lip as she moved and shifted. He thought he’d died and gone to paradise. There was no other description for the heavenly vise that reluctantly accommodated his substantial girth.
Gemma squeezed her breasts as she tried to take more of him, rotating and rocking her hips, and she groaned in a primal, guttural sound that nearly sent him into a frenzy. He wanted to seize her hips and pound into her, force himself in to his root. He wanted to roll so she was under him and would feel his weight. He wanted to cover all of her with his scent until no male in the universe would dare harm her, knowing a Xaravian claimed and protected her.