“I’ll make sure she can work.”
That wasn’t exactly the same thing, was it? She closed her eyes in despair, and when she opened them again, the stranger was watching her.
The geflin fish disappeared in no time, and Ukhaan frowned at the empty platter. Fortunately, she had prepared a number of side dishes, as well as a dessert. The two males demolished it all.
Under other circumstances, she might have been pleased by the appreciation for her food, but all she could think about was the fate awaiting her later that evening. She had never found sex particularly enjoyable—although she suspected that was at least partially because Kevin had never cared about her satisfaction—and the thought of being at the mercy of this huge stranger made her stomach cramp with anxiety.
The meal dragged on interminably. After the food was gone, they lingered over a bottle of Foldaran brandy. When she attempted to clear the table and escape to the kitchen, Ukhaan frowned at her.
“Leave it. Return to your position.”
Shoulders slumping, she went back to her place against the wall. Normally she listened to Ukhaan’s conversations on the rare occasion he had a guest, hoping to learn something that might help her escape. Tonight, she couldn’t focus. The dread continued to build, and she had to bite back a yip of dismay when Ukhaan finally pushed his chair back.
“Enough business for tonight. I want to start the inspection early tomorrow.”
“Of course. And I want time to enjoy my… gift,” the male drawled. She could feel his eyes on her, but she refused to look at him.
“I doubt she’s worth spending much time on, but suit yourself.” Ukhaan shrugged, then glared at her. “And you, behave yourself.”
“Yes, sir,” she whispered.
“Follow me,” the stranger ordered, and she forced herself to obey, trying desperately to think of a way out of the situation. Maybe if she told him she had a terrible disease? If only she knew more about possible diseases out here.
Still trying to think of some way to escape her fate, she followed him reluctantly into the guest quarters. Most of the mining company facilities were spartan, and this room was no exception. Since they were beneath the surface, no windows interrupted the plain stone walls. A large rug in muted colors was one of the only concessions to luxury.
The door closing behind her made her jump, and she whirled around to find him leaning against the wall, studying her.
“Don’t look like that, girl. I’m not going to eat you.” He gave her an unexpectedly attractive grin. “Although it’s a tempting thought. I bet you’re a tasty little morsel.”
She stared at him in horror. He wanted to eat her? But then she took a second look at his face and recognized the lust in his eyes. Oh. That was still terrifying—and possibly just the tiniest bit exciting. How long had it been since she’d experienced any type of sexual pleasure? Long before she’d been taken from Earth. Certainly not in the last wretched years of her marriage.
“Well, you can’t do that,” she said, then cringed when she realized how stupid she sounded.
“Are you challenging me? Because I assure you that not only could I bury my head between those sweet little thighs and feast on your cunt, you’d be screaming my name before I was done with you.”
She stared at him like a deer in the headlights, and his hard face softened a fraction.
“What’s your name?”
“J-Joan.”
“I’m Varga.” He waited, but she couldn’t think of anything to say in response. He sighed. “Don’t worry, little bird. I’m not going to hurt you. Get in the bed.”
“What? No!”
“To sleep. Ukhaan is going to expect you to spend the night.”
Unfortunately, she suspected he was right. She walked slowly to the bed in the corner and kicked off her shoes. The rest of her clothes remained firmly in place as she reluctantly climbed under the covers and pulled them tightly up to her chin.
He stripped off his tunic to reveal a massive chest, covered with even more of those odd golden scars. Kicking off his boots, he prowled towards her with the sinewy grace of a big jungle cat.
“What are you doing?” Her voice sounded breathless.
“Getting in bed. I’m not about to spend the night on the floor.”
“I can do that—”
She started to scramble out from under the covers, and he put a huge hand over her chest, holding her in place with effortless ease. Her heart beat so quickly she felt lightheaded. His face softened again.
“We are both just going to sleep,” he said quietly. “Understand?”
After a long moment, she nodded.
“Good.”
He turned out the light and lay down next to her. She tried to move as far away from him as possible, but it was a small bed and he was a huge male, and she was right against the wall already. Every muscle in her body was stiff with tension as she waited for the inevitable.
Time dripped past, and nothing happened. His breathing slowed and deepened. Was he really asleep? She certainly couldn’t climb over him but maybe she could wiggle down to the end of the bed and sleep on the floor after all…
Very cautiously, she started to work her way out from under the covers. She’d only managed to get one arm free when that same big hand landed on her stomach.
“Stop wiggling,” he said sleepily. “Or I might think you’re trying to tempt me.”
She froze and heard a deep chuckle. He patted her stomach but didn’t move his hand, and the warmth of it was oddly comforting. His breathing deepened again, but she didn’t quite have the courage to make another attempt to escape. As much as she tried to stay awake, to keep an eye on him, eventually exhaustion won out and she drifted off to sleep.
Joan woke up feeling safe and warm, warmer than she’d been in months. The delicious scent of applewood filled her head, and she nestled deeper into that amazing warmth, rubbing her face against something firm and hard and… alien!
She suddenly realized where she was—pressed against Varga’s chest, his arms holding her firmly against his body. She tried to pull away, but he held her easily in place.
“Let me go!” Panic threatened as she realized that it wasn’t just his muscles that were hard. A massive bar that could only be his cock burned against her stomach, and she began to struggle frantically.
“Stop wiggling,” he growled as he rolled on top of her. She froze as his huge erection pulsed, and she remembered his warning from the previous night.
“Good girl. I swear you’re enough to tempt a priest.”
“Please…” A tear slid down her cheek as she darted a quick look up at his face.
At least he didn’t look angry. Instead, he looked almost… sad?
“I’m not going to hurt you, little bird.”
“Okay,” she whispered.
That devastating smile flashed across his face. “But I am going to take one kiss. Just one,” he repeated as if he were reminding himself.
His head bent towards her before she could object, and she braced herself, expecting an assault. Instead, his mouth brushed slowly across hers, his lips full and soft, his touch exquisitely tender. He lingered, running his tongue along her lower lip, teasing at the seam until finally she parted her lips and he dipped inside, still soft, still tender, and she met him shyly. Then somehow her arms were around his neck, urging him on, wanting more of that delicious kiss. It wasn’t until she heard him groan and start to pull away that she realized that her lower body was arching up into the throbbing erection that was exactly where she needed it to be.
In her panic, she started fighting to get free, and this time, he let her go. She scrambled to the end of the bed and almost fell off the end in her haste to get away.
“I have to cook breakfast,” she said, refusing to look at him, and dashed for the door.
Chapter Three
Varga watched the little human flee and sighed. He should never have kissed her. But after spending most of the night
holding her in his arms, her soft body clinging to his, her scent filling his head, he’d just wanted one taste. But fuck, he hadn’t expected it to be like that, hadn’t expected the sweetness of her lips, and he certainly hadn’t expected the eagerness with which she responded to him.
His cock jerked at the memory of her sweet little hips arching against him, and he gave it a rough stroke.
I have a mission, he reminded himself. He needed to find a way to get the two of them off of this planet, and he couldn’t get distracted by her tempting body. Perhaps once they were free…
When he had set out months ago on a mission to find out if there were any other human slaves on the ship that took his friend Baralt’s mate from her home planet, he had been driven in large part by restlessness. His success as a fighter was no longer enough to satisfy him. The mission appealed to him as both an adventure and a chance to do something meaningful. He had never expected to end up back on a mining planet, all too similar to the hell in which he was raised. But when he finally found the slave ship a week ago, no other option had presented itself…
Varga swore as he looked down at the dead Derian at his feet. His long search had finally led him to this isolated space station. Seeing the broken condition of their cargo, he had been overcome with rage. His skin had hardened and the fiery heat of his home planet ran through his veins as he eliminated the small crew with brutal efficiency.
But perhaps he had been a little too hasty in killing the bastards. He needed access to their logs, and the records were encrypted. As he thought back over the cages he passed on the way to the bridge, he remembered seeing an Elginar male. Based on the shaved head and elaborate tattoos, he was actually an Elginar scholar. While he hated dealing with the pretentious bastards, it seemed like his best alternative.
After a quick trip back to the hold to fetch the male, he directed him to the logs. “Can you decrypt them?”
The slender blue male, still arrogant despite his obvious weakness, raised an eyebrow. “Of course I can. Why should I?”
Varga was tempted to show the male his enormous fist, but he suspected that it would not be sufficient. The majority of the Elginar might not be known for their fighting skills, but they were definitely known for their stubbornness.
“I need to know about a previous trip they made. They went to a pre-spaceflight planet and abducted at least one female. If there are others, I intend to track them down.”
“Why?”
“Because I plan to start myself a harem,” he said sarcastically, then sighed. “My friend is mated to one, and we are concerned that they may have ended up in…”
“Unfortunate circumstances?” the Elginar suggested. “It seems inevitable. However, it is a reasonable request. I will see what I can do.”
He turned to the console, his fingers flying over the controls while Varga did his best not to demand that he move faster.
“I have the records for their last trip prior to this one,” the male said at last. “There were a number of females on board.”
“Did they record where they acquired them?”
“Yes. I believe there were three from the same primitive planet.” He raised an eyebrow again. “Of course, you know it would be illegal to return them.”
“I know. But there are undoubtedly more pleasant alternatives than wherever the Derians left them.”
“Yes, undoubtedly. The first was sold on Hothrest, the second on Tgesh Tai.” He shook his head. “The third was sold to a mining corporation on Drahana. It has been three months. I doubt that she is still alive.”
Fuck. Most mining planets were brutal, harsh environments where life was short. He knew—he had been raised on one. Drahana was one of the worst. Moving on a fixed orbit in relation to its sun, one half of the planet was permanently frozen while the other half was a smoldering cauldron. Only a small transition zone was even remotely habitable. But if there was any chance that the human female was still alive, he had to at least investigate.
“I intend to find out.” He hesitated, studying the other male. “How did you end up here?”
The Elginar raised a shoulder. “I thought I had developed a better way of calculating the odds on a dice game. I was wrong.”
Hmm. The Elginar wasn’t the first male to end up gambling away his freedom.
“What do you intend to do now?” he asked.
“Get as far away from here as possible. Perhaps a nice little farming planet at the ends of the galaxy.”
“Can you pilot a ship? More specifically, can you pilot this ship?”
The Elginar looked around the bridge and nodded. “Yes.”
“There aren’t many slaves left on board.” And none of any value. The Derians had brought them here as a last stop, probably to sell them at discount prices, no questions asked.
The Elginar sighed. “And I suppose you want me to fly them out of here?”
“Or I could leave all of you here and take the ship by myself.”
“A convincing argument.” Intelligent blue eyes studied him. “But what’s to stop me from selling them as soon as you’re gone?”
“Are you?”
Another sigh. “No, I don’t suppose so. It is surprising how much having one’s liberty taken away makes one value it. What am I going to do with them?”
“I’m sure someone with your intelligence can come up with something.”
Something that could have been a smile flickered across the other male’s face. “I accept your challenge. But why aren’t you taking the ship?”
“Because I have a little human to rescue and I’m afraid the time may be running out. My ship is faster.”
“Very well. I’m Manam, by the way.” He looked around the bridge of the ship and grinned. “Actually, I suppose I’m Captain Manam now.”
Three hours later, with the assistance of Manam’s computer skills and a little intimidation from Varga, the ownership of the Derian ship had changed hands. Any sentient captives had been given the choice of staying in port or leaving with the ship. Not surprisingly, only one chose to take his chances on the notorious space station. The two males stood on the landing field.
“May the gods smile on you,” Manam said solemnly. “I hope that your trip goes well.”
“I hope the same for yours. I would hate to have to track you down.”
“My friend, what you lack in subtlety you make up for with intimidation. Do not worry. I will do my best.” A brief smile twisted his lips. “Perhaps we will all end up on that farming planet. You would be welcome to join us—I’m sure we could put you to work.”
Varga laughed, clasped the other male’s shoulders, and headed for his own ship. The Aerie had been somewhat of an indulgence on his part, purchased in the flush of success after two lucrative fight contracts and an even more lucrative marketing deal, but the small luxury vessel would be perfect for the role he was about to play.
Between arranging for the transfer of ownership and freeing the captives, he and Manam had discussed the best approach. Varga’s initial preference was to sweep in, find the female, and get the hell out of there. Manam pointed out the obvious flaws in his plan.
“You do realize that you will have to locate her first?”
“I’ll just have to convince somebody to talk.” He cracked his knuckles and grinned.
“That assumes you are even permitted to land. You know how tight security is on those planets.”
He did, sobering rapidly at the memory.
“On the other hand, if you were the representative of a major corporation, looking to make a large purchase, you would no doubt be welcome.”
It was a less appealing but more practical suggestion then simply trying to fight his way in.
“I suppose you’re right.”
“And if I may make the suggestion, I believe you should be a representative from the Acme Corporation.”
“Why them?”
“Because I used to be employed in their financial department and when I r
equested an advance on my salary to pay off my debts and avoid slavery, they refused.”
“In other words, you wouldn’t object if I created issues for them?”
“Not in the least. In fact, if you could see your way clear to creating those issues…”
Varga had laughed, but Manam’s suggestion seemed like the most logical approach. He set the autopilot for Drahana and, with a groan, pulled up the files which Manam had stolen for him and began to study his erstwhile employer. By the time he reached Drahana, he had little difficulty convincing Ukhaan, the overseer of the mining operation, to see him.
He had considered several ways to bring up the subject of female slaves, but none of them had been necessary. Ukhaan had opened the door, and Joan had been standing there.
To be honest, he had been a little disappointed when he first saw her. He had expected someone similar to Baralt’s fiery mate. Instead, she was a quiet little thing, muffled in drab brown clothing that matched equally drab hair. But then she had looked up and their eyes had met. The impact ran through him like an electric shock. Quiet perhaps, but definitely not drab, and he could see both intelligence and determination burning in those silver eyes. After last night, he was also aware that the baggy clothing concealed a deliciously curvy body.
It had taken all of his self-control not to explore further when she had turned to him in the night. And this morning’s kiss… He hadn’t anticipated the incredible sweetness of her mouth, or the way her shy response would flare into passion. His cock jerked again at the memory, but he ruthlessly suppressed it.
The first order of business was to get her away from this planet.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t going to be an easy task. His ship was stowed in a larger hangar that was connected to the mining headquarters through a heavily guarded underground passageway. While he should be able to fight their way out, it would be risky, and he had decided not to mention the possibility to Joan until he had a definite plan. Ukhaan had promised to give him a tour of the facilities today, and he hoped he would find an alternative means to escape.
So far, the overseer was being extremely cooperative. The promise of a large contract and, even more appealingly, a corporate position away from Drahana had eliminated any hesitation he might have shown. And while Varga could only despise the callousness with which Ukhaan had offered Joan to him, he had enjoyed their night together…
Joan and the Juggernaut: A SciFi Alien Romance (Alien Abduction Book 10) Page 2