He heaved a defeated sigh and released her hands. Before he could push off of her, though, her arms slid over his biceps and up his neck. She grabbed his face between her hands and brought his mouth to hers. He groaned into her mouth as she devoured him with all the same passion she had shown during their fight. Her legs slid out from under his until she was cradling his hardness between her thighs and she rolled her hips against his with a whimper of need.
His hands were busy, skimming over her jaw to trail down and cup her breast as he nipped and sucked at her lips. Her nipple beaded under the pressure of his palm and she broke their kiss to moan, “More, Mikael.” He obliged her plea by grabbing the material of the stretchy bra and ripping it in half to free her breasts to the cool breeze of the central air conditioning. Her skin was like silk under his calloused palms and he trailed wet, open-mouthed kisses down her torso until he reached her breast. He squeezed and plumped his firm handful before tracing the tight bud lightly with his tongue. Mahoney’s fingers were buried in his hair and she pulled at the short strands impatiently until he chuckled against her flesh and pulled her nipple deep into his mouth.
While his mouth was busy suckling and pulling at her aching breasts, his hand trailed down over her washboard abs and delved beneath the waistband of her pants to sink into the moist, wet heat of her sex. Her breath stuttered and she writhed as his large, blunt finger dipped into the pool of her desire and dragged it up to circle her clit with slow, torturous strokes that sent shockwaves up her body.
“Oh, God…” she moaned as he slid two fingers deep into her channel while his thumb took up the teasing pressure at the center of her pleasure. “I need, Mikael…More!”
Pulling his mouth away from her breast and removing his hand from between her thighs, he curled his fingers into the waistband of her pants and underwear and dragged them down her legs. Before he could cover her again, though, she sat up and did the same to him by wrestling the shorts down over his corded thighs.
“Oh. My. God,” she breathed, awe and appreciation dripping from her voice.
His shaft was long, nearly touching his belly button, and wide with a flared crown that was topped with a shiny pearl of fluid. He was so swollen with need that the veins were pulsing and she reached out to trace them with a delicate touch. He hissed at her touch, but held himself rigid while she explored him. Her touch grew bolder as she grasped him in her palm and slid her hand up toward the crown and ran her thumb through the fluid to swirl around the head.
“Careful, Katsuko. I cannot endure much,” he cautioned her through gritted teeth.
She shot him a wicked grin and then leaned forward to swipe her tongue along the depression of the head before popping it in her mouth for a long, wet suck. He growled low in his throat, the vibrations running through his body, and he fisted her ponytail lightly to pull her head back. When his member slid free from the heaven of her lips, he gently pushed her back to the mat and followed her down to claim her lips in another scorching kiss.
Her hands were wild and desperate, roaming over the broad planes of his back and down to grasp the firm globes of his ass. “Now, Mikael,” she pleaded, her hips lifting and seeking his hardness. Her body was on fire for him, her core throbbing and aching to be filled by him. His beard left a trail of sensitive skin in its wake as he filled his mouth with her breast, taking deep pulls before biting down just enough to make her moan. He ignored her plea, content to run his fingers through the slick petals of her sex before plunging inside to offer temporary relief of the aching void.
Mahoney’s head thrashed back and forth as he played with her, ratcheting her up closer and closer to the peak. His fingers pressed and swirled on her clit before sliding back into the welcoming heat as she groaned and raked her short nails over his shoulders. Every time she got close to tumbling over the edge, he slowed his movements and smiled against her skin when she pummeled him in frustration.
With a fierce growl, Mahoney shoved him off of her and onto his back. She hiked her long, muscled leg over his pelvis and glared down at the smug satisfaction in his face. “I said now, you stubborn ass!”
Reaching her hand between her legs, she grasped his shaft in her hand and held it steady as she slowly lowered herself over his length. All traces of humor left his face as her bottom sat flush with his thighs and she threw her head back to groan at the delicious fullness within her. His hands shook where they traced up the expanse of her thighs to come to rest on the narrow swell of her hips. Bracing herself on her knees, Mahoney began to rise up, causing him to slide backward, before dropping herself back down again.
Mikael cursed at the feel of her tight, slick sheath gripping him so snuggly and held on to his control by a thread as he held her hips and powered up into her. He had wanted her from the moment he first saw her standing in that trailer defying him and fighting with the soul of a warrior. The reality was so much sweeter than his fantasies, especially when she cried out her pleasure at his thumb rubbing against her clit while she rode him faster and faster.
Mahoney dug her fingers into the skin of his chest and her breath came in pants as she rose up and down on his length, chasing her completion. Her blood was racing, her heart was pounding, and the coil of passion inside her was winding tighter and tighter until she could barely move. Mikael took over, his hands cupping the soft swells of her bottom, and lifted her and pushed her back down in punishing slaps of flesh against flesh.
Lights flashed behind her eyes and she moaned, “Oh, God…Mikael! I’m going to…” she trailed off as the coil sprung loose within her, sending her sailing into a spiral of pleasure. She cried out in ecstasy when he pulled her body down to his chest and held her waist captive in his embrace while he powered into the pulsing waves of her core. A growl was ripped from his throat as he plunged deep within her and allowed his body to release wave after wave of his seed to splash against her womb.
The only sound that filled the room was the sound of their harsh breaths and the whisper of Mikael’s hands as they ghosted over the curves of the woman draped so sweetly across his chest. He moved his face to bury his nose in the inky depths of her hair and pressed gentle kisses into the sweet-smelling strands. She felt so good against him, as if the stars had created her just for him. She belonged there, in his arms, her heart beating against his own.
Mahoney closed her eyes to keep the stupid, girly tears at bay that were trying to well up in her eyes. Her head was a snarled mess of conflicting thoughts, but her heart was content to lay in Mikael’s arms while he caressed her so tenderly. Unfortunately, Mahoney had trained herself long ago to rely only on her wits and not let emotion cloud her judgment. No matter how amazing the sex had been, there could be no future for them. He was T’Kalan, and she was a human. He was her captor, and she was his property. She had a life and a career to get back home to, and he was the obstacle preventing her return.
Without a word, Mahoney slid off his body and rose to her feet. He grinned up at her lazily, and motioned her back toward him. “Come back to me, little warrior. We will not be disturbed here.”
She averted her eyes as she rushed to gather her clothing where it was strewn across the floor. Her bra was in tatters, but she slithered into the torn shirt and slid her legs into the pants. “I want to go back to my room now. I need a shower.”
Mikael sat up, his face pulled into a scowl. “We can go to my quarters together. I will order some food and then we can bathe together,” he offered, his voice cautious but tinged with hope.
“No!” she snapped, desperation causing her tone to be sharp. “I need some time alone. Open the doors and I will have Jarvis direct me back to my room.”
He stood to his feet and closed the distance between them. He pulled her against the solid wall of his chest and demanded, “Katsuko, look at me.”
She met his gaze defiantly. His face was mottled with dried blood and purpling with bruises, but he made her heart race with his magnificence. She hardened her flighty heart agains
t him and snarled, “Let me go, Commander.”
He wrapped his hand around her hair and pulled her head back to expose her eyes to him. He lowered his lips to hers and whispered, “Commander? That is not the name you cried out in pleasure while I sank into your body over and over again.” He sealed his lips to hers in a punishing kiss full of his frustration and desire, his tongue plunging in to the warm depths of her mouth to steal her breath. He pulled her into his chest and promised, “I will never let you go, my little warrior. You belong with me.”
Mahoney pushed away from his chest, roiling emotions causing her to shake all over. Her eyes were bright with tears that she refused to let fall. “Don’t you see, Mikael? That’s the problem. I belong to no one but myself.”
He watched in stunned silence as she walked away from him, leaving him cold, naked, and alone.
Chapter Twelve
Mikael lay prone on the medi-bed in the medical ward and tried to figure out what had gone wrong. He had thought that he and Katsuko had shared a moment together, a closeness that could lead to more. Then she had walked out on him. He couldn’t understand her anger. Did she not feel their connection? Could she not tell that he wanted her?
“Quit squirming, Commander!” the chief medical officer snapped. “You are the fourth warrior I’ve had to treat today with injuries from your human female. Zandar’s arm was completely pulled out of socket, and Rodane and Finian were both dripping their life’s blood all over my floors before I could heal their wounds.”
Mikael closed his eyes, but couldn’t stop the proud smile that stretched across his face. “You should have seen her. She was magnificent and fierce. Never have I seen a woman that could not only match the skill of a T’Kalan warrior, but defeat them, too.”
A light feminine chuckle reached his ears. “It does not sound as if her fighting style is all that has you enamored with her.”
Mikael peeked out of his one good eye to meet the familiar pale green gaze of the woman standing over him. Her face held a secretive and knowing look as she passed the cellular regeneration device over his bruised face. Relief flowed through him when the corrective treatment passed over his swollen eye. The pain receded as the swelling faded when the skin was restored and the battered tissue was healed.
“I can hide nothing from you, mina. She is brave and intelligent. Her spirit is full of fire and passion. I cannot seem to keep myself from wanting to touch her and pull her into my body. For the first time, I find myself desiring a lifemate and young ones with shiny black hair and exotic, dark-brown eyes,” he confessed soberly, his eyebrows pulled down in consternation.
The medical officer sighed and positioned the device on a charging pod. Placing her lightly tanned hand in his, she helped him to sit upright and began to wipe the dried blood from his face with a moist cloth. “Have you coupled with her?” she asked, her tone brisk and no-nonsense.
He nodded mutely, submitting to her tender ministrations. “Yes. After we sparred, our bodies joined together with much hunger and satisfaction on both our parts.”
“Then why do you look as if the stars are falling down around your head, my soma? Why are you not in your quarters with her now, showing her your heart and filling her with your body?” she asked gently, searching his eyes for answers.
He shook his head angrily and hopped to the floor to pace restlessly. “I do not know, mina. I offered those things to her, but she was upset with me and demanded to go back to her own room. I do not know where I went wrong. I loved her with my body and told her she belonged with me and that I would never let her go. That seemed to make her even more upset. She said she belonged to no one except herself.”
She closed her eyes in disbelief before demanding, “Mikael Ontari R’Varsel, please tell me you explained yourself fully to her. Did you specifically tell her that you wanted her for a lifemate? Did you help her understand that she would be your equal in all things and no longer a captive? Have you spent time with her and explained the laws of our world, and where she could find her place in it?” The woman pressed her fingers into her temples before adding, “Have you even told her why you took her friend and what she can expect when we arrive on T’Kala?”
A dull, red flush began to creep up his chest to disappear under his dark beard before tinting his cheeks with ruddy color. “There was no time to do that yet,” he protested defensively. “I told her that I wanted her and that I would like to see her belly rounded with my child. I gave her my word that no harm would come to them under my command.”
“Have your dadan and I taught you anything?” she exclaimed with incredulity. “You must put yourself into her thoughts. She has been snatched from all that she knows while protecting her friend from what she assumed was a threat. She has awakened in a strange place to find that she has not only been captured, but that she is no longer even on her own planet. You know that the Earthlings are not yet advanced enough to be aware of other inhabited planets. She is likely frightened and angry, and you have done nothing to ease her mind!”
Mikael’s shoulders slumped under the weight of her words and he buried his face in his hands to rub his whiskers wearily. “I have behaved dishonorably and allowed my cockar to guide my actions. What should I do, mina? How do I fix this?”
“For starters, you should apologize to her for withholding information and explain our laws fully. Ensure that she understands her choices so that she feels in control of her destiny once more. Give her freedom of movement to come and go on the ship as she pleases and give her a purpose that appeals to her mindset. Tell her why you have taken her friend and what awaits her on T’Kala. Then, my soma, you spend time with her and get to know her heart and allow her to learn yours. The stars will take care of the rest, I promise,” she advised him, her voice gentling with affection.
His eyes were full of anguish as they met hers. “But what if I do all of this and she chooses to leave me?”
The softly rounded woman pulled him into her warm embrace and rubbed comforting circles on his back. “Then you must give her a reason to stay.”
Chapter Thirteen
Mahoney awoke the next morning feeling cranky, sore, and out of sorts. She had all but run back to her room the night before as if the demons of Hell were on her heels. Even after a hot shower and a replicated meal, she found that she couldn’t sleep. She had kept expecting Mikael to burst through her door at any moment to continue their confrontation, but he had been conspicuously absent and silent. She was torn between not wanting to see him again and the desire to spend all day in bed with him. She wasn’t used to this kind of emotional turmoil. She had been in several relationships before, but it had always been easy to walk away when things grew difficult. For some reason, she was already in over her head with Mikael, and she had only known him a day.
She rolled over onto her back and stretched, relishing the pull of tight muscles and the twinges of her sex that was still sensitive from her passionate encounter with her abductor. Her eyes closed and her nipples hardened into points as she replayed the memory in her mind over and over until she was flushed and breathing heavily. Just as she was about to take matters into her own hands, an electronic chime sounded and interrupted the mood.
“What the hell was that?” she asked aloud, sitting up in the bed.
The chime sounded again, and if a chime could sound impatient, this one did. “Jarvis, what is that noise?”
“Command was ordered not to speak until the name ‘Jarvis’ was spoken. The notification chime was used instead,” the computer explained.
Mahoney made a gun out of her finger and pretended to shoot herself in the head. “What do you need to notify me about, Jarvis?” she asked with exaggerated patience.
“Commander Mikael R’Varsel has ordered me to deliver a message. All restrictions have been lifted for Katsuko Mahoney and Jessica MacGregor and free reign of The Ax’Sandre has been granted.”
Mahoney’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. That was certainly unexpected. It w
as difficult to think of herself as a prisoner when she could come and go as she pleased. Her spirits began to lift as she thought of going back to the training room later for more sparring. Just as suddenly, a new thought occurred to her. Even though she was protected with an IUD, the fact remained that she and Mikael had unprotected sex. Perhaps it would be a good idea to visit with the ship’s doctor to ask about alien STDs.
Her train of thought was derailed when the notification chime sounded yet again. “What do you want, Jarvis?” she snapped.
“Commander Mikael R’Varsel has also asked me to extend an invitation to Katsuko Mahoney for a private dinner and audience in his quarters at 19:00 hours. He adds that this is an invitation, not a command,” Jarvis explained.
She was shocked, yet again. The bossy, arrogant alien was changing his tactics. This could be very good, or very bad. “Jarvis, please tell the commander that I will think about it,” she replied, feeling smug.
“Affirmative.”
Mahoney collapsed back on her pillow and tried to figure out what this new development was all about. Was it because they had sex? Was he so sure of her compliance to his will that he no longer felt it necessary to confine her to her rooms? What were his plans for her that night, or for that matter, for the future?
The door to her room slid open and Jessica came skipping inside. “Get up, sleepyhead! You owe me some dirt!” she called out as she headed for the replicator.
Mahoney flung the covers back on the bed with a groan of defeat and reluctantly made her way to the restroom to use the facilities and change into a clean set of replicated clothing. Jessica continued to chatter through the closed door, exclaiming over the news that they had free run of the ship, how much fun it had been to eat lunch with the crew, and explaining in detail about the different species of aliens she had met before the Lieutenant had escorted her back to her room.
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