by Sax, Cynthia
“I’ll deal with the warrior.” Kane stroked Eshe’s back. Her spine was straight and proud. Strong, a voice inside him rumbled.
“You’ll deal with an Orogone warrior.” Raff’s laughter held no humor. “You don’t know what our capabilities are.”
“You don’t know what my capabilities are,” Kane drawled.
Raff’s smile faded. “That’s true.” He nodded, his alien eyes reflecting a begrudging respect. “Essie, get what you need from your lab while I have a talk with your One.”
Eshe glanced at Kane and then Raff. Her gaze returned to Kane, where it belonged. “Kane—”
“Go,” he urged as they didn’t have any time to waste. Orogone warriors could be tracking his grandfather while they spoke. “I’ll be fine.”
“Okay.” She rushed out of the office, the doors sliding closed behind her.
Kane missed her presence, her touch, scent, warmth immediately. Which was foolish because he’d known her for mere minutes and he should be focused on his mission, on saving his mother.
“I love my sister more than life, more than protocol.” Raff’s voice was deathly soft. “If you kill her I’ll kill you and your beloved mother.” His face was hard, all semblance of the carefree jokester vanishing. “I don’t care where you are, what planet you’re on, I’ll hunt you down and kill you slowly, painfully.”
“I understand.” Kane nodded curtly. They were similar, two cold-blooded killers determined to protect the women they loved.
“I hope you do understand, for your sake.” Raff smiled, his expression lightening. “Orogones normally join with their Ones immediately. To delay the joining causes extreme pain.”
I cause Eshe pain? Kane frowned, not liking that thought.
“If you delay the joining too long, you’ll kill her,” Raff continued. “Joining without joining will buy you more time and ease her pain.”
Joining without joining? Kane stared at the alien, not knowing what that meant.
“Pleasure her without penetration.” Crimson crept up Raff’s neck. “She’s my sister. Don’t make me go into details.”
“I know what pleasuring without penetration means.” Kane’s cock hardened at the thought of pleasuring Eshe. She was so soft, so his.
“Thank the stars.” Raff’s shoulders lowered, his relief palpable. “Essie is proud and stubborn and she has a self-sacrificing streak the size of your Atlantic Ocean. However, she also can’t lie worth a damn. Ask her if she needs to stop. If she wrinkles her nose she’s lying.”
“Got it.” Kane wouldn’t allow anything to happen to her.
“Once my sister returns, exit the compound as quickly as possible,” Raff instructed. “I’ll create a distraction, concealing your escape, and then I’ll run interference with the other warriors, delaying your pursuit. That should give you a head start.”
“Thank you.” Kane didn’t know anything about their protocol but he knew how the military operated. Raff must be risking his career to help them.
“I’m not doing this for you. I’m doing this for Essie.” Raff pulled his gun and handed it to him. “I’ve put the safety on, as you humans call it, to prevent you from accidentally transferring any civilians. A warrior will be able transfer you with one shot. It will take two shots for you to transfer them.”
“That will give the warrior an edge over me.” Kane would already be at a disadvantage, being unfamiliar with both the weapon and his opponents.
“The first shot will temporarily freeze them,” Raff explained. “Shoot any warrior who approaches you. My sister will be able to sense them.”
Kane set his pieced-together gun on the edge of Eshe’s desk and tucked the replacement into his waistband. “I’ll protect her. I—”
The doors opened and Eshe staggered over the threshold, lugging the black canvas bag. Streams of moisture ran down her cheeks and deep lines were etched around her mouth. “I’m ready.” She sounded breathless.
“No, you’re not.” Kane clasped the bag and placed it on the floor. “You’re in pain.” He ran one of his hands down her arm. Her white coat was soaked, the material around her tattoo scorched.
“I’m fine.” Eshe wrinkled her nose.
She’s lying. Kane gazed over her left shoulder at Raff. Her brother inclined his blond head, silently confirming his suspicions.
“Is that your black Hummer parked five blocks north?” Raff asked.
Kane narrowed his eyes. “Have you been monitoring my activities?”
“If you didn’t want your activities monitored, you shouldn’t have driven a massive military vehicle past our facilities,” the alien male drawled. “I’ll leave the bag by the vehicle.” His fingers closed around the handle. “Fix this quickly and then leave.” He backed out of the office, giving them privacy.
Kane gazed at the closed doors, conflicted. His mother was in danger, needing his protection, but his woman was in pain, requiring his touch.
My woman. He’d known her for mere moments. When had she become his woman, part of him?
“We should leave now.” Eshe swayed against him, her breasts brushing against his chest, sending fuck-me messages straight to his cock. “Your mother…” She paused. “I don’t know why we have to see your mother.” Her eyes widened.
“Kane, I can’t think.” Her voice rose, her words tinged with panic. “I have to be able to think.” She clawed at his chest, as though she was trying to crawl inside him. “Please help me.”
“I’ll help you,” Kane assured her, choice having been taken from him. Her alien intelligence was necessary to complete his mission, to save his mother. “I’ll give you the relief you need.” He gripped Eshe’s ponytail and pulled her head back, the musky scent of her desire triggering his dominant nature. “But you must obey me…in everything.”
“Yes.” She undulated against him, grinding her mons into the ridge in his pants. “I’ll do anything you want.”
He doubted that was true, his alien woman too independent, too strong for complete submission. Kane looked down at his gorgeous complication. The red-and-blue flames in Eshe’s black eyes burned with a heated passion, her lips parting in an invitation no man on any planet could resist.
“I’ll pleasure you.” He lowered his head, his gaze fixed on her face. “And then we can focus on our task.” He covered her lips with his, surging into her mouth.
Sweet. Kane groaned, the sound traveling down her throat. She’s so damn sweet. He cradled Eshe’s face and sucked on her tongue, hungry for her unique taste, a combination of succulent cherries and a flavor he suspected was purely her.
She slid her hands upward, curling her fingers around his shoulders, holding on to him as he explored her mouth, learning every inch of her, getting lost in her taste, her heat, her wetness. It wasn’t enough for either of them.
It isn’t enough for her, Kane corrected. She needed this to survive. He was a soldier and human, mostly human, able to postpone his satisfaction until after their mission had been completed.
Kissing was unnecessary and he wrenched his lips away from hers. “I’ll take care of you, Eshe,” he vowed. “Quickly.”
She frowned. “But—”
“No buts.” Kane reached between them, flicked the top button of her pants open and lowered the zipper, the rasp obscenely loud in the silent room. A wave of her scent swept upward, undermining his determination.
Focus, soldier. He tugged her loose-fitting khakis down to her knees. Tiny white cotton panties covered her mons, the fabric pristine and pure. Kane wrapped his calloused fingers around the slender ribbons at her hips and tugged, snapping them.
“Kane?” Her voice shook, her trepidation palpable, deserved.
Because he was a brute, a military mutt who wasn’t human, wasn’t Orogone, wasn’t anything, and she deserved better, the best, a man who wouldn’t put her in danger simply because he existed. But for some reason she belonged to him and he would take what she offered him. Kane removed her panties, stuffing the flimsy fabric into his
pants pocket. He would give her what she needed.
“No talking.” Kane couldn’t look at her, couldn’t reassure her. Because of who he was, what his grandfather had done, they didn’t have the time for a slow courtship and loving words. They might not have a tomorrow.
Kane lifted her to her desk, spread her legs and gazed at her. Eshe was white skin, blonde curls and pink pussy lips, beautiful and responsive, moisture already glistening on her feminine folds.
“Lie back,” he ordered. She complied, reclining slowly, submitting to his dominance, and his chest warmed with pride.
“Spread your legs wider for me. Let me look at your pretty pussy.” He issued another command, testing her, as the success of any military campaign hinged on trust, on a soldier obeying her superior’s orders. Eshe’s face flushed and she opened fully to him.
“That’s it.” He drifted his fingertips along her, spreading her wetness, and she trembled, her pale skin quivering.
“You’re hot.” Kane stroked her, skimming along her pink flesh, circling her clit. Eshe’s breathing grew ragged and she tore at the tattoo on her chest, ripping her flimsy white blouse, exposing the mark completely. “Are you hot for me?”
“Yes. I’m hot for you, only for you.” She stared up at him, her eyes wide and innocent.
She’s hot only for me. Eshe was stunning, extremely sexual, exquisitely female. She couldn’t be innocent, untouched by passion, by other men. Kane circled her entrance, dipped one finger inside her and almost lost all of his renowned control, her grip on him so damn tight. “How many lovers have you had, Eshe?”
She lifted her hips, pushing his finger deeper. “To join with anyone other than our One violates protocol,” she replied as though reciting a law. “Please, Kane.” His gorgeous virgin wiggled, her ass swishing against the metal desktop.
I will be the only man to touch her. Kane’s soul filled with satisfaction as he pumped her pussy, swiping his thumb over her clit. Eshe panted, moving with him, unabashed in her desire.
Kane leaned over her body, unable to resist tasting that passion. Their lips met, their tongues tangling, tumbling, twining. He added a second finger, stretching her wider, preparing her for his cock.
No fucking today, he reminded himself. Kane swallowed her sexy pants, working her pussy hard, pleasuring her with his fingers. He ached to be inside her, to claim her completely, to fill her with his cum. She was so tight, so hot, Eshe’s body temperature matching his own. All of the other women he’d been with had been cold by comparison, wrong for him, very, very wrong. She was right, perfect, his.
Kane stroked into her mouth with his tongue and into her pussy with his fingers, synchronizing the tempos. His pectoral muscles rubbed against her taut nipples. His hard cock ground against her thigh.
Eshe writhed under him, the flames in her eyes flaring, a fire raging out of control. Her wetness splattered his hand, her pussy constricting around his fingers. She dug her fingernails into his shoulders, piercing the cotton of his T-shirt, the pain exciting him.
“Behave.” Kane slung one of his arms over her hips, pinning her ass to the hard desk, forcing her to remain still. The scent of her arousal strengthened and he grinned. His kinky little alien liked being restrained. He fucked her harder with his fingers, pressing his thumb over her clit.
“Kane.” Her voice stretched with need. He liked hearing his name on her lips. “What’s happening?” She gazed up at him, appealingly confused, in an erotic stupor he’d caused.
“You’re coming for me, Eshe,” he growled. “Now.” He plunged his fingers deep into her pussy, slapping the heel of his hand over her clit.
She screamed, arching her back, her inner walls closing around him. Color burst from her chest. Streams of blue-and-red light rebounded off the walls, wrapping them in heat, pulling their bodies closer together.
Eshe bucked against him, her movements wild, intense, awe-inspiring. Kane held on to her, pressing her face to his chest, safeguarding her from harm. Her tremors slowly decreased in magnitude, her breathing leveling.
A blast of energy pushed between them. Kane loosened his grip on Eshe. The blue-and-red lights were sucked back into her tattoo and she sighed, her eyelids fluttering.
“Do you feel better?” he murmured, brushing the hair away from her face.
Eshe stared at him, her lips curling upward, the flames in her unusual eyes dimmed. “I feel much better.” She was the picture of a pleased woman and Kane’s chest warmed with pride.
“Good.” He tugged her pants upward, removing the temptation of her bare skin, the lure of her wet, tight pussy. “We have to leave.” Kane ignored his aching cock. A good soldier put the needs of others before his own desires.
Chapter Three
Eshe fastened her pants, a sense of serenity falling over her. The mind-numbing pain was gone, her need to join temporarily sated by her One.
She dropped her gaze to the pronounced ridge in Kane’s black cargo pants. “You need release.”
She’d studied human anatomy for decades, seeking the solution to the transference problem. She knew prolonging release for a male was uncomfortable.
“My needs can wait.” Kane’s lips pressed in a grim white line. “My mother is in danger.”
Why would he choose to forgo release? She could have pleasured him while he pleasured her.
Eshe straightened, the answer obvious. He hadn’t wanted her to touch him. She turned away from Kane, hiding her distress. Her One didn’t want her.
Eshe donned her sunglasses, concealing her Orogone eyes. “I’m ready.” She pushed away her concerns and focused on saving his mother’s life.
“If I give you an order, you obey it.” Kane reached behind him and touched the handle of his gun as though assuring himself it was still tucked in his waistband. “Don’t speak. Don’t stop. Don’t draw attention to yourself. Understand?”
Her brother was a warrior also. She didn’t like following orders blindly, preferring to ask questions, to uncover answers, but she understood their dangerous situation. Eshe nodded.
“We—”
An alarm sounded and the red emergency lights on the walls flashed, signaling an immediate evacuation. Eshe tensed, not knowing what she should do.
The corners of Kane’s lips lifted. “We have our distraction.” He clasped her hand, giving her the physical connection her souls needed. “Follow me.”
He rushed through the doors, moving as quickly as an Orogone, expecting her to keep pace, and she did, barely, her muscles screaming a protest, her lungs aching and her heart pounding. She’d spent too many days seated in the laboratory, her lifestyle sedentary and her diet atrocious.
Individuals streamed into the hallways. Kane dodged the slower moving humans, leading Eshe through the maze of bodies. As the rooms emptied, the doors were locked, the classified areas sealed against any intruders. The procedure prevented any backtracking, the crowd surging forward.
Hewitt stood by the heavy external doors. As Kane approached the exit the soldier reached for his gun and Eshe sucked in her breath, certain they’d been discovered. Hewitt paused and frowned. They passed through the doors before he could stop them.
Beings, male and female, human and Orogone, milled around the entrance, their faces tilted toward the sun. Kane and Eshe didn’t slow down, running toward the high chain-link fence.
“The top of the fence is electrified,” she whispered.
“Silence,” Kane ordered. Dogs barked as canine units patrolled the perimeter. Kane pulled her to the right. They passed one, two, three poles and he yanked on the fence.
The wire parted, revealing a hole large enough for one very large half-human, half-Orogone male. Her One was clever and resourceful. Dismay mixed with Eshe’s admiration. With his skills, his dark good looks, his fit physique, he could have any Earth female. He didn’t need her.
Kane pushed her through the opening first and then followed, bending the wires to close their makeshift exit. He grabbed her hand o
nce more and they jogged along the road. Perspiration streamed down Eshe’s spine, wetting her clothes.
They ran and ran and ran. The strain of finding her One had siphoned much of Eshe’s energy and she slowed. She licked her lips, needing food, sugar, rest. Kane decreased his speed to match hers, his expression growing more grim.
She was a liability, hampering his escape, and this irked Eshe. She pushed her body to its limits, her sole thought to continue forward. They rounded a corner and she spotted a big black Hummer, an army-like vehicle that could only belong to the male by her side.
Kane removed a key fob from the pocket of his pants and pressed the button, unlocking the Hummer. They moved to the passenger side. Eshe’s black canvas bag was propped against the door.
Kane gripped it with one hand and opened her door with the other. Eshe’s legs ached as she climbed into the vehicle. He set the bag in the backseat and rounded the hood, sweeping their surroundings with his all-seeing gaze.
We did it. Eshe sagged against the leather seat. Kane filled the driver’s side with his big body, flooding the interior with his musky male scent. She placed her left palm on his right thigh, reestablishing their connection, and his muscles flexed, solid and firm under her fingertips.
Kane drove quickly, weaving in and out of traffic, having an Orogone’s reaction time. Horns honked. A truck driver extended his middle finger to them, offering them a crude nonverbal Earth insult.
The trees and houses blurred. Eshe watched the scenery, relishing this rare opportunity to explore another planet, to be among the natives. She’d visited many places, seeing only the inside of laboratories, needed only for her brain.
Her One needed her only for her brain also. She glanced at Kane. His jaw was jutted, his profile stern and hard. His raw masculinity moistened her pussy and tightened her nipples.
He breathed deeply, his nostrils flaring. “Are you in pain?”
He smells my need. Eshe’s cheeks heated. “I’m tired.”
Kane flipped open the console between them and extracted a can. “This should help with your fatigue.” He handed her the fruit punch, the metal cool against her skin. “I assume my craving for sugar is an alien thing?”