“Stand up.” He moved his legs apart and urged her feet in between, not really giving her a choice but to obey. He turned her around and pulled her panties down until gravity took over. With her still facing away from him, he quickly rid himself of the rest of his clothes then sat back down.
She tried to turn around, but he stopped her. His warm mouth pressed against her back as his arms wrapped around her. One hand caressed her breasts, cupping, squeezing and lightly pinching her nipples. Then he pulled her backward, guiding her onto his lap with her legs on the outside of his. She faced away from him this time and missed the eye-to-eye intimacy. The position also parted her thighs and he took full advantage of the opportunity. Slipping his free hand between her legs, he lightly caressed her sex. She steadied herself against his legs and rested her head against his shoulder.
“I want to see you.” She wiggled restlessly, unsure if she was trying to avoid his featherlight touch or guide his fingers where she needed them to linger.
“Come for me and I’ll consider it.” He parted her folds then stroked her clit with his middle finger. Immediately tension gathered beneath his fingertip, twisting through her abdomen with fiery urgency. She arched her back and moved her legs farther apart, opening herself for him. His other hand slid up and collared her neck. He didn’t hurt her, but the motion was shockingly dominant. She tensed for a moment, unsure she liked the overt aggression. He stilled, one hand covering her mound, the other nearly circled her neck. “I want to claim you so badly, I can think of nothing else. I need your trust, Indigo. I’m afraid I’ll lose control if you resist me.”
She slowly licked her lips and did her best to relax. Time and again he could have deceived her, could have told her what she wanted to hear. Instead he’d been honest and open, even when lying would have been easier and more beneficial.
“I trust you.” Then to demonstrate the claim, she raised her arms and interlaced her fingers behind his neck. This thrust her breasts forward and spread her legs even wider. It was a more submissive pose than she’d ever allowed before and heat cascaded through her body, accelerating her arousal. “I won’t resist.”
He turned her head, rotating her torso just enough so he could reach her mouth. Then his hand returned to her throat as his lips captured hers. The kiss was surprisingly gentle. It soothed and thanked her for accommodating his needs.
His other hand began a sensual exploration. He traced her slit, his fingers sliding easily against her cream-soaked flesh. Her core ached, the muscles tightening, accenting the emptiness deep inside her body. God, how she wanted him there, filling her, joining with her.
As mates should be joined? She ignored her mocking inner voice and concentrated on the rhythmic motion of his fingers.
“So wet.” He murmured against her mouth as his tongue stroked over her lips.
“For you.” Her tone was nearly as breathless as his.
Then he pushed two fingers into her slick passage and found her clit with his thumb. She tried to remain passive, to accept the pleasure as he gave it to her. It simply felt too good. She rocked her hips, driving his fingers deeper and increasing the pressure on her clit. The kiss became more demanding as his fingers slid in and out. It was a poor substitute for what she really wanted, what they really wanted, but she tightened her inner muscles to maximize the fullness.
Soon her body heated and her heart raced. It felt wicked to be pleasured while she remained mostly passive. She returned his kiss and rotated her hips, but he wouldn’t allow her to actively participate. The hand surrounding her throat slid down and touched her breasts, stimulating one nipple and then the other.
“Let go, doll,” he whispered. “I want to feel you come around my fingers.”
She wasn’t usually so submissive. In fact, she preferred being on top. Obviously, that was going to be a problem with Zilor.
Suddenly, he stopped and moved both hands to her waist. “Your scent is driving me crazy.” With no other explanation, he lay back across the bed and lifted her up and over his body. She barely had time to fold her legs beneath her before he set her down astride his face.
Okay, so he wanted a taste. She grinned, knowing he couldn’t see her face. She loved oral sex, came faster with a skilled tongue stroking her than almost anything else. His mouth announced his arrival with several careful sucks then his tongue found her clit and lingered.
A helpless groan escaped her throat as pleasure radiated outward in blissful waves. “That feels…so good.” Her mind was so muddled she could barely find the words.
Emboldened by her praise, he slipped a finger back into her core while his tongue continued the titillating orbit. She shifted her knees farther apart, and arched over his body. Her hands came to rest on either side of his hips, inevitably drawing her attention to his cock. Long and hard, his shaft lay against his belly, an irresistible temptation.
She enjoyed the sensual slide of his lips and tongue for a moment longer then wrapped her fingers around the base of his shaft.
“You don’t have to—”
“I want to,” she insisted then circled his tip with her tongue to make sure he understood.
“I can’t come inside you. You have to finish me with your hand.”
She stroked his length once before replying, “Understood. Now go back to what you were doing before.”
With a wicked chuckle, he complied.
Slowly, she sucked the flared head of his cock into her mouth, thrilled by the heat and texture of his skin. His lips closed around her clit, mimicking her caress. She took him deeper and he slid his fingers in and out. It wasn’t a competition, more like a dance. She slid her lips up and down his length and he continued to drive her crazy.
She rocked against his mouth, echoing the bobbing of her head. Waves of pleasure washed over her, speeding her pace and propelling her toward an ending for which she wasn’t ready. She forced herself to slow down, but he grasped her hips and focused entirely on her clit, which shattered her control in a matter of seconds.
Pleasure detonated in her core, pulsing outward in rippling spasms. She cried out around his cock, trying to maintain the motion of her hand as she lost control of the rest of her body. Dazed and tingling, she made no complaint when he lifted her off him and turned her, placing her on her back in the middle of the bed. Her pleasure-jumbled brain registered the ease with which he’d completed the maneuver, but that was as far as her thinking progressed. Then he was over her, moving her legs apart as he knelt between them.
“I need to be inside you, if only for a moment or two.”
Was he asking permission? “I want that too. As long as you don’t—”
He thrust into her hard enough to drive the breath from her lungs. She gasped then groaned as her body stretched around him. He’d felt impressive in her mouth, but this made his length and thickness even more apparent. She’d never felt so filled, so connected to a lover.
“I will not claim you until you want it as much as I do.” He held himself over her, elbows locked, expression fierce. “Your doubt is insulting.”
“I’m sorry. I’ve never known anyone who did exactly what they said they’d do. But I trust you. I won’t mention it again.”
With his gaze still locked with hers, he pulled back his hips, drawing nearly out of her body. “I want to share my emotions with you.” He pushed inward slowly, filling her inch by tantalizing inch. “Will you allow a temporary link?” He paused again when his groin pressed flush with hers.
He’d promised her a glimpse of what it would be like to mate with him, to meld with him body, mind and spirit. She wrapped her legs around his hips, anchoring him inside her. “I’m afraid,” she admitted, making it obvious that it was not the physical joining she feared. “I’m not used to that sort of thing.”
“I won’t hurt you and I’ll pinch off the link as soon as we’re finished.” Remaining on his knees, he steadied her hips and began to move.
The long, steady slide of his cock felt
so good she lost her inhibitions. “Go on. I want to understand.”
He moved faster, thrusting deeper, creating stronger sensations. It wasn’t until he eased into her mind that she realized he was using the physical pleasure to distract her. His energy crackled and expanded, making her anxious. His mouth swooped down and chased away her fear with a tender kiss. She concentrated on the fabulous motion of his hips and the fullness of his shaft, but his being blazed so brightly she cried out.
Try to relax. Don’t fight it.
She was being bombarded with so many sensations that it took her a minute to realize he had sent the thoughts directly to her mind. Then emotions trickled across the link—excitement, tenderness and the blazing need to claim. She felt the possessive urgency and instinctively pulled back.
I won’t hurt you. I could never hurt you. No matter how badly I burn.
It felt so strange to hear his thoughts and have him react to her emotions. Could he hear her thoughts too? He didn’t respond to the question, so she tried using her inner voice. Can you hear me?
Very good. Some humans never figure out how to send their thoughts, though most can receive.
I’m only half human.
So you are. How does this feel?
She wasn’t sure which aspect of their exchange he meant, so she simply opened her mind, offering him access to her emotions and sensations without resistance. Now that she’d adjusted to the unexpected, her smoldering desire was rapidly building to flame. She knew he couldn’t finish inside her, but she wanted him to come.
He moved faster then caught the backs of her knees and spread her legs even wider. His mouth broke from hers as he rocked back onto his knees. She watched pleasure tense his features and felt how close he was to losing control. He needed to anchor the link, wanted to claim her so badly it was literally painful. And yet he held back, focusing instead on keeping his word, on keeping her safe.
With a strangled gasp, he released one of her legs and slipped his hand between their straining bodies. His thumb covered her clit and he rubbed the sensitive knot until another orgasm claimed her. He thrust deep and kept the spasms going until she was breathless and utterly spent. Then he pulled out and triggered his own release with a few quick strokes of his hand.
She watched the creamy liquid jet from his cock and splash across her belly. Echoes of her pleasure contracted her core. That particular sight had never excited her before, but somehow Zilor made even that seem sexy.
He hustled into the bathroom and returned with a damp cloth then cleaned up the mess they’d made. “It will be so much better once we don’t have to separate.”
“There’s this human invention called a condom that would make this whole thing a lot easier.”
He tossed the cloth into the recycler then joined her on the bed. “Or you could just stop fighting the inevitable.” If his tone had been any less playful, she would have crawled out of bed. But he smiled as he stretched out on his side and propped his head on his hand.
“I’ve gone from absolutely not to considering the possibilities. That’s a lot of progress, but it’s still a long way from inevitable.”
“As long as I’m the primary possibility, I’ll try to be more patient.”
She smiled and stretched, feeling lazy and replete. “We were making out like teenagers less than twenty-four hours from when we met. I’m not sure that ever qualified as patient.”
“Fine.” He caught a lock of her multi-colored hair and wrapped it around his finger. “I’ll try much harder to be patient. But, in my defense, dinner tonight was your idea, not mine. I was going to let you have a night to yourself.”
“You were going to let me sleep alone so I’d miss you.” She rolled onto her side and wiggled closer to his warm body.
“I thought you said I never had ulterior motives.” His hand swept down her back as he slipped his other arm under her neck. She draped one leg over his and rested her head on his chest. “You can’t have it both ways.”
Rather than argue with his silliness, she just pressed against his side and listened to his heartbeat. “Is the link still there? I can’t feel it.”
“Mating bonds are complicated and take several sessions to fully construct. What I did was completely different. I simply created a private link using our com-bots. Thoughts have to be intentionally sent and only strong emotions will register at all. It’s not a bad idea to leave it active until you become proficient with your implant. But I told you I’d disconnect it, so I will.”
“As long as you don’t hover in the shadows and read my mind, I have no problem with the link.”
“No hovering in shadows.” He bent and pressed his lips against her forehead. “I’ve always preferred the direct approach.”
She nodded, but said nothing more as she savored the rare moment of contentment.
* * * * *
“You’re absolutely sure this connection is secure?” Akim shifted in his desk chair then shot Fyran an impatient look. Trusting in the security of the communication systems aboard the Relentless had cost Akim his pet harbinger and a good deal of Quinton’s favor. Mistakes were sometimes unavoidable, but only a fool didn’t learn from those mistakes.
“The other connection was secure as well, sir. You were betrayed by someone aboard this ship.” Apparently, Fyran guessed the reason for Akim’s frustration. The first officer was smart and ambitious, two qualities Akim generally admired. However, they could also make subordinates hard to control. Akim hoped that wasn’t the case for Fyran. He genuinely liked the lad. “You and I are the only ones who know about this frequency and I will find out who has been passing information to Pyre Sterling.”
Pyre Sterling, the name made Akim shudder. Pyre was an overblown whore so self-absorbed that she couldn’t see the danger closing in all around her. It was doubtful he’d be the one to topple her off her high horse, but he had no doubt her fall was coming. Until it did, however, she was dangerous. He’d foolishly underestimated her once. That was another mistake he had no intention of repeating.
“If we’re the only ones who know about the frequency, how will I contact Quinton?” Akim grumbled the question, more for the sake of argument than actually needing the specifics.
Fyran smiled, the expression almost condescending. “My brother works in the palace. I contacted him telepathically. Quinton is standing by.”
“Then your assertion is inaccurate,” Akim pointed out, annoyed by Fyran’s attitude. “I’m a very literal person.”
“I apologize. You, I, my brother and Quinton are the only ones who know about this frequency.”
“That’s all.” He urged Fyran toward the door with a brisk wave of his hand.
For just an instant, hostility flashed through Fyran’s purple-ringed eyes. Then his stoic composure returned and he left the room. Akim had requested that all his officers be full-blooded Rodyte when Quinton first gave him command of the Relentless. Demanding an entire crew of elite soldiers would have been pointless. The vast majority of RPDF personnel were battle born.
Fyran was the only officer aboard the Relentless with mixed blood, yet his work had been exemplary and his attitude beyond reproach, until the past few days. Akim wasn’t sure what was bothering his first officer, but there was definitely something wrong. Unfortunately, the question would have to wait in line behind all of Akim’s other problems. First and foremost, he had to reestablish his standing with their temperamental ruler.
He straightened his uniform jacket and squared his shoulders before activating the connection Fyran had just verified as secure. Quinton’s image appeared in front of Akim. The crown stirate’s long, narrow face was tense and unpleasant, as usual. “This had better be important. You seem to have forgotten. You answer to me not the other way around.”
“I apologize for the unconventional request, but I assure you this is important.”
“Then make it quick,” Quinton snapped. “The Pandoyten delegation is impatiently waiting for me. Have you ever d
ealt with those sanctimonious bastards?”
“Only once, sire. But that was enough. They’re unpleasant to say the least.”
“So what’s so damn important?”
“I heard rumors that a phantom class ship is operational and has been dispatched to this star system.”
“Impossible.” Quinton’s features screwed up in an impatient sneer. “The prototype has been out on a couple of test runs, but the rest are months away from actual release.”
“Then why did I find a CSS docked at Lunar 9 right alongside the Intrepid?”
“The Intrepid? That’s a research vessel.” Quinton shook his head. “Your informant obviously—”
“I didn’t trust this to an informant. I saw both ships with my own eyes. I’ve just transmitted the images I took yesterday.”
Quinton turned to the side and fiddled with something out of the camera’s range. “I’ll be damned,” he muttered. “You took these images yourself?”
“I did.”
“That’s definitely the Intrepid, but what’s she doing at Lunar 9? That outpost was abandoned decades ago.”
“You didn’t authorize the renovation?” Akim tried his best to sound surprised. He didn’t want Quinton to realize how incompetent this made him look.
“Was the actual outpost in use or were the ships just hiding inside the cavern?”
“The outpost was crawling with soldiers.” He paused for effect. “Or should I say rebels.” He sent the last image and fought back a grin. “The Crusader was docked there as well.”
Quinton’s lips thinned and his nostrils flared as he looked at the final image. Finally, he shook his head and muttered a profane phrase under his breath. “Let me do some digging. This is unbelievable.” He reached for the com panel then paused. “Thank you. I had no idea they’d grown this bold.”
“I’m just doing my job, sire. Let me know our next move once you’ve analyzed the situation.”
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