Mastering the Mystic (Dark Star Doms Book 4)

by Ivy Barrett

  “I’m not sure how my foundation is going to help us find Nicay.”

  Pivoting to face him, she smiled. He’d taken a quick shower and shaved before returning to the living room. “You didn’t really expect me to shrug it off. Did you?”

  “I suppose not.” His dark gaze searched her face and the familiar awareness sizzled back to life. “Do you see why I don’t have time for hobbies?”

  “Or a significant other?”

  “Between my day job and my ongoing projects, there isn’t a lot of time for anything else.”

  “So prioritize.” He was smart and successful, ambitious and far more tenderhearted than he let on. She couldn’t believe someone hadn’t snatched him up already. “Everyone needs someone to share their triumphs. It’s so sad when you have to celebrate alone.”

  “The voice of experience?” He captured her hands with his long, warm fingers and drew her to her feet. “If memory serves, you don’t have a significant other either.”

  “Guilty as charged.” She nodded toward the workstation. “I found a couple locations that might warrant a closer look.”

  “You didn’t spend this entire time researching me?”

  She just smiled. “You look so fresh and alive. I think I’ll take a shower too. Could you order a light brunch? Make sure there’s plenty of coffee.”

  Chapter Seven

  The rest of the day passed with a comfortable rhythm. Ritter checked in and let them know the media had picked up the story of Miranda’s tragic death. She watched the newscast feeling sick and shaky. The ruse was necessary. If Kwinton had any idea she was still alive, the situation would be far worse.

  “Blaze could really speed things up,” Drake muttered. He left the workstation in the far corner of the living room and crossed to the vidscreen where she was standing. “But I hate to involve her again.”

  Miranda turned off the datastream with a voice command and turned to face him. “I have a better idea. Why don’t I see what else I can learn from the ring? It really is our best bet.”

  He took her hand and pulled her closer. As the hours passed he’d found endless reasons to touch her. His hand came to rest on her shoulders as she sat at the workstation and pressed against the small of her back when they moved from one room to the next. His fingers skimmed down her arm or lightly stroked her hair. She hadn’t thought much of the first few caresses, but the evidence was rapidly mounting. Her protector was attracted to her.

  “What made you change your mind?” His voice was soft as desire eroded his professional detachment.

  “Aysha. I don’t know if she’s still alive, but they can’t be allowed to claim another victim.” He started to say something then changed his mind. She easily guessed his thought. “I understand that she was far more involved than I first realized, but she doesn’t deserve to die.”

  He nodded. “Is there anything we can do to decrease the risk of injury? I can’t heal you if it goes off again.”

  “I’ve had sleep and food. The only thing left is sex.”

  His smile faded as she stared into his eyes. “It will help to stockpile your energy or you just have an itch?”

  “Oh, I definitely have an itch, but it will help me greatly if my energy levels are completely replenished. My shields will be stronger and I’ll have more control.”

  “Damn it, Miranda. I’m supposed to protect you.”

  “Protect me from what? This hotel has better security than most government buildings. There are additional sensors in this suite, and still more in the simulator.”

  That caught his attention. “You want to use the simulator again?”

  “Only to enhance our pleasure. If you honestly can’t fuck me, I’ll have Jericho make other arrangements.”

  “You’re not going to fuck Jericho!”

  “That’s not what I said, now was it?” She suddenly wished his jealousy were more about her and less about his brother. “You don’t want me, but you don’t want anyone else to have me. That’s not fair.”

  He yanked her into his arms, his mouth hovering over hers. “I’ve never had to fight this hard to keep my hands to myself. How can you believe I don’t want you?”

  “Then let’s do something about it.”

  “Contraception?” His tone grew harsh as tension escalated.

  “My inoculations are up to date. Are yours?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then can we do this? Please.” She added the last with a beckoning smile.

  He answered with a kiss. His lips teased, sliding back and forth for endless moments, while his hands stroked up and down her back. She nipped him, illustrating her impatience. He nipped her in return, refusing to be rushed.

  With a frustrated hiss, she grabbed the back of his neck and sealed her mouth over his. A chuckle rumbled through his chest as his tongue gently probed. She’d never realized that tenderness could be so exasperating. She wanted him demanding and wild, consuming her as if he would die without her.

  “Which simulation did you have in mind?” he whispered against her parted lips.

  “I get to choose this time?”

  “That seems only fair.”

  She eased out of his embrace and walked to the control panel beside the simulator’s door. “Stay back. I want this to be a surprise. Give me a few minutes to make sure everything is perfect. Then take off your boots and your shirt and join me inside.”

  Drake’s pulse raced as he waited for Miranda to set up the simulation. He shouldn’t be doing this. Mixing business and pleasure never turned out well. But she was the most alluring woman he’d ever met. He tugged off his boots. She was his assignment. He’d never wanted anyone as badly as he wanted her. His shirt went sailing across the room. She was his assignment. She honestly needed the energy. She was his assignment!

  The door slid open and he heard her voice from inside the simulator. “I’m ready.”

  Anticipation moved through his body in a slow, intoxicating swirl. He paused to savor the sensation and to banish the remnants of his resistance.

  Her enemies thought she was dead.

  He smiled at the justification. He wanted her and she wanted him. Protocol be damned!

  “Are you coming?” She sounded both hopeful and concerned.

  With a deep, steadying breath, he walked into the simulator.

  A warm breeze caressed his bare chest as he took in the peaceful scene. Suspended between dusk and night, Temple-Tuttle’s pristine sky spread before him. Lush trees surrounded a grassy clearing and wavering torches were their only light. Had Miranda chosen this setting because of its familiarity, or did she want to share her homeworld with him?

  A scuffling sound and the distinct rattle of chains drew his gaze from the scenery. Chains? He moved deeper into the simulation, searching the shadows for his first glimpse of her.

  She was shoved into the circle of torchlight by a man with long gray hair. His hostile gaze held Drake’s for only a moment before Drake focused on her. A filmy, sleeveless gown was her only garment. Her arms were bound behind her back and shackles had been clasped around her ankles. Long and loose, her hair flowed to her shoulders and down her back, one silky lock angled across her eye.

  Anger surged within him. How dare this wrinkled old man treat her so roughly!

  “You have brought me to this.” The old man’s voice was tense and unsteady. “Call off your troops and she is yours.”

  Drake’s anger eased as understanding unfurled within him. She might not have been ready to voice the admission, but she’d obviously enjoyed the submissive role. “If I continue the campaign, she’ll be mine in a matter of days.”

  “And this wilderness will be laid to waste,” the chief snapped. “You’ve made it clear that you want my daughter, but she’s not the only reason you came. My people will evacuate the sector. All the natural resources will be yours. This war will end. No one else needs to die.”

  Salvation through sex? He fought back a smile, enjoying the parallel.
“Surrender is unconditional. You have two days to get off my land.”

  Hope lit the old man’s eyes. “Then you won’t—”

  “Oh no. Your daughter will entertain me during those two days. She will allow me to fuck her in any way I choose, as often as I choose, without resistance or argument.”

  The chief’s uncertain gaze moved to Miranda. “You must do this,” he whispered.

  “Go to hell.” She sneered.

  “Please sir,” the chief looked back at Drake, “you cannot punish the rest of us for her rebellion. She has always been spirited.”

  “I’m not intimidated by her spirit. It will be my pleasure to earn her surrender.”

  “You will not force her?”

  Drake laughed. “I’ve never raped a woman, and I have no intention of starting with her.”

  “Miranda, you have to see that I have no other choice. I must weigh your temporary unhappiness against the lives of our people.”

  “Get out of my sight. I will not ease your conscience for this atrocity!”

  After a tense pause, the chief disappeared into the darkness.

  “If you think I’m going to lie back and spread my legs for you, you are deluded.”

  Excitement gathered steam, building within him until his fingers tingled and his cock ached with need. She was utterly desirable with the moonlight shining in her hair and defiance flashing in her eyes.

  “I would be disappointed if I didn’t have to win you.”

  “Win me? Am I a prize? Is this a game to you?”

  He approached slowly, anxious to touch her yet knowing she’d pull away. “Isn’t life the ultimate game? I’ve thought of little but possessing you since I set foot on these shores. As your father said, the planet’s bounty drew me here, but you are the richest treasure.”

  “You would do well not to mention that man again.” True resentment added credence to her hostile words. She tilted her head so her hair obstructed her face. “You said you wouldn’t force me. Did you mean what you said?”

  “I always mean what I say.”

  She tossed her head and sent her hair flying over her shoulders. “Well, I will never submit willingly, so this is futile.”

  Unable to resist any longer, he ran his knuckles along her jawline. So stubborn. So incredibly beautiful. “They say you’re a powerful mystic. That you can see into the future.” He moved closer, teasing her parted lips with the warmth of his breath. “If you look into your future, you will find me there.”

  “Two days isn’t much of a future.” She nervously licked her lips, her tongue inadvertently brushing his lips.

  Before she could turn her head or arch away, he tangled his fingers in the back of her hair and closed the distance between them. Her lips trembled beneath his, soft and warm, gently parted, waiting for the first thrust of his tongue. He denied her, building the tension as he savored anticipation’s sizzle.

  “We will have far more than two days.” He grasped the front of her gown and ripped the thin material to her waist. “I have no intention of giving you back.” With a few strategic yanks, he stripped the offending garment from her body. He circled her, admiring her from every angle.

  “I will be nothing but trouble. Why would you even consider keeping me?”

  He paused behind her, mesmerized by the perfection of her shape and the smooth expanse of her skin. Indulging his need to touch her again, he traced her spine with his index finger.

  “This isn’t the first time I’ve seen you.” He moved closer and lowered his voice. “We’ve been scouting out the settlements for nearly a year. I saw you during our first expedition. You were near a bathing pool and two men were pleasuring you. One was dark, the other light.”

  “They are my guards. It is their responsibility to see to my needs.”

  He spun her around and yanked her against him, cupping her chin with his palm. “I saw how they met your needs. You were wild and unashamed as they licked your pussy and finger-fucked you. Each time you came only reinforced my determination to have you.”

  “So have me,” she snapped. “I’m tired of this game. Take my body any way you like. You will not really touch me.”

  “You think not?” He grabbed her upper arm and drew her toward one of the massive shade trees. “Before this night is over, you will surrender willingly. No, you will crave me so badly, you’ll beg for my cock.”

  She scoffed. “I’ve never begged for a cock. You suffer from delusions of grandeur.”

  “We shall see.”

  Miranda had never been so excited in her life. When she’d seen a ceremonial circle on Temple-Tuttle listed on the menu, she couldn’t resist. Her father had never given her to an enemy, but his stubborn inflexibility had hurt nearly as much. She figured this might be cathartic. At the very least, it offered a perfect scenario to further explore their chosen roles.

  Drake unfastened one of her wristcuffs and tossed the connecting chain over a thick branch. When he refastened the cuff, her arms were raised above her head. The forest floor was cool beneath her bare feet and the breeze teased her skin.

  “What is this?”

  Stepping in front of her, he held out a shallow bowl mounded with juicy tersatta pulp. “Where did you get that?”

  He broke character for a moment. “The program is intuitive. Apparently it thinks I might have need of this. Tell me how it’s used.”

  “Can’t you guess?”

  He rubbed the pulp between his fingers and raised it toward his nose, inhaling the sweet scent. “Is it edible?”

  “Yes, but it’s not meant as a snack.”

  His eyes shimmered in the moonlight. “It feels cool and slick.” He took a tentative taste. “My tongue is tingling and so are my fingers.” A wicked chuckle announced his intentions. He scooped up a small mound and smoothed it over her nipples. “Do I have the idea now?”

  Sensation burned into her chest, and her nipples formed tight, needy peaks. Either she had forgotten how powerfully her body reacted to tersatta or the simulator had overestimated the fruit’s effect.

  “That’s too much.” She wiggled and twisted, unable to stand still.

  He bent to her breasts and licked half of the pulp away. “Better?”

  “This isn’t fair.” She panted. “You’re cheating.”

  He trailed his fingers across her belly, creating dark-red streaks on her skin. “You selected the scenario.”

  “I didn’t realize it came with all the trimmings.”

  Bending to one knee, he unfastened her leg restraints and tossed them aside. “Spread your thighs. I want to look at you.”

  Authority snapped through his tone, and his expression was inscrutable. Her Master had returned. She moved her feet apart and studied his face, searching for any hint of his reaction.

  “Farther.”

  Her thighs parted and then her sex, offering him an unobstructed view of her most secret flesh. Careful not to gather too much, he coated his fingers with the tersatta pulp and raised his hand to her folds. She trembled and moaned as his gentle touch created incongruous sensations. His fingers whispered over her sensitive flesh, yet the pulp ignited a hailstorm of arousal.

  He breathed against her. Heat sank into her crease and spiraled up her passage. She rocked her hips and tossed her head.

  “Stop fighting it.” He grabbed her hips and stopped her restless motion. “Be still. Accept the heat, savor the intensity. Let it flow through you and out of you.”

  She sucked in a ragged breath. “Rub a fistful of that stuff on your cock and let’s see how long you can stand still.”

  With mocking deliberation, he licked the juice from his fingers and set the bowl on the ground. He unfastened his pants, letting them sag around his lean hips as he reached inside and released his erection.

  “I want you naked.” She heard the words before she realized she’d whispered them.

  A sexy smile parted his lips. He pushed his pants down and kicked them aside. He raised the bowl towa
rd her and dragged his fingers through the slush. “Is this enough?”

  She couldn’t speak, so she nodded. He returned the bowl to the ground before arranging himself before her. With a wide stance and hips slightly canted, he cradled his balls in one hand and smeared the tersatta pulp along his shaft with the other.

  “Oh,” he gasped, “this is sharper than I thought.” He closed his eyes for a moment, but his hands continued their skillful massage. His left hand gently rolled while his right pumped with long, firm strokes.

  “Now stop and just stand there.”

  He lowered his arms to his sides and stared into her eyes. “When you fixate on the destination, you miss out on the journey itself. Arousal is just as important as release.”

  His cock rose high and hard, his skin bright red from the tersatta juice. He looked savage and ravenous, still and predatory. His muscles flexed and his cock bobbed, but he remained relatively still.

  “All right. I get it. You’re stronger than me.”

  “No, I’m not. I’ve just had better training. Unfortunately, we don’t have time for the rest of this lesson.”

  She licked her lips and looked at his erection. “Will you finish? I’ve never seen a man do that.”

  He closed his fist around his shaft, his fingers not quite meeting in the middle. “You want to watch me jack off?”

  “Will you be able to get hard again?”

  “I say we find out.”

  The desire blazing in his eyes made her skin tingle. Even lust-crazed and ready to be ravaged, she found him beautiful. Moonlight shadowed his sharp cheekbones, casting his features in high relief.

  His hands resumed their dual stimulation, and his gaze devoured her. She watched the motion, fascinated by the stark, sexual display. She was at his mercy, yet he’d responded to her challenge and granted her request.

  A bead of moisture formed on the very tip of his cock. His pumping hand moved faster. Tension gripped his body, making his muscles bunch and flex. She imagined her hand covering his, taking over the frantic movement. She wanted his length moving against her fingers, wanted to feel the heat of his come when he finally lost control.