by Anna Hackett
“Definitely.”
He flexed his hands on the lush swell of her bottom. Damn, she was soft and curvy. “We need to talk.”
She sighed, her head falling forward onto his shoulder. “I suspected you were going to say that. Your energy field is just so damned righteous.”
“My energy field?”
“You wanted to talk.”
He sighed. “It isn’t safe to stay here. I’m going to take you somewhere else.” He set her on her feet. “We can talk—”
She collapsed.
Hunt caught her, her head falling back over his arm. Her pupils were enormous, taking over her eyes. “Relda!”
“I forgot…after I…use my abilities…my body shuts down…for a while.”
Her eyes closed, her body turning to dead weight in his arms.
He hauled her up to his chest, panic an unfamiliar pressure in his chest. But as he held her close, he felt the steady brush of her breath on his cheeks, and his muscles relaxed.
She needed a safe place to rest…then he’d get the answers he needed.
Hunt took her to his place. He hadn’t done much to turn the top floor apartment the Marshal’s Office had arranged for him into his. There was a small kitchen he barely used, good-sized living area with a large holo-screen for watching the odd VelocityBall game, a bedroom large enough for a big bed, and a tidy bathroom.
He headed straight to his bedroom and set her down on the covers. Wasn’t quite how he’d imagined getting Relda into his bed but damned if the sight of her dark curls spread over his pillow didn’t make his chest tighten.
Hunt checked in with his office and spoke with Deputy Westin. The search for Relda’s attackers had stalled. “You’re fully healed from your injuries?”
“Yes, sir. I’m sorry I let them get the drop on me—”
“Enough. You’re alive, count yourself lucky. Dale, I want you to send someone over to run a check of all the starships at the spaceport. We’re looking for an expensive ship.”
“You got it, boss.”
“I’m keeping Ms. Dela-Cruz secure. And I’ll be keeping her location classified. Understood?”
“Yes, sir.”
By the time Hunt hung up, tiredness was tugging on him. He was still covered in blood and all the cuts, while shallow, stung like a bitch. He needed some time with the medscope and sleep. But first…
He moved to the security panel on the wall—the one thing he did have added to his apartment when he moved in. Too often, he’d had to doze sitting up on some battlefield or while on a mission to some hostile, alien planet. He’d had to sleep lightly, ready to come awake fighting. Now, in order to sleep well, he had to know he was locked up tight and no one could get to him. He touched the panel, arming the alarms for the doors and windows. The front door was made of reinforced titanium and would need military-grade explosives to break it down.
Nothing could get in without him being wakened first.
He took a quick shower and then switched on the slim, metal medscope wand. It bathed his naked body in a blue light and the cuts knitted instantly. After pulling on some jeans, he wandered back into the bedroom.
Through the doorway, he saw his couch—far too short for a man with his frame. Then he glanced back at the big bed, and at Relda curled up on her side.
It didn’t take much to convince him. He lay down beside her, watching her face. Her tough façade was missing, and she looked softer, more vulnerable in her sleep. He knew her well enough now to know she wouldn’t like that. He reached out and rubbed one of her curls between his fingertips.
He’d lost everything he’d cared about as a young boy. Then, as a man, he’d forged a place in the Special Forces, only to lose too much there as well. Most days he just felt tired and used up…but this woman burned hot and ignited something inside him.
He had his suspicions on what she was. She possessed a power he knew should scare him.
But all he wanted to do was pull her close and keep her safe.
And so he did. He curled around her body, liked that she fit perfectly in his arms. “No one’s getting to you, beautiful. They have to get through me first.”
***
Relda’s eyes popped open. Her entire body was vibrating with energy. It rushed through her veins, filling her to bursting.
It was always like this after using her abilities. She passed out, then woke like she’d taken enough stims to power a VelocityBall team…for a month.
She took a deep breath, her eyes adjusting to the moonlit room. Then the scent hit her. Man—soap and musk. Hunt.
She turned her head and saw him lying asleep beside her on the big bed.
Stars, the man was gorgeous. She let herself drink him in. And there was so much of Hunt Calder to appreciate.
He was shirtless, leaving his heavily-muscled chest bare to her gaze. Bronze skin was marked here and there by scars and had a light covering of dark hair. One arm was thrown above his head and she traced the thick muscles with her eyes. She wondered what his skin would taste like if she ran her tongue over it.
His eyes were closed, so she could study that ruggedly masculine face without the hard intensity of his eyes distracting her.
Hard slashes of cheekbones gave way to a nose that looked like it had been broken once or twice. She wondered why he’d never had it fixed, then she shook her head. Hunt wasn’t the kind of man to go spending e-creds on making himself pretty.
He was strength in so many different ways. Solid, trustworthy and honorable.
Another frisson of energy sizzled through her, making her shift against the cool sheets. But looking at Hunt had that overflow energy coalescing deeper in her body, driving between her legs, making her wet with need.
She had to touch him.
Reaching out, she brushed at his short hair. She saw a few silver strands were sneaking in at his temples and again, she knew he wouldn’t do anything to hide them. And he shouldn’t, they suited him.
Relda traced the strong line of his jaw, liking the scrape of the scruff there. He was always clean shaven, but she liked him like this, a little disreputable looking. She ran a nail down his strong throat.
A hand closed over hers.
She flicked her gaze up and met his glacier-blue eyes.
But they weren’t cold. They burned with a hunger so strong it stole the air from her lungs.
“You feeling okay?” he asked, voice gruff.
She nodded. “Great. After…I feel great. Full of energy.”
He sat up, shoving a pillow behind his back. “Time to talk.”
She sighed. “I was afraid you’d say that.”
She couldn’t have Hunt Calder. She couldn’t have anybody. The past had showed her that. And the power she held was far too great. One slip and she could kill so many people. An image of Hunt’s lifeless eyes flashed through her head. She clenched her fists. Never.
Edgy, she got off the bed and started to pace.
Hunt watched her, silent.
That silence made her edginess worse. “Clearly, I have some psionic abilities.”
He kept watching her and that patient stare made her anger flare.
She spun. “Is this some sort of interrogation technique?”
He smiled and it turned rugged into spectacular. “I haven’t done anything.”
“I know,” she snapped and started the pacing again. She waved a hand at him. “The silence, the way you watch me. It makes me want to lay myself bare.”
“Well, the silence and the way I’m watching you isn’t a technique. I’m watching you because I want to throw you on the bed, tear those clothes off, and fuck you until neither of us can talk.”
Relda jerked upright and faced him. Her skin flushed cool, then burning hot.
He smiled again. “But if you want to lay yourself bare, I can handle that.”
Why was he so calm? She shot him a narrow look. “You saw what I did.”
“Yes, I did. Thank you for saving my life.”
She didn’t hear him move, but his big body pushed up against hers, his arms closing around her.
She closed her eyes for a second. He was so warm.
“I saw what you did, Relda. I’m not afraid of you.”
“You should be. I could destroy this entire planet as easily as taking a breath.”
“That’s a lot of responsibility for one person to carry. Tell me who you are, Relda. No lies this time.”
She leaned against him, just a bit. “The less you know, the safer you’ll be.”
“Don’t you mean the safer you’ll be.”
She remembered that long ago man she thought she’d loved. “That, too.”
“I won’t betray your secrets, but I need to know them so I can help you.”
She let her head drop forward and stared at his strong arm wrapped around her. “If people find out what I am, they’ll be terrified. Hunters will come. If this person searching for the Trojan Moon knew…he’ll stop at nothing to take the Moon and me.”
“You’re Vega-Lyran.”
She stayed silent. But they both knew she didn’t need to say a word.
He nuzzled her neck. “It’s okay, beautiful. I know who you are and no one is taking you anywhere.”
Damn him, he was making every one of her carefully constructed defensive walls crumble. His lips pressed to her racing pulse point beneath her ear.
She arched back into him. She knew she should push him away. From the first moment she’d seen him, she’d known—even without using her ability to see the future—that this man would be dangerous to her.
But she couldn’t push him away. All the energy singing through her turned to pure desire and she knew if she didn’t have him, at least once, she’d regret for the rest of her life.
His very hard cock nestled against her ass and she rubbed against him.
He groaned and nipped her ear lobe. “Tease.”
She started to turn, but he stopped her.
“Uh, uh. First time, I’m taking you. You just have to enjoy.”
Her legs turned to mush. He swiveled their bodies until they faced a mirror on the far wall. His hands came up and cupped her breasts. The heat of him seared through her shirt. His mouth returned to the side of her neck, nipping, licking, kissing.
She couldn’t look away from the sensual sight of them. She watched as he opened the buttons of her shirt and stripped it away. Next, her bra followed.
“You have gorgeous breasts,” he murmured.
As they filled his hands, she looked at his strong fingers cupping her soft skin. He flicked at her nipples and she shuddered against him. Normally she seduced her lovers, not the other way around. She knew what she liked and when she liked it. It was heady to have him take control and to just feel.
Hunt pressed hot kisses against her nape and then followed the trail of her spine. His fingers reached around, unfastened her pants and then he was stripping them down her legs.
“So damn beautiful,” he murmured.
He urged her forward until they reached the bed. He nudged her up and she knelt there, him behind her. By the infinite energies, they looked a sexy, wanton picture.
“Push your panties down, beautiful.” His voice was a rough growl.
Relda licked her lips and did as he asked, as far as she could get them. His hand was dipping between her legs in an instant. She watched that big hand curl around her mons, felt one finger slide over her clit and through the wetness gathering between thighs.
“Damn, hot and wet.” He started a ruthless caress, rolling her clit between his fingers.
Her hips surged against his hand, little cries escaping her throat.
“That’s it. I want to watch you come.”
The man was intoxicating. Her hard, rough marshal who just wanted to take care of her. No one had ever taken care of her.
One finger sank inside her and her head dropped back on his shoulder, her cry echoing in the room. He dragged his thick finger out, then two slid back in, leaving her feeling full. She was making frantic movements now. His thumb was still ruthlessly working her clit and when he leaned down and bit her, right at the join of her neck and shoulder, Relda came hard.
As the sensation took her, she stared blindly at the mirror. Saw the intense satisfaction on Hunt’s face and the flush filling her cheeks.
She would have collapsed forward and hit the bed, but his strong hands were there holding her up.
Now his face looked a little savage, desire a stark stamp on his features.
“I’m going to have you now.” He reached down and in one swipe, tore her panties off her. His blue eyes met hers in the mirror. “It’s going to be hard.”
She bit her lip, feeling the sweet sting of desire building again. “I like hard.”
With a curse, he stood, and in seconds his trousers were gone.
By the energies. Relda just stared at him. The man was the perfect model of rugged, strong male. And she was right. He was big everywhere. Really big. His large, thick cock arched upward. He wouldn’t be a comfortable fit. She’d feel every inch of him.
Then he was back behind her on the bed. He pushed her forward a little, ran a finger between her legs again, making her bite her lip. Then she smiled. He was checking she was ready. If she got any more ready, she was going to implode.
His thighs bumped the back of hers. “Relda, look at me.”
Her gaze locked with his in the mirror, then he entered her in one hard thrust.
“Hunt!” Her neck arched. He was in so deep. So deep and hard and good.
Chapter Six
Hunt was consumed with a combination of lust and violent need.
The feel of Relda, so tight and honey-slick around him, was enough to drive him out of his mind. But added to the sight of her, canted forward, his body tucked up tight against her golden skin was enough to blow his mind.
Unable to hold back anymore, he pulled out and plunged back into her.
She cried out and he cupped her breasts, pulling her back against him. He slammed into her, a primal rhythm nothing could stop. Like he’d promised her, skin slapped against skin, they were as close as he could get them.
She was his and he needed to prove it to her. He’d never asked for anything much in his life. He’d served his galaxy until it had eroded his soul. Now he needed something, someone, who was his to love and protect.
And she was right here in his arms.
He pushed her forward until her arms touched the bed and her head rested on them. With her shapely ass in the air, her legs still spread, it was a sight that would make a man commit murder to possess. And it was all his.
He gripped her hips and plunged back into her. Over and over until her hands were twisted in the sheets and she was rocking back against him. He felt the sweet, little clenches she made around his cock, knew her orgasm was coming soon.
He reached beneath her, found that slick, little nub again and with one flick, she was screaming his name.
He pumped into her again, bottomed out, then held himself deep inside her as his own release tore through him. He groaned, pumping his seed inside her.
As Hunt collapsed on the bed, he turned and tucked Relda close to his side. She sprawled in abandon, one arm and leg thrown over him.
He stroked her wild curls and listened to her heartbeat settle down to a normal rhythm. No one was hurting his woman, no one. “I didn’t use any protection. But I’m healthy.”
She stirred. “I have a Namah implant.”
The implant protected against pregnancy and disease. He pulled her closer. He didn’t like the fact that there was an invisible, chemical barrier between them. One day, he vowed, he’d slide inside her without it.
“I’m Vega-Lyran.”
Her
voice was a low whisper. He smiled into her temple. Hearing her confirm it, knowing she trusted him, gave him immense pleasure.
“My grandparents ran from the executions. Raised my father on the run. He fell in love with my mother, who was also a Vega-Lyran survivor. They taught me what they could about my powers.” She turned, emerald eyes looking up at him and one hand idly playing with the hair on his chest. “Usually Vega-Lyran children are schooled for years on how to manipulate energies.”
“That’s why your control is shaky.”
She nodded. “We lost my father first. The hunters found us and he staged a diversion so my mother and I could get away.”
Her voice was matter of fact, but he heard the pain buried in it. “I’m sorry.”
“Two years later, hunters were chasing us on the megacity world of Rendar. My mother stepped in front of a public transport.”
“How old were you?”
“Fourteen.”
Gods, so young. His hand tightened on her hair. No wonder she collected lost girls. “I know how it feels to lose the ones you love.”
Her green eyes blinked up at him. “You lost your family?”
“Yes. I was eight. My homeworld, Predia was attacked during the Frontier Wars. My parents and brother were killed in the bomb blasts. I was taken a GSS orphanage.”
Her hand pressed flat against his heart. “I’m so sorry, Hunt. And you eventually joined the GSS?”
Her touch was a balm to the pain. “As soon as I was old enough.” He shrugged. “It gave me a family of sorts, a purpose. What happened after you lost your mother?”
“My parents had taught me how to survive, how to blend. I moved around a lot, learned I was good at business. After a few years, I let down my guard. There was a man.”
Hunt’s arms tightened.
“Relax, big guy.” She slid her body against his. “I thought I loved him, but I was young and stupid. It was infatuation at best. But I messed up, I told him what I was.”
Her flat tone told Hunt it hadn’t gone well. “What happened?”
“He sold me out to bounty hunters. I escaped…barely.”
What an idiot. Hunt felt the fizz of anger in his blood. Wished he could pound on that stupid bastard.