Flames of Arousal

by Kerce, Ruth D.

  Still looking into her eyes, he simply shook his head. His other hand caressed her hip and the front of her thigh, moving close to her thatch of curls, but not touching her.

  “You’ve already cupped my pussy when you washed me. You might as well push inside.” This waiting was torture. She wished he’d just get it over with. Then she could hate him with full force and no regrets. He was going to do it eventually anyhow.

  He leaned close and flicked his tongue across her lips.

  The unexpected sensation that flooded her body at the touch of his tongue surprised her, and she almost mewled. She stopped herself just before the sound escaped.

  Kam stepped back and began to wash himself. That small smile again crossed his face. His large hands glided across his chest and moved slowly down his stomach.

  Irritation grated along Halah’s nerves. He was doing this on purpose. Trying to get her hot for him, so she’d fall into his arms. He could force her, but she’d never come to him willingly unless it were part of a bigger plan, involving escape or something to her advantage. She’d actually had just such a plan in mind, but it needed to go her way.

  Not his.

  Kam washed his body while Halah watched. Sweet fucking torture. She was determined to fight him and her attraction to him. He could feel her need for him.

  He hadn’t expected his desire for her to be this strong. It had been a long time since he’d wanted any particular woman so much. Despite their differences, or maybe because of them, she could be just what he needed in his life.

  Daegal hadn’t turned her, which was a relief. He knew how to deactivate the collar, if he could find a control room. When the mission was complete, he’d take her to her sister. Hopefully, she’d want to come back into service with the Warriors. If so they might actually be able to pursue a possible future together. If not, well, he’d face that situation if it arose. Until then, he’d do whatever it took to get her on his side, and he’d enjoy himself doing it.

  Unable to stop himself, his soapy fingers curled around his cock. Her gaze immediately followed. She chewed at her bottom lip as he stroked himself from base to tip and back again, repeating the motion. His heart picked up its pace as she watched him stroking himself. He could literally smell her arousal.

  She pressed herself back against the wall, her hands behind her back, as if she feared she might touch him if she didn’t. He couldn’t help but enjoy her reaction.

  Unfortunately, he shouldn’t have started this. He needed to come. Badly. That would probably not make her feel more at ease with him. So instead of climaxing like he wanted, he reached for the cold water knob to show her that he could maintain control and was trustworthy.

  She leaned forward, and her fingers touched his hand. “No. Finish it.”

  What? His gaze locked with hers. Now what game was she playing? He didn’t sense any deception, just desire—not emotional for the most part, he figured, but definitely physical. Her body was in need as much as his. He saw it in her eyes and the flush on her skin.

  She pulled her hand away and pressed herself into the corner. “Make yourself come,” she whispered. “I want to watch you, Kam.”

  A low groan rumbled in his throat.

  She reached up and massaged her breasts. When she tugged on her nipples, his hand returned to his cock.

  He curled his fingers around his shaft and pumped hard. With his gaze fixated on her breasts, he imagined his hands on her, his mouth, his tongue.

  “Turn toward me more and come closer.”

  His little slave liked to give orders. Fine with him. He did as she instructed. His body towered over hers. This close, he’d come all over her when he finally exploded.

  Her hand slid down her stomach, and his gaze followed the movement. Oh, yeah,

  Halah. Keep going. Finger- fuck your gorgeous cunt for me.

  “I want you to lick my pussy, Kam. I need to come so badly.” She spread herself open. “Will you do that for me?”

  Yes! The air caught in his throat. His hand dropped from his cock, and his whole system went on alert.

  “No. Keep stroking yourself.”

  He did as ordered, curling his fingers back around his shaft. When she touched his shoulder, he knelt before her. He wasn’t about to turn down this offer, no matter her reasons for allowing it.

  Her hands burrowed in his hair, and she pulled him forward.

  Oh, man. This was fucking great. Her pussy, wet and a deep pink, called to him. He leaned forward, yanking harder on his cock. So close to coming.

  Halah’s knee came up sharply and caught him under the chin.

  “Argh!” He fell to the tile.

  She pushed past him and fled.

  Idiot. His damn cock had clouded his senses. He should have checked his wrist sensor before kneeling in front of her. His chin throbbing, he pushed to his feet and took off after her.

  He caught her just as she reached the main door of the quarters. He tackled her to the floor. They were both wet and naked and slippery, but he managed to pin her with his body. Where she’d planned to go without any clothes, he couldn’t imagine.

  “Fine. Do it!” she raged.

  She was determined to push him right to the limit. She was practically begging to be raped. To get it over with? He checked his sensor. She still believed him a threat.

  Damn it. He jerked her up and shoved her onto the bed. He ripped a piece of material from the sheet, wrapped it around her wrists, and tied her to one of the headboard posts.

  Then he turned and headed back to the bathing room to turn off the water, dry off, and cool off before he did something to her that he’d later regret.

  Halah pulled against the ties. This was the second time Kam had managed to tie her to a bed. Only difference was this time she lay naked and without adequate power to shock him into submission.

  She tried to throw her leg up past her head to tap the tie with her foot. She might have enough power left to disintegrate the material, but he had her arms spread too far.

  She couldn’t get her leg up and out that far to the side. She tried her opposite leg, but he’d tied her so she couldn’t twist her body enough to reach it. Shit. She’d gotten too cocky, been too sure she could incapacitate Kam through sex. She hadn’t expected him to recover so quickly or easily. Her strength really must be lower than she realized.

  Normally, it would have been so easy to run out. On the way to his quarters, she’d already planned out her escape route and where to get clothing. Sure, the monitors would pick her up, but she’d identified a few blind spots which would at least have given her a chance. Or so she’d thought. But she’d been wrong. She must be straining from the stress and exhaustion, instead of thinking things through more thoroughly, for she was normally better than this.

  Minutes later, Kam reappeared in the room. Still completely naked, though no longer aroused. He held a small cloth in his hand.

  What did he have in mind now?

  He approached the bed and sat down beside her. He cupped her breasts through the cloth, drying her. His gentle touch surprised her, considering how angry he’d looked when he had tied her up.

  He spent longer than necessary rubbing her nipples, not stopping until they were hard, and she began to squirm. Damn man. He was doing this on purpose to arouse her.

  He moved the soft cloth over her ribs and down her stomach.

  When he covered and cupped her pussy, she tensed. She stared at his face, trying to figure out his thoughts, but his features remained a mask, devoid of emotion.

  His hand moved in a small circle. He pressed his finger along her slit, still with the cloth covering her.

  She sucked in a tight breath. Oh, yes. The touch felt better than it should. She tried to maintain an emotionally neutral face, but found it difficult. The moment his gaze intensified, she felt the shift and saw his anger or maybe it was frustration mixed with sexual tension.

  He tossed the clot
h to the floor.

  Fear speared through her, but she refused to show it. She never showed her fear.

  When he rubbed his chin, a dark spot drew her attention, and she saw the bruise that had already formed. “Can you blame me?”

  His features didn’t change. But his hand dropped lightly to her stomach. He leaned over her and tongued her navel.

  Halah jerked as his tongue speared in and out, and around the tender skin. Her pussy throbbed, and her nipples hardened. “Oh!” She didn’t try to deny the pleasure, since she knew he would sense the truth about her need for him, though she did wonder about the strength of his natural abilities, after the shower incident. She really shouldn’t have been able to fool him so easily, unless he was just so sexually stimulated that he’d totally dropped his guard. Her ability to do that to him made her heart clench.

  He looked up at her and touched his patch. “You belong to me,” he croaked.

  “Relax, and this will go better.”

  So he did intend to fuck her. She wondered what his reaction would be if she absolutely said no. Her body wanted him. Her mind didn’t know what to do, battling between her emotions and more practical thoughts on what she could get out of him.

  If she could get him to untie her, then fuck him good, he’d probably fall asleep. She could get food and clothing and get out. If she wore a uniform, she could buy herself some time with the monitors. She might even go unnoticed as long as her collar remained hidden. She wondered if a uniform was stored in the box by the bed.

  She needed to get to one of the control rooms and deactivate the collar and then find a transport-connector. If she could get aboveground and to a prison center, she could get off this rock, then return later, if she got more information about Josella being here.

  Maybe she would even confront Kam later, after she was free and armed, about her sister’s whereabouts. She’d be in a better position of power then. She could turn things around and capture him. Do a trade. Him for her sister. Now that plan had possibilities.

  She looked up at Kam, her eyes locking with his. Her pulse raced, knowing what she needed to do. Looking forward to it on several levels. Feeling unsure on other levels. But in the end, freedom was still her ultimate goal.

  “Fuck me, Kam.” She said it, not as a challenge this time, but in need, so he’d know she meant it—wanted it, wanted him.

  His eyes widened slightly, then he groaned. He leaned over her and captured her mouth, kissing her hotly, tangling his tongue with hers, before pulling back, breathless.

  “Untie me, Kam. I’ll make you come so hard you won’t be able to walk.”

  His mouth twitched into a grin. He leaned down and whispered in her ear, his voice raspy. “You’re staying tied, Halah. I intend to fuck you so hard you won’t be able to walk.”

  Chapter Eight

  A pounding on the door drew Kam’s attention away from Halah. Not now.

  Thoughts of ignoring the interruption came as his first reaction, but it didn’t sound as if the person was going to give up any time soon. He grabbed a pair of pants from the bedside box and stepped into them. They fit a bit tightly, so he left the top fastenings open.

  “What about me?” Halah asked when he left her tied to the bed and stepped toward the door.

  With a grunt of frustration, he returned to the bed and flipped a cover over her to conceal her nakedness, then he walked back to the door. As soon as he punched the open button and the door slid aside a crack, a male Egesa pushed the panel wider and squeezed his way in, practically ripping the door off its track.

  “Nex-tor?” he yelled, yellow eyes wild.

  “Yeah,” Kam answered with difficulty, stepping back, out of the creature’s reach.

  Halah gasped loudly enough for him to hear her from the bed. Recognizing trouble as she obviously had, he assumed a defensive stance. He should have untied Halah, so she could protect herself if necessary.

  He glanced out in the corridor, but there seemed to just be the one Egesa. Still, while mostly naked and without a weapon, he and Halah were both more vulnerable than he felt comfortable with. “What do you want?” he rasped out, barely audible.

  The Egesa looked from him to Halah. Rage grew on his face by the moment. His yellow eyes darkened, and his bald head turned a bright red.

  “What do you want?” Halah asked, repeating Kam’s question for him. Louder this time.

  The Egesa’s hearing wasn’t as acute as theirs, though Kam would bet the creature had heard him the first time. He was just assessing the situation as he slowly moved closer to the bed. Kam kept close watch, ready to defend Halah if needed.

  The Egesa continued to look from Halah to him and back to her again.

  “He can’t talk very well right now,” she told the creature.

  Kam strengthened his defensive posture, so the Egesa would know he was well-prepared to fight. His fingers curled into a fist.

  As the creature stared at Halah, the Egesa’s long, thin tongue slithered out of his mouth. It licked its fat lips, leaving some spittle on its skin, then the tongue retracted, and his gaze switched back to Kam.

  What the hell did this disgusting thing want? He didn’t see any visible weapons attached to the Egesa’s belt. That made him feel better. At least they weren’t in danger of being shot, unless he’d concealed something small inside his uniform somewhere.

  But the creature’s claws could definitely prove deadly if they came in contact with his bare midsection or Halah’s naked skin. The claws could transfer painful poisons at the Egesa’s will. He’d need to be careful. Not all injuries could be self-healed, not if the damage became severe enough.

  “Mine!” the Egesa shouted, pointing to Halah, then to himself.

  Kam cocked an eyebrow.

  “What do you mean?” Halah asked, drawing their attention back to her. “I belong to him.” Her voice faltered slightly over the words and her gaze shifted from the Egesa to him.

  Kam liked the sound of what she’d said, but apparently the Egesa didn’t.

  The creature hissed. “Reserved. Mine.”

  Feeling confused, Kam looked from her, to the creature, then back to her. What was the Egesa talking about?

  “Oh, shit. I remember him now,” Halah responded. “He came down to the cages, but didn’t select anyone. He must have made his choice, but instead of an immediate release, he came back later to collect.”

  Kam pointed to Halah, then thumped his chest. Too bad, buddy. She’ s mine now. He moved closer to the bed in a protective manner, standing between Halah and the creature, so he couldn’t get at her.

  The Egesa glared, then he nodded. “We fight. Winner take.”

  “He can’t fight you,” Halah objected, raising her voice, as if he were blocking the sound of her words, instead of just her line of vision. “He’s not well enough yet. He’s been injured…or something. Can’t you see the patch on his neck?”

  “No fight with neck.” Stepping closer, he stood nose to nose with Kam. His voice lowered, speaking only to him. “Fight for fuck rights to female. Now.”

  Kam cocked his head. This creature was beginning to irritate him. All right. Without warning, he punched the Egesa in the stomach. How’ s that?

  “Kam!” Halah shouted. “Don’t engage him.”

  The Egesa stumbled back slightly, then hissed and rushed forward to attack.

  Sidestepping the creature, Kam tried to grab him from behind as the Egesa passed, but he missed. The Egesa fell onto the bed. Halah jerked up her legs to get away from him.

  Kam immediately pulled the Egesa off the mattress, before he got any ideas about grabbing her. He noticed Halah tugging on the tie around her wrists, trying to get free.

  As he moved closer and reached out to help her, the Egesa swung around and caught him on the side of the head with a hard blow. Kam went down on one knee. He recovered quickly and rammed his shoulder into the Egesa’s stomach. The stomach was normally the
Egesa’s most vulnerable area, especially if hit with a weapon.

  The creature wailed and clubbed him on the back.

  Kam fell to the floor, but then rolled back up to his feet.

  In hand-to-hand combat, the two of them seemed pretty evenly matched. Though the Egesa weighed more, he didn’t move as agilely. The two exchanged punches to the body, neither gaining much of an advantage. Kam blocked a kick aimed at his groin.

  “Hey!” Halah called out.

  Both men turned toward her. Halah now stood before them—free, naked, and beautiful. She assumed the standard Warrior fighting position and punched the Egesa in the neck, then kicked his knee hard. He went down, but grabbed her leg and pulled her down with him.

  “Ugh!” She tried to tug free, while kicking at him with her other leg.

  Kam stomped on the back of his head, drawing his attention away from Halah, who sprang to her feet when released. The Egesa rolled and did likewise, quickly getting his feet under him.

  Not letting him get far, Kam punched the creature in the face with such force it whirled around.

  When the Egesa turned, temporarily stunned, Halah kicked him in the stomach, sending a small electrical charge with it, Kam assumed, because the Egesa froze, then jerked and fell over onto his back.

  “Doesn’t take much electricity to fell these guys, if you hit them just right.” She rubbed her wrists where they’d been tied. “Needed even less than I would have needed to break my bindings, if I could have zapped them. Good thing you tied a lousy knot.”

  Kam chuckled. Her adrenaline must have increased her strength, physically and also where her power was concerned. The knot hadn’t been that lousy. He had seen her pull loose, but tried not to let on. He hadn’t wanted to draw the Egesa’s attention to her.

  He’d known Halah would fight, not flee. Her Warrior training still ran deep. He was glad she’d retained enough power to effectively help him defeat the creature. Hell, she’d landed the final blow.

  Now that the Egesa had fallen, he watched Halah warily, not sure if she’d try to escape or turn on him again. She seemed oblivious to her nudity. Too bad he couldn’t say the same.