Her lips curled in a smile. She leaned toward him to nibble at his hard mouth. “Maybe I’d still like to tie you down and torture you,” she murmured.
He rolled onto his back and laced his fingers behind his head. “Baby, you can do anything you want. I’m not stopping you.”
The invitation was too tempting to resist. She straddled his waist and settled to exploring him with her fingers and her lips until she touched a spot on his ribs along his side and he let out a choked grunt, flinching all over. Intrigued, she returned to the spot and dug her fingers in a little more deeply. His reaction was more pronounced that time.
Emerald lifted her head and stared at him, suppressing the urge to laugh. “You’re ticklish.”
“I’m not.”
She studied his face assessingly and abruptly dove for the tickle spot on either side of his chest. He jackknifed, uttering a choked laugh as he grabbed her hands and held them. “Gods damn it, baby! That hurt.”
Emerald bit her lip, trying to look remorseful. She knew damned well it hadn’t hurt. He just didn’t want to admit that he was ticklish. “I won’t do it again. I promise.”
He narrowed his eyes at her but he finally released his grip on her hands. The moment he did, she dove for the spot again. He uttered a choked laugh, bucked her off and rolled over on top of her. “You’ve no sense of honor!” he muttered with both amusement and irritation.
She shook her head. “Not a bit!” she agreed cheerfully. “Anyway, I had my fingers crossed. It didn’t count.”
“Is that a fact?”
She felt smug until he found her ticklish spot and tickled her until she couldn’t catch her breath. “Stop! Stop!” she cried, laughing. “I can’t breathe!”
He stopped. Emerald sucked in a reviving breath and goosed his ribs again. He laughed, grabbing her wrists and pinning her arms above her head, but he sobered as soon as he had, his expression becoming intent. She stared up at him worriedly. Instead of tickling her again, he abruptly dropped closer and covered her mouth in a heated kiss.
Emerald felt an instant response inside of her to the heat his kiss despite the days they’d spent in a heated tangle, striving over and over to reach the pinnacle. It almost seemed they reached fever pitch faster each time, and perhaps they did, she thought dreamily. He was certainly no less desirable and he’d learned just how and where to touch her to stir her. She welcomed him into her when with love and joy when he reached a point of impatience to join with her, enjoying their deep connection on every level. And when they both reached culmination within moments of one another, she yielded to exhaustion and sank beneath the blanket of bliss that beckoned her, buoyed by the certainty that she’d given as much as she’d taken.
She struggled to curl her lips into an appreciative smile when she felt Tariq arrange her against his side afterwards and begin to stroke her in wordless appreciation. She’d almost reached the dark gateway when he rolled onto his side and tightened his arms around her.
“I thought I’d go completely insane when they took you from me,” he murmured raggedly. “I was far more focused on getting too you than getting out or I might have managed it sooner.” He paused and tightened his hold. “I love you, Em.”
* * * *
Alarm instantly went through Emerald when she and Tariq finally emerged from seclusion and joined the rest of their party in the lounge for the evening meal. Koryn didn’t just look as if he’d had little sleep in the past three ‘days’ since they’d escaped. He was battered and bruised. She couldn’t decide whether to comment on it or not, but she knew he hadn’t shown any signs of having been in a fight before she’d joined Tariq for a marathon breeding session.
Tariq noticed, too, and he wasn’t the least bit restrained in his reaction. “What the fuck? Did you get in a fight with the lab equipment?”
Koryn narrowed his eyes at him, his lips tightening.
“We have been sparing in the hold. Koryn pointed out that we did not know what we might encounter and therefore it would be wise to polish our skills.”
Tariq lifted his dark brows and studied Koryn assessingly for several moments.
“I don’t have fucking nanos to help me heal faster,” Koryn pointed out tightly, clearly defensive about the fact that he looked the worse for wear when none of the others did.
Emerald felt her chest tighten in commiseration, but she resisted the urge to rush to him and fuss over his bruises, fearful that would wound his pride even more. There was no doubt in her mind that he felt like he wasn’t ‘manly’ enough beside Tariq and she suspected he thought she loved Tariq more because of the way he was. Well, she supposed in a way she did. She certainly loved him in a different way. Then again, they were different. They would be if Koryn had been a soldier as Tariq was and even if he’d been just as skilled at fighting.
He still fulfilled her need to feel protected. He still fulfilled her sexual needs. And beyond that, he had a lot to offer in many other ways.
She didn’t think he’d want to hear that either, though, or that it would make him feel better. “Unless something terrible happened on Centaurian, I don’t see that fighting skills would be crucial. It’s certainly something one wants to have, and to feel confidence in, of course, but it should be a civilized place—even if it is a frontier colony. Of course, you don’t need to concern yourself about your other skills, so there’s no point in focusing on polishing those.”
Koryn looked so much better when she’d finished that Emerald was glad she’d considered carefully before she spoke.
Although he relaxed considerably, his expression was wry. “I can’t say that I’ve mastered food preparation either. I’m damned if I can figure that out, though. I always measure everything carefully and follow the instructions.”
Emerald smiled at him. “I’m not terribly good, either. I never had much opportunity to prepare anything but prepackaged meals. I’ve always heard, though, that it’s technique as much as anything else.” She frowned. “I think we all need to practice that. From what I heard, the colonists had all decided that a simpler way of life was far better in the long run. It was part of the requirements of potential colonists—to be willing to live at a very basic level—growing most of their own food, making do with mechanical or manual tools, rather than electronics, and renewable energy sources.”
She discovered when she glanced around at the others than even the androids looked appalled. It took an effort to keep from smiling.
Tariq frowned. “What sort of economic system did they have? Or do you know?”
Emerald considered it, struggling to remember what she’d learned when she’d been considering becoming a colonist. It hadn’t just been a very long time ago, though. It had been a lifetime for her and even though she’d regained bits and pieces of her memories, she had an uneasy feeling that she had ‘forgotten’ as much as she remembered. “It’s primarily a barter system, I think.”
The men exchanged indecipherable looks. “That might make things difficult in getting started,” Tariq said grimly.
Emerald looked at him in surprise. “That’s not true—not necessarily anyway. They’ll have to have a standing army—and a peace keeping force—and most of you have those skills. And Koryn knows so much about science, I imagine his skills will be in demand, too—If nothing else, as a doctor.”
Koryn perked up considerably. Tariq looked like a thundercloud. “I have other skills beyond the military,” he growled.
Emerald flicked a dismayed look at him, realizing that the harder she tried to build up Koryn’s self-esteem, the angrier it made Tariq. She forced a smile, giving him a heated gaze. “I know you do,” she murmured.
Tariq’s expression went blank for a split second before color climbed into his cheeks. He grinned, but it looked a bit more embarrassed than arrogant.
“The thing is,” she continued after a moment, “I don’t really know all of you that well and I don’t know what you can do or have done in the past. I was just pointi
ng out what I did know that would be useful. Now that you’ve brought it up, though, I think it would be a good idea for all of us to work up sort of a resume of training and experience. We’ll have to petition the council to become colonists and the more skills, the more desirable.
“I spent a lot of time with my great-grandmother when I was a child. She taught me several different needle crafts that I think I could claim as a skill, at least, claim some familiarity with them. I expect that would be in demand since no one’s really done much in the way of handwork in generations. I’ve had military training, too—not like you guys, of course, but some and some battle experience.”
“You aren’t going to be a fucking soldier!” Tariq growled implacably.
Emerald gaped at him. When she glanced at the others, however, she saw that all of the androids looked disapproving and Koryn looked as outraged as Tariq. Her lips tightened with annoyance.
Koryn got up abruptly. “I think we should run a scan and see if you’re breeding. I’m going to faint if you aren’t when Tariq was so gods damned dedicated to the task,” he added, his voice laced with anger, “but we need to be sure.”
“I hadn’t planned to offer my services for the military—especially since I probably am pregnant!” Emerald said tightly. “I was merely pointing out that I had that to offer as a colonist.”
She followed Koryn from the lounging area to the sickbay, however, more because she was irritated about their attitude than because she felt a need to know, immediately, whether she was or she wasn’t pregnant.
She discovered once she’d settled on the examination table and Koryn had scanned her, however, that he had far more on his mind than checking her or even concern about her taking a job as a soldier. In point of fact, he didn’t seem to have but one thing on his mind.
Having scanned her, he set the scanner aside decisively. “Yes. You’re breeding,” he said briskly, and then climbed onto the examination table with her before she even realized his intent.
Not that she would’ve objected to his intentions, but she thought the examination table a precarious perch for two when Koryn was big enough to take up the entire bed himself. His hunger was contagious, however. Despite the fact that Tariq had satisfied her enough to prevent her from feeling needy anytime in the near future, Koryn himself, her anxiety to please him and make up for neglecting him, and the sense of desperation she felt in him were enough to thoroughly arouse her.
She wouldn’t have considered denying him anyway, or even demanding more foreplay, but fortunately she didn’t need it. She was wet for him long before he tore at his clothing to dispense with the impediment. It was a struggle to envelop his turgid flesh regardless. She didn’t think there was a hair’s worth of difference in the size of the two men, unless Koryn was slightly larger, but it was thrilling enough to feel his slow possession that she was on the brink of coming by the time he managed to claim her fully.
It was as well she was. He was too needy to have much control. The moment she began to quake with her climax, he groaned like he was dying, shuddered, and began to pump frenziedly to spill his seed into her. “I’m sorry, baby,” he gasped when he’d finally stopped shuddering.
Emerald stroked his back. “Don’t be, baby,” she murmured. “It was wonderful.”
He jerked his head up to study her face for a long moment and finally relaxed. Scooting backwards carefully, he disengaged them and nuzzled her neck. “I don’t know how I managed it,” he said wryly. “I thought I was going to explode before I even got in.”
“Me, too,” Emerald said with a blissful sigh.
He chuckled. “I thought I was going to fall off this fucking thing. Remind me not to try it here again.”
Emerald smiled. “I don’t know …. Does this convert like the chair in Tariq’s quarters? I was just thinking that might be fun—except with you pounding into me instead of that thing.”
She felt his cock rise against her thigh. He hesitated. “I think we need to get back before I end up having to fight Tariq. Not that I’d mind on several levels, but I might not be in any shape to make love to you for a while afterwards,” he said with self-depreciating amusement.
“Well! We can’t have that!”
Tariq gave both of them a hard look when they returned, but he forbore commenting on the length of time they’d been gone or the fact that both of them looked like they’d been doing exactly what they had. “I’m going to assume the test was positive,” he growled.
Emerald grinned and rushed into his arms. “Yes! We’re going to have a baby!”
To her relief, the tension left him. He was grinning at her shakily when she pulled away to look at his face. “Seriously?”
She chuckled. “Absolutely.”
“Damn I’m good!” he said jokingly.
Koryn glared at him. “And you only had to fuck non-stop for three days to accomplish it!”
Seeing that they were bristling at one another again, Emerald searched for something to distract them. “I wonder if it’ll be a girl or a boy?”
It distracted them. “It’s bound to be male,” Tariq said a little indignantly.
“You never know,” Koryn retorted.
“I guess we’ll find out!” Tariq growled.
“I guess we will!” Koryn snapped.
Emerald glanced at the androids a little unhappily.
“I would not care,” Aeon said. “It would be enough to know that I’d sired a child. But I will never do so.”
Tariq turned to look at him uncomfortably and flicked a glance at the other androids. “Fortunately, Koryn’s one of the best geneticists we have,” he said pointedly.
Koryn glared at him, but once he’d glanced at the other androids, he relented. “It’s not impossible. You were engineered not to have that capability, but I might be able to do something about that—I emphasize might! I’ll just have to see if it’s doable.”
“It would be far more likely that we might find a woman who would have us if that was possible. No woman will want us if we cannot give them a child,” Aeon said.
“Oh! That’s not true!” Emerald objected. “Even if Koryn can’t fix the problem—and I’d be willing to bet he can—you have a lot to offer, besides being very handsome!”
That pleased Aeon, but both Koryn and Tariq narrowed their eyes at her and then looked Aeon over with hostility.
“Let’s eat!” Emerald said abruptly. “Whatever that is smells wonderful and I’m starving!”
* * * *
There were days when Emerald actually thought they were making a lot progress in learning to function together as a family unit and days when she despaired that they would ever find a comfortable alliance. She made the mistake of deciding to join the men one day when they’d all gone into the hold to spar. It not only inspired both Koryn and Tariq to dispense with friendly rivalry and try to kill each other, but the androids showed an inclination to be more violently aggressive, as well.
She’d fled as soon as she realized that her presence was all it took to inspire all of them to try to ‘show off’ their killing skills, but even the androids looked the worse for it for days and Tariq and Koryn were too banged up to feel much interest in sex for a couple of days. The respite was nice. It was exhausting trying to appease both men and she didn’t dare beg off when they were just looking for excuses to tear into one another.
In point of fact, she began to suspect they were going to fuck her to death trying to outdo each other. After the second week of their journey, she finally told both of them that she was going to expire if she didn’t get a little rest and she damned well didn’t believe their needs were that damned frequent. They were going to have to stop fucking her as if the pussy was going to dry up or vanish.
They’d been indignant, of course, but to do them justice, it at least brought their attention to the fact that she really was exhausted—either that or they were both exhausted and decided it was a good enough excuse to preserve their ‘manliness’ and giv
e her a little breathing room. She didn’t care as long as she could have a full night’s rest from time to time.
They were fortunate enough that they escaped without incident beyond the nightmare of the escape itself. Although they kept a keen eye on their wake the first week, there was no sign of pursuit and Tariq decided it was safe enough to alter course for the star system that was their ultimate goal.
They reached the outer rim after four weeks and Emerald didn’t think she was alone in considering it a very good thing that it hadn’t taken longer. The fresh foods hadn’t lasted much past half the trip and they’d switched to space rations, which were tolerable enough except when compared to the fresh foods they’d had before. Beyond that, although the ship had seemed really spacious when they’d begun, by the fourth week the walls had begun to close in on everyone.
Emerald viewed their arrival at the Omega star system with a mixture of hope, relief, and fear, the first two of which waned after a few days while the other grew when they weren’t hailed and saw no sign of any other crafts. It wasn’t until they’d settled into orbit around Centaurian that their attempts to make contact were successful.
All of them were gathered on the bridge waiting anxiously as Mikail, one of the androids, tried to illicit a response from the ground. Emerald felt weak all over when a call was finally met with a crackle of static and they could hear a weak transmission from the planet. “Identify yourselves!”
Emerald surged forward before Mikail could respond. “Tell them we’re refugees seeking asylum.”
When Mikail glanced at Tariq for confirmation, Emerald looked at him questioningly. He was frowning, clearly considering the advisability of it. “It would be admitting we have a price on our head,” he said grimly. “If others find their way here, they might consider it in their best interests to simply hand us over.”
Emerald hadn’t thought of that. “But they won’t know about Centaurian. You said ….”
“We are at war with the Dinjin. There is no saying they won’t manage to get the information from them or some of the slaves they free. I don’t think we can afford to take the chance.”
Deep Penetration; Alien Breeders I Page 30