Oriana's Stallions (Collection)

by Silvia Violet

  “Thank you for letting me know, Mr. Drayton.” She couldn’t bring herself to admit to a stranger that she cared for Calder nor could she promise what would happen between them. How could she have been so foolish as to have thought she could come back, indulge in another week of scorching sex and walk away again?

  Mr. Drayton bowed and excused himself, leaving her with Miss Partington. Now that Raya knew the woman had more spunk than anyone she’d met on Oriana and no designs on Calder, she felt bad for having wished she would be caught fucking a man on the terrace or something equally devastating by Orianian standards.

  As if she’d read Raya’s mind, Miss Partington grinned. “I imagine you were predisposed to hate me.”

  “No, I… well, yes.”

  The young woman’s eyes twinkled. “Thank you for being honest.”

  “I take it honesty is in short supply in Orianian high society.”

  “Very true.”

  Raya nodded. “It is on New Earth too. We might be more direct, but everybody’s got a game. I’d never trust anyone at a gathering like this.”

  “That’s an excellent policy to use here, excepting me, of course.”

  Raya found herself laughing despite her emotional turmoil. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  Miss Partington smiled. “It’s been lovely meeting you. I’m afraid I must go find my father. He’s likely drowning his sorrows in drink, and I’ll be lucky if I can get him away from the tables before he beggars us.”

  Raya held out her hand, and Miss Partington shook it with a firm grip, rather than recoiling in horror. “It’s been a pleasure meeting you. Good luck with your father and with Mr. Drayton.”

  She nodded. “Remember what Luke told you. Calder loves you. He can be as stubborn as a Raxian bull, but he loves you.”

  “How --”

  “The way he looks at you when you’re not watching. Trust me. He’s a goner.”

  Miss Partington walked away and left Raya standing alone trying to figure out when the universe had been turned upside down and how the hell she was going to right it.

  Chapter 4

  Calder had Dodson escort Raya to her room once the majority of the guests had departed. She immediately stripped out of her dress and bothersome undergarments and took a hot shower. Raya was very thankful for that modern touch in Calder’s home.

  Rather than tucking into bed once she was clean, she paced, waiting for Calder’s return, waffling between rage at his highhandedness and elation bordering on giddiness when she thought how much he must love her. She wanted him, and she wanted to take him down a notch. Maybe a bout of rough sex would take care of both needs.

  Finally when she’d worn herself out trying to expend her nervous energy, Calder opened the door. He sucked in his breath when he saw she was naked.

  “Surely you didn’t think I’d be wearing one of those ridiculous night dresses. A person could suffocate in those things.”

  He grinned. “No, but I thought you might be wearing your own night garments or be tucked in bed. I didn’t expect such a pleasant view.”

  His seductive assurance pissed her off. “I didn’t expect to find out you’d sponsored the Techno Laws from a stranger.”

  He paled and took a step back.

  “Did you really think no one would tell me? Wasn’t that what this fucking party was all about? How fucking stupid do you think I am?” Her voice rose with every word and tears burned behind her eyes. She would not cry. She would not have a hysterical breakdown. She needed to get the fuck out of here. This was madness. She belonged on New Earth. Alone.

  She turned away from Calder and looked out the window. The wind was whipping the trees now, and dark clouds blocked all three of the moons.

  She heard Calder’s footsteps as he moved closer, but she refused to look at him. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and she tensed.

  “I love you,” he whispered against her ear.

  His arms were warm and strong. She never depended on anyone. But she sank back into him. He nuzzled her neck. “I was going to contact you when the legislation took effect, and I’d contacted your bank and extended an invitation to open a branch on Oriana.”

  Raya turned to face him. “You were going to open an IIB branch just for me?”

  He grinned. “I still am.”

  Heat raced along her limbs as her anger rose again. “You thought you could just set up a life for me here without asking me. You thought I would just come when you called and fall into the life you made for me. I --”

  He stopped her words with a kiss. She struggled in his arms, trying to push him away, but he held her tight. Her mouth opened, and she sucked his tongue into her even as she tried to escape. He’d fucked her up good. She had no idea whether she wanted to run and never come back or beg him to let her stay forever. She wanted to knock him on his ass and take him into her body and ride him like the stallion he was. She gave into the kiss, and he eased his hold on her. The kiss grew softer, sweeter. Tears filled her eyes. Oh fuck. He pulled back before they spilled over, and she wiped them away with the back of her hand.

  Calder pretended not to notice. “I never meant to make a life for you, Raya. But I wanted a fighting chance. I knew that if you were ever going to consider moving to Oriana things here would have to change. You made me see that those changes were necessary.”

  She stared at him, probably looking like an idiot. “I did?”

  He smiled and stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. “You did.”

  “You listened to me?”

  He snorted and shook his head like Obsidian. “Of course I listened to you. I actually do consider other people’s opinions, you know.”

  Raya laughed. “But you get your way in the end.”

  “Once I make up my mind, you’re damn right I do. I wanted Oriana to change, and it has.”

  “You could have asked me what I wanted.”

  “I know what you want. You wanted to have your cake and eat it too. You want to have a wild man who can give you exactly what you need in bed while still being in charge in every other aspect of your life. You want someone as wild as me who’s willing to be confined in a steel tower in a megalopolis on New Earth.”

  Fuck! She certainly couldn’t accuse Calder of not understanding her, no matter how horrible her wishes sounded when he put it like that. “In other words, I’m a selfish bitch.”

  “No, but you’re a woman who’s going to have to learn to compromise.”

  “Accepting the world you’ve built for me isn’t compromising.”

  “God damn it, Raya. Do you realize what I’ve done for you?”

  “Do you realize how fucking highhanded you are? You want a woman who’s adventurous and willing to challenge you, but you want all that here in your little paradise.”

  “A paradise I’m risking for that chance. I think this legislation is good for Oriana, or I wouldn’t have suggested it no matter how much I want you here, but I still can’t be sure what will happen when we open Oriana up to more foreign trade. I need open space to run, and I have no intention of losing what I’ve made here.”

  A storm swirled inside Raya. Want. Need. Fear. Challenge. She had no idea what to say.

  Calder turned away from her and looked out the window. “I was young when I came here. I wanted a place where I could run free and also build my own horse breeding business. The Archaics controlled the government then, and the only way we could communicate with anyone off planet was by written post. I quickly came to see that better communication was essential if I was going to bring in clients.”

  “And now?”

  He turned to face Raya, and she saw pain beneath the usual heat in his eyes. “The bill I sponsored relaxes the restrictions on comm satellites. Every citizen will soon have access to the same speed of communication you appreciate on New Earth.”

  Raya fought to keep her voice steady. “You did this for me?”

  Anger, lust, and something that might have been fear gl
istened in his eyes. “I never gave up on you. But I knew that when you came back, when you admitted that you were mine, Oriana would need to be a place you could adapt to. Forcing you to live on the planet the Archaics envisioned would be like forcing me to live on New Earth. I fought for you -- for us -- and I won. The next step depends on you.”

  Raya was so fucking lost to him. She cupped his cheek. “Thank you.”

  He shuddered, and his eyes fluttered closed. “Once I stake my claim on something, it’s mine for life. This land. This planet. You.”

  “Me?” Raya wanted to sound outraged. She certainly should be, but her body flared to life at his words. She wanted him, right then, right there, wanted him to claim her as his mate. But no matter how he changed Oriana, it would never be New Earth, and she would never fit into the culture here. If she did, the planet would have changed until it was unlivable for Calder.

  Calder pressed her against the wall, pinning her arms over her head. He bared his teeth like Obsidian would. She could imagine him pinning back his ears, had he been able to in human form. “You need another demonstration of my claim on you.”

  Raya licked her suddenly dry lips. “Calder --” Her protest was lost in a groan as he pressed her against the wall, rubbing the full length of his cock against her.

  “I need you, Raya.”

  She could feel his desire. It permeated the air around them like a thick fog. She could hardly breathe. Despite wanting him desperately, she couldn’t stop her heart pounding with fear of losing herself in him. “I need you too, but I can’t live here.”

  He scooped her up in his arms like she weighed nothing. “I’ve got the rest of the week to convince you. Right now I just want to fuck.”

  Raya wrapped her arms around his neck as she licked and bit his collarbone. He growled as he dropped her on the bed. “I don’t want to hurt you, but I can’t hold back right now. I need to wrap myself up in you, sink into you, claim you.”

  “Please --”

  “I want it rough, like a Canterini.”

  “You warned me before, and I loved everything you gave me.”

  “Raya, it’s different tonight. I can’t --”

  “Fuck me, Calder.”

  Calder’s control snapped. His mouth crushed hers in a kiss of pure possession. His teeth nipped at her lips, and his tongue tangled with hers, fucking her mouth like he would her pussy. Lust swirled between them like a storm. She arched against him and moaned.

  He raised up enough to loosen his pants. His fingers were clumsy with his need, and he ended up ripping off several buttons. Raya came to his aid, pushing his pants over his ass and releasing his cock.

  She wrapped her fingers around him, enjoying the feel of his thick, hard flesh. She stroked him slowly up and down the length of his shaft. He growled as he bent to take one of her nipples in his mouth. He sucked hard, scraping the sensitive bud with his teeth. She cried out, arching toward his mouth, her hips bucking wildly against him.

  He plunged two fingers into her pussy. She was dripping wet, as desperate to be fucked as he was to give it to her. He pumped his fingers in and out while moving back and forth from one nipple to the other, licking, sucking, biting. Raya writhed, begging for more, wanting him to unleash his full animal nature on her.

  He pushed at her thighs until they were doubled on her chest. She licked her lips as she watched him stroke his cock, slicking himself with her wetness, making sure he could drive deep without hurting her. He raised up and positioned himself at her entrance.

  She sucked in a breath. He plunged deep, nearly all the way in. She cried out but didn’t pull away. His cock stretched her like no other man ever had, and she craved that fullness.

  He worked himself deeper, grinding against her. It both threatened to rip her apart and send her straight for the stars. She dug her fingers into his back.

  “Raya?” His voice shook.

  “Good. So damn good.”

  Her words fueled his need. He reached between them and found her clit. He worked it between his fingers as he pumped into her harder and faster with each stroke. Soon he was burying himself to the balls on every stroke. Her body accepted him and she drove her hips against his as he thrust into her.

  She whimpered when he pulled out all the way. He grinned and slapped her ass. “Turn over.”

  She complied instantly. He shoved a pillow under her to give her support and positioned himself behind her. He thrust into her again as he bent over her and seized the back of her neck in his teeth, holding her as the Canterini did when they claimed a mate.

  Raya twisted beneath him, instinctively fighting his hold. Yet she was his. She wanted him to claim her, no matter how barbaric that was. Calder squeezed her hips and held her still, tilting her body to allow him deeper entry.

  His deep, hard strokes slid over her G-spot, and his frantic motion let his balls slap against her clit. Every thrust drove her closer to the edge. She reached between her legs and worked her clit between her fingers. He groaned and fucked her even faster. “Mine, Raya. You’re all mine.”

  She shook her head wildly, thrashing beneath him.

  “You’re mine. Tell me.” He shoved deep and stayed still.

  “Calder!” She was right on the edge. She needed to go over. He was going to make her lose her mind.

  “Say it, Raya. Say you’re mine.”

  She snarled. “I can’t.”

  He pumped lightly, just enough to give her a taste of what she wanted.

  “Calder. Don’t. Do this.”

  “Tell me now.” He slid all the way in and flexed his cock.

  Her body jerked beneath him. “Yes. Gods, yes, I’m yours.”

  “Come for me.” His teeth sank into her neck again and he resumed his hard fast fucking.

  Raya screamed and went over. Calder followed seconds later. He buried himself to the hilt and pumped his seed into her. Marking her as his forever.

  When their bodies finally stilled, Calder slipped from her and gathered her into his arms. She cuddled into his warmth, willing, for that moment, to admit she needed the comfort she found with him.

  Chapter 5

  Raya woke before Calder. She blinked and rubbed her eyes, trying to adjust to the light streaming in through the gauzy curtains. She was used to the blackout shades in her apartment on New Earth so she never slept past dawn on Oriana. She slipped from the bed, shivering as soon as she left Calder’s warmth. She took her robe from the wardrobe, pulled it on, and crossed the room to the window.

  The storm that had threatened to erupt the night before had passed over and the gardens looked lush and beautiful. She wished she could slip out to the stables and go for a long ride, but while she might have done exactly that on her last visit, she wasn’t going to run from Calder this time.

  She caught sight of the papers she needed him to sign lying on her desk. She had to print them out since Orianians didn’t use electronic signatures. Thinking of business had her itching to check her messages. She picked up her phone and pressed the icon to retrieve her mail. Instead of a list of messages, she got an error message. No contact with data network.

  “Fuck,” she muttered. She tried again; still no connection.

  The sheets rustled, and she looked up to see Calder sitting up in bed, watching her, a sad expression on his face. “I know this isn’t easy, but at least give me a chance to sway you.”

  What could he possibly do or say to make things okay? She was fucked either way. She didn’t want to live on a low tech planet, even one that was willing to loosen its strictures to accommodate decent comm connections and better travel options. But she no longer wanted to live on New Earth if Calder wouldn’t be with her.

  If Intergalactic Investors Bank opened a branch here, she could travel back and forth, still managing her most important clients on New Earth. Would that be enough for her urban soul? Would Calder be willing to come with her if she could find someplace they could go for a ride? Surely there were options.


  But as soon as that optimistic thought crossed her mind, she shook her head. This was insane. She couldn’t live here, prancing around in dresses and traveling by carriage. Calder was amazing, but she’d fought for personal freedom her whole life. She’d had no intention of marrying, especially not on a planet where her husband gained all manner of rights over her.

  Trying to hide her emotional turmoil behind teasing, she glanced at Calder’s erection which was tenting the sheets. “Just how will you go about swaying my opinion?”

  He followed her gaze. “As much as it pains my ego, I know my body’s not enough. If it was, you’d never have left.”

  Raya didn’t like the vulnerability she saw in his eyes. Surely he didn’t doubt how much she wanted him. If he doubted anything it couldn’t be that. She walked toward the bed and sat on the edge, taking his hand in hers. With her other hand, she stroked his cock through the sheet. He sucked in his breath and arched into her touch. “This is more than enough for me or any other woman. You’ve ruined me for other men, you know. I didn’t even consider taking a lover while I was on New Earth.”

  His eyes widened. “You didn’t? For two months?”

  “Not once.”

  He grinned. “Me either.”

  Relief washed over her. She’d never assumed he’d remained celibate, not with women of all classes throwing themselves at him on a regular basis. “I’m impressed.”

  “Raya, I --” She squeezed him more firmly, sliding her hand slowly up and down. His teeth sank into his bottom lip. “Fuck, Raya. If you don’t stop you’re going to end up flat on your back, and the morning ride I planned will never happen.”

  Raya was torn. Flat on her back sounded damn good right now. When he was inside her, she could forget the fear and turmoil rattling around in her head. But she also wanted to ride with him and she wanted to know what he planned to do or say to persuade her to stay. If the Techno Laws hadn’t changed her mind, what did he think would? Did he even need to persuade her anymore? Could she possibly leave him again?