“Okay, since everyone seems to have those roll off the tongue names I’m going to have to come up with ones I can say and remember.” She received nods but at least no one seemed to be upset with her. She felt like she was babbling. “They’ll come as I get to know you.” An older man brought them drinks, bringing her attention back to Storm. She thanked the server as she took hers.
“Why did you thank him?” asked Storm.
“Because it’s the polite thing to do.” She wished she could move and put a little space between them but he still had his arm around her and she wasn’t real sure how to break his hold without seeming rude.
“But it’s his job.” His curiosity was evident.
“True, but we all want to be told we’re doing a good job from time to time. Thanking him lets him know I appreciate what he does for a living.” She found it interesting that his question was so genuine.
“Interesting. Our people accept their position and do their job without question.”
She scratched her head, wondering how to explain it better. It had to be something he was familiar with. A grin covered her face when she came up with the perfect subject. “When you are intimate with a woman do you show your appreciation or do you just expect her to understand because she was doing her job?”
“When I am intimate with a woman I always show my appreciation with my partner. I do that during the act.” He said it softly, his face very close to her ear.
Okay that was the wrong subject matter. She felt it all the way to her toes. Fear had her stepping away from him, breaking his hold on her. Being rude wasn’t part of her worry. Him being too close was.
It didn’t seem to faze him. Storm just stepped next to her and wrapped his arm around her once again. And that was the way the rest of the evening went. When she found an opportunity to move away from him he found a way to come back into contact with her. Her whole being was in a heightened state of arousal. It took all her strength not to jump on him and beg him to have his way with her there with everyone watching.
When the evening finally came to an end she practically dashed to her room and headed straight for the shower. It was going to be long and cold and hopefully would cool her libido.
****
Storm sat on the couch in his suite contemplating the evening.
“You pushed her hard, sir. Why?”
“I’m not sure, Fridon.” He leaned forward as he spoke. “I don’t need protection and we know that, but for some reason the elders decided I needed to have it. Out of all the candidates they had they picked her. Why?”
“We’ve been raised to never question them, sir. You know that.” The young man got up and poured himself a glass of water. “Want some?”
“No. I need a clear head.” Water had an alcoholic effect on his race.
“So why did you push so hard?” Fridon sat across from Storm.
“I wanted to see what would happen if she was hit with the full force of our pheromones. I knew it could have caused a little trouble but our air system would remove a lot of it as long as I didn’t walk through the crowd.”
“And what did you learn?” The elders assigned Fridon to keep an eye on Storm. For some reason they had a special interest in the human and him.
“That she is very strong. I could feel her desire yet she refused to act on it. A weaker woman wouldn’t have been able to resist.”
“You want her.” He said it matter-of-factly. Storm never turned down a bed partner and this was the first time he had walked away without one. Any of the women there tonight would have accommodated him.
“What?” He sat back. Was it that obvious? “No, but she has piqued my interest.”
“So she has passed your test?”
“Yes.”
“I wonder how she passed the elders’ one.”
He hadn’t thought about why they picked her. Now he had to worry about that. Sleep wasn’t going to come easy to him.
****
Heather found it difficult to sleep. Three cold showers later and she still hadn’t gotten her libido under control. She had thought about calling her commander and quitting, but ended up jumping back into the shower.
Meditation had worked a little but not enough to relax her for sleep.
She paced her room, wondering what would work. Perhaps if she snuck down to the kitchen she could get a hot toddy of some sort to quiet her nerves and allow her to sleep. Her simple nightgown covered her well enough so she left the matching robe behind.
Barefoot, she tiptoed down the hall from her room to the central section of the house. Most of the help had gone to bed so she shouldn’t run into anyone along the way. As she turned another corner she heard a faint noise.
Her sixth sense kicked in and told her something was wrong. She needed a place to hide until whatever she sensed had gone past and she could follow them. A small alcove beckoned and she slipped inside. Steel strong arms wrapped around her waist as a large hand covered her mouth.
No one could ever hold her. She proceeded to fight whoever had her and found herself flipped around and staring into the golden eyes of Storm.
What was he doing here?
He dragged her into a small door in the alcove and pushed it gently closed. The confined space intensified the feelings she had been trying to banish. Her nipples got hard just because he held her.
Storm slid one of his legs between hers, pulling her up onto it so they could see eye to eye. The nightgown she wore rode up on her, leaving her core naked against the soft cloth she now rested against. She opened her mouth to protest and realized her mistake too late.
His head dipped toward hers, his mouth covering her lips as his tongue invaded. He cradled her head in his hand, angling it to give him better access to her.
She tried to hold back. Wanted to break the kiss altogether but her willpower deserted her in the onslaught of the passion. Everything screamed for more. She fell into the desire swirling through her, giving as much as he would take.
He deepened the kiss, his hands leaving her waist and head to slide up under the gown, touching the fevered flesh beneath.
She felt them on her buttocks, then slide up her back and around to her breasts. The pebbled tips ached for more as he caressed them. He shifted her, her legs wrapping around him to maintain the contact. Now she could press her core against the hardened length of him. Her whole being was on fire. It affected him as much as her because she felt the tremor race through him.Just as fast as it started it stopped. She found herself on her feet as the door opened and several guards faced them.
“Everything all right, sir?”
“Yes.” His voice came out deeper than normal. He cleared his throat and spoke again. “We ducked in here when the intruders drew close. Did you get them?”
“Yes, sir. We found them just outside of this area. Looks like they turned on each other, we found them all fighting when we arrived. They’ve been moved to security to be questioned whenever you’re ready.”
“Good. I’ll be there in a few minutes.” He gently touched her shoulder.
“Do you wish to join the interrogation?”
She nodded. Talking was out of the question. She wondered if the guards could see her disheveled look and swollen lips. If they did they showed no reaction.
Storm offered her his hand which she took and they followed the men to the security section.
“You might not like the way we do things around here but it is our way,” he said.
He had kept his distance from her, allowing her to regain some control.
What had gotten into her? She never behaved like this before. Most men who showed her any attention learned quickly she didn’t want it. What was wrong with her?
Keeping her gaze averted she couldn’t help but notice the two wet marks on his clothes. One on his thigh and the other over his groin. Heat filled her cheeks. She did that to him. What must he think of her?
Relief filled her when they entered the security section. Som
ething to draw her focus.
Two of the guards stepped into the room. One held a strange looking weapon.
“Tell us why you invaded the ambassador’s home.” The four men just stared at them.
“Do you know what this is?” The guard with the weapon asked. “It’s from our planet on Vespia.” He turned it on a low setting, pressing it against the stomach of one of the intruders causing him to crumple to the ground.
He turned it up a notch and aimed it at the next man.
“We know nothing.” His answer wasn’t what they wanted to hear. The guard pressed it against the neck of the man causing him to cry out in pain before crumpling as well. A large burn mark showed on his throat.
“It is designed to help with our animals. We can use it on the lightest setting.” He pointed to the first man on the floor. “To keep them from wandering. The highest setting kills.” He moved it to the top notch and sliced through a table sitting in the room. “Clean and precise. Now, why are you here?”
Sweat broke out on the brow of the third one. “I didn’t get paid enough to die.”
“Shut up,” said the other. “How do you know they won’t kill you after you talk?”
“I’d rather die at their hands than his.” He looked up at the guards, fear dancing in his eyes. “We were hired to get the woman. We don’t know why, just following orders.”
She looked at Storm. “Woman?”
“You.”
“Me? Why?”
“That is the question, isn’t it?”
Chapter 2
The next morning Storm stood in front of the monitor speaking to the head of the Vespian council. “We understand there was a break in last night.
That’s not like you. What distracted you?”
“Nothing.” Except a little wisp of a woman with white blonde hair and bright violet eyes, a tough exterior but so soft if you knew where to touch.
He had enjoyed their little interlude. “We caught them before any damage could be done.”
“What did they want?”
“That new diplomat you thrust on me.” He figured someone had already told them everything that happened, so he wasn’t sure why they were asking him to repeat the information, but he was going to let them know he wasn’t happy about it.
“We were afraid of that. Someone doesn’t want our planets to unite, but we’ve come up with a solution. All trade agreements will be done on our planet.”
“Ma’am.” He felt his brow crease. “You know that can’t be done. We don’t allow outsiders on our planet.”
“She won’t be an outsider as your bride, will she?”
“You want me to bond with her for a treaty?” His anger started to boil. He couldn’t believe what they were asking of him. No Vespian had been forced to wed an outsider. It was against their rules. Why would they suddenly ignore that?
“One day you will rule this council. Can you think of a better way to complete this treaty? Did you forget how your grandfather was bonded?”
“No, Ma’am.” His grandfather had been promised to one of the council’s daughters, but then fell in love with an outsider during a dignitary mission and threw everything away for that woman. It helped bring that race and their people to their side during a bloody war the Vespians ultimately won.
One they might not have if his grandfather hadn’t taken that woman for a mate.“We need them. These people from Earth hold the key to our future.” She paused for a moment. “That is all I can tell you.”
“Yes, Ma’am.” He kept his anger over the situation under control. The soldier in him knew he had to follow orders but the man hated being told what to do. Heather struck him the same way. He wondered how his little human was going to take this. She couldn’t be very happy about it either.
“Who is telling her?”
“I believe she is speaking to her people right now. She’ll be instructed to meet you in your quarters when she finishes with her communiqué.” Now all he had to do was wait.
****
“Excuse me?” She thought her ears were playing tricks with her.
“What part didn’t you understand?”
“I am to marry him?” She couldn’t believe this. “Sir, I wasn’t trained to be a dignitary. I was trained to work in the science field.”
“Correction, Lieutenant. You scored high in the science area and wanted that to be your field but your innate abilities in security put you there.” His voice held no anger but he rarely called her by her rank. Only when he wasn’t pleased with her. “The Vespian council was the one who picked you out of all the other people up for this security detail, and as part of the negotiations they wish to bring our planets together through marriage. I’m sorry you’re not happy about it but you will follow orders. Understood?”
“Yes, sir.” She kept her features schooled but inside she was in turmoil.
Marriage? To a man who made her blood boil? This just wasn’t fair.
“They will be sending a Vespian protocol specialist here to work with you. Once the marriage has taken place you will finish negotiations on Vespia.” Before she could protest again he continued. “Someone has been assigned to train you in that as well. You are to meet with the ambassador after we’re finished then wait for the Earth diplomat who will train you. He should be there in an hour.”
She turned off her screen and plopped into a chair. Screaming wouldn’t help, although it would make her feel better. How was she going to face him? It was as if everyone knew about the steamy kiss and decided the kiss was a good measure for marriage.
Running through her mantra a couple of times she stood and headed out the door. Might as well get this over with.
The moment the men outside his large double doors saw her they opened them and stepped aside.
“I see news travels fast here.” She stepped into his room for the first time.“Most of my people have too much time on their hands.” He glared at the two of them before the doors closed. “What were you told?” He seemed almost nervous over how she would react. He should be as mad as she was. Why was he taking it so well?
“Not much. I’m to be trained by my government, then your government and then we’re off to Vespia to finish the negotiations. Did I forget anything?” She snapped her fingers. “Oh, yeah, we’re supposed to be married.” He grinned. “You seem to be taking it well.”
“Oh, believe me I want to scream, then throw something, but I’ve been trained to be better than that.”
“I can take you someplace where you can do those things.”
“Thanks, but I have to meet a diplomatic trainer in about an hour and I’ll want more time than the hour offered right now.” She looked about the huge suite, amazed at how white it was. White walls, white furniture, so sterile. “Vespians not into color?”
He looked around. “I’d rather earth tones but this is what your people interpreted from what we sent them.”
“Someone didn’t get the right memo.” She found the huge bed that must have been specially made for his seven foot six inch frame, but that brought back memories of their kiss and she wasn’t ready to confront that yet. She turned to find him inches from her.
“There is a ceremony intended mates go through.” His gold eyes searched her face.
“We have a simple ritual too.” She sure hoped his would be simple.
“The man normally gives his bride-to-be a diamond ring.”
“It is my planet’s wish to have the ceremony happen now.” He continued talking like she hadn’t said anything. She just loved being ignored. Kicking something sure would make her feel better.
Storm gestured to a man hovering in the background. She sensed him back there but hadn’t paid much attention to him because Storm hadn’t.
He was dressed in strange garb, carrying a small leather book that looked centuries old. The little man stopped in front of them and waited.
Two others came out, wearing the same strange clothes. One carried a chalice and the other a we
ird looking leather strap. The items rested on a bit of cloth.
“And what do you wish?” it came out a little sarcastic but she couldn’t help herself. She had lost control of the whole thing and had no clue how to get it back.
He hesitated for a moment. She could tell he was choosing his words carefully. “Like you I am a soldier and have been trained to follow orders.
Is that not what you’re doing?”
He had a point. Storm knelt and gestured for her to do the same.
The little man spoke in a strange language she could only guess was Vespian. He gestured over their heads as he spoke, sprinkling an iridescent powder over them. Next he took the chalice from his assistant and offered it first to Storm, who took a drink, then to her.
She held it and looked at Storm. She should be fighting this. Why wasn’t she? Her hesitation put a worried look on his face. They were both caught up in something neither had control over and he was right. She was only following orders. The marriage would probably be annulled the moment the treaty was signed.
Lifting the cup, she took a sip, finding the liquid bitter to the taste. She couldn’t help making a face as she swallowed it. Whatever was in the liquid made her head buzz a little. Next the man took the leather strap and said a few more strange words. Taking her left hand and Storm’s right he wrapped the strap around each, speaking his odd little language before tying the ends.
She started feeling lightheaded. Her world spun then went dark.
****
“These humans are a little weak, aren’t they?”
Storm had been quick enough to catch her the moment she passed out.
He turned to glare at the little man. “You sure your potion wasn’t a little too strong?”
“Sure it was.” He pointed to the soft, thin leather slowly seeping into their wrists. “Didn’t think she should know the details of this ritual.”
“She will be part of our world now. Would you keep secrets from me?”
Dominated By Desire Page 2