by Imogene Nix
He stepped forward, hoping he’d read the emotion in her eyes correctly. “You’ll never know just how much it hurt me to let you go like that. Then the abduction…”
“Oh my gods! I forgot!” She stepped away, paler than before. “Your girl, is she well?” Her voice frosted as if she’s just raised a glacial wall between them and he tensed. “Of course, I shouldn’t be here. I’ll leave you now.”
Confusion filled him. What the hell is wrong now? “Don’t you dare leave. Not again.” He barked the orders and she stopped in her tracks, but this time she didn’t look at him. Her shoulders were set and tight, and he longed to reach out and soothe whatever new complication she’d imagined. “Sit down, we need to talk.”
The long sigh she gave was weary and he knew there were demons that he couldn’t even see to fight right now. He needed to know, so he could defeat them. Only working through the problem, methodically, could make that happen, he realized.
A beeping sound caught his attention. “What’s that?”
“The meal is ready.” Next to the communications unit was a small door, which she opened. Two meals, complete with drinks, waited. She picked up one tray and carried it to the table. He collected the other tray as the door shut.
“So. What do you wish to discuss?” Gillian had just picked up her fork when the address system squawked.
“Incoming vessel of unknown origin. Vega II to level one lockdown!” Klaxons started to wail and Tomi half rose as the lockdown sequence whirred into life.
Chapter 4
“Oh my gods! What’s going on?” Fear clogged Gillian’s throat as her heart pounded.
Tomi stood and moved to the communications center, his movements unhurried and graceful.
Before he could touch the screen, the room rocked and she held her hand out, grasping the table. “Are we… Do you think we’re under attack?”
“All personnel. Proceed to the nearest life preservation point immediately.” The address system crackled and popped, and Gillian was unable to control the gasp that rose or the frisson of fear.
“Gillian? Where’s the preservation point?” He strode in her direction and took her hand. “Gillian! Come on, this is important. Preservation point? Where?”
“Bed… Bedroom. Each bedroom is equipped with…”
He cursed and gripped her hand before he dragged her in the direction of the sleeping quarters.
She looked around as she let him propel her to the larger sleeping area. It had to be at least twice the size of hers.
“Don’t lose it just yet, sweetheart. Get on and settle in before the oxygen tube encloses with me on the outside.”
“Pod closure in ten seconds.” The words intoned and heightened her sense of panic.
Her startled gaze met his. “Oh… Yes.” She quickly scrambled onto the soft mattress and felt the dip as he crawled on beside her. Then a hiss broke through the wail of sirens. A section of metal deployed and they were encapsulated in a large tube. She’d read how it worked, but reality was nothing like she imaged. The bed had now become a life vessel.
“Pod enclosure successful. Pod reopening in six hours unless manual override is engaged.” Then there was silence. The capsule rocked again then stilled. Whatever was going on outside, they were safe, unless something shattered its reinforced skin.
Gillian stared at the inside, unable to suppress a shiver. “Six hours is a long time.” Her stomach wobbled at the thought. Until reaching Vega II, she’d never thought of herself as claustrophobic, but this time it was different. Six hours in an enclosed tube with Tomi…
“Are you cold?” He tugged up the covers over them as she shook her head.
“Not really, just scared. Even with the attacks on Reunion during the war, there was never anything like this. I mean…”
“I know.” His hand rubbed lightly up and down her arm, and even in the midst of the scary situation, her body tightened and nipples peaked. She gulped, hoping that the increased oxygen flow would clear her mind, but instead she was swamped in his scent. The close quarters were testing her emotional defenses.
“Really, I thought we were past all this.” She waved her hands in the air and he grabbed one, holding it tight.
“There are still Indies out there. They’d destroy our Federation and the peace that we enjoy.”
Those like my brother. She closed her eyes at the pain such a thought wrought on her system. He’ll forever thrust us apart and it hurts, damn it! It wasn’t even a choice she’d had any control over.
“Gillian? I know you aren’t involved. That you never were. I wanted to protect you.”
Her head swung in his direction. “What do you mean?”
“When Kumi said your house had been searched, I was beyond furious. I wish you’d told me.”
“The Central Registry told me I wasn’t to contact you. They said if they determined I had, I wouldn’t find work on Reunion. So I didn’t. Besides which, once my employment was terminated…” She shrugged, trying to keep the action nonchalant.
“Oh, Gillian.” He leaned in and she told herself it meant nothing, but when his lips touched her skin, she moved, needing the reassurance of his embrace. She opened to him, hungry for the comfort he offered.
His hands slid behind her back, pulling her closer, and she couldn’t fight the warm, fluttery feelings that filled her.
“Gillian.” He groaned against her mouth and the weakness and sense of melting increased. Her core shot to white-hot and the fire that had burned for so long seeped out of her pores. Between her legs pulsed an emptiness that only he could assuage.
Their movements turned urgent as fingers twined in strands of hair and tugged each other closer so that their bodies nestled in an intimate embrace. His lips skated against hers before trailing over her cheekbone and down her arched neck, finding the sweet spot at her collarbone.
Her hands found his shirt, tugging it loose from his pants, then burrowed below to the warm flesh. Hard and hot. The need rose up, overwhelming her. The air became close and the only sounds were their panting breaths.
Her shirt popped free, the zipper sliding away like melting butter so that the cloth parted, leaving her bra as the only covering over the heaving mounds of her breasts. She bowed up, wanting his touch, needing more than he had given so far.
“Gillian, we have to slow down.”
Her heart rate spiked. “You don’t…” Confusion filled her. He’d nearly had her naked. He’d been feasting on her naked skin, now he wanted to stop? Was she wrong? Gillian scooted as far away as she could in the pod. “Oh gods! I’m… This shouldn’t have…” She couldn’t stand to look at him as she burned with shame. What have I nearly done?
Huddled in the corner, she trembled and scrabbled at the fasteners.
“No. I mean, this time, I want you to be sure, not just some furtive incendiary sex. I want you. All of you, Gillian.” He reached out, but she flinched.
Molten hot shame filled her. How could she have forgotten? He was a senator and she a convict’s sister. “Oh, right. Forgive me if I find that a little unbelievable, Senator. After all, you stopped us when I was ready to beg you for more. Incendiary? Yes. Not thought out, dreamed of, or desired for a long time? Yeah, I don’t think so.” Gillian bit back the moan and chewed at her lip. She knew she sounded bitter and winced. Way to go, Gillian. Just tell him everything!
“Damn it, if I didn’t want you, I wouldn’t have followed you to Vega II. But I’m here and dying to sink myself into your luscious body, sweetheart. You, Gillian, are my total reason for this trip.”
“Then why stop? Is it her?” she sobbed, wanting desperately to believe his words. But the specter of the girl, the way he’d cradled her tenderly flashed into her brain. How could I have forgotten that?
“Her? Her, who?” He seemed genuinely confused, but it didn’t make her feel any better.
“The girl from the boat. You know, the one you saved? I thought…” She wanted to call back her words, but it wa
s too late.
He smiled, and the look was hot. “Jealous, are you? Sweetheart, for all I feel responsible, she doesn’t keep me up at night and so damned turned on I have to shower three times a day. It’s you I want. Now come here, if you’re sure you want me.”
Her heart thudded, slowly as if coated by warm honey. Could she trust his words?
Taking a deep breath, she moved, scooting closer before sinking into his embrace. She knew exactly what he wanted.
* * * *
Gillian sank into Tomi’s arms and he thanked the gods that she trusted him. Not that he’d hurt a hair on her head, but her pride and self-respect had taken a beating in the last few months. He certainly hadn’t helped with the other girl, and he grieved that he’d carelessly made things worse.
In the dim, recessed lighting, he saw the strands of red silky hair fan out and the slight smile on her face. “You know, I’ve dreamed of you like this. In my arms. A million times I nearly said something.” Feelings coursed. This time, he’d tell her everything.
“Tomi, you should have. I mean…” Her whisper sent shivers through him, stirring the fire that burned within his gut.
He frowned. “I wasn’t sure. You never gave any indication.”
Her laugh was throaty. “Well, neither did you.” She lifted her hand and gently caressed his face. Their gazes caught.
A frisson of desire shot through him, centering in his heart. Pressure pooled in his groin, and his erection jerked uncomfortably. He banked the hunger, desperate to do this right, for both of them. “It was remiss of me not to let you know. But I’m a man, and we don’t take failure, particularly like this, well.”
“Failure?”
“You left, didn’t you?” He bent down, placing a soft kiss on the tip of her chin. “I should have told you, every day, how beautiful you are.” He touched the tip of her slightly tilted nose. “How much I appreciate every tiny gesture of caring you showed.” Tomi’s eyes zeroed in on her mouth. “How much I desire you.”
Their lips met. Gently at first, but the raging torrent of need flooded his entire body. It became rapacious and his mouth plundered, his tongue questing. Gillian gave back, kiss-for-kiss, and soon they were gasping for breath as hands traversed each other’s bodies, needing to learn the dips and nuances.
His fingers found the soft curves of her breast and curled over it. “So beautiful.”
She arched in. At his touch, the tips of her nipples distended, and this time he searched for and found the zipper. It gave a gentle ripping sound as it descended. Her bra, the palest of peaches, was dull next to her beautiful, sweat-slicked skin. This time, he was determined to peel it away to uncover the prize that lay beneath.
“Tomi, you, you won’t stop this. Oh, don’t stop!”
His fingers toyed playfully with the nubbin covered by satin, and she writhed beneath him. He burned to do more, the ache in his groin stealing his breath. “Oh, I don’t intend stopping this time.”
With careful touches, he found the clasp between the mounds and freed her. Raspberry nipples called to him and he leaned in to taste her. Sweet flesh furled tighter against his tongue and lips. He suckled hard and she cried out, arching once more. Her flesh was soft and smelled faintly of her floral scent, sending his arousal skyrocketing. More. He needed so much more.
“Utsukushii.” The language of his forebears rose instinctively. In his mind, he told her how beautiful she was as he pushed the layers of fabric away, and she writhed against him, legs splayed. Without conscious thought, he crawled between them, yanking on his clothing, hungry for the touch of skin to skin.
He thrust his hand up and it hit the metallic lid of their shared pod. “Shit!” The momentary shock of pain pushed the fog of desire from his brain.
She giggled softly. “Are you okay?”
He grimaced with embarrassment as his gaze traveled over her. He let his mind feast on the beauty of her for an instant then hovered closer, once more needing her kiss as if it were the nectar of life.
Gillian groaned into his mouth, the sound both hungry and excited, as she twined her arms around him, tugging him closer. This time, when he pulled back, his gaze found and gloried in the flush of red on her skin, the feverish glitter of her eyes, and the swollen lips.
“I need you naked.”
She pushed her hands down, seeking the fasteners on her pants, but he brushed them away. She frowned, and he growled. “This is my job.”
The smile she gifted him with stole his breath. “Well, since I can’t do that, I’m sure I can find another way to help.” Then her clever hands found the button and zipper of his pants and his mind blanked.
* * * *
The feel of Tomi’s hands and mouth on her body was drugging. The soft touches dragged at her mind. Her nerves skittered at each glancing caress. Heat rolled through her belly and her blood surged in her veins. She was vibrantly aware of his every movement, yet her eyes stayed at a somnolent half-mast, heavy with the pleasure he was sharing.
Even the act of pushing her clothes away, stripping her bare, caught her breath and left her gasping and sucking down the scent-laden oxygen.
“Oh gods, more!” she chanted as her panties and trousers caught at her ankles. The whisper of his breath fluttered against her intimate flesh and she couldn’t contain the moan that erupted.
His laugh, dark and liquid, became a possessive growl. “You are exquisite, Gillian. Truly a gift from the gods.” His lips touched her hip and she jerked, senses wound tight. The molten fire buried deep within her body burned her loins. She rocked against him, unable to stem the tide that pulled at her mind.
Gillian hissed, unable to contain the sound of pleasure as he nipped at the skin he uncovered. Tomi skated nearer to her center then danced away as she fisted her hands in the sheets, her heart pounding wildly. He did it again, each time closer to the very middle of her aching body.
“Tomi! Tomi! Don’t stop!”
He didn’t. Her eyes shut as tiny splintering explosions fired beneath her skin, all lit by her need for this man. His mouth settled over her and she let go of the world, her grip on reality spinning in a whirling vortex of pleasure and heat. The orgasm was strong, rippling through her as time seemed suspended. As reality impinged once more, she groaned. He didn’t stop his torment. Tomi’s tongue and mouth worked at her, wringing every ounce of satisfaction from her as she gasped for breath.
When Tomi raised his eyes to hers, they were slumberous, and very hungry. This man amazed her, from the deceptive strength of his body to his clever, quick mind. Now, he shared his passion as he crawled his way up her body.
“More. I want more. I want you, in every…possible…way.” He dipped his mouth to her and on his lips she tasted her own essence. The musky tang mixed with the sweet, heady taste of Tomi. Bliss overwhelmed her and she was lost again as his hands grasped her nipples and softly tugged.
When he parted her legs once more, she accepted his direction gladly. She knew he would fill the emptiness that clawed inside her once more. His body, cradled to hers, was hard and hot, and she ached for him. The pressure of his shaft at her core stole what little breath remained in her body. She arched into him, needing him buried deep.
Then slowly, inch by slow, hungry inch, he entered her, the sensation of stretching, of being one with him, nearly undid her. Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes as emotions battered her. Love. Need. Hunger.
“Don’t cry, my love. I’d never hurt you,” he whispered against her cheek, and surging emotions swelled in her heart.
“I’m crying, because I never… Ahhh!” She gulped. “I never thought… oh gods, Tomi! I never thought this day would come.”
His hands traced over her cheek, brushing her skin with the pads of his fingertips before they moved on to cradle her head. He kissed her softly, but that lasted only seconds before it intensified and his mouth devoured her. She gave him everything. Including her very soul.
They moved. Rocked together. Neither of
them spoke now in the hot confines of their pod. There were no words that could express pleasure as exquisitely as their tender touches or hungry movements. But when the climax took them, they were together. One being. Their arms and bodies intertwined. Then they slept.
* * * *
Tomi woke slowly. He tried to turn, but the sting of cold metal at his back and a warm body nestled into him startled him.
“What?” As he opened his eyes, the memory rushed at him.
Gillian was in his arms and they were in the life pod. We made love. He smiled while reliving every second in his mind. It had been stronger—more intense—than anything he’d experienced before. That alone intrigued him as much as anything else. He’d never felt such completion before. Never let go of himself like that with a woman. He hadn’t wanted to give her less than his all.
A quick glance up told him they still had several hours left to wait. It would give him time to think and plan. Instinctively, his fingers threaded through hers as his eyes closed.
“Tomi?” She sounded groggy, as if sleep could steal her away once more.
“Yeah, I’m here.” The rustling of sheets warned him that she had moved and he glanced in her direction. She’d turned so her eyes were in his direction.
“Where do we go now? I’m not… I don’t believe in one-night stands.” She spoke carefully, and he knew the risk she took in saying the words.
They gave him the power to hurt her. She wasn’t a woman given to casual encounters. The deep well of honesty that she exuded had caught his attention from the beginning.
“No. I don’t want that either. This…” He spread his hands and she remained silent. Watchful. “This was merely a beginning. I want to take you home with me. I want you at my side. My partner.”
Her gaze shuttered. “I don’t think there is any way this will work. I mean, I’m not someone you want to have around. Given my brother…”
He felt the icy cold wall lift between them once again and inwardly cursed. I’ve rushed it. “Don’t borrow trouble, sweetheart. I certainly don’t intend to.” I have to find some way to show her that we can be together.