Shy Talent (StarLords Book 3)

by Bianca D'Arc

  She reached for his shirt, ripping it in her impatience as his arms tangled with hers. He seemed to want to keep his hands on her breasts, but she had an even more urgent need to get his shirt off. He laughed at the sound of tearing fabric, even as she gasped.

  “I’m sorry!” she whispered, aghast that she’d torn his shirt.

  “Don’t be,” he reassured her. “I’m not. In fact, I like this side of you, Bet. Rip my clothes off any time. Any time at all.” He lifted up enough to pull the ruined shirt over his head and toss it away. “Now, unless you want me to return the favor and rip those nice pants of yours, you should probably get rid of them while I can still think clearly enough to ask.”

  “Really?”

  Wonder filled her that Agnor would even think he’d get that close to losing control with her. She was the novice at this, not him. In all her imaginings of how this might go—if it ever happened—she’d never dared dream he’d could get as caught up in the moment as she.

  He placed his hands on her ample hips, sliding his fingers under the waistband of her pants.

  “Really,” he replied, holding her gaze with only a hint of amusement in his eyes. “Off, Bet. Now. Before we go any further, and I can’t think straight anymore.”

  Those words. That tone. Unaccountably, they made her grin. She felt more at ease with him, and with this new situation, than she had ever expected.

  Lifting up a bit, she wrestled her pants and panties off, with his help. Though it felt as if his hands were more hindrance than help at key points. Still, the pants were flung away with wild abandon, and she loved the feel of Agnor’s long-fingered hands caressing her skin.

  She straddled his legs as he lay beneath her on the floor, her center open to his questing fingers. Sure enough, he placed one hand between her thighs, searching lightly through her folds until he found the little nub that cried out for his attention.

  She let out a little sigh of appreciation as one of his fingers slid inside while his thumb caressed circles around her clit. Oh, yeah. That felt so darn good.

  “You’re so ready for me,” he whispered, his eyes glowing with approval. “So wet.”

  She squirmed on his hand, loving the feel of his possession, even in this small way. She wanted so much more, but for now, this was the most amazing foreplay she’d ever experienced. Agnor was a gifted lover, just as she’d suspected.

  “Do you want to come for me, Bet? Take the edge off? Let some of the energy build-up dissipate before we move on to bigger things?”

  She heard the innuendo in his tone, and wanted to laugh at the double entendre, but her focus was too caught up in what he was doing with his fingers in her pussy. He’d added another, sliding both digits in a rhythm, first deep, then shallow, then bending just the tips of his fingers to reach a spot inside that sent her into orbit on each thrust, until she finally exploded.

  She cried out as the climax hit, riding his hand unashamedly as he coaxed a response from her body unlike any she had ever known. It was more intense. More fulfilling. More…everything. And all from what amounted to a hand job.

  She couldn’t wait to find out what it would feel like to have his cock inside her. Taking her. Pushing her to even greater heights.

  Just the thought of it had her body warming again.

  “I want you now, Agnor,” she pleaded as he withdrew his fingers from her body, petting her as she came down from that first climax.

  He met her gaze. “So soon?”

  He didn’t look convinced that she was ready. She had to make him understand how urgent her need was.

  She reached down and grabbed his shoulders, leaning forward, pressing her chest to his, capturing his lips with hers. She kissed him with all the desperation that had built up over the past days. Since the very moment she’d stepped aboard, if truth be told. She’d admired Agnor from afar for a long time, and to have him pick her for his crew had been a dream come true. To be with him like this…well…it was the stuff of pure fantasy.

  Fantasy come to life.

  And she was going to wring every drop of pleasure from this experience. For it may never come again.

  She pounced on him, trying to convince him of her ardor. She felt the fire in his response. He was certainly eager. She could feel the thick line of his cock between them, separated only by the fabric of his trousers.

  She wanted them gone. Now.

  Tearing away from their kiss, she reached for the closure of his pants, fumbling in her haste. He moved his hands downward to help, but she’d already achieved her goal. He sprang free, and she only took enough time to push his pants out of the way before seating herself on her prize.

  “Mmmm.” She couldn’t help the low tone that began in her throat and worked its way out into the open. She loved the feel of him inside her. Just as she’d known she would.

  But dreams couldn’t really compare with the reality. He was so much…more. So warm and hard and…with her.

  The sound seemed to galvanize him. He bucked his hips, lifting her up and rolling over so that she was beneath him. He was like a wild man after that, stroking deep and urging her to greater heights. He pumped rhythmically at first, slowly giving in to the frenzy that overtook them both as their bodies joined and their Talents meshed in the most mesmerizing way. They were one for that short space of time. A perfect union of spirit and flesh, straining toward ecstasy.

  “Come with me, Bet.” Agnor’s voice was ragged with effort, low and sexy near her ear.

  She could deny him nothing. Especially not the incredible climax that had built so swiftly and threatened to overtake her completely at any second.

  She shouted his name as the passion exploded inside her, working its way through her skin, into her very soul. Agnor joined her in bliss, stiffening over her, his eyes closing as his head lifted, his neck extending as pleasure washed over and through them.

  “Bet, Bet, my Bet,” he whispered as they both came down from the most delicious orgasm she’d ever experienced.

  Her Talent zinged through her veins, fully recharged and, in fact, stronger than it had been before they’d joined. It had been so long since she’d had sex with someone that she’d almost forgotten the reason Talented folks were so easy with their pleasures.

  In the aftermath of orgasm, she was able to discern a definite recharge of her power. The sensation of being at full strength for the first time in a very long time almost made her giddy. Being with Agnor had been a dream come true, but this unexpected benefit could easily make her an addict.

  Would he want to be with her again? She sent up a prayer that it might be so. For the sake of these delicious sensations, but also for the sake of the tender feelings he made her feel. He was so careful of her, so caring. Even now, when the passion was done, he kept his arms around her, making her feel special. Almost cherished.

  She hugged the feeling to her heart, wanting to remember it for all time. This moment was special. This man was special. By his actions, she had already fallen a little in love with him, even though she knew a long-term arrangement between them was impossible.

  He was such an important man to their people. He was a StarLord. Captain of one of the newest and finest vessels in the fleet. He was so far above her lowly station, it would be laughable to anyone observing this from the outside.

  No, she couldn’t really expect more than this moment. He’d been kind to her. He’d shown her things about pleasure that she hadn’t known, and he’d given of his time and skill to help her stabilize her Talant. He was a good man, and she would forever cherish this time with him.

  She would take whatever he would give her and try to be content with that. She couldn’t keep him, no matter what foolish dreams his words and tender touches evoked in her inexperienced heart. She vowed to live in the moment and enjoy every second of being with the most remarkable man she’d ever known.

  He’d held her throughout the climax and its aftermath, while her body quaked with aftershocks and her hips moved al
most involuntarily to squeeze the last little bit of sensation out of their joining. She knew he was experiencing the same lovely bliss that filled her limbs, and the same recharge of his own immense power.

  She was afraid to speak. Afraid to break the perfection of the moment with words. But it seemed Agnor had no such compunction.

  “You are beautiful in every way, Bet, and that was the most amazing experience of my life.” His words sounded so serious. She looked up to meet his gaze, fearing she would see goodbye in his eyes now that he’d gotten a taste of her. But then he smiled. “How about we move this to the bedroom?”

  He wanted more. This magical interlude was not at an end. Going by his words, it was only beginning. Bet hugged that knowledge to her heart as they disengaged and got to their feet. Agnor surprised her by swooping down and lifting her into his arms.

  She giggled as he carried her to the inner door that led to his bedroom. He paused to kiss her as he carried her across the threshold, and the look in his eyes stole her breath. Somehow…this moment seemed important. More important than she had ever expected.

  And then reasoning was beyond her as the cycle of passion started again as Agnor placed her on his big bed. He was a master, and she was his willing pupil, willing to learn whatever he wanted to show her.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Agnor was very pleased with himself, though he could have wished the first time Bet had come to him—on her own terms—had been in a softer setting. His knees bore the evidence of rug burn, and he very much feared her backside might, as well. But she wasn’t complaining, his stoic little Specitar. She was the most amazing woman he had ever known.

  He still couldn’t quite believe he had taken her on the floor of his meditation chamber. There had been no time for finesse. No time to set the stage or act out some orderly, scripted scene of seduction.

  No, it had been hot and hard. Fast and impatient. She had pushed at his shoulders and even ripped his clothes in her haste. He’d been a little gentler, never forgetting that she was more delicate.

  Her aggression had surprised him in a completely satisfying way. She was hot for him, and the fact that she couldn’t seem to wait to get her hands on his body had only pushed his own passions higher. Hence the quick, but supremely enjoyable, interlude on the floor. He would never forget it, as long as he lived.

  And she hadn’t seemed to mind the hard setting. In fact, she had stroked his cheek as he picked her up and carried her into his bedroom. He placed her on the bed with the utmost care, knowing they had just shared something incredibly special. He wanted to repeat the experience—slowly—under more controlled conditions, where he could enjoy every touch, every moment, and make the sensations last as long as possible.

  He glanced at the chronometer. They had time. Hours yet, until both of them had to be on duty again.

  Agnor stood to remove the last bits of his clothing that hadn’t already been torn from his body by her eager hands. He smiled, remembering the tiger she had turned into, if only for those few moments. He wanted to see that tigress again. Often.

  “Don’t go,” Bet said in a sleepy voice as he stood. Something inside him felt a primitive thrill.

  “I’m not going anywhere,” he reassured her. “And neither are you. Not ‘til morning at the earliest. Okay?” He still wanted her willing participation in anything they did together. He didn’t want to steamroll over her. She was so shy, he needed to be certain she was agreeing, not just accepting.

  “All night?” She sounded adorably confused, leading Agnor to wonder just what kind of lovers had been in her past.

  “Oh, yes, my dear. I want to savor you. I want to make it last.” Naked now, he sat beside her. She blinked up at him. “I get the impression your past lovers have been rather vanilla in their tastes?”

  “I’m not a virgin,” she said, blushing. “But I guess you can tell I’m not very experienced with variety. I’m sorry if that’s disappointing to you.”

  “Never,” he was quick to state. He reached out, wanting to reassure her. “I think you’ll like what I have to show you. And if there’s anything you don’t like, you just tell me, and we’ll try something else, all right? I love the idea that I’ll be your teacher in some of these things, but I suspect we’ll learn together. You have as much to teach me about what you like as I can show you.”

  He began stroking her lovely breasts, knowing she was sensitive there. He felt a jolt of satisfaction as her breathing hitched and her gaze turned languorous. He lay beside her, turning her so he could kiss his way down her neck, stopping at her breasts for a good long while.

  He maneuvered her over him so her nipples hung above him, just waiting for his tongue. And then, he gave her what he sensed she wanted—he sucked and nipped until she was squirming over him.

  “Like that?” he ‘pathed directly to her mind. He was calm enough—rational enough—now to use his Talent even while he made love to her. “I know I do. You have a beautiful body, Bet.”

  She moaned and writhed over him until he finally took pity and allowed her to settle on his hard cock, letting her set the pace of his invasion. She took him quickly.

  “Fast or slow, it’s up to you, Bet,” he ‘pathed. “Do you like the way I fill you? Do you like the feel of me inside you?”

  “Yes…” she whispered as she took him, slowing her pace as she seemed to draw out every sensation for them both.

  What followed was a slower, but no less satisfying, climax after a long build-up. Bet was in charge of that orgasm, and the two that followed, but before morning, Agnor took over again, showing her the highest pinnacle of the encounter.

  He invited her to share his bed every night thereafter, and much to his satisfaction, she did. Their days were filled with main shift duty and work, then a few hours spent working on her skills in his meditation chamber, dinner and then a long night of the best sex Agnor had ever known.

  They went on like this for a few days, though they didn’t speak much about their feelings. Agnor figured they’d talk about the emotional aspects of their growing relationship when Bet was ready. He still had the feeling that the slightest misunderstanding would scare her off, and that was the last thing he wanted.

  * * *

  Glena Zimt was ranked at Alcotar, and unfortunately, she had very poor personal shielding. Even after Agnor had requested that everybody put up tighter shields, her thoughts still came through loud and clear to Bet whenever they came within a few hundred feet of each other. Glena was in one of the small storage areas just off the hold, getting some cleaning supplies for her gunnery station. Bet knew the exact task, though the other woman hadn’t bothered to explain her presence in Bet’s domain, because she could read every thought in her head without even trying.

  She reached for the additional shielding Agnor had begun to teach her about, and to her immense surprise, it worked! Glena went about her task, and for a few moments, Bet was pleasantly free of the buzzing thoughts in the younger woman’s mind.

  But it only lasted until Glena came out of the small room, a bag of supplies in her hand. She turned to smile politely at Bet as she made her way out, and it was as if her thoughts were piercing Bet’s brain, so focused they were.

  “Yeah, she’s the Loadmaster all right. Although I can’t imagine why the captain would want to shoot his load into her. He must be weirder than I thought.”

  It was as if because the uncomplimentary thought was about her, it had extra power to penetrate even Bet’s new shielding. But she couldn’t let on that she’d heard the other woman’s innermost thoughts. On the surface, the younger woman was polite, if a bit distant, and Bet didn’t think she was mean enough to say such things directly to her face. For one thing, she had no motive. But Bet heard the cutting remarks anyway, and they hurt her.

  The realization dawned that she was damaging Agnor’s reputation with his crew by being seen with him. Apparently, everyone was well aware of where she’d been sleeping the last few shifts, and she began to w
ish she’d never let him near her. She could only harm him. Hanging around with her hurt his reputation and standing with this new crew, and she would never knowingly harm Agnor. Never.

  She decided she would stay in her own compartment that sleep shift—and all the others thereafter. She sent a quick message to Agnor’s compad that he would find when he finally retired for the night.

  She couldn’t face him. It was better this way. He could find another willing partner among the crew—someone who wouldn’t make him look like a freak because he wanted to bed her. Someone who wouldn’t raise eyebrows and questions among the rest of the crew. Someone normal.

  * * *

  When Agnor finally reached his cabin, he was disappointed that Bet wasn’t already there. He wanted her so badly. But all he found was a blinking message light.

  He read the terse message with disbelief. His first impulse was to ‘path her. He would order her to come up to his cabin and explain herself.

  Then saner thoughts prevailed. Bet was a shy woman, a woman who had been so reserved and withdrawn with him until just a few days ago. She was still shy and reserved with the rest of the crew, and she had that unpredictable talent for hearing the innermost thoughts of those around her. He knew the things people thought, that they would never speak aloud, sometimes cut her already low self-esteem to ribbons. He’d bet good credit that something had happened to make her want to run from him and hide. But he wouldn’t let her do it.

  He wanted her too much, and he wanted too much for her. He wanted her to continue to grow and blossom, not be forced back into her protective shell. He formed a plan as he left his quarters to go knock on her door, just down the long hall.

  He knocked loud enough to be heard, but she refused to answer. He tried ‘pathing her.

  “Sweetheart, let me in. I’m not going away, and I’m beginning to look pretty silly standing here in the hall.”