by S. E. Smith
His hands moved to the fastening of his trousers. He undid them and scooted off the bed so he could kick them and his boots off. He felt like a schoolboy for a moment, clumsy and uncoordinated. Of course, it didn’t help that Cassa was lying back against the pillows watching him with a heated look of desire that was guaranteed to bring his blood to a boil.
Kicking his pants to the side, he glared down at her when her lips lifted in amusement. She knew perfectly well the effect she was having on him. His own lips twitched when she flushed and he saw her nipples harden. Two could play this game.
“Do you like what you see?” He asked in a husky voice, not bothering to hide his arousal. “I certainly do.”
Cassa’s hands started to move up to cover her breasts, but Josh leaned down and grabbed them. He shook his head and allowed his gaze to run down over her. His hands slid away from hers. Running his palms over her skin, he followed the path of the markings until he could cup her breasts.
“I’ve never seen anything like this before,” he murmured, bending over her so he could press a kiss to one of them.
“The markings you have are very small and scattered,” she whispered, arching upward when he pressed another kiss to her side. “I want to kiss them.”
It took a moment for Josh to realize she was talking about the few dark freckles he had. The marks on her skin were slightly darker and ran along both sides of her body, up over her shoulders and up her neck before the left side continued up her cheek to her forehead. Each one was about the size of a dime, but instead of being perfectly round, they were uneven. He noticed that each one fit together. It was going to take a while to work his way down each and every delicious one.
He bent to capture one taut nipple between his lips even as his hands moved down to push her trousers off her hips. Her hands grasped his shoulders, her fingers gently kneading them while her hips lifted to help him. A soft moan escaped her and she pulled him over her.
He sucked on the rosy tip, feeling it swell at his rough attention. Her legs moved restlessly and she kicked her trousers away so she could lift her legs to wrap them around his hips. He didn’t need any more encouragement. His body was hard and ready for her.
Bracing his arms on either side of her, sweat beaded on his brow when she reached between them and guided him to her slick channel. A shudder swept through both of them as they fought for the slender thread of control they had on their emotions. All hope of that disintegrated when she ran her strong fingers along his cock. His hips jerked forward, pushing deeper into her when she released him. Her hand slid along his side and she gripped his hip, urging him on.
“Oh, Cassa,” Josh groaned, closing his eyes when he felt her moist heat slowly surrounding him. “Oh, sweetheart.”
He opened his eyes and stared down at her as he buried his cock to the hilt. A long, soft hiss escaped him and he trembled. His jaw clenched when she began to move her hips. The slow, deliberate movements shattered his control and he lowered himself over her so that he could wrap his arms around her and bury his face in her neck.
His own hips began moving, faster and harder. Each stroke becoming rougher and more urgent than the one before. Cassa’s uneven breaths echoed through him. Her soft moans growing louder with each thrust until she released a sharp, harsh cry and stiffened.
Josh felt her body shudder and tremble with her release. His arms tighten around her and he continued to drive into her with a frantic urgency that was driven by the primitive need to possess, conquer, and worship the woman in his arms. His head tilted backwards and the muscles in his neck strained as his own body exploded with his release. He could feel his seed emptying into her as his cock pulsed, throbbing in time with her shuddering gasps.
Josh closed his eyes and pressed a kiss to Cassa’s shoulder. Her arms tightened around him and her legs slowly slid down along his. He ran his lips along her hot skin, enjoying the silky feel of it.
“I love you, Josh,” Cassa replied in a quiet voice, squeezing him tighter to her and pressing her cheek against his hair.
Another shudder ran through Josh at her tender words. He’d had other women tell him that they loved him over the years, but their words never affected him the way her softly spoken confession did. Like finely woven threads of molten silver, they sank into his soul, warming him and sending another wave of primitive feeling through him, this time one of protectiveness.
Lifting his head, he gazed down at her. His throat swelled with emotion, an emotion that choked him, making it impossible for him to speak. He could only hope that she could see the impact her words had on him. Capturing her lips again in a kiss that he hoped conveyed his feelings, he knew that he’d never let her go.
One night will never be enough, he thought as the flame inside him ignited once again.
Chapter 16
“I wondered where you had disappeared to,” Pack muttered, walking up behind Josh as he stepped out of the cabin much later.
Josh turned and looked at the younger male. He could see the wary expression in his eyes and the hint of anger. While Cassa didn’t blame him for their father and brother’s death, something told him that Pack wasn’t as forgiving. Drawing in a deep breath, Josh knew that if he didn’t resolve the issue that was brewing between the two of them, it could get dangerous.
“Pack,” Josh greeted with a grim nod. Pack’s face tightened when he moved so he could block the man’s way. “I need to talk to you.”
“Move,” Pack ordered with a dark scowl.
Josh shook his head. “I’m sorry about what happened to your father and Jesup. If I had known that my presence would have jeopardized them in any way, I wouldn’t have stayed. The fact is, I didn’t. I also can’t change the past.”
“Your presence has already devastated my family,” Pack snarled under his breath. “Instead of turning yourself in to the Legion or parting ways, you drag Cassa into it as well. I don’t know where you came from, but you need to return to it.”
“I can’t,” Josh muttered, a flash of regret darkening his gaze. “It isn’t that simple. Even if I could, I wouldn’t leave without my crew… or Cassa.”
“My sister isn’t going anywhere with you,” Pack growled, reaching out and grabbing the front of Josh’s shirt.
Josh immediately gripped Pack’s wrists and twisted, throwing the young man off balance as he reversed their position. He stepped closer, pushing Pack back against the wall across from the cabin. He wouldn’t let the man wake Cassa.
“Listen to me,” Josh snapped in a harsh, soft tone. “I may be stuck in your world, but that doesn’t mean I can’t take care of myself and your sister. I knew nothing about the Legion until the other day. They brought the fight to me, not the other way around. I don’t back down – ever. If they want a war, I’ll give them a fucking war. I’m sorry about what happened to Jemar and Jesup. If I could change what happened, I would. You need to understand that fighting with me isn’t going to bring them back, though, it will only accomplish two things; hurt Cassa and get us all killed. I won’t let either one of those things happen. If you can’t get your head out of your ass and understand that, then get out of the way.”
Josh stared intently into Pack’s eyes. He needed Pack to understand that he wasn’t playing a game. He was serious. The Legion had declared war on everything that Josh held dear and he wasn’t the type of man to back down from a fight, especially after his night with Cassa.
Pack finally gave him a stiff nod and slumped back against the wall. Josh released him and stepped back. Glancing at the door to his and Cassa’s cabin, he was thankful that she was still resting.
“Come on,” Josh muttered. “Let’s go find Hutu. You can still try to kick my butt during the training. That might help some.”
Pack hesitated a moment before he gave Josh a look of uncertainty. “Is it true that my father was training you?” He asked in a quiet voice.
Josh’s lips tugged up at the corner. “Yeah, I did well against him, but your sister
… Well, let’s just say she kicked my butt pretty good,” he replied.
A reluctant smile curved Pack’s lips in response. “She was always better than me, too,” he muttered.
Josh chuckled and shook his head. “Let’s go,” he said, feeling the release of tension in the other man.
*.*.*
Several days later, Josh leaned back against the bulkhead breathing heavily. His gaze roamed over Cassa as she and Pack fought. He absently rubbed his wrist where she had hit him.
“She is good,” Hutu murmured in approval, his gaze following the two siblings. “Jemar did well in his training.”
“Yes, he did,” Josh replied with a grimace as he felt another bruise beginning to form.
An alarm briefly echoed through the ship. With a sigh, Hutu pushed against the side with a wince of his own. He chuckled when Hutu rubbed his left hip, Cassa had flipped the old Knight more than once.
“We have reached the outer rim of Torrian. We’ll have to proceed with caution. The area is thick with Legion forces. General Landais’ Battle Cruiser has taken up a position near the third moon. We’ll come in on the far side. Have you programmed in the signal we are looking for?” Hutu asked.
Josh nodded. “Yes, though it is getting close to the end of the period for the life support, the signal will continue to transmit anywhere from forty-five to sixty days. It is like a black box on an airplane,” he explained.
“I will trust you to know,” Hutu replied with a shake of his head at the unfamiliar terms.
Josh climbed the narrow steps into the cockpit of the transport and slid into the co-pilot’s seat. He reached for the scanner that Hutu had shown him how to use. Punching in the code, a small blip showed up.
“There it is,” he said, pointing to the location.
“Mm, that is located in the desert region. There are numerous nomad tribes that live in that area. This will make it slightly more difficult for General Landais’ troops,” Hutu said in approval.
“Won’t that make it more difficult for us as well?” Josh asked with a raised eyebrow.
Hutu shook his head and shot Josh a wry grin. “Not if a native of the planet is the one guiding you,” he informed Josh. “Welcome to my home world.”
Josh stared for a moment at Hutu before he looked down at the scanner. He wondered vaguely which member of the crew they would find – and if whoever was in the emergency pod survived. Each pod was marked with a number. He had been in Pod Four; while Ash had been in Pod Two, Julia in Pod Three, Mei in Pod One, and Sergi in Pod Five.
Releasing the breath he didn’t realize he was holding, he forced himself to remember that he had survived. It was quite possible the others had as well. He listened to Hutu explaining the different regions and species that inhabited the planet. The first view of the planet appeared in the distance. It was slightly larger than the Earth and two-thirds of it was covered in water. For all the water, more than one third of the planet was a desert with most of the inhabitants living in the arid regions.
“While the top is covered in sand and rock, under the desert fresh water rivers are abundant,” Hutu was saying.
“Where do most of the inhabitants live?” Josh asked, staring at the large blue and tan planet as they drew closer.
“Some have built homes on the surface, some live along the cliffs of the sandstone mountains, while a few have taken refuge under the sands to build their cities,” Hutu explained. “My people are from the underground city. It is much cooler there.”
“I can imagine,” Josh murmured, staring at the brightly lit surface. “What are the temperature ranges?”
Hutu shrugged. “Anywhere from below freezing at night to hot enough to boil your blood during the day. Special clothing helps to keep that from happening. Having the right kind of skin is also useful," he commented, holding up a dark red arm.
*.*.*
Several hours later, Josh lifted a scanner to his eyes. He lay on the hot sand and searched the horizon. In the distance, he could see several large space ships. They were twice the size of Hutu’s ship.
“There is at least four of them,” Hutu snorted. “It looks like search teams have already departed the ship. There are only a few soldiers guarding them.”
“The signal I’ve got is coming from the east,” Josh noted, glancing down at the tracking device Hutu had programmed in his hand.
“That area is filled with deep canyons,” Hutu replied, sliding back down the sand dune. “I need to meet with some of the resistance stationed here. It will be too dangerous for the three of you to come with me. We won’t have much time. Pack has been here before. Jemar allowed him to travel with me one summer. It is imperative that I meet with my contacts while we are here, especially with General Landais’ presence on the planet.”
“We’ll find the pod and return to the ship,” Josh replied with a nod.
“I will meet you back there in three days. That should give all of us enough time to finish our business,” Hutu said.
“Be safe, Hutu,” Cassa murmured, stepping up to hug the old Knight. “You are in just as much danger as the rest of us.”
Hutu chuckled and squeezed Cassa before releasing her. “Yes, but I blend in here better than you do. Three days,” he said again with a nod before he turned and began moving away at a swift jog.
Josh watched in appreciation at how easily the man moved across the sand. Even though it was still early morning, the temperature was already beginning to rise. The long sleeves and hat that Hutu had given each of them would help keep them cool, but it would still be dangerous if they were caught out in the middle of the day. They would need to reach the canyons by then to find the cooler shadows cast by the high walls.
“Let’s go,” Josh said with a nod to Pack. “You lead. Cassa and I will follow behind you.”
Pack nodded and headed across the sand to two land skids. Josh adjusted the cover over his head to shield his face before pulling down the protective goggles. He waited for Cassa and Pack to do the same.
Sliding on to the land skid, he fired it up and waited until Cassa had wrapped her arms securely around his waist before depressing the accelerator. The land skid zipped across the sand. The terrain was relatively flat, making the journey easier. Further up they would encounter a rockier terrain that would slow them down.
“The reading is still strong,” Cassa said through the communication device attached to their ears. “Turn more to the Northwest.”
Pack adjusted his track to follow the directions that Cassa called out. It took close to two hours before they reached the outer rim of the deep canyons that extended out from the desert. It turned out to be just in time when Cassa hissed a warning in their ear.
“Legion scouts,” she muttered, glancing over her shoulder. “We need to find cover.”
“There is a section of rock just ahead,” Pack responded in a grim voice. “I think it is wide enough to hide the land skids underneath.”
Both men leaned forward, pushing the land skids to their maximum speed. They barely slowed in time before they slipped under the large rock overhang. Sliding off the land skids, they quickly grabbed the sand colored covers. The three of them worked quickly to cover the land skids so that they were camouflaged.
Kneeling under the cover, they peered through the thin fabric as two large scout ships flew closer. Josh felt Cassa press up against him, her hand gripping the long range blaster in her left hand.
“The cover should shield us from any scans,” she whispered.
Josh’s lips curved up and he raised an eyebrow at the blaster. Her lips twitched in response. She pulled her gaze from him and back to the two ships.
“Even if it didn’t, I know how lethal you can be with one of those,” he replied in a soft voice, focusing on the twin ships. “I’m glad.”
Warmth twisted his gut when he felt her briefly press her lips against his shoulder. This woman continued to amaze him. His gaze followed the ships as they passed overhead. They waited un
til they couldn’t hear the rumble of the scouts before they carefully crawled out from under the overhang.
“We’ll have to go on foot from here,” Pack said, slinging his rifle over his shoulder. “Hutu never brought me beyond this point. He did give me a map showing a way down, though. He said we needed to keep an eye out for the Canyon Dwellers. They are a tribe that live in different sections of the canyons. They aren’t very welcoming to strangers.”
Josh grimaced. It looked like they were in for hostile encounters both above and below. Striding after Pack and Cassa, he glanced in the distance at the Scout ships. He grimly hoped that they didn’t return before they found the emergency pod.
Chapter 17
Josh wiped the sweat from his brow and took a drink from his canteen. His gaze swept the high walls of the canyon. It had taken them almost an hour to get to the bottom of the first layer of canyons.
“Hutu said there should be shallow springs or a water source located inside the various caves that dot the area,” Cassa said as she sat down next to him on a low rock.
“How much further to the signal?” Josh asked, glancing at the scanner in Cassa’s hand.
Cassa handed it to him. “Just over a kilometer, but that doesn’t mean much in this area. It is good that the frequency of the signal changed after it landed. Hopefully, General Landais won’t be aware of that. All he has is the initial signal that he was tracking,” she replied with a tired sigh.
Josh shifted the scanner to his other hand and reached over to gently grasp Cassa’s fingers in his. He could feel the roughness from years of work, but instead of finding it unattractive, he found it gave him a deeper respect for her. He lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to the back of her fingers.