“Trolleks touched me today, and it had no effect. I suspect it had something to do with our mingling.”
“Mingling?”
“Tasting each other. You are immune to their spell. Possibly you passed that immunity to me.”
“Really? So this experiment, do you mean to try it again?”
“I do.” His eyes smoldered with desire, his voice deepening to a husky tone.
“Then what’s the problem?”
“I must restrain myself.”
Afraid of losing control, are you? That’s just what you need, big guy.
She rose on her tiptoes to whisper in his ear. “Don’t worry. I’m sure a strong man like you can keep his cool.”
“Cool? This room has grown exceedingly hot. Only one remedy presents itself. We must initiate the experiment at once.” Bending his head, he brushed her lips lightly in a teasing caress.
His warm breath fanned her cheeks. Wanting more, she leaned forward, parting her mouth.
Still he did not oblige by going deeper. His tongue darted out, tracing the outline of her lips while molten heat pooled in her belly. Nira yearned for him to take her into his arms but Zohar made no move to draw her closer.
Without shifting his hands, he trailed nibbling kisses from her mouth to her ear.
She raised up on her tiptoes, tilting her face, tempting him to take her to the heights of passion. Was this all he intended, to give her the briefest of kisses as his so-called experiment?
Her breasts ached. She craved his touch but didn’t want to appear too needy.
Maybe that was the real test, to see how far she’d be willing to go. Or perhaps people on his world mated like this. What did she know about alien customs?
Nira did some testing of her own to find out.
When he slanted his mouth over hers again, she licked him, probing with her tongue until his lips, firm and warm, responded with more pressure.
Triumph surged through her. She’d feared their attraction wasn’t strong enough, that he rationalized their kiss as an experiment. But perhaps he wasn’t testing her at all. Maybe he fought to maintain his own self-control, the warrior in him fearing to yield to lust.
Now that she suspected what kept him reined in, she grew bolder.
Returning his ardor, she imprinted her hunger on his mouth. Excitement spiraled through her as his control loosened. He grabbed her by the shoulders and crushed his lips to hers in a bruising, demanding kiss.
She moaned as her body responded, melting into submission. Her arms snaked around him, drawing him closer. Craving his embrace, she yearned for him to protect her from the evils of the world. She’d never felt safer nor more feminine than when in his presence.
He ground his hips against her. Only her nightshirt and his towel remained as blockades between them. Sliding her hands to his chest, she splayed her fingers over his muscular ridges.
“I cannot resist you. Tell me to stop,” Zohar muttered.
“No, the experiment hasn’t gone on long enough.”
To demonstrate her willingness, she nudged him toward the bed. Mindless sex would be a welcome release from the tension of the day. Backed up against the mattress, she kept her mouth attached to his.
With an agonized moan, he rolled her onto the bed and swiftly followed, gluing them together in another embrace.
She pressed her swollen lips to his and opened to him, playing a tactile tongue duet that left them both breathless.
His toweled erection pushed between her thighs. Heat coiled in her core, seething toward eruption. Impatient to feel her skin against his bare flesh, she reached down.
****
Zohar brushed her fingers away and slid on top of her. Elevating himself on his elbows, he peeled Nira’s nightshirt over her head while she watched him with passion-glazed eyes. Then he flung away his towel.
Raised above her, he grinned as a flush spread across her lovely face. She lay exposed before his hungry gaze. He did a slow perusal, enjoying how her chest expanded with each breath.
Her nipples, peaked by her arousal, were a pinkish hue. He tweaked them, pleased when she squirmed in response. His fingers played with her, alternating between a light pinch and a stronger circular stroke until she moaned with need.
He succumbed to his own desire and filled his hands with her soft flesh. His arousal escalated as he slid his eager gaze southward.
What mysteries awaited his explorations there?
His pulse pounded erratically. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt such heat for a woman.
“You are beautiful, my carona.” The endearment slipped from his tongue.
Was he mad, yielding to her charms so easily? Could he already be turning into his father, a weak man who’d been seduced by a Trollek female into betraying his people?
Nay, this was merely an experiment to see if the Earth woman could convey her immunity to him. But oh, what a sweet task it proved to be. He hadn’t meant to go this far, but with her so willing, how could he stop? As long as he maintained control, he’d be all right.
Chariots of the gods, it would take all of his strength.
Zohar clenched his jaw when she opened her legs, inviting him to discover her female secrets. Rationale slipped when she snaked her hand down to direct him.
“Not so quick, little one.” He gently pried her wrist away. “Allow me to show you what happens when you bed a Drift Lord.”
Edging along her body to kiss her breast, he engaged her nipple with his tongue while his hand titillated her other peak. Twisting beneath him, she cried his name. Satisfied to see her eyes darken with passion, he suckled one side before changing over. Sampling her wares only made him crave more.
Holding his need in rigid check became an exercise in stamina. His blood fled his brain, swelling his lower regions. He gave a final peck to her rosy areolas, then kissed his way down her sweet skin, past her flat belly to the nest of hair between her thighs. She gasped, her legs stiffening.
He brought his hand into play, exploring the nether folds guarding her slick entrance. His heart beat a rapid staccato. Soon he’d join with her, blending their bodies, feeling her tightness close around him.
Of all the Earth women he might have encountered, he’d lucked out by finding this one. He admired her tenacity, her courage, and her devotion. Once she set a goal, she didn’t deviate from her path.
What would it be like to be the object of her affection?
Wanting to find out, he increased his pressure, stroking her until she lifted her hips to meet him. His mental shackles broke away. Lost in a consuming lust, he bent to kiss her private parts.
Her body jerked, her responsiveness driving him mad. As he breathed in her musky essence, his abdomen tightened. He wouldn’t be able to hold out much longer.
“Omigod, you’re killing me.” She moaned when he licked her secret place. “Please…don’t stop.”
Fulfilling her wish, he discovered her tiny bud of flesh, circling his tongue around the sensitive nub before shifting his mouth to discover the entry she so generously offered.
As she quivered with a beginning spiral toward release, he kissed her one last time before pulling back.
“Are you certain?” he asked in a husky tone.
“Oh yes,” she half-cried and half-laughed.
His blood surged. Aligning his length over her, he thrust into her welcoming warmth.
He felt as though he’d come home.
Nira’s pupils dilated as she adjusted to his fill. She folded her legs around him, pressing him closer, body to body, flesh to flesh, until they fit as one.
Reason fled his mind. His vision receded, until nothing remained except her face with a luminous frame of red hair on the pillow, wide dewy eyes, and trembling lips. He crushed his mouth to hers, driving himself deeper, until his self-control imploded.
****
Nira thought she’d come when his mouth feathered across her sensitive southern region and his tongue plunged insi
de her wet heat. Her pulse quickened, and her hips gyrated on their own accord. But before the race to the finish barely started, he raised himself above her and joined their bodies in one swift push.
The crescendo resumed, propelling her toward a crest that rocked her in its intensity. With the spasms that followed, her vision tunneled, and her mind flew beyond the normal plane of existence to a place of light and warmth and swirling mist.
Zohar cried out as his body jerked over hers. Vaguely, she remembered protection but too late. Maybe men from Karrell didn’t bother with such things? Or maybe getting impregnated by an alien was so far removed from reality that she should forget about it. Their species were different, right?
Worry about it later.
Eventually, he removed his weight, rolling onto his side. She relaxed as a languorous warmth stole into her limbs. Sweat coated her skin, but she felt sublime. For a while, she lay with her eyes closed, listening to his steady breathing and waiting for her pulse to regulate.
Sounds filtered into her consciousness: the tick of a clock, the hum of an air-conditioning unit, and the muted drone of traffic from outside.
Zohar’s shadow crossed her eyelids as he leaned over to brush a kiss on her mouth. She opened her eyes. A smile curved her mouth at his tender expression. She’d only had sex a few times, and mostly with her latest boyfriend, but it had never been this good.
“I did not mean to go so far, my carona.” His voice held a note of apology.
“Don’t be sorry. I wanted it as much as you.”
“I merely intended to test my theory.”
“Well, if you’re looking for excuses, remember that it takes two to tango.”
“Tango?” A frown creased his forehead. “Is that not a dance form in your world?”
“A mating dance, in this case.” A kernel of hurt invaded her, and she tapped him on the mouth. “Not to worry, captain. We don’t have to repeat your experiment.”
“It is not for myself that I test my hunch. If you can transfer your immunity to the Trollek spell, we might be able to synthesize a compound to help the populace.”
“Of course. Why else would you want me?” She looked away.
“Do not mistake me, Nira Larsen.” His voice softened. “I feel the spark between us. Your scent drives me wild. It clouds my mind and distracts me from my purpose.”
“Oh. So what’s the problem?”
“We may enjoy the mingling, but a permanent bond between us is impossible. That is why I kept my distance from you last night. I do not wish to start something I cannot hope to finish.”
“I see. Well, don’t concern yourself.” She kept her voice even. “I realize you have to leave at the end of your mission.”
Did he have someone waiting for him back on Karrell? Was that why he tried to rein in his impulses? Or did his people frown upon interspecies bonding?
She stole a glance at him. A look of relief crossed his face while she swallowed her disappointment.
“I am glad you understand. I would not want to hurt you.”
“I’m a big girl. If I sleep with you, it’s my choice.”
“About that…”
“What?”
“How do I know it was actually my decision to join with you and not your influence?”
“What do you mean?”
“You tempted me.”
“So?”
“I lost my sense of reason.”
“What are you getting at?” She yanked the sheet up to cover herself and leaned on one elbow.
Turned sideways, Zohar regarded her squarely. She didn’t like the doubt in his eyes.
“My father was seduced by a Trollek woman.”
That did it. She hopped from the bed, tangling herself in the sheet. “You’re comparing me to a Trollek?”
He had the grace to look embarrassed. “Not really. I only meant—”
“May I remind you, Mr. Drift Lord, that you started this stupid experiment. You’re the one who gave that sad excuse when you really just wanted to jump my bones.”
“Jump your…?”
She almost laughed at his confusion but her throat closed.
Turning away so he couldn’t see the moisture in her eyes, she strode to the bathroom and slammed the door.
Inside, she twisted on the shower faucet, tossed aside the sheet, and proceeded to drown her tears under the spray of water.
How dare he insinuate she had anything in common with those nasty beasts? They’d stolen her life, her mentor, and her home. And if she hadn’t been so beguiled by Zohar, she’d have remembered why she got entangled with him in the first place.
Her goal was to rescue Grace and then move on with her life. Deciphering the rune on her wristwatch would help her discover the past.
Her true parents had abandoned her for a reason, one that did not include an intimate connection to the Trolleks.
Chapter Eight
Zohar slid between the sheets after his turn using the facilities. Nira, with the quilt pulled over her nightshirt-clad body, slept with her back to Zohar. How could he lead his team when desire for this woman clouded his mind?
Thinking one taste of Nira would satisfy his craving had been pure folly. Now he only wanted her more, his nose sensitive to her scent, his nerves fired to her presence. All the cold showers on this planet wouldn’t wash away his lust for the lovely redhead.
She’d surprised him around every corner. Her willingness to bed him had caught him unawares. Not many females on his world, except those who sold their charms, accepted him to their bosom without wanting something in return.
But then, Nira didn’t know his true rank, the one he fought so hard to deny.
He dared a glance at her. She slept peacefully, her short layers of hair fanning the pillow, while he imagined the glorious lengths she could grow them to if she followed the customs of his people.
His gaze traveled over her luscious curves. Her body tempted him to snuggle closer and enfold her in his embrace, but he reined in his longing. Weakness lay in that direction. Weakness and insanity.
She’d mumbled something about discussing their plans for tomorrow but had fallen asleep too quickly for talk. Her input had been useful during their debriefing earlier, especially in terms of Earth customs, and he wondered what she’d meant to add.
Better to get some rest so he could think with a clear head in the morning. But as he closed his eyes, all he could see were Nira’s plump lips and naked form. Twisting restlessly, he found himself staring at her back and the curve of her neck.
Is this what his father had felt in bed with that witch who called herself his stepmother? A driving lust that obliterated all rational thought?
Clenching his teeth, Zohar tamped down his desire. Tomorrow would be the ultimate test if she conferred her immunity to him. If it worked, he’d face the decision whether to continue their therapeutic mingling to protect himself, or to apply the polarization technique regardless of the painful side effects.
And if the test didn’t work, the decision would be irrelevant. His mind would be lost to a Trollek kabak.
Time would tell. The potential for salvation through Nira’s blood was too great to ignore, almost as great as his fear of being confounded.
****
“I want to make sure everybody knows what to do,” Zohar told his men during their breakfast meeting in the resort restaurant. He scooped a forkful of scrambled eggs into his mouth, chewed, and swallowed. “First, to reiterate what we learned yesterday, humans are being confounded at Drift World and sent home to recruit more victims. They are told to wait for further orders.”
“Further orders for what?” Paz asked in his customary drawl. The communications specialist gulped down a sip of orange juice.
Zohar shrugged. “This is what we need to find out. I am concerned that Drift World may be only one of such recruitment stations.”
“We won’t know for certain until we kill that jamming device.” Paz stabbed a potato onto his
fork and ate it.
“I found no sign of such a device in Drift World.”
“What about that village I heard mentioned?” Nira, who’d been relatively quiet while his men discussed their tasks, piped in. She hadn’t said a word about their mingling last night, and Zohar wondered if she regretted their act.
“Following up on that lead is our job.” His voice came out gruffer than intended.
“That’s not until after work hours.”
“Right. In the meantime, you and I will visit the real estate office Borius contacted yesterday. They require your signature on the rental contract for a furnished house.”
“And how are we supposed to pay for it?” She jabbed a finger in the air. “Grace’s insurance won’t kick in until the claim is processed.”
“We can stop at a jeweler to cash in another one of my kewa stones.” Zohar turned to the stony faced swordsman at his other side. “Lord Magnor, you will act as our personal backup.”
He harbored doubts about that plan but didn’t voice them. The security footage of the corridor outside the suite where Rayne died had been erased. Now they’d never know who had entered with the intent to murder the Drift Lord leader. Zohar knew without a doubt that he had been the intended target. But until he had proof otherwise, he would extend his people the benefit of his doubt. An outside assassin could still exist. Either Lord Magnor would watch his back, or Zohar would have his enemy close at hand.
“Dal, I am concerned about the disruptors the Trolleks used against us. Those are Class One military use restricted armaments, meaning someone in Imperial Space Command might be supplying them to our enemy. See if you can trace the route.”
The demolitions expert nodded. He cracked his knuckles, a forbidding look on his lean face as though he’d like nothing more than to uncover the traitors and demolish them himself.
Nira shifted restlessly beside him. She’d eaten a muffin and some fruit, nothing more. Hungrier than usual, Zohar sliced into a chocolate chip pancake with vengeance. He couldn’t resist ordering them after tasting Grace’s cake. He had developed what Nira teasingly referred to as a sweet tooth.
“Paz, you will shuttle back to the ship to coordinate communications. While there, you can analyze the scan you took of Rayne’s body.”
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