by Lily Thomas
Zoe yawned. That definitely had been the best sex of her life, but now came the awkward part, waking up beside her lover. Zoe wasn’t sure she wanted to face him. Last night wasn’t supposed to end in sex. She just wanted to show him she was a confident woman, and then things had gone too far too fast.
Not that she would take anything back. She was a grown woman, she could have said no at any point, and she hadn’t. They had been amazingly good together, it was impossible to regret their encounter when she was feeling so good.
But it wouldn’t hurt to have some time to herself to figure out how she wanted to proceed. Now that Zoe was waking up and thinking more clearly, she wondered if she could use sex with Je’lak to regain her freedom. At the very least, he would be less inclined to sell her to someone else if he wanted her for himself, and Zoe only had to wait for the right opportunity to get away. It would be infinitely easier to escape from the Daen’su than from the Frirens and their infamous arenas.
Zoe slipped out from under her captor’s arm and removed herself from the bed without even causing the mattress to creak. Je’lak remained fully asleep, not even mumbling as she moved away. Zoe smiled to herself. She had a bit of experience with slipping out quietly the morning after. It was a good way to avoid awkward after-sex conversations.
She glanced down at her Daen’su kidnapper and couldn’t help but admire the strong tilt of his nose, the muscled arm that had curled back into his chest as though still trying to gather her to him, even in his sleep. Zoe felt a pang in her chest. Were all Daen’su so protective, or was the gesture particular to him?
She shook her head. She needed to get out of this room and think about the best way to get off this ship and back home in one piece.
After throwing on her clothes quietly, Zoe made her way to the medical bay where she found both men sitting up and waiting for her.
She smothered her surprise and greeted them with a genuine smile. Was it her or were all Daen’su unnaturally attractive? These two were just as built as Je’lak and had the same silver hair and eyes. If they had pointed ears, they’d be the dark elves of the galaxy.
“How are we doing this morning?” Zoe asked, as she picked up a tablet and looked over their vitals.
“I feel great.” Ji’hun sent her a charming smile and braced his head on his hands.
Beside him, Kynt nodded. “I thought you would want to see me, too.” He rubbed his arm self-consciously. “Just to check and make sure everything was healing right.”
Zoe glanced up surreptitiously from the tablet to evaluate Kynt. He might be built, but she’d guess he was fairly young, a grown man, but not as old as Ji’hun and Je’lak. It might be why he still had a playful attitude to him. Hopefully, he never lost it, because she could see him being quite the ladies’ man with such a positive air about him.
Zoe looked directly at him and sent him a reassuring smile. Removing first Ji’hun’s and then Kynt’s bandages, she was pleased to see the skin healing as it should. The ointment had accelerated the healing process, and the skin was already light pink and smooth, with no signs of infection. “Well, I don’t see any reason you both can’t return to your duties,” she said.
“Thank you.” Ji’hun sent her a wink, before the men rose and sauntered out of the medical bay.
After the Daen’su left, Zoe turned her attention to the human woman in her care, who remained unconscious.
Zoe leaned in to whisper into the woman’s ear. “When you wake, you have to tell me how you got mixed up with these guys, unless I can get the information out of Je’lak before then.” Zoe shook her head. “But either way, I’ll help you escape, if that’s your wish, because I already have plans to get out of here when I feel the time is right.”
Her first escape had been when her mind was addled with drugs. Next time she’d have a clear mind, and she would make it back to Guit’re or at least a colony where she could get some help.
Last night in Je’lak’s arms had been fantastic, but Zoe was under no illusions that Je’lak could change his mind at any time and decide to get rid of her. One amazing night – or even several amazing nights, if this continued – didn’t erase the fact that she was still his captive and at his mercy.
“Just live through this, okay?” she said aloud to her patient. She may have spent the night with Je’lak, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t kill her if she didn’t save this woman’s life. He may have perceived their night together like she had, a moment of convenience, a chance to act on their attraction, and nothing more.
Zoe found herself wondering if this woman was actually another captive, or if she had another reason for being with the Daen’su. Maybe she had hired the Daen’su to get her away from Earth. Maybe the woman was a criminal, like the Daen’su. That would help explain how she had ended up shot.
The woman didn’t appear to be romantically involved with any of the Daen’su, though. None of them were acting like worry-sick lovers. She’d dealt with a lot of those in her field. Then again, she hadn’t dealt with many Daen’su families. Human families, on the other hand, could be a bother.
Zoe noticed that the woman’s blood pressure was lower than the day before, but it was within acceptable levels considering the trauma she’d experienced. Zoe lifted away one of the bandages from the woman’s abdomen and frowned when she noticed discoloration underneath the skin, a large bruise spreading out from around the wound.
Zoe lightly pushed on the area and bit her lip when it resisted against her touch. There should be more give to a human’s body here. A distended abdomen, coupled with bruising and a loss of blood pressure – together, these signs could indicate internal bleeding. Zoe cursed underneath her breath and quickly activated a new stasis field around the woman.
Zoe needed to get this woman to a hospital where she could better evaluate her, or she could die while Zoe was busy trying to track down exactly what was wrong.
Zoe swiftly made her way back to Je’lak’s cabin without running into any other Daen’su. It appeared the crew only consisted of the three men, which made sense if there were only three cabins on the ship.
Zoe filed that information away for later. It could come in handy for when she attempted another escape.
The door to the cabin slid open, and she popped her head inside to find Je’lak gone. She released a sigh of frustration.
Zoe popped over to a console, located the bridge, and made her way there. There was no doubt in her mind she would find Je’lak up on the bridge. He was the leader of the group, and he’d want to keep an eye on the ship.
The bridge door slid open with a hiss, and Zoe stepped into the open room. She saw Kynt and Ji’hun tending to the consoles toward the front of the room, while Je’lak sat in the captain’s chair studying a pad in his hand.
“We need to go to a hospital,” she said without preamble as she stepped up to the captain’s chair. Zoe tried to look firm. Her statement wasn’t exactly a lie, nor was it entirely the truth.
Je’lak looked up from his pad and raised a silver eyebrow. “How many times do I have to tell you? We can’t do that.” Je’lak returned his attention to the pad, effectively dismissing her.
Zoe huffed and rubbed a hand over her hair. He was being stubborn, and it might kill the woman down there. There was no way Zoe could know for sure if there were any internal issues without access to the advanced medical instruments she normally used or else randomly cutting into her like a barbarian.
“Your important prisoner could die. You wouldn’t want that, would you?” Zoe stepped directly in front of the captain’s chair.
Je’lak looked up and pierced her with his silver eyes. “You said her vitals were stable.”
Zoe struggled to keep her voice reasonable. “While her vitals are currently stable, I have no idea if there are any internal issues, and your medical bay is limited in equipment.” Very limited, but she was trying not to insult his ship today. Although she didn’t understand why a man who dealt in the black market co
uldn’t afford a more equipped medical bay. Hadn’t he told her before that money wasn’t an issue?
Zoe tried to focus. That woman’s life depended on her right now. “There are several signs that could indicate internal bleeding. For now, I’ve put her in another stasis field, but I really need the proper equipment to evaluate her and, if necessary, treat her for those injuries.”
Je’lak placed the pad aside and studied her. “Is there a possibility of internal injury? And how high of a probability?”
“I can’t give you definite answers without potentially putting your prisoner even more at risk by cutting into her. All I can tell you that there are some signs that she could have internal bleeding, which will kill her if left untreated. To be honest, I just don’t know at this point. But are you going to risk having her die? If there is damage to her internal organs, her vitals could take a turn for the worst in the blink of an eye, and there won’t be anything I can do to save her once she’s out of that stasis field,” Zoe challenged.
“There is a Daen’su outpost we could reach, if we went a little off course,” Kynt chimed in as he turned in his seat to look over at them.
“It would take us off course and delay us,” Je’lak said impatiently. He eyed Zoe. “This wouldn’t be some sort of tactic to buy both of you time and an opportunity to escape, would it?” Zoe felt pierced by his silver eyes as he searched her face for answers, and she tried to look back confidently.
Crossing her arms, Zoe stated, “She’s an unconscious woman whom I’ve never met before. There are no plans, since she can’t even speak to me right now.”
Je’lak considered for a moment and then turned to Kynt. “Take us to the Daen’su outpost, and get us there quickly. The sooner we finish our mission, the better.”
“Yes, sir.” Kynt gave him a salute, which only earned him a scowl from Je’lak.
Zoe breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you. I think this really is the best thing to do for her.”
Je’lak gave her a nod. “I will notify you when we arrive at the outpost. Keep me updated on the woman’s progress.”
Zoe took the hint. He was letting her know she wasn’t wanted on the bridge. That was okay with her. She wanted to watch over the woman in her medical bay, anyway.
Well, it wasn’t her medical bay.
Zoe left the bridge and made her way back to her patient.
Chapter 4
Je’lak tried to stay focused throughout the day, but it was difficult. In general, the Daen’su protected their own, but knowledge of the human ambassador’s whereabouts would be worth a lot of money to the human alliance right now. Taking her right into a Daen’su outpost, in the midst of a people raised on the black market, trading stolen goods and information for the highest price, was risky.
There was always the possibility that a young Daen’su, foolish and eager to earn his or her start on the market, would learn of the ambassador’s identity and sell that knowledge right back to the human alliance.
Je’lak ran his hands through his hair in frustration. On the other hand, he believed the doctor when she said the ambassador might die without the right treatment. The consequences of failing to follow through on his contract would be just as disastrous as finding himself facing another human alliance war ship.
Je’lak paced around his chair, letting his mind work through different scenarios, thinking through possible courses of action. No matter which way he looked at it, his best option remained with taking the ambassador to the Daen’su outpost. After he assured himself that the ambassador would live, then he could worry about their next problem, whatever it was.
Je’lak sat down heavily. Sometimes you just had to choose the least unappealing option and hope that your choices improved as you continued to move forward.
Settled on a course of action, Je’lak allowed his mind to drift toward thoughts of the doctor. Her medical knowledge had proved to be quite useful, not only with the ambassador, but also when his men had been injured during their encounter with the human war ship.
The doctor had some other…intriguing…qualities as well. Memories of the previous night spilled into Je’lak’s head. The rushed, passionate joining, for all its brevity, had been the best sex Je’lak had ever experienced. His little doctor had turned out to be quite the minx, displaying the same confidence in the bedroom as she did outside of it.
Je’lak admitted to himself that he wanted her again tonight. This time, though, he would to make it more than just a rushed meeting of two passionate bodies. He wanted to slowly undress her, kissing her into a frenzy as he went. He wanted to feel her body writhe beneath his, desperate for his touch. He wanted to take her to the brink of climax, over and over, until she begged him for release.
Je’lak shifted, uncomfortable in his trousers as his body reacted to his thoughts. What was happening to him? He wasn’t some raw Daen’su recruit, to be so easily affected by a woman.
Shaking his head, he struggled to focus.
Unfortunately, focus never came. Je’lak spent the afternoon attempting to plan the drop-off of the ambassador, but thoughts of Zoe kept interrupting his concentration. Frustrated and aroused, Je’lak rose suddenly from his chair, drawing the attention of his crew.
“See you both in the morning,” Je’lak let out gruffly.
Ji’hun sent him a broad smile. “Don’t stay up too late. We should be at the outpost by late morning.”
Je’lak’s eyes narrowed, but he ignored Ji’hun. Je’lak wasn’t going to take the bait with his teasing. At least he had a possible bedmate for the night, unlike the other men.
Stirred up, Je’lak cleared the distance between the bridge and the medical bay quickly.
“Zoe?” he called out as he entered.
There was no response. She probably had returned to his cabin.
He double-checked the side room with the ambassador, just to be sure, but found only the ambassador lying in the stasis field.
Zoe had said her vitals were okay, but he could see the yellow mark beside the ambassador’s blood pressure that Zoe had been worried about. He was glad Zoe had convinced him to detour to a fully equipped medical facility. He didn’t like the risk of visiting the outpost, but a healthy ambassador was vital to the success of this job.
The ambassador wasn’t the only woman on his mind, though. Assured that the ambassador would survive to their destination, Je’lak allowed naked images of Zoe to flitter through his mind again, and a smile spread over his lips. He left the medical bay and quickly made his way back to his cabin.
Maybe she was already laying naked in his bed. That thought sat very well with him. He’d love to have her wet and waiting for him.
The door to his cabin slid open, and he was stopped short by the sleeping form of Zoe Anderson in his bed. She was beautiful with her blonde hair spread out like a halo on the pillow. He wanted to caress her high cheekbones, but he also didn’t want to wake her. She looked so peaceful.
As much as he wanted to share some more pleasure with her, he knew she deserved a much-needed rest.
Je’lak stripped quickly and made his way to the bed. Slipping under the covers, he grabbed Zoe around the waist and tucked her into his body. She mumbled something, tucked her hands under head, and went right back asleep.
He smiled against her silky hair. It felt good to have her in his bed. It felt good to have her on the ship. She was beautiful and intelligent.
Her hair tickled his nose with every intake of breath, but he didn’t move a single muscle. Her delicious scent wafted over him, cocooning him in a blissfulness he’d never experienced before.
Je’lak was certain he wouldn’t get much sleep with her tucked against him. Her naked bottom was pressed right up against his raging cock, but it was well worth the sacrifice.
Zoe woke slowly to a hand caressing her breast and rubbing up against her nipple. Sensations rolled through her body, drawing her fully awake, and she could feel dampness spreading between her thighs in anticipation
of another passionate round with Je’lak.
Enjoying his touch, Zoe lay still, wanting to see what he would do next.
Brushing aside her hair, Je’lak dropped light kisses along her neck. Zoe shivered, and he drew her close, securing her bottom against his firm and ready cock. Already filled with desire, Zoe pressed her pelvis back toward him in invitation, and he chuckled wickedly.
“Oh, not yet, my little vixen.” One of his hands slid down her trembling stomach and rubbed gently across her lower abdomen. Anticipation built within her, and he lowered his hand still more until it was wedged deliciously between her thighs.
“Open for me, Dr. Anderson,” Je’lak’s voice whispered against her ear, more a command than a request.
Zoe complied willingly and spread her thighs wide. His fingers easily found her clit, which he circled and rubbed until he had her panting in need.
“Oh, please,” Zoe begged.
Je’lak drew away his fingers and trailed the proof of her desire along her hip. “Please, what?”
Zoe turned over and gazed into his bewitching, swirling silver eyes. Words fled her mind as his intense stare held her captive. Reaching down, she gripped his cock in her hand. “I need this,” she managed to say.
Then she slid down the bed and took his cock into her mouth. Sucking on it lightly, she glanced up to see his eyes swimming with desire.
Using her hand and mouth in unison, Zoe worked on Je’lak until she drew groans from his throat. His head fell back, and his hips bucked. Zoe felt a responding surge of moisture between her legs, delighted by her effect on him. Teasingly, she drew back and licked the slit at the top of his cock while continuing to work his length with her hand.
Zoe heard him suck in a harsh breath, as his hips gave another slight buck.
“Zoe, you’re going to make me come,” he cautioned.
Zoe smiled and licked his cock again. “Oh, really?” she purred, and his hips jerked.
“Zoe…” he warned, but his head was back, and he gave himself over as Zoe bent to his cock and took it into her mouth again. This time she took him deep into her mouth, rubbing his slit over the back of her tongue, stroking the base of his cock in firm, solid strokes. She drew on his length like a lollipop, licking and sucking, relishing the moans that she drew from him.