by Ivy Barrett
“This is your last warning. Do not lie to me again.” Rook’s expression was stern, his tone unyielding. “Is your pussy wet?”
Curious and oddly excited, she looked into his eyes and shook her head. “I don’t want this.”
Rook struck like a snake, tangling one hand in her hair while the other roughly unzipped her jeans. She grabbed his wrist with both hands, but her strength was no match for his. He easily loosened her pants and shoved his hand inside her panties. Their gazes clashed as his fingers slid over her wet folds.
“Is she wet?”
As if Dare needed to ask. He’d already said he could smell her arousal.
Rather than answer with words, Rook pulled his hand out of her pants and showed his brother the shiny proof of her excitement. Then he brought his fingers to her mouth. “Open. Taste how much you don’t want this.”
She turned her face away, lips tightly sealed.
His fingers tightened in her hair. “Refusing a direct order is also a punishable offense.”
“I’m not a member of your crew,” she pointed out, feeling giddy and slightly out of control. Like a runaway train, the ride was exciting until the cars derailed. “And I’m not your carnal companion. My contract is with Layhee pod.” She still wasn’t sure why she was doing this, but she couldn’t seem to stop now that her course was set.
“Actually, you’re right. You’re not our carnal companion.” Rook licked his fingers clean himself before he added, “You’re our mate and you’re about to find out what that means.”
Working together with shocking efficiency, they stripped her bare in a matter of seconds. She screamed and struggled, but her efforts seemed to fuel their determination. “I don’t want this!” She brought her knee up sharply, narrowly missing Rook’s crotch. “I do not give you permission to touch me!”
The bastard laughed, clearly enjoying their tussle. “We don’t need permission to discipline our mate. Now stop this or I’ll add to your punishment.”
“I am not your mate!” she yelled. “I’m not your anything.”
“Keep telling yourself that, sweetheart. Your body knows better.” Rook sat on one end of the sofa and wrestled her face down across his lap. He trapped her arms between his legs and held her in place with one of his large hands splayed against her back.
Damn, the man was strong. She thrashed wildly, kicking out until Dare caught the backs of her knees and immobilized her legs. She could barely move now, but she twisted her head around so she could see him. Kneeling on the floor directly behind her, Dare’s bearded face was shamefully close to her bare behind, and his gaze was locked on her pussy with obvious hunger. Despite her humiliating position, and Rook’s obvious intention to chastise her, heat gathered between her thighs and a fresh rush of wetness trickled onto her folds. She wasn’t sure she’d ever been this wet before.
“We offered you pleasure and you repaid us with lies and disobedience.” Rook punctuated the declaration with two firm smacks on her upturned ass, one for each rounded cheek.
Jessica yelped then ground her teeth as shock flared into anger. How dare he? “Let me up right now, or I’ll—” The next two swats, even harder than the first, cut short her threat. Heat consumed her bottom, quickly spreading to other, even more humiliating parts of her body. The strippers had talked about spanking with a wink and a smile. This was nothing like Jessica imagined. It was embarrassing and it really hurt!
He spanked her again, delivering four stinging slaps before he paused. “Why am I doing this?”
“Because you’re a vicious bastard.” She reared and twisted, meaning to spit in his face.
Instantly his fist was in her hair, hurtful for the first time. “Spit on me and I’ll flog you. I will not tolerate such disrespect.”
Her breasts quivered as she panted for breath and glared into his eyes. “Let. Me. Go!”
Ignoring her demand, he put her right back down in her earlier position and continued warming her ass cheeks with firm, fast spanks.
He clearly enjoyed it when she was upset, so she clenched her fists and teeth. Tears gathered in her eyes, but she furiously blinked them back. She would not give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry.
But he didn’t stop. The spanking went on and on, stripping away her emotional defenses as odd, unwanted sensations began to blend with the pain. Her breasts ached, the nipples sensitized as they rubbed against his hard thigh. And her core quivered, making her restless and angry.
She whimpered and tossed her head, desperately needing something she couldn’t identify. Her butt throbbed, individual spanks melding into endless discomfort, and emotions surged, crashing over her in overwhelming waves. All they’d wanted was to give her pleasure. Why had she refused?
A harsh sob tore from her throat and his swats paused. Instead he lightly covered one burning cheek as he asked, “Why are you being spanked?”
“I lied to you.” The admission tore from her, propelled by regret.
“Correct. And?”
She licked her lips, hating herself for giving in so easily. “I disobeyed you—even though I never agreed to obey you in the first place.”
She heard a chuckle, but wasn’t sure if it was Rook or Dare.
“We are now in possession of your contract,” Rook pointed out, his hand lightly stroking her bottom. “I can produce the revised document if you don’t believe me.”
“I believe you.” She sounded defeated, and she hated him for bringing her so low.
“Did you sign the contract or not?”
His hold loosened and she sank to her knees between his legs, crossing her arms over her naked breasts. “Yes, I signed it, but the situation has changed significantly since I did.”
“How has the situation changed?” He took her hands and drew her arms away from her breasts, guiding them to her upper thighs instead. The message was clear. She wasn’t allowed to cover herself unless he gave her permission. “You agreed to act as carnal companion for two Ventori Defenders. Do Dare and I not qualify?”
She kept her head slightly bowed, hiding her reactions behind the fall of her hair. “It’s not the same.”
“If you’d met Layhee pod and became intimate with them before I challenged for the contract, you would have reason to object to the change. Shifting pods mid-contract would have required you to submit to four defenders, not two. Such is not the case. You will only share your body with two males, Dare and me, which is what you agreed to back on Earth.”
“Maybe I don’t like you.” She tossed back her hair and glared at him. “You had no right to make changes that affect me so profoundly without asking me for input.”
He curved his fingers around her chin, firmly holding her in place. “I’ll make many decisions without consulting you and so will Dare. We are your mates and commanders of this ship. Both positions give us authority over you.” She started to object, but his fingers tightened and his expression hardened. “The statement is true whether or not you agree with it. The sooner you accept our authority, the better life will be for you.”
He stood, pulling her to her feet as he went. “You rejected our attention, so you will go to bed wet and aching. You do not have permission to touch yourself or to gain release in any other fashion. In the morning, if you are obedient for the rest of the night, we will offer you pleasure again.”
Dare said something in their language and Rook’s reply sounded impatient, even angry. Then Rook turned back to her and motioned toward one of the closed doors. “Go. We’ll join you momentarily.”
They’d join her? Did he honestly expect her to sleep in the same bed with them after humiliating her in this way? “I’d rather sleep on the couch.”
“I’m sure you would,” Rook stared back at her, his expression unreadable. “But that wasn’t my directive. Go get in bed. You may use the toilet if you need to, but the shower is off limits for now.”
Her chest heaved and she pressed her lips together, barely holding back a scathing string
of profanity. “I have permission to use the toilet?” she scoffed, unable to hide her anger. “How incredibly kind of you.”
“Watch your tone.” Dare moved closer, worry obvious in his blue/black gaze. “There are punishments much more unpleasant than a spanking.”
“This is your first exposure to Ventori expectations,” Rook noted, “so I will grant you a bit of leniency. But know this, Jessica. My patience has its limits and I find insolence from anyone intolerable.”
She stood before him naked, while he was fully dressed. Her ass throbbed and burned, a continual reminder of her humiliation. This was him being patient? She started to tell him what she found intolerable, namely irrationally arrogant males, but self-preservation kicked in, rescuing her from a more severe punishment.
She looked at Dare and smiled, nearly meaning the friendly expression. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
With her parting shot delivered, she retreated into the bedroom, her sore behind mocking her every step of the way.
* * *
Rook watched the delightful flex and roll of his mate’s nicely reddened ass. Spanking her had stirred the dark, dominant urges he kept suppressed so much of the time. Autocratic leadership tended to backfire with other Ventori males. Because of their own dominant natures, the crew responded better to cooperative approaches. Appealing to teamwork and brotherhood allowed each male to follow orders while maintaining his dignity and pride.
But Jessica was his mate. She must learn to trust and submit, concepts that were unfamiliar to modern human females. She would test him again and again. Of this he had no doubt. And he would have no choice but to enforce his rules with progressively more severe punishments. She must learn that he was firm, but fair.
And once she accepted her role in his world, he would shower her with affection and security. He’d protect her with his life if necessary, and she would never want for anything. But harmony in their union depended on her willingness to obey him—to obey them. Dare was as vital to this dynamic as was Rook.
“Our cocks are hard enough to use as clubs right now,” Dare muttered, clearly frustrated by the outcome of the last conversation. “Why did you send her away?”
Rook chuckled and rubbed a hand over the painful bulge in the front of his uniform pants. He’d already rearranged himself three times and it didn’t ease the ache. “What time is it?”
“By their system or ours?” Distraction was a frequent strategy for Dare. At the moment he was trying to defuse Rook’s agitation, but that wasn’t likely to happen until Rook was balls-deep inside their mate.
“We’re trying to court a human mate.” Rook played along as well as he was able, given the foulness of his mood. “We should use Earth terminology as much as possible.”
Dare tensed. “It’s eleven forty-seven, but we don’t know that Jessica is our mate. There could be other causes for our reaction.”
Dismissing the argument with an impatient wave, Rook began to pace the living room. “I don’t need a doctor to tell me I’ve located my mate. Every cell in my body is screaming the message. Do you honestly doubt it?”
Dare hesitated for a moment, thinking before he spoke as always. “I’ll be shocked if Dr. Baytor reaches any other conclusion, but I won’t endanger Jessica until we know for sure.”
“Why the fuck do you think I sent her away? She was standing between us, naked and wet with need. If I cared for her any less, I would have disregarded the sliver of a possibility that this is anything but rut and spilled my seed inside every hole in her luscious body. But our mate must be protected, even from us.”
“This is more powerful than rut. I’ve never felt anything like it before.”
Rut. Dare seldom used the colloquialism for Ventori ridonous, or mating fever. It was considered crude, even profane. Hearing it on his lips made Rook smile. It was like hearing a human minister drop the F bomb. “Nor have I, which is why I know she’s our mate. I don’t just want to fuck her. I want to claim her. We both know there’s a big difference between the two.”
After accepting the explanation with a tense nod, Dare looked at the closed bedroom door then back at Rook. “Why did you ask what time it was?”
Rook chuckled. His brother should know him better than to believe he would spend the entire night in agony when other, far more pleasurable options were open to them. “Because at one minute past midnight—according to the human system—it is morning and we are going to begin seducing our mate.”
“We can’t actually join with her,” Dare reminded.
“I’m well aware. However, not being able to spill our seed inside her doesn’t mean we can’t come.”
A bright smile rolled across Dare’s lips and anticipation lit his gaze. “And it doesn’t mean we can’t bring her pleasure as often as we like.”
“Exactly. We’ll make her come so many times she’ll never want to leave our bed.”
The smile faltered for a second then Dare sighed. “But she will defy you again. You realize that, don’t you? She’s not Ventori. She doesn’t understand our ways.”
“Which is why you’re going to spend all day tomorrow explaining it to her. I can’t change who I am, but we can make this transition as painless as possible.”
Dare’s brows arched in challenge. “Your punishments are never painless and, if her response to the spanking is any indication, she needs a bit of pain with her pleasure.”
“I’m not worried about her responses. I’m worried about her emotions. Humans are taught that submission equals weakness and it’s clear Jessica doesn’t want anyone to perceive her as weak.”
“It could take some time,” Dare warned, “but I’ll do everything in my power to help her understand.”
“Good. I’ll teach her discipline, you teach her how to revel in surrender, and our joining is basically assured.”
Dare laughed, but the sound had a hard, facetious edge. “You make it sound so simple.”
“I know it will be a struggle for some time to come, but nothing worth having is secured without a fight.” Rook’s gaze drifted toward his bedroom door as he added, “And Jessica is definitely worth having.”
Chapter Four
Jessica couldn’t remember falling asleep, but the feather-light stroke of a large warm hand along her hip jarred her awake. She gasped softly then held perfectly still. Familiar scents filled her nose, instantly easing her fear. She smelled both Fortar brothers but Rook’s scent was slightly stronger, placing him in front of her.
The room was so dark she couldn’t see anything, yet she felt surrounded by heat and hard male flesh. Dare must be lying at her back, his body lightly contoured to hers. His arm rested around her waist and his massive cock pressed against her bottom, nestling into the crack between her ass cheeks. He was obviously naked. In fact, she was pretty sure they both were. Oh, God. She shivered, not sure if she wanted to rub against them or shove them away.
“I thought you weren’t going to bother me until morning,” she whispered, wishing she could see them. The darkness made her feel vulnerable, even more vulnerable than waking up in bed with two naked Ventori males.
Rook swept his hand up from her hip, skimming her ribs and the outer swell of her breast before coming to rest against her neck. “Are we bothering you?” His lips brushed back and forth across hers, but he didn’t really kiss her.
“That depends.” She turned her head to the side and he kissed his way to her ear, nipping the lobe hard enough to send a shiver down her spine. “What do you want from me?”
“Nothing.” Rook turned her head back around and fit his mouth over hers. Their breaths mingled and his scent filled her nose, but he didn’t use his tongue or touch her more intimately. He formed a physical connection, building a foundation for all the intimacies to come. “According to human timekeeping, it is now a few minutes past midnight, which means it’s morning. Are you ready to be honest with us?”
“About what?” Playing stupid wasn’t much better than lying. S
he just wasn’t quite ready to give in and let this scene unfold. Once it began, she knew there would be no turning back.
“Would you like us to touch you and taste you, bring you pleasure?” Rook caught her wrist and guided her hand to his cock. “Feel how much I want to please you.”
Left with no option, she wrapped her fingers around his shaft. Her eyes rounded in the darkness and she was suddenly glad he couldn’t see her. He was so thick her fingers barely met and one tentative stroke revealed his impressive length. It shouldn’t have surprised her. His entire body was oversized compared to human men. Why should his sex be any different? “This feels more like you want me to please you.”
“Later.” He pulled her hand away and drew her flush against him. Dare arched in tighter too, pinning her between them, making her undeniably aware of their cocks pressing into her much softer body. “Yes or no,” Rook persisted. “Do we have permission to touch and taste you? Do you trust us with your pleasure?”
Her bottom was still tender from her spanking and she always tried to learn from her mistakes. All they wanted was to quench the fire raging through all their systems. “Yes,” she whispered. “But I want to return the favor once you’ve had your fill.”
Rook’s chuckle was deep and wicked. “And if I never have my fill of you?”
Before she could answer, his lips sealed over hers. His tongue teased its way into her mouth rather than shoving inward as she’d expected. He drew her leg up onto his hip, fitting their lower bodies together more intimately. Dare’s hand moved up and down her side, sneaking forward from time to time to cup her breasts.
Rook pulled away and said something she couldn’t understand. Soft light filled the room and she tensed. She tried not to be ashamed of her body, had accepted long ago that her figure was on the curvy side. But Rook and Dare were physically perfect, the masculine ideal of strength and power. Yet they’d already seen her naked, she reminded herself. And they hadn’t seemed disappointed. Still she held perfectly still waiting for a rejection that never came.