by Ivy Barrett
Rook disengaged his com-bots and returned to the bed.
“Thank you,” Jessica echoed, her gaze warm, yet cautious.
He looked at her for a moment, knowing he should return to the command deck, but unable to make himself leave.
She started to say something, then lost her nerve and averted her gaze instead. She lay perfectly still, tense and silent, as if waiting for him to lash her.
Obligation and desire warred within him. His mate needed reassurance, yet his ship required a commander. He sighed and dragged his gaze away from her naked body. He couldn’t think of anything but sex when he looked at her.
His crew was well-trained and experienced. Jessica was neither. She was in a strange place, surrounded by unfamiliar expectations and two males that insisted they were her mates and yet barely knew her. Rook easily made his choice. Jessica needed him more than his crew.
“What were you going to say?” he prompted.
“It doesn’t matter. I know the answer, I just don’t like it.” She still looked everywhere but at him, and tension was evident in every muscle group.
“Why did you seem more comfortable with me when I was being ‘Mr. Dominant Asshole’?”
She smiled and finally looked at him. “It’s not you. Really. I’m confused about everything right now.”
He crawled back onto the bed and resumed his earlier position. Only this time he pulled her into his arms, draping her across his lap on her side. He supported her shoulders with one arm and stroked her side and back with his other hand. “Is your butt feeling better?”
The question made her laugh. “That’s not a question you hear every day. Yes, Sir, my behind is feeling much better. That cream works remarkably well.”
Unable to resist the temptation, he reached over her hip and squeezed one well rounded butt cheek. “Does that hurt?”
“No.”
He squeezed the other side and she wiggled, but he wasn’t sure if she was attempting to avoid his hand or press in closer. “How about this?” He moved his hand to her breast, cupping the full mound with his fingers.
“He didn’t spank me there.”
A wicked impulse made him tighten his hold. Much to his surprise, she moaned. “Would you like me to?” As always, his dark nature surged to the surface determined to take control.
She shivered and the scent of her arousal teased his nose. Clearly, she wasn’t offended by the idea of other, more challenging punishments. They were nearly a perfect match. Why should this surprise him? Their compatibility ensured that she would want what he needed most.
“I haven’t done anything to deserve another spanking,” she pointed out, her gaze locked with his.
He forced back the darkness, focusing instead on his long-repressed hunger. “Good, because I want something else a lot more right now.”
* * *
Rook’s mouth sealed over Jessica’s and her breath lodged in her throat. She didn’t trust his mood. His tenderness had been wonderful, but it was so unlike Rook that she kept waiting for the mask to slip and his real personality to emerge. Even his kiss was different, firm, yet patient. Why was he being so nice?
She’d only known him for one day. How could she accurately judge if this was his ‘real personality’ or not?
Why the hell was she complaining? He’d terrified her last night. He’d also given her the most intense orgasms of her life with his harsh, demanding brand of lovemaking.
Not only was he moving slowly for a change, he didn’t object when she touched him. Thrilled by the discovery and unsure how long he’d allow it, she maneuvered her legs beneath her and straddled his lap. She could reach his face now, touch his arms, shoulders, and chest. Only trouble was, most of his body was buried beneath a sturdy uniform. She wanted him naked, muscles flexing, skin covered with sweat.
“May I undress you, Sir?” Despite his odd congeniality, it felt more natural to conform to the standards he’d established the night before.
“In a minute. I’m not finished with you yet.” He bent her over his arm and latched on to one of her nipples. He sucked hard, bowing her back and dragging a startled gasp from her mouth. There he was. That’s the Rook she remembered, the Rook who burned away her inhibitions and taught her how to soar. He moved from one side to the other, sucking, nibbling, even nipping until she squirmed nearly off his lap.
Her core felt empty and hot, so ready for his cock. He raised his head and looked into her eyes. She slowly reached for the front of his uniform, meaning to undress him. He caught her wrists and drew them behind her back, securing both with one large hand. Their gazes locked as he caressed his way down her body and slipped his other hand between her thighs.
“Mine.” He accented the declaration by pushing two of his fingers up inside her body. “Ride my hand.” She tightened her inner muscles, waiting for him to move. He shook his head. “You fuck my fingers.”
Then she understood. She pushed herself up with her knees, drawing her slick passage almost off him. She paused for a moment, then gravity pulled her back down. His fingers slowly drilled into her. The fullness was nice, but nothing like his thick cock would create.
She knew better than to complain. Her pleasure belonged to him. He would give it to her when and how he chose. She could accept it or refuse, but there was no in-between. She raised and lowered herself, sliding up and down on his fingers.
“You’re wet, but not wet enough.” He shifted his hand, maneuvering his thumb to cover her clit. Like his fingers, his thumb was available, but she had to rub against it. He wanted her to work for her pleasure. His nearly cruel expression made his intent obvious. There was no way he would make this easy for her. He wanted to watch her struggle.
So she struggled, impaling herself on his fingers harder and harder, she ground against his thumb with each rolling stroke. Her back was slightly arched by the position of her arms, thrusting her breasts forward. They swayed and jiggled with each movement, drawing his glistening gaze.
“Come!” he ordered, and she came in hard, rippling waves. Sensation blasted through her, momentarily driving the breath from her lungs. Her inner muscles squeezed his fingers and her clit twitched against his thumb. He rubbed her in firm circles, prolonging the blissful spasms.
How the hell did he do that?
Before she could pull herself together enough to ask, he flipped her onto her back and draped her legs over his shoulders. He knelt on the bed, hands holding her hips while his mouth devoured her wet slit. They’d warned her that Ventori males loved to eat pussy.
Rook licked and sucked everywhere, thrusting deep into her core, then flicking against her swollen clit. She combed his hair with his fingers and rotated her legs outward, giving him more room between her thighs.
His sexy growl sent tingles up her spine and down her legs. She wasn’t sure why the sound thrilled her, but it never failed to curl her toes. He gently sucked her folds then held her open with his thumbs.
“You taste so damn good.” He drove his tongue deep inside her and left it there as if to absorb as much of her essence as possible. Then he moved his hands to her ass and lifted her hips as he began to fuck her with his tongue.
In and out of her wet core, his tongue slid. She closed her eyes, unable to bear the pleasure. He pushed into her again and again, but it was just a tease, a fraction of what she really needed.
Suddenly, he tore his mouth away and rocked back onto his knees. He ripped open the front of his pants, spread her legs, then thrust his cock into her aching passage.
She cried out, shocked and thrilled by the nearly painful stretch. He opened her, filled her, as she’d never been filled before. With their pelvises pressed together and his entire length lodged deep inside her, he arched over her trembling body and paused for a long deep kiss.
“You okay?” he whispered when his lips finally pulled away.
“I think so,” she panted. “You’re really big.”
He chuckled, his cock bucking inside her.
“No, you’re really tight.”
And this was just Rook. At some point they’d want her to take both of them—at the same time. Her eyes widened and tension rolled through her entire body.
He framed her face with his hands and guided her panicked gaze to his. “What’s wrong?”
“I can’t… There is no way you and Dare will ever fit inside me.”
He kissed her again, eroding her anxiety with tenderness. “You’re our perfect mate. You can and will take us, but you’ll be more than ready when you do. We’ll never harm you, never force anything on you.” He pulled back slowly, then pushed inward even slower, making sure she felt every millimeter of his long, hard shaft.
Her body relaxed and her building arousal provided lubrication, allowing him to fill her without any discomfort.
“See.” He did it again and again. “No pain.” Thrust. “Just pleasure.” Thrust.
She lifted her arms above her head and bent her knees, opening herself even wider. He held his weight off her with one hand and caressed her breasts with the other. She watched his face, drawing strength from the possessive hunger she saw in his eyes. She was his, and he was hers. How could she fight her own genetics?
His pace sped up, the intensity building gradually. He lightly pinched and pulled on her nipples, making sensations spark in her clit. He shifted his angle slightly and found a trigger deep inside her. She gasped and shivered.
“Yes, Sir. Right there.”
He thrust hard, faultlessly finding her elusive G-spot. She felt the tingling tension gathering deep inside.
“I’m going to come. Please, Sir, may I come?”
“Yes. Come around my cock. Let me see your pleasure.” He drove into her three more times and then the tension burst. Her inner muscles rippled around his shaft, caressing him with rhythmic pressure. He cried out sharply and grabbed his balls, pulling down with ruthless determination, but she felt the telltale warmth of his seed erupt deep inside her.
“Damn it,” he growled. “I wasn’t ready to end this.”
Little aftershocks still pinged through her, so all she could do was smile.
“You look entirely too pleased with yourself.” He separated their bodies and collapsed at her side. “Did you try to take me with you?”
“Not intentionally. You just make me come incredibly hard.”
“It’s only fair. You make me incredibly hard every time I look at you.”
Her sleepy smile spread into a slightly smug grin. “So look at me and we’ll try again.”
He quickly righted his clothing, then rolled to his side, propping his head on his hand. “Dare jumped the gun when he made you suck his cock, but—”
She gasped and looked at him sharply. “How did you know about that?”
“I’m not spying on you, if that’s what you’re worried about. You left the mouthwash out. Your hair was a mess and your ass had been soundly spanked. I know my brother well enough to figure out where that likely led.”
She relaxed, but rolled to her side, mirroring his position. “Was he supposed to wait for you?”
“It’s traditional to establish a claim at the same time.” Her eyes widened and he smiled. “Not in the way you’re thinking, just together. I’m already getting hard again, but I’d rather wait for Dare. I don’t want you to bond more closely with one or the other.”
“Are we bonding? This wasn’t just sex?”
He sighed and rolled to his back, folding his hands behind his head and staring up at the ceiling. “We won’t anchor the link until you’re sure you want to be our mate. How many times do I need to say it? Nothing will be forced on you.”
She wiggled closer, pressing her body against his warm side. “Sorry. I was just confused by what you said.” He wrapped his arm around her and she rested her head on his shoulder. “Will you ever let me undress you?”
He laughed. “I couldn’t wait, and I knew I’d have to turn around and put it right back on. I want to lie here and hold you until Dare returns, but I’m still on duty. As soon as I catch my breath, sweetheart, I have to go back to work.”
Chapter Eight
Much later that day, Dare attacked the spar-bot with a flurry of kicks and punches. The floating robot countered with alternating blows, attempting to lure Dare into dropping his guard.
“Care for a real partner?”
Recognizing Rook’s voice, Dare glanced to the side. The spar-bot launched a vicious upper cut and knocked Dare on his ass. The onlookers howled, finding their commander’s misfortune hilarious. “End program,” Dare snapped and the spar-bot returned to its charging station in the far corner of the training room.
Rook deactivated the energy cage and crossed the padded floor. The sim unit was one of six in the large training room and each could be configured for a variety of physically challenging activities. He clasped Dare’s arm and pulled him to his feet. “Sorry.” The sparkle in his eyes belied the apology.
“Sure you are.” Dare wiped his sweaty face with the sleeve of his exercise uniform then rolled his neck, making sure his head was still attached to his shoulders. “Shouldn’t you be on the command deck? I’m not on duty for another twenty minutes.”
“I asked Gat to cover the night shift until we solidify things with Jessica. I figured you and I can alternate days, so we can spend our nights with our mate.”
It was a sound plan. Their best hope of winning her affection was working as a team. There was only one problem. “Today was an absolute disaster. You might do better with her if I stay clear for a day or two.” Rook’s chuckle made Dare clench his fists. His emotions were too volatile right now for his brother’s sense of humor. “You find that funny?”
“I spent my midday break with her smoothing over the mess you made.” Before Dare could ask the details, Rook added, “She knows the spanking was deserved. According to her you didn’t fuck up nearly as badly as you think you did.”
Dare desperately wanted to believe him, but Rook hadn’t seen the devastated look in her eyes once the punishment was finished. She’d been confused and felt betrayed, and he’d run like a fucking coward instead of dealing with her hurt. “I believe in discipline, but I reacted in anger.” Dare shook his head. “She wounded my pride and I took it out on her. That’s not acceptable.”
Rook crossed his arms over his chest, impatience thinning his lips. “She was disrespectful and argumentative. You might have been angry when you spanked her, but her actions were disloyal. You were right to punish her. I probably would have done worse.”
The debate wasn’t improving Dare’s mood. “How did you ‘smooth over’ the situation?”
“I rubbed benniea cream on her ass and then fucked her senseless.”
He snapped his head toward Rook. “You better be joking.” Anger burned away his self-recriminations. “You fucked her without me?”
Uncrossing his arms, Rook shrugged. “She swallowed your cum. I had to even things up.”
A bonding imbalance was a legitimate concern, but the fact didn’t ease the possessive fury pounding through Dare. They were a pod. Jessica was their mate, meant to be shared evenly. “It’s not the same and you know it.”
“Cum is cum. If I hadn’t fucked her, she would have—”
Rook’s flippancy was more than Dare could take. He pulled back his arm and punched his brother squarely in the face.
“What the fuck, Dare!” Rook staggered back a step, blood gushing from his nose. When his hand came away from his face covered in red, he flew at Dare like a metal projectile shot from a primitive weapon.
Rook’s fist connected with Dare’s jaw, jerking his head violently to the side. His ears rang and his vision blurred but he instinctively raised his gloved fists in front of his face to ward off Rook’s attack. Shaking away the daze, he recovered enough to deflect some of the blows and land several vicious kicks.
Dare wore protective gear and Rook didn’t, but Dare’s fists were padded while Rook’s punches impacted with bone-on-bo
ne force. Every person in the training center stopped what they were doing and gathered around the brothers. It wasn’t every day the crew was treated to an all-out brawl courtesy of their commanders.
“Courting is done together!” Dare accented his point with three fast jabs to Rook’s ribs.
Rook cried out and fresh anger sparked in his gaze. He was still nursing cracked ribs from an accident earlier in the week. Rook was too damn stubborn to have the injury regenerated; thought regeneration was a crutch that made warriors weak. Dare hadn’t intentionally targeted the area, but he didn’t regret it either.
“You started it!” Rook spun in a tight, fast circle, executing a perfect jump kick.
Dare twisted sharply to the right and arched his back like an acrobat, barely eluding his brother’s booted foot.
Discouraged by the miss, Rook flew at Dare. They landed with a resounding thud, then grappled wildly as they rolled from one side of the padded surface to the other.
Cheers and calls of encouragement gradually penetrated Dare’s anger. What sort of example were they setting for their men? Fighting, for any reason, was a punishable offense.
Taking advantage of Dare’s distraction, Rook quickly pinned him to the mat. “We court her together, starting tonight,” Rook sneered, blood dripping from his face onto Dare’s. “That’s why I shifted our schedules around. Now calm the fuck down.”
Chest heaving, Dare let his anger drain away, leaving the ever-present ache that had erupted the moment he touched Jessica. “Together,” he agreed and gradually unclenched his fists.
Their audience clapped and teased as they reluctantly dispersed. Rook helped Dare to his feet—again.
“This sort of shit would land them in a detention cell,” Dare pointed out in a low, rough tone.
“We were sparring.” Rook motioned to the padded square on which they stood. “We continually encourage pissed off crewmembers to work it out in a training cage. We were simply doing the same.”