His By Command (Primarian Mates Book 2)

by Maddie Taylor

  Thank goodness, he rather liked her these days. Much more conflict, her bottom couldn’t take, or could it, she thought with a smile. The last sensual spanking had given her an off-the-charts climax and made her think more of that brand of “punishment” might be in order.

  “Are we boring you, mate?”

  His question made her head snap around to where he stood talking to his lead mechanic. She flushed furiously at the naughty path her mind had traveled. “What, um… Uh, I mean, no. I’m not bored at all.”

  With a slight tilt to his head, he searched her face, lingering over her heated cheeks. Clearly skeptical, he went on to ask, “Is something troubling you then? You’ve been staring at that control panel for several minutes now.”

  “New technology interests me.”

  “That came out of the Odyssey this morning, Maggie. The components were bad and the screen, as you can see, is badly cracked.

  She blinked, instantly recognizing the communications panel that Britta had complained about for months. “Oh, yeah,” she murmured.

  Roth dismissed his man, which left them a relative amount of privacy in the large indoor hangar.

  “What’s wrong, Maggie?”

  “Nothing really,” she fibbed. “Only thinking of the challenges ahead once we get to Earth. Some of our leaders can be quite stubborn.”

  “As can we, as you’ve pointed out repeatedly,” he countered, bringing her in close by wrapping his long arm around her shoulders.

  “So can I. But why are you still working on the Odyssey? I thought the upgrades were already finished.”

  “The improvements we originally planned were completed. Those didn’t include preparations for deep space and prolonged missions. If so, we would have addressed your weapons systems, which were subpar, quite frankly, and the living quarters are more cramped than we prefer.”

  She eyed his long frame and nodded. Months for veritable giants in a tiny tin can would not be pleasant.

  “In light of recent events, the entire plan for her had to be changed, although some of the other issues had to wait, blowing out walls and raising ceilings in some sections, for example.” He nodded at a passing technician who was coming down the ramp of the shuttle behind them. “Is everything ready for me, Tigo?

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Wait, deep space flight?”

  “Our fleet is equipped with three fully equipped battleships, built for interstellar flight. We also have several dozen fighters made for defense. They need a space dock or a home base for frequent refueling and the repairs that are inherent with their purpose.”

  She didn’t want to think of that purpose, but she understood and nodded.

  “There are many other smaller craft meant for short distance transport, to and from the dock or ships, or planets within close range of Primaria itself.”

  “It sounds impressive.”

  “Not compared to some, although with our uladite powering all that we need, including our weapons, we are known for quality over quantity. We ran into a small snag, however. The upgrades to the Odyssey postponed some needed repairs to the Reliant, and with the Intrepid on a trade mission, we have no choice except to use the Dauntless as the second ship.”

  “Second?”

  “Yes, we’ll need it to go home after we return your ship.” After lobbing that volley, he walked up the ramp and disappeared inside.

  She didn’t know how long she stood frozen in shock, staring at the spot she’d last seen him, but it was long enough for him to holler impatiently from within. “Little captain, I’m preparing for departure. Move it.”

  Somehow, she managed to scrape her jaw off the floor and rush up the ramp. Inside, she found him at the controls.

  “Strap in.”

  In minutes, after setting a few dials and communicating with the control center, he lifted off through the retractable roof and set a course for the space dock that orbited Primaria.

  They traveled in silence for a while before she finally broke free of her shock. “You’re returning the Odyssey?”

  “That is the plan.”

  “Why?”

  He punched a few numbers into a keypad before leaning back and rotating his chair to face her. “Because, as you’ve told me numerous times, it was not ours to take.”

  Maggie had a sudden desire to crawl into his lap and kiss him. But he was piloting their craft and it would be foolish. She controlled herself and instead whispered in awe, “You have been listening.”

  Reaching out, he traced her cheek lightly with his fingers. “Of course, I have.” A sudden gleam appeared in the lavender depths of his eyes and his lips twitched ever so slightly. “Everything you say interests me, and on occasion, you make sense, for a female.”

  “Roth!” she protested, grabbing his hand. She was about to shove it away and follow it up with a blistering rant about his sexist attitude when she saw his teasing grin.

  His hand turned over and he grabbed her wrist. With a tug, he pulled her out of her seat, across the space between their two chairs, then spun her half around and set her down in his lap. She resisted at first, though not to the extent she would send them careening back toward the planet in a fiery death. In the end, reminded of that dreaded fate, she sat stiffly with his arm around her waist, instead.

  “I’m teasing you, Maggie.”

  She glanced at him with a frown, before turning to stare out the front window, watching as the yellow-tinged Primarian sky gradually merged into blackness as they exited the planet’s atmosphere. In the distance, the space dock was a small speck on the horizon.

  “Don’t you need to pay attention to what you’re doing?”

  “No, when we get close enough, the autopilot will engage. Now answer me. What’s wrong? Surely you’re not upset with my playing?”

  “I don’t know what to think. A few weeks ago, that is something you actually believed.”

  “That’s not true. Our women’s roles are different here, but that certainly doesn’t mean we think our females are stupid, nor does it diminish their worth. They are mothers, daughters, aunts, and grandmothers, and when we are fortunate enough to have them, they care for our young, as well as our elderly. They provide homes for our warriors to return to, teach our children until they are old enough to attend school, bring joy to lives that would otherwise be mundane. Others work in their family business, like in our merchant’s stores, or create beauty by the side of their artisan mates, or tend gardens like our Prima. Shall I go on?”

  “No, I see your point.”

  “Don’t you have women who do such work on your home planet?”

  “Yes, most of those tasks you describe are traditional female roles and we have many who still chose to do that as a career.”

  “So it is a choice. Good to know. Are they maligned for their choices?”

  “Well…” It was still a point of contention

  “What? All this talk about how we violate our females’ rights and freedoms and you condemn their right to choose?”

  “I didn’t say we were perfect.”

  He shook his head.

  “Back to the point?” she suggested, while he grinned.

  “Kerr and I debated the pros and cons of taking only the Dauntless.”

  “I don’t recommend that. Going in with that behemoth alone could be seen as an act of aggression.”

  “That is why he agreed with my suggestion to make the Odyssey the lead ship, with the Dauntless acting as escort and providing protection.”

  She exhaled a sigh of relief. “It’s a bit like David leading Goliath, but it will offset the overwhelming size and perceived threat. Believe me, I almost lost it.”

  He stared at her blankly for a moment. “I do not know these men you speak of, are they two of your generals?”

  She wasn’t entirely successful in quelling a laugh. “No, they’re from a tale from the Old Testament.”

  He shook his head having no idea what that was either. She tried a different
tack.

  “It’s a story about a small, weak man who took on a huge giant. Over the centuries, the names alone have come to represent an underdog going up against a stronger, superior opponent.”

  “Ah, you say we tower over most of your men, I understand.”

  “I was referring to your advanced technology and weaponry, Roth. And you didn’t let me finish. In this story, the underdog wins.”

  “Is that a cautionary tale, little captain?” He posed this as he leaned back, his arms snaking around her waist as he brought her into his chest.

  “I don’t know what you mean,” she replied, while squirming beneath his assessing gaze. “Maybe I should go to my own seat for docking.”

  His free hand made a directional shift downward and clamped firmly around her bottom. “Roth,” she yelped, her hand moving up to press flat on his chest.

  With lightning-quick reflexes, he caught her wrist and brought it behind her, transferring his hold to his other hand, and pinning both arms there. With a shift of his thigh, he tipped her over his arm, causing her back to bow and pointing her breasts upward. He leaned down so that his face hovered above her own. “Let me disavow you quickly of any notion that you can best me, Goliath.”

  She couldn’t suppress the laughter that floated up from her throat at his mistake.

  “Did I say something funny?” he asked as he began disavowing her of something else, her clothing, which he did by tugging at the ties on the front of her dress.

  “Goliath was the giant and the loser in this scenario.”

  He grunted. “An irrelevant story because in our case, that isn’t going to happen,” he murmured, separating the open front of her gown and baring her breasts. “Primarily, because we are never the underdogs.” He tweaked one nipple and rolled it gently as his mouth descended toward the other. “And secondly, because we always win. Case in point, you’re bared to me and lying over my lap because I want you to be.”

  His lips opened over the taut peak and he sucked it inside. Waves of lust rippled through her body and surged hot between her legs at the same time his hand slid beneath her hem. Without a stitch on underneath, he quickly located her already damp curls. She parted her thighs, arching into his hand as his thumb stroked her clit and two fingers slid home.

  “I hate to argue, Commander, but with your fingers inside me and your mouth on my breast, I’d say that makes me the winner.”

  An alarm beeped suddenly as a green light lit up on the control panel. Roth grinned more wickedly than she’d ever seen him.

  “What?”

  He lifting her astride him, letting go of her waist to unzip his uniform pants. Rigid and fully erect, his cock sprang free between them. “Mount up, Maggie. Let’s see what we can do to make us both victors.”

  “Now?” Intrigued by the notion, she was also shocked, especially when she looked over her shoulder at the space dock growing larger by the moment as they drew near.

  “Yes, except you have to be fast. That green light and alarm meant the autopilot has engaged. That gives us five minutes before we are close enough for them to see inside.”

  “Roth,” she said, shaking her head. “No.”

  He raised her up and brought her down on his cock, gliding in easily thanks to her copious wetness. “First one to come is the winner.”

  Unable to help herself, she began to move.

  “That’s it, purrada. Ride me.”

  “I can’t believe we’re having a quickie in the pilot’s seat of your shuttle.”

  He thrust up inside her, pulling her down by the waist as he did so and groaned, “Four minutes, you need to hurry.”

  Knowing him well enough to know that arguing was futile, she decided it was safest to win his spur of the moment contest. She slipped her hand between her legs and started moving the outcome more to her favor by rubbing her clit.

  “Cheater,” Roth rasped, leaning back to watch. “But by the Maker, that’s hot. Next time, I’m going to spread you out on our bed with those lovely legs wide apart while I watch every stroke and swirl of your fingers as you bring yourself pleasure.”

  Maggie’s moan broke free, jagged and coarse in her suddenly dry throat at the image he conjured in her mind of him watching, eyes fixed on her pussy as she brought herself off.

  “Three minutes,” he warned.

  More frantic to come now rather than to avoid being seen, she rode him double time as she added the swirls he’d spoken of. Still, she needed more. With her free hand, she caught a nipple and began to twist and tug. Working herself into a frenzy, she bucked and undulated atop of him.

  Releasing her hands, he brought her forward and captured her other nipple. When she felt the rasp of his teeth, nipping firmly, her cries mixed with his low growl of pleasure, as she too gave in to the moment with total surrender.

  Her body clenched around him as he arched his neck sharply; his head fell over the high back, his ass coming off the chair as he pistoned deep inside her. She hung on, her frantic hands gripping his shoulders as his cock slammed into her one more time. A split second later, his hoarse cry of release coincided with the sizzling-hot climax that raced through her.

  Collapsing forward, she sprawled limply over his chest, the only sound in the cockpit the beating of her heart in her ears. Roth, recovering first, shifted beneath her.

  “One minute, sweetness. You gotta get up.”

  She tried, jelly legs and all. In the end, he had to lift her off him and set her on her seat.

  “Straighten your clothes and strap back in. Hurry, now.”

  Nodding dazedly, she saw him tuck himself into his pants. Once covered, he rose and his fingers speared through his hair, quickly gathering and retying what had become mussed during their frantic joining.

  He cleared his throat as he leaned forward and switched on the audio. “Shuttle three to space dock, locked on and ready for landing.”’

  “We have visual, Commander, and are ready to engage auto-navigation for landing, unless you’d like manual, sir.”

  “I’ll work on my basic skills another time, control.”

  “Yes, sir,” the voice said with a chuckle. “Assuming shuttle controls in three, two, one.” Another alarm sounded and row of green lights flashed in succession. “Auto-navigation engaged, commander. See you in a few minutes, and may I say, welcome to space dock, Maggie.”

  Her head whipped to the side and she glared at him.

  “Time’s up,” he announced with a grin.

  “I can’t believe it.”

  “Neither can I; we ended in a tie. I guess we’ll have to keep trying until we have a clear winner.” As she sputtered in outrage, her face heated to scalding.

  “No one, saw a thing, mate. Relax.”

  “How do you know? Your countdown could have been off.”

  “I don’t know, never will, and they wouldn’t dare say if they saw anything.”

  Maggie groaned.

  “I’m playing; your gown covered everything. If they caught a glimpse, which they didn’t because I had an eye on the controls, it was nothing more than you in my lap sharing a tender moment, no skin.”

  “You’re sure?” she asked.

  “Yes. I wouldn’t embarrass you or let my crew see what is mine.”

  She shook her head at her incorrigible mate, but let the tension slip away.

  “You’ve got to admit, dueling the clock added to the fun.”

  “Your idea of fun and mine are light-years different. Next time, I’m strapping into the very last row in the rear.”

  “Excellent. Those seats fully recline.”

  “Roth!”

  “Maggie!” he teased while reaching for her hand, which he brought to his lips and pressed an endearing kiss in her palm. “Love you, little captain.”

  “I love you too my great, big, insatiable mate. Even so, I can feel the gray hairs popping out as we speak. At this rate, I’ll be white-headed before I’m thirty-one and will be mistaken for your grandmother.”
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  “Matria Kiri and Tria Mora only dreamed of looking so good.”

  She frowned at him in question.

  “My grandmothers, of course.”

  “Just drive, Roth.”

  As they set down in the landing bay, his amused laughter echoed through the small craft.

  22

  Final checklists completed, fully supplied and the crew on board, orders and mission confirmed, the Odyssey left space dock the following morning on schedule. There was a minor personnel snag with the Dauntless, who would depart a few hours behind them when it was corrected. It wasn’t something that necessitated the Odyssey’s delay, however, since they were now fully equipped with defense capabilities.

  As such, they departed on schedule, soon streaking across the heavens toward a small one-starred solar system in the far corner of the galaxy with a crew of one hundred Primarian warriors and flight crew, two hundred Earth females, many not happy to be guests aboard their own ship, two seriously ticked-off and very at odds captains, and one seven-foot-tall commander that was trying to referee all of it.

  It started with Maggie almost the moment they boarded, when Roth had introduced Dayne as the captain selected to see them and the Odyssey safely to Earth.

  Her face drained of color while her jaw clenched. In the next moment, the bloom, usually so becoming on her lovely face, had rushed back and become a riot of color, such was her anger. He recognized it easily.

  “A word, if you please,” she bit out, then walked away without waiting to see if he followed.

  “Is there a problem with your mate, Commander?” Dayne asked.

  “When isn’t there a problem with my mate, Captain?” Roth quipped in response. The man nodded with sympathy and Roth wished he could retract his words. Change was difficult, and for Maggie and her crew, changes had been coming at them one after another for weeks. In her shoes, he didn’t know that he would have been so accepting. “I’ll deal with it, Dayne. Go about your duties and get us underway.”