by Jorja Kish
I need my head examined, she mused, wondering why she was all over the place with this man.
Mackenzie held him tighter, pressing her body to cup and rub the hardness of his belly, rejoicing in the feeling of a harder poke to her bottom, clearly an impressively hard cock.
Holy crap, she was devolving into a horny, out-of-control college student on Spring Break cruising for some hot fun with a hunky man.
The man in her arms certainly fit the bill a thousand-fold, and she hadn’t even seen his face yet. She shivered, instinctively knowing that when he removed the makeshift blindfold covering her eyes, her senses would no doubt overload from how sexy and handsome this man would be.
Damn, seriously fucked up that her only thought was to check out the stranger who rescued her from a nightmare that hadn’t fully registered in her head. She had to be dreaming this shit up and was safely in her bed sleeping until her alarm buzzed her awake.
This couldn’t be real, right?
“A few more steps, Sheeala, and you’ll be safe,” Braydok said, shifting her weight in his arms as if she weighed no more than delicate lace.
She sighed with relief. Her skin prickled from the sensation of stepping through something that felt like static electricity, causing the fine hairs on her body to stand at attention before settling against her skin. It had to be some sort of barrier.
“What was that?” she asked, turning her head, suddenly nervous from the blindfold and being carried somewhere that she had no clue where she was. Her skin still tingled from the currents that coursed through her cells.
Her muscled stiffened before she squirmed in the man’s arms, panic causing her heart to pound harder and her breath to quicken.
“Let me go,” she whimpered shakily.
The arms surrounding her gently placed her on an ergo-dynamic chair of some sort that shifted beneath her weight. She yelped and struggled out of the seat when strong hands eased her back in the shifting seat.
“Relax. The chair is just conforming to your weight and size. It’s not going to eat you,” Braydok said with a faint trace of amusement and relief in his deep, husky voice.
Braydok cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders finally feeling more like himself now that he was onboard his pod ship. The bio-field they stepped through negated his lover’s ingenious camouflage sphere, reverting him back to his thick, sable hair that fell just to his shoulders, and his bronze skin tone. For the first time in his life, he wondered if she would like what she saw once he removed the blindfold. Unease crept into his gut. He wasn’t a vain man. Flirty, mischievous, and a tad roguish, but not vain.
Mackenzie replied hotly, “Well, how am I supposed to know this? I have a blindfold covering my eyes!”
Masculine chuckles led to gentle fingers probing the back of her head, making her jump from the touch. They deftly untied the knot that held the silky material over her eyes.
“Keep your eyes closed for a bit and open them slowly to get them used to the light in the room,” he commanded softly, pulling the material away and tenderly rubbing the back of her head where he had tied the knot.
Eyes closed, Mackenzie couldn’t help herself from shivering from his sexy accent and leaning into his touch. She sighed and quickly curled her lips in, cringing when she felt her cheeks heat up. The callused fingers trailed along her thick hair before slipping away as the powerful presence of the man left her fired-up body. Swallowing back a regretful protest, Mackenzie carefully opened one eye before squeezing it shut.
“Ouch, you weren’t kidding when you said that my eyes would be sensitive to the light,” she said, shaking her head and grimacing.
“Hold still, I have something that should help,” he replied, placing wraparound darkened glasses over her eyes and tucking strands of hair behind her ears.
She shivered from his touch and felt her belly flip-flop before a sudden, heavy ache pumped between her legs. She squeezed her thighs tightly together, squirming in the seat from the wetness that seeped from her pussy.
Her blues eyes popped wider when she realized that she sat naked in a chair in front of a man she didn’t know! She folded an arm across her ample chest and shielded the neat triangle of sable hair that covered her mons.
“I’m naked,” she uncomfortably gasped, staring at the man who just jolted her mortification to another level.
The drop-dead gorgeous man wearing similar dark glasses that hid his eyes stood a few steps away, dressed in an outfit described as too fucking eerie for a sane mind to cope. Heedless of how scary his outfit looked, he gave her a lopsided grin before turning away and sauntering to a cabinet.
Her eyes gravitated to his tight ass, flexing muscles that had her imagination on fire. He wore his hair longer than she expected and she found the thick, dark hair alluring. It brushed against the deep-bronzed skin of his neck. A neck attached to broad shoulders that fit the gruesome suit to perfection. Damn, he was all hard and muscular, every part of him made for combat and wicked interludes.
Oh, I want me some of that, she brazenly thought.
She squirmed uncomfortably in the chair and squeaked when the damn thing moved to accommodate her new position. She froze and studied him when he opened the compartment and pulled out some sort of material that shimmered.
“What the hell is this thing I’m sitting on?” She gasped, ready to bolt from the living seat.
He turned back and handed her the clothing.
“Sorry about that, Sheeala. It’s a nano-chair, something that conforms to your weight and height, and as for your nakedness, you can’t blame me for the pleasure of the view.” His lips curved into a devastating smile that made Mackenzie do two things—melt, and snatch the material, eager to cover her nakedness from his no-doubt roaming eyes.
Her eyes narrowed behind the darkened glasses she wore and she glared at the man. She roughly sighed and twisted her mouth helplessly, looking at the material in her hands. It was a jumpsuit of some sort the colour of cobalt that had sparkles spread through it.
“Right, a nano-chair. Sure, why not? Can you please turn around so I can get dressed?” she muttered irritably, peeking at her handsome rescuer and waited for him to turn.
“Of course,” he replied and turned away, striding to an area that had something closely resembling a gamer chair that she saw once during a video game conference when she took Shayane for her nineteenth birthday nearly two years ago.
A pang of grief struck her like a hard blow to her head before she clenched the soft outfit in her fists. She sniffed and wiped the tears that streaked down her cheeks with her curled hands and fought the urge to collapse and weep.
Mackenzie sharply inhaled and squared her shoulders. “Man up, Mac. You’re safe now, again,” she said.
No, she wasn’t going to fall apart now. Her daughter was safe.
With determination, she shook out the outfit, gave it a quick examination, and frowned. The damn thing looked like it was two sizes too small and no doubt left nothing to the imagination. Hell, she would be just as naked with this outfit on!
“You’ve got to be kidding me. I might as well be naked in this getup,” she said, not bothering to mask her ire.
She glanced at the man who leaned over a console and watched him type something into what looked like a keyboard, only it glowed with an iridescent blue that looked like something from the movie Tron.
In fact, she scanned the room and found similar glowing devices that were high-tech and strangely alien in a sci-fi movie sort of manner. She shifted her eyes away from the technology and spared a glance at her saviour, noting his back still turned away. Satisfied that he remained a gentleman, Mackenzie swiftly pulled on the material and was surprised that the outfit slid on easily.
“So, is now a good time to tell me who the hell you are and why I’m in something out of a blockbuster sci-fi movie with…” her voice trailed off, startled at how the suit felt against her skin. Whoa, momma, this feels great!
It felt like silk aga
inst her skin and she sighed inadvertently, for once not caring about the sounds she made. She slipped off the crazy chair that dipped, moving her in a position to stand.
Quickly and quietly, Mackenzie dragged the jumper up her body and yanked her arms through the sleeves. She carefully zipped up the outfit and found that, despite how the material hugged her body, she didn’t feel too exposed at how tight it moulded to her curves.
It was surprisingly comfortable.
“You look very nice in that colour,” Braydok commented, looking over a broad shoulder and openly grinning at the gorgeous woman.
Mackenzie folded her arms across her chest and raised an eyebrow.
“Were you peeking? Anyway, you didn’t answer my question.” She tapped her foot and waited for a reply.
Braydok shook his head and set his features to a solemn expression. However, he inwardly grinned, knowing he had watched her through the reflective monitor of his screen as she slipped on the nano-suit, nearly blowing in his pants from all her generous feminine parts bouncing and swaying.
“No, I heard the zipper and turned when it stopped, answering your first question. As for the rest, you’ll have to wait just a bit longer. I promise you’ll have all your questions answered.”
He stared at her, keeping his expression neutral, and waited for the tension in her jaw to ease.
“Fine,” she said and looked away, wondering why in the hell she was willing to wait for answers that were clearly detrimental to her escape and rescue.
Braydok stood watching her before he took a deep breath and motioned for Mackenzie to get in the chair that he had placed her in earlier.
“You need to get back in the chair while I get everything ready.”
He swiftly strode toward her and lightly touched her elbow, guiding her back to the chair. Braydok gave Mackenzie a disarming smile that flashed straight, white teeth, showing off his sexy mouth.
“You are one handsome fellow,” she confessed, “with such a hauntingly sensual mouth that no doubt drives women crazy.”
Mackenzie eyes bulged from her head before she flushed, then paled from her confession, warily watching her rescuer’s reaction.
The Infiltrator Agent was careful to keep his expression neutral, but inside he grinned and felt a flood of warmth fill his veins and pump through his heart. It was a sensation he felt whenever Keene or Setti gave him that tender look before they touched him.
He shook his head slightly to clear the thought and pressed Mackenzie into the chair. She didn’t make a sound when the chair moved to accommodate her weight and make her as comfortable as possible. She was mortified with what she had said and grateful that Braydok didn’t comment on it.
Braydok smiled. “Now lie back and relax, we’ll be leaving soon.”
He turned away for a second before returning with a smile that looked strained.
“Braydok,” Mackenzie asked hesitantly at his clenched jaw, as she sat back in the mind-of-its-own chair.
“I’m sorry, Sheeala, but this is for your own good.” Braydok said, leaning over her slender form and softly caressing her neck.
The sharp prick at the hollow of her neck and shoulder caused Mackenzie to hiss from the brief pain. Wounded eyes stared through the dark glasses before she raised her hands to slap at Braydok’s powerful torso that hovered over her body.
Her arms fell as if they were filled with mortar and useless to move. Mackenzie opened her mouth to scream, but only a scared whimper escaped. She blinked her eyes, watching the man who saved her grow blurry and hazy until darkness filled her vision.
She took another terrified breath and fell into the abyss.
Braydok gently touched the auburn-mahogany hair that slipped into her eyes and moved the silky strands away. He grunted with regret and placed a soft kiss on her forehead before resting his head against hers. He pulled away, caressing her delicate features.
“I hope you’ll forgive me, Mackenzie Chambers, and I hope you decide to keep us,” he whispered, tracing her parted lips lightly with his thumb pad.
He shuddered from the velvety softness before he forced himself to move away and slip into the command chair that powered the Dark Tech surrounding the pod that latched on to the Horde Mother ship’s hull.
His large hands swiped over a keypad, illuminating the space in front of him. With precision and skill, he engaged the Dark Drive, disengaged the docking clamps, and cloaked the small pod. The next few commands he input were the coordinates for the rendezvous point. He settled into the nano-chair, and waited for the Dark Drive to slip through the field that had the small pod travelling through countless star systems before reaching the Solace Dawn.
Chapter 13
Her head felt like it was on fire, consuming her from the inside out. She clenched her teeth and hissed through the pounding ache.
“Something’s happened to me,” she groggily whispered, swimming in a fog that clouded her senses.
She shook her head and winced when dark dots swarmed her vision. A soft moan escaped her throat and her head pounded harder from the movement. Mackenzie tried to move, but her body felt as if lead filled her bone marrow.
The increase of her breath, alarm, and a heavy dose of fear filled her limbs as she jack-knifed into a sitting position and hissed from the dizziness that rubbed her brain raw. Dammit!
She blinked back the fuzziness in her eyes and realised that she wasn’t wearing the shaded glasses. There was a stirring of warm air wrapped around her body, a temperature to soothe and cajole into a sense of tranquillity and peace. Neither sensation was what she felt. She shivered instead.
“Oh crap, not again,” she mumbled. “Now where the hell am I?”
The last image in her head was Braydok hovering over her with tight features on his handsome face, then a sharp prick in her neck.
The bastard drugged her!
Fury made her vibrate, but underlying it was a deep sense of confusion and worry. Her eyes lowered to the pool of black, satiny sheets gathered on her lap and she gasped in shock. Dammit, why was she naked again?
Mackenzie warily looked at her surroundings and found that she was lying on a massive bed that could fit an entire football team.
Well, it wasn’t that big, but damn, it was huge.
Whomever it belonged to must be a giant. Her skin prickled at the thought before she grabbed the heavenly, soft sheet and wrapped it around her naked chest, shielding her with a mediocre modesty. Her eyes floundered in the dimly lit room, searching for any kind of recognition that would help the swirl of emotions and thoughts that rubbed mercilessly together.
“So, it looks like I’m down another rabbit hole. I’m so sick of this,” she said wearily, taking her time to focus on the room that was her new prison. Why not? She was just as clueless when she was in the dark circular room.
The room was spacious, with an elegant décor that complemented the masculine, heavier furniture and the soft, feminine touches of throw pillows that lined the expensive seating. Okay, clearly, whoever lives here has good taste. Now how bad can they be, really?
There were vases of exotic and unusual flowers with colours so bright they seemed to glow in the faint light, at least she thought they were flowers. Wisps of transparent material tied to the four posts that framed the bed she found her herself in reminded Mackenzie of the luxurious decadence of those bedrooms of the rich and famous. Bedrooms filled with luxury, expense and high quality.
This chamber was certainly very different from her last cell. Despite the comfortable and polished surroundings, the tickle in her belly told her she was still an indentured guest. She clutched the sheet tighter to her chest and chewed her sore bottom lip. No doubt, her worry contributed to the bad habit of gnawing and tugging on her mouth when she was nervous. She hated the way she looked when she played with her mouth. Gah. Of all things to worry about now, how her face looked scrunched up and manipulated with slender fingers. There was a reason she didn’t date much in her youth, much less her
later years.
A new sound like the whisper-glide of Japanese rice paper doors opening caught her attention as her eyes darted across the chamber into a darkened alcove. A brighter light shone in briefly before a slender shadow blocked the light. A small figure entered the room with a finely carved wooden tray in slender, petite hands. A thick wave of curly hair falling across delicate features obscured her view of the small woman.
The platinum-blonde strands cascaded down the middle of a slender back had Mackenzie’s heart drummed a bit faster at the implication. A woman couldn’t possible want to hurt her, right? Regardless of her previous misgivings, the stranger strangely intrigued Mackenzie. Her light eyes followed the epitome of grace that flowed from the woman as the stranger placed the tray on a side table, before stepping back into the alcove and closing the sliding doors.
Mackenzie felt her breath catch in her throat at the delicacy of the unfamiliar woman. She was breathtaking, and that knowledge squeezed her heart. She winced and turned away, confused.
The woman, from the way she carried herself, no doubt knew the chamber well by the way she moved inside the room. She must be Braydok’s woman.
Mackenzie gritted he teeth from the sudden waspishness directed at the lovely female. Confusion furrowed her smooth forehead as a stubborn line crossed her mouth. There wasn’t any need for…jealousy? She blanched at the thought and shrank into the overabundant array of pillows that surrounded her naked back. Why did she assume she was in Braydok’s room?
Hell, she didn’t know where she was, anyway. Yet, the thought lingered as she watched the beauty glide effortlessly to the seated area just beyond the giant bed.
Mackenzie unconsciously shifted, moving her body to watch the woman. The corners of her mouth curled downward as her sad, envious eyes freely roamed the oblivious woman. She swiftly inhaled when almond-shaped eyes, the colour of a clear blue sky, found hers, blinking a strange iris before a soft smile covered plush, full lips tinted with a rosy hue. The smile deepened, showing off two cute dimples that shattered the woman’s beauty and casted her into an adorable vision.