by Mira Maxwell
“Take off the rest,” I say. She hesitates, then reaches behind her back to unclasp her bra. Her heavy breasts tumble free and my mouth waters at the sight of her rosy pink nipples, puckered and craving my attention. I picture her heavy tits wrapped around my thick cock. I’d thrust between them, reaching down to tug at her nipples as she wrapped herself around me.
The pressure of my cock against the leather is too much. I reach down and rub myself with the heel of my hand, kneading my engorged manhood as I look at her. I’m worried I’ll offend with my crude gesture, but then she cups her breasts in response and pinches her swollen nipples. A tiny gasp escapes her lips and it’s the most divine sound I’ve ever heard.
“Remove those.” My voice comes out sounding harsh as I nod towards her white lace panties. My mouth has gone dry and I hear the blood rushing in my head.
“It you want to see so bad, then you come take them off.” I can smell her arousal and I know she’s as excited as I am. I’ve never been more desperate for anything in my life.
I cover the distance between us in a second. There’s a smile on her lips and lust in her eyes when I reach down and tear the flimsy scrap of fabric from between her legs and throw in on the floor.
“I never liked that pair anyway,” she teases as I drop to my knees in front of her. I’m mere inches away from the most intimate part of her. I’m dying to lean forward and nuzzle my face against those delicate brown curls. I want to explore everything underneath them. But I keep my hands at my side and follow her rules.
“Spread your legs.” She walks her feet a few inches farther apart but I still can’t see, not like I want to. Her sweet musky scent has me practically intoxicated. More than anything else, I want her juicy cunt on my face, so I can wear her scent like a cologne and inhale her bewitching pheromones whenever I want.
“Spread yourself apart. So I can see you there.” She moves her hands slowly down her torso, over her ribs and the curve of her belly. She hesitates once they reach her hips. I look up at her, through eyes heavy lidded with lust, and see the uncertainty there.
“Show me, mate,” I say, “and your debt will be paid.”
It’s the final push she needs to bare herself to me. She slides one slim hand between her thighs and spreads her swollen pussy lips apart, baring her most secret place to me. I struggle to memorize every detail of her magnificence. The silky pink folds engorged with her arousal. The little pink nub that stands out at the crest of them, begging for attention. And the tight entrance I long to sink my throbbing cock into.
It takes every ounce of my self control not to throw her to the floor and take her. My desire for her is unlike any force I’ve felt before. I’d do anything she asked, no matter how crazy, if it meant there’s a chance we could be together.
Then, in the middle of my lust-filled fugue, I remember my duty. And the oath I’ve taken. The promises I’ve made to the leaders of Attala, the people in the city, and the men who serve alongside me. It’s like someone has thrown a bucket of cold water on me. My cock softens and my heart aches. Because my duty must come first. It’s how it has to be. The time for schoolboy fantasies is over.
My gaze returns to Diana and she’s peering down at me with a curious expression. I sit back on my heels and toss her snow clothes back to her, to cover herself with.
“Your debt is paid. We leave tomorrow at dawn.”
SEVEN
DIANA
I KNOW what I should be feeling. I should want it to be over. I should want to put my clothes back on. I should want to rush back to my tent and join my crew mates. But I don’t. I want his hands on me. I want him as naked as I am. And I want to lay in his arms, covered in furs, while he fucks me senseless.
But I don’t know how to tell him that. That I crave his touch. That my body hums when I’m near him. I don’t know how to say that I’m starting to believe him. I just might be his mate. Why does the timing have to be so wrong? I only have a couple of months to save my planet. Now is no time to be falling for my alien bodyguard.
So, instead, I slip on my clothes and quietly leave while his back is turned. I sneak back into the women’s tent, where I try to slide into my sleeping bag unnoticed.
“You know there’s no way you’re getting away with sneaking in here without saying a word about what just happened in that tent, right?” Savannah’s voice floats across the tent, not a hint of drowsiness, and I realize she was waiting up for me. They both were. She activates the light and I’m busted.
Mina flips on her side and rests on her elbow. I guess they were both waiting up for me. “When were you planning on telling us what’s going on between you two? I see how he looks at you. And how you’re starting to look back at him. All lovesick and googly eyed.”
“Shut your mouth, Doc.” I wag my finger at her as I sink onto my bedding. “I’m not in love with him. Not even close.”
“Maybe lust, though?” Mina purses her lips together and winks at me. “I’m just Judging from the flush on your cheeks right now. And your relaxed body language. And from the way you couldn’t get to his tent fast enough.”
“It’s not like that,” I say. But I don’t know how to explain it in a way they’ll understand. Telling them that I’m trading sexual favors to advance our mission doesn’t paint me in the best light. Neither does explaining that he’s convinced I’m his cosmic soul mate. This is the craziest thing that’s ever happened to me, and I hardly believe it myself. I don’t mind a little pillow talk with the girls, especially with the ones I travelled across the galaxy with, but I don’t want to cheapen what I can feel developing between me and the Commander, either.
They groan as I switch off the travel lamp. “Sorry, but a lady never kisses and tells,” I say. I sink back into the covers and try to get some much-needed sleep.
It doesn’t work.
My night is restless. Flashes of our encounter play over and over in my mind, on an endless loop. His eyes on my skin, memorizing every inch of me with his direct gaze. His hand brushing against me as he tore off my lace bikini. The heat of his breath against my aching pussy. I would have given myself to him if he’d only asked. But he didn’t. I need to find a way to deal with it and finish my mission.
I avoid him as much as I can while we eat our breakfast and pack up the tents. We help load everything onto the sled, helping the warriors as much as we can, so as not to be a burden. One of the warriors roars into icy dawn and the Aravs creep out from the drifts and wait obligingly next to their harnesses. I’ve never seen such magnificent beasts. Like a giant prehistoric wolf that’s been crossed with a Siberian white tiger. They’re every fairytale fantasy from my childhood. Like the warriors they serve, they never seem to tire and I wonder if they also have some genetic help.
“Captain, if you please, we should get ready to depart,” a young warrior next to the sled says as he offers me his hand. He helps Mina and Savannah and then covers us with a blanket. He piles furs on our laps for extra warmth, gives the signal once we are settled, and the caravan continues.
The list of my questions about these warriors is a mile long. How can they withstand the cold so well? How can they run marathons while hauling heavy equipment? Why are they banished outside the city?
Questioning them directly seems out of bounds. Perhaps Mal would indulge me? Oh God, I’m calling him Mal now. I scan the snow for his striking form, intent on sneaking a look without being detected. He looks magnificent leading the men; his muscles ripple as he bounds through the snow and I wonder what’s underneath his armor. A wave of regret washes over me as I realize I should have made him return the favor last night. I don’t think it would have taken much convincing, and I can only imagine how spectacular he looks in the nude.
Something happens while I gaze at him. Something I never dreamt was even possible. I’m suddenly not just watching from the outside, I’m experiencing his thoughts from the inside. I understand that even though he has denied me his attention all day, I have been on his m
ind in the most delicious of ways. As he races through the snow, leading his men, he pictures me on all fours in front of him. He pounds his thick cock into me over and over as I writhe underneath him. One hand is wrapped around the curve of my hip. The other runs up and down my back, until he settles it around my shoulder, using it for leverage as he thrusts deeper. I’m an observer and a participant at the same time, and the effect is electrifying. For the first time, I feel his lust for me as he experiences it and it’s almost overwhelming.
He looks at me, then, for the first time all day, and a jolt of cosmic energy surges through me when his icy blue eyes lock onto mine. He knows I’ve dropped into his thoughts. He could feel it too, I’m convinced.
I need to talk to him. Mostly, I just want to know what the hell is going on.
I don’t know what’s happening to me. I don’t know how to feel. Part of me wants to leap from the sled, charge up to him, and ask him what the hell he’s thinking, but I’m too practical to think that’s a real option. There’s no way I could catch him on foot. Besides, there’s another part of me that’s intrigued. Growing up, I was always the tomboy and never the girlfriend. Now I’ve met someone who wants me more than anyone else ever has. The intensity of his desire is almost frightening. And it’s hot, damn hot, just like he is. This is what I’ve always wanted, but the timing is just spectacularly unfortunate. My duty comes first, and I know it’s the same for him.
So why can’t I stop thinking about him? Why can’t I stop looking at him? It’s not just his looks that attract me, there’s something else there, deeper. I can feel it. He’s a leader just like I am. He knows the responsibility and he bears it without burden. He has charisma that feels like the sun when he turns it on. I want to know everything about him. I just need a way to get him to open up. A smile curls across my face as the perfect idea pops into my head.
And not a second too soon. The warriors begin to slow and I see a large structure in the distance. The ice mountains rise behind it in jagged white peaks. They dwarf anything I’ve ever seen on Earth and for the first time, I doubt myself, and our chance at success. It’s more daunting than I ever imagined.
The structure at the foot of the mountains grows in size as we approach. It’s a massive building, made of stone, that resembles a medieval fortress. Thick jagged walls are capped with snow and glowing lights. It’s beautiful – not at all what I was expecting. Men on the wall signal at our approach, and the battered wooden door creaks open. We slow and pass under the archway. Men greet each other, and I gather that the warriors manning the outpost have been out here for a while. There’s lots of back slapping and arm grasping as comrades and friends are reunited.
It’s cold inside the outpost; I was hoping to see one of the magical climate controlling domes over our temporary home, but there’s no such luck. At least the walls tamp down the wind. I wait for Mal to join us at the sled, anxious to have him near me again, but he waves one of his men over to attend to us.
I should be relieved we’re so close to the target of our mission. Instead, I feel slighted. And disappointed. I bury those feelings down deep, out of the view of others, and follow Mal’s warrior as he leads us to the small bunkhouse we’ve been assigned. Mina and Savannah choose their beds as I rummage through the sack of provisions Kerryx deposited with us. Everything we need is included: A heating cube, preserved food, and a topographic map of the mountain range. It’s the first map of its kind I’ve seen and I immediately begin to review it.
I hope the lines on the map will reveal some sort of obvious clue as to where to look for the Eclaydian, but it remains as much of a mystery as ever. We know it is more prevalent at high altitudes, but that still leaves a lot of ground to cover. I had hoped for some sort of sign as to where to start our search, a location more specific than the icy peaks next to us, but it appears a great portion of our success will depend on luck. Perhaps a scientist or two from the city would have helped, and I quietly curse my instinct to always go it alone. But then I remember they’ve had no great success in harvesting the material either. It’s like digging for diamonds on Everest, if it were three times taller.
My thoughts drift back to Mal, a welcome balm for my frustrated mind. His strong nature, constant concern for our safety, and physical perfection. I’m suddenly desperate to understand why he turned his attention away from me today, after his relentless pursuit up to this point. I know full attention to my task, as well as sleep, will elude me until I get the answers I seek, so I grab a cloak from the back of the door, sling it over my shoulders, and go in search of him.
The yard is already mostly deserted, with the men having moved indoors for their own meals and rest, but I see Kerryx securing the equipment we’ve brought along. I quickly approach.
“I must speak to the Commander,” I say. “About our plan. It’s important.”
“Captain Bennett.” He drops the leather harnesses and turns to face me. “He has already bedded down for the night. Perhaps it can wait until morning.”
I meet his questioning gaze with a fierce one of my own, determined not to blush. “It cannot, Kerryx.”
He nods and turns away from his task, leading me across the yard to the smallest building. “Then I will escort you to his room.” He taps the heavy wooden door, announces me, and then ushers me inside. I jump involuntarily when he recloses the door behind me, leaving me alone with Mal.
He’s seated at a small table next to the bed, entirely naked. He activates the heating cube for my benefit, before returning his attention to the written correspondence he’s drafting. “What do you need, Captain?” He doesn’t even look at me when he says it.
“Why are you ignoring me? You couldn’t get enough yesterday. And today it’s a whole different story.”
“Because I’m playing with fire, and it has to stop. You’re from another planet, here on a short-term mission. And then you’ll return home. Differences between us are too great. And you know nothing of our history. Of my life here. Or my oath.”
“You didn’t seem too worried about all this last night,” I remind him.
“Oh Diana, there’s so much you don’t understand.” It’s like all the air goes out of him. He leans forward and rests his head in his hands.
“Then tell me.” I crouch next to the chair where he sits and rest my hand on his arm. “Things are happening to me. I don’t understand them. I need to know what’s going on.”
“I can’t. As the Commander of the Guard, I am keeper of its secrets. And the secrets of all Attalans. It is forbidden knowledge for outsiders.”
“I want to know. I need to know what being your mate means.”
“You’ve lived long enough to know we don’t always get what we want in this life. Besides, you don’t believe in fated mates. Right?”
“Let’s just say something happened today that has me reeling a bit.” I pause, but he doesn’t offer any information. “I could hear you today. Hear you were thinking. Experience what you were thinking. All those deliciously dirty thoughts you were having about me. How is that possible?”
He finally lifts his head and looks at me. “It is a normal part of the mating process. That’s all I can tell you, Diana.”
“That’s not fair. I need to know what’s happening to me. What’s happening between us.” I shrug the cloak from my shoulders and slip out of my winter exploration suit, depositing it on the floor next to me. I stand before him, completely naked, hoping my appearance has the same effect it did last night. “Now name your price.”
He looks at me with such desperation, as if he won’t make it another minute is he can’t get his hands on me. His hard fought restraint quickly crumbles as he turns and faces me completely.
“I want to touch you, Diana. I want to use these strong hands for something besides fighting. I want to feel your soft skin under my fingertips. I want to feel the heat of your slick cunt grasping my fingers when I slide them deep inside you. Let me do that and then I’ll tell you whatever you want
to know.”
I turn back to the door and I feel the anticipation in him, wound like a tightly coiled spring, waiting to see my decision. I reach up to the lever and lock it, shutting us safely inside away from the rest of the world.
EIGHT
DIANA
“SIT.” He motions to the chair directly across from him. Being this close to him while we’re both unclothed seems like playing with fire; my body reacts to the sight of him nude despite my best efforts to the contrary. I want to crawl between his thick, muscular thighs and take his throbbing cock between my lips until I drain every last drop of sweetness from his heavy balls. My warm juices leak down my inner thighs at the mere thought of it.
I settle myself into the simple straight-backed chair, crossing my legs at the ankle like a prim prep school coed.
“I’d give anything to claim your precious cunt as my own.” His muscled hand drifts down to his engorged manhood and begins to lazily pump it in his fist. “For the past 28 years, I’ve hardly thought of a woman. Then you show up and ruin me.”
“Ruin you, huh?” I run my hands along the top of my thighs and wish it were his gentle touch, instead of my own.
“You’re all I can think about. I’m a grown man, a warrior of Attala, and I’m behaving like a besotted schoolboy. I should be designing defensive strategies, training programs, and risk assessment protocols. But every time I try to focus, images of you flash into my mind. Your beautiful grey eyes. The strong line of your collarbone. The curve of your breasts. The small patch of fur between your thighs.
“It must be torture for you.” I part my thighs just a sliver, giving him a glimpse of what he wants.
“A most delicious torture.” He reaches out in a flash and before I can react, he’s pulled my chair directly across from his, so that our knees are touching. “One I can no longer resist.” He hooks his hands under my knees and pulls my ass closer to the edge of the chair. He swiftly lifts my legs and positions them on top of his, spreading me wide. I relax against him, enjoying the feeling of our thighs lazing together. Everything about him is so damn masculine. Wiry leg hair, thick slabs of muscle, and that amazing cock that’s almost the size of my forearm right now.