“Hungry, my woman?” Even though his tone held concern, he made no attempt to disguise his blazing study of her body, draped in the transparency of the gown.
“Do you dress for dinner?”
His lips curved a languid smile. “Not usually on board my vessel.”
“Any place to hide from you on your vessel?” She raised both brows, wildly uncomfortable.
“Culture resolution, my prettiest. That is all we will need.” Seriously, his dark gold gaze studied her face.
“What do you have to eat around here?” Nervous, with her stomach seized to knots, she asked him a safe question.
Swallowing her fierce apprehension, Katta took his offered hand. He led her into an adjoining dressing area. Touching open a panel, he selected a masculine robe of heavy brocade, a darker gold than his eyes.
“Of your culture?” Katta asked, having seen only glimpses of his world’s garments.
“Of my culture, yes.” With ease he slid the magnificent robe on. There was no closing that she could see, but it was designed to overlap in the front.
“Bastrias?” He bestowed a knowing smile on her.
“How did you.?” Katta halted her words. It was one of her favorite food dishes.
“You investigated. I investigated.”
“Great stars! Now I know nothing about you that wasn’t information-planted.”
“You don’t give yourself enough credit, Kattalonia. What you learned about me is mostly accurate.”
“By your allowance? Or by my ability?”
He grinned his secret. “Mostly. I found out about your search after your investigative attack.”
“Mostly. Can you really help me save my father?”
Taking her hand, he escorted her in a strange regal fashion, totally surprising her.
“Wouldn’t this ship suggest my capability?”
“To be blunt, Dred, Zio, why would I fully trust anybody? Why would I trust your capability? You have already cost me one shot. Then we were shot at.”
“I have tracked every flight to and from your planet since my arrival.”
Katta spun to face him. “Let me see.”
“Sustenance then I will bring up the report.”
“A big bossy stallion. Is there any other kind?” She moved back beside him. “And why do you seem different? Not that I actually know you.”
“You know who I was.”
“I swear that makes not an ounce of quantum sense to me.” Her fiery spirit rising, she flounced on the sleekly molded chair he indicated and watched him key in their food. They were inside a small food area, typical of personal space vessels.
“Real plant ingredients,” he proudly stated. “It will take longer.”
“Real?” Her gaze flew up to his face.
“Impressed?” he teased, sitting at the small table beside her.
“I’m grateful. Do you use food suspension?”
“A type of suspension, time-locked at peak taste and nutrition.”
“No wonder your stud stamina is legendary.”
“No doubt a contribution to my ‘legendary’ status,” he velvet spoke to her, a teasing edge to his voice. “But more toward my heritage, a long lineage of carnal stamina.”
“Goddess. This is really awkward.” Her insides twisted. “All I want to do is run away from you.”
“My lust-shy woman.” He touched strands of her hair, free, luminous, flowing to her waist. Red and honeyed gold. “Just to enjoy your hands on me again, I had to discover you in a gas hallucination.”
“Talk about a rotten despicable deception.”
“The Yobew didn’t capture you.”
“Yeah, sure. Thanks. You or the Yobew. I could probably have whacked off enough of his legs, even hallucinating.”
“When did you realize I was real?”
“You mean, when did I know to immobilize you with your orgasmic stud organ?”
“When, Kattalonia?” He touched wisps of her hair back, his fingers grazing her cheek.
“Smell. Your stallion sex-smell for me.”
“Your hands on my ‘organ’, my complete undoing…smell undoing.”
The food-prepared tone interrupted them, and he stood. Katta felt the burning sting of her cheeks as she remembered, and knew her face was flushed.
The aroma enticing, and her stomach emptier than the vastness of space, Katta dove into the bowl of Bastrias he quickly placed before her. “Lovely, delicious.” She’d recalled her manners, the ones her mother had relentlessly drilled into her. “I appreciate the utensil of my culture.”
“You appear half-starved.” He leisurely ate.
“Nothing much since Dad, then I took off after that wormhole criminal.”
“More?” he inquired.
“Enough, thank you. Water?”
“Of course. Your race requires more. I had forgotten.”
Thirstily, Katta drank the container of water he gave her. He refilled it immediately. She sipped, realizing how much she had neglected herself, but not surprised.
“You were tracking the flights to find me?”
“To chase you, my Kattalonia. Specifically to locate your sister, then you.”
“And if Jessa had arrived, then what? Mount her until she agreed to assist you?”
“Incur your jealous wrath, prettiest, for all time? The persuasion of carnal pleasures is not my only method to gain assistance.”
“You could have fooled me big galactic time. May I view your record of flights?”
“This way, my prettiest one.” He offered his hand.
Katta allowed his gentlemanly guidance of her, mentally shaking her head in wonder and surprise. This was not the man who had ruthlessly chased her, the man who was the carnal delight of woman after intergalactic woman. At least, not in how he behaved right now.
Chapter Four
Stepping before his panel screen, Katta focused, identified each spacecraft and ultimately witnessed the authorized departure of a commuter vessel, the one she had last-moment chased on her authority as a Corporal.
“Anything?” His tone was neutral, serious.
“A whole lot of nothing. The commuter vessel he used was a hire. Checked the company log when I chased him. It was paid for by a false trail off world business. No irregular space traffic shows up on your record.”
“Give me the name, what you’ve gathered. I’ll place it through Recognition.”
“And why do you have Recognition?”
“Business is business, my woman. I prefer to know who I do business with. Secrets can be lethal.”
“Your business interests must go deeper than what I discovered.” Katta’s sigh burst out of her and she briefly, impatiently shook her hair back. “I have no idea what to call you. Dred. Zio. Ziocese. Stallion Untamed, that seems to be popular on the carnal circuit. To answer you, Bloix Personal Message Delivery.”
He was so completely quiet, Katta spun to him.
“Mercenaries.” His features looked as though they’d been carved out of stone. “Mostly the personal assassination business.”
Katta scrutinized him. “And you know this…how?”
“Had a few unpleasant encounters with their operatives. Attempted to eliminate a few of my business associates on the odd occasion.”
Katta blinked then assessed him further. “I didn’t know you traded in such rough ports.”
“Odd occasion is the key term, prettiest.”
“Then,” Katta speculated, “who wants purchase of the data cube? Or is it just a political manipulation with my father as pawn? Maybe both… or something more huge-diabolical?”
“Three syndicates are possible buyers. They possess the tech to retrieve the information.”
“Bidding war for the cube, or someone’s personal hire? Have a way of discovering?”
“Got ways of tracing, tracking who is chattering about not-so-legal purchases. Not down here. Only on the space channels.”
Katta nodded, folded her arm
s and paced. “Got any fierce instinct about this?”
“Syndicate operation. Your world is ripe profit to them, if they can get a space-hold established.”
“The one good thing my world has going for it, severely limited corruption. Until now. Yeah, that’s what my world needs, raven syndicate claws swooping down for all the shiny new pickings.” Her thoughts on highest buzz, Katta continued pacing. “Hells have limitations,” she muttered. “If only I could have gotten that son of a wormhole. Wrung a quick confession out of his lungs.”
“Your distress is as fierce as a wolf-bear’s incisors, my Kattalonia. Can you read his energy from the Security Overscreen?”
Sparing him a glance, Katta felt his need to help her. “The Master of Security’s Overscreen of all sexual activity? Probably, if his energy matrix is on there. It won’t give me his appearance but, at least, where he was located. Isn’t that forbidden info?”
“Usually forbidden. If we don’t involve any carnal partner, just attempt his location, I can convince our Master of Security’s cooperation.”
Katta faced him squarely, gazing up at him. “Influence far and galactic wide?”
“Business gains are often a matter of right influences in right places. So is survival. I prefer the friendly environment.”
“Certainly ‘friendly’ with raging lust opportunities here, Mr. Libido Entrepreneur.”
“Why not assist others with certain libido enhancements?” He wicked smiled down at her. “With whatever is market available.”
“Certainly lucrative, I would dare imagine. Or not dare.” She frowned then whirled away. “Isn’t that against your own world’s way?”
“My sire and I disagree.”
“A son’s rebellion?” she challenged.
“Rebellion, and a true difference in belief.”
“Spread carnal enjoyment across the cosmos?”
“The celestial time has come for sharing the enjoyment lust of our world,” he amused-teased over her.
“Renegade stallion on the cosmos loose, and all the ladies desire him,” she only half-mocked.
“Your renegade stallion, now. I adore your jealousy, my prettiest.”
“Mounting ravish me until morning, is that the diabolical stud plan?”
“You’re exhausted, my Kattalonia. We rest. Then I mounting ravish you─”
“Your purple light is blinking,” she interrupted. “Mean anything?”
“Speak of my devil stud sire, his com signal.”
“Where do I hide?”
“In my arms.” Zio opened his arms to her, an invitation to come to him. “It is a tradition of my world that I honor, Kattalonia.”
Wild to run, Katta blinked. Her heart thumped brutally, ready to race away from him. But where? She was inside his starship, and it looked more and more like he could help her. Stiffly, she moved to him, holding the gown above her ankles. He brought her against him, his warmth incredible. Gently, he turned her so she faced outward, and possessed her within his embrace. Katta knew this was not going to go well; every particle of her knew.
“Sire,” Zio greeted, the moment his father appeared on the large communication screen. “May I hope there is no emergency to the realm?”
Katta started slightly then shoved back against him. His sire was dark silver in coloring, including his mane of hair and his penetrating eyes. However, their features were close to identical, although his sire’s bone structure was bolder, larger. War horse to race horse.
“It appears the only current emergency is you, my wayward galloping son.”
“You have Pretizio. He follows faithfully in your hoof beats, with respect, sire.”
“This is your woman? The woman who eluded your chase so victoriously?”
“I present Corporal Kattalonia Svelle of Windsworld. She is the woman I have chased to mine. As our way reveres. What is your purpose in contact, sire?”
“Return now. Assume your rightful position. Marllinza will forgive your rutting indiscretions, your chase for another. She will become your approved mate. As both your mother and I have chosen.”
“Your complete statement, sire?”
“With care for the Corporal of Windsworld, we will continue our disagreement in privacy. You will remember your duty is to our realm.”
“Contact me with true duty to our realm and I will respond immediately. Instruct Mhaya, or anyone else, with any more manner of interferences in my life and the consequences will be ruthless.”
“Ziocese, despite the ruthless strike of your hooves in opposition to my commands, you will remember your station as my son and that your duty is to our realm.”
The huge screen emptied. Breathless, Katta stared. “May I inquire just what your rightful position is?”
“Renegade stallion will do, my prettiest.”
“Obvious as the night you’re not telling me.” She spun within his embrace, facing him. “Going to allow me a visual of Marllinza so I can be clawing jealous of another woman, a real filly?” She mocked him, yet owned a twinge of jealousy, of anger about being dismissed by his father. More anger at him for claiming her, as well as fury at herself for caring. Flames of rage shot up inside her. Over everything! She tried twisting free. He captured her elbows, and held her still. Deciding not to battle him, and to keep her rising fire power from harming him, she quieted.
“I presented you to my father because it is our way. No woman of my world has a claim on me now. You are my woman.”
Katta panted, absorbing what he spoke. “I don’t recall agreeing.”
“You will, my prettiest. You will agree.”
“No. No, you bad, conceited stallion. I’m not agreeing to anything. Except your carnal desires as long as you help me save my father.”
“Accepted, my prettiest. Now, come to my bed.”
“You’re only accepting because you think you’ll get your overbearing way.” Katta felt horribly vulnerable and token-resisted as he pulled her into his embrace.
“We stallions are mounting-dominant, it’s true.” He gentled her with his caressing tone.
"And too proud of it." Goddess, why does he have to feel this good? “You didn’t tell me how you got this ship.”
“Business profits have their uses, my Kattalonia.”
“Carnal enhancements are definitely big business, big being the operative term.”
Zio threw his head back, a huge laugh bursting from him. Then he swept up his woman and swiftly carried her to his bed domain.
“Privacy?” His tender gaze surprised her.
“Appreciated.” Suppressing her urge to shiver, and wishing she didn’t feel as fragile as the sea foam they sailed above, Katta squeezed her eyes shut, and tried to poof away the images of his sex-contraption couches. When he set her down, she opened her eyes. She stood at the entrance of an immense pearl-glistening cubicle.
“Just for you,” he whispered in her ear. Straightening, he left her.
Katta entered and paused, stunned. It was a near replica of a woman’s lounging room. The one he’d seen her within first when the port room mix-up had occurred. He had entered the crystalline paradise of femininity in search of another woman. Instead he'd found her, soaking in a pink translucent tub like the one now before her. Slowly Katta gazed around at the lavender and pink shimmer of the lounge, remembering. Deciding he preferred her lust company, he had attempted to persuade her to his loins but had not won his mounting way. Not then.
Leaving the fantasy-beautiful lounge, Katta drew in a huge breath. She bit her bottom lip, chewing as she worried about her father. Here she was moving toward the clutches of a notorious stallion shifter rake, who drove her wanton-insane with passion, and believed she was his one mate. Instead, she should be scouring Yemisque, the reason she was here was to capture the wormhole piece of dung, and recover the data cube so she could save her father. Hell’s new frontiers.
He had dimmed the room to a lovely glow. Gazing toward the bed, she knew fate had the upper fist.
Invitingly, he opened the bed covering to her.
“I suppose you want me naked.” Each step felt momentous to her.
“I could stroke the gown from your body. Or, if you prefer, I’ll rip it off you.” The dashing curve of his mouth, the seductive darkness of his eyes teased her, and teased her loins to a simmering heat. Katta ignored it.
“Not tonight, lover,” she mimicked. Halting, she slipped the gown over her head, and draped it over a low stool.
Goddess, he feels like a hull magnet pulling me toward him. The bed was so immense Katta crawled over the thick satiny texture, not knowing anything except that he did lust-desire her. As she neared him, he exuded a new scent, not carnal-stimulating, she decided. Was it a protective scent?
“You will sleep in moments.” He gathered her close and arranged her against him.
“You do feel male beautiful.” Katta yawned, feeling drowsy and strangely warm. “Chemicals?”
“I’ll explain later, prettiest.”
“I’m sure you will…”
“Sleep sweet, my Kattalonia,” he whispered. Her words had stopped before she’d finished. Gently, Zio cupped her breast. His own relaxation eased his muscles, his entire body. Only with her, as was the physical way of his kind, could he rest this fully. Moments after her deep slumber breaths, he followed, sleeping as he had not since he had begun chasing her. As he would always chase her.
* * * *
Katta entered her dream world as flame. Below her was the matrix vibration of Yemisque. Thanking her Fire Goddess, she blazed closer, searching for the energy signature of her prey. At the Outlander she fire-streamed to where she'd sensed him. Around her, shapes scintillated as vibration only. Tuning into her memory of the enemy, she was drawn toward his essence. Flame-flowing toward an outside eatery, she saw the chair he'd sat on briefly and knew something about him she hadn't known. He carried reptilian genes within him, the matrix energy of an alligator. He was an alligator warrior. She scanned for his etheric trail.
Tangerine Carnal Dreams Page 4