by Bethany Aan
Arianna sighed against his chest, curling into his warmth and allowing herself to relax a bit, now that the shock was wearing off. For a long time, neither of them spoke. When she did, it was in fits and starts, but she told him everything she remembered, even though she didn’t have to, and they both knew it. Hunter fought disgust as she related her treatment and the feelings of violation. All he could do was hold her and grow angrier as she related the tale. Finally, she said she couldn’’t remember any more. He considered that a blessing.
“When we found you,” he told her after a time, “There were cylindrical structures, or the remains of them, at the site. Stasis chambers, I believe. They’re crude and usually only used for prisoner or slave transport. I think we can say that you and your women were definitely stolen from your planet, but intended for what, we don’t know. It was a slave ship, but I think that it might have just been the best choice of transport for whoever had you abducted.””
“I think so, too,” she said softly. Her breath hitched and she turned frantic eyes up to his, tears overflowing them. “Oh, god, Hunter! What if…”
“Shhhh,” he soothed, stroking her hair and bending to place a gentle kiss on her lips. “They didn’t get you. The ship crashed, but you and Bev led your women to jump, and they would have been killed horribly if you had not. I’ve seen the wreckage of that section of the ship, and none of you would have survived the impact. You and Bev saved their lives, and now that they remember that, they will accept you both as the courageous and quick-thinking leaders you’ve already shown yourselves to be.
“But what is more important is that you are here and you’re safe. So are your ladies. You’re going to be fine. No one will ever do that to you again.”
“Promise?” she whispered. His look was intense when he met her gaze.
“Little warrior, life will leave my body before anyone harms you again. This I swear. I will protect you and yours with my strength, my intelligence, and my warrior’s skills. I would kill or die for you.”
She swallowed at that pronouncement.
“That’s… beautiful,” she said, reaching up a trembling hand to touch his lips. He kissed her fingertips then rested his forehead against hers.
“I meant every word,” he whispered.
“But… you barely know me, Hunter. How can you make such a promise as that, when you’ve known me less than an Earth week?”
“Because our people just know,” he told her huskily. “When we meet someone, we know that she is either to be ours or not, and we will fight to hold her. And I am a Reader. I have seen your very soul. I know that you are meant for me.”
“Is she okay?” Jace asked, skidding to the front door, almost missing it in his speed to get to her.
“She is fine. Same as the others, when I found her.”
“How are the women?” Arianna asked, sitting up a bit and looking at Jace. He was studying her as he came forward, and she knew she must look awful. She was still chilled and shaking, but not nearly as bad as when Hunter had found her. Jace knelt in front of her and checked her vital signs. She managed a smile at his worry. “I’m fine, Jace. How are the others?”
“They will be fine, as well. It seems that the creatures that took you managed to give you a memory block that was meant to wear off after a certain amount of time, and that you all remembered at about the same time. It was probably to keep you from panicking when you first woke up.” He spat the information with a great deal of revulsion. “You all seem to be in various stages of shock, but the men have your women well in hand. Each girl is being tended to by a team. One man to warm her, one to reassure her, and their medic to monitor her life signs, in case there is an emergency.”
“Shouldn’t you be down there?” Arianna gasped. Jace squeezed her hand in reassurance. “What if one of the others needs you?”
“Then their team will call for me.” He smiled tenderly at her and tucked a wisp of hair behind her ear. “My medics are also on the scene, but I had to be sure you were well, first. You are my priority.”
Hunter cleared his throat. Jace rolled his eyes comically.
“Well, among the women. Hunter, of course, being the Commander, is the first priority in almost all other circumstances.”
Arianna managed a watery laugh at that. Convinced that she would be okay, Jace stood and gave Hunter a brief set of instructions, then reluctantly left them with the assurance that he’d be back as soon as he’d checked on her companions.
For a very long while, Ri simply let Hunter hold her, let him be strong for her, as she thought about what she had seen and experienced during her abduction and escape. She had almost died. That thought alone sent a tremor through her. She shuddered, then looked up at Hunter, fighting back tears.
“I feel so… dirty,” Arianna admitted with a sniffle. The memory of the bodily invasion of all those tubes was enough to make her stomach turn. “Is there any way I can have a bath? A real, honest-to-god bath? I don’t know if I can get my leg wet…”
“Of course, little one,” he murmured. “You had only to ask.”
He stood with her in his arms and, cradling her like a cherished babe, headed into his bedroom and the bathroom that lay beyond.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Arianna felt a twinge of excitement when Hunter set her on the sink’s counter. She was very much aware of the fact that she was sitting, bare-assed, in nothing but a medical gown. Dressed as she was, being in such a small space with him, watching as he bent and twisted and moved… he was so well formed, his hard muscles moving sleekly beneath his skin. It all combined into a heady mix that stole her breath and her resolve to keep him at a distance.
He turned on the water in the huge bath tub, testing it for warmth, and placed a stopper in the drain. He then poured a generous amount of something that smelled rather nice into the water. Once he’d replaced the bottle of scent, he turned on his heels and looked up at her. The intensity of his expression showed that he’d been very much aware of her admiration. She held her breath at the heat in his eyes. Steam billowed between them for a moment then wafted away in curling tendrils. He rose slowly and came to stand in front of her, his eyes burning into hers.
“I can… I think I can handle it from here,” she murmured, her heart racing. It was what she felt was the proper thing to say. Not what she wanted, but what was considered appropriate. Hunter shook his head slowly, holding her gaze.
“My brother would have my head if I allowed anything to happen to you, little one.”
His words were altruistic; the intent behind them was anything but. She stared at him for another long moment, her heart pounding.
He stared right back. The desire in her eyes, the blush on her cheeks and chest, and the hitch in her breathing all told him, without his having to look into her mind, that she wanted him. He could smell her arousal, and it had him hard and hungry in an instant.
But Hunter knew that she was vulnerable, knew that he had an incredible advantage… and a weighty responsibility not to take that advantage. He stood between her legs and touched her cheek, his eyes holding hers as he gently probed her mind, silently asking for permission for what he was about to do. Ri’s mind at first snapped closed. He sensed that she was afraid of her feelings, afraid of the very passion that had his mouth dry and his pulse racing. What kind of place had her world been, that simple desire and passion were made into abhorrent things, to be hidden and ashamed of?
Taking a chance, Hunter pressed gently past the block in her mind. She wasn’t trying very hard to keep it up, anyway. He grinned at that. She wanted that wall broken down. She wanted him to come in and drag her out, to show her that it was okay to feel the way she felt. So he did. Holding her head between his hands, Hunter touched foreheads with her, breathing deeply of her scent as he blasted through that wall and demanded the honesty she wanted so badly to share.
Was she ready for this?
The fierce hunger that met his wordless inquiry nearly buckled his
knees. Ri didn’t know how to ask for what she wanted. He sensed that the inhibitions instilled in her by her former culture kept her from acting on the natural attraction that had been burning between them from day one. If he asked her aloud, she would feel compelled to say no, even though she didn’t mean it. So he didn’t ask. Instead, he went by what her heart, mind, and body were aching for.
With a smile that was tender, hot, and wicked, all at the same time, Hunter reached up and around her, his nimble fingers finding the closure of her gown at the back of her neck. With a few swift movements, he had the gown parted and open, allowing steamy air to caress her bare skin. She sucked in a breath as he leaned forward just a bit, his scent lifting up around her, surrounding her. Very slowly, making sure that his hands touched her flesh the entire time, he dragged the gown forward over her shoulders. With excruciatingly slow movements, he slid the material down her arms until her breasts were freed from the fabric. They both sucked in a harsh breath when that happened.
Hunter looked down, watching her nipples harden against the drag of the cloth over them. His mouth opened on a huff of air. Opening herself to his mental touch, she felt his hunger for her, the raw need that took hold of his body, the sheer will he was exerting to do no more than he already was. Arianna’s breathing was shaky as one of his hands came up and a large fingertip circled her nipple. A jolt of pure sensation went through them both at the contact. The breath she’d just sucked in stuttered out on a soft little cry and her head fell back at his touch.
“Jace was right,” he murmured, fascinated. “Your breasts are much more sensitive than our women’s. It seems I will have to be very careful of you, little one. I would not wish to hurt you.”
Hunter breathed her name reverently as his fingers closed over the taut bud of her nipple. His thumb flicked over her, testing the hardness of the flesh, relishing the reaction of her body to him. That quickly, she was distracted once more. Desire shot through her and she fought to free herself from the gown. But Hunter had hold of it and he wasn’t letting go. Staring at her breasts, he lowered his head until he could touch the throbbing, aching nipple with his lips. He kissed the hard little nub reverently. Arianna’s cry was sweet and clear as it rang off the walls of the bathroom.
Her back arched, thrusting her breasts closer to him, and he finally let go of her gown enough for her to free her arms and hold his head to her. Hunter groaned and dragged her nipple into his mouth, teasing it with his tongue then closing his lips around her and sucking. She nearly wept at the sensations running through them both, the shared energy and the strange ability to feel his emotions and needs as well as her own. She felt the tugging of his mouth clear down to her toes, and every point in between. Her fingers clenched in his hair and her thighs spread apart as he knelt on the floor in front of her.
The sound of rushing water and the scented steam combined to make Arianna feel floaty, dreamy, but incredibly alive and awake at the same time. When Hunter’s mouth moved to her other breast, she felt her body tighten in response, felt her inner walls begin to clench and release, sending a flood of her desire to prepare the way for what her body was fervently hoping would come next. Hunter caught her intoxicating scent and stripped the gown off of her with a growl, exposing her completely to his gaze.
When his eyes lit on the bruising on her midriff and the various cuts and scrapes that still marred her body, he froze.
Arianna knew the moment his ardor cooled, when he realized that if he did anything more, he might hurt her. She wanted to scream at him that she was stronger than she looked. But she didn’t have to. He knew. He met her gaze and offered a crooked, sheepish smile as he slowly got to his feet. Leaning forward to rest his forehead against hers, he sighed heavily, then kissed her nose tenderly.
“You are a temptress,” he murmured, making her breath catch on a startled laugh. “But you are not ready for me. And you are not healed enough for most of the things I wish to do to you.”
“That’s going to help me calm down,” she muttered, putting her arms around his neck as he lifted her nude form and gently deposited her into the now-full tub. She leaned back against the tub, finding it much softer than she’d expected. She hadn’t noticed the thin covering of moss before, it blended in so well with the mottled stone of the bath. He knelt beside her, turned off the water, and gazed wistfully down at her naked body through the gentle waves lapping at her.
“I should leave,” he said, his voice heavy with his desire and his reluctance to go. Ri bit her lower lip, looking up at him. He sighed, running a hand through his hair, the thongs loosening. That black curtain of silk swirled around his shoulders and face, doing funny things to her stomach and her core. She nodded mutely at him, afraid that if she opened her mouth, she’d invite him to join her.
“Are you sure you’ll be able to manage?” he asked, hopeful that the answer would be no. But Ri also sensed genuine concern. She reached up to twist and tuck her hair up, knowing she couldn’t wash it with her ribs aching as they did. Instead, she got a sharp pain in her side, making her cry out softly, involuntarily. Hunter was at her side in a second, holding her hand as the pain ebbed. “Ri, you need help.”
“I just won’t wash my hair,” she said through gritted teeth, frustrated at her body’s current limitations.
“But you wish to be clean, do you not?” he asked huskily, leaping at the excuse, any excuse, to stay, to prolong this sweet torture for them both.
“Yes!” she huffed out at him. “I haven’t had a bath since the first day. I want to be squeaky clean again.”
“Then let me help you,” he said softly, trailing a finger down the side of her face. When she turned questioning eyes to meet his gaze, he smiled. “I will not do anything that you do not wish me to do. This I promise.”
“That’s the problem,” she murmured, leaning into his touch. “I want you to do everything. And I shouldn’t. I’ve only known you a few days. Why do I feel like it has been years, that I’ve wanted you for all my life?”
“Because you have,” he assured her. “As have I. I have never felt this close to a woman, this complete, this… intense.”
She turned wondering eyes up to his face. He smiled softly at her.
“You fear your feelings, Ri,” he murmured, one long finger trailing over the pink shell of her ear, down the side of her neck, and absently wandering over her collarbone. “Know that I fear mine, as well. I should give you time. I know that. But I feel as though my world will not be complete until I make you mine in truth. Not just by making love, but with the full mating ceremony. I want to show everyone else that we are wed, together, our hearts and souls bound to one another. I want there to be no reason, at all, for you to fear your feelings for me, sweet little warrior. I know it makes no sense, but that is how I feel, the naked truth of it.”
“Hunter,” she whispered, moved by his heartfelt honesty. Back on Earth, such a line would be just that… a line used to get into her pants. But with Hunter… well, she could read his mind. She knew his heart, and she knew that he believed what he was telling her, with all his being. Knowing that, being absolutely sure of how he felt, took the shame from her desire, leaving something lovely and warm behind in its place.
“Let me help you, little one,” he whispered back. “There is nothing shameful between those who have declared themselves. And I do not wish for you to hurt yourself in your stubbornness, trying to do everything on your own. What kind of world did you live in, that you feel obligated to hide your pain and deny aid until you have no choice but to accept it?”
“A world I’m very glad to have left behind,” Ri sighed. She closed her eyes for a moment, knowing that the other girls would think she was wanton… but what did she really care? If they were truly stranded here for the rest of their lives, this man could become her mate, in effect her husband, if she allowed it. Did it really matter if she waited a week, a month, or even a year to be with him, when they had already decided to explore the possibility of a f
uture together?
If he still wanted her once the excitement of sex wore off and he remembered that she couldn’t give him children, that is. The thought was like a shot of ice water. Quickly shutting her thoughts from him, she realized that this might be the only chance she’d have to feel his touch, to know his tenderness. She’d have to let him go soon. But for today, this moment…
Looking up at him, she shyly nodded, accepting his offer of help. The triumph and eagerness in his eyes was more than she could have imagined, made her feel like she was giving him an incredible gift, instead of just letting him help her bathe.
He leaned forward and kissed her happily, then stood and stripped out of his pants.
“What are you…”
“You don’t want me to get them wet, do you?” His eyebrows arched in innocence, but his mouth twitched with a half-grin that sent desire shooting through her to set up an almost painful throbbing in her core.
“Well, no,” she said, then cleared her throat and tried to match his innocence. “That would ruin the leather, wouldn’t it?”
Hunter grinned happily at her, loving that she immediately played his game. He’d have to think of other games they could play. Later.
Arianna stared at his beautiful, naked form, her mouth going dry. Hunter stilled at her frank appraisal, letting her enjoy him for a moment. He was so wonderfully made. Tall, strong, but not over-blown with muscle. He had the physique of an Italian statue. Wide shoulders, defined muscles, sculpted abs and those wonderful little tendons or whatever, that formed a V, as though they were little landing strips for her tongue to follow to his shaft. She blushed, thinking about it. As she watched, fascinated, the shaft in question, already at half-mast, jerked. Rising from a tight nest of curls, his cock became hard, swollen, and seemed to pulse before her eyes. She gulped at the size of it, peeking up at Hunter’s face.