by Aria Bell
I slowly stood, facing him silently. My throat felt so tight it was a struggle to breathe. My fists were clenched to hide how badly my hands were trembling. I stared at him and didn’t say a word while my emotions were in turmoil inside me. I was elated to see him again. I wanted his arms around me, protecting me. And I dreaded that all my suspicions and speculations had been right, filling me with anger and fear.
His smile slowly faded. He cocked his head to the side, watching me. “You look like you want to run me through with my own sword, Duchess.”
I had so many things I wanted to yell at him for. How he’d left me alone in my room this morning, sneaking off and locking me in again as if I was still a hostage. I wanted to demand the reason why this ship was in my home star system if he’d promised not to ransom me. I intended to tell him off savagely, at great length and with gusto. So of course something else entirely blurted out of my mouth the moment I opened it.
“I am the daughter of a duchess. I am not a duchess. You keep using the wrong titles and looking like a fool. I prefer the term Captain. One would think the title might even be familiar to you.”
His lips quirked again at my words, but his eyes narrowed at the venom in my tone. “Last night you let me call you Sylvis.”
“Yes,” I spat. “I did a lot of things last night that I regret.”
He stared at me with those laser-intense blue eyes. When he finally spoke, his voice was deep and fervent. “I don’t regret a thing. I reveled in every single moment of it. Feeling your heart pounding. Touching your skin, looking into your eyes. Being inside you. Kissing those soft lips…” He shook his head. “No, I was the luckiest Jardan alive last night. I regret nothing.”
My throat tightened even further, forcing me to choke back a sob. I could not believe I was two seconds from bursting into tears. Again. Because his words were exactly what I wanted to hear, but had been terrified I wouldn’t. I gathered all my will and blinked my eyes clear, pretty sure he hadn’t noticed anything was wrong with me. I had to keep control of my emotions. I refused to appear vulnerable again. Yeah, he could talk an excellent game. But the door had still been locked and I’d still been trapped here, despite his words claiming he’d set me free. Besides, how stupid was it to feel touched when this annoying bastard actually did what I’d asked for once. He’d kidnapped me. Why should I be grateful he finally showed a few shreds of civility?
“You’re angry,” he said, frowning. “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”
“More like something didn’t happen. When I woke up, you were gone and I was still locked in here like a prisoner.” I angrily waved a hand at the vid screen on the wall. “I checked the nav status. This ship is in the Lyss System. Why would be here if you aren’t going to sell me to my father?”
Kash seemed to understand my fear and anger because his expression turned serious. He regarded me with sympathy in his eyes, and his words were patient. “The Defiance Blade arrived in the Lyss system while we were together last night, following the last set of navigation plans I gave before things changed. We are still cloaked, so trust me, your father does not know we are here.” A frown darkened his face, although I didn’t believe the look was directed at me. “As for leaving you, I wished for nothing more than to have you lie in my arms forever. But I was due on the bridge. When you did not wake, I decided you needed the rest and let you sleep. And as for the lock, until I resolve your status with the crew, it’s not safe for you to wander around the ship.” His hand settled on the hilt of his sword. “I don’t trust all of them, and I already had to cut off Tleg’s hand to teach a lesson. The lock was for everybody’s protection.”
I folded my arms across my chest, my feelings at war within me. On one hand, his reasons sounded…reasonable. But on the other hand… “So I guess that means you haven’t ‘resolved my status’ with the crew yet? They still think I’m their ransom ticket, don’t they?”
His uncharacteristically grim face told me all I needed to know. How typical. Lots of promises last night when he wanted to get in my pants, and the next morning all those words were easily forgotten. Males were all the same. Walking penises with thirty-second memory spans.
Kash seemed to read my dismay. He walked to me and took my small hand in his big one. “I haven’t told them yet, little human. This is complicated, delicate…and dangerous. But I have a plan.”
“You’re asking me to trust you?”
“No. I gave you my word. I’m expecting you to trust me.”
The thing was, I didn’t know if I could. Last night I’d been carried along by my emotions and my hormones, by my need to be touched and comforted after what my father had done to me. Now, the same pirate who had taken me prisoner expected me to trust him, and I couldn’t decide if he was crazy or completely right to expect that trust.
I wanted to trust him. I wanted that more than anything. But did I dare risk losing my heart to a pirate? Or did I keep myself armored and walled away from everyone, as I had all my life, and risk losing out on a chance at happiness?
Before I could decide what to say, my stomach gave a loud, rumbling growl.
Dra’sten arched an eyebrow. “Where are my manners? Are you ready to dine with me, Captain?” The same damn smile that put my stomach in knots appeared on his lips again. “I know we were…distracted and busy last night. But I’ve had a meal prepared for us. I believe you’ll enjoy this dish, although we do have re-hydrated emergency rations if your human palette would prefer something bland and soupy-ish.”
I put my hands on my hips. “Did you cook this meal yourself? Because if so, I’d be safer with the emergency rations.”
“That wounds me, Your Incredible Royalness. But no, I didn’t cook it myself. Surprisingly, the culinary arts are not one of my many skills. The Defiance Blade actually has a decent cook in the galley. The food is waiting for us in my quarters, so if you’re interested, I suggest coming now so we can eat it hot.”
I didn’t feel like making this easy on him. Not after he’d made me wait for hours and hours, pacing my cramped quarters and wondering if he was ever going to return. “You freed me. Or so you claim. What if I refuse to eat with you?”
For an instant, something flashed in his eyes. Something that indicated he’d never even considered the possibility I might refuse—and it worried him that I might. But the look was there and gone again so fast I was left wondering if I’d imagined it. “I would, of course, honor your wishes. And although I would be utterly heartbroken, with two meals available on my table, at least I could finally fully satisfy one of my appetites.”
“One of your appetites? I’m afraid to ask about the others.”
“Oh you already know the others,” he replied, the look in his eyes growing heated, even challenging. “They all involve you.”
I did my best to ignore that, even though the muscles inside my pussy immediately clenched with desire at the boldness of his look and his words. I felt the need to drive home the point and I pressed on. “So I can say no…refuse to have dinner with you…and you’ll leave me alone? I won’t have to punch you or anything?”
He touched his jaw, grinning. “Ah yes, last night was our first shared punch. Always a memorable moment in a new couple’s journey. Of course I would honor your request, although I hope you aren’t expecting to punch me again over dinner. It’s not that kind of meal. Besides—” He adjusted his collar. “—I’m not sure how you could refuse. I’m wearing my best coat.”
That surprised a burst of laughter out of me. The synth leather coat was exactly the same one he always wore, along with black, synth-leather breeches that showed off his powerful thighs, and heavy boots that must’ve let everyone on the decks below know exactly where he was stomping.
“No,” I finally said deciding to push it to the limit and see if he was a man—or alien—of his word. “I won’t dine with you. In fact, I’d like to be left alone.”
“I’m extremely sorry to hear that, Captain,” he replied, his smi
le vanishing, actually looking as if he meant it. “Perhaps you’ll do me the honor another time.”
It was the simple fact that he was allowing me to choose and would honor my request that meant the world to me. Besides, if I didn’t get out of this room soon, I was going to start climbing the walls and chewing on the bulkhead. He was halfway out the door when I decided this had gone far enough.
“Wait,” I called.
Kash stopped, turning back to me, his face unreadable…except for that tiny spark of hope in his eyes he couldn’t hide.
“Since you got all dressed up,” I said slowly, waving a hand at his ridiculous outfit, “I suppose we might as well have dinner together.”
His smile was supernova bright. It made my knees a little weak. I had no idea why he should look so happy…or why I should feel such a burst of pleasure, seeing that smile. But I wasn’t going to question it, either.
We made our way through the ship to Captain Dra’sten’s quarters. They were double the size of mine—well, my current quarters on the Defiance Blade anyway. They didn’t compare to my captain’s suite on the Mero Tallasa, but I kept that little opinion to myself. My life on the Mero Tallasa felt as if it had happened a thousand years ago and a million light years away.
His quarters had minimal decor, mostly weapons on the walls (which made me roll my eyes), but I was surprised to see some tasteful artwork as well. Canvases he’d probably pillaged from some museum or ship he’d plundered. I almost complimented him on his taste in art, until I saw the painting of a sword, which made me both roll my eyes and bite my tongue.
As far as I could tell, the captain’s quarters consisted of two midsize rooms. One clearly served as an office of sorts for meetings and dealing with the crew, because it had a desk with holo-terminals and a large black chair. Through a doorway, I caught a glimpse of his living quarters, also very minimalist.
The outer hull bulkhead opposite the desk had wide windows looking out on the expanse of space, which I appreciated. Incredible views of the stars and planets had always been one of the reasons behind my love of space. A table for two was set up near the windows. The table was mostly metal, but someone had draped it in…what looked like an unevenly cut swath of packing cloth. Not exactly fancy, but it tried. I bit my cheek to kill a smile. I didn’t want him know how amusing and touching I found the gesture. The table had two metal dinner plates and an array of covered serving dishes. Also, a bottle of some kind of wine and, surprisingly, two crystal glasses.
He walked me across the room and pulled back my chair for me. The scents of spices and tangy fruit wafted through the air. My stomach rumbled again as I sat down. He sat down as well and indicated I should help myself first. I didn’t have to be asked twice. I dished out plenty of food and began shoveling it into my mouth. I’d never been shy about eating. I’d never been a dainty eater either. I did manage to keep from spilling any of it on my uniform, so I counted that as a win. The food was annoyingly delicious. Nearly as good as anything I’d ever had on the Mero Tallasa, and we hired five star chefs.
He served himself some food from each of the serving dishes. “Do you like it?”
I grunted something that might have been positive. I was too busy chewing to waste time fully vocalizing.
After that, we ate in silence, mostly because I was starved and the dishes were all so good that I felt like I wanted to teleport them directly to my mouth without having to wait on the travel time of a fork. The flavors exploded on my tongue. I ate a lot, enough to surprise me, although compared to what Dra’sten ate, I had a child’s portion. Luckily there was plenty available.
As our eating slowed, Dra’sten turned that intense gaze of his back on me. “Please, tell me a little about yourself, Captain.”
I took a sip from my glass to give myself time to think. The wine was deeply flavorful without being too strong. When I set the glass down again, I’d made a decision.
“You already know too much about me,” I said carefully. I was still trying to feel out what my status was on this ship. Hostage? Lover? Both? Things had definitely changed, but I still felt adrift in space and I wanted that feeling to go away.
“I don’t blame you for being angry,” he said, watching me. It might have sounded patronizing coming from someone else, but he managed to sound sincere. “You have no reason to trust me until I prove myself worthy of that trust.” He looked me straight in the eyes. “And I will prove worthy of that trust, and worthy of what we shared together last night.” His serious expression gradually changed as that grin spread across his face. “So, if you aren’t eager to talk about yourself right now, I’ll be happy to talk about me. Do you have any questions you’ve been dying to ask?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact I do. How many times have you been incarcerated?”
He laughed. “Never.” He paused, his eyes growing thoughtful. “Well, that’s not entirely true. After I got kicked out of the space academy, I was arrested for public debauchery, drunkenness, and criminal mischief.”
“Why am I not surprised.”
“That’s unfair. It was a wild celebration. Everyone dances naked on that balcony. Just because we accidentally broke a statue or two, doesn’t mean we were imminent threats to the public order. So I spent a couple of days in lockup. But that was all. I’ve always been one lucky bastard.”
I made a noncommittal sound. After his performance in bed with me last night, I just might be the truly lucky one. Unless I was still a hostage, that was. But the look I gave him was speculative. “I thought it would be for something more violent. Duels on skyscraper ledges or sword battles on space station conveyor belts. After all, you did cut off that guy’s hand.”
“Am I going to have to keep hearing about that for the rest of my life?” he asked, raising a dark eyebrow at me. “Cut off one little limb from one little crewmate and suddenly you’re the scourge of the stars.” He paused, considering. “Perhaps that would be a memorable pirate name. Captain Kash ‘Star Scourge’ Dra’sten.”
“No.”
He grinned and shrugged. “I’m sorry my history isn’t more colorful. My father was a Jardan warrior. He was an expert with an Iteran blade, fearless and respected by his men.”
“So where did you go wrong?”
He paused, leaned back in his chair, and glanced out the windows at the stars. He didn’t seem upset by my barbed question. His expression was only thoughtful.
“You mean, how did I end up a pirate? Just because they kicked me out of the academy didn’t mean I was ready to give up the galaxy.” He turned back to me and smirked. “Besides, I’ve always been a bit of a naughty kid. Never grew out of it. Me and all these rules and all these laws…” He shook his head and laughed. “Too many to keep track of, so I don’t really bother trying anymore.”
“Yes, it does take a lot of deep thinking to keep track of basic laws against forcefully boarding other ships and stealing all their things,” I said flatly. “So how did you end up a pirate captain?”
“I worked my way to the top, and when Kar’das, the previous captain, was killed by the galactic police, I was voted captain. I’m the best on the Defiance Blade. The strongest, the smartest, and the best-looking.”
“The biggest ego.”
“The biggest a lot of things,” he quipped, flashing me a wicked grin that immediately had me thinking of his cock, as I knew he intended. And he knew I knew it. And I knew that he knew that… Damn it!
“I’m surprised your head fits through the air lock,” I shot back. “I really hope you have a better plan than simply seducing me and hoping it all works out for the best. Because it’s not going do any of us much good if your crew decides to throw a mutiny.”
“Seducing you was the best plan I ever had,” he said, his voice deep, seeming to vibrate right through to my core as I blushed. His eyes flashed, as if my cheeks turning pink stirred him. Which only made me blush deeper. “But to answer your question: yes, I have a fool-proof plan, as you will soon see.”<
br />
I leaned toward him. “I want to know now, thank you. Because this isn’t only about you. I…I’ve trusted you. I think it’s only fair if you trust me in return.”
He was quiet for a moment, watching me. Then he seemed to come to a decision.
“I admire you,” he said simply.
I opened my mouth but didn’t know what to say or how to respond. That hadn’t been what I’d expected to hear.
He reached out and placed his hand over mine. The casual intimacy of the gesture had my heart pounding faster. When I still didn’t reply, he went on. “I admire you for speaking your mind. I wish more people were brave enough to do the same.”
But all at once I was as angry as I was frustrated, and I drew my hand away. I shouldn’t have to be brave. I shouldn’t even be here in the first place. I’d been ripped out of my life, taken hostage, and almost ransomed back to a man who no longer saw me as his daughter. I had a right to be angry…and I had a right to know how he intended to save me.