by Kali Argent
Over the years, Xavian had bedded his share of women, but none as responsive as Aeryn, none he’d desired so recklessly. Every urgent slide of her tongue, each quiet, needful moan pushed him closer to the edge, and he couldn’t get enough of her.
Sliding a hand between them, he gripped the edge of her panties and jerked, tearing the fabric away and tossing it to the floor at their feet. He couldn’t see her properly in the dark, but he nearly whimpered when his knuckles grazed the smooth, bare skin of her mound. Dipping a single digit between her folds, he skimmed his finger along her core, groaning when he encountered slick, wet heat.
Aeryn echoed his groan, spreading her thighs wider, welcoming him into the cradle of her hips. Gripping the back of his neck, she rested their foreheads together, panting heavily as she reached for the button fly of his pants with her free hand and popped it open.
Too impatient to wait any longer, he batted her hand away, cursing as he struggled with the tight leather. By sheer force, he managed to push his pants off his hips, grunting when his erection sprang free of its restraint.
“Hurry,” Aeryn panted, gripping his thick shaft in her hand, stroking him from tip to base and back again. “Please, Xavian, now.”
With a sweet, feminine moan, she held the head of his length at her entrance and arched her hips. Too far gone for gentleness, he captured her mouth once again and sank into her, burying himself to the hilt in one, swift plunge.
Her silky walls clamped around him, pulling a deep, dark growl from his chest. She nipped at his lips, her fingers digging into the muscles of his shoulders, and every needful moan and loud gasp pushed him higher, dragging him closer to the edge. Pistoning his hips, driving into her heated core, the room around them faded away, and Xavian’s entire world centered on the female in his arms.
Linking her fingers together around the back of his neck, she stared into his eyes as she moved with him, encouraging him to take what he wanted. And he wanted it all. Now that he’d felt her, tasted her, knew how his name sounded on her lips, he couldn’t let her go. He wouldn’t, and he dared anyone to try and take her from him.
Nearing the peak of his orgasm, he insinuated a hand between their bodies once against, seeking out the bundle of nerves between her thighs. Unerringly, he found her clit, stroking it in quick circles with the pad of his thumb. Her body tightened instantly, constricting around his pulsing cock, and she began to shudder as she neared her own peak.
“Don’t stop,” she pleaded, dropping her head back against the wall. “More. Xavian, please.”
He had no intentions of stopping anything. “Look at me,” he growled, needing her eyes on him. “That’s it,” he praised, loving the way her dark green eyes gleamed in the moonlight that shone through the windows. “Come for me, nikka. Now.”
He punctuated his demand with a sharp swivel of his hips as he applied more pressure to her pulsing clit. Calling out his name, Aeryn bucked and squirmed, her inner walls closing around his cock like a vise, gripping him, milking him as she rode out her orgasm. Cupping her left breast, he lowered his head, sucking her tight nipple into his mouth as pumped harder, faster, not letting her come down from her high.
Her fingernails scored his back as she arched into his mouth, his name a breathless chant on her lips. The bite of pain pushed him over his head, and he lifted his head, groaning as he pumped through his own release.
He drifted, light and weightless, his mind and body in completely harmony. His mate enchanted him, amazed him, and after just one taste, he already wanted more.
“Well, that was intense,” Aeryn said when he finally opened his eyes to stare down at her. “We should definitely do that again.”
He strangled laugh escaped him, and he shook his head as he eased out of her body and gently placed her on the floor. She never did or said anything he expected, and he adored that about her.
“There’s a shower through that door.” He pointed across the room with one hand, while he pulled his leathers back up his hips with the other.
“I’ll wash your back if you wash mine.” She wiggled her eyebrows at him playfully as she backed away, angling toward the door he’d indicated. “Limited time offer. Going once. Going twice.”
She squealed and giggled when Xavian leapt across the room, sweeping her into his arms and hurrying them into the bathroom. They’d just met and already he couldn’t get enough of her. The commander was going to be pissed, but Xavian didn’t care. Just this once, he didn’t want to do the proper thing. He just wanted to do what felt right, and nothing had ever felt as perfect as being with Aeryn.
Everything was going to change now. Everything would be different. He’d be tested time and again, and he wouldn’t always know the right answers, but it was too late.
He couldn’t walk away now, because he finally felt like he was right where he was supposed to be.
CHAPTER FIVE
“Absolutely not! You’re not going.”
Fisting her hands on her hips, Aeryn glared up at him, her hair wild and mussed, her chin jutting forward defiantly. “How do you plan on finding out where this auction is without me?”
“I’ll get the information I need.”
“I know these people, Xavian. Your usual tactics won’t work, but they’ll talk to me.”
Xavian knew he was being irrational, but he didn’t care. Every cell in his body railed against the idea of purposely putting his mate into a dangerous situation, and to be sure, this mission would be dangerous. It didn’t matter that she could take care of herself. It didn’t matter that she’d known the traders and mercs and dealers on Gamma Station for years. Sending her into the proverbial lion’s den went against every one of his instincts.
They’d returned to the meeting amongst curious glances and knowing smirks from their friends, but no one mentioned or questioned their absence, not even the commander. Instead, they’d launched into a brief overview of the current plan—sending Aeryn into Gamma Station alone to gather the intel they needed.
“You’re not going alone.”
“No one is going to tell me anything with a six-and-half foot beast breathing down their neck and growling every time someone glances in my general direction.”
“She has a point,” Vane interjected.
“Shut up.” Xavian didn’t want to hear reason. He wanted someone to be on his side.
Pacing along the back wall of the office, Katana didn’t look up, but she spoke in that guttural way of hers when she passed.
“She says I won’t be alone,” Aeryn translated, her head bobbing. “She’s right. Everyone knows her.”
“Then let her go!” Xavian exploded.
That had clearly been the wrong thing to say. He’d known it, even as the words had left his mouth, but he hadn’t been able to pull them back. Damn, he felt completely out of control, like a storm raging down from the mountains.
“Let’s get something straight.” Sidling closer, Aeryn jabbed two fingers against his chest, emphasizing her point.
Nothing good had ever come from those four little words, and judging by the flare of her nostrils and the darkening of her eyes, this time would be no different. “I didn’t mean—”
“No. You talked. Now, it’s my turn.”
The room fell quiet around them, everyone watching, waiting.
“I am not some swooning damsel in distress who needs a big, tough male to rescue her. I didn’t want any part of this, but like it or not, I’m in it now.” She poked him in the chest again, forcing him to retreat a step. “Yeah, I’m your mate, and I get the whole protective drive, but just because we’re sleeping together doesn’t mean you get to tell me what I can and cannot do.”
The uncomfortable silence that followed lasted for only a heartbeat before Vane and Torren threw his heads back and roared with laughter. Cato, Deucalion, and Katana actually applauded. Cypher smirked, and Commander Schiva turned his back on them, though his shoulders shook with obvious amusement.
Xavian had
endured numerous reprimands over the years, but not even the commander, with his gruff and stern demeanor, had ever cut him down to size the way Aeryn just had. He wanted to be angry, to yell and rage, but he couldn’t do it. Mostly, because of the tiny voice in the back of his head telling him she was right.
He didn’t own her. As much as he wanted to lock her in his quarters, away from every perceivable danger in the universe, he couldn’t. She was tough and smart, as fierce as any warrior he’d ever met, and she’d taken care of herself for a long damn time before he’d come into the picture.
Knowing that didn’t make it any easier, but it did put the situation into perspective. In just a few sentences, he’d tried to take away everything he admired and respected about the female. Had she been anyone else, he’d have supported her whole-heartedly. Hell, he’d been willing to dangle Charli on a hook like bait for the Atreans, an incident he truly regretted, but it had never crossed his mind that she wouldn’t be capable of handling whatever they threw at her.
Yeah, he was a hypocrite, and everyone knew it.
“Okay,” he relented, the single word causing him physical pain. “Torren and Katana go with you, though, and I’ll be monitoring you on the security footage.”
The tension in her shoulder’s eased, and her expression softened. “If this does turn out to be the Seal, I don’t think it’s a good idea for Torren to be anywhere near it.” She glanced at the Morph. “No offense.”
“None taken, and you’re right. It’s definitely a risk.”
“I’m not comfortable sending the Morph off planet,” the commander admitted, inclining his head toward Torren. “He’s here as a political refugee. That protection doesn’t extend past our borders.”
“I’ll go.” Cypher shrugged when everyone turned to look at him. “I can get the mercs to talk, and believe me, you’re not the only one who wants to find my brother. I haven’t seen him in a while, but people don’t change all that much. I know him. I know his patterns.”
The commander looked between Cypher and Xavian. “It’s your call.”
“He makes a decent argument.” Frankly, they didn’t have a lot of time to find Asa, and they could use all the help they could get. “You’ll watch Aeryn’s back on Gamma Station?”
“Of course,” Cypher answered.
Xavian turned to his mate. “Are you good with this?”
She smiled that heart-stopping smile he loved. “That sounds fair.”
“I still don’t like it.”
“I know.” She touched his arm, caressing it in soothing strokes. “This really is the only way, though.”
Xavian didn’t know about it being the only way, but he agreed it was the most expedient. “And if it turns out that this auction has nothing to do with Asa Brax or the Seal?”
Aeryn shrugged, her movement barely noticeable beneath her baggy sweater. “Then, we’ll know.”
“Okay.” Slapping his palms against the tops of his thighs, Vane pushed to his feet and nodded. “What’s the plan exactly?”
Commander Schiva leaned back against his desk and folded his arms over his chest. “Deucalion has offered to stay and search the archives with Cato. I think it would also be best if Miss Greyson remains on Nekron as well.”
“Who?”
The commander stared at his son and sighed. “Mila.”
“No.” Aeryn stepped forward, shaking her head so that her hair bounced around her face. “I need Mila on the ship in case something breaks down.”
“Aeryn, you’re perfectly capable of making repairs on your own.” Deucalion spoke quietly, kindly, but there was a sharpness in his silver and black eyes. “Mila should stay here.”
Xavian didn’t understand the overprotectiveness everyone directed toward Mila, or why they felt comfortable and justified in making decisions for her. “Maybe you should ask her what she wants.”
“Oh, now you want to be reasonable.” With a tired sigh, Aeryn pressed three fingers to the middle of her forehead and rubbed. “Okay, fine. I’ll talk to her.”
“The Tablet is important, but since we have little to no information on it right now, it’s not our main priority.”
“I’ll find something,” Cato promised the commander. “I just need a little more time.”
“Good. Vane, get a team together, and be ready to go once we have what we need.”
“Yes, sir, but if Asa is after the Tablet, couldn’t we just watch him?”
The commander nodded. “We could, and we will. However, we only know that he’s looking for it, not that he’s found it. If that’s the case, I’d rather we locate the thing before he does.”
“Yes, sir,” Vane repeated. “We’ll be ready.”
“Take Winn,” the commander called as Vane headed for the door. “Maybe drop him out of an airlock. I don’t really care, just get him out of my hair.”
Vane acknowledged the order by grumbling under his breath as he exited the office. Katana slipped through the door behind him with an explanation Xavian couldn’t understand.
“She’s going to talk to Mila,” Aeryn answered before he could ask. “She’ll meet us in the foyer.”
His annoyance with Lieutenant Lex Winn forgotten, the commander turned to Aeryn. “How soon can you be ready to leave?”
Aeryn’s nose wrinkled adorably, and her brow furrowed in thought, creating a shallow V between her eyes. “I have deliveries to make, and I’ll need to perform an ASG before departure, but it shouldn’t take long. Two hours, maybe less.”
As the pilot and captain, she’d want to make sure her ship was running at peak performance, but she didn’t need to be present for an All Systems Go.
“I’ll go with her to make the deliveries.” With his instincts on overdrive, Xavian couldn’t be away from her, not even for a couple of hours. “The ground crew at the landing field can handle the ASG.” He shook his head when his mate began to argue. “I know you’ll want to do your own inspection, but leave the grunt work to the crew.” Stubborn female. “It’ll save time.”
“Fine. I’m already late, so let’s get moving.”
“I need to make a couple of stops myself,” Cypher informed them. “I’ll meet you at the landing fields.” Then he exited through the same door he’d entered at the back of the office.
It had been a long time since Xavian had undergone a mission without Vane. While he understood the importance of locating both relics and returning them safely to Pandora, he barely knew the members of the team joining him, and besides Aeryn, he couldn’t say that he trusted any of them to have his back.
“I don’t know how I feel about the Atrean going along on this. My gut says we can trust him, but I’ve been wrong before.”
“I’ll keep an eye on him,” Xavian promised. He understood the commander’s concerns, but he also believed Cypher could be an asset. No one would know Asa better than his own brother. “Is there anything else?”
“That’s all. I want regular reports, and I expect to be notified the minute you find Asa Brax.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Very good, then. Dismissed.”
Out in the corridor, Aeryn grabbed Xavian by the wrist and pulled him to a stop. “I can make the deliveries myself if there’s something else you need to do. I’m actually pretty good at my job.”
It would take him ten minutes to pack everything he needed for an extended trip to Earth. “I don’t doubt your abilities, but there’s time.” Gently, he pulled his arm from her grasp, cradled the back of her head, and brushed a kiss over her brow. “I’m sorry for being a jackass.”
Aeryn made a peculiar sound, something between a sigh and a giggle. “I’m sorry I yelled at you in front of everyone. I mean, you deserved it, but I should have waited until we didn’t have an audience.”
He liked that she spoke her mind, even if he didn’t always agree with what she had to say. “If I’m wrong, I expect you to call me on it, no matter who’s listening.” He kissed her cheek, the delicate curve of her ja
w, and finally, her lips. “I’m trying, but it’s not easy when every instinct in my body is demanding I do whatever it takes to protect you.”
“I get that, and I’m trying to see things from your point of view, but I’ve been on my own for a long time, Xavian.” Rising up on her toes, she pressed their lips together again. “I’m used to doing things my own way and not having to answer to anyone. I didn’t wake up today and expect my life to change overly much.”
“Yeah, well, I guess I showed you.”
She laughed, some of the tension easing out of her tight muscles. “Yeah, I guess you did. I’m not saying it’s going to be easy, but I feel it, that pull, and I want to see where this goes. That means I need you to trust me, though.”
“I trust you.”
“You trust me to tell you when you’re being a dick and to have your back, but that’s not what I mean. I need you to trust that I’m a smart, capable person who knows what the hell she’s doing. People have called me a lot of things, but never reckless.”
Xavian thought he understood, but he also felt like he was missing something.
“In plain terms, what are you saying?”
Sighing, she eased away from him, but reached up to caress his cheek. “I’m saying I need a partner, not a savior.”
He’d be whatever she needed him to be—friend, confidant, lover, partner, or savior—and he saw no reason he couldn’t be all of those things at once. Bypassing semantics, her meaning was clear, and he’d do his best to honor her wishes, but he had a few conditions of his own.
“If you’re ever in danger, ever in a situation you can’t handle on your own—”
“Then, I fully expect you to kick someone’s ass.”
“Deal.”
Her bright, open smile lit up his entire world.
“Just as I’d do for you. See? Partners.”
“Okay, nikka.” He kissed the tip of her nose and moved away before his hormones got the better of him. “Let’s find Katana and get back to the landing fields.”