“Do you want to come?” He slid his fingers in and out, teasing her with just a hint of fullness.
“You know I do.”
“All you have to do is say so, love. Anything you ask for, I’ll give you.”
She bit her lower lip, confused by the delay. She’d never been a talker during sex. She tended to like the lights off and her eyes closed. It was obvious he’d allow nothing like that. “Please,” she whispered. “Let me come.”
He returned his lips to her clit, sucking gently while his fingers slid in and out. It was the perfect combination. She arched and moaned, tossing her head in helpless wonder as the urgency built. Tension wound through her core, gradually curling her toes. Then he pushed his fingers deep and sucked harder, forcing the sensations right to the edge of pain.
Her thighs shook and her back arched, then the tension snapped. She cried out as reality shattered. Wave after wave of staggering pleasure crashed down upon her.
He slid his fingers out and brought her back down with soft kisses and tender licks. “Feel better?” He crawled over her sprawled leg and moved up the bed, lying at her side.
Out of breath and slightly dazed, it took her a moment to arrange herself more modestly. She still tingled with faint aftershocks of her amazing orgasm. “Aren’t we going to…”
He propped his head on his hand and smiled down at her, the purple rings in his eyes still glowing. “Not tonight. I will not risk hurting you, even for something this pleasurable.”
“But—”
Cutting off her objection with his fingers on her lips, he shook his head. His hair swished over his forearm and pooled on the bed. “We have the rest of our lives to make this perfect. I will not be rushed.”
“What about you?” He hadn’t moved his hand, so her lips caressed his fingers. “I know you’re hard as a rock right now.”
“I’ve been hard more than not since I first saw you. This is nothing new.”
“That doesn’t make me feel any better. You gave me the best orgasm of my life. I want to return the favor.”
“And I’ll happily accept your offer—once your injuries have healed.”
It was obvious he wouldn’t relent, so she snuggled against his warm side. She rested her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arm around his lean waist. Content and sleepy for the first time in weeks, she closed her eyes. Sleep had just begun to wrap around her when Dakar suddenly tensed.
“This is Dakar, go ahead.”
She pushed up with her arm so she could she his face. Clearly someone had activated his internal com. Was he speaking out loud for her benefit?
He looked at her, eyes narrowed with confusion. “She is. Why do you ask?”
Was someone looking for her? Oh shit, she’d forgotten to let Kelsey know she wasn’t returning. But Kelsey knew Dakar needed to mark her if they stuck to their original plan, so there was no reason for her to worry. Then who had commed Dakar?
Dakar sat up, rubbing the back of his neck. “Slow down. Is Jakkin here or did he—”
Jakkin Arvik, commander of the Fearless? What did he have to do with this?
Maybe this had nothing to do with Alyssa. She tugged the bathrobe out from under Dakar and slipped her arms back into the sleeves.
“Give me a minute and I’ll let you in, so we can get to the bottom of this.” He paused then nodded, even though whoever he was talking to couldn’t see him. “Understood.”
His expression refocused on Alyssa and trepidation spread through her like fog. “What’s going on? Who was that?”
“That was the governor. According to Raylon, Jakkin Arvik has been digging into Kelsey’s background ever since she left the Fearless. He was convinced she had something to hide, and apparently he’s found out what it is.”
According to their applications, she’d known Kelsey since they were children. “What does he think he’s found? I’ve known Kelsey forever. She has no deep dark secrets.” This was bad. They weren’t going to let Kelsey return to Earth if they suspected she was hiding something, which of course she was, something serious.
“Raylon wants to speak with you.”
Alyssa gulped. She’d just seen the governor once, but he’d appeared hard and indomitable. “Why?”
“We’ll find out momentarily. His suite is just across the courtyard.” He pulled on his jeans and T-shirt then motioned her back into the living room.
Chapter Seven
Dakar reluctantly opened the door to his suite for Raylon. The governor hadn’t come right out and accused Alyssa of anything, but he’d inferred a whole hell of a lot. Raylon looked even more ferocious than usual, so Dakar didn’t invite him inside.
“What’s this about?” Dakar didn’t bother pretending he was pleased by the interruption. He was pissed and Raylon knew it.
“I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t necessary.” Raylon looked at Dakar’s unbound hair and bare feet, then past him and saw Alyssa’s bathrobe. “Have you claimed her yet?”
Dakar glared. “Not that it’s any of your business, but no.”
“Good.” Raylon pushed past him and entered the living room. “Alyssa has been lying to you. She’s been lying to us all.”
The door slid shut behind Dakar as he spun to face Alyssa’s accuser. “You have proof of this?”
“I do, or actually, Jakkin does.” Raylon stayed well back from Alyssa, likely knowing Dakar would become more aggressive if he confronted her directly. They stood near the furniture, but no one felt comfortable enough to sit. “Jakkin has been suspicious of Kelsey ever since they met. Her performance in front of the interview panel made him more so.”
“This is one man’s suspicion, not proof,” Dakar objected.
Raylon continued as if Dakar hadn’t spoken. “Because they’re genetically compatible, Jakkin investigated her background himself rather than reporting his suspicions to the project leaders. It took a lot of digging, and some well-placed bribes, but he finally penetrated her cover story. Kelsey Lindon is a member of Solar Warden.”
Dakar glanced at Alyssa, hoping her confusion would match his. Instead she looked stricken, terrified, and guilty as hells. His heart fell and his hands clenched into tight fists. “What does this have to do with Alyssa?”
“According to Jakkin, Alyssa is the real problem. He thinks Kelsey is some sort of bodyguard.”
“Of course he would say that,” Dakar snapped. “Kelsey is his genetic match. Does he have specific proof that Alyssa is in league with Solar Warden?” Dakar looked from Alyssa to the governor and back. Gods above, had he just scent marked a spy? Her taste lingered in his mouth, mocking him. He didn’t want to believe it, but the fear in her eyes was more damning than Raylon’s words.
“Is Kelsey all right? Where is she?” She crossed her arms in front of her, burying her hands in the opposite sleeve. She looked like a terrified mystic, reluctantly preparing to battle some demonic specter.
Dakar stared at her, gaze hostile. “You need to worry about yourself right now.” Her question alone indicated that there was something to Jakkin’s accusations. “Is what he said true? Are you a member of Solar Warden?” He knew the answer. He just needed to see if she’d admit it.
“I’m more like a contractor.” Her voice was barely a whisper.
“You’re a godsdamn spy!” Raylon lost any hint of civility. He took a step forward, but Dakar grabbed his arm.
“Do you mean us harm?” Dakar demanded. That was the crux of the issue. If this was basic recon, it would be far less damning than— Holy creator, did she have something to do with the bombing? He dismissed the idea a millisecond after it formed. Her fear and disbelief had been real. No one was that good an actor.
“What did Kelsey tell Jakkin?” she asked, ignoring his question.
“If you keep avoiding the questions, this will take all night,” Raylon growled out the warning.
Dakar motioned toward the sofa, heart hammering in his chest. “Let’s sit down. We need to know why you’re her
e, but this doesn’t have to be confrontational.” This couldn’t be happening. He’d finally located a potential mate only to find out she was a godsdamn spy. It was too cruel to consider.
The panic gradually faded from Alyssa’s expression, then she nodded and moved to perch on the nearest chair, hands neatly folded in her lap. Raylon sat on the sofa, so Dakar chose the chair beside Alyssa. Now Alyssa and Raylon faced off, but Dakar had yet to decide which side of the argument he would support. He wanted nothing more than for Alyssa to be innocent, yet her own words already damned her.
With his usual brusqueness, Raylon dove to the heart of the matter. “What are your mission parameters? What’s your objective?”
Rather than responding to the pressure, Alyssa looked at Dakar. “I know you’ll find this hard to believe, but I honestly mean every word. I fully intended to tell you who I am and why I was sent here tomorrow. The only reason I didn’t tell you tonight is because I wanted to give Kelsey time to return to Earth. She’s no danger to anyone. Her only objective was to keep me safe.”
“That would be easier to believe if you’d confessed before your deception was brought to light,” he pointed out.
“I understand how it looks, but I really was going to tell you.”
She sounded sincere. Dakar desperately wanted to believe her, but she’d just confessed to lying to him from the beginning. How could he possibly know if she was telling the truth now?
“So tell him,” Raylon urged. “Tell us both. Who are you and why are you here?”
Alyssa fiddled with the belt on her robe and avoided eye contact with either of them. “My name is real, but parts of my background were planted by the leaders of Solar Warden. I was sent here to unleash malware that would disrupt daily operations of Lunar Nine.” Raylon started to speak, but she held up her hand and hurried on with her explanation. “I verified that none of the results would be life-threatening. My fa—commanding officer wanted to frustrate you, not harm anyone.”
Dakar caught the slip and easily anticipated what she’d been about to say. “Your father?” Anger pushed through his doubt. It was all true. Alyssa was a spy. “Who in hells rings is your father?”
“His name is Martin Wallace, but I doubt that means anything to you.” She still refused to look at him.
“What sort of disruptions and how did you intend to get the malware past our security measures?” Raylon wanted to know.
Alyssa cleared her throat before answering. Her features appeared less tense, but a mixture of emotions still clouded her gaze. “Rolling brown outs, deleted files in nonessential programs, that sort of thing. The matching database was our primary target.”
Raylon shook his head, disbelief and frustration clearly written on his features. “Who wrote the malware? How in all of hells’ rings were humans able to create a program that can interact with our computers? This makes no sense.”
“I didn’t write the program,” Alyssa insisted. “I only know enough to launch it.”
For the first time since her confession began, Dakar didn’t believe her. “Then start there. How were you going to get access to the network?”
She looked at him, silently pleading for understanding, then lowered her gaze. “I told you, I’d decided not to do it.”
“That’s beside the point,” Raylon snapped. “If there are holes in our security, we need to know about them. Either cooperate or I’ll turn you over to Sedrik.”
She gasped, finally looking at Raylon. “I’ve done nothing but cooperate. There’s no reason to threaten me.” Anger seemed to calm her, and make her bolder. “And you haven’t answered my questions yet. Is Kelsey okay?”
“Kelsey’s back on the Fearless,” Raylon told her. “Jakkin requested permission to deal with her himself and I gave it to him.”
That brought her up out of her chair. She clutched the robe together with one hand and gestured with the other. “Have you lost your mind? He has clearly had it in for her from the beginning. Get her back here. Now!”
Raylon glared at her, but his voice remained calm and quiet. “I don’t take orders from spies.”
“Raylon, may I speak with you.” Dakar stood and waited for the governor to do the same, then they both walked out into the courtyard. The peaceful common area surrounded by identical suites generally appealed to Dakar. Tonight, it felt dead and artificial. “A verbal joust isn’t going to help anyone. Let me interrogate her. She’ll talk to me. I know she will.”
“And if she doesn’t?” Raylon crossed his arms, reluctance apparent in his posture and expression.
Dakar sighed. He really didn’t want to use their attraction to manipulate her, but she’d been doing the same to him. “I’ll finish what we started tonight. Claiming her will give me access to her mind. I can find out what we need to know then sever the link before it has time to anchor.”
“That’s way easier said than done, my friend, and it hurts like hells’ outer ring.”
“I don’t think it will come to that, but I’ll deal with it if it does.”
For a long time Raylon just stared at him. Then the governor sighed. “Between you and Jakkin, I don’t know who’s got it worse.” He shook his head and smiled. “Fine. First round is yours. You’re the one who has to live with her when this is over.” Raylon turned to leave, but spun back around. “Ask her about the spaceships. Where did Solar Warden get that technology? It’s clearly not human.”
Dakar nodded. There were all sorts of questions Alyssa needed to answer before he was finished with her.
* * * * *
Too anxious to sit, Alyssa crossed Dakar’s living room and activated the viewscreen. The floor-to-ceiling display defaulted to a wide-angle shot of the spaceport, so different from anything on Earth. She was a long way from home and the only friend she had was now imprisoned on the Fearless. She took a deep breath and blew it out slowly through her mouth, hoping to ease the tension coiling through her body. This was not how she’d imagined her confession. She’d intended to explain everything to Dakar, help him understand her motivations and the reasons for her change of heart. Thanks to Jakkin and Raylon, she looked like a desperate spy begging for understanding.
The suite’s main door parted and she glanced over her shoulder, then breathed a sigh of relief. Dakar had returned alone.
“Raylon agreed to let me finish the interview,” Dakar told her. “Don’t make me regret intervening on your behalf.”
She turned around and nodded. “I won’t. I’m ready to tell you everything.”
His eyes narrowed for a second, then an expressionless mask fell over his features. He closed the distance between them with long, purposeful strides. The closer he drew, the faster her heart pounded. Was he still angry? His handsome face revealed nothing and she hadn’t spent enough time with him to guess what was going on behind the mask. He didn’t soothe her, didn’t say anything at all. He took her by the hand and led her to the sofa, then sat down beside her. His nearness intimidated rather than comforted.
“Start at the beginning,” he prompted. “Tell me everything.” Though the words were quietly spoken, command threaded through his tone. This was still an interrogation, and he expected her to comply.
“My mother died while I was still a child, leaving me alone with my father.”
He cocked an eyebrow in annoyance. “I meant the beginning of this mission.”
“I wasn’t being a smartass. Without the proper context, you’ll never understand why I did the things I did.”
Pivoting slightly, he positioned himself so he could look at her without twisting his neck. “All right, provide context, but don’t exhaust my patience.”
She nodded again and continued. “My father retired from the U.S. military, where he’d spent his entire life. It’s all he’s ever known. But retirement didn’t suit him at all.” She hesitated for a moment, unsure how much he needed to know, and how vulnerable she was willing to make herself.
“Everything, Alyssa.” His tone was
uncompromising, his gaze intense. “You promised me everything.”
She desperately missed the passionate lover who had touched her so tenderly. But if she hoped to forge any sort of future with this man, she had to start now. Her father demanded she betray the battle born for the sake of his ambitions. Now her desire for Dakar required that she betray her father. “Have you heard of the Evonti?”
Interest flared in his gaze and he straightened. “I’ve heard of them. Why do you ask?” It was a familiar tactic. He minimized the importance, hoping to draw her out.
“Do you know about the cave under the hydroponics farm?” That would tell her a lot. If he didn’t know about the cave, the rebel leaders hadn’t trusted him with their recent discovery or hadn’t seen a reason to include him. But Sedrik was his brother, so she suspected Dakar knew.
“I’ve seen the cave and Vox told us the Evonti were likely responsible. What does this have to do with your father?”
“My father was there when the Evonti made first contact with Earth.” With each word she uttered she made it more impossible for her to return to her old life. What the hell would she do if she told him the entire story and Dakar still rejected her? It didn’t matter. She’d already come too far to turn back.
“When was this?”
Her mouth had grown so dry it was hard to speak. “Can I have a glass of water?”
He nodded as he pushed to his feet. “Keep talking.”
“The stories vary greatly from source to source, but this is what I’ve been able to piece together. The Evonti first visited Earth shortly after your people abandoned Lunar Nine. They had no interest in starting a power struggle with a warrior race, so they watched and waited until you left. Then they approached the U.S. government and offered to form an alliance.” He returned and handed her a glass of water. She took a drink before continuing. “Their homeworld has been ravaged by their mortal enemies and they’re desperate to relocate what remains of their population. Instead of proposing an Evonti colony on Earth, they suggested terraforming the moon for the mutual use of humans and Evonti. That way both species gained significantly from the alliance.”
Enforcer (Battle Born Book 11) Page 11