As she imagined greeting her barbarian with such a lovely little surprise, she spotted a dark alcove across the room which she hadn’t noticed before. The lights came on when she approached to reveal a small room, no bigger than a closet, with a counter, food prep unit, and a cooler. She opened the lone cabinet and stared in disappointment at the empty shelves. Didn’t the man eat? He didn’t have a scrap of food, not even a ready-to-eat pouch of space rations, no dishes, or glasses, and no utensils.
On the Odyssey, she ate in the crew dining room most often, but she still kept something in her room. Snacks, coffee, drinks, and spoons, forks, and a freakin’ knife which could double as a screwdriver when she needed it.
Why did he have a kitchen at all?
With mounting irritation, she headed for the bedroom. To search, not to sleep as he’d ordered. She snorted. What a colossal ego; to think he had the power to command her to sleep.
Combing through the closet, drawers, and behind what little furniture he had took minutes. When she finished there, she rummaged through the small bathroom, peeking inside the recessed mirrored cabinet and the miniscule shower stall. The latter she eyed with curiosity, wondering how he folded his massive frame into it to bathe. Tempted to shower after a day and night spent in the hot, humid forest, she didn’t dare risk being naked and more vulnerable upon his return.
With nowhere else to search, she retraced her steps to the living area and flopped onto the couch. She sat there for a moment, contemplating the enormity of her situation, of how her life and the future she had always planned for herself had changed in a flash.
She got up to pace again, striding back and forth with greater agitation. When her toe brushed a pillow that had fallen off the couch, she kicked it out of pure frustration. Rather than flying across the room to vent her fury, it went straight up in the air and landed at her feet with barely a sound. This ticked her off.
Snatching it up, she took her anger out on the defenseless pillow, punching it, and tearing at the seams with her nails. She imagined it was the black-haired, golden-eyed, dimple-cheeked alien’s head. Inspired to violence, she ripped into it until the material rent with a satisfying sound and an explosion of stuffing flew out. While she stood in a shower of white batting, the doors swished open and the object of her wrath walked in.
He halted mid-stride and stared at her amidst the ruins of the decimated pillow. While she gazed back at him, a piece of the fluffy stuff landed on her nose. She blew it away and, as she did, thought she’d swear his lips twitched. But couldn’t be sure. The movement had been fleeting before one black brow arched and his eyes swept the floor and the mess she had made.
Tall and imposing, with shoulders so incredibly wide the room seemed to shrink to half its size with his presence, he said nothing, instead, crossing to the couch and placing the tray he held on the table. Still dressed in the microscopic loincloth, his big, practically bare body moving with masculine grace, she couldn’t keep from noticing. Or gawking at the way his muscles bunched and rippled in a hypnotic dance he appeared unaware of.
Eryn tried to tamp down the rush of warmth that flooded through her every time she saw him. The sensation diametrically opposed to what her brain told her she should feel for a kidnapper: anger, loathing, and distrust, not to mention fear, and, considering his size, strength, and outweighing her by at least one hundred pounds, physical intimidation.
“You did not sleep.” He removed the lids from the food, and a delectable aroma filled the air.
“No. I rarely do, and I’m not a child to be told when to do it.”
“Mm…” His gaze took in the ripped pillow in her hands and the debris littering the floor. “So you claim, but your fit of temper just now and defiance of sleep when I know you did not rest for a moment last night leads me to think otherwise.”
“You watched me?”
“I had guard duty, and when I did not, the others who did filled me in.” He held his arm out to her. “Come eat. You must be exhausted. Perhaps good food, a full belly, and a glass of vilo will help you relax and allow you to get some rest.”
While her mouth watered from the delicious aroma, hunger gnawing at her empty insides, she resisted, and, much like the child she insisted she wasn’t, stated sullenly, “Unless it’s followed by our release and the return of our ship, don’t bet on it.”
He shrugged, as if it made no difference to him, took a seat, and began filling a plate. “This is roasted boar from our hunt on Ventorcopia. I thought after a long voyage, meat would be something you missed.”
“I’m a vegetarian,” she lied out of pure spite.
But he was right. After three years of manufactured food and space rations, she dreamed of a cheeseburger and fries, or a medium-rare steak. Pork, never her first choice, the spicy aroma tempted her empty stomach, which growled loudly at that precise moment.
Tawny eyes twinkling with amusement connected with hers, and she caught a glimpse of his dimple. But he didn’t laugh, instead, saying in a coaxing manner, “A truce, little rebel. Sit and eat. Afterward, when you are full, you can get back to your fighting stance.”
Certain she shouldn’t dine with the enemy, she focused on something else. “What’s Ventor—, uh… whatever you said?”
He hummed as he forked up a generous bite of meat, chewed then swallowed. “It is the name of our hunting planet, the one where we found you and the other females. This boar is excellent, and there are vegetables here. Are you sure I can’t tempt you with a taste?”
She stubbornly ignored his compelling offer. “That was your planet?”
“One of two we claim, which means you are guilty of trespassing.”
She stiffened in alarm. Is this why they’d been taken, to punish them for their crime?
When he glanced up this time, his gaze moved deliberately over her. Starting at her head, he did a thorough scan of every feature, moving over her hair and her face before continuing with an intimate glide from her chin to her toes. Although across the room, he catalogued each curve so thoroughly it felt like he did so with his touch, not his eyes.
Eryn resisted the urge to squirm beneath his overt perusal, more so when he paused at her breasts and hips. He reached her feet, still in her regulation black boots, and she thought she saw his lips twitch slightly, but he retraced his path up her snug-fitting flight suit, appearing not to miss the tiniest detail, until he again regarded her face.
“We won’t hold your wrongdoing against you,” he continued as if he’d never stopped talking and hadn’t spent the last several minutes undressing her with his eyes, “since you bring so many other assets to the table.”
Offended, she bristled and crossed her arms over her chest. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“I’ll explain while we eat. Sit, before it gets cold.”
A second away from stomping her foot at the infuriating obstinacy of the man, she contained it. “I’m not hungry,” she snapped, letting her annoyance show. “The one thing I want is for you to set me free! What you do afterwards, I don’t give a fuck.”
The easy manner he’d assumed faded, and his face tensed, his lips dipping into a frown. “Your aggression and anger is understandable, mate—”
“I am not your mate!” she insisted, her voice rising.
“You soon will be, which is something else I’ll explain after you’ve filled your empty belly. You only hurt yourself by denying your hunger. And your outbursts will accomplish nothing except to earn a well-deserved trip over my knee. I have been lenient until now—”
“Lenient! You have some nerve, buster! You kidnapped us and are holding us against our will. Am I supposed to roll over blindly and accept subjugation without a fight?”
“I would not expect blind surrender. However, an intelligent being would know when they are defeated and submit gracefully.”
“Is that so? Tell me, great warrior, what would you do if our positions were reversed?”
He inclined his head, considering h
er for a moment then took another bite and chewed slowly. After, he reached for a glass of pinkish liquid to wash it down, in no hurry.
“There are several things wrong with your scenario, galita. First, if I was the captive, I wouldn’t remain so for long. Second, I am a male, bigger, stronger, exceptionally well trained, one-on-one as we are now, never would our positions be reversed. And third, on an unknown planet, we wouldn’t have allowed ourselves to be so vulnerable to be caught to begin with.”
Her mouth gaped open. “You’re saying we were captured because we are stupid, weak, incompetent women? Your arrogance is immeasurable.”
“I didn’t put it quite the same way, and I didn’t call you stupid.”
She sucked in a breath of outrage, seeing his lips twitch again.
“It is an inarguable fact females are subservient to men because they are smaller and weaker. Males are in charge because we are physically superior and can defend and protect our females. It is the way in my world, and in most worlds I have visited. How you traveled this far without protectors and weren’t taken, is astonishing.”
“You’re wrong and disturbingly outdated. Where I am from, women are equals and defend themselves. Furthermore, I’m the security chief for my ship; therefore, I’m the protector.”
Her comment prompted a wide-eyed look of surprise followed by amusement.
“You think that’s funny?”
Smarter than she gave him credit for, he didn’t take the bait.
“One, for so many?” he countered, instead.
“I lead a team of thirty.”
“All females. It is no wonder we caught you so easily.” He grinned, his gleaming white teeth flashing brilliant in his tanned face.
He was blatantly condescending, and she suspected only half-teasing. She wanted to smack the grin from his face, but his smile—the first time she’d seen it—transformed him from handsome to heart-stoppingly gorgeous. How could she stay focused when faced with such underhanded tactics?
“You’ll have no further need to protect your crewmates, little rebel. In fact, your role up to now has no bearing. You are mated to a Primarian, and we take safety and protection of our females serious.” He popped another piece of meat in his mouth and wiped his hands on a cloth napkin. “I’m going to bathe. Afterward, since you insist you aren’t hungry, we will see about the breaching so our mate bond and your transformation can begin.”
Stunned by his arrogance, she gaped at him, unblinking as he stood and came toward her, not reacting when he caught her hand and pulled her through the bedroom doorway in his wake. He led her to the bed and began removing his loincloth.
“I won’t be long. Remove your clothing, get into bed, and be ready for me, unless you would like to join me in a shower first.”
While his words sank in, Eryn blinked, and the daze she’d been caught in evaporated. It also could have been that he was within arm’s reach, stark naked, with yards of smooth skin and rippling muscles, not to mention his cock, which was large, erect, and pointing eagerly in her direction. Whichever the cause, her brain jolted back online.
“You’re nuts!” she screeched. “Or this is a horrible fucking nightmare I can’t wake from.”
Looming over her in an instant, he caught her chin in his hand and tipped her face up. “I assure you, neither is true. This is very real, mate. And your sharp tongue and foul language are only adding to your heaping pile of egregious offenses. I suggest you lie down and collect yourself. I’m trying to be patient and prefer we start out our mating with pleasure, though I have no problem accommodating a spanking beforehand if your misbehavior persists.” With his ominous warning delivered, he started for the bathroom, but paused, peering down at her again.
This close, too close for her comfort, he smelled wonderful despite his intention to bathe. She took a step back to give them space, but he caught her around the waist, bringing her even closer.
“What are you called, little rebel?”
She considered lying, or sticking to name, rank, and serial number, but rejected both thinking they might push him too far. What harm could there be in him knowing?
“Eryn.”
His eyes traveled over her face, coming to rest on her hair. “A beautiful name. It suits you.”
She controlled her instinct to pull away from his hand when it rose and lifted a curl from her shoulder, rubbing it between his fingers.
“The color matches the fire in your blood.” He dipped his head and ran his nose up the side of her neck. “I’ll be back soon, Eryn, and will enjoy fanning those flames.”
He released her and disappeared into the bathroom, the door swishing closed behind him.
She stared at it for several long moments. And while she tried to process all he said and the hum of desire stirring low in her belly, her shock turned once more to anger.
“Fan the flames, like hell,” she grumbled, glaring at the bed as though the inanimate object had a hand in all of this. “I’ll lie down and spread for you when pigs fly, you arrogant, alien bastard.”
She scanned the room for anything to use in her defense. His boots. She grabbed one, pleased to find it as sturdy and heavy as it looked. Then, she stalked out of the room, heading straight to the main door.
Considering his intention for a spanking and a breaching, patience and rational planning went out the window. Desperate measures were called for. She had to get out of there, save the others, and get back to the Odyssey before it was halfway across the galaxy.
Using the hard heel of his boot like a hammer, she slammed it into the automatic sensor above the door. Set high in the wall in accommodation of their size, without her height, she wouldn’t have been able to reach the panel. She still had to stretch, standing on her toes to do so.
The first blow cracked the outer cover, and she pounded repeatedly, until she could pick through the broken plastic to the wires beneath. Not knowing which wire went to what, she yanked them all out and twisted them together until they sparked, and, with a puff of smoke, the indicator light blinked out.
“Bingo,” she whispered.
Eryn dropped the boot and, with both hands flat on the heavy panels, slid them sideways. She had to strain with all her might to get them to budge, but she just needed a few inches. Once parted that much, she began to squeeze between the panels.
Halfway through, hard fingers winding around her upper arm stopped her. Effortlessly, he curled his free hand around the edge of the panel, shoving them wide apart then pulled her back inside. Her escape thwarted, she howled with vexation when the doors snapped shut again as though spring-loaded.
“So help me, woman, I’ve known you less than a day and you are more defiant and troublesome than anyone, male or female, I’ve ever met.” Eyeing the broken sensor, he shook his head. “Your bottom will pay for this little rebellion, after we do what I explained we would be doing next.”
“I’m not breaching with you, so you can forget it,” she shouted at his fresh-from-the-shower naked back as he dragged her once again to the bedroom.
“That is fine,” he snapped over his shoulder. “Since I am the one who will be breaching you, all I require is for you to lie back, with your mouth shut, and legs open.”
His crude description had her heart pounding with fear. She yanked on her hand, but his hold held firm. Panic made her foolhardy.
“Chauvinist pig,” she hissed.
“Stubborn brat,” he countered.
“Let me go!”
“Never.”
Digging in her heels, she resisted, but it did nothing except annoy him further.
Unexpectedly, he stopped, bent at the waist, and tipped her over his shoulder, yet again. His long strides took him to the bed where he tossed her with a single bounce, coming down on top of her, his body pinning hers with its considerable weight.
“Leave it to me,” he growled between gritted teeth as he caught her fisted hands where they pushed against his chest, “to be mated to a woman who is be
autiful, has the softest curves, and smells more wonderful than a field of wildflowers, and yet is the most defiant, maddening, intractable woman I’ve encountered in all my days.”
Despite this mixed bag of compliments and insults, Eryn didn’t stop struggling to consider either. Besides, he was at least half right about her being known for her determination, never giving up when assigned a task, and for pure stubbornness. It made her a good security chief. It also carried over into her day-to-day interactions with everyone—including an alien who seemed determined to mate her and paddle her ass.
In an effortless move, he flipped her onto her belly and raised both hands over her head, pinning them to the bed. She kicked and squirmed, but he had no trouble containing her with his chest covering her back and a heavy leg coming over both thighs. Once he had her immobilized, he transferred her hands to one of his own.
Knowing what came next, she cried out. “No!”
His hand came down in a series of hard smacks to her bottom. She counted at least a dozen.
Once the sting had caught fire, she found herself on her back again, staring up into his golden gaze. Out of breath, with each pant for air her breasts rubbed against his smooth chest.
She knew how she must look, green eyes burning up at him with fiery indignation, cheeks flushed from her struggles, and, during their brief wrestling match, she’d felt the zipper of her flight suit come open wide at her neck. She suspected he had a nice view of the tops of her breasts, pushed up high from the press of his hard chest against hers. His gaze dropped to her generous cleavage and the interested glint reflected in his eyes told her he liked what he saw, and that she was in big trouble.
His Rebellious Mate (Primarian Mates Book 3) Page 15