"I won't as long as you don't try that again.” She snapped her attention back to reality. He was serious. Nah'Dara did not want to risk it because of the ringing in her ears, but she nodded.
"Good. Now, if you promise not to run, I'll let you go.” she lowered her head. Pretty dumb promise.
"Where will I run to? I'm on a starship in the middle of space."
"I'm glad that you know where you are. Try anything and I'll bind your hands with binders.” He paused. “If you're wondering where your ship is ... I sent it back to Habias with the head of my security."
Nah'Dara eyed him squarely despite the feeling that her vision was fuzzy.
"You're taking me back aren't you, LoMoq? Lord Trenton must have offered you a lot to kidnap me and bring me back."
His eyes smoldered. She could still see the rage behind them.
"If you must know, he isn't paying me anything. I volunteered. You needed to be brought down a notch."
She let his remark slide, thinking he could stick it where the sun did not shine. Nah'Dara could not believe she had been found.
How did he find me?
"It's not hard to follow someone that doesn't erase the logs from their personal computer."
Slowly, Nah'Dara raised her head and her eyes met his piercing silver orbs.
How could I be so stupid? In her hurry to get away, she completely forgot about clearing the computer.
That was smart.
She mentally slapped herself repeatedly. Her resolve, though small to begin with, started to fall by the second.
"I'm not going back,” Nah'Dara grounded out, her anger peaking.
"Why not? You have no choice. You're going back."
She shook her head trying to free the cobwebs that were forming there. Through her blurring vision, she squared her shoulders and pushed her finger into LoMoq's very hard and very broad, chiseled chest.
"Look, you loathsome toad. I don't know how little my uncle is not paying you, I'm not going back."
LoMoq arched a dark brow at her. His silver eyes watched her little finger intently as it bounced off his chest wall.
"Why?” There was no denying why she did not want to go back. He had seen into her mind. He could actually sense her as she talked. The fear and anger radiated through him.
Nah'Dara bristled. “Why do I need to explain anything to you?"
He folded his arms across his massive chest thinning out his lips. It gave him a fierceness that she did not expect; she found him very intimidating. She would never admit it.
Never.
"Because I am the captain of this vessel, and I'm calling the shots. I need to know why you have no interest in going back."
Nah'Dara pushed out her shoulders once more making her breast stand a little higher. She saw him fighting the urge to look. “I'll not go home and marry you, some spoiled brat Great Prince, who does not respect me. Especially you."
Her handsome captor gave a slow, easy, and knowing smile that seemed to be as disarming as it was dangerous. Sly, yet very sensual, his eyes gleamed wickedly.
"It's a good thing that I have every intention of bedding you, because if I didn't you would be a dead woman right now for disrespecting the Great Prince."
He was mocking her. She knew it; she hated being mocked, as much as not being respected.
"I'll threaten you all I want. You're the one who kidnapped me. I'm on your ship. You think that I'm just going to back down and watch you take advantage of me? You don't know me at all.” Her vision phased in and out of focus once more. Blinking, she focused on his eyes.
"I do know you, Nahni. A lot more than you would ever know."
How did he get my childhood name? No one calls me Nahni without my permission. Her resolve suddenly crashed around her like a boneless mass on the floor.
"Who told you that?” her voice quivered the question. She could no longer hide the unsettling urge to run, but with him so close, he would catch her in no time at all. Somehow, somewhere down the line, her little adventure had turned out to be the worst day of her life. She knew that she was in deep shit.
Eriq closed the gap between them ignoring the feel of his body against hers. She wanted the truth, and then she was going to get it.
Whether she liked it or not.
"Get used to it, Nahni. I'm the one that you've been promised to. Forever, I will see to it that I know everything about you."
It was like a low blow to the gut. She looked him over. Her eyes suddenly going from clear and green to dull and glazed over.
Nah'Dara inhaled the scent of leather, clean and earthy male from him as it assaulted her senses. He wasn't short or fat, but quite lean with very muscular arms.
He was rather tall, over matching her by at least a foot. His chest was broad. Not even the material of the black tee was able to hide the well-sculpted muscles that lie underneath. It was a sin to have a mouth that sexy on a man even if it was thin with anger. Full, very masculine.
She had never seen lips on a man that were so full. His eyes were a silvery gray, piercing, never wavering for a second, and seeing deep in the very core of her being. Moreover, suddenly filled with concern.
At that moment, though she had never been weak-minded in her life, Nah'Dara actually felt faint. The drug she had been given appeared not to be helping the cause. Her vision blurred beyond recognition. The only thing that she was able to focus on was the intensity of his eyes.
Eriq saw her sway. On instinct, he reached out and pulled her to rest against his chest just before her knees gave way. Weakly, she pushed against the massive wall of his chest. Her uncle said that she was pleasant to the eye. But Eriq had no idea that she was a goddess. He could feel every curve of her body. Voluptuous, full, and sensuous enough to tempt any man. Strands of dark brown curls had fallen from the braided bun at the back of her head and streaked across her lovely face. Her eyes, beautiful green eyes, filled with fear. Luscious full lips that trembled; begging to be kissed. She was practically panting and with each breath, her full ample breast crushed to his chest. Easily, he could be swept away in her beauty, in any other time, he would have, but this was not the time. He had to get her back home to end the war between the factions.
Never since his beautiful Mireya, had he seen someone so lovely as her. It had been 7 years since he had held a woman in his embrace. She felt good, real good to him, almost ... right. Mireya never pushed him to the brink of insanity with just the look of her eyes, never made him angry. Nor was she as full in the waist. Nor were her breast as tempting as this. How could a woman like this stir up these feelings within him that he thought were long buried?
In his mind, he could hear her thoughts. They were too close to the surface.
Oh, Spirit, no! I thought that I escaped him. I am trapped forever to him. When I get out of this, I am going to shoot Kiana...
She was loosing consciousness. Ever so gently, Eric lifted her into his arms with no problem, but when her head lolled back, he knew that she had lost the battle. Gently, Eriq lowered himself to the bed's level laying her down, placing her head on the small pillow. Rising, Eriq smoothed the strands of hair from her face. Her dark skin was soft as the softest Aranel satin.
He stood stepping away from the bed then walked to the door. He punched in the code to unlock it watching as the doors slid away. He took one last look at the lovely woman lying on the bed and sighed in frustration. It was going to be a long ride back to Habias Prime.
Chapter 8
"Computer, hail General Farlow."
Lady Nah'Dara had proven to be more difficult than he thought. As he left her in his quarters to sleep off the effects of the drug, he could not help but to be mesmerized by her beauty. Her dark lashes gently brushed his cheeks as she slept. Beautiful, piercing green eyes seemed to burn into his with startling intensity. He could still feel the way his hands molded to the full curves of her hips.
He groaned. He had to stop thinking about her. It was driving him insane.
Never had he been so tempted. He did not want to be set up for heartbreak all over again. He had a feeling this woman would be nothing but trouble on two long beautiful legs.
As he entered the small bridge, he was greeted by the lights of the helm console.
"Hailing,” The computer chimed back.
In the time that it took to settle in the command chair, Caegan's deep brown eyes, blond hair and bright smile with the chipped front tooth were displayed on the viewer.
"Greetings, Santar. You look like crap. Finally got around to calling me, huh?"
"Thanks. What's your status?"
"Lord Trenton picked up the ship with no problem. I'm staying put near Andromeda with the rest of the fleet. Enough of the chit chat. So did you find her?"
Eriq sighed. He wasn't going to live that down.
"Yes, I found her. She nearly escaped."
"Yeah, I bet. Now give me the low down. How was she?” He did not miss the wicked wagging of his eyebrows.
Eriq chuckled. “You never change."
"Nope, never will. Now, tell."
"She's beautiful."
"You saw her."
"Yeah, I did."
"So, did you bed her yet?"
So straight forward as always.
"I'm not going to tell you."
"And you don't have to. You answered your own question. A woman that beautiful and you haven't banged her yet?"
His temper surged to life on its own.
Caegan saw it and backed off quickly. “Don't get your pants in a pinch, Sans. I was just kidding."
Eriq took a deep breath.
"That's not why I called you. I need you to keep an eye on things. I have a feeling that I'm going to need your help.” Caegan's eyes took on a serious look. The one that meant that he was all business.
"What did you do this time?"
"I angered a group of Nakot trying to take advantage of our lady royal.” Caegan made a disgusted face.
"Oh, a Nakot group orgy. Sound ... yesh ... interesting."
"Tell me about it. It's a good thing I jumped in when I did."
Caegan leaned closer to the screen. “And left with a parting gift.” Caegan pointing to his swollen cheek. “You never do anything little, do you?” He hesitated as if thinking. “Don't answer that. Just try to stay out of trouble until I get back to you.
"I'll do my damnedest, Caeg. Keep an eye out for me."
"Not a problem. I got it all taken care of. Just say the word."
Eriq ended the transmission. Taking a moment to rub the sleep from his eyes, he decided it was time that he checked on some of his ships system. Nah'Dara slept comfortably in his quarters after he gave her another dose of the sleeping drug. Good news, the drug gave him at least six more hours before she woke again. Bad news, it usually blanked out her memory for a moment, but he could not take any chances.
He made sure that he locked his quarters and stripped it of all weapons of any kind. After his last encounter with her, he wanted her secure so that she would not wreak havoc on his ship. Staring at the view screens, he began with the diagnostics of his engines trying to block the intoxicating images of Nah'Dara out of his mind.
* * * *
Nah'Dara's eyelashes fluttered open. It felt like she had been out for hours. Her mind happened to be a complete blank, as if she had just been through a horrible dream. Slowly, the remnants of it were coming to the surface. She remembered being chased by someone. She could not remember the face, nothing, but his piercing gray eyes. Her head throbbed dizzily. A metallic taste coated her tongue as if she were...
"Drugged,” she sneered. Now, it was all coming back to her. She remembered LoMoq at the tavern, his handsome face and piercing silver eyes burning a path into her neural pathways. Bit and pieces of a fight with her head hitting something hard filtered through her mind. Someone had chased her, after that everything was a complete blank.
Nah'Dara sat up scanning the room with her eyes, her mind spinning. Almost immediately, she saw that this was not her ship. She decided not to raise the lighting, not wanting to increase her headache. She sat up letting her feet dangle on the side of the bed. Her headache was starting to ease as well as the spinning in her head. Taking her time, she slid from the bed with ease. Shaking the cobwebs from her brain, she looked around the room. Her cloak had to be somewhere around this room. In the dimly lit room, she spied it lying across the back of a chair on the other side of the room.
She grabbed it, digging inside of the folds for her laser. She could not find it. She remembered she had her fight stick strapped to the side of her thigh.
Nothing.
It was not there either. She let the oath slide from her lips. Her pulse quickened. How was she going to defend herself if all her weapons were missing? She looked around the cabin for something to defend herself with. As if he had taken out anything that could be used as a weapon. There was nothing around her but a bed, a nightstand, and chair. The window only showed the stars as they streaked by in hyper-drive, nothing more.
She had to get away. She was on his ship, defenseless, but not going out without a good knockout fight. She was not about to give in to hysteria threatening to break free.
Wrapping the cloak around her shoulders, she headed for the door. It was locked.
The bastard locked me in, her mind raged.
She tried the keypad punching in a quick command, her finger moving with lightening speed trying every unlocking code that came to her mind. LoMoq was more than likely to come back. Finally, after the seventh code, the door slid away. Triumphant, she laughed as she walked through the door.
There hasn't been a computer invented that can keep me out.
The corridor was dimly lit as well, save for the light on the underside of the deck pads. As she walked down the corridor, her boot softly sounding off the deck. She stopped abruptly, coming to a four way split. Nah'Dara hesitated. She had no a clue which way was out. She could not take any more chances. She had to be at her best if she was going to get off this ship.
She turned down the corridor hoping that she would end up in the cargo hold of the ship, praying silently that her ship would be there. The corridor turned with her ending up at the same four-way. Saying another oath, she took a different corridor. She had absolutely no idea where she was going. Her fear was climbing. He was close. She could feel him. How, she did not know, but she felt his presence not far from where she stood.
Nah'Dara's defenses went up. Slowly, she crept forward, not wanting to run into anything she had to fight. From around the corner, she could hear voices. She walked further so she could see who was talking. Immediately, she heard the voices of two men, explaining some thing about coordinates. She really could not make it out. One voice caught her ear. Its burr was different, deep, and sensual.
Her heart quickened, slamming into her chest with realization.
LoMoq!
Her eyes lay upon his large back with raven black hair loose around his shoulders. She knew the moment he felt her. A surge of electricity shot up her spine possessing every part of her body. Suddenly, he moved. The chirps signaling that he cut the communication. Raising his head from the console, he turned the chair around meeting her eyes.
Her breath hitched in her throat. Nah'Dara remembered everything now. He had chased her through the woods. She was on his ship. She was his captive with them heading back to Habias.
LoMoq stood, his silver eyes burning into hers. He was a giant, built to perfection. His broad shoulders seemed barely contained in the black knit Tee. Long arms and legs covered in well-toned muscles.
Her eyes looked lower than expected across flat abs, even lower to a set of powerful legs that seemed endless. Her prudish side chided her when she looked lower to the large bulge. Actually, she was gawking. How could a man be so big there? The sight brought out the female animal in her hell bent on sexual domination.
Damned imagination. Again
, it had taken her off guard. She stilled. Wait a minute. When had he moved? On minute, he filled the doorway with his body; the next he was standing so close to her she could smell his clean male scent. Oh, shit.
Fight or flight, it did not matter. Whatever it was, it kicked in with a surge through her system.
Run, damned fool. RUN!
She bolted from the door as fast as she could. Her dark cloak trailed behind her.
Nah'Dara was running blind, never a highlight for her. She turned a corner quickly running straight into a massive, and very hard, chest. Immediately, strong arms surrounded her shoulders, hoisting her off the deck, her feet dangling just inches from the floor. This guy was enormous and not to mention deviously handsome.
His deep gray eyes glared into hers seeming to see right through her. He gave her a feral smile that only made him look even more dangerously handsome.
"It's good to see that you're awake now. I was coming to see if you were hungry. But I see that you've already made your way out and about,” he purred. She pushed back against the massive wall of his chest.
"Let me go, you Leoin snapdragon!” He only chuckled. His deep voice vibrated through her.
"Go where, Nahni? We have gone over this already. You are returning to your uncle to be my bride.” It was something about the way he said her nickname that made her want him to say it again. His perfect Galactic Standard, accented with his native Altarian tongue had her name sounding exotic and wild. No one called her that anymore accept for Kiana. She was going shoot her with a phaser in the butt. On stun of course. Nah'Dara didn't want to hurt her, just zap her a bit. She could not deal with that now. She had bigger things to worry about.
Nah'Dara had a laugh of her own. “You've go to be kidding. I must have the worst luck in the universe. I will never go back. Not to marry you, a spoiled Great Prince of a blood thirsty nation.” Each breath brought her ample breast closer to his chest. The feeling sent electricity shooting through her body, awakening the one part of her she wanted to stay dormant.
"I could just take my rights now.” He purred. His smile was pure mischief. Nah'Dara felt his arousal beginning to grow hard, and with all her might, she tried to break free.
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