The Pleasure Project (Jax)

by JAX

  He speared his fingers into her hair and she made an mmm sound against his mouth as she reached around and grabbed his ass in both hands.

  His erection throbbed where it pressed against the soft skin of her stomach, and he wanted nothing more than to pull her down to the floor and plunge inside her until she clenched around him and cried out in ecstasy.

  The door burst open and Dare started as Dani pulled back—all the sensations of having her close and warm against him suddenly ripped away.

  Dare held his arms out at his sides in his best “I’m harmless” stance and glanced toward the intruder, who turned out to be Mr. Beefy who had led Dare and Carl to this room earlier. Mr. Beefy’s face was dark and stormy—not a good omen for Dare’s continued health and existence. He hoped Dani wasn’t Mr. Beefy’s woman. He couldn’t stomach the thought of the redheaded goddess in front of him with the stocky, harsh-looking man looming in the doorway.

  “Jared.” Dani’s voice sounded calm and cool even though her chest still rose and fell in a choppy rhythm showing Dare she was still fighting off the same arousal that still pumped through his veins.

  “Dani? Is everything all right? I saw Dahlia and the other prisoner in the mess hall and figured I’d come back to check on you.”

  Dani raised one brow and turned a chiding look toward Jared. “While I appreciate your concern, I have everything well in hand here. You can return to your station and I’ll ring for you if I need anything at all.”

  Jared’s expression turned sheepish, and Dare thought he also detected a bit of hurt. Maybe Jared did have something of a crush on his boss, but then who could blame the man. Dare had been here less than two hours and his body was on overdrive with this woman. What would it be like to work with her day in and day out and not be able to touch her, hold her, or possess her?

  “Yes, boss. I apologize. I should’ve known you could handle yourself in any situation. It’s just we—the crew and I—are pretty protective of you. You’re the best boss we’ve ever had, and we’re not keen to lose you.”

  Dani smiled, and the hurt drained off Jared’s face as if it had never been there. “I know, Jared. And you men are the best crew I’ve ever worked with. But as you know from our fight nights, I can handle myself in pretty much any situation, and even without the shock collar, Mr. MacFadyen would be no match for me if he chose to do something I didn’t want or like.”

  Surprise slapped at Dare. She’d said she’d been trained to fight by his grandfather, but then so had he, and he was bigger and stronger. He wondered if she was really that good or if that last statement had been purely for Jared’s benefit.

  Jared cast Dare a last warning look and left, closing the door firmly behind him.

  “Fight nights?” Dare couldn’t help but ask.

  Dani nodded. “Yes, I started them when I took over to gain the crew’s respect and to make it clear that if they saw me as an easy mark somewhere along the line, they were mistaken. There are bets placed and I fight anyone who volunteers. First one to say ‘Uncle’ loses. To date, I’ve never said ‘Uncle.’”

  Dare whistled long and low, impressed and intrigued. “If Devil taught you to fight, then I’m not surprised. He taught me as well. Just out of pure curiosity, I’d love to see which one of us would win.”

  Dani ginned. “Maybe later, Dare. Right now I can think of a whole host of other things I’d rather do with you.”

  A knock on the door had Dare turning to see what would happen now.

  “Come in,” called Dani, and the door swung open to reveal Jared again.

  “I apologize, boss, but Dahlia has news for you. She said she’d meet you in the control room. Would you like me to take this prisoner to your quarters to await your return?” Jared’s voice was carefully neutral, but Dare was surprised he’d even made the offer after the earlier scene.

  Dani looked back and forth between the two men and nodded. “Yes, thank you, Jared.” She looked at Dare and grinned. “I’ll go see what news Dahlia has and then I’ll return to my quarters.”

  * * *

  3

  Dare had no business wanting to fuck the woman who meant sure death to his future. Yet here he was.

  As much as he could deny it, the attraction was more than he’d like to admit. If he couldn’t handle this, what business did he have taking over his grandfather’s legacy?

  He scanned the furnishings inside her personal cabin while Dani was being briefed by her first officer. One minute he was in the captain’s ready room talking to Dani about which one of them would win in a fight, and now he was facing a much bigger battle.

  Jared had brought him here, warned him not to disturb anything, and tethered him by his ankle to the metal bunk with a chain. That had been about an hour ago, and he wondered if Dani was going to return or if he’d misunderstood her intent to join him in the first place. After all, how often were invitations to personal chambers extended from infamous space pirates—female or not? Dare had no idea, but from his little time with Dani he didn’t think it was often.

  He had to admit, this was better than he’d expected. After Jared had walked in on them kissing, Dare thought he’d be dead or writhing in pain for the rest of his existence for daring to touch their boss—even if she had touched him first.

  And oh, what a touch it was. His body still reacted to her as if she were held close, her soft curves melding against him.

  Things like this happened in old Earth novels and movies, but never happened in real life, right?

  Or maybe it was purely that they were two captains who hadn’t found anyone lately to share intimacy with, and when sparks flew between them unexpectedly, neither could deny the realities? Either way, his rock-hard cock reminded him that he was right where he wanted to be for the moment; well, not exactly, but much closer than he had been.

  Besides, he still had a goal to reach. He needed to get Dani firmly on his side so he could get himself, his ship, and his crew out of this situation in the best and quickest possible order. He just had to sort out how to make that happen.

  “Hello, human male.”

  Dare startled at the mechanical voice coming from across the room. He turned his head and saw a rather large purple pleasure probe sitting in a charging station on Dani’s dresser. He chuckled and wondered if Dani realized she’d left it out.

  Unable to contain his curiosity, he stepped closer to the probe and touched the Power button.

  Instead of powering down, it flew off the pedestal and hovered just beyond his reach.

  “I’m sure you’re not here to use my services. Are you here looking for a pretty pussy? Dani’s is pretty and soft and hasn’t experienced the explosion of orgasm in at least two month’s time. That’s when she purchased me. Although she did try locking me in one of her drawers for nearly a month, so I can’t vouch for her activities during my exile.

  “I hated it in that dark place, even lying on all her soft lacy panties. I like the open air much better. It doesn’t dry out my lovely synthetic exterior.”

  Dare frowned at the pleasure probe as it flitted about the room. He’d never heard of a talking model, especially not one with such a sarcastic sense of humor or such sentience—not that he’d had a lot of experience with pleasure probes.

  He’d seen them in marketplaces, of course, but not having need of one himself, and preferring to use his own equipment when the opportunity presented, this was the first one he’d seen up close and personal, so to speak.

  “I doubt Dani would want you telling everyone her business, pleasure probe.” He nearly smacked himself on the forehead as he realized he was having a conversation with a sex toy. Not exactly a distinguished pastime for a ship’s captain, not to mention someone who considered themselves a very masculine man.

  “You can call me Pussy-do.”

  “Pussy-do? Really? I don’t think so.”

  “Male human, you’re the only one besides Dani I’ve had a conversation with, and since I assume you’re here to s
ee if you can succeed where I have failed her, we are in somewhat of the same capacity.”

  The prod to his pride annoyed him. Dare didn’t like being lumped in the same capacity with a pleasure probe, but he refused to argue his point with the talking rod of silicone … or whatever. Especially since the damn probe had a point.

  After all, wasn’t he here to use his body and Dani’s arousal against her to get himself out of the situation he’d gotten himself and his crew into?

  “I want to see your equipment.” Pussy-do dive-bombed Dare’s head. He batted at it, moving back until his legs hit the bed. The damned contraption had herded him. No way in hell was he going to show his cock to a toy.

  “Pussy-do off.”

  Dani’s terse words behind him startled Dare, and he turned to find her with red flaming into her cheeks, staring at him with mortification clear in her expression.

  The probe fell from the air onto the bed near his leg. “Good thing it was hovering over the bed or it’d be in pieces.”

  “I’m so sorry, I forgot all about that damned thing. I have to take it in for adjustments. It’s begun to pick up my snarky speech habits.”

  Dare couldn’t help but laugh, especially since the damn thing had him cornered before Dani had arrived. “No problem. I’m sorry if it embarrassed you.”

  She shrugged, which did great things to her generous cleavage.

  “My fault entirely. I shouldn’t have left you for so long, but Dahlia and I had business to take care of.” She smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes, which made him wonder just what business they’d had to discuss.

  “I’ll make you a deal. You don’t tell anyone what my obnoxious probe said, and I won’t tell anyone—especially your crew—that you just held an entire conversation with a large, flying, purple pleasure probe in the captain’s private quarters.”

  Heat flowed into Dare’s cheeks as he thought about the ribbing he would take if his crew ever found out about this. “Deal.” He laughed and picked up the probe. “Why don’t you just toss it in a drawer? I know it said it wasn’t happy there, but at least that would shut it up.”

  She appeared horrified to see it in his hands, but she didn’t reach for it. He ran his free hand over the length and tried not to show how uncomfortable it made him. “It’s hard to imagine this little thing making so much trouble.”

  “L-little? Ahem. So it told you about that.” She blinked hard before looking away from the probe and down to the juncture of Dare’s legs.

  Dare drew a slow, deep breath as he fought not to laugh. Was she wondering if the probe was indeed little compared to him?

  “I think you traumatized it … er her.”

  Don’t smile, he told himself.

  She sighed. “It becomes positively impossible when I try to stuff it into a drawer. It yells and thumps around and screams like a banshee until all its power cells are depleted, and that, of course, is when I want to use it. I’ve learned it’s just easier to leave it on the power station and ignore it. I just need to take it in for adjustments soon before I’m tempted to carry it through the ship just to toss it out an air lock for some peace and quiet. I dropped too many credits on it not to figure out a way to coexist with it peacefully.”

  Dare restrained himself. He’d tormented her enough. A prolonged pause ensued as he studied her clothes. If he was in her quarters, how had she managed a change of clothing? Maybe she’d borrowed it from Dahlia?

  She now wore some type of gauzy top and pants that allowed Dare to see her turgid nipples and her dark areolas through the cloth, not to mention the dark red thatch of curls at the juncture of her thighs that proved she was a true redhead.

  A jolt of pure anticipation caused him to drop the probe on the bed.

  Dare’s mouth went bone dry, and he swallowed hard to try to break the mesmerizing spell her body seemed to suddenly have over him. He wondered if she’d known the effect this outfit would have on him, or if it was purely accidental. Regardless, his body liked it a lot, and his brain didn’t mind it either.

  “Anyway,” Dani began. “How about I take that ankle restraint off and we can pick up where we left off when Jared originally interrupted us? Unless you have any objections, of course. I know this is an odd gender reversal, but I don’t force my attentions on my captives. In fact, I’ve never …” Dani trailed off, and Dare took the opportunity to close the gap between them and pull her flush against him again. He searched her gaze for signs she didn’t want him. Her eyes, a startling color of green, reassured him. She definitely wanted him.

  She was warm and soft and melted against him just as she had in the ready room. He slid his fingers into the lush red hair at her nape and when her tongue flicked against his lips, he pressed his mouth to hers.

  She opened for him immediately and allowed him to taste her sweet feminine heat. He fought not to make too much of the way sensations pinged along his nerve endings from the kiss. Something about her was so different … and yet too familiar. Thankfully she distracted him by running her hands over his chest, his abs, around to his ass and then back again. When her hand reached his aching erection, he groaned into her mouth and slid his hands down from her hair to begin to slowly explore her wondrous curves. He’d seen her beautiful breasts up close and personal in the ready room—accidentally, if he’d read the situation correctly—but they fit in his hands perfectly and he couldn’t wait to taste them.

  But this was a woman to be savored, not one to be plundered quickly and forgotten. He was quite sure he wouldn’t forget Dani McGovern, aka Red Death, for quite a few years to come.

  “I should still get that ankle restraint off, unless you want to see if we can continue this with you still chained,” she said against his mouth, then pulled back with a smirk. His arms felt empty without her.

  “I think removing my chain is a good idea. I promise not to do anything that would piss off Jared … unless …”

  Dani raised one brow. “Unless what?”

  Dare mentally stumbled and wondered if he’d fallen into one of those woman traps of things you’re never supposed to say. But it was too late to back out now, so he manned up and answered her. “Unless you’re his woman?”

  Dani frowned and pierced Dare with a steady gaze. “First, no man owns me, Mr. MacFadyen. And second, I don’t make it a habit to sleep with my crew. He’s just protective … all of them are. I’ve been good to them since I took over, and they return the favor. Besides, I think Jared and Dahlia are seeing each other. I’ve been seeing some signs just today that convince me I’m right. So there’s no competition standing in your way. Unless you’re just not interested.” She squared her shoulders and kept his gaze.

  Dare’s respect for her edged up another notch. He appreciated the straightforward approach in both women and men. Although he wasn’t interested in men the way he was interested in the sexy woman who stood before him. Dare was definitely heterosexual, and his cock agreed.

  Dare pointedly glanced down at his very full erection and then slid his gaze back up to Dani’s. “As you can see, I’m quite interested … Dani. I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t stepping into any territorial disputes. After all, this is uncharted territory for me.” Those words worried him. They were far too close to the truth. This was about getting free with his crew and cargo intact, nothing more.

  She laughed. “For me, too, Mr. MacFadyen, I assure you.” Dare frowned. “This is so not going to work if you keep calling me Mr. MacFadyen. Please, my name is Dare. I think we should already be on a first-name basis, don’t you?”

  Dani nodded as if acceding to his point.

  “Dare,” she said, as if trying out how saying his name would feel on her tongue, which sent thoughts of what else she could feel with her tongue skittering through his already blood-starved brain.

  When Dani knelt in front of him, his erection twitched; then Dare realized she was just removing his ankle tether like they’d spoken about a few times now before they’d gotten distrac
ted by other things.

  A distinct clicking noise signaled the lock disengaging; then the chain holding his ankle loosened and fell away.

  “Sorry about that,” she said from her still-crouched position. “I suppose Jared felt you could get into less trouble this way.” She tossed a pointed look toward the pleasure probe still lying where he’d dropped it. “Or not.”

  Dare stifled a laugh. “Don’t forget, we have a solemn oath to not speak of what went on with that pleasure probe in this cabin today.”

  A huge grin curved her lips and she nodded. “Don’t worry, Dare. I never break a promise. Now, where were we?” She slowly stood, her breasts brushing his erection as she rose, the top of her head coming up even with his chin. Their gazes locked and held with fierce hunger on both their parts. If she dared deny it, he’d call her on it.

  He took one step back and then lowered his face to hers so he could capture her lush mouth and fall back into the kiss that they’d started earlier.

  Dani sighed against his lips and this time let him lead. All constraints of duty were pushed aside, and he threw himself into the task of seducing this amazing woman … for his own pleasure.

  He ran one hand down her shoulder and brushed it along the side of one full breast, reaching out with his index finger to graze the rock-hard nipple.

  He was rewarded with a moan and Dani leaning harder against him.

  She placed both her palms on his shoulders as if for balance, and Dare took that as an invitation to continue. He reached around to the back of the gauzy top and found the hook and zipper combination at the neck that kept the top closed and up. He made quick work of the hook and zipper, then pulled back just far enough to whisk the shirt over Dani’s head and toss it aside.

  The vision of Dani’s translucent bra, a filmy piece of material that teased and tantalized, made a deep groan fill Dare’s chest. “You are lovely.”

  Filmy material didn’t match the mood overtaking him. His need became a roaring fiend.

  He wanted, craved skin-to-skin contact. His pulse raced and his breath quickened. With one quick flick of his fingers, he opened the clasp to her bra and let it fall between them.