She paused as she wondered…
How did she feel about Sam? She wasn’t certain. Confused mostly, she supposed, for she hadn’t known him that long but still felt as if they were connected or destined, which sounded crazy.
According to Laszlo, if they got out of here, she would have a very long life—
barring any accidents or further tragedies. Sam would not, so any thoughts of a long-term relationship would be difficult. Not to mention the fact that she’d either have to go to Earth or he’d have to follow her to some other planet if they wanted to be together.
Would one of them really turn their back on their people and their duty to be with the other?
Of course, thinking long term at all at this point seemed unreasonable. Reckless even. She didn’t know why it was even plaguing her. It was just that losing so much, so quickly, made her want to grab on to life with both hands and not hesitate or be overly logical or analytical in decisions where personal pleasure played a part.
Her fingers drifted between her legs. She felt moisture and pulled off her undergarment. The ventilation system kicked on and cool air wafted over her body. Her nipples hardened and she tweaked each one. “Ooo…yes,” she whispered. Her back arched as sexual sparks streaked through her.
As she massaged a breast with one hand, her other hand slid back between her legs.
Her fingers dipped inside her pussy and she lightly stroked herself, teasing and stimulating her clit. “Mmm.” Not as good as a hard cock or a man’s mouth but she’d take it.
It had been too long since she’d experienced a good sexual release. Her life lately had been governed by duty and tragedy. She needed something that would transport her to another level, where only ecstasy existed. She played with her clit, increasing her need right to the edge. But she didn’t allow herself to topple over. Not yet. She knew the longer she waited, the better it would be. Especially if she fantasized some large-cocked hunk fucking her.
She squirmed on the bed, so close to coming. “Sam…” she whispered, picturing him fucking her for all he was worth. She’d never been with an Earth man before and was more than intrigued. Ever since she’d sucked his cock, she hadn’t been able to get him or the memory of his taste out of her mind. She’d like nothing more than to have his cock pumping away inside her cunt right now.
A choked groan reached her ears and her head snapped to the side. She froze, her eyes widening.
Sam. She hadn’t even heard him enter.
He was looking at her with hungry eyes. His nostrils flared from his heavy breathing. She wondered if he’d heard her practically moan his name. His gaze slid down her body to the hand between her legs. She couldn’t stop. Not now. She moved her hand faster, harder. He groaned. When his tongue eased out across his bottom lip, she came. Hard.
“Oh!” Her back arched and bolts of pleasure shot through her. Her vision faded and all she knew was physical sensation after physical sensation.
Somewhere in the distance she heard Sam’s voice.
“Fuck.”
Another wave of pleasure crashed through her, knowing he was watching her.
Wishing he would touch her. Fuck her. She shook and moaned. The sexual ecstasy was almost too much. As the pleasure slowly faded, she collapsed on the mattress, amazed by the experience.
She glanced back over at him, not feeling embarrassed but feeling complete and wanting more. With him. He hadn’t moved. She eased her hand from between her legs.
“I didn’t know you were there and I was too close.” No way was she not climaxing after she’d seen him standing there watching her.
“Don’t apologize.”
She smiled, her heart still pounding from her orgasms. “It wasn’t an apology.”
When he didn’t respond, her smile faded. She hadn’t expected him to just stand there, acting way too controlled, as if none of what happened had affected him sexually. She’d actually been surprised when he hadn’t tried to touch her while she was coming.
Perhaps she’d misread the look in his eyes for something other than desire. She reached for her uniform.
“Don’t, Brianna.” His voice came out a near growl when he said her name.
She stilled and watched him slowly approach the bed, like a wild beast stalking her.
His eyes darkened and sexual sparks filled the air. Every nerve ending in her body went on alert. She hadn’t been mistaken. That look said it all. He wanted to fuck her.
“Does Laszlo know you’re in here?” he asked in a husky voice.
“Yes. He sent me in here to rest. What are you doing here?”
“Laszlo sent me in here to rest too.”
Her heart picked up its rhythm, beating triple time. “We’ve been set up.” And she intended to take advantage of the situation.
She turned toward him and propped herself on her elbow, trying to look as sexually appealing as possible. She felt right on the edge of another orgasm simply from his presence and knowing Laszlo wanted them together like this. The next move was his.
“Do you mind?” he asked, a distinct rumble in his voice.
Did he really need to ask her that? The look on her face, her willingness to remain naked for him and her position should speak volumes. “Not at all. You?”
His hand brushed his bulging crotch. “What do you think?”
* * * * *
Torque sat in the control room, waiting for Braden, who had left after getting a message from Brianna. Something was brewing. He recognized un-coded code when he heard it. The problem was, without knowing the subject or question, he couldn’t properly interpret what he’d heard, other than the outcome was apparently not a good one. As soon as his brother returned, he intended to find out exactly what was going on.
Until then he’d concentrate on their main problem.
They needed to come up with a way to launch the orbiters without flooding the chamber with the outside poisonous gases. The Lair would have been able to handle such a problem. They would just seal off the launch areas, but this underground shelter wasn’t as sophisticated in its equipment and setup. It should have been upgraded long ago. But like most things, nothing had been done because it hadn’t yet been needed.
Now it was too late.
Laszlo had suggested using the decontamination room, which was airtight.
Probably their best bet. But it contained no internal controls—everything was controlled externally from the control room. They’d need to wire and install a system panel inside the room so he was working on the specifications now.
He paused to look toward the monitors. All shut down. He itched to switch them on to search the surface. But at the same time, he couldn’t force himself to do so. She hadn’t survived and he would have to accept it.
Still, his heart rebelled. Tara shouldn’t have died.
After their mother had taken her own life, Tara had been the only one he’d been able to really talk to and not feel judged for his feelings and actions, which even he admitted had been out of control. They’d watched out for each other and had a special relationship all their lives. Now she was gone. Forever. It hurt like hell.
Lately, another woman had been plaguing him. Actually, pleasuring him was a more accurate description. In his dreams. A dark-haired beauty, with a passion and love of sex to match his. He found it odd that she kept making an appearance. But he wasn’t complaining. Fucking her filled him. She allowed him anything and he took everything from her. His sleeping hours seemed the only time now when he really felt at peace.
Well, in truth, not just his sleeping hours, for recently, she had even filled his thoughts when he was awake. He seemed to have very little control of his fantasies with her. Somehow she kept him grounded though, so he felt grateful.
With Xylon destroyed, he’d wondered more than once what would happen to them all. Without a base to call home, either they would have to band together and find a new home or they’d all end up go
ing their separate ways. Never one for community in the past, perhaps because he knew one always existed for him, he now felt the loss more than he ever thought he would.
Braden entered the control room and Torque snapped himself out of his maudlin thoughts. He was the strong one, the invincible one, the older brother who never went soft. And the Warrior who defied authority if it didn’t suit his liking. “Where did you rush off to?”
“I had to secure something.”
Torque studied his brother. Yep. Something was definitely going on. “Anything I should know about?”
“I’ll get with you on it later. For now, let’s figure out this problem with the orbiters.
It’s our only way to get out of here and get everyone rescued.”
* * * * *
Josella stepped out of Braden’s and Alexa’s private quarters. She wouldn’t be needed for a while, so she decided to take some time for herself, though she wouldn’t have minded staying. She loved those little babies and being close to Pitch was a bonus but she also didn’t want to hover after Alexa had told her to take a rest.
As she headed toward the common area, she hesitated. What—
In the corridor at the far end, a passing shadow caught her attention. It had looked like Delemar, whom she realized she hadn’t seen in quite a while. Not even at night when they bedded down. From the start, he’d refused to sleep on the floor mats and usually spent his nights in medical.
She turned the corner and followed him down the corridor, curious as to how he’d been spending his time and where he had been going. When he glanced behind him, her heart clenched and she pressed up against the wall. She shook her head at her reaction. What was she doing? She had as much right to be walking here as he did. He would have no reason to think she was following him.
He disappeared into the ladder well, which went in only one direction. Down. Odd.
Nothing was below but the ships and engineering controls and probably a ton of other machinery. Maybe he had been making himself at home in one of the orbiters. He’d certainly have privacy there, though not much more comfort, given the age of the ships.
They weren’t designed with luxury in mind.
She quietly approached and glanced down the opening. She wasn’t certain if she should go down there or not but curiosity got the better of her. So what if she was spying on him. No harm in that. As long as she didn’t get caught. Carefully, she swung over to the ladder and started down.
As she reached the bottom, she did her best to hold back a sneeze. Dust and grime abounded. She looked in both directions but didn’t see anyone in the dim light. She listened carefully and thought she heard some small clicks, so she headed in that direction. It might just be a piece of equipment but she had to go one way or the other, so it seemed as good a choice as any.
She made her way past row after row of equipment, having no idea of its use. The clicking got louder as she continued on. When she turned a corner, she stopped abruptly and stepped back. There he was, sitting in front of a computer terminal.
She crept closer. The type on the screen was too small. She couldn’t see it. The only thing she was able to make out was a series of letters and numbers in larger type on the top right. FSMF-36.
Delemar suddenly stopped typing. He turned his head to the side and appeared to be listening.
She held her breath until he turned back and continued whatever he was doing.
Silly. He didn’t appear to be doing anything wrong. The other computers were in use, so it was logical for him to seek out the one down in the hole.
From all the typing, he was most likely documenting their experiences down here.
That was part of a Council member’s job—to keep records. She’d leave him to his work.
She eased away and headed back up top.
Chapter Nine
Braden turned from a panel readout when he heard the sound of boots headed toward the control room. He recognized the unmistakable stride of a male Warrior approaching from the corridor.
An instant later, Erik entered. He came to a stop the moment they made eye contact.
When Braden looked at his best friend, he immediately knew, even before Erik said anything. Something was up. “What’s going on?”
At his question, Torque flipped a switch, then turned from the computer screen. He looked up at Erik. “Damn. Something has happened. What is it?”
A grim expression crossed Erik’s face and his gaze flickered a moment between them. “Am I that transparent?”
“The look in your eyes isn’t indicative of someone bringing us good news,” Braden said, alarm bells pealing in his head. “Give me a report.”
“We had an overheat on one of the orbiters.”
“Great,” Braden muttered.
“Which one?” Torque asked.
“The long-range ship.”
Braden scrubbed a hand down his face. That ship needed to be in top shape if they were going to make it to Earth. If they had to divert to the Ice Moon to find and equip another long-range orbiter, the delay could be costly. For everyone.
There was no guarantee that any long-range ships were even available and operational on the Ice Moon. If no ships were available, no force of Warriors could be quickly organized to join their existing force on Earth to help fight the Egesa, who already had a large head start on them if everything Laszlo had said was true.
With their communications grid destroyed, he doubted the Warriors currently on Earth would know the Egesa were on their way. Earth’s military had been warned through Project ACE, according to Briggs, but they’d have no way of knowing the timing for the invasion and probably hadn’t yet prepared sufficiently.
He knew the Egesa kept small bands of soldiers stationed on Earth, as the Xylons did. They generally kept a low profile, staying mostly underground except at night and hadn’t proven to be a problem over the years. Nothing the Warriors couldn’t handle anyway. Now those soldiers would be paving the way for the arrival of so many more.
“Were you able to salvage the ship?” Braden asked.
“Yes everything’s fine, for now.”
When that’s all Erik said, Braden knew trouble was brewing. They’d worked together long enough to read each other like a security manual. “You wouldn’t be here telling me a one-liner if you really believed everything was fine. You would have simply logged the incident. What happened? I want a report with some details in it and I want it now.”
Erik nodded. “I was checking the weapon stores when a localized alarm went off.
Something overloaded the fuel and weapon systems and then ultimately the main control systems went down. And it wasn’t anything I did, unless I tripped a preprogrammed set.”
“Preprogrammed?” Torque’s eyes narrowed. “You think the orbiter might have been sabotaged to overload when the systems engaged?”
“I really don’t know. Considering the ship’s age and given how long it’s been down there, it’s not surprising that it had problems. Still, I thought I should report what happened in person, instead of simply logging the incident. Just in case it’s more serious than a malfunction. Also, Halah was with me at the time and accused me of doing something to fry things. Her reaction seemed over the top to me.”
“Meaning?” Torque asked. “You suspect she did something then tried to blame it on you?”
“Truthfully, I don’t know what to think. She did help to save the fuel when we were forced to do a dump. But I don’t completely trust her.”
Braden knew Erik and Halah didn’t get along. That attitude alone would adversely affect their judgment toward each other. “I’m sure she wants out of here as much as the rest of us. I highly doubt she’d disable either orbiter. That would lessen her odds of being selected as a crew member for the remaining orbiter, which would delay her getting out of this shelter even longer. Not to mention her sister.”
“Unless she’s working with someone on the out
side,” Torque suggested. “To sabotage us so we can’t reorganize the Warriors. She might already have an alternate rescue option for herself and her sister.”
“It’s very possible, Braden,” Erik said. “Think about it. We know she’s worked for Daegal in the past. She was part of the Sand Moon mission, which ultimately failed. She was the one who failed to disarm the PowerIIRad bomb after getting into the system, when I couldn’t. She’s maneuvered herself into a prime position for a spy—mated to Kam, Laszlo’s son. I’m sure she knew about their relationship before we did.”
“Let’s not get paranoid about each and every word or move someone makes, gentlemen.”
“A little paranoia can sometimes save a lot of lives.” Torque’s words came out in a light tone but his look was serious.
Braden understood their suspicions. He’d harbored the same suspicions. But after giving it hard thought and going over all the evidence in his head, he didn’t believe Halah was a traitor, or Kam either. He did believe they’d both been manipulated by Laszlo in the past and might again be manipulated in the future. As such, they shouldn’t be trusted with too much information at this point, for everyone’s safety. Not until he knew for certain Laszlo’s true motives and that the man could be trusted completely.
“Well, I intend to check over both ships very carefully and then lock them down,”
Erik said. “I don’t want anyone tampering with the controls once I know they’re set. I’ll need to do some rewiring and reprogramming. I’m going to install a secondary bypass in the larger orbiter to make sure the malfunction doesn’t happen again. If a malfunction is all it was. It might take me a while to get everything fully operational.”
“You’ll have time,” Torque told him.
Braden turned toward his brother. “What do you mean?”
Ecstasy Bound Page 12