Defiant (Battle Born Book 13)

by Cyndi Friberg

  The picture he painted was so primal, so savage that it made her inner walls clench and her nipples tingle. She could see herself spread out beneath him, her belly pressed into the floor. He’d hold her down and knee her legs apart so he could thrust into her from behind.

  “Your nipple just hardened between my fingers and your scent is so strong I can hardly breathe. I think you like the idea of being overpowered by your mate.”

  She shook her head, afraid of the implications of such a need. She’d always thought only weak, helpless females would enjoy giving up control. She was not weak or helpless.

  He released her nipple and cupped her breast, calming her with gentle pressure. “Or we can make love, slowly and tenderly,” he whispered the temptation into her ear, his warm breath caressing as skillfully as his fingers.

  She’d already had slow and gently with him, knew how wonderfully patient he could be. Tonight she needed wild, fast and hard, intense enough to drive away reality. She maneuvered her legs beneath her, then pushed to her feet, her back still pressed to his front. “I’ve decided I don’t want to play.” She rubbed her silk-clad butt against his chest, making sure he understood the challenge. “You’re not strong enough to handle me.”

  “Is that so?” He wrapped his arm around her waist, then pulled her panties off while she wiggled and protested, playfully slapping at his hands. “If you don’t want me deep inside you, mate, you better explain that to your body.” He cupped her mound, pushing her legs apart with his knees until he had plenty of room to maneuver between her thighs.

  She grasped his wrist with one hand and tugged at his restraining arm with the other. Of course, the last thing she wanted was for him to stop.

  With practiced ease, he found her clit with his long, middle finger and circled slowly, building the tension in her core with each smooth rotation. “You’re awfully wet for someone who doesn’t want to play.”

  She arched her back and rested her head against his shoulder, already struggling to complete a coherent thought. “I wanted you before, but now I don’t.”

  He chuckled, and his restraining arm angled up so he could stroke her breasts while his other hand continued to build her arousal. “Maybe, I can convince you to want me again.” Slowly, making each move obvious, he traced her slit, circled her opening, then pushed two fingers deep into her aching center.

  She moaned, helplessly trembling with the effort not to rock her hips and ride his hand. But her stubbornness didn’t keep her body from revealing her hunger. Her inner muscles rippled and her longing flowed into his mind. This was a wicked game and they both knew it, a way to keep passion’s fire burning bright.

  “That’s right, baby. Squeeze me tight. Show me how much you like this.”

  A harsh groan tore from her throat and she shoved his hand away. She would not give in that easily. Tonight, he was going to work for it! “I’ve got fingers too?” She tried to free herself from his other arm, but he had no intention of letting her go. “You’ll have to do better than that.”

  He spun her around so fast she gasped, then his mouth slanted over hers and his fingers tangled in her hair. She didn’t have time to bring her arms up between them, didn’t really have time to resist. Urging her lips apart with persistent sweeps of his tongue, he soon possessed the soft interior of her mouth as if he had every right to kiss her any way he liked.

  Did he? Was she finally ready to admit what her body knew the first time he kissed her. Drex was her mate, the other half of her soul, the part of her life she’d been missing until now. It didn’t matter that he was Rodyte or that their worlds were on the brink of war. She wanted him, needed the ultimate intimacy only available to mates.

  With a soft moan, she returned his kiss, boldly stroking his tongue with hers as their scents and tastes melded.

  “Oh, Jenna,” he whispered against her lips. “How much longer are you going to make me wait?” Before she could answer, he kissed her again, filling her mouth with his tongue and her mind with his aching desire to make their bonding real.

  Overwhelmed and dizzy, she tore her mouth away, panting as her being pulsed with the need to surrender, to stop denying them the joining of body, mind and spirit. “Prove it.” The provocation sounded harsher than she’d intended. “Make me want it. Make me want all of it.”

  With a menacing growl, he picked her up and tossed her onto the bed. She landed on her belly and bounced, but he came down on top of her before she could scurry away. “Is this what you want?” He tore open the front of his pants and forced her legs apart. Then he thrust into her wet core without hesitation or regrets. “You are mine, Jenna!” He punctuated the claim with a thrust hard enough to jar her entire body. “Say it,” he whispered the demand into her ear as his body pressed her down into the mattress. He drew her arms up beside her head and entwined their fingers. “No more games. No denials. I am your mate, and you are mine. Now admit it.”

  He wasn’t moving now, just stretching her, filling her in the most primal way possible. She tugged against his hands and tried to twist her hips, needing to feel his strength surround her her—control her. “It’s too soon.” She flooded his mind with hunger, contradicting her breathless claim.

  “No, it’s not. You need this. We both do.” He pulled back slowly, drawing nearly out. “Say it, love.” He held her firmly in place, his cock barely inside her. “Accept my claim.”

  She waited for the demanding thrust, the forceful penetration that would shatter the last of her resistance, but he didn’t move. His breath puffed in her hair and his emotions scorched her mind, but his hips held perfectly still.

  “Say it.” His tone snapped with authority and expectation, but he stubbornly waited for her answer.

  Chapter Twelve

  Drex fought for breath, frantically battling for control. Jenna’s soft core surrounded the needful head of his cock, pulsing softly as she made her final decision. He knew she wanted him, had for days, but this was infinitely more important than sharing pleasure. A soul bond was forever. It would give them access to each other’s thoughts and emotions, not just sporadic impulses, but specific thoughts and memories. They would truly be one.

  She trembled, her breaths as ragged as his. “I…want this,” she whispered. “Make me your mate.”

  Triumph surged up through him and he drove his hips forward, burying his entire length inside her snug passage. “You have to say the words, ‘I accept your claim. I willingly become your mate.’”

  “I accept your claim.” She rolled her hips as well as she could, taking him even deeper. “I willingly become your mate.”

  Overjoyed by her words and the emotions accompanying them, he wrapped his arms around her and rolled until she was sprawled across his chest. She gasped and tried to sit up, but he covered her breasts with one arm and her mound with his other hand. “Relax. I need to touch you.”

  She trembled, tense and confused. “I’m already turned on, Drex. I don’t need any more teasing.”

  “This is for me, love.” He found the side of her neck with his mouth and nipped just hard enough to make her gasp. “You’re mine. All of you is mine.” He rolled her nipple as he eased his fingers into her wet crease, accenting how tightly she spread to take him. Her protest died, transitioning into a breathless sigh as he found her clit with his fingertip. “Your pleasure is mine. Now come for me, mate.”

  She relaxed against him, utterly surrendered as he built her arousal again. Her legs draped over his, thighs open as his fingers explored and stroked. Her arms raised above her head, one hand lightly combing his hair. Her breasts were thrust forward by the slight arch of her back. The mounds felt full and soft in his big hands, while the nipples beaded tightly as he rolled and lightly pinched the sensitive tips.

  He soaked in her affection like a sponge, aroused as much by the emotions she fed him across the transfer link as by the eager responses of her amazing body. She grew restless and tried to rock her hips, creating the motion she obviously
craved.

  He splayed his hand low on her pelvis, middle finger still covering her clit. “Come first, then we’ll make this real.”

  “I don’t think I can,” she cried. “I need to feel you moving inside me.”

  “Soon, love. Give me this first.”

  His softer tone seemed to soothe her somewhat, she stilled, apparently concentrating on his touch. She was too relaxed. They both needed intensity tonight. So he gathered her clit between his fingers and thumb, creating pressure as he gently pulled. The slick nub slipped from between his fingers and she gasped, then shivered, so he did it again, and again.

  “Oh, Drex, that’s cruel.” Her head began to toss against his chest, her soft hair caressing his jaw and shoulders.

  He pressed harder and pulled longer before releasing the sensitive flesh. She soon gasped loudly and her inner walls clenched and unclenched with each firm touch. She came suddenly, arching so violently she nearly separated their bodies. Her pleasure bombarded his mind, making his cock buck deep inside her.

  Unable to wait any longer, he rolled, sweeping her beneath him again. He lifted her hips until she folded her legs beneath her and then he unleashed his need. He thrust into her with hard, deep drives. She rocked back, matching each of his lunges, maximizing the impact and depth.

  Her wildness thrilled him. His mate was as eager for him as he was for her. He held her hips, steadying her as he found a rhythm, still deep and strong, just not as frantic as their joining had started out.

  Maintaining the rhythm of his hips, he turned his attention to their metaphysical connection. The transfer link had served its purpose, helping her overcome her mistrust and fear. But the limitations were unacceptable now. He wanted all of her.

  Are you ready? He pushed the question into her mind, so she’d understand what he meant.

  I am. Make this real. I’m ready to be your mate.

  The affirmation thrilled him all over again. His mate. Jenna was his mate!

  Distracting her with fast, hard thrusts, he carefully dislodged the transfer link and dissolved it with a pulse of energy. She whimpered, clearly feeling their momentary separation. Not wanting her discontent to ruin the momentum, he formed a soul bond, constructing the link with care and precision. Then he guided the tether into her mind and carefully anchored the connection. She cried out, spontaneously coming in deep spasms.

  Her pleasure burned through him like a solar flare, threatening his control. Not only did he feel the sensations washing over her, he felt her awe, her anticipation and the tenderness he inspired in her. It was humbling and thrilling, so much so that he nearly lost the battle with his release.

  He slowed his pace, stroking her back as he regained his composure.

  Why are you still holding back? There was a hint of amusement in her question. Regretting this already?

  He laughed out loud and in her mind. The only regret I have is that I can’t make this last forever.

  You can, silly man. Come for me and we’ll do it again as soon as we catch our breath.

  Her teasing was more than he could take. He wrapped his arm around her hips as he thrust his full length into her, releasing his seed in powerful spurts. Each blast of pleasure and wave of emotion flowed out of him and into her, making the experience all the more intense and meaningful.

  They cried out together and he managed to roll them to their sides before he collapsed. His release triggered aftershocks so strong that it almost felt like another climax. Even now her inner walls rippled and tightened around his shaft.

  “It feels so different.” Her voice was breathless, but her mind was at peace. “This connection is so much deeper than the transfer link.”

  For a long time they lay like that, his body wrapped around hers. His touch was light and transitory, meant to relax not arouse.

  Gradually, passion’s haze dissipated and reality intruded. “So how does this work?” she whispered. “How do I become part of your world without sacrificing mine? I’ve worked hard to get where I am and I actually enjoy what I do.”

  He knew it wasn’t just a passing thought. He could feel anxiety gathering inside her. “The Triumphant is not my home. That’s where I go to work. But much of my work can be done remotely. I can work from almost anywhere.”

  His answer clearly surprised her. Leaving her hips snuggled into the curve of his body, she twisted her torso until she could see his face. “You don’t plan on returning to Rodymia?”

  “I joined the rebellion because there is nothing left for me on Rodymia. My family prefers to pretend I don’t exist. Even my father has become cold and distant. There is nothing there but unpleasant memories. Why would I return?”

  Her brow creased and she searched his gaze, her emotions banked and cautious. “You might be willing to stay here with me?”

  “Here in New York, or here in your mother’s house?”

  She laughed, returning to a more comfortable position. “Here as in on Earth. The First Contact Committee has been meeting in New York because that’s where most of us live, but we’ve talked about moving our headquarters to D.C., or even somewhere less obvious. We are Top Secret after all.”

  “I’ve never been to your nation’s capital, but I’ve heard it’s impressive. We could find a home nearby and build a life uniquely our own.” He gave her a little squeeze. “Sounds wonderful.”

  “New York is incredibly expensive, but D.C. isn’t much better. That’s why I’ve never moved out.”

  He ran his hand through her hair, letting the silky strands caress his fingers. “I’m hoping your mother will warm up to me eventually, but it might be good to give her a little space until she makes the transition.”

  “I agree, though she might not. We’re rather codependent.”

  “I’ve noticed.” He kissed her temple and wrapped his arm around her waist, feeling satisfied and sleepy. “But every baby bird has to leave the nest eventually.”

  She laughed, snuggling back into the curve of his body. “That makes me sound pretty pathetic.”

  “No, you just needed a stronger reason to learn how to fly.”

  She didn’t say anything, but hope and contentment flowed into his mind.

  * * * * *

  Sental arrived as promised, bright and early the following morning. He was lanky and quick to smile, with pale blue phitons. His open, friendly manner made Jenna like him immediately. Breakfast was still winding down when Sental contacted Drex, asking permission to bio-stream into the foyer. Lenore ushered him into the dining room and he set up at the far end of the table, while Fatima cleared away the dishes. Then the others moved to Sental’s end of the table so they could ask him questions and see what he was doing. It only took him a few minutes to confirm Drex’s suspicions. Thea’s communications device definitely transmitted information about the user as it formed the connection.

  “You can’t fake it with this thing, people,” Sental told them with an apologetic shrug. “He’ll know exactly where you are and from which computer the transmission originates.”

  Drex nodded as Sental handed him the device. Then he looked at Thea and asked, “Does Abaddon have you show him the room each time you talk to him? The scope of a laptop camera is very limited.”

  “He hasn’t since the first time, but he’s smart. If he senses anything odd, he’ll do that and a whole lot more. I don’t think we should risk his seeing you and Sental.”

  “I agree,” Jenna said, and Thea smiled.

  “That’s got to be a first,” Thea said under her breath.

  “Have you been given com-bots?” Sental asked Jenna. “It really will be helpful if we can see and hear what’s going on.”

  “Damn it.” Drex shook his head. “I should have thought about that. Which of the ships are within bio-streaming range?”

  Jenna groaned. “Do I really have to go through that again?”

  Thea laughed. “Be careful, Ms. Fermont. Now you’re starting to sound like me.”

  “It just so
happens that Sedrik is one step ahead of everyone, as usual.” Sental dug in his metal case and drew out something that looked more or less like a household staple gun. “One fully integrated com-bot application calibrated for species homo sapiens.”

  “You want to shoot me with that thing?” Jenna knew her eyes were owlishly wide, but couldn’t seem to relax her expression.

  “Not a chance.” He passed the gun to Drex. “Your mate is going to do it.”

  Drex glared at him, but stood and approached Jenna. “It stings for a second, but it will allow you to communicate with anyone who also has com-bots, as well as any ship or facility that utilizes Rodyte technology.”

  “Are you sure this is safe for humans?” Lenore sounded so concerned Jenna turned to her and smiled.

  “He said it has been calibrated for a human.”

  “I heard him, but has it been used successfully in humans before?”

  “There were some minor malfunctions until they tweaked the design to better suit human physiology,” Sental told them. “That’s the new and improved model.”

  Drex moved behind Jenna and swept her hair up and out of his way. “Ready?”

  “As I’ll ever be.” The gun made an abrupt popping sound that made Jenna gasp, but the actual sting, though sharp, faded quickly.

  “That’s it.” Drex released her hair and handed the gun back to Sental. “Back to logistics. How much equipment is involved in tracing the signal? Can you and I set up in a hotel room near Thea’s? I want to be nearby if anything goes wrong.”

  “How fast do you want this done? I could put together some sort of mobile station, but it would take a day or two. My suggestion is to use the Phantom. Everything we need is already on board.”

  “And if anything goes wrong, you can bio-stream us out of danger,” Jenna pointed out, trying to calm her nerves with the fact. She rubbed the back of her neck, though it didn’t really hurt anymore. None of this was surprising, but it was all becoming incredibly real. If everything went as planned, they were about to expose a powerful alien and systematically dismantle the Resistance Force. Drex would be with her every step of the way, but it was still intimidating. She wasn’t a field agent. For that matter, neither was he.