Wicked Wishes

by Joanna Wylde, Stephanie Burke, Marly Chance

  He gave her a look of dark hunger as he said, "Beautiful."

  He stood up slowly and she saw the large bulge of his hard cock against the front of his pants. A thrill shot through her in spite of her euphoria. He let go of her hips and she realized she could stand again on her own, barely. He reached up and unlocked first one cuff and then the second. Tiffany let her arms fall to her sides. Without any warning Zak reached down and scooped her into his arms. Tiffany wrapped her arms around his neck and said softly, "That was unbelievable, Zak."

  He smiled down at her but the smile looked strained. "That was the beginning, Tiff, and yes, it was unbelievable." He strode over to the bed and put her down on top of it. Tiffany scooted back on the bed and pulled the covers back. She started to pull them back over her when she heard him say, "No. Leave them off."

  She looked up at him in surprise. His tone was tight and he looked barely in control. She froze. He reached down and jerked the covers all the way off the bed. Moving back, he yanked his shirt over his head. Tiffany's breath caught. He had broad shoulders that led down to a well-defined and muscular chest. She watched those muscles ripple and felt her stomach tighten. He looked so sexy with his shirt off and just those pants still on. She watched as he toed off one shoe and then the other quickly. He removed his socks with quiet efficiency. When his hands went to his pants, he paused.

  Tiffany could feel her excitement rising with every movement. When he paused, she looked up at his face. He was staring down at her and said, "I'd keep going slowly, but I can't. It's been too long. I need to claim you, now."

  Tiffany swallowed. The hard bulge of his cock stood out against his pants. He looked very large suddenly. She nodded and watched silently as he unbuttoned his pants. She kept looking from his hands to his face. He was watching her, his eyes fastened on her with absolute possession.

  She felt a thrill go through her at that look. Screw political correctness and careful equality. There were times when just being taken was an incredible turn on. This was one of them. She had never felt so powerfully a woman. Zak was struggling, trying to stay in control. She was turning him inside out and a part of her thrilled to the notion. She watched as he pushed the pants downward and stepped out of them. When he straightened, she felt her mouth go dry.

  His cock was hard and the length of it jutted out from his body aggressively. He looked huge. He strode toward her and she jerked her gaze back up to his face. She saw his amused smile as he said, "Tiff, you look scared. You've seen one of these before, right?"

  Tiffany smiled, realizing she was being silly. Of course she'd seen one before. Just not one quite so impressive and not one attached to Zak. She said sincerely, "Of course. Just…Zak…you look…beautiful to me." She immediately winced, feeling somewhat stupid. What a weird thing to say to a guy.

  Zak faltered, and she saw a flush rise along his cheekbones. He closed his eyes. When he opened them, she saw a look of tenderness so profound that it made her chest feel tight.

  He cleared his throat and said, "Thank you, Tiff."

  Tiffany watched as he climbed onto the bed beside her. He turned until he was on his side facing her. She stayed turned toward him as she reached out and touched the muscles of his chest. As they jumped under her fingers, she realized how much her touch was exciting him. He watched her with dark eyes.

  She moved her hand to the flat circle of one nipple and traced it slowly. She could hear Zak's breathing becoming harsher. With an inward smile, she continued with her exploration of his chest. His skin was warm and smooth under her fingertips. She let her hand drift downward onto his stomach and felt his breathing stop. She found the hard length of his cock and touched it gently. He was extremely hard, but his skin felt like velvet under her fingers. She heard him moan. She wrapped her hand around it and moved up and down slowly, simulating an act they both craved.

  Suddenly, Zak muttered, "That's it. No more playing."

  He grabbed her hand and removed it from his cock. He pushed her with one hand until she was on her back. Shifting until his body was over hers, he moved one knee against her legs. He said, "Spread your legs, Tiff. I want in."

  Tiffany felt the thrill of his words all the way to her toes. He nudged at her legs and she opened them. Moving them until they were spread, she caught her breath as he brought his cock into contact with her sex. Most of his weight was on his hands on each side of her head. She could feel the tension in his body as clearly as she felt it in her own. He looked down at her as his cock brushed against her curls and she saw him close his eyes again for a moment.

  When he opened them, he said huskily, "I can't control it. You'll get images for a moment. It's only this one time. It's the claiming. Stay with me, okay? Do you accept me freely, body to body, mind to mind, soul to soul?"

  The Claiming? Tiffany felt a moment of confusion and then remembered. The dreams. She would get some images. She could handle it. She nodded. "Yes. It's okay, Zak. Let go. Just let go."

  Zak nudged her opening with his cock. She felt the pressure as he entered her carefully. She swallowed hard. He was filling her slowly, pulling back a little and then pushing forward again as if making room. She bit her lip and tried to relax. He was big, but tensing up wouldn't help. He pushed further until he was nearly completely inside her. Her breath caught as she teetered on the edge between pleasure and pain. He paused as if waiting for her to adjust and then surged forward again. She raised her hips a little and felt him slide all the way to the hilt. She was still staring into his eyes, lost in him completely.

  He pulled back faster and thrust forward harder. When he surged into her this time, she couldn't hold back a moan. The sound seemed to trigger something in him. The hard length of his cock rasped her inner walls as it left her and then slammed back into her. She whimpered at the wonderful sensation. She brought her hands up and gripped the muscles of his butt. They flexed beneath her hands as he moved in and out of her. She knew her nails were biting into him, but the small pain merely seemed to spur him on.

  He gave a low throaty moan as if in response and thrust harder. Tiffany kept her eyes locked on his and thought, "This is Zak…my best friend… He's inside me and I can't believe how good he feels…how right." Tiffany raised her hips and met his thrusts.

  Suddenly mental images began to flood her mind. She was on her knees on the floor, his hard cock in her mouth. She was in the bathroom under the shower and he had her arms pinned to the wall as he thrust into her from behind. She was on top of him, her wet sex gripping his cock tightly as she moved up and down its hard length. She was strapped to the chair and he was between her legs, licking her sex. The images continued relentlessly, each more graphic and intense than the last. She felt the hard pressure of his cock filling her sex and the overwhelming feel of him filling her mind. It was too much, she gave a moan and felt her vision start to gray.

  Zak said, "No! Stay with me."

  He arched his spine and thrust harder and faster. Tiffany felt the last of the images fade away and whimpered at the loss. The excitement was unbearable. She could feel her lower body tighten and her sex gripped his cock savagely. Suddenly, the pressure inside her released and she felt the first pulses as her climax hit her. She screamed.

  As her body swam with pleasure, she heard his long low moan and felt him shake. The wet warmth of his seed flooded her sex. He continued to pump into her until her screams died away. Then he collapsed on top of her. Some subconscious part of her noted that he kept most of his weight off of her, but he was still heavy. She decided that if her brain ever worked again, she'd ask him to move. Maybe.

  Tiffany stared blindly at the black ceiling overhead until she could breathe and think again. She felt incredible. What had happened here was not sex. She didn't know what it was exactly, but it wasn't just sex. It was too intense. Too personal and intimate and special.

  Zak finally pulled out of her and then rolled to his side. He maneuvered until he had an arm under her neck and then carefully pulled her
to him. She rested her head against his chest, feeling his heart beat beneath her ear. What was going to happen now? How weird or awkward was this going to get? She had made love with Zak. Or had sex with Zak. Or whatever. She sighed.

  Zak hand played with her hair gently and she heard the dark rumble of his voice as he asked, "What are you thinking, Tiffany?"

  Tiffany tensed. Feeling strange, she said, "That's my line, isn't it?"

  He continued the soothing motions of his fingers in her hair. "We don't have any lines here. It's you and me."

  Tiffany sighed again. "I feel weird, Zak. I've wanted you for so long, but this changes things."

  Zak chuckled. "Yeah. It definitely changes things."

  Tiffany lifted her head and looked at him. He was gazing at her sleepily. She shook her head. "You know what I mean. Friends don't sleep together, Zak."

  Zak raised an eyebrow. "Husbands and wives generally do."

  Husbands and wives? Tiffany cleared her throat. This was tricky. What did he mean by that remark? The only way to know was to ask. "Er…was that some kind of lame indirect marriage proposal?"

  Zak looked shocked. "No."

  Tiffany was shocked herself at the depth of her disappointment at that one word. With a sinking heart, she realized she could no longer pretend that she and Zak were just buddies. But the truth was, she was in love with him. She'd probably been in love with him for quite some time. She felt embarrassed and awkward at his obvious shock at the notion of marriage between the two of them.

  Okay, she was rushing things. He cared about her. It would be enough for the moment. There was that whole promise pair deal, too. What the hell was a promise pair anyway? She tried to brazen it out. "Well, okay then. Right. I didn't mean that you should ask me to marry you. I meant…" She searched frantically for something to cover the awkwardness. "What did you mean by that remark exactly?"

  Zak was still looking stunned. He opened his mouth and then closed it. Finally, he said, "Tiff, that wasn't a marriage proposal."

  Tiffany felt indignant. No need to rub it in. She'd gotten the point. "I know. You said it wasn't. Fine." She sat up completely and scooted back from him a little on the bed. She picked up the pillow and held it in front of her chest like a shield. "I get the point."

  Zak sat up slowly. Speaking very carefully, he said, "It wasn't a marriage proposal because we're already married, Tiff." He reached out and removed the pillow from her hands.

  Tiffany let him, barely aware of the pillow any more. She blinked. "Married? Did you just say we were married?"

  Zak reached out and brushed the hair back from her cheek tenderly. "I asked if you would accept me body to body, mind to mind, soul to soul. Then I claimed you as mine. What did you think I meant?"

  Tiffany stared at him. "I just thought it was romantic talk. Heat of the moment stuff. Really sweet. I thought you were warning me about the images, too."

  He smiled. "I was warning you about the images, but I asked for your promise. I made you mine when I declared myself in front of a witness."

  Tiffany could barely comprehend this new turn. "What witness?"

  Zak frowned. "Polly. At the diner. I declared I was your promised. Don't you remember? That was the first half of our claiming."

  "You mean you half married me in a diner on my lunch hour?" Tiffany couldn't get over it. "Just like that?! Just 'I'm your promised' and that was it? Kerlan marriage ceremonies suck."

  Zak frowned. His voice was defensive. "I was in a hurry. I was claiming you and trying to get you to leave with me, Tiff. Give me a break. Usually it's done at a ceremony with family and friends present, but there was no time. I don't know. I wasn't thinking really. I was just so glad to find you. I had been worried that Merlez would find you first."

  Tiffany tried to sort through her feelings but couldn't seem to grasp how her life had changed so radically in a matter of hours. "But, we're not married. Not on Earth anyway. I mean, not according to Earth laws we're not."

  Zak's face darkened. "We're bound together according to the laws of my people. I declared myself to you. I asked you to accept me and when you did, I claimed you."

  Tiffany blew out a breath. "Unbelievable. You know, talking about it first might have been good. Explaining would have been really good. This is crazy. I can't believe I got married Kerlan style and didn't know it. That's bizarre."

  Zak said coolly, "Bizarre or not, it's done."

  Tiffany looked at his face and realized she had hurt him. Zak only used that tone when he was covering up hurt. She placed a hand over his on the bed. "Zak, I'm not sorry exactly. Please understand. This is something of a shock."

  Zak's features softened and he nodded. "I should have explained. I was…it's been hard. This day has been so…terrible and wonderful. Gorden's death…Merlez…then finally being honest with you. Tiffany, I realized when I was at the transport that I couldn't leave you. No matter what. You're a part of me. At that point, claiming you was inevitable. Since Merlez was probably after you, there was no reason to hold back any longer. I wanted to claim you for so long that I didn't even think of waiting."

  Tiffany felt hope and wonder bloom. "You love me?"

  Zak looked at her in disbelief. He rolled his eyes and then smiled. "Of course. Haven't I mentioned it?"

  Tiffany smiled back with dawning understanding. "No, you idiot. But you really do. Enough to freak out and half marry me in a diner even."

  Zak laughed. Shaking his head, he tossed the pillow aside and then pushed her flat onto the bed. She gave a muffled shriek and laughed as she landed on her back. He came down over her until his face was inches from hers. He grinned and she felt her heart leap a little at the light in his eyes. He looked so happy.

  He said, "Tiffany, I love you. Now I believe you have something to say to me."

  Tiffany grinned. "Yes, I do. Zak…" She let the pause stretch out.

  He looked impatient. She waited another beat and then said teasingly, "Thanks for the birthday celebration."

  He gave a warning look, but there was a note of insecurity in his voice. "And…"

  Tiffany's heart melted. "Aww…Zak…Of course I love you. I only wish you knew how much."

  As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted them. Oh, she didn't regret the love part, but she really regretted the wish part. Suddenly, there was a loud pounding on the motel room door. She and Zak both froze. She muttered, "Oh hell. I did it again."

  Chapter Five

  The pounding against the door was even louder. Polly's voice could be heard over the noise, "Zak, Tiff, let me in!"

  Tiffany scrambled one way and Zak went the other. Tiffany made a grab for the sheet on the floor and wrapped it around herself, watching as Zak yanked his pants on. She called out, "Just a minute, Polly!" Tiffany walked to the door and opened it.

  Polly stood there looking like she'd seen a ghost. She walked in quickly and said, "Tiffany, get out of here, okay? Right now."

  Tiffany closed the door behind Polly, confused at her words. She walked to the other side of the room toward Zak. He was looking at Polly in confusion, too. Before she could reach Zak, Polly put a hand on her arm and stopped her. Tiffany looked at her in surprise.

  Polly said grimly, "I'm serious, Tiff. You need to leave. I need to talk to Zak."

  Tiffany asked in surprise, "How'd you find us?"

  Polly shook her head. "The stolen airtranspo." She turned to Zak. "That was a mistake, Zak, and you can't afford mistakes."

  Zak muttered an oath. "I planned to dump it later."

  Polly said sarcastically, "Well, later is too late. I asked questions and found you'd left the diner by airtranspo. I've been watching for reports of stolen transpos and traced you here. I have a few more resources at my disposal than law enforcement, but they won't be far behind. You need to leave and Tiffany needs to come with me."

  Tiffany shook her head. "I'm not going anywhere without Zak. Polly, what the hell is going on? What are you talking about?"

&nb
sp; Polly sighed. "Tiff, I work for Covert Coalition. It's not something I advertise. I know you assumed I was a photographer and I am. But, it's a nice cover for my real work."

  Tiffany was shocked. Had the whole world gone nuts? First Zak, and now Polly. Was anyone who they said they were? It was crazy. She said, "I don't believe it."

  Polly smiled, although it lacked amusement. "Believe it. The main problem at the moment is that Zak is wanted by law enforcement for questioning in the death of Gorden Lorting." She flashed an assessing look at Zak.

  Zak's face hardened. "And how do you know that?"

  Polly eased her arm from her side, showing her weapon. "Well, Zak, there's a bulletin out. I should have checked you out more thoroughly six years ago. I don't like making mistakes."

  Tiffany felt like she'd been punched. She looked from Polly's accusing face to Zak's hard eyes. This was a mess. A total mess. She took a step away from Polly. "You have it backwards, Polly. Zak didn't kill Gorden and he's not a killer. He's running from a contract killer."

  Polly raised an eyebrow. "Do I have it wrong, Zak?"

  Zak's face was stony, although his eyes looked coldly calculating. Tiffany felt chilled by the look in his eyes. He shrugged. "Does it matter? You wouldn't be here alone if you were sure. You suspect there's more to it or you'd have come with half a dozen armed companions."

  Polly's smile was cold. "I certainly would. And I may have those companions right outside this room. There's no way for you to know, is there? So, that leaves us in a bit of a predicament at the moment. I think Tiffany should leave and let us sort this out."

  Tiffany shook her head. "Polly, I don't care what you've been told. Zak's not the killer."

  Tiffany felt Zak's hands come up onto her shoulders. He placed a kiss into her hair and said quietly, "Tiff, get dressed. Then we'll talk to Polly. It's okay."