by Anna Hackett
The big man crossed his bulging arms across his chest. “I don’t have much else to offer, gladiator.” His gaze dropped to Rory and then moved back to Kace. “You’re sure you don’t need weapons? I have some very small weapons that would fit her.” He tilted his head, measuring Rory up. “She’s very tiny.”
Rory took a step forward. “I may be short, but you don’t need to talk about me like I’m not here.”
Kace looked toward the roof. “She also talks a lot.”
She spun and pinned Kace with a glare. Over her shoulder, Kace saw Aran’s mouth quirk into a smile.
“I can also hit…hard,” she reminded him in a sweet voice he didn’t buy for a second. She skewered Aran with a look and pointed at the enhanced sword. “I’d love to know how you add the nano-tech to the sword.”
“Nano-tech?” the weapons-maker asked.
“The small machines—”
“Ah.” Another faint smile. “Well, a weapons-maker never gives up his secrets.”
Rory’s gaze narrowed. “I can be very persuasive.”
This time, Aran laughed. “That, I can believe.” His gaze moved to Kace. “So, if you aren’t after my weapons, how can I help you?”
“We’re here to ask about a woman,” Kace said. “We heard that she was spotted here. She’s small like Rory. They are from the same planet.”
“She’s got a compact build and dark hair cut to about here.” Rory touched her jaw.
“She was possibly with Thraxians,” Kace added.
A look of distaste crossed Aran’s face. “I’m sorry. I haven’t seen any Thraxians in here lately. They dislike paying for quality weapons.” An edge crept into the man’s voice. “And I haven’t seen a tiny woman before you and your friend stepped in here.”
Rory’s shoulders sagged. “You’re sure?”
He nodded. “I am good with details and never forget a face. I haven’t seen your friend. I’m sorry. Believe me, I have no love for the Thraxian slavers. If I’d seen her, I would let you know.”
Kace nodded his thanks. “If you do see her, could you contact the House of Galen?”
The weapons-maker nodded. “Of course.”
“I’ll be back to talk about that tech,” Rory said.
Aran nodded. “You buy a weapon, and maybe I’ll talk.”
As they left the man’s store, Kace watched Rory’s friendly demeanor slip and she hunched her shoulders. She was usually vibrating with energy, ready to give as good as she got.
Now, she seemed empty.
“Rory—”
“She’s being held captive.” Green-and-gold eyes looked up at him, drowning in pain. “Hurt. Alone.”
“Let’s get back to the House of Galen. Maybe one of the others has had more luck than us.”
“You know as well as I do that this is some game the Thraxians are playing with us. We both know that no one has really seen her.”
She was right, and Kace didn’t know what to say to comfort her. He’d never really offered comfort to anyone. If they needed protection, or something killed, that he could do. But soothing hurts…that was beyond his skills.
As they got closer to the House of Galen, Rory’s steps slowed. Finally, she stopped, staring at the entrance and the pair of guards standing beside it silently. “No. No.” She shook her head and backed away. “Kace, I can’t be locked in right now. I don’t want to walk through those doors and have them slam shut behind me.”
He heard the quiet desperation in her voice, and he hated that it was there. He hadn’t known Rory long, but he knew she was fierce and tough. She’d hate this perceived weakness.
He held out a hand to her. “Come with me.”
She didn’t hesitate to put her hand in his. As he led her away from the House of Galen, and out of the tunnels and up into the stands of the arena, he realized that she’d put her trust in him.
On his planet, he was a commander and soldier. He was a hero of the Battle of Darron Valley. But Rory knew none of his illustrious reputation. Here, she was just trusting him, Kace the man, without question.
He reached a stairwell and led her up some stairs. There were a lot of them, but finally, they reached the top. He tugged her through one last door, bringing them out at the top of a tower that perched on one of the arena walls. Flags flapped in the wind, secured to the peak.
The desert wind caught Rory’s hair, tossing her curls around her face. It didn’t quite offer the view that Zhim’s penthouse did, but the sight of the sprawling city below was still stunning. It was one of Kace’s favorite places to come when he needed some time alone.
Rory moved to the stone railing and leaned out over it. He realized she wasn’t paying any attention to the view. Her eyes were closed and she pulled in a deep breath.
He watched her, realizing he could actually see the tight tension flow from her body. He was reminded of just how tired she looked.
“Thank you.” She turned to look at him. “Sometimes, when I worked on the space station, I would have given anything to feel the wind on my face.” She looked up at him, something unreadable in her eyes. “I like open spaces, I like feeling free.”
“You need to get some sleep.”
She shot him a sad smile. “I wish.” She took another deep breath. “I guess since my rescue, I hadn’t realized I was still feeling so…hemmed in.”
“It is normal to feel that way, Rory.”
She nodded. “But Harper and Regan haven’t. They love being at the House of Galen. And I do, too, but sometimes…”
“The walls close in around you.”
She cocked her head. “You feel that way, too?”
“Sometimes. I’ve spent most of my life around my fellow soldiers, without much privacy. I never realized how much I enjoyed some time alone until I came here.”
She took a step toward him, and then another. Kace’s muscles locked and he found he couldn’t move away. She reached up and pressed her palms against his chest. As her fingers moved across his skin, he saw need flare in her eyes. He felt a matching desire ignite in his gut.
“I don’t feel trapped when I’m with you,” she murmured.
Her fingers brushed across his nipples and he sucked in a hard breath, his pulse spiking.
“Rory…”
“I’m right here.”
He grabbed her wrist and held it. He stood there, trapped between his duty and his own desires.
***
She could feel the coiled tension in Kace’s body. He was wound tight.
God, she wanted this serious, locked-down man so much.
Rory went up on her toes and kissed him. As her lips moved over his, he didn’t move, but against her chest, she felt his heart hammering behind his ribs.
She went back down, eyeing his hard chest. All those glorious muscles. She pressed a kiss to the center of all that bronze skin. Then she bit him. It wasn’t hard, but damn, she wanted to sink her teeth into him.
His body jolted and a sound tore from his throat, then his hands shot up and grabbed her arms. “I’m not here for pleasure.”
“But you want me, don’t you?”
Silence.
She pressed her palms against his chest, felt his muscles tighten under her touch. “You like my hands on you?”
His breathing was ragged, his face stark. “Yes. But it doesn’t change anything.”
“What are you here for?” she asked quietly.
“To increase my skills as a soldier. For duty and honor. They are valued above all else on my planet.”
“You aren’t allowed to feel any pleasure?” She moved closer, and accidentally brushed the large bulge in the front of his trousers.
They both groaned.
Then a thought occurred to her. “Have you…been with a woman before?”
A jerky nod. “The military provide women on our scheduled breaks.”
Jesus. Rory tried to sort through it all. Kace had never had sex with a woman of his choice. A woman who wasn’t paid to sp
end time with him.
“Do you want to touch me, Kace?”
He stared down at her, pressing into her body.
“I want to touch you,” she murmured. “So much. I have since you helped rescue me.”
His big body shuddered against her. “Yes. Yes, I want to touch you.”
They both moved. He yanked her upward and Rory wrapped her legs around his hips. His mouth came down on hers. The kiss wasn’t rough. He was almost cautious, at first. Then she opened her mouth, dipping her tongue in for a taste of him. He growled and deepened the kiss.
Kace moved forward, backing her up, until Rory felt the stone wall against her back. He ground his hips against her, the hard length of his cock pressing against where she was wet, and hot, and empty.
The kiss turned wilder, Kace finding his rhythm. He was drinking her in, his tongue delving inside her mouth, like he needed the taste of her to survive. She slid her hands up into his hair and kissed him back.
When he lifted his head, both of them were panting. She licked her swollen lips. “More. Please.”
His hands slid up under her shirt, and he pushed the fabric up. His gaze was glued to her small breasts. His huge hands cupped them, his fingers flicking over her nipples. One hand slid down beneath her and he pushed her upward until her breasts were eye-level with his face. Then he leaned forward.
He sucked one nipple into his mouth and she moaned. As her body jerked against him, her hands pulled roughly at his hair.
She rubbed herself against him, desperate for something to ease the growing need inside her. Involuntarily, her hips started moving, sliding along that ripped abdomen and the bulge of his cock. Sensations shot through her, and she kept rubbing against him.
“You frustrate me,” he ground out the words against her breasts. He moved one hand down, clamping on her hip to keep her rocking against him. “You tempt me beyond reason, Rory.”
“I don’t mean to.” Her words turned into a long drawn out moan.
His hands tightened on her, and he slowed the movements of her hips.
“Don’t stop.” If he stopped, Rory thought she might die.
But then he shifted her until her legs were clamped around one of his hard thighs. He started moving her, so she was riding his thigh. Each move sent a jolt against her clit. Her hands jerked in his hair, and she slid them down to his arms. Sensations powered through her body. She could feel her orgasm growing, looming over her like a wave.
“Look at me,” he growled.
Her gaze jerked up and was caught by the fierce glow of his blue eyes. Another hard rub on his muscled thigh and she splintered apart. Pleasure drowned her and she cried out.
Kace held onto her as she came back to reality. Her head dropped to his shoulder, small tremors still rocking her body. Her fingers were buried in his hard biceps, and she could feel his gaze on her.
God, she wanted to touch him. She wanted to tear his clothes off and take him inside her body. More than anything, she wanted to feel connected to him, feel him moving inside her. Then he lowered her until her feet touched the stone floor.
For a second, Rory wasn’t sure if she’d be able to stand up, but she locked her knees. Kace stepped away from her, and when she looked up, his face looked like it was carved from stone.
Her stomach dropped. He didn’t look like a man with loving on his mind.
“I’m not here for this,” he said again, his words encased in ice.
Rory wrapped her arms around her middle. She felt horribly exposed and alone. “I want you, Kace, and you want me…there’s nothing wrong with that.”
“We can’t do this, Rory. I can’t split my focus. My loyalties lie with my people.”
God, she’d just humped an alien gladiator who clearly didn’t want her as much as she wanted him. Could her life get any worse? “Okay, look—”
“And you are in danger, which means right now, I need to focus on your safety. As a member of the House of Galen, I will ensure you don’t get hurt.”
Well, that made her feel pretty unimportant. “I—”
“If you need release, I suggest you find someone else,” Kace said.
The words peppered her skin like bullets, and made her flinch. Drawing herself up, Rory pulled the last dregs of her pride around herself. “I hear you loud and clear, gladiator. And maybe I will find someone else.”
She turned and walked away without waiting for him.
Chapter Six
It was almost fight time.
Kace once again stood in the tunnel, waiting to be called out into the arena. He reached over and tightened the straps on his arm guard. The leather was molded perfectly to his body, and decorated with Antarian etchings. Trying to find his usual calm, he traced a design of a stylized flower with three petals that was etched into the leather—an ancient symbol of the Creators, who’d seeded life on the planets throughout the galaxy.
It didn’t help. He’d been here so many times—waiting for a fight—and usually, he was focused and ready.
But tonight, he felt unsettled. Off.
All he could think about was the taste of Rory, the feel of her slim, strong body against him, and the husky sounds of her cries as she found her pleasure.
He hissed out a breath, his hands tightening on his staff.
“What’s wrong with you?” Saff stepped in front of him, eyeing him with a narrowed gaze.
“Nothing.”
He heard the sound of the crowd outside intensifying. They were pumped and ready for the show.
“You’re edgy and unfocused.” Saff was frowning. “It’s not like you.”
He knew Saff had some telepathic abilities—not that he’d ever been aware of her using them. He wondered if she could pick up on his emotions. “Just thinking about whoever took shots at us. And finding Madeline Cochran.”
“No you’re not.”
“Leave it, Saff.”
“Hey.” She touched his arm. “I’m on your side, military man. You go out there without your head in the right space, you’ll get hurt. For some strange reason, I like you in one piece.”
She was his friend, and she always had his back. He took a deep breath. “I’m fine. When we step onto the sand, I’ll be focused.”
She watched him for another beat, then rolled her eyes. “Men.”
Suddenly, the hum of engines filled the tunnel. He turned and saw a sleek line of combat chariots coming down the tunnel.
Tonight was to be a chariot fight.
The chariots were all identical, all made of a silver-gray metal, and they hovered just off the ground. The four vehicles pulled to a stop. Galen drove the lead chariot, followed by Thorin, then the chariot engineer Galen employed. Kace blinked. Rory was driving the final chariot.
Kace’s shoulders tensed. He hadn’t seen her since he’d trailed her back to the House of Galen yesterday, after their moment in the tower.
After she’d learned that all the other sightings of Madeline had been false leads as well, she’d gone to her room. Kace had wanted to go to her at countless points throughout the night, but…
He pulled his staff closer, staring blindly at the Antarian markings. Love wasn’t something Antarians believed in. It didn’t exist. Procreation came through planned pairings of the strongest individuals. Most of the time, those pairs didn’t even know each other.
Love was just a loss of control, brought on by rampaging hormones. A chemical imbalance.
Rory leaped out of the chariot, holding her toolbox in one hand. When Kace saw what she was wearing, he stiffened. What the drak?
Tight leather trousers slicked over her legs, and her deep-green halter top fastened behind her neck, but to him it looked like not much more than a small triangle of fabric that left her slim shoulders bare.
“What are you doing here?” he demanded.
She shot him a cool look. “Galen asked me to work with Jarno.” She nodded at the grizzly old chariot engineer. “I’m learning how to maintain the chariots.” S
he lifted her chin. “And then I’m going to head up to the stands to watch the fight, have a few drinks, and find someone to have some fun with.” She turned away.
Kace blinked, staring at her back. Apart from a few tiny strings, her shirt left her skin bare—delicate shoulder blades and more enticing freckles on display. His hands clamped down hard on his staff. He knew exactly what “fun” meant. The thought of anyone putting his hands on her, kissing her… Kace was surprised the metal didn’t buckle under his hands.
“Oh, now I know what your problem is.” Saff shook her head. “Another gladiator falling for the charms of an Earth girl.”
“You know I’m not here to fall for anyone.”
“Right. You’re here to be the perfect soldier.” Saff shook her head.
“My people don’t believe in forming romantic relationships.”
Saff made a sound. “Your people train babies from birth not to connect, to be able to head into a fight and not be bothered by pesky emotions.”
He looked over at Rory again. She was laughing, and even had crusty Jarno laughing. Jarno never laughed. Lore, too, was standing close, looking over her shoulder with a smile.
She drew people in. Kace resisted the urge to slam his fist into the tunnel wall.
“Yet another casualty,” Saff muttered. “Even if you are being stubborn about it.”
“Enough, Saff.” He used the same tone that he’d used on misbehaving soldiers.
The female gladiator threw her hands up. “Drop it. Got it. But for the record, I like her. I think she’d shake you up a bit.”
Raiden stepped forward. “Time to go.”
Kace climbed into the closest chariot with Saff. Ahead, he watched Harper and Raiden claim the lead chariot. Thorin was fighting with a new recruit this evening, and Lore and Nero were in the rear chariot.
Rory appeared beside Kace’s vehicle. “We did some work on the steering mechanism of this one today. It was tugging to the left. Any problems, let us know.”
Kace nodded.
She hesitated. “Good luck out there, pretty boy.”