by Lisa Lace
I didn’t expect what happened next. Christine pounced and suddenly her supple lips were pressed up against me. Something about feeling the heat of her body awoke a sexual passion inside of me. I seized the back of her neck and kissed her with hunger, fueled by my conflicting emotions of rage and an insatiable need to possess her.
As our tongues danced, my hand traveled down the small of her back. I could feel her weakening in my arms. At the same time, my cock grew hard, begging to be released from its cage.
“Wait a second.” Christine pulled away from me and gasped. “Should we be doing this?”
I slammed her against the back of the door and nibbled her ear, sliding a hand between her legs. “You started it.” My voice in her ear sounded hoarse. I liked that she squirmed when I teased her by rubbing her small, warm pussy through her pants. “You tell me.”
I felt around for the knob of her clit, pinching it between my fingers as I watched every expression on her beautifully contorting face. She gave me a clear answer. Wiggling out of my grasp, she reached back and unzipped her clothes, stepping out of her bodysuit. Her bountiful breasts spilled out with a jiggle, plump nipples stiff from the cold air. Her winding, feminine curves were more sensual than I had envisioned.
Shedding my top, I fell on my knees and dove into the thick, soft bush between her legs. I inhaled her musky scent and ravaged her, sucking and probing with my tongue until delicious juices oozed down my chin. She tasted so good and fertile that a need to taste every drop overcame me.
As I slowly moved up, swirling my tongue around the sensitive button above her folds, I could see sweet rapture unfold on Christine’s face. She grabbed a handful of my hair, digging her nails into my scalp. Her breasts bounced and shivered along with the rest of her body. She needed me inside of her.
“It looks like you’re ready.”
I got back on my feet and undid my trousers. When my cock emerged, there was a momentary flash of fear in Christine’s eyes. She wrapped her fingers around it, stroking my shaft as she wet her lips. It was as if she was calibrating me, checking to make sure I could fit inside of her.
The swollen head of my cock pulsed in her hands and craved for release. I grabbed her ass and wrapped her thighs around me, bracing us against the door. Her soft cry of surprise only inflamed my desire.
She stared at me with sultry eyes, perspiration pooling in the edge of her collarbone. Holding her gaze, she spat into her hand and gently stroked my erection. I took back control, squeezing my cock into her folds. My knees went weak as the warm, constricting warmth engulfed me.
“Oh, fuck.”
I clasped a hand over her mouth. Her eyes rolled backward and showed the whites of her eyes. “Shh.”
Using my palm to muffle her moans, I rammed in and out of her, filling her deeper with each thrust. I could hear the fucking as well as feel it. The squelches of our gliding friction grew loud. I felt myself building up, and my cock throbbed deep inside of her.
She knew I was close. She clung to my neck and ground harder against me, daring me to come inside her. As I reached between her legs, teasing her clitoris, the air let out of our bodies at the same time. I arched my head back, groaning as I fell out of her body.
We fell to the floor, two sweaty, naked bodies lying next to each other. I slowly sat against the door, wiping the sweat off my face as I caught my breath. Beside me, Christine rolled her glistening body toward me and lay her head on my lap.
I stroked her hair, transfixed by the vision of creamy white streaks painted across the canvas of her stomach and thighs.
Chapter Twenty
CHRISTINE
The earthy aroma of ginger tea eased me out of a deep slumber. Slowly, I opened my eyes and stretched my arms over my head, uncurling from the corner of the sofa. I turned my head to the right to find myself face-to-face with a pair of giant amber eyes.
“Gah!” I lurched backward, grabbing hold of the armrest before I fell off the edge of my seat. “I’m sorry, sir. You startled me.”
Axl’s father sat on his rocking chair, peering straight at me through the magnifying spectacles of his unique headgear. With a stony look on his face, he began to rock back and forth, flattening his lips into a straight line. I quickly sat up straight, pushing back my shoulders and folding my hands on my lap.
“It’s a lovely day out, isn’t it?” I gave conversation another shot, but my grin faltered at the lack of reciprocation.
He planted his heels on the ground. The bells on his headgear jingled as he came to a stop. “Tell the truth, human. You’re not a Magnum client, are you?”
“Excuse me, sir?” I managed to get an empty smile on my mouth again, frantically looking around the empty living room and kitchen for help. “What makes you say that?”
“You do not have to lie to me.” He pushed up his spectacles. The Urwanian shared Axl’s warm golden eyes and prominent jawline. One difference was that age had padded his face. The dark bags under his weary eyes made him appear older than I suspected he was.
I tensed up in my seat, nails piercing the cushion underneath me. “Who do you think I am?”
He didn’t miss a beat. “Axl’s lover.”
“Axl’s what now?” I chuckled nervously, wondering if I should run out of the room.
“It seems that Axl has exotic taste, eh, my love?” He wasn’t talking to me. Axl’s father absently rubbed the crystal amulet around his neck. “Speaking of Axl, do you have any idea where he is? Last night was the first time he brought a female home.”
“Really?” I raised an eyebrow. “That’s a surprise.”
“What are your intentions with him?” He glanced at me over his shoulder. “My wife wants to know.”
“I’m not sure what you mean. There’s nothing between us.”
“Hold on, Miss. Onya is speaking.” He held up a hand and turned his head sideways, nodding to an invisible partner. “Go on, my love.”
I bowed my head, waiting patiently as the Urwanian gazed off into the distance. Soon he stopped nodding his head, and a look of emptiness overtook his eyes. He blinked and looked at me as if he were seeing me for the first time.
“She’s gone. I can’t hear her anymore.”
At a loss for words, I looked back at him in sympathy. I wondered if I should hug him. He twirled the amulet between his fingertips and stared out the window. Before I could open my mouth, his helplessness turned into distress.
“She was just here!” He squeezed the amulet in his hand while sputtering. “You heard her, didn’t you? I can’t lose her again.”
“Hey, it’s okay. I heard her.” I approached him with my hands up, kneeling down next to him. “Axl, where are you?”
“Not Axl!” He snapped, striking the armrest with a fist. “He’s no good. He calls himself an acquirer but refuses to search for something taken from me.”
I tried to change the subject to anything else, pointing to the flat, beeping box attached to the side of his helmet. “Is that a G-12 spirit detector? That’s one of the rarest models around. It looks top-of-the-line, too.”
For a few suspenseful seconds, the grooves on his forehead became deeper as he sized me up. Finally, he cracked a small, subtle smile.
“Yes, it is. You have an accurate eye.”
“Fascinating.” I pulled up Axl’s stool and rested my chin on my hands. “I thought they were no longer in production.”
“You’re correct. I happen to know a lot about tracking systems.” He leaned toward me, offering me a closer look at the device. “I have connections – a friend of mine was able to get one made especially for me. How is it that you know so much about spirit finders?”
“I’m nowhere near an expert, by any means. I dabble in gadgetry and tinker with electronics from time to time. Nothing special, mostly just rewiring. You’d be surprised what you can fix when you open something and look inside.” I fetched my headgear from the back of the front door. “I have something similar, but it’s not as fancy as
yours.”
“Marvelous!” Axl’s father edged closer. “Did you make this yourself?”
“Yes, I did.” I strapped on my helmet. “I tried for months to find one with the options I wanted, but couldn’t find anything on the market. I decided to make one that would meet my needs.”
“I did the same thing.” He pushed his magnifying spectacles over his eyes, inspecting the features on my headgear.
“It has a computerized visor, a loupe, and a headlamp.” I pressed a button, and a foldable cup holder popped out, along with an extendable straw. “I can even keep myself hydrated.”
“Ingenious!”
“Thank you. I like to think so.”
Axl entered through the back door, slowing his pace as he joined us in the parlor. We must have looked like a couple of maniacs to him. I could hear multiple gadgets on our headgear banging noisily. Axl wiped off the sweat on his forehead. “It seems like you two are getting along.”
“I’m just getting to know your lovely lady friend.” Axl’s father gave an obvious wink. “I hope you continue to work with Christine for a long time.”
“You don’t have to be disgusting about it.” Axl and I exchanged an embarrassed glance at each other before looking away and clearing our throats. “I’m going to have to cut this short. Christine and I must get going. Our ride is waiting for us.”
I unbuckled some straps and rose to my feet, tucking my headgear under my arm. “It was nice meeting you, sir.”
“There’s stew on the stove if you get hungry, Moiru. Don’t wait up for me.”
I sidled past Axl as he held open the door, feeling a ripple of embarrassment in my stomach.
“Akuza has already been transported back to your ship. All our belongings have been loaded onto the vessel as well. Magnum is at the palace. We will meet them there directly.”
“Already? Why didn’t you come and get me? I could have helped you.”
“It’s fine.” Axl shrugged, heading toward the dense woods behind his house. “You seemed to be sleeping peacefully. I didn’t want to disturb you.”
“I see.” I walked alongside him, twisting the skin on my elbow. “Thanks for handling everything.”
“Don’t mention it.” Axl glanced at me, rubbing the back of his neck. “I appreciate what you did with my father back there. I haven’t seen him smile like that in years.”
“It wasn’t a problem at all,” I answered him honestly. “I enjoyed talking to him.” We continued down the rocky path in silence. “He had a lot to say. Your father tells me that I’m the first girl you’ve ever brought home.”
“You are.” Axl hefted himself over a boulder. “I usually go back to their place.”
“Oh.” That wasn’t what I imagined at all. I pulled myself up the rock and joined him on the other side, shrugging. “Cool.”
We stared straight ahead, enjoying the lull in conversation without feeling required to fill it with empty words.
“You know, he wasn’t always like that. He used to work in space traffic control. He did it for his entire life. He was intelligent and hard-working.”
“What happened?”
“He lost his wife and was never the same. My mother was a sergeant in the Urwanian army. She died during a Makroid raid when I was twenty-one. Her death could have been prevented if it were not for the Imperial Court’s unfathomable stupidity. Soon after, he became paranoid and abandoned any sense of a social life. He hasn’t been out of the house in over a decade.”
“I see.” Axl looked smaller after his confession. I bit my lip. “Listen, this might not mean much coming from me, but for what it’s worth, I think your patience for your father is honorable. I don’t know if I would have it in me.”
“You would. You might not know it yet, but you would. I’m only fulfilling my duty as his son.” Axl brushed off my compliment and turned at a marked tree trunk. “Let’s go this way.”
We started toward the clearing, where my ship rested next to a tree stump.
“Hey, about last night...” I began, sucking in my cheeks.
“What about it?”
“I’m sorry that I jumped on you like that.” I touched the back of my ear and tried to ignore the amused look on his face. “It was inappropriate of me, and it won’t happen again.”
“If you say so.” Axl grinned and patted the side of my ship. “Come on. They’re expecting us at the palace.”
“Are you doing okay over there?”
I jammed my thumbs behind the straps of my backpack as we walked down the carpeted corridor. Akuza was the picture of misery. Dirt spotted his clothes, and his disheveled hair looked greasier than ever, almost as if a tornado had blown past him.
“Mm.” He didn’t look up from his wrists.
“Less talking, more walking.” Axl’s voice sounded scolding as he overtook us and pulled open one of the glossy wooden doors. “Get inside.”
As we entered the imperial conference room, I thought I might be able to touch the frost hanging in the air. A sleek, doughnut-shaped table rested in the middle of the immaculate white room, surrounded by a circle of crewmen and Empress Angkora. All eyes looked in our direction.
What I didn’t expect to see was a hologram projected onto the inner ring of the table. It was the enormous, floating head of a pudgy-faced Makroid with slicked back, silvery hair and a malicious-looking beard with a curled tip. He stared at us with icy gray eyes. They were so light that they appeared almost clear.
“Father!” Akuza yowled and fell to his knees. “I want to go home!”
Lord Silas looked coldly at his son. Akuza shifted uneasily next to me. Did he know if his father wanted him back or not? The Empress finally shattered the silence.
“Well, we definitely have him. What do you think? Do we have a deal?”
“I suppose we do,” the hologram boomed, tearing jaundiced eyes off his son. “The exchange will take place tomorrow morning. You will receive the coordinates within the hour.”
“Confirmed.” The rippling hologram vanished in the blink of an eye.
“What kind of a deal did you make?” Axl stepped forward with a frown on his face.
“Lord Silas has agreed to return all of the kysum. He will also withdraw all Makroid forces from Urwanian ground in exchange for the restitution of his son.”
“Are you sure he’s not trying to double-cross us?” Axl’s chest swelled. “He doesn’t seem authentic. And Akuza already knows about the pillar’s existence.”
“Please, I promise.” Akuza stuttered and his eyes started to well up with tears again. “I won’t breathe a word about the pillar. No one will know.”
The Empress raised her chin as she regarded Akuza reflectively, gold makeup glittering under the light.
“Don’t tell me you’re going to believe this guy.” Axl brushed a hand across his nose. “Right now he will say anything to save himself. We won’t have any leverage if we release him.”
“Our hands are tied. All we can do is pray Lord Silas holds true to his word.”
“That’s not all we can do! We don’t have to turn over his son!”
“I have given you an order.” The Empress spoke softly, but I could see her jaw begin to tighten. “Don’t forget your place, acquirer. You may proceed to the throne room where we will pay you and fulfill the contract. I thank you for following through on your word. We no longer require your services.”
With a gruff shake of his head, Axl ended the stare-down and turned to his squad.
“What are you looking at? You heard the Empress. Let’s move.”
Chapter Twenty-One
CHRISTINE
I had not felt this self-conscious since I was a teenager. Civilians and tourists alike rarely entered the royal grounds. Any pictures taken outside the main gates had the ever-present specter of frowning troops in the background. Somehow I found myself in the throne room of the legendary Urwanian palace. Now that I was in the presence of royalty, I had forgotten everything I knew about
this planet. Should I curtsy or bow? Axl was my only reference. I copied his stance, standing with hands behind my back.
Empress Angkora sat on a magnificent throne wearing a gorgeous white gown with gold trimmings. Her skirt had a mosaic of colors painted by hand. The throne was a fantastic sight. Artisans had carved Zamoan gods and goddesses into the back. A handmaiden, servant, and pair of Urwanian soldiers hovered around the throne, looking straight ahead at no one in particular.
“Ms. Blackwood.” The Empress peered down at me, extending open palms. I glanced at Axl and he gave me a nod of encouragement. I walked toward the Urwanian seal engraved on the foot of the white marble steps in front of the throne and stood in its center.
“On behalf of the Urwanian Imperial Palace and all our citizens, we would like to thank you for helping to ensure the safe return of a pillar of Galzen.” The Empress looked to her right admiringly where the glimmering pillar sat on a pedestal.
“Of course.” I twisted the silver band on my finger. It was one of the props Axl and I had picked up at the wedding venue’s gift shop.
“The Department of Justice has informed me that you attempted to contact us a few weeks ago to verify Magnum’s identity. We couldn’t answer you because of the backlog of calls after the attacks. For that, we apologize.”
“It was completely understandable, given the situation.” I forced a smile, feeling uneasy being thrust into the spotlight. “I’m just glad it’s back in the right hands.”
“I understand you and Magnum have come to an agreement and will be sharing the reward money.”
“That is correct, your eminence.”
“I hope you will forgive the shortness of our exchange, but I am needed elsewhere, and I want to make sure you get your payment. Keoni?”
The servant shuffled to the back of the room and returned with a credit transfer machine. “Christine and Axl, you may approach the throne.”