by Cathryn Cade
“The wounds of battle,” she murmured sweetly. “Let me heal them.”
She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his chest.
He should’ve known, was his only coherent thought. He should’ve known she’d find another torture, far worse than the sting of her nails.
Her mouth was like wet silk on his skin as she kissed each tiny bruise in turn. He sucked in a breath as he felt her tongue lapping at the place where she’d broken his skin. His arms tightened around her.
His eyes slid shut, and his cock stiffened eagerly—it had barely subsided from their encounter in the escape hatch. It only grew as her arms slipped up about his neck and she kissed her way up across the plain of his chest, to the far more sensitive skin of his throat.
He should stop this now—should pull her twining arms from round his neck, hold her at arm’s length and tell her calmly that she couldn’t best him this way, either. Because he was afraid that she could. She was demonstrating clearly that she could also arouse him whenever she wanted.
But even knowing this, he tipped back his head, inviting more.
Then she curled her legs around his waist, locking them behind his back, and began to rock herself slowly against his cock as she bit him gently beneath his ear. Their thin, wet uniforms, even his protective cup made of soft but strong fabric, was little barrier between them. Her breasts pillowed against his chest, and the soft crease between her thighs cradled his erection. Arousal roared through him so hot he was dimly surprised the water in the pond did not begin to boil.
She moaned her approval of his hard length and rode him harder, faster. The steady pressure, the feel of her in his arms, was more pleasure than he could withstand.
No, no, he thought, bemused. Surely this was only supposed to happen when they were nude, locked together in full coitus. He felt his balls tighten, felt the feathering of ecstasy at the base of his spine.
With a low groan of surrender, he turned his face against her hair and let a fast, furious orgasm rocket through him.
Dimly he heard her cry his name as she too climaxed. She stiffened in his arms and shuddered deeply, her breath hot against his throat. Then they were both still, panting. Slyde staggered a little and sank back in the water, letting it hold them up.
His body and brain felt as loose and liquid as the water surrounding them. He tipped his head back in the water, simply feeling. She was lithe and relaxed in his arms, her breasts sweet cushions against his chest. Her scent, the spicy smell of the foliage and earth in the little faux jungle seemed sharper, sweeter.
Then he remembered where they were. His eyes flew open, and he stared up at the swaying branches over their heads. Had they lost their minds—the co-commanders of the ship’s guard mounting each other in the arboretum like two drunken cadets? Not only that, he’d come perilously close to forswearing his personal code and mating with her completely.
It was just that she was even more beautiful wet, her sleek hair molded to her lovely head, emphasizing her high cheekbones and those siren’s eyes.
“Quark,” he muttered savagely.
Sirena’s head lifted quickly from his shoulder. For an instant he thought he saw vulnerability in the emerald depths of her gaze, but it was gone like a shadow, replaced with amusement.
“Never mind, Commander. I’m sure you can rinse out the, er, evidence before you walk back to your quarters.”
She pushed at him, and he let her go, his cheeks burning. She was right—she was merely wet, but he was now awash in semen as well as water.
“And I’m sure no one will comment on your appearance between here and the gym,” he shot back, wading toward the shore. “Where you are due to meet with the new guard cadets.”
She waded out beside him, wringing water out of her hair. She looked relaxed and amused, unfazed by the riskiness of their encounter. “That’ll only take a short time. We need to search for this serpent of yours.”
“Fine. Contact me when you’re ready.” He yanked off his sopping jacket, held it in one hand, watching it drip onto the mosses.
“I am always ready, Commander. And so, it appears, are you.” She cast a look of sultry satisfaction down his body and sauntered away down the path.
He watched her go, waiting until he was sure she was gone before unfastening his pants. He might as well dive back into the pool and rinse himself and his pants at the same time. Filters worked constantly to cleanse the little lagoon, so all evidence of his passion would soon be gone. If only his desire could be as easily washed away.
Chapter Eight
The two new cadets were waiting for Sirena in the gym when she appeared after a swift shower-dry and change.
Sirena was very pleased with Arde. He was intelligent and fast. Tawnee, a pretty, brown-eyed blonde, showed promise in the hand-to-hand combat drills held each morning in the gymnasium, but Sirena had caught her watching Slyde Stone instead of the holo-vid on the new security system. After dismissing Arde to leisure time, Sirena turned to Tawnee.
“You did well in combat training today,” she said. “Your drop-twirl kicks are superb.”
“Thank you, ma’am.” The girl was obviously confident of her physical abilities and, like all Serpentians, enjoyed using her body.
The drills in the ship’s gymnasium were hard work, but Sirena herself still loved the rhythmic, lightning fast moves to the cadence, eerily like the war chant of Earth tribes of eons past. Close combat was even more fun—watching the opponent for the slightest hint of which attack or defense moves would work the best to take them down.
“Let’s move on. Recount to me the three stages of the security scanning system,” Sirena asked smoothly.
“I—I seem to need to review the holo-vid.” The cadet’s cheeks reddened.
“Ah.” Sirena nodded, looking down at the laser pointer she was twirling in her fingers. “And do you also need to review Commander Stone’s appearance, or do you have that committed to memory?”
She looked up. Tawnee froze, her eyes wide. Good, she was sensitive to danger.
“I will not tolerate lack of attention to any portion of your training, cadet,” Sirena said softly. “Do I make myself clear?”
Tawnee swallowed visibly. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Good. Those duties do not include a flirtation with Commander Stone.” Sirena rose. “You may go.”
The girl scurried out of the office. Sirena gazed after her for a moment, her eyes narrowed. She hoped the girl was not going to be a problem.
Then she shook her head, dictated a quick message to Yvene into her com-link about the girl and forgot about her.
“Commander Stone,” she said. “What quadrant of the ship are you searching?”
“The cargo bays,” his deep voice said immediately. She could hear the sound of heavy containers being moved in the background. “There’s nothing here and we’re due on the starboard docking bay.”
Sirena sighed, knowing it was true. The guard always made themselves highly visible at the beginning of every voyage, patrolling all the passageways and public areas, stopping to chat with the passengers, assist them with directions and unfamiliar protocols and help the interpreters quiet any unrest between planetary beings unused to occupying common space with others very different from themselves.
She and Slyde were also expected to flank Captain Craig as he greeted important passengers, such as the prince of Aquarius.
A short time later, the captain and crew commanders of the Orion stood in a receiving line just outside the main docking bay, watching with interest as the royal Aquarian party boarded. They were a magnificent lot, with skin pale as an ice field. Their crystal eyes and flowing silver hair completed the illusion that they were ice sculptures come to life. In dress they favored silver robes and large jewels that glittered with every movement.
The prince strode on first. After looking down his blade of a nose at them all, he stopped before Captain Craig. His retinue paused behind him.
“Prince Azu
ran,” said Craig. “Welcome to the Orion.”
“Captain, well met,” the prince replied. “Stark’s new ship is quite something.”
He spoke perfect Galactic, but his accent made clear it was not his first language. Behind him, his followers murmured quietly among themselves, their native tongue like liquid chimes.
Craig nodded politely. “Thank you, Your Highness. We hope your voyage will be very pleasant. Allow me to introduce my crew commanders.” He began with Navos and worked his way along the short line. The prince said nothing, merely bowing very slightly to each of them, until he came to Sirena.
His eyes held the lazy interest of a connoisseur as he held out his bejeweled hand to her.
“A warrior queen,” he murmured.
Sirena laid her hand lightly in his, discovering that, despite its icy hue, his flesh was very warm indeed. So was the look in his crystal eyes.
She smiled back, pleased and amused. The prince was clearly something of a rogue, but despite his funning, his admiration was clear.
“Your Highness,” she replied. “Welcome to the Orion.”
“Indeed,” he replied, his tone as sultry as hers.
Behind her, Slyde moved, his big body brushing hers. She heard a dangerous rumble behind her ear, so soft only she could hear it, but chilling in its menace. The hair stood on the back of her neck, And then fury shot through her. How dare he? She was no subservient female from a remote desert tribe, to be kept in her place.
Still smiling, she pulled her hand casually from the prince’s grasp. The last thing they needed now was a diplomatic incident.
Casting one last smoldering look at her, the prince turned to Slyde, looming at her shoulder. The two males exchanged a measuring look. After a tense moment, Slyde bowed slightly and, to her surprise, Prince Azuran returned the courtly gesture before moving on.
Sirena blinked. The prince evidently considered Slyde Stone to be his equal.
If she weren’t so annoyed with the big fang-lizard for asserting his claim in the middle of a state greeting ceremony, she would question him. There was indeed something different about Slyde. Not only his great size and physical beauty set him apart, but also the way he carried himself. Not to mention his peculiar sexual mores.
She shrugged inwardly. Perhaps he was some minor royalty of the mountains.
Besides, her co-commander might be a handsome prince, but that didn’t make him any less irritating.
The royal vanguard was followed by servants with what proved to be a number of exotic space creatures, both leashed and unleashed.
“I thought we didn’t allow pets loose on board,” muttered Panthar, eyeing the menagerie promenading past.
“They allow you to roam free, do they not?” Mra answered sweetly.
The big Tyger grinned appreciatively. As head interpreter, Mra was ordinarily the soul of politeness. Even now her green corn silk-like hair twitched restlessly, revealing her chagrin at her own sarcasm. Leaning close to her, he made a teasing sound like an angry cat “mrrowing” under his breath.
“When it’s the Aquarians, we allow latitude,” Craig answered Panthar. “Prince Azuran is a friend of Stark’s.”
“Although to tell truth, I’m not so sure which are the pets,” he added under his breath as a tall lavender female of some species glided by. She had a single, beautiful golden eye, and long tendrils of dark purple waved about her narrow shoulders. She turned her head suddenly and winked at Craig. The rest of the welcoming crew hid grins as his lean face reddened, and he bowed in quick apology. She had clearly heard and understood him.
Sirena watched a large blue iguana amble past, its jeweled leash held by a small Pangaean. She hadn’t seen such a reptile since she’d vacationed at the huge oasis resort of Dune City a few lunar months ago. She wished crossly that she were there now, lazing in the heat beside the water, with nothing more to do than nap and wake to order another cactus-flower drink.
She frowned as she caught a slight, acrid scent. This one was somehow familiar. It was muddled with the scents of the iguana and the jeweled cages of chameleons she had seen hanging from servants’ hands, but it made her uneasy.
Behind her, Slyde Stone moved restlessly.
“You smell it too?” she murmured over her shoulder.
“Yes. And not for the first time.”
She froze. He really had scented a serpent. And it was close at hand.
Sirena shifted closer to Craig.
“Captain, permission to examine the prince’s pets once they’ve been settled.”
His brows drew together, his piercing blue eyes meeting hers. “Is there a problem?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Just be discreet.”
“Of course.”
Chapter Nine
Izard was waiting for them in the main lobby, however. On every voyage, there were questionable carry-on items to be inspected. On this one it was an antique bomb found on an ancient Boron battlefield by a tourist and packed in his luggage for the voyage home to Carillon. It had passed the initial boarding inspection, but was now emitting a strange sound, as if the mechanism inside was creaking to life.
After a short discussion, the device was loaded on a tiny unmanned space pod, programmed to land on an uninhabitable planet along the Orion’s route. The passenger was calmed with a handsome gift certificate to a stellar resort.
“Come on,” growled Slyde to Sirena, after they watched the pod disappear in space. “Let’s get back to our other project.”
Sirena nodded, shaking off her anger at the fool of a tourist. How dare he jeopardize the safety of her ship?
“Going up to the command level?” she asked Izard.
Izard’s gaze slid between the two guard commanders.
“You two go ahead,” he said. “I, ah, promised to meet Yvene.”
He was frankly grinning as he walked away. He couldn’t wait to share his latest observations with his lady. Great serpents, the two guard commanders were like seething volcanoes, just waiting to erupt—had been since that first night on Solaria. He and Yvene had a wager as to how long it would take the two Serpentians to break. It had been two months, but now it looked as though things were heating up between them. Finally.
He and Yvene weren’t the only ones to notice, either. He had caught more than one crew member surreptitiously observing the guard co-commanders at dinner.
This was as entertaining as watching Captain Craig and Tessa circle each other on the last voyage. Their brave captain had needed coaxing to get past his strict code of honor, which forbade sex with one of his subordinates, but when the fiery Tessa had declared her intention of sleeping with every other attractive male on board, he had shown himself as the warrior he was and taken the prize.
Izard thought back even further to the Orion’s maiden voyage, when their Tyger navigator had undergone his mating shift on board, becoming a huge half man, half cat, maddened with lust. Commander Jag had denned up in the arboretum and demanded a mate before he would resume his duties. Izard winced. That had been more like two wildcats in heat, but it had ended in romance as well. Jag wed his Calla and by all accounts they were perfectly suited.
Who knew what romance might heat up on this voyage?
Sirena and Slyde jogged from the docking bay to their office off of the gymnasium. A few of the younger guards were working out. Slyde looked their way with approbation before closing the hatch of the small, glass-walled office behind them. Sirena perched on the edge of the sleek command console, swinging one leg.
“How are we to search the prince’s pets without offending him?” she mused. “We can’t just show up and announce that he’s brought aboard a dangerous creature. That would be most undiplomatic.”
“No.” Bringing up a hologram of the ship, Slyde zeroed in on the area behind the ballroom. Sirena turned to watch as the three-dimensional image of passageways and rooms revolved slowly.
“Here’s where they’ve stowed the pets.” He indicate
d a room that connected the quarters reserved for the Aquarians with the passageway behind the ballroom. “Some of them came on from Pangaea, as Halix mentioned in our briefing.”
“Why, if you scented the serpent earlier, did we scent it again today when the Aquarians boarded?” she asked, frowning.
“I don’t know,” he said grimly. “I hope to the seven hells that what we smelled today is just some harmless snake.”
“I could bat my eyes at the handlers and ask for a personal tour,” she said.
“Yes, and have to dropkick one or both of them when they assume you want more than a tour.” He shook his head. “Azuran’s hosting a party tonight. We’ll slip away and search through his pets then.”
She looked him up and down wryly. “You’ll slip away?”
“I can be subtle.”
“I’ve yet to see it.”
His lips twitched. “You have seen it, you just didn’t know it.”
She rolled her eyes as she slipped off the console. “Right. Well, we know where the creature is, if there is one.”
“There is one.” Concentrating on the hologram, he looked up as she spoke again.
“And one more thing, Commander,” she said coldly. “Do not ever again presume to control my behavior as you did when we greeted Prince Azuran. You had no right—”
He stepped closer to her, his back to the gym and its occupants. Anger flared at the memory of her flirtatious greeting, but it was tempered with reluctant admiration. She was going to fight him every step of the way, his siren.
“I do have the right,” he said. “You gave it to me, remember? In the terms of our wager.”
She scowled up at him.
“I certainly did not. I agreed not to have sex with another male during the wager. I said nothing about conversing with one.”
He touched her cheek, stroking the petal-soft skin. “We both know that kind of ‘conversation’ is a prelude to sex.”
“Are you calling me a liar?”
“No,” he growled. “I’m explaining that Azuran wants you, and he’s accustomed to getting what he wants. So unless you want me to be forced to fight for you, refrain from flirting with him.”