Settler's Mine 2: The Lovers

by Mechele Armstrong

  “After the men I’d hired to help me acted out, I wasn’t sure you’d hire me. If I couldn’t control my own men…”

  That was a good reason. If he were up against someone else for the position and she didn’t have worries about his plans, that fact would have lost him the job. The two men had been hired by him. He should have been able to handle them. Yet, it did provide him with a plausible reason for not seeking the job he wanted.

  “Not to mention, you have the rep…of…”

  “Being a bitch?” She exuded the personality whenever she could. It wasn’t an insult in her mind, but a compliment, though most didn’t see it that way and resisted calling her the name unless they were pissed.

  His mouth frizzled up like hair hitting humidity. “Yeah.”

  Another mark in his negative column. A man such as Gemini shouldn’t be affected by her rep. His record said he wouldn’t be intimidated. The man seemed to be bouncing back and forth between the “off” statistics and the stats that said he was on the level. Even better the reason to keep him close.

  “You should have been more open with me from the beginning, if you wanted the job. Keep that in mind now that you are working for me.”

  “I did. I do.” He ducked his head as if in respect. “I’ll be more open with you in the future.”

  “Good. Then, we’ll get along fine.” Until she found out exactly what he had planned. Then, they’d cross phasers.

  They reached her office.

  Gemini followed her in. “So when do I get keys?”

  “Now.” She handed him keys to access computers and doorways at the mine. He wouldn’t get access to her personal chambers. Ever.

  “Weapons?”

  She studied him, noting all the places he had a weapon stashed. “Why do you need weapons beyond what you have?”

  “I don’t…” He broke off at her glare. “I don’t have many weapons.” He’d been about to say he didn’t have any. A lie.

  “Again, why do you need anything beyond what you have?”

  “Settler’s Mine attracts a great many travelers. It would be a shame for an inhabitant to have more firepower than me.” He waved a hand. “Like I said, I don’t have much in the way of weapons. Only a small phaser and a few other small things.”

  “No one said you’d be outfitted like a Union Alliance soldier. This is a mine, not a battlefield.” His desire for a bigger weapon pushed him back into the “off” category. He seemed a bit too demanding for firepower.

  His eyelashes lowered. “I only want to protect Settler’s Mine in the best capacity I can. There are better, bigger weapons out there. I fear I might not be able to help if I’m not outfitted properly.”

  Nothing she could argue there. And Settler’s Mine had given the last security chief a weapons locker to use at his disposal. Not doing that this time. She pulled out a key, which she hadn’t given to Gemini, and unlocked the locker. She pulled out a medium-size phaser and handed it over.

  “Here.”

  He took and rolled it over his palm. “You won’t regret hiring me.”

  Zelda’s lips pursed as he strolled out of her office. “I won’t.” But you’ll rue the day once I find out what’s going on with you.

  * * * * *

  Amory turned over, half waking. His cock rose hard against a firm pressure.

  A dream. And a nice one at that.

  Bren and Zelda had their hands on him.

  Much better than the nightmares that struck in the middle of the night, usually about not finding his heartstone.

  He moved more fully against what touched him, enjoying the sensations sweeping across his body. He’d never ground against something like that, never even with his own hand because there was nothing to get out of any touch there.

  He ached for release. Spreading his legs wider, he let the desire wash across him. Let himself be sucked into the swirling vortex of his feelings.

  The tip moistened.

  Precum.

  His own precum had leaked. His head leaned back into his pillow. The phantom had him leaking, another first.

  A rustle sounded beside him as a body leaned into him.

  Lips planted on his. A hot tongue pressed into his mouth. A lengthy kiss tasting of mint and chocolate. Tasted fresh, unlike the morning mouth that Amory woke up to everyday. He could deal with waking up this way each and every day.

  Wait a minute.

  A dream didn’t involve tasting. Hearing things happen beside you. Nor a body pressed into yours.

  His eyes opened to stare up into the face of Bren, who was still kissing him for all he was worth.

  Amory stiffened, pulling back.

  Bren had a self-satisfied smile on his face as he pulled away enough to speak. “I knew you’d wake up eventually. Enjoy yourself against the pillow? I know how things could feel much better.” And he moved the pillow Amory had been thrusting against and cupped Amory’s hard and heavy cock in his hand through his pants.

  Amory gritted his teeth. No sense denying his arousal. After all, Bren held the proof in his hand. “Yessss.”

  “Good.”

  Amory put his hand down on top of Bren’s. “Stop.” He could barely think with everything going on. Confusion had been his biggest emotion, and he didn’t want to jump into anything too rash, even with his mates.

  “It would feel even better with your clothes off.” Bren leaned in close, his hot breath on Amory’s cheek, but he removed his hand as soon as Amory spoke.

  Amory’s cock perked up even more at that thought. The brief touch through cloth was intense enough. Skin on skin might cause him to explode. Something he’d like to do for the first time. Maybe soon. “No. I’m not taking off any of my clothing.” Not right now anyway. How was this bonding going to work, if all he wanted to do was jump into bed with them? He’d heard that the sexual tension came first, then the emotional bonding would begin. That was an understatement. If he got any more turned on by them, he’d explode. How could he figure out mating when all he wanted to do was take them to bed? Why hadn’t he promised them sex? Course he hadn’t vowed there wouldn’t be any, either. Not with an Etruscan pledge.

  Amory panted, but managed to gain control of his libido. Hormones that were now running around inside him wouldn’t overrun his good sense. He would keep his head and not act on the basis of desire for right now. Taking a calming breath, he surveyed the man who shared his bed.

  Bren’s damp hair alerted Amory that he’d been up awhile. He’d showered already, but hadn’t gotten ready to leave yet. No wonder he tasted so fresh and full of goodness. He’d had the opportunity to take the night off his breath by brushing his teeth.

  Amory’s own breath must smell and taste like the rubbish fields on Tantoine. He smacked his lips, knowing the action would do no good.

  “You taste yummy. I could show you again.” Bren’s hand stroked over his thigh. “Sure you want to move away?” Flittery touches like a butterfly to a flower filled Amory with expectation.

  No.

  “I am sure. For now.”

  Bren shrugged. “Suit yourself.” And he got off the bed to start his morning rituals, probably his usual ones.

  In the nude.

  Damn, didn’t either of these two believe in clothes? Maybe because they always wore leather in public and it was hard to clean, they saved effort by not wearing much when they were in private. Or maybe their races didn’t have the same hang-ups that his did.

  Bren’s cock bounced as he got a comb to run through his dark locks. He slowly combed one side of his head and then the other. He seemed to eat breakfast one mouthful at a time and brush his teeth one by one. All the while, that huge cock poked out of his body like an exclamation point, drawing Amory’s eyes to the center of Bren’s body. He couldn’t look away. Didn’t want to look away.

  Bren hadn’t gotten dressed yet, instead seeming to want to delay that action for as long as he could.

  Bren was delaying that action until Amory was ready
to scream.

  He was doing things slowly, in the nude, to tempt Amory. And damn straight, it was working. Sexual appetites were building up inside of Amory. Now that he could get an erection, his cock seemed to always be hard. Or maybe it was the company he was keeping that made it stay so rigid. How was a man supposed to think with all the blood flow being diverted down there?

  The situation almost made him long for things back before he’d found his heartstone. Almost.

  One hand shifted up to clutch at the stone around his neck. The missing piece of his heart.

  Amory turned loose the heartstone as Bren brought him a bagel, making sure their fingers brushed in the transfer. He turned slowly, letting Amory get a tantalizing view of his butt as he moved away, gliding to the other side of the room. A butt that gave the definition of firm its meaning A butt so hard that platinum coins would probably bounce off it. Leather didn’t do that ass justice. It needed to be beheld in all its naked glory.

  Amory’s gaze wouldn’t draw up from it until Bren turned around.

  Bren caught him watching and winked.

  Amory snapped his head around, looking back behind him then to the front again. So he’d been caught looking. Zelda had probably spent hours looking upon the fine specimen of man she was mated to and vice versa.

  Only he wasn’t fully their mate yet. And he needed more time to find out what this mating was all about.

  “Don’t you have work to do?” Amory finally broke the silence a few seconds after the ass maneuver. He took a bite of the bagel and glared, hardly noticing the sweet taste. Bren had even buttered it for him. Somehow that the man had taken the time to make the bagel for him touched Amory. That eased his temper somewhat.

  “Why? Eager to get rid of me?”

  “Yes.” Eager to get the man in clothes was more like it. Damn show off. Amory couldn’t get the kiss or touches out of his mind, either. They burned inside of him like a message being crisped to ashes.

  Bren circled back, coming closer and closer to Amory. The ovals he paced brought him closer and closer to Amory.

  So this was what prey being stalked felt like. And yet, Amory found himself breathing deeply in anticipation of what Bren would do.

  Bren knelt down on the floor in front of Amory. His passionate eyes flashed, drawing Amory into their fire. His voice sounded as gravelly as the granite mines on Tatoish. “You aren’t eager to get rid of me. You only want me to stop teasing you. And, I’m not going to quit. You made this a challenge. And I’m up for it.”

  Before Amory could move, Bren grabbed his hand and placed it on his heavy, swollen cock. “I’m so up for it. Can’t you tell?”

  Amory made a strangled affirmation. The man was more than up, he was as hard as steel. He clutched his hand around Bren and tightened his fingers in a band. “Oh, yeah.” He held the cock, running his fingers up the silken sleekness. So soft. Over what felt like an iron rod. Such a rounded end. With a tip full of slippery wetness. His fingers tripped in the drop, rubbing them into the extra soft skin of Bren’s head.

  Bren’s eyes rolled back in pleasure.

  Amory looked down to study what was in his hand. Reddened and long, Bren’s cock was a piece of art.

  Bren thrust against Amory’s hand, pushing himself more into his grip.

  Amory’s gaze flew back to Bren’s flushed face. Such a square jaw and a wide mouth. Full lips. Eyes that he couldn’t escape from. He leaned his head over, parting his lips to delve in and taste Bren one more time.

  The com went off. “Bren.” Zelda’s voice. Her throaty warble did everything to ignite Amory’s nerves.

  Bren pulled away from him even as Amory fought for a second to keep hold of Bren’s cock. A silent war that Bren won, because it was his member.

  Where had Amory’s resolve gone? It was like a switch had been thrown in him the instant his fingers had touched Bren. Like he was metal and Amory’s hands were a magnet. Maybe he wouldn’t last two hours with no sexual contact. At least, not with Bren walking around naked and putting Amory’s hands on his cock. And right now, that didn’t seem to be a bad plan. Maybe he should explore all his mates had to offer. After all, they were his mates. Would that be a mark against his vow to Tania? Hard to say.

  Bren grinned at him as he stalked to the com receiver and hit a button. “Told you I like a challenge.”

  “Bite me.”

  “All in good time, my mate. All in good time.”

  Chapter Eight

  Gemini strolled through the mine, keys clutched in the hand in his pocket. He’d done it. Security chief on Settler’s Mine. The first step to the gateway of taking over.

  Zelda watched him.

  Whenever he saw her, careful eyes were trained on him, taking in his every move. Not that she’d ever see it coming. He’d find a way to distract her from what was going on until it was too late.

  A grin lit his face. Yes, the first step had taken him many moons to achieve, but achieve it he had. And he’d take his plans all the way.

  His com warbled. “Gemini, your two goons are at it again. In the bar.”

  “I’m on it.” His mouth thinned. The dumb bastards. They were supposed to stop this mess now that he had what he wanted. He marched through the doors.

  Clyde had a withering look on his face as he thumbed over at Gemini’s two dumb fucks, who looked arrogant.

  “’E’s the new security c’ief.” Swill looked as if he wanted to start saying “Nyah nyah nyah nyah.” “Gemini is.”

  Clyde nodded. “So I heard.”

  Tenack nodded and shot Clyde an obscene gesture.

  Gemini blew out a deep breath. Must not kill minions. Not yet anyway. He grabbed Swill by the ear and motioned to Tenack to follow them. “I’ll take care of them. They won’t be causing any more trouble.”

  Clyde growled. “See that they don’t.”

  Gemini growled back, but stopped it quickly. He shot back a plastered smile. “I will. Don’t worry.” Bastard. Gemini would see he got his after things went down. Wolftons didn’t need heartstones to find their mate. God, how Gemini hated them.

  He dragged them down to the office of the security chief. Once they were safely inside and the locks were thrown, he released Swill.

  “T’at ’urt, I’ll ’ave you know. You bastard. W’y are you doing t’at to me?” Swill’s face turned ugly like the gargoyles of old time tales.

  “Because you’re stupid. Both of you.”

  Tenack’s eyebrows raised, but he didn’t comment.

  “’Ow you figure? We’re only doing what you told us to.”

  “I told you to wreak havoc on the mine before I became security chief. That was a part of netting me the position. Now that I am security chief, you’re supposed to lay off the lawbreaking.” If they lost him this job, he’d cut off Tenack’s dicks and pour Tenaglian whisky all over Swill.

  Swill blinked. “But w’y?”

  Oh, what fools these minions be. “It will make me look good. Like once I came on, the law breaking done by you two stopped.”

  “O’.” Swill stepped back, scratching his head. “So you want us to stop all the ’avoc, t’en?”

  “Yes.” Gemini gritted his teeth together. “Once my plan comes to fruition, you can go back to even more lawlessness. For now, I need you both to lie low and do something else for me.”

  “W’at’s t’at?”

  “You two told me you knew a lot of people in the underworld? Bad motherfuckers. That’s one reason I hired you.”

  “Ayep. We do.” Tenack palmed his cocks through his pants.

  Gemini looked away before he caught sight of one. Not anything he wanted to see. Especially if it had an erection. He almost put his palm down to cover his own useless member, but stopped his arm at his side. “I need you to start making contact. Get them all here on the next transports out.”

  “T’ey’ll never let t’em onboard ’ere. Zelda’s real particular on w’o s’e let’s in. T’ey’d ’ave too many records.” S
will rubbed his hand across a counter. “Not to mention, if t’ey all come at once, s’e’ll know somet’ing is up.”

  “The security chief has final say on all those boarding Settler’s Mine.” Gemini’s mouth pulled up into a fast moving smile.

  “Does ’e ‑‑ I mean you?”

  “I do now. I’ve arranged it.” He sighed. “Zelda’s too busy with her new mate to be bothered on all the requests for boarding. I wouldn’t want to take her valuable time. So I’ll be approving most of the boarding passes from now on.”

  Swill looked thoughtful. “So you’ll approve all t’e men we contact coming onboard? Under Zelda’s nose?”

  “She’ll never even scent it.” He’d keep his eyes on the new mate situation and even if it was going smoothly, he’d somehow shake it up so that her attention was on that more than it was Settler’s Mine.

  “Once you ’ave all t’ese acquaintances of ours on the mine, w’at are you going to do wit’ t’em? We know some pretty nasty c’aracters who’d love to ’ave a piece of Settler’s Mine.” Swill pulled his hand off the counter. “So I know w’at to tell my friends.”

  Those men weren’t Swill’s or Tenack’s friends. People that shady didn’t have friends. One had minions or accomplices. That would sell you out for a small pittance of platinum. “Once they get here, I’ll have plans for them, don’t you worry. The biggest thing you need to tell them all is not to draw attention to themselves. No lawbreaking until I say so. Once the havoc gets started, it will be big. Assure them of that. But things can’t begin until it’s time. That’s very important.”

  “Some of our friends would want more t’an assurance.”

  Platinum. The galaxy turned on platinum.

  “Some of our friends won’t have cash on hand to book passages.” Tenack looked at them as both heads swung his way. He shrugged. “They won’t.”

  “I’ll take care of that. Of all that. They want platinum to come? Wire it to them. Cash to keep them on task? Give it to them. Just fucking get them here.”

  Swill’s eyes narrowed like a little piggy. “’Ow? Wit’ w’at?”