He wanted to wring her neck.
No, he wanted to stroke her lovely neck, pinning her helplessly to the ground while he fucked her without mercy.
He growled low in his throat as his cock again stirred to uncomfortable life.
Given his rationalizations four days ago, he might eventually have made love to Temis if she hadn't taken the matter out of his hands.
The dream they'd shared had all but vanquished his will to resist. Since then, he could no longer read her, nor could she read him. A wall of mental silence had been erected, one he had no idea how to scale--an unheard of occurrence for an advanced Thesha like himself. And to make matters worse, his libido was in constant readiness while she strolled around the small, suffocating ship as if she had not a worry in the world.
He took a quaff and finished the ale, then poured another. With Temis asleep in the ship's only berthing, he had at least three more hours before they switched watch.
Sitting by the control panel had become an exercise in boredom, and at the rate he was eating and drinking he'd likely gain enough weight to rival a Ragga. He stared morosely down at his flat stomach and sighed. His metabolism refused to let him turn to fat, a Theshan gift and now a curse. He'd thought if his body grew too sluggish it wouldn't want Temis with his every breath.
But no. She'd broken his willpower with a dream he couldn't shake, the sensation of coming within her, of blending their energies and souls mesmerized him until he could think of little else.
Something simply had to give, but he'd be damned if he'd let a virgin bring him to his knees.
He downed the rest of his drink and stared dejectedly into space. He'd do well to remember why he was here in the first place. Guilt rode him as he realized he'd spent little time worrying about the abductees.
But then, what good would worrying prove? He could do nothing about their situation until he knew their precise location. At least Ceril had contacted him yesterday with good news. Apparently those running the slave auction knew he had Temis, and an elite invitation was issued in his name. In a few days, Gren would learn the location of the auction, but Temis had to be prepared for sale.
According to Ceril's source, the other women were hearty and healthy, if unaware of their circumstance. More mernal drugging their systems. The poor women would be lucky to pass their captivity in ignorance.
He clenched his jaw, memories pushing to be let through. Women running, screaming. Men falling upon them, raping and wounding without distinction. Mindless acts of violence, and all under the auspicious tent of the slaver's ring.
"Gren?"
Her voice shook him free from the past, but when he saw her, he wasn't sure what was worse, haunting memories or Temis in the flesh. She had finally taken one of his subtle hints to cover herself and now wore his shirt.
The garment came to mid-thigh on her, the buttons gaping above her chest, where a hint of lavender silk peeked through.
As he stared at her, all thoughts of the slave trade left him, the blood rushing below his waist. She looked more erotic wearing his clothing than Drorna's silken scraps, and he had to remind himself to steer clear of her.
"I think I'll turn in," he said with a straight face. He nodded politely and sought quarters. As he lay down in the warm indentation where her body had just laid, he smelled the subtle scent of Temis, a wild yet feminine perfume all her own, and he groaned.
He felt feverish, his need to join her bordering on pain, and thought anything would be better than this hell. Ripping his shirt off, he threw it to the ground, a poor substitute to cooling his overheated body. A traitorous thought occurred, a weakness of the mind, no doubt.
Would bedding her be so very bad?
Yes it would. For once he had her, he feared he'd never let her go.
Chapter Eleven
Temis stared after Gren with a disgruntled frown. Enough was enough. She'd tolerated his sulky mood for several days now, and thought she might explode if they didn't come to some agreement to restore the peace.
She'd been on tough assignments before, even with those less than professional, but she'd always managed to make the best of things. With Gren, her best was one step away from punching him in the jaw.
Fuming, she rechecked the autopilot, the messages and the security measures encoded into the ship. Satisfied all ran as it should, she left the narrow bridge with a purpose.
Standing in the doorway of the berthing quarters, she watched the muscles of Gren's chest ripple as he sought comfort in bed. Helpless to turn away, she could only stare in fascination at the strength he so effortlessly exuded.
Gren, though at the moment more a headache than a welcome diversion, was a warrior through and through. She recalled the way he'd bested two peacemakers on Mornio, the way he'd fought almost a dozen armed men on Lady Justice with an instinct that left her stunned in awe.
His arms were corded with power. The dim light of the hallway shone on the bulging muscles and she had to force herself to swallow around the lump in her throat.
He froze at the sound and quickly turned on his side to face her, the golden expanse of his chest a temptation in the extreme. Nevertheless, Temis forced herself to focus on his face, on the stubborn expression that didn't fool her for a minute.
Though she could no longer feel Gren the way she had, she knew he still wanted her. She hadn't missed the massive erection he sported whenever she walked by him. She knew she hadn't helped by deliberately teasing him wearing the silken outfits. But honestly, something had to change before she went stark raving mad.
"What are you doing here?" he asked in a gravelly voice, the tone threatening and not at all welcome.
She stared, unbelievably drawn to the danger surrounding him. "It's past time to set things right, Gren. I can't take much more of your surliness."
His eyes glittered, and she could feel a battle about to begin. Her blood churned at the thought, and she deliberately set out to provoke him.
"My surliness?" he murmured, his brows narrowed fiercely as he rose from the bed. "I've been more than polite to you, princess. I'm not here for your amusement." He glared at her and closed the distance between them until they stood nose to nose.
She could smell his raw power, could see the control he fought so hard to master, and felt her insides quiver with desire.
"But you aren't amusing, Gren. And I'm tired of watching you sulk when we have a job to do." She took a step back and dropped the shirt from around her shoulders, gratified at his swift breath. "This is what you need to be used to before we get to the auction. If you can't handle being around me, then I doubt we'll be able to pull off a rescue."
She stared at him with scorn, secretly elated when she noted the arousal straining his trousers. His chest heaved and she wanted him more than anything. A fight was just the way to break down his barriers.
"I can handle you, Temis," he said through clenched teeth. "I'm just tired of you throwing yourself at me. Enough already."
Had he said those words without a desperate growl, had his body not stiffened noticeably when she neared, she might have taken offense. But Temis found the challenge of besting him too tempting.
Her decision to keep her distance had given her an objective viewpoint from which to reason the future. She was a peacemaker, a woman warrior in a man's world. And like men, she had needs. It was time to stop ignoring her sensuality, time to exploit every aspect of her nature to the fullest. Only then could she begin to know and understand herself.
Funny that it had taken Gren at odds with himself to show her the way.
She stood facing him with her arms akimbo, the position thrusting her silk-clad breasts toward him, a motion he seemed determined to ignore.
"Enough already?" she repeated. "Enough of what, Gren?" she asked softly and took a step nearer.
His nostrils flared and he clenched his fists. "I don't want you in here, Temis. I'm trying to get some sleep."
"Coward." His eyes widened in shock. "You do wa
nt me, Gren. You want in here," she said, cupping her mound, not surprised to find the silk wet between her legs.
He suddenly grabbed her shoulders and spun around, throwing her on the bed. In a blink he was on top of her, his weight familiar, domineering and altogether sexual.
"You're playing with fire." His voice was guttural, and she could feel his erection bruising her hip. "You don't know what you're doing. I'm not one of your civilized lawmakers, Temis. I'm like nothing you've ever seen."
His eyes flared, an inhuman green inferno that promised she would suffer the burn of his desire.
"And I'm like nothing you've ever had," she dared, licking her lips in anticipation of his kiss.
Without another word he ravaged her mouth, his arms tight around her shoulders as he pressed into her. His weight was heavy but manageable, and soon forgettable. The pressure of his mouth took away every thought but mating with him.
His tongue plunged into her mouth, tasting and teasing as he brutally let free his passion. His savage need aroused her own, and she ran her fingers through his hair in an effort to urge him on.
He groaned and allowed her a breath, sighing with pleasure at the feel of her hands touching him, all the while he stared at her through slitted eyes.
"I tried," he rasped and nipped at her neck. "Now it's too late."
She shook her head, not wanting talk when her body desperately needed relief. Warmth unfurled from her core, ecstasy from without, and she moaned while her body wept for more.
"I can make you come with a thought," he whispered in her ear. He plunged his tongue inside, sensitizing her lobe with love bites and the sweet sting of soft lips. "I'm going to fuck you so hard you'll beg me to never stop."
"Never." Never stop. She gasped, arching into his questing hands as he ran them over her taut breasts. He leaned up and with a hard jerk ripped off her miniscule clothing. Then he quickly shed his trousers and slowly lowered his body to hers.
The electric shock that passed through her at the contact felt like an orgasm, and she caught her breath as she realized this had only just begun.
"Yes, sura." Gren's voice echoed strangely in the small room, his eyes sparkling. "You're mine now."
His lips scorched a trail from her neck to her breasts, his thick arousal straining, stroking wherever he touched her. She wanted him so badly she shook, while he took his time pleasuring her breasts.
"Please," she gasped as his mouth closed over one turgid peak.
He suckled and pulled, earning moans and pleas she wasn't consciously aware of giving. His hands pleasured her skin, caressing and petting, moving lower down her body.
His mouth closed over her other breast, the contrast of cool air on her wet and exposed globe extreme opposed to the hot tongue stabbing her pleasured nipple.
Then his hand teased her mound, rubbing and pressing, until she thought she'd go crazy. He began thrusting against her thigh, as if unable to stop himself, and she wanted to throw herself around him and take charge.
"I need you now," she ordered and yanked his head from her breast, angered and needy and frustrated all at once.
"Not yet," he said softly, the threat still there in his striated gaze. Black threaded through green, making his eyes a spectral wonder she could little dwell upon. Instead her body clamored for completion, needing him deep inside her.
He stared at her a moment and when she would have protested his stillness, inserted a finger into her wet sheath.
She bucked and groaned, closing her eyes at the intrusion. Another finger quickly followed, stretching her, loving her, as he began thrusting his digits in and out with a rough tenderness.
"You won't come, sura," he promised. "Not until I'm deep inside you. It aches, the pain, the need, but I'll make it so much better." He kissed her, taking away her moans and pants while he slid his fingers through her wet passage.
She could feel the steel erection burning her leg, could feel the moisture around his penis and knew him close to climax.
"Please," she moaned when he let go of her mouth to pleasure her breast. "Love me."
"I do. I will," he answered and rose between her thighs, spreading them with muscular legs. "Watch me while I enter you. Watch the joining and know."
She did as he bade, wanting everything and more. She stared down and saw him thick and silky, impossibly large. But still she didn't feel a moment's fear.
He slowly entered her, and her eyes flew to his face. Instead of the slight discomfort she expected, only fullness and pleasure stole through her. The further he pressed, the hotter she felt, until her body seized with flame.
"Yes, sura, so perfect," he groaned and sank the rest of the way inside, until he reached her very womb. He gave her no time to think, to reason, and began thrusting, long deep thrusts that shook her with desire.
She moaned and shivered, needing him like she needed breath. Lights danced around them, the ship quavering with the power of their coupling, and she met him thrust for thrust, locking her ankles around his waist to take him deeper.
"Come with me, Temis," he commanded, his voice thick. "Swallow my seed deep in your womb. Give me the power inside you, your woman's voice crying for more."
"Yes, yes," she gasped. Anything he wanted, everything he wanted.
And he thrust harder, powerfully conquering any will to resist becoming one with him.
Sparks showered them as he cried out and came hard inside her, pushing her into an orgasm that changed her very existence.
Lights danced and colors whorled. Her body shook as her walls tightened around his shaft, milking him of his seed. She felt him shooting deep inside her, felt the tingling warmth of their joining and the fire that now burned in her womb.
The orgasm kept on, a continued conflagration of need and want that opened barriers and closed an impenetrable wall around them.
"I'm with you now, sura. Forever," Gren rasped as he slowly withdrew only to slide forward again. He was still hard, and suddenly she felt all of it, his thoughts, his desires, his passion.
Overwhelmed, she struggled to free herself from the onslaught of sensation, but could only drown in his feelings.
She dimly heard him groan her name and felt him coming again, this time bringing her with him. His orgasm was fierce, triggering her own, and she felt him steal into her soul, bonding with her, until she could no longer tell where she stopped and he began.
When he finally withdrew, she felt shaken and confused, and too tired to care. Spent, yet sated down to her bones, she reached for him, still needing his touch.
"Shh, go to sleep now, love," he murmured and curled her into his warmth. The loud beat of his heart calmed her and within seconds she slept, replete and protected in his strong embrace.
* * * *
When Gren awoke, he felt refreshed and for the first time in his life, truly whole. Temis stirred slightly in his arms and he soothed her, knowing she needed more rest.
Sleep, sura. I'm here.
She immediately snuggled closer to him and his heart thumped steadily at the contact.
It was too late now to change things, and having experienced utter wainu, he wouldn't change his circumstances even if he could. Never had he thought to find a woman like Temis, a woman to join him in all ways possible.
He felt the oneness between them, could feel her breathing, her heartbeat just by searching within himself. Her thoughts he would respect, her feelings as well, but he would have to teach her how to shield them. She already had the knowledge as she had done so previously, but now that they'd joined, she was open and susceptible to him at all times.
Worry reared its ugly head but he ignored his responsibilities, for once, and took comfort in the woman beside him. Temis had just entered into a sacred bond, whether she knew it or not, and he intended to take advantage of her loving for as long as he could. Reality would be upon them all too soon. For now, he would love his mate and share with her the pleasures few would ever know. Satisfied with his decision, he l
et drowsiness take him into the dark, his arms locked around his woman.
Hours later he felt the heat of warm breath on his groin, waking him to unbearable pleasure.
He opened his eyes and looked down. Temis lay between his thighs, waiting for him to waken. The minute she saw him blink, she closed her mouth around his engorged cock, licking and sucking while she watched with a swirling lavender gaze.
He thought it the most erotic thing, watching her pleasure him. She knew just how to stroke him, how to lave the sensitive spot beneath the head of his shaft, to fondle his sack while she consumed him.
His breathing quickened until he was panting, and still she continued.
"Wait, sura," he breathed, not wanting to come in her mouth when he'd been waiting for what seemed like forever to join her woman's core. "I want to come inside you."
She smiled, like a cat toying with prey, and crawled up his body, pressing her breasts into him, twin trails of fire.
"More," he growled and mentally showed her what he wanted. Her eyes glittered and she straddled his face, teasing him with her wet need.
He grabbed her hips and lowered her clit over his mouth, hungrily licking her nub as she rode his tongue. She tasted like sweet wine, and he nipped at the ripe fruit of her clit, wanting more.
She cried his name and came hard, her moisture flooding his tongue as she convulsed. He felt his cock near to bursting and with a final lick, hurriedly sat her atop his erection.
She slid down his rod with ease, bouncing up and down with his hands guiding her hips. He felt her orgasm building again and pushed her further, a burst of Theshan bliss causing her to cry out as she gushed around him.
Her scent fed his excitement and he shot hard, grinding against her as he came, sexual energy flowing between them like ethereal gold.
The power between them lit the room, so that he could see every nuance of her perfect body. Her full breasts heaved in the aftermath; her tight belly quivered with satisfaction.
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