by Anne Kane
He wasn’t sure why he’d agreed to help the young Stargazer. Perhaps it was the slightly panicked look in those witch-green eyes of hers, or the concern she showed for her missing sister. Or perhaps it was because the mere sight of her had his cock swelling harder than a moon rock from his home planet, and he knew what the Stargazers did to increase their power. He looked forward to making sure Kat had all the power she could possibly use.
“Tore! This nice man seems to think I’m some sort of threat to intergalactic security.” Kat waved at him from behind the security barrier, a determined smile plastered on her face. His enhanced sense of smell detected the fear behind it.
“I’m sure he’s just doing his job.” Tore gave the security man a friendly smile before he reached for Kat’s wrist and drew her through the barrier. “This all you brought?” He scooped up her pack and led the way to the Sun Runner.
“Yeah. I travel light. You do have synthesizers on your ship, don’t you?”
She seemed a little more restrained than she had in the bar, but then he’d dropped quite a bombshell on her. He’d heard that twins were closer emotionally than normal siblings, and he’d wager Stargazer twins would be even more so. He felt a twinge of loneliness. He had no idea who his parents had been, let alone if he’d ever had any siblings.
He stepped up to let the Sun Runner’s security scanner read his retinal pattern before it opened the hatches. “Welcome aboard.” He stood aside to let Kat enter.
“Thank you.” She moved through the airlock and stopped to look around. “This is nice. Compact and tidy.”
Tore came in behind her and the hatch cycled closed with an audible click. “The sleeping quarters are through here.” He walked into the narrow corridor and led the way. “This will be yours.” He opened the door and set her pack down on the large sleeping platform. “There’s a synthesizer in the mess hall, and the head is at the end of the corridor.” Kat gave him a wary look again, and he stopped, exasperated. “What?”
“What do you mean, what?” She looked like a bird ready to take flight at the slightest provocation.
“Why are you looking at me like I just sprouted a second head, or a nice set of wings?”
She opened her mouth, and then snapped it shut with a tired sigh. “I tried to call up your data on the comp, and it said there was a level ten security lockdown on it.” She gave him a strained smile. “That either means they want you really badly, and I might have just put myself in the hands of a psycho, or you work for them, in which case you’re probably going to get a nice bonus when you hand me over. I haven’t decided which alternative I prefer.”
She looked so cute, standing there trying not to look terrified. “There is a third option, you know.”
“Really? What would that be?” She tilted her head inquiringly.
“I’m one of their experiments that got away, and they want me back in their lab so they can figure out how to program me to follow orders.”
She snorted inelegantly. “You want me to believe you’re a victim?”
He shrugged. “I really don’t care what you believe. If you want a chance to save your sister, you’re going to have to work with me. Unless you know of some other pirate with a spaceship who’d be interested in a quick voyage to the outer fringes of the galaxy?”
He stood stock still as she walked up to him, very aware of his body’s reaction to her proximity. She lifted her hand and traced the line of his lips with the tip of one finger. “There’s one way for me to be sure I can trust you.”
The feather-light caress of her fingers on his lips sent tendrils of flame running through his entire body. He didn’t want to move for fear it would break the spell and she would stop touching him. “How’s that?”
“You can fuck me. It will give me a closer link to you and I’ll be able to read you. I can’t read minds, but I’ll be able to sense simple things. It’s hard to explain.”
Tore reached out and ran his fingers through the long silky locks of her hair. “Or I can hack into the Council’s system and let you read the file they have on me.”
Kat looked up at him, and he could see she’d already relaxed. He wondered just how much of his intentions she could read just by touching him, because right now, his intentions involved a lot of bare skin sliding against his.
Mischief danced in the depths of her witchy green eyes. “I like my idea better.”
Tore lowered his head to taste her lips, his cock straining against the tight fabric that imprisoned it. “So do I.”
Chapter Two
He tasted her lips, teasing them apart to slip his tongue in and explore. Kat responded with an unbridled lust, sending heat clawing through him. Her sister might be a virgin, but Kat knew exactly where to touch him, how to use a feather-light brush of her fingers to send heat racing through his body. He angled her head to give himself better access, sliding his tongue across the roof of her mouth.
Kat moaned, using her own tongue to follow, running it down the side of his, engaging in an erotic duel as he thrust deeper into the moist sweetness, tasting the honeyed depth. She pressed herself against him, her well-toned curves brushing against him and causing his heartbeat to race.
He pulled back a bit, unsettled by her unfettered passion. He was used to women who calculated how much to give, what to do to elicit the response they wanted from his body. Kat just threw herself at him, all soft curves and feminine need.
“We need to pace ourselves here, Kat. You’ll have me going up in flames.” He whispered the words in her ear while her cloth-covered breasts pressed against his chest, tempting him to explore their lush curves.
“Can’t take the heat?” A thread of wicked amusement wound through her voice, and he chuckled. She liked to control the situation. He could see they’d have to work out who was boss. His gaze drifted to the platform, and a wicked idea slid into his mind. Stargazer platforms were designed to hold the witches strapped spread-eagled while they worked.
He wrapped one arm around her waist, and the other arm beneath her legs, scooping her up into his arms while he nibbled his way from her ear down to the tender hollow of her throat. Despite her well-toned muscles, she felt light as air to his enhanced strength and he cradled her against his chest, enjoying the warmth of her body pressed against him. He nuzzled the loose neck of her collar aside and couldn’t resist running his tongue across the top of one firm breast.
Stepping onto the platform, he put her down, holding her against him so that her ripe young body slid down his, the friction driving his lust higher. He fastened his mouth on hers, distracting her while he lifted her hand and tied it to the loop above her head, repeating the process with the other arm. Crouching down in front of her, he ran his hands down her sides, holding her hips firmly in place while he secured the belt at her waist.
“What are you doing?” Kat frowned as she stared down at him out of passion-clouded eyes. “I’m not going to work yet.”
“No.” He nudged her legs apart to slide her feet into the straps especially formed to hold them. “I am. And when I’m done, you are going to be one very satisfied witch.”
A sexy smile curled her mouth. “I didn’t know you were into bondage. I wonder what else is in that locked-down file of yours.”
She certainly didn’t take long to catch on. He didn’t blame her for checking up on him; she’d be insane to trust him. Insane or desperate.
He stood, testing the straps to make sure she couldn’t move before he cupped the back of her head and took her lips in a quick hard kiss. Letting her go, he stepped back and grinned. “Now we’re going to play my way.” He stripped the top of his uni-suit off. Kat stuck her tongue out at him in a childish gesture of defiance, and he laughed. “You’ve got quite the attitude for a tiny little thing that’s all tied up.”
“Size isn’t everything.” She screwed up her nose in a haughty gesture.
He grasped the waist of the suit and skimmed it down over his hips, letting his engorged shaft sp
ring free. He watched her eyes widen, and a slow flicker of heat started deep in his groin.
“Then again.” She licked her lips. “That’s quite impressive.”
Tore kicked the suit off to the side and came to stand in front of her. Circling his shaft with one fist, he casually stroked down the length. “Haven’t had any complaints.”
She shifted in her bonds, flexing her fingers. “I’d hate to be the first.”
“Oh, I’m not worried.” He stepped forward and undid the leather strap holding the bodice of her suit together. “Let’s see what you have hidden under that skimpy little outfit of yours.” The edges of the bodice parted, and a dusky pink nipple peeked out. He unsnapped the shoulder straps and the lacy material fell to the deck. Her breasts were high and firm, just the right size to fit in his hands. He spread his palms over the mounds, covering the silky flesh. “You must work out.”
She sucked in a lungful of air when he stroked his thumbs over the nipples, bringing them to taut attention. “In a zero-G chamber. Good workout without the impact stress. The discipline helps me to focus.”
He squeezed gently, watching the mounds come together. “There’s a chamber on the lower deck. We’ll work out together.”
“You like to give orders. Don’t you ever ask?”
“Why? You know you want to.”
“But I like to be asked.”
He smirked, and lowered his head to score his teeth across one nipple, pleased by the whimper of pleasure that slipped out of her lips. He grasped the waistband of the sassy scrap of material that passed for a skirt, and twisted it, ripping it off her hips. A red lace thong rode jauntily on her hips, the lacy wisp barely covering her pussy. He could smell her excitement.
“Krystal told me Stargazers fuck to increase their power.” He slanted his head to watch her reaction. For some reason, the thought of her looking at some other man with her eyes clouded with passion made him want to hit something. Hard.
“Who’s Krystal?” He wasn’t prepared for the anger that tinged her voice. Jealousy?
“She’s Tarik’s mate. You didn’t answer the question.”
“Sex between two consenting sentients creates a great deal of positive energy. We can harness the energy for our own use.” She sounded as if she were reciting a star route.
Tore raised one brow. She still hadn’t answered the question, but her wording intrigued him. “Two consenting sentients? As opposed to what?”
She shivered as he licked across the tip of her breast. “There are stories that tell of a time, way back in the beginning of our history, when the Intergalactic Council forced Stargazers to mate against their wishes. It was basically rape, and the negative energy backlashed through the Stargazers and nearly leveled the compound they were being held in, as well as most of the rest of the star base.”
“Reiger One.” Tore licked a wet path from one breast to the other. He’d heard the story, but he’d thought it was just another legend.
She nodded. “Hence the consenting. And of course, two space amoebas just don’t generate anything except a need to detour the ship around the gooey mess.”
Tore grinned reluctantly and scored his teeth across her second breast. “You’re supposed to be mindless with lust by now. My ego is taking a bruising here.”
She grinned back, and his heart did a little flip-flop at the sparkle in her eyes. “Not quite mindless, but you’ve got a hell of a way with that mouth of yours. If my pussy gets any wetter, there’ll be cream dripping down my thighs. Can I quit with the witty repartee now?”
Tore pretended to growl, and slapped her lightly across the side of her ass. He’d never had a woman tease him like this during foreplay. He could get used to it. His cock was rock hard, and he had to resist the urge to rip the sexy little scrap of lace off her sex and just plunge himself deep inside her. He gritted his teeth, imagining the feel of her cream-slicked channel gripping around his cock while he thrust into her.
He sucked the tip of one breast into his mouth and started to feast. Licking. Sucking. Nibbling. He switched his attention to the other breast and continued, listening to her low moans and whimpers. He explored her captive body with his hands, the smooth silky texture of her skin, the tight muscles of her tummy, and the hollow of her hips.
Kat whimpered, thrashing against the restraints holding her in place. Tore loved the deep-throated sounds she made every time he scored his teeth across the tip of one of her nipples. He slid the palm of his hand under the lace of her thong and cupped her bare mound, pausing as she squirmed wildly, incoherent words slipping out of her mouth. She was so responsive, so sensitive to each touch, each caress.
He flicked the catch on the restraint at her waist and the straps fell away, leaving her free to move her hips, to arch and buck against him. A quick flip of his wrist snapped the lacy strap of her thong, and he tossed it aside.
He slipped a finger into her slick channel, and she screamed out his name, her voice hoarse with need. The inner walls of her pussy clamped down hard around the finger and he withdrew it slowly, and then thrust two fingers back in, lust building deep inside him when she matched his rhythm, riding his hand with every thrust, circling her hips to force his thumb over her engorged clit. He pulled his fingers out, and she let out a low keening sound. “Don’t stop.” Her voice, needy and desperate, vibrated through him.
He sank to his knees and wrapped his arms around her hips. Pulling her tight against his face, he thrust his tongue between the soft folds of her labia and stabbed deep, feasting on the sweet cream dripping from her pussy. He could feel an intense shudder go through her, and he gripped her firmly, shocked at how fiercely exultant he felt. Just to feel the pleasure rippling through her, to feel her body responding with such enthusiasm to his attention, was almost enough for him.
Almost. His cock felt ready to burst, rock hard. He needed to bury it deep inside her. He wanted to take her over and over, and feel the tight clasp of her channel while it milked the seed from his shaft. He wanted to feel her body convulse around him as orgasms swept over both of them. He swiped his tongue across her entrance one last time, curling it around the hard bud of her clit, and then rose to his feet.
Kat’s eyes were open. She stared at him, dazed with passion, a soft moan of protest escaping her lips. He ran his hands down her sides, stepping in toward her so their bodies pressed against each other, skin to skin. He took her lips in a fierce kiss that betrayed his raging need. The head of his shaft prodded the moist entrance to her sex while he ravaged her mouth with barely controlled lust. His tongue stabbed deep, and he knew she could taste herself on his lips.
He grasped her hips and slowly began to sink his aching cock into the damp heat of her sex, inch by slow wonderful inch, feeling her channel stretching to accommodate him, welcoming him.
Kat moved against him, whimpering incoherently when he withdrew his cock and then slammed it back into her. Heat swept through him, a fiery raging need he could no longer control. He shafted her with the hard length of his cock. Harder. Deeper. Feeling her hips moving, meeting him thrust for thrust. Feeling her hot breath fanning across his chest while she gasped out his name when she came.
Her tight inner muscles clamped down hard, pulsing over and around his cock, holding him deep, sending fiery darts of carnal pleasure ripping through his body. His balls drew up tight and he gave a hoarse cry as his seed spurted into her.
He reached up and released her hands, and Kat wrapped her arms around his neck, twining her fingers in his hair as shudder after shudder wracked her body. He could feel the waves of aftershocks racing through her as her tight channel continued to pulse around his cock. She nuzzled her face into the crook of his shoulder, and he marveled at how well she fit against his body.
He buried his face in the silken mass of her hair and inhaled, feeling oddly protective of the diminutive Stargazer. Kat threw herself into lovemaking with a joyous abandon that left him breathless. The universe could be a cruel place, and he didn
’t want her to find that out firsthand.
* * *
“Our first priority is to find out exactly where your sister is.” Tore linked his fingers behind his head and leaned back in his seat. “Tell me exactly what you saw in your vision of the kidnapping.”
“It wasn’t a vision.” People often had a hard time understanding her connection to Abbie. “I saw what she saw.”
“Which was what? Give me as much description as you can.”
Kat narrowed her eyes and called up her memories of that awful day. She could still feel the terror running through Abbie when she’d realized what was happening. “There were three of them. They were big, about as tall as you, and stocky. One of them lured her into an alley by making noises like an injured animal. Abbie always had a soft spot for anything needing help, so she didn’t even stop to think that it might be a trap. When she went behind a metal storage bin, she didn’t find the injured animal she had expected. One of the aliens grabbed her and held her while the other two wrapped some sort of restraints around her arms and legs.”
Kat paced restlessly as she spoke, clenching and unclenching her hands. “They had a hover car, and they shoved her in it, keeping her between them so no one could see she needed help. With the restraints immobilizing her, she couldn’t call out for help.” She bit down on her bottom lip and looked up, blinking rapidly to stop herself from breaking out in tears. She didn’t want him to think she was weak.
Thankfully, Tore wasn’t looking in her direction. His fingers tapped out an agitated rhythm on the console as he stared out the window, his brow furrowed in thought. He glanced up when she stopped talking. “The reptiles. Can you describe them? Color? Eyes? Anything that might help us to narrow their destination?”
Kat took a deep breath to steady herself. “I thought you said you knew what they were. Aviroans?”
“That’s like saying I’m humanoid. There are different types of Aviroans, and each race has its preferred planets and destinations. We need to narrow it down so we don’t waste time looking in the wrong places.”