Stolen Moments (A World Beyond Book 8)

by Michelle Howard

  Their Triad may have had a rocky start but it was strengthened with the bonds of their love and the hurdles they’d overcome in the past.

  Baruk rocked slowly then switched babies until he’d spent time with each one. It didn’t matter that their blonde hair and blue eyes strongly suggested Zadal as the paternal donor for half their DNA. They were his daughters in heart and by Garulaxan law. Nothing could stem the love he had for them

  Exhaustion dragged at Baruk by the time he commed for Graeme to return and sit with them through the night. He made his way to his bedroom and paused at the doorway.

  A smile twitched Baruk’s lips. He leaned a shoulder against the jamb and took a moment to marvel at the sight of his wife nestled into a mound of covers on his bed. It was a pretty safe guess she’d be in here. Lindsey did not believe in a day going by without spending the night with either Zadal or him at her side.

  Her bedroom had become a room she mainly used to change clothes or shower. Sometimes he and Zadal would join her there but for the most part she ended in one of their beds. If it was a night of ménage as she called Triad marital sex, they’d all fall asleep in the same bed wherever that was.

  She rolled to her side on a snuffle and the covers slipped down her shoulder, revealing the curve of a bare breast and furled nipple. Baruk inhaled and closed the door with his foot as he crossed the room to the bed.

  Pregnancy had only enhanced her appeal to him. There were times Baruk feared he wouldn’t get enough of Lindsey as she’d gotten more and more round with their children. Her lush figure had called to him in a way that left his cock hard from sun up to sun down. He was sure Zadal had taken note of his excessive attention. Thankfully, his spouse partner hadn’t taunted him about it. Much. Away from Lindsey there had been plenty of casual remarks.

  ‘Lindsey looked extra tired this morning. Maybe let her sleep when she’s in bed with you.’

  ‘Is your goal to cause our wife to permanently limp?’

  ‘Do you actually want the babies born with a bruise on their foreheads?’

  Baruk snorted and undressed. His clothing was folded and put away with the same meticulous care he used with all of his things. He eased the sheets back and slid into his side of the bed. Lindsey immediately rolled toward him and wrapped an arm about his waist and threw a leg across his thighs.

  Grinning, Baruk stretched an arm up behind his head and curved the other about her shoulders. The tension of the day faded away that easily as he closed his eyes.

  “Rough day?”

  Her soft inquiry snapped his eyes back open. Tipping his head to the side, Baruk met her drowsy gaze. “I thought you were asleep.”

  Her lips curled in a smile and she moved her arm higher to pat his cheeks. “I wanted to wait up for you. Make sure you’re alright.”

  Because of his work schedule. She didn’t have to say it but Baruk knew that was why. “I’m caught up now and should be able to do anything non-pressing from home now.”

  Lindsey snuggled into his side. The move pressed a full breast against his chest and a stiff nipple poked at him. His cock hardened. It had been several days since he’d last enjoyed his wife. Compared to the copious amount of time he had spent in bed with her while pregnant, he now had to balance his attention and share her with their girls.

  Soft, even breaths fluttered along his throat. Disappointment welled. Of course she was tired and not interested in making love. Baruk closed his eyes with every intention of willing his cock to go down.

  Soft fingers trailed across his chest, sending quivers down his spine. Baruk remained still as Lindsey continued to stroke her way down his torso, the dip of his belly and they paused below his waist. Waiting with his breath held, Baruk fought the urge to thrust his hips up.

  “Are you tired?” she murmured.

  Baruk groaned in relief and rolled to his side gathering her close. He buried one hand in her hair and the other between her legs. Even in the dark he caught her flinch and paused. “Lindsey?”

  She caressed his face, her teeth a bright slash of white. “I’m okay. It’s fine.”

  Baruk gentled his touch and slid one finger back and forth between her folds while his gaze stayed trained on her face. He didn’t miss her wince and stopped immediately. “You’re sore.”

  Once again, Baruk was annoyed at himself for not leaving work when Zadal had. The two of them had probably spent the evening together because Zadal had been working as much as Baruk and neither of them did well away from Lindsey for large stretches of time.

  He eased his hand back, patted the curve of her waist and kissed the top of her head. “Get some rest.”

  The girls’ sleep schedule had gotten better but despite having Graeme to help, he knew Lindsey pushed herself to do it all.

  “I did. Earlier.”

  Before Baruk could respond, Lindsey broke from his hold and slid beneath the covers. His cock pulsed against his thigh in anticipation. She didn’t make him wait long nor did she give him the slow build up she had perfected. Instead her mouth enveloped the head of his cock in one smooth swallow that had Baruk arching up.

  He hissed out a breath and attempted to ease back but Lindsey planted her hands on his hips and pushed him to remain. He could have freed himself. She wasn’t physically strong enough to restrain him but then her mouth began a lick sucking motion which had him on the verge of releasing.

  “Slower, wife” he growled and reached down to thread his fingers through the blonde hair spread across his lap.

  Lindsey’s head continued to bob up and down but the pace she’d set eased some and Baruk allowed himself to relax against the bedding. Every few licks, her hands would run over his thighs, causing him to tense and jerk. On the third time he heard her snicker and Baruk found himself smiling as he stared at the ceiling.

  Work troubles disappeared and true pleasure hummed through his veins as Baruk focused on Lindsey’s mouth. The slick glide of her lips, the flick of her tongue and the moisture trickling down his length to pool on his groin.

  Soon he was rocking back and forth, fingers tight in her hair as his orgasm roared closer.

  “Yes, fuck. Yes, yes.”

  Lindsey moaned around his shaft and gripped the base tight as she sucked and hollowed her cheeks. The head of his cock went in and out as he watched until his breath became ragged. Sweat rolled into his eyes, blurring his vision of her blonde head. Humming, Lindsey cupped his sac with her free hand and pleasure slammed into him.

  Baruk arched back, head pressed onto the pillow as he thrust upward and groaned. Lindsey didn’t move until she’d drained every drop and Baruk collapsed into a boneless heap. His body shuddered as she adjusted the covers and crawled her way back up. He could barely move and bright flashes kept flickering over his gaze as she curled into him on the side.

  “I love you,” he managed when his heart ceased to race like an out of control hover-car.

  “You, too.” She kissed a spot on his chest.

  ***

  Lindsey rested with her head propped on Baruk’s chest, her hand directly over his heart. She smiled at the frantic beats against her fingers and breathed deeply of the slight musky scent to the air. Baruk ran his hand up and down her arm, drifting closer to her nipple with each pass.

  When it came close again, Lindsey nipped his finger. “Stop. I’m fine.”

  She didn’t need to find release since Zadal had taken very good care of her needs earlier. She’d only wanted to relax Baruk because she understood how much pressure he’d been under at work and because she loved connecting with both her husbands via sexual intimacy. Even if it was sometimes one sided. Though they never let her go to sleep without an orgasm from one or the other.

  Baruk’s breathing had settled into an even pattern when the comm by his bed buzzed. Lindsey leaned up carefully in order to not disturb Baruk. According to the color display on the buttons, it wasn’t Graeme which meant the kids were fine. This was an external call. She was about to lay back down
when thumps pounded on the door.

  “Verat!” Baruk jerked upright, running a hand through his dark hair. He narrowed his gaze on the door when the pounding came again. “Enter.”

  “There’s been an accident at one of the mines,” Zadal stated as he hesitated in the doorway.

  Lindsey sat up and rolled her eyes. Baruk didn’t care if they ended up in her bed or Zadal’s for the night but for some reason, Zadal was always reluctant about crossing into Baruk’s bedroom domain. She was sure it had to do with the differences in their upbringing. After all, they lived in Baruk’s billion square foot mansion on a stretch of land far beyond her ability to measure.

  “Where? When?” Baruk was out of the bed in a flash and strode toward his bathroom without a care for his nudity.

  Zadal came in and met Lindsey’s stare. His tight expression eased some as he answered Baruk. “The alert came on my comm from Beline. I’m not sure which of your properties since its not possible to catalogue your full worth.”

  He said the last on a sarcastic note and Lindsey grinned. It was true Baruk came from a family of wealth and he’d gone on to create even more wealth. Beline was Zadal’s first assistant and handled his business affairs while Aliya, his second assistant, handled his personal.

  Water ran then Baruk strode back in still nude and entered his closet. Moments later he was dressed in perfectly tailored dark gray pants and a fitted gray sweater in a darker shade of gray that did all sorts of delicious things to Lindsey’s middle. Welsin was the designer responsible for all of their clothing. After much complaining, Zadal had finally let Welsin create a new wardrobe befitting his high-level political and marital role. As evident by the sleek black on black outfit he currently wore.

  “Is there anything I can do to help?” Lindsey finally asked as she searched the floor for the robe she’d worn to Baruk’s bedroom.

  “No.” Baruk crossed to his comm as it sounded again. He paused to listen to whoever was on the other end then spoke. “Zadal has informed me. We’re on our way.”

  Fuming, Lindsey raced from the room to her own and threw on a dress. She wished she still owned her jeans but the dress code on Garulax was antiquated in that women had to wear dresses. She dashed to the girls’ room, startling Graeme awake in the bed added for him during overnight stays.

  “Is everything alright, Lady Lindsey?” he asked.

  It had taken a while but Lindsey accepted that marrying two Senate Leaders also gave her a fancy title. “Everything’s fine but I’m leaving with Baruk and Zadal. There’s been some sort of accident.”

  “I’ll ask for help from the staff to watch over the girls.”

  Lindsey blew out a breath in relief. “I hate asking you to do more with them.”

  He grinned and waved her off as he settled back on the pillows. “For what Senate Baruk pays me, I don’t do enough.”

  Lindsey’s lips twitched as she dashed from the room with every intention of going with her husbands. She didn’t see either in the hall and skipped down the spiral staircase to the lower level.

  “Slow down before you break your neck,” Zadal snapped as he gripped her arms when she reached the bottom.

  Stair skipping was probably one of her favorite things about Baruk’s house but it always did something to Zadal’s nerves. Ignoring his familiar gripe, she eyed him and Baruk who stood at the door, impatience creasing his brows.

  “I’m going with you. We can argue and delay whatever is going on or you can give in now.”

  Baruk snorted but he opened the door and waited. Zadal muttered under his breath but Lindsey didn’t respond. One day he’d realize she wasn’t a typical Garulaxan woman. She was from Earth and proud of it.

  Chapter 3

  They took one of Baruk’s fancy vehicles and arrived at the site in one of the cities neighboring Teeve but more rural. Lindsey didn’t venture out much since everything could be ordered and delivered. After her experience in being kidnapped, she wasn’t overly fond of traveling away from the estate unless Baruk and Zadal were with her.

  Activity and emergency crew hustled around, orders being called out and answered. As soon as he stopped, Baruk leaped out and was in the mix immediately. Zadal helped Lindsey out and guided her toward the three men Baruk had engaged in conversation. His hand was a secure weight on her lower back as she gazed at the harried expressions on those present.

  The tension in the air was palpable. Flickering blue lights from the vehicles surrounding the area added a level of urgency to the scene. People rushed by and Lindsey only caught bits and pieces of what was said.

  Collapse. Possible injuries. System failure.

  “This is the only viable entry point,” the dark-haired man in a reflective shirt said to Baruk, holding up a data pad as he pointed. “Over here is where the collapse occurred when the supporting beams gave way.”

  Brows pinched tight, Baruk leaned forward and pointed at something on screen. “Why didn’t the emergency system alert at the first sign of integrity issues? This should have given an alarm long before the supports gave.”

  Lindsey missed most of the answer, distracted by the equipment rolling in their direction. Technology on Garulax was far superior to Earth so she wasn’t surprised by the robo-machines with flashing yellow lights. Techs, she assumed, gathered around it with helmets shielding their heads and faces.

  “That’s not acceptable!” Baruk shouted, pulling her attention back.

  Zadal stepped forward, nudging Lindsey’s shoulder so she’d follow. When they were next to Baruk, Zadal asked, “What’s the problem?”

  Expression grim, Baruk snapped, “All of our mines are configured with advance alert systems. The moment any structural issues are detected, it should send an emergency alarm signaling techs to come out and inspect. On sites inspections are required before activity can resume if live personnel work in that section. Apparently, the Lead Supervisor assigned to this mine decided it wasn’t worth having a tech come out and he signed off to reopen this segment noting the file as data error.”

  Steam practically billowed from his head as he flung his hand toward the entrance of the mine. “This should not have happened. We had these systems installed years ago for a reason. I don’t tolerate danger to the workers who risk their lives with this job!”

  And then Lindsey remembered. The anger and frustration wasn’t simply because his people were at risk. Baruk had lost both his fathers in an accident at one of the mines the Laars family owned during a routine tour. Thirteen lives had been lost because the safety measures hadn’t been sufficient when part of it had collapsed.

  Zadal placed a calming hand on Baruk’s shoulder. “Deal with the one responsible later. What can we do?”

  Baruk’s eyes flashed blue fire then he drew in a deep breath and exhaled. Remorse darkened his gaze as he faced the shadowed entrance of the mine. “This is the only entry point not impacted. The tunnel should lead to one of the center breezeways which branches off into several directions depending on what was being worked on. There’s an evac point where workers would regroup in event an accident like this did occur and all preventative measures were bypassed.”

  “Good. Then it’s a simple matter to go in and retrieve them.”

  The corner of Baruk’s mouth curled. “Yes, a simple matter except no one here is familiar with this particular mine. The nearest employee is on route but he’s an hour away.”

  Lindsey cleared her throat. She didn’t know a lot about this but it would seem time was of the essence. When she thought of mines, she thought of antiquated underground caves more or less. “Do they have enough air to breathe?”

  “The air system was compromised during the collapse.” Baruk shoved a hand through his dark hair, the curls mussed and flying in every direction. He growled the next. “There are three men down there and only one personal breathing device because the same lead supervisor, who ignored the structural alert, took it upon himself to save likos by minimizing the number of devices based on
how many individuals are on the team that work here.”

  Lindsey breath caught as she asked him to repeat himself. “How many devices do they have?”

  Rage flashed as Baruk replied, “One.”

  “What about the supervisor? Wouldn’t he need to be close since he’s responsible for this location? He should be able to find the workers.”

  Zadal’s question was a smart one but before Baruk could answer, a portly man stormed in their direction. His brown hair stood on end and his green tunic strained across his middle. He reached then, puffing out a breath, face flushed pink and sweat dotting his forehead.

  “What is the meaning of this?”

  “Lead Ronan Daris?” Baruk’s voice was a dark growl.

  Ronan nodded and pulled up the waist of his pants which drooped again as soon as he released them. “Yes. I’m in charge here. Why are you here? What’s going on?”

  Lindsey was stunned at his lack of awareness. Baruk’s hands clenched at his sides. “I’m Baruk Laars, my family owns this mine.”

  Ronan’s nostrils flared and his gaze narrowed. He swiped a hand through his unruly hair. “What brings you out and why was I summoned, Senator Leader Laars?”

  “Did you not get the emergency communication?” Baruk asked with reasonable calm though Lindsey could tell he was anything but calm.

  “Well, yes,” he stuttered then bolstered his nerve by straightening his shoulders and standing tall.

  Baruk’s ire grew. “Then why are you just getting here?”

  “These things happen and they tend to be false alarms. My assistant continued to comm, making a big deal so I decided to handle things. Be assured, Senate Leader, you can return home and I can handle everything.”

  Baruk lunged and Zadal caught him about the waist. Ronan squawked and stumbled back. “W-w-what is the meaning of this?”

  Zadal was whispering adamantly in Baruk’s ear. Ronan straightened and glared. “What is this about?”