by Tracy Lauren
“Ah, this is yet another one of your wishes I can make come true,” he tells me. “Remember on your long and lonely nights as a pirate, that you left behind a male who could grant all your wishes,” he says in that teasing voice of his as he moves behind me in the water. Once again, his hands are on me, but this time they find my shoulders. He pulls my hair over to one side before he begins massaging me. As cold as the water is, I relax immediately.
“Mmmm.” I close my eyes and moan. My body wants to go limp. “Careful, my knees are going to buckle,” I warn him in a sleepy voice.
“Relax if you like, Faith. I will simply hold you against me,” he says.
“Don’t tempt me,” I mumble. All this touching and being naked together in the water…well, it’s getting me amped up and a flush creeps up my cheeks at the realization. It would really convolute things between Rylan and me to bring sex back into the equation. A friendship with him is important to me, and after everything he’s done for me, all he’s sacrificed, I shouldn’t let myself fuck up whatever it is we have. So, abruptly, I pull away from him. “Want me to do you?” I offer casually, motioning to his back.
He groans and reaches for me, running his hands up my arms again. “More than anything,” he tells me with a heated voice, but he holds me in place.
We’re so close our bodies are almost touching. I can feel the heat coming off of him, calling to me. All I have to do is push myself up on my tiptoes and I could kiss him. His gaze is penetrating and slowly, we inch closer together. But before our lips can collide Rylan freezes, cocking his head to the side, like he can hear something.
“Out of the water,” Rylan whispers urgently. Adrenaline rushes my system.
As quickly and as quietly as we can, we make our way to the bank of the stream. Rylan’s eyes dart around, vigilantly searching for signs of danger. He picks up a charger and passes me his vest before pinning me against a tree. He keeps his back to me so I’m guarded while I dress. “Dry yourself with that,” he orders, motioning toward his vest.
Somewhere, in the distance, I hear the blast of a laser.
I startle and hurriedly wipe myself down, yanking my clothes on and keeping my charger within reach as I do. I’m dressed and have my bag slung over my shoulder in less than a minute, but Rylan is still naked as a jaybird. I pat him down quickly with the vest and pass him his pants before I offer him the same cover he gave me.
I search the hillside with my eyes, but the sun is nearly gone now and the shadows of the trees stretch toward us. I get the sense Rylan can both see and hear better than me. Still, I do what I can to help.
When Rylan is ready he pulls me away from the stream, and hopefully away from any danger that might be lurking nearby. Both of us keep our chargers drawn as we disappear into the forest.
Chapter 21
Rylan
We have been heading southwest, around to the opposite side of the massive dome belonging to our host, and away from the dummy ships the other prey have been headed toward. I had hoped at this point in our journey we wouldn’t come across any of the others, but somewhere nearby I heard whispers, followed by a laser blast.
I couldn’t make out the words, but whoever they were, they did not seem aware of our proximity. It was, however, an important reminder to not let my guard down. Hours later, Faith and I stumble across a cave and I find I’m still angry with myself for not being more vigilant. Too many times I have let my focus wander.
It’s hard, though, when I am traveling with my female. The more time I spend with her…the more I fall in love. Back on Nydor there was a connection, something instinctual that I think we both felt. But the more time we spend together the more I come to realize how badly I need her in my life.
It would drive me mad to think of her alone amongst the stars, pirating of all things. She would never be safe. Each job could be her last. She could easily end up back on a prison barge, enslaved, or hell, even right back here. The protectiveness in me flares and I pull her close to me suddenly. She startles and drops her pack. Our rations tumble onto the floor of the cave.
“Rylan—” she starts.
“Are you cold?” I ask, feeling her hair. I worry that it has not fully dried and will bother her throughout the night.
“No, I’m good,” she says, giving me a funny look. I release her to help pick up the rations and keep my eyes down, feeling frustrated. I want Faith so badly, but how do I know if she feels the same? If I tried to kiss her I think she would kiss me back, but would she do so because she wants me or because she thinks she owes me?
“What about you?” she questions. “I know your vest isn’t much, but—”
My vest, it is still wet and packed into my bag. “I will be fine. We can share body heat.”
“Sounds good.” She pauses to smile up at me. Quickly, I look away.
Tonight we have found another cave to spend the night in and when we sit down to eat, Faith presses in close to my side. This is different. Usually we wait until it is time for her to sleep and for me to take watch before we share our warmth. The look she keeps casting in my direction is innocent enough, but still, my mind begins to overanalyze as I consider the moment we shared together as we bathed. Does she think I am making a bid for compensation, a little something for my aid?
I meet her smile with a frown and the light in her eyes is suddenly extinguished. She pulls away ever so slightly, but my attentive eyes notice the distance.
“I’m sorry. I’ve been troubled since the blast,” I explain, looking out the slim entrance of the cave. Still, out of my peripheral vision, I see Faith nod knowingly.
“How much longer until we reach the ships?” she asks.
“Depends on how safe the route. We should get there tomorrow, but then we have to scout the area. If there are guards we’ll need to wait for the right time to make our move. Then…” I clear my throat and avoid her gaze. “Then we’ll have to decide if we’re ready to leave.”
“Ready to leave? I was ready before I even got here—” she begins, thinking I am making some kind of a joke, but then her words cut off. “I thought we were done with this. It’d be stupid to wait around to help anyone else, Rylan. We could get caught, we could let vicious criminals aboard our ship—threatening our own safety. Hell, who knows if any of them even want to be saved,” she points out.
I give her a sympathetic but reprimanding look. “This is not like Jesek Lahan’s slaves,” I remind her gently. “Those females were scared to leave.”
“They should have been scared to stay,” she counters.
“As the others surely are, out there in the woods tonight.”
“I don’t want to talk about this right now,” she tells me in a firm tone. “Is that what’s been on your mind all night?”
I look at her lovely face, her brow slightly furrowed and her lips pressed in a tight line.
“No.”
She stares at me expectantly, unblinking. Despite myself, a smile teases the corners of my lips.
“Well?” she asks.
“I think of you, my mysterious female. Always of you,” I admit, extending my hand to run through her long and silken hair. She leans into my touch, but I bring it to an abrupt end. I have learned my lesson tonight. I will not let Faith down by shirking my watch duties.
I hear the wrapper from her protein ration crumple as she sets it aside.
“Rylan?” she questions, tentatively.
“Hmm?” I ask without looking over at her, but she doesn’t reply. Not with words anyway. Instead, she reaches over to cup my face, pulling it down toward hers. Lightly, she brushes a kiss to my lips.
“Faith,” I whisper, pulling her hands away. “You don’t have to do that.”
“I want to,” she says quietly. Vulnerability laces her tone. My strong Faith, how hard it is for her to reach out to another person. I will not let her down, nor will I deny her anything she asks of me.
“Stop,” I strain to tell her as firmly as my voice is able to. I
hold my hand out to keep her at bay and get to my feet. I don’t look back, the vision of her on her knees, eyes filled with lust would be enough to cause my own flimsy restraint to snap. So, with my cock straining against my pants, I stride out of the cave. If she truly wants me, I will gladly give my body to her. But first I must make sure we are safe.
The night air hits me, and I inhale deeply through my nose. I can smell nothing but the scents of the forest. I take to the trees then, climbing high to get a visual of our surroundings. My ears prick and I strain to hear a sound that might be out of place. I circle our cave from above three times, ensuring we have not been tracked here. I even hurriedly search for signs Faith and I might have left without realizing it. But all is silent and, for the moment, I am satisfied. We are alone here.
I descend from the trees in haste and make my way into the mouth of the cave. Faith startles when she sees me. Her face appears flushed with embarrassment and she has difficulty looking me in the eyes.
I nearly slap my own forehead, angry at myself for being such a fool. She thinks I have spurned her advances.
I want to explain the misunderstanding, but my need for her is so great that my mind operates a good three paces behind my body. Instead, I drop to the ground next to her and pull her towards me. I have her full attention now and I know there’s no denying the hunger she reads on my features.
“I should keep watch,” I try to explain as I help pull her onto my lap.
“Oh! I thought maybe you didn’t want—”
“Make no mistake, Faith. You are all I want,” I tell her firmly. It is all I will venture to say.
She straddles me and her shyness melts away as she presses kisses to my jaw. I pull Faith close, encircling her with my arms. Every cell in my body sings at her nearness and my heart pounds so hard I nearly shake with the force of it. I want to tell her everything, that she is mine and I am hers, that I have been hers since the moment I saw those bewitching green eyes. I want to tell her how much I love her and to beg her to never leave my side again.
But while my Faith is strong, she is also fragile in so many ways. The last thing I want to do is to scare her away when there is finally progress between us. Instead, I will show her my love through touches.
I put all my passion into a kiss and soon she is moaning against my mouth. When my hands go to her hips and I gently rock her against my erection, she takes it as her cue to let go. She breaks our kiss to pull her skimpy top over her head and tosses it aside for the second time today. Again, exposing her milky skin to me. I gaze upon the soft curves of her breasts and a chill makes her flesh prickle and her nipples harden. When I reach out and rub my knuckles across one pink tip, she bites down on her pouty bottom lip and whimpers. It is a pleasing reaction and I find myself wanting more.
Leaning forward, I nuzzle her breast before sucking and teasing her sensitive nipple. She cries out but then slaps a hand over her mouth to muffle the noise. Oh, if only I could make her scream…
Soon we are kissing passionately again and she’s grinding against my cock, so fraught with desire that she cannot keep still. Her soft human hands grip my shoulders and her blunt nails dig into my flesh. I can smell her arousal blossoming on the air and my cock twitches when I think of Faith slick, wet folds.
“More,” she pleads in my ear between fevered kiss. She does not need to ask me twice. Swiftly I grab the vest from my bag and toss it down on the cave floor next to us, before I transfer Faith onto it. She tries to turn and face me, but I stop her.
“Do not move,” I tell her. “I want you just like this.” She’s on her hands and knees. Looking over her shoulder at me, she sucks in an eager breath and nods her head in agreement. I run my hands over her backside and she leans into my palm, whimpering quietly.
“Touch me,” she whispers. “I want to feel you, Rylan.”
With a growl I rip her pants down to her knees, leaving her ass completely exposed. Eagerly, she spreads her legs and I get a full view of her perfect cunt. Already it’s so wet from our kissing that her juices slick the backs of her thighs. I growl low in my throat, appreciating just how gorgeous my Faith is. When she whimpers again I’m reminded I’m not just here to admire the view but to make my female cum.
I grip the rounded globes of her ass firmly and waste no time burying my tongue in her cunt. Her taste is as delicious as I remember, and the involuntary growl that rumbles in my chest makes her quake with pleasure. She drops her cheek to the ground as she takes my ministrations, and when I steal a glance at her I see she’s biting my vest in an effort to keep quiet.
Keeping one ear tuned into the forest outside, I slip a hand between her legs and find the nub of her clit with my knuckle. It’s slick and my joint slips and slides over it. Faith’s legs begin to quake. When I bring my tongue up to circle her tightly puckered asshole, she has to clamp her hand over her mouth again. I tongue her there, vigorously, enjoying how unhinged it makes her.
“Oh my god, I’m going to cum,” she grits out, her eyes clenched tightly shut. Wanting to push her over the edge, I press my tongue back into her core and fuck her with it. Then, she’s biting back a scream. I keep playing with her clit as her pussy spasms around my tongue and lap up every last drop of my female’s sweet juices.
Soon her hands are on me, reaching back and grabbing at my hips, pulling me toward her. I chuckle at her eagerness as I rip the buckles to my pants open, causing my aching cock to spring free.
“Are you sure this is what you want, Faith?” I ask as I slick my head along her wet opening. She tries to buck against me in an effort to force my cock inside of her tight cunt, but I pull back. “Tell me you want this.” I need to know.
Faith lifts her body so her back is pressed to my chest and her hand comes up to caress my jaw. I release my cock and wrap my arms around her in a hug. When she speaks, her voice is raw with emotion. “I don’t think I’ve ever wanted anything so badly,” she whispers, and I know she is talking about more than a pleasure mating. I drop a kiss to her neck and reach down between us, guiding my thickness into her core.
One hand finds a pebbled nipple to play with and the other goes to her clit. I keep my female pressed tightly to my body as I make love to her, spurring her pleasure with my hands as I rhythmically pump in and out of her eager pussy.
Soon she’s muttering her pleasure between the gasps she struggles to bite back. “Holy shhh—!” she begins to exclaim before she trails off. The more I fuck her, the more unhinged she becomes and with every thrust she gets louder and louder. “Oh fuck!” she yells out as I tweak her nipple and her wetness starts to drip down our thighs. She’s going to cum soon, I can feel it. But I can’t have her yelling out as she does.
“I’m so close, I’m so close,” she whimpers and I place my hand over her mouth. She bites down on it with my next thrust, pushing me over the edge just as her cunt begins to squeeze and suck at my cock. Her screams of ecstasy are muffled as my seed spurts inside her and her spasming cunt overflows with our combined juices.
Panting, we collapse on the cave floor and I pull her onto my chest so she doesn’t have to lie on the cold, hard rock.
The two of us are silent. I know she is scared to talk about what might be happening between us, so I don’t press. Instead I sit up and use my water to clean gently between her thighs. She mumbles her thanks and smiles timidly up at me.
“I want you to rest now. Tomorrow we leave this Godless planet.”
She nods and dresses herself. The second she’s done, I tug her close to me and kiss the top of her head. She snuggles against my side and quickly falls asleep. It has been a long day and as her sleep wears on I notice that for once my Faith’s dreams do not trouble her as they usually do. No, tonight she is at peace in her mate’s arms.
Chapter 22
Faith
I woke feeling strange when it was time for my watch. Like always, Rylan tried to urge me to go back to sleep, but I didn’t need it. I actually felt…rested. And no, it wasn�
��t the earth-shattering sex that did it. It was the absence of nightmares.
I hate to admit it, but I think I was able to sleep so soundly because I trust Rylan. I don’t know what’s going to happen between us. I don’t know that we will always be safe. But I do trust him with the space between us. I know I’m safe when it comes to him.
That being said… I’m dreading having to talk about our encounter last night.
But the morning passes uneventfully and it’s midafternoon when we reach a place where the trees begin to thin. Our goal is to make it to an overlook on the top of a hill. I’m acutely aware of the fact that Rylan is being more cautious than normal and I wonder if those alien ears of his are picking up things I’m not. Regardless, I follow suit and play things extra safe.
We tread lightly, taking our time. Rylan scans the trees and their canopies and I do the same, scouring them for anything that might be a danger to us, whether it be guards or surveillance systems.
I can’t help but notice traveling today has been quiet, with neither of us talking much. At first I worried Rylan’s distance was a result of what happened between us last night, but I watch his serious expression as he cautiously climbs the hill and come to believe that his attentions are simply intent on rescuing us right now.
As we near the top, we crouch low to the ground and eventually Rylan signals that we should army crawl on our bellies the rest of the way. Once atop the small summit we have a view of a wide meadow followed by a private airfield. Looming in the distance is the glass dome, the only civilization on this planet and a beacon of pure evil.
Rylan and I study the area for a long time. When I look over at him, his expression looks troubled and I think I see the problem. For some reason, there are no guards. You’d think there would be, but the place looks utterly deserted.