by Tana Stone
“I can’t go slow,” he said. “I need to take you hard.”
She nipped his neck. “I want it hard, Kax.” She arched her spine and dropped her head back, still holding on to his shoulders. “Make me scream.”
His eyes nearly rolled into the back of his head as he drank in the sight of her quivering breasts. He wanted to feel her pleasure first, watch her lose control. He growled as he lowered his head to take one hard nipple inside his mouth.
She cried out, clawing at his back as he teased and sucked her. He moved to the other nipple, lapping at it until she was panting, her breath shallow. She dropped her hands back to the table and leaned back on them, letting her head fall as she moaned and writhed. He looked up and watched the pleasure on her face as she bit down on her bottom lip.
Kax pulled away and ran one hand down her belly, stopping when he reached her narrow strip of dark curls. “Watch me,” he said.
She gasped as he rubbed his thumb over her clit, circling it as she quivered in response. “You’re making me so wet for you.”
“Just the way I like it.” He slipped his finger between her slick thighs and worked it inside her. “So ready for me.”
Her muscles clenched his finger, making his cock throb as he moved it in and out of her wet heat. “I’m close,” she said, her words escaping between sighs.
“Not yet.” He crouched between her legs, keeping his finger inside her, and dragged his tongue between her folds and flicked it over her clit. He moaned. She tasted so good. Sweet and slick. He couldn’t imagine ever tiring of licking her soft folds. Not when she bucked and moaned so prettily beneath his hot mouth.
“I can’t hold back,” she said, the words little more than a gasp.
He slowed his fingers as he swirled his tongue languidly then looked up at her. “I want to be inside you. I want to feel you come.”
She nodded, her eyes closed. “I want you inside me.”
He straightened up and pulled off his suit, then undid his pants with one hand, letting them drop to the floor while Bridget tugged his shirt over his head and ran her hands down his chest. Her eyes widened when she saw his cock, thick and hard and ready for her. She licked her lips and smiled as she wrapped one hand around his shaft. Gods, the woman drove him crazy.
He pushed her knees back and opened them, gazing down at her hungrily as he dragged his thick head up through her folds, her juices glistening as they covered his swollen crown.
“I need you to take me hard,” she said, her eyes half-lidded with desire.
He couldn’t pace himself any longer. Kax thrust into her, feeling his cock stretch her, and hearing her suck in air. She was so hot and tight, like a fist squeezing him. He swallowed a cry as he stroked deeper, clutching her hips and pulling her to him.
“So tight,” he said, as he bent and buried his head in her neck, inhaling her scent and feeling her skin against his as he lodged himself deep. His body thrummed with a million sensations as once as he dragged himself back out of her, feeling every exquisite jolt as she ran her hands down his back, stroking his nodes.
He pulled back as she lifted one hand and raked it through her hair, her eyes not leaving his as he drove in again and again, her gasps becoming screams. He scooped his hands under her back without pausing his rhythm, lowering his mouth to her neck and feeling her hands on his shoulders, her nails scoring his skin.
“Harder,” she begged. “I want it harder.”
Pleasure barreled through him as he felt her body begin to ripple, and her husky moans became cries. He pumped faster as she reared up, throwing her head back and screaming as her muscles clamped around his cock, and she spasmed in his arms. Feeling her clench around him made Kax lose all control. He slammed into her, coming in a furious rush of heat as he let out his own roar and emptied inside her.
Bridget trembled as she held on to his slick shoulders, her head resting on his chest. He felt his heart pounding and her own pulse fluttering as he took one of her hands and kissed her palm.
“Is that your way of apologizing for shooting me?” she asked.
He laughed. “Did it work?”
“It’s a start.” She raised her head and grinned up at him. “I might need a few more apologies before I can truly forgive you, though.”
He brushed a strand of hair off her brow. “I live to serve.”
“As long as you’re only serving me, tough guy.”
He put a finger under her chin and tilted her head back, brushing a kiss softly across her lips. “There’s only you.”
Chapter Nineteen
Bridget held on to him, loving the feel of his bunched up muscles twitching beneath her fingers and the warmth of his skin slick with sweat. She ran her hands down his back, feeling the hard, hot bumps along his spine.
Kax groaned. “Wondering what those are?”
“Nodes,” Bridget said. “I’ve heard the other tributes talking about them. I didn’t expect them to be so. . . firm.”
“They aren’t always hard,” Kax said, trying to catch his breath.
“Oh,” Bridget smiled, circling one with the tip of her finger and feeling his body tense. “I like them.”
“Your heart rates are alarming,” Al’s halting voice announced from overhead. “I recommend an injection to bring them back to normal.”
A metal swing arm dropped down, and Bridget scooted away from it. “No more needles. We’re fine, Al.”
“If you say so, Brid-get. I should probably monitor you until your respiration is within accepted norms.”
“That sounds like fun,” Kax said under his breath.
Bridget tried to give him a severe look but failed, holding a hand over her mouth to keep from giggling. “I promise I’m fine.” She met Kax’s eyes. “Better than fine actually.”
“What about your Drexian?” Al asked. “I report abnormal blood flow and muscle spasms in the legs and buttocks.”
Kax shook his head as he tilted his head up. “I guess there’s no keeping secrets from you, Al.”
“I can help with that, you know.” Bridget cocked an eyebrow and slid her hands down to caress his ass.
Kax groaned, leaning his forehead against hers. “Only if you want to give Al more reason to worry.”
Bridget slapped one cheek. “As much fun as it is to get post-sex commentary, I think we should find a more appropriate place.”
Kax nodded, the heat fading from his eyes. “We can’t assume all the Kronock are gone. There could be more sentries, or the others could return, if they figure out I blew up an empty ship.”
Bridget shivered a little at the thought of the Kronock leader coming back for her.
Kax pulled her close to him, tucking her head under his chin. “Don’t worry. I promised I wouldn’t let them take you. That hasn’t changed.”
Bridget inhaled the warm, masculine scent of his skin and believed him. It had been a long time since she’d felt safe with someone, felt she could trust another person. She felt so secure wrapped in his arms she couldn’t imagine leaving. A little part of her was glad they had no way off the colony if it meant being alone with him for longer.
“I don’t suppose you located a shower when Al was showing you the colony’s schematics?” Kax asked.
“A shower?” Her gaze dropped to their naked, sweaty bodies. “Yeah, that might not be a bad idea. Hey, Al—”
“There is a decontamination shower at the end of the hall, next to the communal bathroom servicing the barracks.” Al whirred for a moment. “A private bathroom is located next to the manager’s quarters on the upper level.”
“Thanks, Al.” Kax swung Bridget off the table and into his arms, scooping up their clothes and his blaster with his free arm.
“Please return for a medical assessment if you experience abnormal heart palpitations or irregular breathing.”
“Not a chance,” Kax muttered.
Bridget elbowed him. “You got it, Al. Thanks for fixing me up.”
“You are welcome,
Brid-get. Please try to avoid getting shot in the future. It is very detrimental to your health.”
“You hear that?” she told Kax, who rolled his eyes.
He strode out of the sick bay and swept the hallway before starting up the stairs, which he took two at a time despite carrying Bridget. She was used to being lifted by male dancers, but their touch had always been part of the performance, and none of the sinewy male dancers she’d worked with had been anything more than friends. Half of them hadn’t even played for her team. Being held by Kax, whose wide chest and thick arms dwarfed her, made her feel like nothing in the world could harm her.
“You know I can walk,” she said, once they’d reached the top level.
“I know.” He didn’t put her down, waiting until he’d located the bathroom attached to the manager’s room where they’d slept earlier.
Bridget took in the simple, white-tiled room. Aside from the toilet and standing sink, the walk-in shower with glass doors took up most of the space. An empty metal towel rack extended across one wall, and a dried up bar of soap perched on the sink.
Kax flicked the knob in the shower and water spluttered out of the ceiling. He wrenched the soap from the sink and stepped into the shower, pulling Bridget with him.
She gasped as the cool water hit her skin, pressing herself close to him to retain some of his body heat. “I’m guessing this joint doesn’t have hot water.”
“I’ll keep you warm,” he said as he rubbed the bar of soap briskly between his hands to create a lather. He stroked his sudsy hands down the length of her body and, despite the cold water, she felt her muscles relaxing under his touch. The soap smelled spicy, with a hint of musk—no surprise if the colony’s manager had been a male—but Bridget liked the scent of it on her skin.
She took the soap from Kax and started to return the favor, running her palms down his chest and across his back. She reached down and cupped her hands around his cock, soaping the length of him and feeling him harden in response to her touch.
Bridget knelt down as she let her hands continue down his legs, washing his muscular thighs and calves and letting the water rinse off the soap, sending it spiraling down the drain. Still kneeling, she fisted his cock and ran her tongue over the tip. Kax braced both hands against the shower wall and let out a guttural sound.
Bridget took the head into her mouth, swirling her tongue around it then leaning forward to suck the length of it in. She heard Kax’s sharp intake of breath, and felt his muscles tense as she gripped his legs for balance. Moving her mouth up and down his shaft, she sucked him until she felt his cock begin to pulse.
He placed his hands at the back of her head, fisting her hair and pulling her closer, his eyes locked on her as she sucked him deep. “Your lips look so pretty stretched around my cock.”
She made a noise in the back of her throat that vibrated in her mouth. He groaned, and she hummed some more, loving the taste of him and the feel of his hardness filling her mouth.
Kax reached down and pulled her up by the arms, flipping her around so she faced away from him and grasping her by the hips. He tilted her ass up and plunged into her with a single hard stroke. Bridget’s cries were swallowed by the sound of the water as she flattened her hands against the glass walls, his thick cock lodged deep inside her. She loved feeling him fill her completely, and felt a searing bolt of heat as he dragged himself out and thrust back inside.
“Feels so good,” she said, the words escaping between jagged breaths.
His steady strokes made her arch her back and open her legs wider for him, lifting her ass and leaning lower so he could power deeper. She loved the feeling of being split as he buried his cock inside her again and again. Kax reached a hand around and found her swollen clit, circling it slowly with one finger. It was almost too much, and she rocked her hips into him, feeling the surges of pleasures begin to course through her body.
“Come for me, beautiful,” Kax said, his voice husky. “I want to feel you milk my cock.”
His words drove her over the edge. Bridget felt her body buck against him, but he held her hips tight, ramming his cock to the hilt as she splintered apart, screaming his name, her body clenching him again and again. His cries joined hers as he pistoned faster, throwing his head back and emptying himself while clutching her hips tightly.
Bridget slumped against the shower wall, her legs weak and shaky. She was vaguely aware of the water pouring over them—which had gone from cool to cold—but her scorched body didn’t mind.
Kax looped a hand around her waist to keep her from falling, even though she felt his own legs quivering. He kissed her neck and ran one hand up to cup her breast, even his soft touch making her twitch in response. Reaching behind him, he turned off the water.
Bridget faced him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “That was officially the best shower I’ve ever had.”
He captured the side of her face in one hand and lowered his mouth to hers, his tongue parting her lips gently and his kiss soft, but searching. When he pulled back, his eyes seemed to be memorizing her face. Even in her euphoric daze, his expression made her worry.
Chapter Twenty
Kax stared up at the ceiling while Bridget slept beside him, a thin sheet pulled over both their bodies. They’d come out of the shower dripping wet and crawled into the big bed, locking the door and pushing the standing dresser in front of it. It might not stop a blaster, but it would slow down intruders.
After they’d shared a couple of the remaining ration pouches and chugged some water, Bridget had curled up with one arm draped over his chest and dropped off to sleep. He hadn’t been so lucky. Even though the room was dark and quiet, his mind raced. He replayed the image of Bridget falling after he’d shot her and then the contrasting image of her with his cock buried inside her. Kax gave an abrupt shake of his head.
Stop it, he told himself. You’re fooling yourself. She was never meant to be yours.
He tugged her closer, loving the feel of her soft cheek resting on his chest muscle and of her warm breath on his skin. Then why did this feel so right? Why did she feel like his?
It didn’t matter what he felt. What mattered was his duty to his people. His father had drilled that into him since he was a child. Nothing was more important than serving the Drexian empire, and living up to his family name. He could almost hear his father’s words echoing in his head.
Kax looked down at the black hair splayed across his chest. He knew he had no right to Bridget. She was a tribute bride who had been meant for another, and now would be matched to a worthy, virile warrior. He was neither of those things. He was damaged.
His chest tightened as he thought back to the intelligence mission where he’d unknowingly exposed himself to radiation. He’d ended up saving thousands of lives, but a part of him wished he’d never gone. A small, selfish part wished he’d never disabled the weapons and ruined his chances of ever taking a mate.
He blew out a long breath. It was pointless to think about it. The damage was done. No female would want a man they knew would never be able to give them children. Even if they did, the Drexian leadership would never allow it. Females were too valuable to waste on a Drexian who could never help the species continue.
Kax was only happy his father wasn’t alive to witness his shame. He could imagine the words he’d have for a man who couldn’t do his duty. It had always been impressed upon Kax that as the eldest, it was up to him to carry on the family name and further solidify the reputation of one of the most notable Drexian houses. Now that responsibility fell to his younger brother, Dorn, who had taken a mate and would take Kax’s place on the High Command.
Kax didn’t regret leaving High Command, or going back to the nomad’s life of military intelligence. What he already regretted was leaving Bridget. He traced a finger absently on her back, enjoying the feel of her smooth skin. Leaning his head down, he breathed in the smell of her—soap from the shower and something sweeter, a scent that was distinctly h
er. He would miss how she felt, how she smelled, how she tasted. He inhaled again, trying to commit her scent to memory.
She shifted in her sleep, stretching one hand up to touch the stubble of his cheek. Even the brush of her fingertips on his face felt electric, sending a jolt all the way to his toes and making his cock jerk to life.
He frowned at himself. He knew he needed to put some distance between them, but when it came to her, his body betrayed him. All the discipline he’d cultivated as an warrior flew out the window the moment she twitched her ass at him. And what a nice ass it was.
He let his hand drift down and palm one high, rounded cheek. She let out a breathy moan and moved her hips so his hand slipped down between her legs to where she was hot and wet. He pressed his eyes shut and tried to ignore the rush of blood to his cock as his fingers slipped inside her slick folds. Another throaty noise from Bridget made him pull his hand back, cursing himself for his weakness.
He opened his eyes and she was staring up at him, her gaze molten. “Don’t stop, tough guy.”
“This isn’t right,” he said. “We shouldn’t be together.”
“Why not?” She pushed herself up so the sheet slid off her back. “I know now I don’t repulse you.”
He tried to keep his eyes from drifting from her face to her bare breasts. Far from repulsing him, the sight of her made every other thought leave his mind. He shook his head.
“Listen, I don’t know how things work with Drexians, but on Earth the women get a say in who they hook up with or marry. A big say.” She put a delicate hand on his chest. “I pick you.”
He closed a hand over hers. “You don’t know everything about me.”
“I know enough. You’re brave, you’re kind, and you’re amazing in bed.” She shrugged. “What else is there?”
A family, he thought. A legacy, a lineage, a name that would continue. Even if she didn’t care about those things, his people did.
