by Tana Stone
When they stepped into an inclinator compartment, a Vexling with a lilac twist of hair remained outside, saying, “I’ll take the next one.”
The doors swished closed, and Shreya swatted at Vox’s broad shoulders. “You terrified that poor Vexling.”
Vox pressed her back against the inclinator wall as it surged diagonally upward. “If he was terrified by me carrying you, then it is good he chose to wait for the next compartment.”
With that, he ground his hips up so that his hard length teased her through her pants. She let out an involuntary sigh before he captured her mouth in his, rocking his body into her as he stroked her tongue with his own.
Vox was only vaguely aware of the inclinator doors opening, but he was aware of the deep throat-clearing. Pulling his attention from Shreya, he glanced over to see Dakar standing outside the inclinator, the grin on his face wide.
“Looks like another independent might be joining us on the officers’ wing,” he said.
“Do not be surprised if neither of us emerges from my room for a very long time,” Vox said, carrying Shreya past the Drexian warrior.
Shreya looked up at Vox, a dazed expression on her face. “Fine by me.”
He stumbled down the corridor as Shreya nuzzled his neck, hearing Dakar chuckle behind him. Swiping a hand over the side panel, Vox hurried to open the door, bursting inside and staggering to the bed.
Shreya bounced a few times when he dropped her back on the soft surface. Her hair fanned out behind her on the ebony bed covers, and her eyes were half-lidded with desire.
Vox growled low. Desire arrowed through him as he looked at her splayed out beneath him. His female. His mate.
“Tell me you are mine, Shreya.” He tugged roughly at the bottom of her pants, pulling until they were on the floor.
“You know I am,” she said, wiggling her hips that now wore nothing but a small pair of pink panties.
He ripped her shirt open and buttons flew across the room. “Say you’re mine.”
Her breath was jagged, her breasts heaving under the matching pink lace of her bra. “I’m yours, Vox. I’ve always been yours.”
He bent down, taking one nipple and sucking it through the rough lace, feeling it harden between his lips. She whimpered, and Vox thought he’d never heard a sweeter sound.
Clutching his shoulders, she arched her back as he moved to the other nipple, sucking it into his mouth and feeling the bumpy fabric over the pebbled flesh. He unhooked the front clasp, and her breasts sprang free. Vox cupped both globes in his hands, thumbing the nipples and watching Shreya writhe.
“So beautiful,” he murmured, dipping his head to the space between her breasts and trailing kisses down her belly.
When her reached her panties, she inhaled sharply. Moving his hands down to slide her panties from her hips, Vox peered up at her. “Every part of you is beautiful, and every part of you is mine.”
Her gaze became molten as he dragged her panties slowly down her legs and pulled them off entirely. His cock throbbed at the sight of the neat, narrow strip of short, dark hair. “Spread your legs for me.”
She hesitated, staring at him through thick lashes. So she was still shy, he thought. He would need to coax her back to the point where she felt she could surrender to him.
Vox stood up, tugging his shirt over his head and dropping his own pants. He tossed them both on the floor and stood naked at the foot of the bed. Her eyes drifted to his rigid cock, and she grinned.
“Better?” he asked, loving the way her eyes devoured him.
She opened her mouth, as if to speak but closed it again when he lowered his head between her legs, which fell open. Running one finger through her hot folds, he found the nub between her legs and stroked it.
Shreya jerked, looping her legs around his back and dropping them open even more. He replaced his finger with his tongue and began sucking her, as she gasped and fisted her hands in the covers.
The taste of her was intoxicating, as were the urgent moves of her hips rising up to meet his mouth. He lavished her with his tongue, as he slid a finger into her tight heat, feeling her hips move faster.
“Vox,” she panted.
He didn’t stop flicking his tongue as he thrust a second finger inside of her, hearing her sharp gasp. She was so close, he could almost feel the fire coiled inside her.
He pulled back for a moment to catch a glimpse of her flushed face. She jerked her head up when he stopped. “Vox,” she said, her words desperate gasps. “I need…”
He nodded, savoring the look of molten desire burning in her eyes. “You need me, Shreya.”
“Yes, Vox. I need you. Please…”
He returned to her slick nub, sucking it as he pumped two thick fingers deep inside her. Within moments, she was trembling, her hands raking across his back and catching his nodes. He felt his own arousal surge as Shreya shattered, bucking and moaning and clawing at him. She knifed up with a final scream before collapsing on the bed.
His cock throbbing, Vox sat up on his knees, gazing down at his mate who lay with her eyelids fluttering and her light-brown cheeks flushed pink.
“Shreya,” he said. “Spread your legs for me so I can claim you.”
“You’ve already claimed me,” she said, her voice little more than a whisper as she opened her eyes fully. “Don’t you remember?”
“Of course I remember.” He grabbed her ankles and held one in each hand. “But I can never claim you too many times, my beautiful mate.”
Her eyes, which were already dark pools, became nearly black as she let her knees fall open. Vox slid his hands down to her hips, tilting her up and steadying his breathing as he notched his cock at her entrance.
Her breath caught in her throat as he pushed slowly into her, and he fought to keep his eyes from rolling into the back of his head. She felt amazing, her hot tightness gripping him like a vise.
“You feel so good,” she said, moving her hips to take him deeper. “And so big.”
Vox gritted his teeth to keep from exploding, leaning his head back as he drove his cock all the way to the hilt. Grek. She was so wet and tight.
“Vox,” her voice teased him. “Don’t you want to watch?”
He swallowed hard as he returned his gaze to her lush body, nearly choking when he saw her stretched tight around his cock. Gods. It took all his restraint not to pound into her, but he wanted to feel her release while he was inside her.
“So perfect where I split you,” he said, his voice husky.
Her gaze followed his, and she smiled. “I’ve never liked watching myself get fucked before.”
He groaned, fighting to keep himself from careening over the edge. Hearing his pretty, sweet mate talk like that made it almost impossible not to lose control. “Now you like to watch?”
She nodded, wetting her bottom lip with her tongue. “Your cock is so huge, and you stretch me so tight.”
Grek. The woman was driving him to the edge. Vox bit his own lip until he tasted blood.
Shreya raised herself up on her arms, curling one hand round his neck and pulling him into a deep kiss. He dragged his cock out and thrust back in as her tongue fought with his. When she pulled away and moaned under her breath, he thrust hard and held her tight.
Shreya kept one hand around his neck as she shifted up onto his lap, her legs wrapped around his waist. “You shouldn’t get to have all the fun.”
As she moved herself up and down on his shaft, he reached down to where their bodies met, finding her slick nub and rubbing the pad of his thumb over it. Her tightness fluttered around him, and she threw her head back, her bucking hips chasing after her release.
When Vox stroked her wet nub harder, she shattered. Her limbs convulsed, her body gripping his cock like a fist. Vox’s tenuous hold on his self-control snapped with a roar, as he spilled into her.
Shreya sank against him, her palms slipping as she dragged her hands down his chest, glistening slick with sweat. Her breath was warm
as her face pressed into his heaving chest, and Vox kissed the top of her head, unable to form the words to speak.
“I don’t remember that,” she said, with a soft laugh.
“Nor do I.” Vox shifted inside her, still hard, and she emitted a tiny yelp.
“Now, that I do remember. Drexians can keep going.”
Vox felt his arousal stir again. “If you are ready, my insatiable mate.”
“Mate.” Shreya laughed and kissed the hollow of his neck, sending a shiver down his spine. “I like the sound of that.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
Vox opened the clear-sided box on his bed and pulled out a stack of neatly folded clothes, setting them on the black covers.
“You’re sure you’re okay with sharing closet space?” Shreya asked, standing in front of the open wardrobe doors and inspecting the shelves. Even though there was not much inside, the space seemed scant for two people.
“I do not need much, aside from a couple of uniforms.”
She cocked an eyebrow at him. “I hope you don’t plan on wearing your Drexian military uniform when we’re alone together.”
“No? You would not find the authority arousing?”
Shreya’s face warmed. “You don’t need a uniform to get me turned on.”
He picked up a stack of shirts and walked them over to her, nuzzling her neck as he came up behind her. “I am glad to hear it.”
His warm breath on the nape of her neck sent a shiver of pleasure down her spine, and she swayed on the spot. “We’re supposed to be moving me in, remember?”
“Of course I remember.” He placed the stack of clothes on one of the bare shelves then reached around and cupped her breasts in his hands. “I promised you I would never forget again.”
Sinking back into him, Shreya groaned. “At this rate, we’ll never get me unpacked.”
“That’s okay.” He thumbed her nipples through her blouse. “I like to take things slow.”
Heat throbbed between her legs, and her nipples hardened. “The High Command gave us their approval three days ago.”
“And it took two days for me to demonstrate my happiness to you,” he murmured. “These things can’t be rushed.”
Shreya felt her core tighten as she remembered the last two luxuriously indulgent days where they hadn’t left the bed for anything but food, often summoned by Vox in the middle of the night and delivered by a groggy Vexling.
“My friends are going to wonder what happened to me.”
Vox took her earlobe between his lips and nibbled it lightly. “I doubt it. Your friends know we appealed to the Drexian High Command to be bonded. They must have heard the good news, and they know we would not have the bonding ceremony without them.”
The thought that everyone knew exactly what they been doing for the past two days made Shreya’s face warm even more. Damn the Drexian if he couldn’t get her worked up with the slightest touch.
Before she could scold Vox for distracting her yet again, the door beeped.
“Ignore it,” Vox muttered, tracing his tongue around the edge of her ear.
“It’s probably the rest of my boxes.” Shreya spun away from him, dancing out of his reach and dodging his attempts to pull her back in his arms, as she hurried to the door.
“She’s alive,” Cerise called out when the door glided open, bustling past her into the room, followed by a short alien with spiky, purple hair, and a Vexling with a swish of blue hair that made her easily six feet tall.
“Hey, Cerise,” Shreya said, noticing that her friend wore a tiny three-piece suit in a shocking shade of green. “Sorry I’ve been a little hard to track down lately.”
The woman bobbled her pink wig. “Don’t worry. Ella and True helped me get a suite of my own in the independent section, and I got a job.”
“A job?” For a moment Shreya wondered if her new job was anything remotely similar to her old job, although she was pretty sure they didn’t encourage prostitutes on the Boat.
Cerise nodded vigorously. “You’re looking at the newest tribute bride wedding liaison intern. I’m working with Reina and Serge.”
Shreya glanced at the Vexling, who was shifting from one foot to the other and biting the edge of her thumbnail. “I didn’t know they did internships on the station.”
“We don’t,” the purple-haired alien in the banana-yellow suit said. “But Reina here is a soft touch.” He extended a hand to her. “I’m Serge.”
“I thought it couldn’t hurt.” The Vexling, who was obviously Reina, shrugged. “Besides, Cerise was instrumental in rescuing a human off of Lymora III.”
Serge cleared his throat and glanced back at Vox. “Perhaps it’s best not to dwell on Lymora III. All’s well that ends well, I always say.”
“Indeed.” Vox came to stand behind Shreya, wrapping one well-muscled arm around her waist.
“I’m glad you’re doing so well.” Shreya tried to ignore the hard bulge pressing against her back as she smiled at Cerise. She gave her head a shake as she realized her friend was dressed almost identically to Serge—the only real difference being the color of their suits. “It sounds like you’ve been keeping busy.”
“We’re preparing for a new shipment of tribute brides, and Serge and Reina have been teaching me everything they know. I’m so excited I’ll get to practice on your wedding.”
“My wedding?” Shreya looked from one smiling and nodding alien to the other. “What do you mean, my wedding?”
Cerise’s brow furrowed. “You are getting married, right?”
“Well, yes—” Shreya began.
“Then you have to have a wedding,” Serge said, holding up a stubby finger. “And every decent wedding needs a wedding planner.”
Shreya craned her head around to peer up at Vox, who wore an amused expression. “I didn’t know independents got to have fancy weddings. Ella hasn’t had one.”
Serge threw up a hand. “Do not get me started on Ella. That child is dancing on my last nerve.”
Shreya raised an eyebrow. “Dancing on your last nerve?”
“No one uses colorful Earth sayings like Serge,” Reina said, beaming at him.
“I’ll agree with that,” Shreya said under her breath.
“There’s a very good chance I get you down the aisle before I get Ella to decide on a theme for her wedding,” Serge said.
Shreya felt her pulse quicken. “We need a theme?”
“A theme, leitmotif, color palette,” Serge continued. “Perhaps we include your Earth heritage?”
“You want to have Vox enter on an elephant?” Shreya asked.
Serge’s large eyes widened, as he rubbed his hands together. “Oh, yes!” He blinked a few times. “What’s an elephant?”
Shreya laughed, and began to steer the aliens out of the suite. “Can we do this when I’m not so knackered? I promise to think about my theme if we can postpone until tomorrow.”
Serge sighed as he allowed himself to be herded into the hall. “Fine, but don’t forget.”
“Don’t forget,” Cerise repeated, wagging a finger exactly like Serge was doing.
Shreya waved as she slid the door closed behind them, her shoulders sagging as she turned back to face Vox. “If I didn’t know Cerise was a Perogling, I would swear she was morphing into a Gatazoid.”
Vox chuckled. “Whatever she is, I owe her a debt of gratitude. If she hadn’t fixed all that food to jog my memory, it might have taken much longer for me to remember.”
Shreya felt a rush of warmth that the woman hadn’t given up, even when she was convinced that Vox was a lost cause. “I think that earns her a place in our wedding.”
“Maybe she should ride the elephant.”
“You know,” Shreya said. “She would probably love that. But weren’t we in the middle of unpacking?”
“We were in the middle of something.” Vox reached into the box on the bed and withdrew a black strip of fabric. “Is this what I think it is?”
Shreya�
��s heart raced as she gave her mate a wicked smile. “I was hoping you’d find that. I saved it from Lymora III.”
Vox walked toward her, holding the blindfold in one hand. “I’m afraid the wedding planner is going to be disappointed tomorrow, as well.”
Epilogue
Captain Varden strode down the corridor, nodding at officers he passed. He was not in his uniform, but every Drexian on board knew who he was.
As the captain of the Boat, he commanded a sizable number of warriors, and was responsible for the defense of the Drexian’s most valuable assets—the high-tech space station and the tribute brides aboard it. He took his responsibility seriously—even more so, after the attack by the Kronock and the sabotage engineered by them—and sometimes the constant stress ate away at him. He was grateful the rescue mission to recover one of their captive warriors and a human female had been successful, but he needed to not think about missions and battle strategy for a while.
Which is why I need this, he thought, pausing at the entrance to the recreational holodecks. He’d saved up his holodeck time so he could enjoy a serious workout with a Kranji master, and he was itching to practice the alien martial art he’d first learned at the Drexian Academy.
As with most Drexians, fighting calmed him, especially a discipline such as Kranji—considered by most to be the most challenging sport in the universe. Just thinking about it made his heart beat faster.
His fingers hovered over the control panel, but his eyes were drawn to the holodeck next to the one he’d reserved. A simulation was running, and he cocked his head to one side when he read the name on the panel.
Gulf of Mexico?
This was clearly not a Drexian program, and he assumed a Drexian was not running it. Drexian warriors favored battle recreations, or obstacle courses designed to test their strength and skill.
A tribute bride, he thought at first, eying the name on the panel under the simulation title. Then he shook his head. The name was human, although he realized it was not a tribute bride’s. He prided himself on remembering every match made on his ship since he’d taken the helm, and this human had not taken a Drexian mate. Of that he was certain.
