by Tana Stone
He leaned back, his brow furrowed. “I thought we already determined that you’re not in charge.”
I tried to jerk away from him. “We did no such thing.”
He held me tight, not letting me twist from his grasp, and gave me a wicked grin. “If we didn’t before, then we will now.”
I opened my mouth to tell him how wrong he was, but he stopped my words with a kiss, parting my lips with a dominant sweep of his tongue and possessing my mouth over my smothered squeals of protest. He grabbed my hands and bent them around my own back, holding them together and immobilized with one of his much larger hands. My struggles were pointless, and as his tongue tangled with mine, heat pulsed traitorously between my legs.
There was something seriously wrong with me. The more the Drexian pissed me off, the more I wanted him. I stopped writhing in his arms and let him walk me backwards to his desk, the back of my thighs bumping up against it.
Without breaking our kiss, he hoisted me onto the surface of the desk and parted my legs, settling himself between them and leaning me back until I was lying flat on my back. He’d released my hands, and I buried them both in his hair as I wrapped my legs around his hips.
I ripped my lips from his, gasping. “I don’t care who’s in charge as long as you fuck me.”
His breath was ragged as he gazed down at me. “You want me inside you?”
“If you make me beg for it, I’ll push you off a walkway when you least expect it.”
His lips quivered. “For a human, you have a worrying violent streak.”
“Says the Inferno Force warrior.”
He stroked a finger down my cheek. “For me, it’s expected. For a beautiful female like you, it isn’t.”
“It’s obvious you haven’t spent much time around human females.”
He lowered his head and nuzzled my neck. “A mistake I’m currently rectifying.”
I rolled my head to one side as he nipped my skin, the sensations making me bite my lip to keep from moaning loudly. “Not fast enough.”
He let out a raspy laugh, reaching behind his own head and taking my hands in his. When he pinned them over my head, my pulse raced, and my nipples tightened into peaks that strained against the lace of my bra. I arched up, desperate for contact.
Kalex grinned at me, using his one free hand that wasn’t holding my wrists in place to slowly unbutton my shirt. When he finally pulled the fabric apart, I was practically panting. Instead of devouring me like he’d done the night before, the maddening Drexian brushed his lips over my bra, his warm breath tickling the hard points of my nipples.
“There are other ways to kill you aside from pushing you off a walkway,” I said.
He used his tongue to push the lace aside, murmuring as he kissed my flesh. “I’d like to see you try.”
Before I could issue more threats, he started to suck my nipple, swirling his tongue in a wide circle. I closed my eyes as a shiver of pleasure skated down my spine, pressing my lips together so I wouldn’t make any noise.
I was so lost in the feeling of his tongue on first one breast and then the other that I barely noticed him unfastening my pants and tugging them down. Releasing my hands, he sat back and gave my pants a hard jerk to get them over my ass and down my calves, pulling off my shoes before finally slipping my pants all the way off.
I opened my eyes to find him gazing down at me, his eyes moving over my body.
“So beautiful,” he whispered. Then he looked up and saw me watching him. Sliding one finger under the corner of my panties, he moaned. “And so wet for me.”
I propped myself up on my elbows and pressed one hand against the front of his uniform pants. “So hard for me.”
He cocked an eyebrow even as a muscle in his jaw trembled from restraint. In a single fast movement, Kalex tugged his own pants down and released his cock, which sprang up long and rigid. He reached behind me, jerking my ass to the edge of the desk, and forcing my legs to fall open.
I clutched one of his shoulders for balance and leaned back on my other hand, arching my back as he shoved my panties to one side and notched his thick crown at my opening. I opened my mouth to tell him to fuck me hard, but he drove into me before I could. I dug my fingernails into his muscular shoulder, wanting to scream out as he held himself inside me and my body stretched around his girth.
He looked down at where his cock split me, emitting a throaty rumble that slid into my bones.
“More,” I whispered, rocking my hips into him. “Faster.”
He shook his head as he dragged himself out and then stroked his cock into me again with exquisite slowness. His gaze held mine in thrall. “Not this time, Zoey.”
I let out a small noise of protest, wanting him to go fast and hard and wanting an excuse for our skin to slap mercilessly and for me to claw at him. But Kalex wouldn’t allow it. Every time I tried to urge him on, he buried himself deeper than I thought possible. Finally, I gave up, surrendering to his long, hard thrusts.
“This is just sex,” I said, as his hot eyes seared into me.
He nodded, pulling my mouth to his for a deep, soulful kiss that wracked my body with white-hot desire. “Just sex.”
Kalex continued to stroke into me, moving his hips so that he hit all the right spots and slipping one hand down to gently tease my clit. I let my head fall back, a low simmer building within me.
“Eyes on me, Zoey,” he ordered.
I forced myself to lift my head and meet his gaze, even though I wanted to let the sensations crash over me. His jaw was tight and sweat beaded his temples as he drove into me, his pace quickening as my body spasmed around his cock.
I opened my mouth as he sent me over the edge, but Kalex swallowed my cries with a kiss, moaning in my mouth as he hammered into me a final time. Then his body jerked, and he pulsed hot, clutching me to him as he came.
“Zoey,” he murmured as he lay me back on the desk, kissing my neck and rebuttoning my shirt.
I was dazed and sore, but somehow the adrenaline I’d been sure had to be fucked out of me hard and fast was gone, and I was left with the sense that my body was glowing. After a few minutes of heavy breathing by both of us, I sat up and scanned the floor for my pants.
“I’m starting to run out of pants that aren’t badly rumpled.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t wear them.”
I shot him a look as I slid off the desk and scooped my pants from the floor. “If you think I’m going to dress like a galactic cheerleader in one of those Star Trek mini-dresses, you’ve been drinking too much Noovian whiskey.”
He furrowed his brow as I tugged my pants back on, standing and fastening his own pants. “Galactic cheerleader?”
I didn’t have time to explain before the door to his strategy room swished open and Serge rushed in.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Kalex
“Captain!” Serge clutched one hand to his side, as if he were attempting to hold himself together.
For a moment, I thought he might be injured but then he swung his gaze to Zoey, his eyes widened, and he put both hands on his hips.
“I didn’t think I’d find you here,” the Gatazoid said, drumming his short fingers in unison. “But I suppose you’re making the same complaints I was going to?”
Zoey recovered her composure quickly, smoothing her hands down her wrinkled pants. “No doubt.”
I would have loved to remind her that she hadn’t been issuing complaints moments ago, but I held my tongue. “What complaints are those?”
Serge huffed out a breath, the roots of his purple hair turning pink. “I’ve been told that the design work has halted.”
“Until we get the security systems completed and shields working at full capacity, I’ve ordered all the crew to focus only on these tasks.”
Serge opened his mouth as if to argue, then clamped it shut again, swiveling his gaze to Zoey. “And you’re fine with this?”
“If it protects this station from an alien attack, I
’m more than fine with it. I insist on it.”
Although it was a logical statement, my heart still swelled a bit that she’d taken my side. It might have been the first time she’d ever agreed with me, and it felt even better than the thrill of arguing with her.
Serge staggered back, putting a hand to his throat. “Alien attack?”
So much for keeping that bit of information secret, although I hadn’t thought it would be possible on a station as compact as this one.
I stepped forward, pulling myself up to my full height and towering over the little alien. “We believe the blackout is connected to a Kronock attempt to jump in and wage war on this station. I hope I can count on your discretion.”
Serge’s spiky hair was now entirely fuchsia, giving him the appearance of wearing a head full of pink flames. “I didn’t know.” He nodded absently as he fluttered one hand in the air. “Of course, the safety of the station comes first, but I thought the Kronock were on the run.”
Even the thought of our enemy made my hands curl instinctively into hard fists. “They were, but the Kronock never give up. The continue to crawl back, no matter how many times we drive them away.”
“Like cockroaches,” Zoey said, wrinkling her nose.
I tilted my head at her in question.
“Disgusting insects on Earth that have been around through more than one apocalypse and survived. No matter what, they live through it all.”
Serge swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat. “These cockroaches sound like Kronock.”
“But you don’t stop killing these insects just because they don’t die easily, do you?” I asked.
“Hell, no,” Zoey said with a grin. “We make more Raid.”
I wasn’t sure what that meant, but I liked thinking of the Kronock as insects I could stomp on. “That is what we do. We keep beating back the Kronock.”
Serge sniffed and threw his shoulders back. “You can count on me, Captain. Whatever you need.”
I couldn’t imagine how I could put the wedding planner to use, but I also knew firsthand that he was tougher than he looked. He’d survived captivity by Ganthar space pirates and being held prisoner on Spartos, a hedonistic alien planet that held a dark and deadly secret that had almost gotten Serge killed.
I put my fist across my chest and bowed my head to him. “Thank you.”
Serge’s cheeks flushed nearly the color of his hair, and he thumped his own small fist across his chest.
“We should probably let the captain get back to his work,” Zoey said after a few seconds. “I was just on my way out when you arrived.”
“I’m glad you were here,” Serge said, his tone shifting back to its usual chirpiness, and the hot pink fading from his hair. “I was going to come looking for you next.”
Zoey shot me a desperate glance.
Serge hooked an arm through hers. “I know your vid date got preempted because of the blackout, but we should talk about setting up another time for you to meet Dryx.”
An unfamiliar sensation reared up inside me like hot bile bubbling in my gut and searing the back of my throat. Even the mention of Zoey considering another Drexian made me want to punch something—or someone. I didn’t care if what we were doing was purely for release. I wasn’t going to share her with anyone, certainly not Dryx.
“Captain?”
Serge’s voice made me look up. Both he and Zoey were gaping at me.
“Did you growl?” The Gatazoid asked blinking rapidly.
Had I? Heat crawled up my neck as I realized that I’d let my possessive desire for Zoey—and my feelings about Dryx—come out as a primitive sound.
“I was thinking about the Kronock,” I said, avoiding Zoey’s gaze. “Forgive my warrior’s response.”
“Don’t apologize.” Serge gave a shudder. “It was quite fierce and intimidating. I’d hate to be on the receiving end of that anger.”
I took a few long steps around to the other side of my desk, trying not to think of Zoey spread out on the glossy black surface only minutes earlier. Then I thought again of Dryx and how smoothly he seduced females. The idea of him using his charm on Zoey was unacceptable.
“I’m afraid I have some bad news regarding your communications with Dryx,” I said, leaning my hands on my desk. “Until we’ve locked down all security frequencies, non-essential communication will be on hold.”
Serge frowned. “That’s disappointing, but I suppose I’m not surprised.”
“Neither am I,” Zoey said, narrowing her eyes at me then twisting to face Serge. “I was really looking forward to meeting this Dryx guy.”
Serge patted her hand. “You’ll love him. Tall, handsome, and built, if you don’t mind me saying so. Not to mention, he’s a sparkling conversationalist.”
If those conversations involved sweet-talking females out of their panties, I thought.
“Between you and me, sweetie, I’m shocked he hasn’t applied for a tribute bride before. Earth women would be falling all over themselves for this one.”
“Good husband material?” Zoey asked, as the doors swished open, revealing the bustling activity on the bridge.
Serge winked at her. “I’d say so. From what I hear, he’s the master of romantic gestures.”
If you considered hopping from bedroom windows romantic.
“What woman doesn’t love a romantic gesture?” Zoey said, with a laugh.
Was she trying to provoke me, or trying to keep Serge from suspecting anything about us? Either way, she was doing an impressive job. Serge appeared completely convinced, and I wanted to put my fist through a wall.
Serge craned his neck to look back at me as they paused in the doorway. “You’ll keep me posted about when communications will be back online?”
I gritted my teeth, forcing the words out. “You’ll be the first to know.”
After the doors slid shut behind them and I was alone in my strategy room, I sank down in my chair and raked my hands through my hair. The last thing I needed now was a distraction, but I couldn’t bear the thought of Zoey with Dryx.
Despite saying she didn’t want anything serious, she was asking Serge if Dryx was husband material and claiming to love romantic gestures. Was that what she wanted?
Grek. How was it possible that one human woman could baffle me more than Kronock battle strategy?
Chapter Twenty-Six
Zoey
I ducked into Nina’s office, flattening myself against the wall. “Is he still following me?”
My friend looked up, pushing a curtain of dark curls from her face and readjusting her glasses. “Is who still following you?”
I peeked my head around the wall and loosed a breath. “Serge. He’s been trying to pin me down about rescheduling that virtual date all day.”
Nina grinned and leaned back from her shiny white desk. “You do know the walls to this office are only frosted glass, right? He can still make out your shape.”
I groaned, eyeing the modern walls that divided up the design studio. “I miss wood and sheetrock.”
“Not very popular choices for space stations.” She swiped her fingers across her tablet to save her work. “I thought you’d changed your mind about the whole matchmaking thing. Serge said you were excited to meet the Drexian he picked out for you.”
“I had to make him think I was into it.”
“Why?”
Crap. I couldn’t tell Nina the real reason I’d feigned enthusiasm for the setup—to distract Serge from suspecting that I was involved with the captain. Since he’d nearly walked in on us the day before, I’d been paranoid that he suspected something. I wasn’t ready for anyone to know about my sex-with-no-strings-attached deal with Kalex. Not even my closest friend on the station.
I shrugged, not meeting her gaze. “I thought if I went along with it, he’d calm down a bit.”
She barked out a laugh. “You have met Serge, right?”
“It wasn’t my best plan.”
“Obviously. How long do you plan to hide from him?”
“Do you think it’s possible to avoid him until the station is completed, and I return to the Earth?”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “I think you’ll be lucky if he doesn’t track you down by the end of the day.”
She was right. It was a self-contained station, and Serge was relentless. “At least the captain isn’t allowing nonessential communication yet. Serge might be able to harass me about picking a new time and my wardrobe choices, but he can’t actually schedule anything.”
“That won’t be forever, though.” Nina swiveled her chair around. “Vekron’s been able to do amazing things to strengthen the shields.”
The entire crew had been working around the clock to prepare the station for a potential alien invasion, even if not everyone knew that’s what they were doing. Nina knew, but only because she was working closely with Vekron, and I couldn’t bear the thought of keeping multiple secrets from her. Considering what we knew of the Kronock, she’d taken the news well, throwing herself into work.
I wished I’d had the same luxury, but there wasn’t much for an astro-architect to do when it came to shields and security systems. Which meant I’d spent too much time obsessing over my secret arrangement with Kalex and avoiding Serge.
“I guess you don’t need any help from me,” I said.
“Not unless you’ve learned encryption coding since yesterday.”
I shook my head. “Remind me again how you know. I thought your cousin taught you holographic design.”
“It’s impossible to work with Vekron and not pick things up. One day, when things were slow, I asked him to teach me.”
“You learned encryption coding on the side?” I marveled at my friend. Despite her wild hair and even wilder clothes, she was a total brain.
She twitched her shoulders. “I never had boyfriends. I learned to love studying.”
