Resisting Tamaki

by Shelley Munro

  “Stop looking at me,” she said. Edgy and off balance, she wanted to lash out with more than words.

  “Merely observing your technique,” he said smoothly. “I need someone to train some new staff.”

  “Not me,” Cimmaron fired back. Luckily a customer stepped up to the bar, wanting a refill of his reeb, so she had a good reason to turn her back on him.

  “A Dlog,” the customer said. His three eyes looked up and down her body. “Are you mated?”

  Tamaki stepped up close. She smelled his clean, green scent before he touched her. His arm slid around her waist as if he had every right.

  “Yes, she’s mated.” He stared at the middle eye of the Usplop until all three of the creature’s eyes glanced away.

  “Pity. I need company on my ship. Gets lonely traveling from trading post to trading post.”

  “Maybe you’ll find someone upstairs,” Tamaki said.

  Upstairs? Cimmaron scowled. In between customers, she’d watched the stairs. She hadn’t noticed one person going up the stairs. It must be awfully quiet up there. The Usplop wouldn’t find a mate on the second floor.

  The creature brightened, tiny tentacles stirring at the side of his oblong head. Cimmaron suppressed a shudder. No telling what happened to the creature’s body when he was in a state of sexual excitement.

  “Take this,” Tamaki said, handing the creature a disc. “That will get you past the security guard. If you decide to partake of entertainment upstairs, we’ll deduct currency from your account. The hostess will answer any of your questions.”

  The creature hesitated before giving a decisive nod. The sharp move sent a ripple through his tiny tentacles. “I will partake. It is no good traveling alone.” He took the drink Cimmaron handed him and ambled to the stairs. Cimmaron watched until he disappeared out of sight at the top. Questions trembled on the tip of her tongue, the curiosity almost killing her. Turning to Tamaki, she opened her mouth to ask, only to shut it again when she noticed his arched brows. Silent laughter lurked in his eyes. She whirled away and stalked to the opposite end of the bar, muttering under her breath. “Jerk.”

  She attempted to keep away from Tamaki, but the infernal man kept brushing past her, the narrow space behind the bar not giving much leeway when it came to passing.

  “Quit it,” she snapped.

  “Just doing my job,” he countered.

  Yeah right. “It’s not as busy now. Why don’t you go and do some paperwork or something equally boss-like?”

  Tamaki chuckled. “I’m watching the staff. That’s in my job description. What can I get you to drink?” he asked a pilot.

  Cimmaron growled under her breath and hurried away to serve another group of space jockeys before Tamaki beat her to it and received the credit tips instead of her.

  Tamaki hadn’t had so much fun for ages. A buzz of sexual awareness fizzed through him like the bubbles of a newly opened flask of vroom. He pulled a goblet of frothy veeno, glancing down the bar at the golden female who filled his mind increasingly with each passing cycle. A subtle golden glow emanated from her skin, giving away her turbulent state of mind. She was just as aware of him as he was of her. In that instant, he made up his mind to follow a new stratagem. Trying to remind himself he was her boss wasn’t working. They could have one more date without invoking the mate thing. Just one more taste and then he’d back off and leave her alone. He could always lend her the passage to leave Marchant. Even if she didn’t pay him back and he never saw her again, it would stop the temptation crowding his brain each time he looked at her. Tamaki considered his idea from all angles before nodding. Yeah. That’s what he’d do. One more time. If that was what she wanted too…

  The rest of the session trickled past so slowly he wanted to roar his frustration out loud. It was just pure luck he’d chosen to wear a long tunic instead of his normal form-fitting shirt. At least the tunic covered his bulging groin from curious eyes. His frustration levels, however, remained high.

  At last, security saw the last customers from the club, and they finished the cleanup, ready for the next session.

  “Cimmaron, can I have a quick word before you leave?” Tamaki held his breath, wondering how to handle things should she argue about staying.

  She cast him a doubtful look, clearly hesitating before finally turning back.

  Tamaki waited until the last employee left.

  “I wondered if you’d like to see upstairs.” He waited, wanting to grin at the expressions dancing across her face. Eagerness. Suspicion. Doubt.

  “There’s no one up there.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong. The rooms are still in use.”

  Cimmaron straightened abruptly, her golden brows almost meeting when she scowled. “You lie.”

  Tamaki offered his hand. “Come and see.”

  Instead of accepting his touch, she brushed past him and stomped up the spiral staircase. The thud of her boots echoed in the empty club.

  A victory of sorts. Shaking his head, he followed. Maybe he should’ve cajoled her into a wager. He took a moment to admire the curvy butt that swayed beneath the short blue uniform skirt. His lips pursed in a silent whistle. Oh yeah, baby.

  Chapter Six

  He lied but she’d no idea why. Cimmaron headed for the nearest room. Unlike last time, the privacy screen was open. A sapphire glow emanated through the window, lighting up the passage with the shimmering light and shading everything with a delicate blue. Cimmaron stepped closer, near enough to peer into the room and see the occupants. She gasped. The Usplop she’d served downstairs was floating in the air, his limbs secured by stout bindings so he couldn’t move. The glow came from his body, and his tentacles undulated, sticking out from his body at right angles. A female—well, Cimmaron thought it was a female—licked delicately at the tentacles sticking out from his groin. An audible moan of pleasure sounded through speakers on either side of the window.

  Tamaki stood beside her, not touching but close enough for her to feel the warmth coming off his body. “Our friend has found a suitable partner.”

  “Yes,” Cimmaron answered in a faint voice. Heat suffused her body, yet she couldn’t tear her gaze off the intimate scene in front of her.

  “Do you like to watch?”

  “No!”

  “Some people do. I like to watch sometimes, but mainly I’m an action man.”

  “The male doing the fucking?” Cimmaron asked tartly, her gaze finally snapping off the couple to glare at him.

  “I wouldn’t have put it quite like that, but yeah. I’d rather run my hands across your body than watch another couple making love.”

  “What is this place?” Cimmaron’s gaze slid from his face, unable to maintain eye contact without giving away the desire simmering inside her. She refused to succumb to his…his…charm again.

  “It’s a mating club. Beings from all over the universe and beyond come to meet others. Some date while others like the Usplop are looking for a mate.” Tamaki placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her so he could see her face clearly. “If a couple meets in the rooms once or twice, it’s considered a date. Should the couple meet a third time, they become mates.”

  Cimmaron gasped, searching his face desperately for truth, her gut hollowing with fear. “We…we’ve dated?” She was a Dlog, preprogrammed to mate. If that wasn’t bad enough she’d managed to land in the one place that could make her life miserable—a dating and mating club.

  “Yes.” Tamaki took her arm. “Would you like to see the other rooms?”

  No. Not really. It was difficult enough resisting Tamaki without being tempted by spending time with him. Cimmaron attempted to shake her head, but his sexy grin distracted her. Her mind took a sharp turn into Temptation City. Tamaki. Her pulse pounded a little faster, a fraction louder and her body moistened. All over. Tamaki took her arm and drew her deeper into temptation and trouble. She shuddered, trying not to breathe in his enticing scent.

  “There are twelve roo
ms in total. We started with five and have gradually added to the number to increase the club’s capacity.”

  “I don’t need to see any more.” She dug in her heels, so he stopped his casual saunter down a wide passage.

  “But you were curious.”

  Sure, and now Cimmaron knew what had befallen the curious cat. Trouble.

  Tamaki kept walking and she unwillingly followed.

  “Okay, I get it. This is punishment.”

  “No, that is punishment,” he said, pointing to another glass window.

  There was no glow from this window and the room inside was very different. Sumptuous and hung with rich red velveteen fabric, there was a huge bed with a gold and crimson cover and lots of plump cushions. Two beings inhabited the room. As Cimmaron watched, the female swished a flogger through the air. It struck the male’s back and he fell forward on the bed. She could see his face, but instead of the pain she expected, his face was screwed up in an expression of ecstasy. Her gaze flicked down his body in the microts it took him to sprawl facedown on the bed. His cock was fully erect. Cimmaron glanced at Tamaki and found he watched her closely.

  “Seen enough?”

  Heck, she’d seen enough after the first couple. She gulped. The shrinkton fabric of her uniform was faulty. The material had drawn so tight she could scarcely breathe. Cimmaron nodded because she didn’t trust herself to speak without begging him to touch her.

  “I need to check the new room. The final electrical work was done tonight, and I want to see if they left it clean and tidy.” Without waiting for an answer, Tamaki took her arm again and propelled her in the direction of the new room. Cimmaron wished he’d quit with the touching. She was finding it very unsettling indeed.

  After directing her down the passage, Tamaki opened the door to the room and tugged her inside. Dropping her arm, he turned in a slow circle.

  “What do you think of the room?”

  Cimmaron gave the green color scheme a cursory glance, keeping her attention well away from the bed in the center of the floor. “It’s very nice.” The desire to shove Tamaki onto the bed struck her unexpectedly. She had to curl her hands into fists to stop from reaching for his broad shoulders. Her Dlog genes. Again.

  “I’m pleased with it. You didn’t see all the technological advances the last time you were here.” He wrapped his arm around her waist, squeezing her lightly.

  “Stop touching me,” Cimmaron snarled, jumping away from him. “I… Just don’t touch me.”

  “Why? What are you frightened of? I’d never hurt you.”

  The male might look innocent but she didn’t believe it for a moment. “You might not hurt me, but you’re ready to have sex,” Cimmaron snapped back. “I don’t want a mate. I’m a pilot. It’s what I do.”

  “I don’t know why you’re so bent out of shape.” His brows rose in a teasing manner. “I was going to show you the room’s features. I don’t recall mentioning sex.” Tamaki tugged on a handle. A drawer slid silently from the wall—a different one than last time.

  Despite herself, Cimmaron craned her neck so she had a better view. An array of sex toys, at least she presumed they were sex toys since some of them were mystery items. The desire to run her hands over his body was a torturous litany in her mind. Cimmaron closed the distance between them before she was aware of moving. She touched his face, swallowing when she saw the blaze of return passion in his eyes.

  Tamaki jerked her into his arms and plundered her mouth. When she gasped, he took advantage and slid his tongue between her parted lips. He tasted hot and very masculine. Cimmaron stroked his tongue with hers, reveling in his heady taste, the play of teeth and the dark sound he made deep in his throat. His scent mesmerized her. It was as seductive as his taste—rich, green, redolent of the outdoors.

  Their clothes melted away, and they fell onto the large bed. With increasingly urgent hunger they tasted each other, limbs tangling, desire exploding between them. Cimmaron guided his cock to her slit and he pushed inside one tiny increment at a time until he impaled her fully. They rocked together, the sensation building rapidly until the pleasure overwhelmed her. She exploded with the force of her release. The ripples in her pussy continued for long moments, clasping tight to his cock. He groaned, thrust several times in deep, fast strokes before freezing fully embedded in her pussy. Cimmaron felt the spurt of his seed, gloried in his moan of release. She clutched him, squashed by his weight but enjoying the intimacy of being in his arms.

  Tamaki slipped from her moist sex and turned on the bed, pulling her into his arms. He kissed her, a slow and lingering mating of lips. Her hands dropped to cup his buttocks, her fingers delving between his cheeks to massage his puckered rosette.

  “Again?” he asked in a husky voice.

  Cimmaron nipped at the delicate skin of his neck and waggled an impudent finger, dipping it into his rosette. She felt his erection spring to life with renewed vigor and smiled against his neck as she moved her hips against him. The hunger remained and only he could appease it. “Yes again,” she whispered. “I ache. I need you to fix it. But first, I want to explore you.” She pushed him flat on the bed and started to explore his body. Her hands mapped his muscular chest, her mouth kissed his flat nipples, teasing him before moving lower. He tasted of freshness and smelled of cleansing suds. An addictive combination.

  When she moved lower and licked along his swollen shaft, he threaded his fingers through her hair. The faint tug brought pain, but anchored her too. Her nostrils flared, taking in his mouthwatering scent again. Slowly, she guided his cock to her mouth and caught her first taste of him.

  “Cimmaron,” he whispered. The tone of his voice told her how much he liked and enjoyed the intimacy. It encouraged her to take him deeper, to lave the thick crown of his cock. His trust made her feel powerful and yet feminine too. She sucked hard, drawing him deep and coaxing drops of pre-come from his tip.

  “Your mouth feels good, but I want to come inside your pussy this time.”

  Cimmaron pulled back, releasing him with a popping sound. She’d never wanted to please a man as she wanted to please Tamaki. She smiled and crawled up his body to mash their mouths together in a desperate kiss. Gripping her hips, he lifted her, and she helped him guide his cock to her entrance, filling her in exactly the way she craved him.

  His hands danced across her body creating magic with each touch. Cimmaron groaned softly, silently encouraging him to dance a seductive tango with her. All she could think about was touching Tamaki and making love with him all night long.

  * * * * *

  “I had to call for backup,” the security guard said. “I’ve never seen the like. Not even in vroom addicts and you know how violent they can get.”

  Tamaki listened to him, frowning through his explanations of the brawl in the new room on the second floor. The security guard was his best one, but this morn he bore battle scars. Red streaked his bulbous eyes and an angry scratch marred the scales on one of his cheeks. His tunic was in complete disarray, which was highly unusual in the warrior species renowned for their fastidious natures.

  Tamaki tapped a quill against a piece of parchment and ignored the splotches of black ink that splattered across the pristine white. “I understand the couple who hired the room had a violent disagreement and came to blows.”

  The security guard nodded then winced. “Yeah. It was a Clart and a Martian, both relatively peaceful races. The Clart female battered the Martian until he lost consciousness. She left via the travel tubes before my team had a chance to intervene.”

  “Probably the influence of the full moons.”

  His security guard nodded, and Tamaki hoped he was right. They needed the green room for financial viability. He’d had to fight to grab his slice of trade from the other entertainment businesses on Marchant, and he wasn’t about to take backward steps when the club was doing so well. “Rico and I will double-check the equipment in case there’s a malfunction causing the problem.” The threesome bet
ween Rico, Cimmaron and him hadn’t exactly been normal. Hell, Rico still refused to look him directly in the eye whenever they were in the same room.

  An abrupt tap sounded on his door before it opened. Rico peered in and relaxed when he saw the security guard.

  “Everything seems fine out in the bar. I thought I’d take a ten-minute break,” Rico said.

  Tamaki nodded. “What about upstairs? Is the new room in use?”

  Rico tensed and wouldn’t meet his gaze. “Yeah. No problems.”

  The communicator on the security guard’s belt beeped without warning, breaking the uncomfortable silence. The male glanced down and silenced the piercing beep. “Problem, boss. Second floor.”

  They glanced at each other before erupting into action. Tamaki and Rico raced after the security guard, up the spiral staircase and turned left to head for the new room. It was empty when they arrived. Two ashen-faced security guards waited, silent sentries either side of the door to the green room.

  “What happened?” Tamaki demanded.

  “Two females hired the room. They left before we could grab them,” one said.

  The other shuddered. “There was oozing green blood everywhere. They had sex but it was brutal.”

  Something worse than full moons was afoot here. Cursing under his breath, Tamaki issued orders. “Tell the females on reception we’re not hiring out this room again tonight. Rico, schedule the cleaning droid to do the new room first.” He waited for the security guard to leave before returning to his office. Rico followed and once they were both inside, Tamaki shut the door. He waved a hand at Rico. “Take a seat.” He started speaking again before Rico had taken possession of a chair. Thankfully, his matter-of-fact behavior put his friend at ease. “What do you think the problem is? Any ideas?”