“Go get Rummel,” she said softly.
George squeaked, then started scrambling back up the pile of rubble before disappearing back through the tiny opening.
“I’ll be damned,” Varga said, staring after the small lizard. “Do you really think that’s going to work? Who is this Lassie of whom you speak?”
“An animal on a television show,” she admitted. “But he was trained to do a lot of different things and I’m sure George is just as smart.”
“I hope so, but I’m not prepared to risk your life on that hope.” With a sigh, he climbed to his feet and went back to the collapsed wall.
They cleared away more stones, and the opening at the top began to increase in size.
“A little more and you’ll be able to fit through,” Varga said with satisfaction.
“If you think I’m going without you, you’re sadly mistaken.”
“Sweetheart, I’m afraid this whole place is becoming unstable.” Twice, they had heard the distant rumbling sounds. “I want you safe.”
“I’m not leaving without you. You said you want me to be safe,” she hurried on. “How safe do you think I’d be without you to protect me?”
She gave him her wide-eyed, admiring look, but he only laughed. “I think you’d find a way to manage. But I admit I would prefer to be at your side. Let’s see how much progress we can make.”
He grabbed another boulder, one easily as big as her entire upper body, and tossed it aside. As it landed, there was another distant rumble, but this one didn’t subside. Instead, it grew steadily louder and the stone beneath their feet began to shake. Varga grabbed her and tucked her into a corner, covering her with his body as the world descended into chaos. More rocks fell and dust filled the air as the ground trembled, and then the lights went out.
Varga’s body had been like a stone wall between her and the surrounding chaos, even though she felt him shudder several times as rocks hit his back, but it wasn’t until the lights went out that his breathing changed. He started to pant and she could feel dampness covering his skin. A low moan clawed its way out of his throat, audible even beneath the rumbling of the earth.
“Varga! You’re all right. You’re here with me. We’re safe.” She didn’t care if the words were lies, she just wanted to reach him. Running her hands over the scarred surface of his chest, she pressed small kisses to his skin with every word. “You’re here with me. We’re together. It’s going to be all right.”
Gradually, his breathing slowed. As the rumbling finally came to a halt, he shuddered.
“I do not like the dark,” he said, his voice low and hoarse.
“I don’t either, but at least we’re together in the dark.”
His arms tightened around her and then he threw back his shoulders. Rock clattered to the ground, but she could breathe easier now. A few seconds later, a dim red glow appeared.
“Emergency lights.” The relief in his voice caused her own breath to catch, but she tried for a matter-of-fact tone.
“That will be helpful. Can you see anything? Did whatever that was clear any more of the debris?”
Keeping her cradled against his chest, he rose carefully to his feet, shaking off more of the rock as he moved. “I’m afraid not. On the positive side, most of this area is still clear.”
She followed his gaze, straining to see in the odd red light. “And it looks like there’s more rock between us and the guards.”
His arms tightened in a brief hug. “You are correct, little bird. This end doesn’t seem to have suffered as much damage, but it has eliminated much of the progress we made.”
“I wonder what happened. Did that first blast set off all this?”
He shook his head. “That was an earthquake. Ukhaan told me that he was expanding into a potentially unstable area, but he thought it was worth the risk because of the profit to be made.”
For the first time, she looked in the direction of Ukhaan’s body, but it was no longer visible. The fallen rocks covered it completely.
“He wanted off this planet too much to consider anything else.”
Varga nodded but he was studying the debris keeping them from the next chamber. “We have to get out of here. I just wish I was more confident that my efforts were helping rather than hindering.”
“Maybe we should wait and see if George comes back with Rummel.”
“I don’t think we can take that chance. Go and rest,” he urged her. “I’ll keep digging.”
“Then I’ll help,” she insisted, and together they began again.
Chapter Nine
Varga swore as more rock fell into the place he had just cleared. Next to him, Joan sighed. When he turned to look at her, he could see her shoulders drooping, and even in the dim glow of the emergency lights, her face was pale and tired.
“That’s enough for now,” he said firmly. “We need to rest for a few minutes.”
He was frustrated rather than tired, but he already knew that she would refuse to stop unless he did too. He guided her back into the cell, essentially undamaged by the collapse of the tunnel. Even the water still flowed in the small bathroom. They both drank from the sink, and then he made her sit on the edge of the bed while he gently cleaned her face and hands. The small cuts and scrapes covering them made him wince, but she didn’t complain.
“Thank you,” she said softly when he finished.
“I wish you would rest while I try again. The rocks cannot damage me.”
“If the rocks can’t hurt you, why do you have so many scars?”
“It’s part of the transformation process. As we grow and our skin starts to harden, it frequently develops these small cracks.”
She traced a finger along one of the scars on his chest, and he had to fight back a wholly inappropriate reaction to the soft touch. “These aren’t small.”
“Some of them are from damage in the mines back on Sorvid. Some of it is from my fighting career.”
“You’re a fighter?”
He shrugged, unable to tell from her expression if she was impressed or repulsed. “When I left Sorvid, I didn’t have many useful skills. Fighting seemed like the best option.”
“Did you like it?”
“Let’s just say I’m very good at it. I won my first fight so quickly that I suspected the entire thing was a joke. I didn’t realize that not everyone had the same natural armament as a Sorvid. One of the fight masters immediately offered me a contract. Of course, now I realize that it was barely more than the league minimum but at the time, I thought I was wealthy. I don’t even think the credits lasted a month. I spent it all on liquor and females.” He darted her a quick glance, half-laughing, half-ashamed, but her face remained composed. “Fortunately I was never fond of gambling but I did enjoy giving parties for the people I thought were my new friends.”
“I take it they weren’t?”
“As soon as the credits disappeared, so did they. But there was one male, Panoro. He gave me the best piece of advice I could have received. I was all set to go back to my contract owner and ask for an advance on the next contract. Panoro told me not to be a fool. He warned me that if I did, I would end up indebted to the male for the rest of my life.”
“But if you didn’t have any money—I mean, any credits—what did you do?”
“The same thing I’d been doing my entire life. I scrounged through leftovers, stole if I had to, went hungry when I had no other choice.” He kept his voice casual, unconcerned, but he suspected she could see the shadow of that time in his eyes because she placed a hand on his. He turned his hand over and closed his fingers around hers.
“Then what?” she asked.
“When my contract ended, I took bids for the next one.” He grinned. “I did very, very well out of that, but this time, I was more careful. My ship, the Aerie, was my one indulgence.”
“Why a ship?”
“Because it was mine. Because it meant that I always had a home. And perhaps a little because I enjoyed being surrounded by
beautiful things.” He reached down and ran a finger down her cheek.
“Did you ever go home again?”
“Once. It was after I had that second contract, and I was sitting in my quarters feeling annoyed because the air temperature was a few degrees warmer than I preferred. Then I remembered what it had been like back on Sorvid.”
“I had a friend that I had grown up with and I went back to get him. I think I had some illusion that I would be rescuing him. He just laughed and refused to leave. ‘Better the hell I know,’ he said. I’m not sure if he truly didn’t believe that anywhere else was better or if he was scared to take a chance on an alternative.” He shrugged again. “That was the last time I tried to rescue anyone.”
“Until you came for me,” she said softly.
“Correct as always, little bird.”
She hummed thoughtfully but changed the subject. “Why did you leave Sorvid?”
“It’s not exactly a pleasant place to live,” he said dryly but decided not to elaborate. She didn’t need to hear about the horrors of his home planet. “And there was nothing to keep me there.”
“You don’t have any family?”
The familiar ache shot through him, still painful after all these years. “Not anymore.”
“I’m so sorry. Even though I know I’ll never see mine again, it’s comforting to know that they’re still out there, to think of them going about their daily business.”
Despite her words, her expression was wistful. He sat down next to her and gathered her into his arms. She snuggled against him and he couldn’t help responding to the feel of her body. Her eyes widened as she looked up at him.
“Are you… are you aroused?”
“I am always aroused when you are near,” he said truthfully.
She looked thoughtful, her fingers moving slowly over his chest. “Do you think we’re going to get out of here?”
“Eventually.” He didn’t add that he suspected the guards would be the ones to get them out—in which case, their fates might be even more unpleasant. He would fight to his last breath to protect her, but despite his fighting name of the Juggernaut, he wasn’t invincible, and he could be stopped.
Her fingers dropped even lower, skating along the edge of his pants now, and he caught his breath as she brushed against the swollen head of his cock. He expected her to move away, but she lingered, rubbing her thumb back and forth and gathering the liquid that began to coat his shaft. She looked up at him, and then very deliberately licked her thumb before sucking it into her mouth.
“Did I mention last night that you taste wonderful?”
“You are testing my self-control,” he growled.
“Am I? Good, because you test mine.”
With surprising speed, she straddled him, assuming the same position he had put her in the night before. He could have stopped her, of course, but the pleasure of having her so close to him was greater than his concern over their circumstances. Her fingers traced the edge of his pants once more before she unfastened them, letting his cock spring free.
“Mmm. I want to taste you again,” she whispered.
“Later. It’s my turn to discover you.”
Before she could object, he had her on her back, his face between her sweet little thighs. Even that wasn’t enough, and he spread her legs further apart so that every succulent inch was open to him. Even in the dim light, he could see that the delicate folds were flushed and glistening. He bent his head and took a long, satisfying swipe from her tempting entrance to her small pleasure nub. Mmm. She was every bit as delicious as he had anticipated.
Her hands clutched his head, burying themselves in the short length of his hair. “Varga! You can’t.”
“I most certainly can.” He didn’t raise his head as he spoke, and he felt her quiver as his hot breath washed over her folds.
“But…”
Whatever protest she had been about to make disappeared as he gently sucked her clit into his mouth. Instead, she gasped and arched into his touch, her body twisting restlessly. That’s better. He wanted her to focus only on what she was feeling.
He began to worship her with his tongue, licking and sucking until the small bead was throbbing in his mouth. As her body started to tighten, he pushed his finger slowly into her entrance. As wet as she was, he still felt her body resist as he pressed deeper. She called out his name, her voice pleading, and he gently scraped his teeth across her clit as he added a second finger. Her entire body bucked so hard that he almost lost his grip, and then she was coming, her tight little channel clamping down on him as she shuddered beneath him. He gentled his mouth but continued to lave the swollen flesh with his tongue until she pushed feebly at his head.
He lifted his face at last and looked up at her. She was smiling down at him, her expression relaxed and happy, and he was filled with satisfaction, despite the almost painful throbbing of his cock.
“Come here,” she whispered, and he gladly moved up her body until he could press a kiss against her lips. She returned it eagerly and then squirmed beneath him until he felt the wet kiss of her cunt against the head of his cock.
“Be careful, little bird.”
“Why?” She wiggled again, and he could actually feel her entrance starting to open around him. His hips automatically pushed forward, but her body resisted, and he started to pull away.
“No.” Her legs wrapped around his hips as she tried to pull him closer once again.
“But…”
She looked up at him and smiled. “This is my choice.”
Her words filled him with pleasure and he gave into his desire, his cock thrusting forward into her small channel. They both cried out. His was a shout of pleasure, but her eyes were wide and shocked.
“Is it too much?” he asked, gritting his teeth against the urge to sink deeper into the impossibly tight, hot depths of her body.
“N… No. Just give me a minute.”
Despite her words, he could see the strain on her face and reluctantly started to withdraw. Her legs tightened around him again.
“No,” she repeated, her voice more certain. “I want you.”
Remembering the liquid heat that had covered his fingers when she climaxed, he reached between the bodies and gently stroked her small pleasure nub. Her channel fluttered and softened enough for him to push forward another inch.
“Oh! Do that again,” she whispered, and he gladly obeyed.
Each time he touched her, she quivered and opened a fraction more, and each time he pushed deeper until finally he was buried completely in the silken haven of her body. Her eyes were still wide, her breath coming in rapid little pants, but she clung to him just as tightly. He took a deep breath and started to withdraw. His ridges scraped across her delicate tissues as her body resisted the movement. She called out his name, and then her body tightened around him in long, pulsating waves that rippled along his cock.
Restraint was impossible. He roared and started thrusting, wildly, desperately, lost to everything but the urge to fill her with his seed. The incredible tightness of her quivering channel was impossible to resist, and he exploded far too quickly, jet after jet of liquid flowing into her until he was completely drained. His body felt limp and heavy as he let it drop forward, careful to keep his full weight off of her.
There were tears on her cheeks, but her smile was wide and happy as she looked up at him.
“Are you all right, little bird?”
“I’m wonderful. I never knew it could be like that.” Her legs still clung to him as he carefully withdrew, the movement sending a shiver through both their bodies. He rolled to one side and pulled her against his chest. She snuggled against him, and he could still feel her smiling even though he couldn’t see her face. Her breathing slowly deepened as she drifted off to sleep.
He wanted nothing more than to stay here with her, but he needed to get her off this planet and that meant they needed to get out of this tunnel. With a reluctant sigh, he gently disenga
ged her. She murmured something indecipherable when he cleansed her with another damp towel but her eyes didn’t open. He pressed a kiss to her cheek and returned to the wall of debris.
Chapter Ten
As Varga carefully pulled a boulder free, he heard a skittering noise from the other side of the debris wall. He froze, his hand going to the blaster tucked in his belt. A face appeared in the corner opening, but it was not one of the guards. Instead, Joan’s friend Rummel glared at him. Sharp little eyes stared at him, then over to where Joan was sleeping on the bed.
“You bastard. Couldn’t even keep it in your pants while the mine’s collapsing? I have half a mind to leave you here.”
The male’s words reinforced his own guilt. He should not have given into her, no matter how sweetly she had asked him. But neither could he regret what had occurred between them—and what he hoped would occur again in the very near future.
“What occurred between us is none of your concern,” he said stiffly. “Do not look at her. And keep your voice down—she’s resting.”
Rummel snorted. “Resting? I know—”
But the sound of their voices woke Joan before Rummel could divulge his knowledge. She sat up, sleepy, tousled, and infinitely desirable, and a wash of pink covered her cheeks as their eyes met. The blush deepened when she saw Rummel. Grabbing her tattered gown, she slipped it on over her head.
“Rummel! Did George come and get you? Is he all right?”
There was an excited chirp before a small head appeared next to the male’s face. With a soft squeal, the lizard hopped down the debris wall and raced over to Joan, who gathered him up in her arms. Varga remembered only too clearly what it was like to be pressed against all that soft, warm flesh, and he experienced a ridiculous moment of jealousy for the creature before he pushed it aside.
“Can you help us get out of here?” he demanded.
“Us?” Rummel raised a bushy eyebrow.
“Yes, us,” Joan said firmly. “We’re not making any progress—every time we clear away some of the rock, more rock falls down.”
Joan and the Juggernaut: A SciFi Alien Romance (Alien Abduction Book 10) Page 6
