All her squirming had turned his cock to iron beneath her. Her body hadn’t even stopped quivering when he pushed her onto her knees on the floor and unzipped his pants. She took him deep into her mouth, sucking hard on his rigid shaft. She raised her bound hands to the base of his cock and rolled his sac between her fingers.
He came with a roar, sending his hot seed spurting down her throat. After she’d swallowed all of it, she gently licked him clean. He watched her tend to him so lovingly and hoped they’d both gotten their anger out of their system and things could go back to the way they were.
When she was finished he helped her to her feet and unhooked the cuffs. “Are you all right?”
She nodded. “My bottom is sore. Could I have the Marvel Cream?”
His heart sank. “Of course.” He grabbed the tube. “Lie down on your stomach.” With trembling hands, he spread the cream gently over her skin and watched it erase all evidence of her submission.
Why couldn’t she accept he wanted what was best for her? He couldn’t bear the thought of her working in the trading post, on display for all the unscrupulous characters that frequented Daybreak. They would see her slave jewelry and think they would be permitted to enjoy her body. And most of them wouldn’t even care if it was permitted or not.
If he hadn’t been so selfish, if he hadn’t wanted her with him so badly, he would have insisted that Hanna stay on Vanya for her own safety. The closer they got to Ceylon 7, the more nervous he got when he thought about her living there. But she wouldn’t understand. She’d say she was strong enough, smart enough. But she had no idea what it was like there. He’d do whatever he must to keep her safe.
He hoped more people would settle there soon. He’d talked with Micah about it as they made their plans. They hoped, as word got out, that enterprising people would come to open more businesses in Daybreak. People who were tired of the overcrowded planets. People with families who would take pride in their town. Most of the settlers so far came into town for food, drink and supplies before they went back out in the wild to hunt and trap in the lush forests surrounding Daybreak.
Keeping Hanna tucked away in their little house for the time being was the only way he knew to protect her.
* * * * *
It was a long voyage for Hanna to dwell on her heartache. It was her fault for not having this conversation with him before they pledged, before they left for a distant planet together. Yes, she’d promised to be his slave, but she thought it would be only when they were having sex. Serena was right. He wanted to dominate every part of her life and she knew she couldn’t live that way.
Again, he kept her tied up in the cabin most of the time. He still enjoyed her body often and she received her share of pleasure in return. Her body still came alive whenever he touched her. She was certain she’d never find anyone else to make her feel like that.
Even though the days seemed to drag, suddenly they were closing in on Ceylon 7 airspace. Jarrod had released her from her bonds a short time before so she could clean up before they landed. He’d brought her one of his shirts to put on, but she pulled on her blue lace dress. The shoulder seam on one side was partly ripped, so it slipped off one shoulder, but she didn’t mind. She felt pretty in it. He would just have to deal with it.
He was concentrating on the control panel as she approached. The planet, a whirling mass of green and white and blue, loomed large in the huge window. She slid into the seat next to him, where she would have liked to have spent more time.
He glanced over at her and frowned. “What are you wearing?”
“My dress. My only piece of clothing.”
“I want you to wear my shirt.”
“Too bad. I want to wear my dress.”
He flipped some switches on the panel and typed something on the console. “I’m busy landing the damn ship, I can’t argue with you right now.”
“Fine, because I don’t plan to argue about it.”
“Strap in. We’ll be going in soon.”
She nodded and pulled her seat belt tight. “Jarrod, I’m only going to stay with you until you go back to Vanya for Micah.”
He whirled around to stare at her. “What?”
Her hands shook and she clutched her sweaty palms together in her lap. “When I pledged my life to you, I thought we would be partners. Equals outside the bedroom. You obviously don’t feel that way.”
A loud beep, like an alarm, sounded. Jarrod cursed and brought his attention back to the control panel. “We’ll talk about this after we’re on the ground.”
“There’s nothing else to talk about. You’ve already made it clear that you think I’m not good for anything other than sex and the occasional housecleaning.”
He typed something else in the console and the beeping stopped. “I didn’t say that.”
“Yes, you did.”
He finally looked at her again, his eyes narrowed. “So what will you do?”
She shrugged, trying to look casual. “I’ll go back to Vanya. I’m sure I can find someone there who appreciates my mind as well as my body.”
“You pledged to me on Vanya. From what I was told, no one else will touch you there.”
He was right. Vanyans took the pledge vows very seriously. “Fine. I’m sure with all the lonely men on Ceylon 7, I won’t have any trouble finding someone who wants to do more than tie me up and spank me.”
“Hanna.”
His voice was low and angry, hot sparks flashing in his eyes. Hanna had to glance away from the heat and when she did, she looked out the window and saw the ground rising rapidly toward them. “Jarrod!”
He cursed again and turned back to the controls. A button or two later, they were slowing, gracefully landing on Ceylon 7. After the ship settled on the ground, Hanna whipped off her seat belt.
Jarrod was already out of his seat. He yanked her to her feet and crushed her against him, covering her lips with his. Her body burned from his touch. He devoured her with his hungry lips. When he finally pulled away, they were both breathing heavily.
“I don’t want you to go back to Vanya. I don’t want you to look for another Master.”
She stepped out of his embrace when every instinct begged her not to. “Then can I help you? We can be partners as well as Master and slave?”
“I’m trying to protect you.”
“I don’t need protecting! I need a man strong enough to let me be his equal.”
His expression darkened again. He grasped her arm, his fingers digging into her flesh. “You think you can find a man stronger than me?”
“I need a man stronger than you.” She pulled away and he let her go. “Can we get out of here? I want some fresh air.”
She walked away from him because she couldn’t stand to look at him anymore. He didn’t understand what she was talking about and that made her even sadder. How could they be so perfect when they were having sex, but not fulfill each other’s needs outside the bedroom?
Jarrod opened the door to the ship, grabbed his weapon and then they walked out of the Galaxy onto Ceylon 7. Hanna took a deep breath and sighed. The air was so clean and crisp she could almost taste it.
Jarrod took a deep breath too. “This air. It’s why we picked this planet.”
Hanna nodded. After years being imprisoned underground, she could see why Jarrod and Micah would think this was a wonderful place to live.
This glimpse of the planet she got from the landing pad was beautiful. The sky was a brilliant blue, darker than what surrounded Vanya. She saw rich green forests in the distance. A golden meadow to her right. And straight ahead, down a hard-packed dirt walkway, was a group of buildings.
Hanna pointed in that direction. “The trading post is this way?” He nodded. “Let’s go.”
He glanced around, as if he expected them to be attacked. He grasped his weapon and slid the strap over his shoulder. “I’m going to get a blanket to wrap around you.”
“I’m not cold.”
He growl
ed. “You must trust me.”
“I’m not wrapping up in a blanket.”
“I don’t want anyone seeing you like this.”
“What’s wrong with the way I look? Don’t I look pretty?”
He rolled his eyes. “You look beautiful. I don’t want you tempting any of the rough characters around here.”
“Now I’m a temptress?” She laughed bitterly. “Guess you should have let me grab some of my clothes before we left Vanya.”
“Yeah, I guess my mind was on only one thing that night.”
She laughed. And then stopped as quickly as she started. “It’s not all about sex. It can’t be.” She turned away from him and headed down the path toward town. Her bare feet were soon covered with dust from the dirt road.
Daybreak was larger than she thought it would be from Jarrod’s description. She stopped at the edge of town to look it over. She’d pictured a few ramshackle shacks, but the ten buildings were sturdy and clean. She saw a saloon and a bank and a lumber mill. “Builders must be in high demand.” She looked down at her feet. “You should put the word out for some pavers.”
Jarrod put his hand on her shoulder and glanced past her. “Walk.”
She followed his gaze and saw a few crude-looking men sitting in chairs outside a saloon. Now that she knew they were there, she could practically feel their eyes burning off her dress. They must have been what Jarrod was worried about when he wanted her to dress differently. Maybe she should have listened to him. She stayed a little closer to him as they walked on.
They continued until they reached a large building with a long front porch and a trading post sign. “Looks like you could use some help around here.” Boxes were stacked on the porch, some of them opened. “I could help you. Unless, of course, I go back to Vanya.”
“You’re not going back to Vanya.” He grabbed her hand. “And you’re not working here.” He led her around the back of the trading post to a small house sitting in the middle of a green field that reminded Hanna so much of home. There was a large front porch on the house too and Hanna could picture them sitting here together, relaxing, at the end of the day. “This is our home,” he said. “This is where you belong.”
She couldn’t forget Jarrod didn’t have the same picture of their life in his mind that she did. “I’m not going to be locked in this house forever.”
He slid the weapon strap off his shoulder. “Let’s go inside and we’ll talk about it.”
He just wanted her off the streets and away from the eyes of lecherous townspeople. It was a lovely house but she was afraid once she got inside, she’d never get out. “You go ahead. I’ll be right there.” She took a step away from him. “Just give me a minute, please.” She stared at him until he turned around and walked up the porch steps.
Jarrod didn’t like leaving her alone out there. Spears and Larkin could decide to wander over and have a look. Longdecker or Toombs could walk by on their way to the tavern and see her. She could decide to take off on her own, she was that upset with him. But he figured he had to show her that he trusted her too.
His mind was so occupied, the fact that the door was unlocked didn’t register until he’d opened it and stepped inside. His weapon was wrenched out of his hand before he knew it. He whirled around and came face-to-face with Gaylock.
Fuck.
“It’s about time you got here,” he said in that slimy voice that always crawled up Jarrod’s spine like a mammoth worm. Gaylock motioned him away from the door with the barrel of his own weapon. “Good thing you had all those supplies delivered. I would have been starving by the time you got here and been in an even worse mood than I already am.”
Jarrod brain worked furiously to figure out how to warn Hanna. Once she walked in that door, she’d be at Gaylock’s mercy. But if he called out to her to run, he knew she wouldn’t. She’d barge right in here to try to help him anyway.
“Where’s your buddy?” Gaylock asked. He sat his fat ass down in an upholstered chair he’d dragged into the middle of the room. Jarrod would have to burn it if he got out of here alive.
“He didn’t come this trip. It’s just me.”
“Too bad. I’m here to take you back,” Gaylock said, his tone deadly. “I’m going to ink the hell out of your body when we get there.”
Jarrod strove not to show any emotion the bastard could feed off of. “I’m not going back to the mines.”
“Oh you’ll go back. Dead or alive, makes no difference to me.”
“You’ll have to kill me then.”
“My pleasure.” Gaylock pushed the safety off the weapon.
Hanna walked in the door. Jarrod’s heart kicked up into double time. She looked from Jarrod to Gaylock and then boldly stepped right between them.
“Hanna, get out of here!” Jarrod called out in frustration. She ignored him. Turned her back on him.
“My, my, my,” Gaylock said, slime dripping off every word. “How did you get yourself your very own Norian sex slave?” He rubbed his crotch with his free hand. “I’ll just have to take her as my own once I’ve killed you.”
“Don’t touch her,” Jarrod growled.
“You don’t have to kill him to get me,” Hanna said, softly, seductively. She sauntered closer to Gaylock, still standing between him and Jarrod. Her damn dress was slipping off her shoulder. In the back of his mind he knew he should be worried about more important things, but right now he wanted desperately to yank that dress up where it belonged.
She lifted her hair off her shoulders and then let the silky gold rain down her back. “Can you offer me more as a Master than he can?”
“Oh most certainly.” Gaylock licked his lips and Jarrod shuddered. He felt so helpless, but if he tried to jump Gaylock now, Hanna would be caught in the middle. “Take off that dress. I want to see what I’ll be getting.”
She didn’t even hesitate. She stripped and tossed that dress she loved so much into the corner. Gaylock’s eyes glazed over as he let his greasy gaze run all over her body.
“He doesn’t appreciate me,” she said with a bit of a pout in her voice. She walked closer to that bastard. She was almost within his reach. “You’d appreciate me, wouldn’t you?”
“I appreciate you already,” he chuckled. “Come closer. Would you look at those nipple rings? You could hang a hell of a lot of weight off them. That would really stretch out your nips, wouldn’t it?”
“Yes, it would.” She took another step forward. Jarrod was trembling with frustration. He wanted to jump Gaylock, beat his face to a pulp for even thinking about touching her. But he knew he had to trust Hanna.
He’d been so stupid to underestimate his little slave. Didn’t he already know how strong and brave she was? She could take on anyone. Even his archenemy. She didn’t need him to protect her.
And he knew in that moment that he loved Hanna. What he felt for her was so much more than the mere devotion of a Master and his slave. How could he have ever doubted it? He loved her and now he might never get the chance to tell her.
“Would you like to touch me?” she asked Gaylock. She swept her hands down her ribs and over her hips. Jarrod’s stomach knotted, his hands balled into fists as he watched her offer herself to that bucket of slime. “My skin is so very soft.”
Gaylock groaned and motioned her forward. He glanced over her shoulder at Jarrod and smirked. “Step a little closer, slave.”
Had Gaylock’s grip on his weapon loosened a little? Jarrod focused on Gaylock’s hands, waiting for the opportune moment. Maybe he could move fast enough if Hanna got out of the way.
“Would you really kill my Master?” she asked softly, leaning over Gaylock, letting her breasts sway in front of his face. The tone of her voice made her sound merely curious.
“I’m going to kill him,” Gaylock said, chuckling evilly. “But I think I’ll tie him up first and make him watch while I enjoy your sweet body for a few fun-filled hours. Then I’ll kill him.”
“No, you won’t,”
she whispered so softly that Jarrod barely heard it.
He watched in astonishment as Hanna grabbed the weapon from Gaylock’s hands, turned it on him and pulled the trigger. At such close range, the energy ball swallowed him up whole.
“Get back!” Jarrod shouted. He lunged for her and pulled her back before she could get caught up in the energy field. They fell to the floor and curled up in a ball, limbs entwined, cheek to cheek.
“Are you all right?” he asked when the breath had returned to his body.
She nodded. “Is he dead?”
Jarrod looked over at the empty spot on the floor where Gaylock had been before Hanna vaporized him. He wouldn’t have to worry about burning that chair now. “He’s dead.”
“Good.” Hanna pulled him closer. She began to shake, after being so calm when it counted. Jarrod held her tighter and rubbed her back. “I was outside the door when I heard him say he was going to kill you if you didn’t go back to the mine. I knew it must be Gaylock.”
“That was him.” He kissed her soft hair. “Can you sit up now?” She nodded. As soon as they sat up, he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her softly. “I love you, Hanna, my brave little slave. I love you with my heart as well as my body.”
She gasped. “I didn’t think we were allowed to love each other.”
“Love doesn’t listen to rules.” He gathered her close. “I know I don’t deserve it, but I hope someday I will earn your love.”
“I do love you, Jarrod. I just never let myself believe it was possible.” She took his hands and kissed them. “I’m sorry. I’m so lucky to have you as my Master. If I can please you by keeping your house and being ready to pleasure you, I will do it willingly. You’re right. It’s all I know.” Tears glittered in her eyes. “I don’t want another Master. I don’t want another life.”
“I’m sorry too,” Jarrod said, knowing he was lucky to have the chance to apologize. “I was a fool to want to keep you locked up here. I thought you’d be safe in our home and look what happened.” He kissed her back. “But I don’t know how not to be a Master when we’re not having sex.”
Chains of Desire Page 15
