by Leslie Chase
Jaranak sat back, blinking in surprise. No one on Earth ought to have the ability to try to hack into the security systems. Hrail might know how but if she was active and knew the Far Hunter was here, why wouldn't she just talk to them? It didn't make any sense for her to try to steal their ship.
The intrusion attempt had only lasted a few minutes, at least, and hadn't gotten into the ship's systems — at least not as far as Jaranak could tell. There was the disturbing possibility that whoever had done it had been good enough to wipe their trail, but in that case there was nothing that he could do about it. He was no computer expert, and neither were any of his crew.
I can't be sure what they were doing, but I can stop them trying it again, he thought. Switching on the higher-tier security protocols would slow down his remote access to the ship, but it would make it impossible for anyone other than him to do it at all. He hadn't thought that would be necessary, but now it felt like a good precaution.
A few passwords later, and the ship was secure again. Unless the hackers, whoever they were, had already installed a back door. Once again, he wished he was better with computers.
His worrying was interrupted by the musical note that told him that the autodoc had finished its work. A quick glance at the status display showed only green lights, so he was smiling as he went back to check on Lilly.
The autodoc pod was open a crack, but no more. He waited a moment, but there was no further moment.
"Miss Hardridge? Are you all right?" he asked, a little concerned. "You can come out now, you know."
"No I can't," she answered a little crossly. "I'm naked in here. Pass me my clothes."
He glanced aside at the blood-soaked heap of cloth he'd had to cut from her. "There's nothing much left of them, I'm afraid."
"Oh." Lilly paused, and he could hear her moving inside the pod. A silence stretched for a moment.
"I'll find something," Jaranak said as the pause grew too awkward to bear. The question was, what? All of the crew had their own clothing, of course, but Lilly wasn't built even remotely like one of them. Striding back into the sleeping quarters, he opened his wardrobe and looked inside.
It wasn't inspiring. They'd cannibalized a lot of the cloth for their costumes, and what was left didn't amount to much. The only thing he could find that she might be able to wear was a plain robe — they'd judged its bright white stainless fabric too likely to be obviously high-tech and left it untouched.
Thank the Black Sun I did, he thought as he brought it back to the autodoc. As soon as he offered it through the opening in the pod, Lilly pulled it inside and he could hear her struggling into it. Moments later, she pushed up the pod's lid and clambered out.
Jaranak couldn't keep his eyes off her as she did. The robe was far too big, of course, but there was something delicious about knowing that she was naked under it. The flashes of her legs as she lowered herself to the ground made him want to see more, and the sight was more alluring than her naked body would have been.
She blushed as she saw him looking at her and tugged the robe more tightly about her. But as she turned away he saw the little smile on her face, and the way she glanced back at him made his heart race.
"Welcome to the Far Hunter," he said before the silence could get too awkward. She glanced around, eyes wide, eventually looking back at the autodoc pod.
"I don't know what magic this box is," she said, "but I feel amazing. I don't think I've ever felt so alive."
"That is our doctor," Jaranak explained. She looked back at him, raising an eyebrow, and he tried to explain. "It's a machine that can heal injuries, anyway. I don't know the details of how it works, but it can analyze an injured body and put it back together."
"I'm not sure I can believe in that, it's too much like magic," she told him, a note of wonder in her voice. "But I can't argue with the results. The cuts are just gone! No sign of them at all!"
He nodded and laughed. "Some people prefer to leave scars, so they can show off the fights they've been in. I've never seen the point of that, and I certainly wouldn't want any scar to mar your beauty."
That wasn't appropriate, he thought as he saw her blush. But however embarrassed she might be, she was also smiling. And the sight of that made him want to pay her more compliments, no matter how much he ought to focus on business. Her presence was so enticing it was driving him mad.
He stepped back, realizing just how close he'd gotten to her and how much he towered over her. Light sparkled in Lilly's eyes as she took a careful step after him, keeping the distance constant.
"You saved my life," she said quietly.
"I put you in danger," he answered, shaking his head. "Getting you out of it was my responsibility."
"Men," she said, rolling her eyes. "I'm trying to thank you, Jaranak. Tonight is the first time that I've been in danger like that. I thought I was going to die, and then you were there to save me."
She reached out, hesitated, and then put her hand on his bare chest. The feel of her hand on his skin sent a thrill through him and brought out a hungry growl. Lilly shivered, but he didn't see any fear in her eyes and she didn't pull her hand away.
"Then you took me back here, and fixed me," she continued. "Better than any Earth doctor could have, at that. And now I feel more alive than I ever have."
She took a tiny step closer, looking up at him, and it was all Jaranak could do not to pounce on her there and then. There was nothing in the universe he wanted more in that moment than Lilly, and he could feel the pull of her need for him. Meeting her eyes he saw the flames of desire that matched his own.
Reaching down, he put his arms around her, savoring the little shiver that ran through her as he pulled her close. Her lips parted as he lifted her and their mouths met in a kiss that sent a jolt through him. Her arms wrapped around him, pulling him tight against her as she gasped.
He groaned with delight as she pressed herself against him, the fabric of the robe doing nothing to keep him from feeling the curves of her body. And her hands stroked his back, fingers digging into his skin and pulling him to her with a shy determination that made him respond with a flare of lust.
Eventually they parted, breathing quickly. Lilly's face flushed bright red and her eyes dropped as she pulled back a step, looking nervous. Jaranak growled, wanting to pounce, to tear the robe from her and show her how he felt.
But he restrained himself with an effort. She was human, and he knew that human courtship customs were different from his own. He wouldn't push her, he promised himself, not to anything she might regret later.
Her eyes flicked up to meet his and then away, and he couldn't read the expression on her face. Taking a careful step back of his own, he tried to take his eyes off her and failed.
"Is this what you want?" he asked, his voice a husky growl that left no doubt what he wanted. Lilly's tongue darted out to lick her lips, and he heard her try to answer, but the little noise she made was wordless.
Her hands dropped to the belt of her borrowed robe and she undid it with slow, careful precision. The robe fell open and she shrugged it off, letting it fall to the ground in a pool of brilliant white at her feet. Jaranak growled again, watching her blush spread down across her full, firm breasts.
Looking up at him, Lilly grinned and nodded.
14
Lilly
Lilly felt shocked at herself as she stepped out of the robe and looked up into Jaranak's intense, alien gaze. His eyes looked into hers and she could see the desire in them. That sent a shiver of lust through her body, making her heart race and her breath catch.
It didn't help that his chest was bare, either. This close to him, she could hardly look away from his broad, muscular torso, and the feel of his skin made her tingle with need the way nothing else had. She couldn't keep herself from wondering what he'd feel like against her own naked body.
Jaranak's golden eyes tracked across her body with the focus of a hunter watching his prey, and she felt herself melting. The e
xperience of being looked at like that was new to her, and it surprised her to find just how much she liked it. Standing naked in front of this man she felt vulnerable, but in the best possible way. Something about Jaranak made her feel safe at the same time she felt exposed.
A tremor ran through her body as she reached out for him, running her fingers across his cheek and feeling the texture of his blue, alien skin. She took a deep breath, marveling at how easy that felt. Jaranak growled, sending another delicious shiver through her body, and she bit her lip. With slow, deliberate movements she drew her fingers down his strong neck and across his chest, fingers tracing his muscles slowly and carefully.
Her breathing sped up as she explored his body, and the feel of his powerful heartbeat under her hands made her moan softly. Its pace matched her pulse, strong and fast and insistent. Moving lower, she ran her fingers over his abs, the perfectly defined muscles making her eyes light up. Greatly daring, she leaned in to kiss his body, and that was enough to snap his self-control. Powerful hands grabbed her, lifting her naked body against him, and she gasped as his lips found hers. His tongue pressed into her mouth as he pinned her against the wall forcefully.
She could feel the bulge in his pants pressing against her as they kissed, and it felt wonderful. Scary, but wonderful. Trapped between him and the wall, she moaned and pulled him tight against her.
Almost of their own accord, her hands reached down for his belt, pulling it open and fumbling at the fastening of his pants. He groaned at that and, breaking their kiss, moved his lips down to her neck. Teeth nipping at her skin made Lilly gasp and shudder. The sensation was incredible, like nothing she'd ever felt before, and she arched her back, pressing herself against his body.
His chuckle resonated through her body, and Lilly felt herself respond. God, she hadn't ever wanted anything so much as she wanted, needed, Jaranak's touch in that moment. Finally managing to tug his pants open, Lilly freed his hard cock. The feel of it between her fingers sent a thrilling a mix of delight and trepidation through her. It was so big!
Jaranak felt delightful in her hand as she stroked him gently, and he growled again, his mouth closing on her neck in a hard bite. Her answering cry echoed in the small space around them, and her hand tightened on him. The mix of pain and pleasure was so much more intense than she'd expected.
As she stroked him, Jaranak's powerful hands explored her body with surprising gentleness, his fingers tracing across her skin in a caress. His touch left her panting for more, and when his hands closed on her breasts she whimpered.
Jaranak took that as an invitation and gave them a firm squeeze that sent a pulse of pleasure through her body. Her fingers tightened around him and he groaned, kissing his way down to her breasts. Lips closed around one of her nipples, and Lilly yelped with delight as Jaranak sucked on it. His fingers closed on the other in a gentle pinch that sent a lightning bolt of pleasure shooting down to her pussy.
Jaranak chuckled, his teeth grazing her sensitive flesh and fingers gripping harder. It felt as though it should hurt, but it didn't. Instead, the sensations drove Lilly wild with need and lust.
But her alien lover wasn't going to be hurried. His wonderful mouth and fingers teased her, and his free hand stroked lower, parting her legs and brushing across her pussy lips. The touch was teasingly light, and it made her ache for more.
She could feel how wet she was for his touch, blushing at the thought of it. No one had ever made her feel this way before, she hadn't even been able to imagine it. But now her whole world was Jaranak and her aching desire for his body.
"Please," she gasped as his fingers pressed a little firmer against her. "Please, Jaranak, I can't take this much longer."
He lifted his eyes to look her in the face and smiled. It was a hungry, eager smile, one that showed his desire for her, and it made her shiver to see her lust reflected in his alien eyes.
Pushing her back, he spoke a word in his native language, and the wall unfolded behind her. A bed extended and she toppled onto the soft mattress, Jaranak following her and pinning her to it with another hard kiss.
His fingers pressed in between the slick folds of her sex, making her moan and arch. Her own hand tightened on his cock, and she felt it swell even further.
How on Earth is that going to fit inside me, she wondered. It seemed impossibly huge, but she knew that he would manage. He had to, the aching emptiness inside her wouldn't feel complete without him.
But he would not be hurried. Kissing his way from one breast to the other and then lower, Jaranak looked up along her body and she met his eyes. A grin lit up his face and he lowered his mouth to kiss her sex.
Lilly threw back her head with a little cry of pleasure at that and shuddered as he licked between her slick folds, his tongue dancing across her clit. Each touch sent a shiver through her, and Lilly thought she might explode from the pleasure building up in her. Her fingers tightened in the sheets beneath her.
Jaranak's hands slid under her hips, lifting her as she shook. Her whole body tightened and she moaned wordlessly at the feelings he woke in her, his rough tongue lapping at her body. With a stifled cry, Lilly gave in to the waves of ecstasy, letting them carry her away in a moment of world-shaking passion.
He wasn't done with her yet. As she recovered her senses, he rose over her, kissing his way back up her body. Lilly's breath caught as she felt his body over hers, and her hand rose to pull him close.
"That was incredible," she whispered, feeling flushed and flustered and alive. Her lover grinned down at her, not a trace of false modesty in his gaze. He knew exactly how good he was, and Lilly found herself grinning back.
"The best is still to come," he said, voice low and husky. The sound of it made her gasp, and then she felt the pressure of his cock against her pussy. Suddenly shy, she bit her lip and looked away. But she didn't stop urging him onward, her hands gripping his firm ass and pulling him towards her.
With a low growl, he thrust. His cock slid home, hard and broad, stretching her as he drove into her. It was more than she could have imagined, almost painful. But the pleasure more than overwhelmed the pain. Jaranak filled the aching emptiness inside her in the best way possible, and the two of them gasped as one.
Looking up into his eyes, Lilly lost herself in his strange golden eyes. They were beautiful, perfect, just like the rest of him. He began to move again, pulling back and almost withdrawing from her before thrusting home again with enough force to drive her down into the mattress. She moaned at the sensation, and his grin broadened as he thrust again. And again. Each time he went deeper, each time he rocked her body with an explosion of pleasure that she could barely contain.
Lilly clung to him, her fingers digging into his muscular ass, shaking with joy. Pressing herself up against him, she kissed his neck and felt as well as heard his groaned response. That encouraged her, and she bit down on his shoulder. Jaranak gasped, hammering into her with ever greater force.
"Oh god, oh god yes," she moaned into his shoulder as he pushed her further. "God, don't stop."
The hungry noise he made told her that he had no intention of stopping. Not until he was done with her.
Her legs wrapped around him, heels digging into the back of his thighs as she pulled him deeper into her body. Clutching at him desperately, she could feel how close she was. How close he was. She could feel him swelling inside her as they rocked together, and she squeezed down on him. Her breath came in quick pants and her whole body shook as he drove her back to the edge of orgasm and over it.
Throwing back her head she howled in wild pleasure as he thrust one last time, burying himself deep and cumming as she did. His body tensed above her and together they lost themselves in a blinding moment of pleasure. Lilly didn't know how long it lasted, only that for a time, it filled her world, every sense overwhelmed by the ecstasy Jaranak sent coursing through her.
Eventually, panting and hoarse, they recovered. Carefully, Jaranak rolled aside and pulled her into h
is arms. A quivering, panting mess, Lilly held onto him as she recovered.
She'd never felt so good, or so happy, as she did in his arms.
Lilly didn't know how long she lay there, snuggled against Jaranak with her head on his chest. The slow, strong rhythm of his heartbeat lulled her, and her exhausted body didn't want to move. The warm, powerful embrace he held her in felt safe and for once she hadn't a care in the world.
Eventually, though, the world started to intrude on her bliss. Her arm was falling asleep under her and all her muscles ached. Opening her eyes as she sat up, she looked up to see Jaranak gazing back at her, a happy smile on his lips. He looked more relaxed than she'd ever seen him.
"How long have you been watching me?" she asked, feeling herself flush. It was a silly time to feel shy, she knew, but she couldn't control her reaction.
"I'm not sure," he said, grin widening as he sat up too. "I feel like I could watch you for hours. Forever, in fact."
Now she really was blushing. Turning away to hide her face, Lilly stood and looked for the robe she'd discarded earlier. Anything to cover herself.
It was only then that she remembered where she was. The white, curved walls and ceiling weren't any earthly building. I'm on a spaceship. I really am. She hadn't taken that in before, Jaranak had been far too distracting, but now there was no denying it. Though Jaranak was still distracting her with his presence.
She looked back at her lover, who didn't seem to share any of her modesty. He lay back on the bed watching her with a joyful expression as she stared at him. She bit her lip, unable to tear her gaze away from his magnificent body for a moment. Come on, Lilly, she told herself. Stop that. There are more important things to focus on.
It wasn't easy to believe that, though. Not when she was in the presence of such a distractingly gorgeous man. A gorgeous man who seemed to find her as attractive as she found him.
Swallowing her emotions with difficulty, she managed to look back at his face. "Um. Where's the bathroom?"
