by Ivy Barrett
Rentar, the nice brother, sat at her side, looking down at her with compassion and concern. “Did you sleep well?” He smiled, looking guilty though she couldn’t imagine why. “I guess a better question is, how long ago did Loax let you go to sleep?”
“I’m fine, but he seemed really upset when he left. Is he okay?” She wasn’t sure why she asked, wasn’t sure why she cared. If avoiding her was his strategy, she should do everything in her power to keep him angry.
No sooner had the thought formed than her being was inundated with guilt. Loax was harsh and aggressive, but he was honest. In fact, he was the only one of the three who hadn’t lied or acted dishonorably. She’d tried to break the contract hours after she signed it. Rentar had manipulated his brother in an attempt to make himself more appealing. Loax, on the other hand, did exactly what he said he’d do. Nothing more and nothing less.
“Today isn’t about us,” Rentar said firmly. “It’s about you. Now, first things first. I brought the ointment I mentioned last night. Are you still tender anywhere?”
She blushed so fiercely she had no doubt her entire face was bright red. “I’m only tender in one place and I doubt the ointment is meant to go there.”
One of Rentar’s black brows arched and his smile turned playful. “The ointment can go anywhere, but I’ll let you eat breakfast first.”
He’d ‘let’ her eat breakfast. The phrase annoyed her, though it shouldn’t have. She was their private plaything, a sort of living doll they could use anyway they liked. And bitching about it, even in her mind, didn’t change a thing. She was no longer in control of her life.
So why was the realization so intriguing?
“Breakfast sounds great, but I’d like to use the bathroom first.”
“Of course.” He stood, set the ointment tube on the nightstand, then moved out of her way.
She hesitated, struggling with an overly developed sense of modesty. Thanks to Grandma Nellie, Amanda had never worn a bikini, much less paraded around in nothing but a clingy T-shirt that barely covered her rear end. Amanda had wanted to be sexy and daring, but such brazenness had been relegated to her fantasies while her grandmother was still alive. Well, Grandma Nellie was now a ghost. So why did Amanda still feel so awkward?
Carefully keeping her legs together and the T-shirt pulled down as far as possible, she pushed back the covers and scooted off the bed. Rentar watched her silently, clearly enjoying her unnecessary discomfort. He’d already seen her entire body, up close and personal. Her embarrassment really was silly.
She darted into the bathroom and sighed as the door slid shut. Their determination to keep her safe also meant she’d have little if any time to herself, and nothing resembling privacy. After using the facilities, she washed her hands and looked in the mirror. She’d figured out how to activate the shower after Loax had stormed out the night before. The ultrafine mist left her feeling refreshed and smooth. She pulled up the T-shirt and looked at her bottom. All of the redness had faded and there wasn’t even a hint of discomfort. Loax clearly knew what he was doing when it came to discipline. She checked her breasts and thighs, finding only creamy skin. She shivered, trying not to think about everything that had passed between them, everything he’d made her feel. She didn’t know where he’d spent the night and Rentar seemed to be avoiding the issue.
With a frustrated sigh, she smoothed down the T-shirt and left the bathroom. Loax’s bedroom was empty, so she stepped out into the common living room. Rentar stood by the square table, where he’d placed a tray of food and a pump dispenser of some sort. “Do Ventori drink coffee?” she asked hopefully.
“Sorry. I brought a hot beverage called tarnok. I’ve heard humans like it, and I brought an assortment of items to eat. You should be able to find something you’ll enjoy.”
She sat while he filled two mugs then sat down across from her. At the risk of sounding obsessed, she asked, “Where did Loax spend the night? The door to his bedroom wouldn’t open for me. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t an oversight. He locked me in. Is he still mad at me?” The question sounded so childish that she cringed. What was it about these two that turned her into a simpering coward? She usually had way more spirit than this.
“He was out here most of the night, but he was monitoring you. Now he’s asleep in my bedroom. You’re safe, Amanda. We will protect you, as we promised.”
Being locked up and monitored didn’t make her feel safe. It made her feel trapped. Still, she didn’t want to fight with Rentar, so she let the subject drop.
She tried the tarnok and smiled. “It tastes sort of like chai tea, spicy. It’s nice.”
“I’m glad you like it.” He placed a small portion of several dishes on a plate then handed it to her.
She accepted the plate and a utensil that looked more or less like a fork. They lapsed into silence as she tried the unfamiliar entrees, finding two rather tasty. He gave her larger portions of the two she favored and she noticed he wasn’t eating. “Don’t you want something? Lord knows there is plenty here for two.”
“I already ate. I thought Loax would have breakfast with you before he began his shift, but he let you sleep instead. There are a lot of details we still need to work out.”
“We can all have breakfast together,” she suggested.
He shook his head. “His shift starts as mine ends, that way one of us is always in command.”
“But you said he’s sleeping. Who’s in command of the ship?”
Rentar smiled. “Our first officers.”
With her mug pressed between her hands, she studied his expressions. Like his brother, Rentar’s eyes were black marbled in red, with slashing pupils and thick lashes. They both had pale skin and black lips. But that was where the resemblance ended. Rentar’s gaze was watchful and compassionate, where Loax’s had been cold and piercing. Rentar was more laid back than Loax, yet Rentar had seemed more relaxed yesterday, more at ease with her. “Is something wrong? You seem distracted.”
“Loax is having an unexpected reaction to being with you. It’s likely I will too if we have sex again.”
“We don’t have to have sex.” She grinned, unable to help herself.
“But I want to, very much.”
She’d suspected that would be his answer. In fact, she was surprised he hadn’t crawled into bed with her while she was still asleep. Hoping to steer his attention away from his desires, she asked, “Is Loax okay? What sort of reaction is he having?”
“His body has gone into ridonous, what’s commonly called rut. He sensed a fertile female and his body is urging him—quite ruthlessly—to breed with her.”
“Human physiology doesn’t work that way.” Or it didn’t with other humans. She’d been as turned on as Loax last night, so ready for anything that she’d barely recognized herself. “Besides, I’m not even fertile. I have a contraceptive implant.”
Rentar motioned for her mug and refilled it as he answered, “I’m just repeating what the doctor told us. I don’t pretend to understand the whys and hows.”
Pausing for a sip of hot tarnok, and to calm her thudding heart, she said, “Loax left me hours ago. Doesn’t he feel any better?”
“He didn’t leave you. He was protecting you.”
“Protecting me from what?” As usual she knew the answer. It was just easier to play stupid, to pretend she didn’t understand that Loax, even at his harshest, was thinking about her, ensuring her safety and satisfaction.
“His desire never subsided. He had to be sedated just so he could fall asleep. He didn’t want to hurt you or scare you any worse than you were already.”
She pushed back from the table and stood, taking her mug with her. She felt restless and jittery, and she was pretty sure it wasn’t the tarnok. Images from the night before had infiltrated her dreams, taunting her, tempting her toward ever darker pleasures.
Rentar followed her, remaining within reach, but he didn’t touch her. “When Loax wakes
up, we’re going to Shadow Mountain Lodge. We’ll have more privacy there. It will allow us to relax and focus on you.”
“I can’t go back to Earth.” A nervous laugh escaped her, despite her attempts to remain calm. “The whole reason I joined the CCP was to make damn sure Asesino de Tormenta can’t find me. Returning to the surface is the last thing I want right now.”
He gently touched her elbow, then waited until she looked at him. “There is nothing to fear. We will protect you. Shadow Mountain is safe and secluded. The vast majority of humans think the area is deserted. We want you to enjoy yourself, to feel comfortable and content.” His expression softened and he added, “I know we don’t have a lot to offer, but we want you to stay.”
She pivoted to the side and set her mug down on an end table. She was nearly finished with the drink, but mostly she needed to escape his penetrating gaze. The earnest hope in his strange red-and-black eyes was surprisingly compelling. Loax commanded, demanding obedience and unconditional surrender. Her pride and anger allowed her to resist, at least to some extent. Rentar, on the other hand, had a way of sneaking past her defenses, easing her fears and making even the most outrageous ideas seem logical.
“It’s not that simple,” she insisted. “My life never is.”
Before he continued the conversation, he reached over and activated the wall display, selecting a slowly morphing slideshow of external perspectives, a remote shot of the Earth, the moon, several other ships, and the endless blackness of space. “Was your life so very rewarding on Earth? Can the human race not survive without you for the next two years?”
The hint of sarcasm in his tone made her smile. She understood sarcasm, hid behind the bitter humor often enough to know it often hid vulnerability. “I’m a CPA, an accountant. I spend my days analyzing spreadsheets and preparing tax returns.” When he stared back at her blankly, she tried again. “I figure out how people are spending their money and help them prepare complicated documents that report those earnings to the government. There is nothing exciting or emotionally rewarding about my occupation. There is always the satisfaction of doing a good job, but mostly it’s just routine.”
“And your social life? I know you’ve had lovers, but has there ever been anyone special in your life?”
She shrugged, feeling anything but nonchalant. “I’ve always felt awkward around men. It made dating tricky.” She’d felt like the rope in a tug-of-war. Her grandmother’s expectations pulled her one way while her body’s longings yanked her in the other. She tended to date solid, dependable men because that was what ‘good girls’ wanted, yet her wild, passionate soul longed for someone very different, someone darker and much more exciting.
“Then what do you have to lose?” Challenge replaced sarcasm, but he softened the emotion with a gentle smile. The jerk really was charming. “Think of this as an all-expenses-paid vacation, a two-year break from reality.”
And then what? Instead of saying the question she let the possibilities churn within her mind as she watched the display with unseeing eyes. She’d abandon herself to the wildest, most consuming passion imaginable, then return to Earth. But everyone would know, or could easily find out where she’d been for the past two years. What nice, reliable man would want to build a life with the used-up whore of two alien defenders?
“The price is too high,” she whispered without looking at him.
“What price? All we’ve asked of you is to share yourself with us.”
She shook her head, amazed that he didn’t understand. “Rentar, I’m not the only one who will find what we’re doing shameful. Human males are allowed to ‘share pleasure’ with anyone they like, as often as they feel the urge. It’s ridiculous that it’s still this way, but human females who sleep around are ostracized, treated as if they’re morally deficient. If I became your mistress for two years, everyone will treat me like a whore. It will ruin my chances of ever finding a permanent mate.” Not that she believed such things ever happened anymore.
“I don’t understand. Why are humans so unfair to their females?”
She smiled, but still felt sad. “I can’t explain something that makes no sense to me. The double standard is getting better, especially with my generation, but it’s definitely still there.”
“Then why…” He sighed and faced the display as well, his handsome features tense.
For a moment she just looked at him, glad for the opportunity to stare. Even in profile his features were clearly nonhuman. His cheekbones were more pronounced, his eyes larger. She found him exotic and pleasing, attractive on a visceral level. And that was without even considering his amazing body.
“Why what?” she prompted. “What were you about to say?”
“If you knew you’d be mistreated, why did you sign the contract?” He kept his gaze forward, hands clasped behind his back. The militant pose and stern expression made him look even more like Loax.
“I panicked,” she admitted. “I was trapped and saw no other way to stay alive.”
“Loax told me you intend to enact the thirty-day clause. Then what? I know enough about human systems of justice to know the trial won’t conclude in thirty days, nor will the danger end with the trial’s conclusion. Your life will still be in danger.”
Tension knotted her belly. He was right, but she didn’t want to admit it, didn’t want to agree that she was only postponing the danger, not eradicating it. “I have thirty days to figure out my next step. I’ll find somewhere else to hide.”
“Or…” He turned to face her, his gaze intense and passion bright. “You can give us the full two years and we’ll find a permanent solution to your problem.”
It was extortion, and yet incredibly tempting. She could barely imagine what it would be like to face a future untainted by her father’s enemies. “Wouldn’t your superiors have something to say about you murdering a drug lord?”
“Let us worry about our superiors. I did some research last night after Loax made me leave. This Asesino de Tormenta is an evil bastard with many enemies. As long as there was nothing linking his death with the Ventori, our superiors will likely ignore the incident.”
She shook her head. “It’s not worth the risk.”
“That’s not your concern. Your decision is simple. Stay or go. Accept our help, or try to build a future on your own.”
Chapter Six
Desire flowed through Rentar’s body, slow, aching, hot. He wanted Amanda so badly it was all he could do not to pounce on her. Her scent reached his nose each time she moved, and knowing she wore nothing beneath the clingy undershirt was driving him crazy. Still, he held back, determined to win her trust before he fucked her again. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t touch her, maybe taste her soft pussy and hear her gasp and moan.
“The ointment.” His voice sounded suspiciously rough, so he returned to the table and took a quick drink of lukewarm tarnok.
“I’m feeling better now. I don’t think it’s necessary—”
“I do.” He held out his hand expectantly, curious to see how well she’d obey after Loax’s discipline.
“I appreciate your concern, but there’s no reason—”
He reached her with one long stride and fisted the back of her hair. “I told you to do it. That’s reason enough.”
She licked her lips and a calculative gleam appeared in her lovely blue eyes. “I’m fine. Really.”
He shook his head, narrowing his gaze on her face. Was she intentionally disobeying so he’d be compelled to spank her? The possibility instantly hardened his cock. “You’re arguing with me.” He guided her back to the table by the hair and pulled her face down across his lap as he sat. “Ventori Defenders do not tolerate human sass. I thought Loax made that clear last night.”
“I’m not sassing you. I really do feel better.” She wiggled, trying to free herself from his light hold.
This was definitely intentional. Apparently, his concern about the severity of
Loax’s behavior had been misplaced. Their feisty little companion wanted stern handling. Well, he was happy to oblige her.
He released her hair and moved his hand to the center of her back, anchoring her small frame across his legs. Raising the shirt to her waist, he bared her backside. She had the perfect ass for even the harshest discipline. Lushly curved, yet firm and appealing. He stroked her creamy skin with his free hand, enjoying the texture before turning up the heat.
“Open your legs.”
She hesitated.
He warned her with two firm swats, loving the jiggle as his hand connected with her soft flesh. “I might be more agreeable than my brother, but I will be obeyed. Now open your legs or I will add to the discipline you’ve already earned.”
“You’re both twisted,” she sneered, her lovely face concealed by her hair. “Do you realize that?”
He spanked her with fast, hard swats, watching color rise to her cheeks and then deepen from pink to rose. She reared almost off his lap, so he pushed her back down and increased the pressure of his restraining hand. He delivered more firm spanks, savoring the distinct crack his hand created each time it connected with her ass. The force shook each cheek in turn, a surprisingly sensual dance.
She kicked and twisted for a time, then stilled. He was concerned that he’d harmed her, even though he’d been careful with the placement of each swat. Then he heard her soft sobbing and felt the subtle shuddering of her shoulders. Pain was often cathartic. The intensity had a way of burning away denial and focusing one’s mind on even the harshest truth.
“That was for arguing with me. This is for refusing to open your legs.” He kept the swats coming, knowing she needed them even more than he did. His hand was nearly as warm as her bottom now, so he slowed then finally stopped. Her entire ass was beautifully reddened and her sobs had finally stopped.
Without needing to hear his command, she moved her legs apart.
“Farther.” Now he understood why Loax pushed her so hard. She reveled in correction, came alive within the structure of discipline.
