“I…I guess so.” She still sounded weak and upset and part of him felt guilty for speaking so roughly to her—for forcing her to do this now. The other part, though—the larger part—knew there was no other way. She needed to get away from here—away from him—as quickly as she could.
Kor knew something else too—he wasn’t coming with her.
She doesn’t want me—not deep down where her deepest memories and wishes live. When she dreamed of her joining day, it wasn’t me she saw. And when she called out for a male to save her, it wasn’t my name on her lips. Hell, she didn’t even know me at first—I scared her. As well I fucking well should. I’m a danger to her.
He kept remembering how he’d cut through the water with the red hot beams from his eyes. He might have cut her in two without even trying—might have vaporized her along with however many gallons of liquid he’d boiled away at the same time. Gods be thanked she had been out of his line of fire.
At the very least he could have blown their cover with his little ocular display. It was lucky that the water was dark red and had already been churned up by their struggles or one of the other patrons of the spa might have noticed him doing his damndest to burn a hole in the side of the pool.
I’m not safe without my inhibitor collar but the damn thing’s broken beyond repair. Not safe for Maggie or anyone. What if I got angry or had a bad dream one night on Gaia? What if I hurt her or killed her without even meaning to? I have no control over this power—I don’t even know how it happens or where it comes from.
And even if he could control the power and wasn’t a danger to her, Maggie didn’t want him with her. Not really. She wanted that idiot Donald who she was determined to stay true to. Even the limited sexual acts they’d performed together during the Pleasuring had given her intense guilt. Kor didn’t need to add to that burden and he didn’t want to waste his time on a female whose heart was already given.
What about your own heart?
Kor pushed the thought away. He was fond of Maggie and he was grateful to her—hell, she’d saved him from certain death at the hands of the sadistic Lady Pope’nose. But it wasn’t like he’d fallen in love with her. That was just stupid. Wasn’t it?
“Kor?” Her soft, hesitant voice pulled him out of his inner turmoil and he looked down to see that she was shivering in his arms. “Kor, please, if you’re angry…I’m just so sorry about your cheek.”
“It’s not my cheek. It’s—”
“What? Please tell me?” She was looking up at him so earnestly he felt his heart twist. Gods, she was beautiful—even soaking wet and shivering in his arms. Her sweet, lovely little heart-shaped face and those lush lips…not to mention her curvy little body which fit so well into his arms. But what Kor liked the most about her was the innocence shining out of her deep blue eyes. It was an innocence he would no doubt extinguish if she stayed with him too long.
Kor hardened his heart. Have to let her go. Before it’s too late.
“Kor?” she said again and he realized she was still waiting for an answer.
“It’s nothing,” he said shortly. “Here—this is the night porter’s station.”
“But I don’t have anything to bribe him with,” Maggie protested as he set her down gently in front of the round green door of the little room beneath the grand staircase. “All of Lady Pope’nose’s jewelry is back in our room.”
Kor felt a growl of frustration rising in his throat and swallowed it back down with difficulty.
“Maggie,” he said softly. “The night porter is a Sensorian, like all the rest of the beings who run this place. What use do you think they have for jewelry or riches?”
“But…then how…?”
“Think,” he said softly. “What is it that they value? What is it they feed on?”
“Pleasure—sexual pleasure.” Her face went pale with understanding. “Kor,” she said in a low voice. “I can’t. I just…we already went too far tonight. I feel so guilty about—”
“About Donald, I know.” Kor took a deep breath. “But you need to make this call. After the scene with Lady Ponce’beast tonight, you’re officially a person of interest here. People are going to be looking at you, talking about you. And the more they look…”
“The more likely they are to see what’s going on. That I’m not…who I say I am.” Maggie nodded and lifted her chin. “You’re right. I just…I guess we’ll have to do…whatever it takes.”
“Wonderful,” Kor said shortly. “I’m so glad to hear you think you can tolerate my hands and mouth on your body at least until you can get out of here.”
Maggie’s face went red. “I never said it like that!” she protested. “I just—”
“Never mind.” Leaning forward, he knocked on the round green door. After a moment it opened revealing a large, corpulent Sensorian who was overflowing his small chair. To Kor’s dismay, the male’s skin was already dark pink proving that someone had been there before them.
“Yes, Mistress?” the night porter asked, addressing Maggie. “How can I be of help to you?”
Maggie bit her lip. “I need to make a call. I know it’s not allowed but I was told if I talked to you…maybe offered you something you, uh, wanted?”
The corpulent Sensorian frowned. “I fear there is nothing I want just now. I am, as you see Mistress, quite replete.” He patted his round belly as though to illustrate his point.
“Oh, but I…surely there’s something you want,” Maggie faltered. “Look…just try this.” Turning to Kor, she stood on her tiptoes and put her arms around his neck.
He knew what she wanted but for a moment he just stood there. Gods, it was killing him, touching her for this reason! He wanted her to come to him because she wanted him—not because she had to. It wasn’t fair to Maggie for him to feel this way—she barely knew him. But Kor couldn’t help it—he wanted to be the male she cried out for when she was in trouble or pain. He wanted to be the one she came to when she was in need.
“Kor,” she whispered, tugging at him. “Kor, please…”
The pleading in her eyes was more than he could bear. At last, reluctantly, he allowed himself to lean down. Maggie wove her soft little fingers through his hair and pulled him close, pressing her lips to his.
Kor let her kiss him, determined not to do more than simply stand there. But the press of her trembling mouth to his, the feel of her soft, sweet body so achingly close was too much to resist. He might never get to kiss her again, this sweet, beautiful girl who had risked her life to save his. He might go his whole life without holding her in his arms even once more. Maggie, he thought. Gods, don’t want to leave you. Don’t want to ever let you go… Something inside him snapped and he crushed her to him, covering her mouth with his own.
Maggie gave a little moan and melted against him, giving in with a sweet submission that made the blood rush to his cock. Gods, how he wanted her! And this was his last chance to have her—Kor intended to make the most of it.
Reaching down, he slid his hand between her legs and cupped her soft little pussy, still covered in the thin white lace panties. Maggie moaned again and parted her legs, rubbing against his hand like a feline begging to be caressed. He could feel her heat through the fragile fabric. Could almost taste her sweet honey as she rubbed against him.
Suddenly touching her through the panties wasn’t good enough anymore. He needed to feel her bare pussy in his hand, needed to slip his fingers deep into her hot, slippery little cunt and hear her cry his name as he pumped inside her, fingerfucking her cleft.
With a low growl, Kor tangled his fingers in the wispy fabric of the panties and ripped, tearing them away, baring her completely.
Maggie gasped and jumped against him but she didn’t break their kiss. Kor cupped her again, feeling the warm, wet heat of her secret spot, loving the soft patch of curls at the top of her mound and the way her little cunt was already so swollen with need.
He pressed two fingers against her, parting her plump
little pussy lips and rubbed gently against the side of her needy clit. Gods, she was wet! Her slippery honey coated his fingers and her warm, feminine scent drifted up to entice him until he felt half mad with the need to possess her.
But first he wanted to taste her.
He broke the kiss at last and looked into her face. Her eyes were half-lidded behind her oculars—dazed with pleasure—and her lips were swollen from the passionate, possessive way he’d been taking her mouth. Kor wanted to kiss her pussy the same way—wanted to worship her soft little cunt with his tongue.
He dropped to his knees before her and pushed the clinging, white lace dress aside. One look confirmed what his hand had already told him—her soft little pussy lips were puffy and dark pink—blossoming like a flower. And when Kor spread them gently with his thumbs, he could see that her inner folds were shiny with honey. Gods, how he longed to taste her there! To press his face between her legs and lap her slippery slit, caressing her aching little clit with the tip of his tongue and then sliding lower to penetrate and fuck her orally, to press deep inside her until she came for him just as she had at the banquet.
Kor was just about to do exactly that, when a soft sound from above stopped him. Looking up, he saw Maggie with an expression of agonized uncertainty on her face. It was clear she wanted him—that she wanted this—her body said so in the most unmistakable terms.
But it was just as clear that her heart was not committed. She was feeling guilty again—he could read it on her face. Maggie was a one-man female—a girl who would be faithful until death. Doing this with Kor—allowing him to touch her in such an intimate way when she felt she shouldn’t—was killing her.
With a low curse, Kor released her and sat back on his haunches.
“Kor?” Maggie looked at him uncertainly. The night porter—who Kor had all but forgotten about—was also looking on.
“Your pardon, Mistress, but why did you stop?” he asked Maggie.
“I don’t know.” She looked at Kor. “I’m…not sure.”
The night porter frowned. “I was just thinking about letting you make that call. Unfortunately things ended a little too, ah, abruptly for my taste.”
Kor looked at Maggie, at the guilt and anxiety on her lovely face, and knew he couldn’t go on. If he went a single step further she would carry the remorse and shame for what they had done her whole life. He couldn’t do that to her—but he had to do something to appease the night porter. Something to complete the bribe.
Suddenly he knew what to do.
Leaning forward, he pressed a soft, almost chaste kiss to the small blonde patch of curls at the apex of her mound. Then he rose to his feet and drew his knife.
* * * * *
“Oh my God, Kor—what are you doing?” A cold hand skittered along Maggie’s spine as she eyed the long, silver blade in his hand. “And where did you get that knife?”
“Picked it up in the kitchens earlier,” he said shortly. “You forget I used to be a fighter on the Blood Circuit, Mistress. The first rule of combat is to never go into a hostile situation unarmed if you can help it.”
“Combat? But what…? How…?” Maggie didn’t even know how to finish asking the question or indeed, what question she was trying to ask. What was he planning to do with that thing? Was he going to threaten the night porter with it? Or do something worse? He wouldn’t hurt me with that—would he?
I don’t know, would he? asked the little voice in her brain. After all, excluding the dreams, how long have you actually known the man? Less than twenty-four hours. You’d probably spend more time checking out a possible date on the Internet. Who knows what he’s capable of?
Kor must have seen the fear in her face because he shook his head and a look of sorrow came into his pale blue eyes.
“Didn’t I tell you,” he said softly. “That I would never hurt you?”
“I…you…” Maggie didn’t know what to say.
“This isn’t for you.” He gestured with the knife. “And it’s not for him either.” He nodded at the night porter. “It’s for me.”
“For you? But what…?”
“Listen,” Kor said, turning to address the Sensorian who was watching him with obvious interest in his pink and blue eyes. “I know your kind live on physical pleasure and the emotions it causes but you like pain, too—don’t you?”
The corpulent Sensorian licked his lips with a thick tongue. “It has a certain appeal, yes. The flavor isn’t for everyone but I have been known to indulge from time to time.”
“Try this then.” Kor raised the knife. “Taste my pain, you bastard.”
With a swift, downward motion he made a long, cruel cut across the inside of his forearm. Blood began to spurt at once—dripping dark crimson all over the pale floor tiles.
Maggie gasped. “Oh, no! No, Kor!” She tried to stop him but he stepped away and made another slice. And then another and another.
Blood poured from the wicked looking slashes but he didn’t make a sound. He just kept cutting, his face grim—jaw set, mouth a thin line, eyes glowing red as the blood continued to flow.
For me. He’s doing this for me so we don’t have to do anything else. So I won’t feel guilty and hate myself, Maggie realized. If only Kor could understand that watching him hurt himself for her was far worse than anything they could have done sexually. She couldn’t stand to see his pain and know she was the cause of it. Couldn’t bear the thought of his blood spilling for her.
“Kor,” she begged and realized she was crying again. “Kor, please…please don’t. Please stop!”
“Yes, by all means—please stop,” the night porter put in. He sounded so distressed that Maggie tore her eyes from Kor and saw that the Sensorian was looking decidedly ill. His skin had a sickly greenish glow which didn’t go with the normal pink at all.
“Why? Had enough?” Kor held the knife over his dripping arm, poised to slice again.
“More than enough,” the night porter said faintly. He looked at Maggie. “I don’t know where you got your slave but the taste of his emotions is far too rich for me. I’ve only had such strong, complex flavors once before—in a female who had been with a Shadow Demon.”
“A Shadow Demon? What are you talking about?” Kor frowned.
“A denizen of the Black Planet. She had allowed herself to be possessed by him in return for certain…favors.” The night porter shook his head. “Her eyes glowed as yours do when she was upset. And her emotions…they were overwhelming as well.”
“Too much of a good thing, eh?” Kor laughed harshly. “So you’ve had enough? Can my lady make her call now?”
“Yes, yes—anything you want. But we must clean up this mess or my superior will know.” The Sensorian nodded at the splatters of blood on the floor.
“I’ll see to it,” Kor said shortly. “Just let my mistress make her call.”
“Go right ahead. The viewscreen is on the far wall of my cubical.” The night porter nodded at Maggie and got off his chair to usher her into the tiny room that was his office.
“Wait. Not yet.” Maggie ran forward and took Kor’s large, bloody hand. “First I have to make sure he’s all right.”
“I’m fine,” he growled, but he allowed her to examine him. Maggie felt her stomach roll as she saw the bloody slices marching up and down the inside of his forearm.
At least they’re all clean cuts—not jagged or torn, she thought faintly. And hopefully the knife he’d used was clean too. Maggie took off the towel she’d been wearing since Kor had wrapped her in it and tried to blot the worst of his wounds very gently with the fluffy material.
“I wish you hadn’t done this,” she whispered as the white towel turned slowly red. “There had to be another way.”
“There was,” he said roughly. “But it wasn’t right—it would have made you hate yourself.”
Maggie gave a jagged, broken laugh and swiped away tears with her free hand. “And you think this doesn’t?”
He shrugged,
his broad, bare shoulders rolling. “Did the best I could. I’m sorry if I didn’t meet your expectations…Mistress.”
“Oh, Kor…” She swallowed hard, choking back tears. “If only…”
“Excuse me, Mistress, but if you want to make a call it has to be now,” the night porter said firmly, interrupting them. “My supervisor will be here to check on me in a very short time. You and your slave must be finished and gone by then or we will all be in trouble.”
“Oh—of course.” Reluctantly, Maggie let her hands drop and stepped away from Kor. “I’ll just…I’ll call right now.”
“You do that.” Kor looked at her directly, his eyes still blazing faintly red. “Tell them to come get you right away, blondie. Before anyone gets hurt any more than they already are.”
Maggie turned away and ducked into the little Hobbit hole of an office but inside she was wondering if Kor was talking about her…or himself.
Chapter Eighteen
“Well, this is it. The next ship that lands should be mine,” Maggie said.
“Should be.” Kor nodded, his pale blue eyes scanning the alien horizon.
They were standing to one side of the Grand Promenade, the long white carpet Kor had carried her down only the day before. It was where all ships entering and leaving the spa had to land and Ferna and Ratner were supposed to be there very soon. Maybe too soon, Maggie couldn’t help thinking.
“Good thing I still have the documents I went to Yonnie Six for in the first place.” She tried to keep her voice light but she couldn’t quite manage it.
“Mmm.” Kor simply nodded again in that maddeningly stoic way. He had already told her he wasn’t coming with her—not that she’d expected him to after last night. But still, the idea of parting from him was dragging on her like a lead weight.
This is a good thing, she told herself, trying to cheer up. You need to get back to your job—your mission. Need to get to Gaia and start cataloguing and studying all those new alien plants and animals.
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