by Aubrey Ross
“I was contracted by Prince Tarhee two years ago and later assigned to your husband’s contingent.” He looked at her over his cards, dark eyes gleaming in the soft cabin light. “And your husband assigned me to you.”
“Then you’re part of the private army Tarhee is assembling for New Pompeii.”
“The only details in my contract were the length of the commitment and the rate of compensation. It was clear to everyone that it was an anything-goes, take-it-or-leave-it offer.”
“And you chose to take it?”
He snapped his cards close and placed them on the tabletop. “I thought we were going to play poker.”
“I’m not allowed to know anything about you?” She folded her cards as well but kept them in her hand.
“Why would you care?” There was no hostility in his tone, but the note of bitterness stirred her curiosity. He was the one trying to seduce her. Shouldn’t he try to appease her?
“If you’re going to shadow me for the next—who knows how long, I’d like to know a little bit about you.”
“And I’d like to see you naked. Is that going to happen anytime soon?” His soulful eyes lit with mischief and she couldn’t help but smile. He was such an odd combination of charm and danger.
She shrugged and raised her hand, indicating the cards. “If I win a hand, you answer a question. If you win, I take off an article of clothing.”
“Fine by me. I’ve spent a lot of time playing poker.” He picked up his cards and fanned them. “I dealt, so you go first.”
She kept two kings, tossing the rest into the discard pile, then picked up the new cards he passed her. The replacement cards were even worse than the ones she’d tossed, so she was stuck with the two kings. “I’ve got a pair of kings.” She told him after he’d switched out his own cards.
He smiled. “Three of a kind.” They were all fours, but that still beat her kings.
“Fine.” She leaned down and took of one of her shoes.
He chuckled. “Your deal.”
She won the next hand and she immediately asked, “What made you apply for the New Pompeii project? I know they’re requiring a ten-year commitment. Most people won’t agree to that.”
“The compensation is unparalleled. I needed the money. There is nothing unusual in my motivation.”
“That might be true, but there’s more to it than that.”
“You’ll have to win another hand to find out.”
He effortlessly won the next four hands and her mood began to darken. He’d warned her that he was skilled, but no one was this lucky. “Were you a gambler before you joined the army? I feel like I’ve been set up.”
“How is that possible?” He pushed back from the table and crossed his legs. “You proposed the game, not me.”
“So I did.” He’d already won her shoes and stockings and she wasn’t wearing a bra. Should she take off her blouse or her pants? All she was wearing under the pants was a thong. Standing, she opted for the pants. “Just because you get me naked doesn’t mean I’ll sleep with you.”
“I don’t want to sleep with you.” He paused, gaze burning into hers. “I want to fuck you for hours, in every position you can imagine, until you come so hard you see stars.”
Her fingers fumbled and her mouth went dry. His graphic admission should offend her, but it didn’t. She was tired of games, tired of emotional maneuvers that left her frustrated and confused. Every man she encountered wanted something from her, and it seldom had anything to do with sex. Her bed had become a doorway to power and influence.
The hunger in Quade’s dark eyes promised incendiary pleasure. She imagined him pinning her against the wall and pounding into her with controlled ferocity. Her legs would hug his lean hips and her nails would bite into his back.
He stood suddenly and pushed the table aside.
“Wait! You only earned my pants. We’re not doing this yet.”
Brushing her hands aside, he unfastened her pants. “I’m no good at games, Laetif. I’m in this room because your husband ordered me to come, but I’m going to fuck you because you’re the most desirable woman I’ve ever seen. I think your husband is an imbecile for not understanding what he’s got.”
Which was, of course, exactly what she needed to hear. And it was precisely the reason she didn’t believe him. “I don’t want you inside me until I know more about you.”
“Fair enough, but I’ve already earned your pants.” He slipped his fingers inside the waistband and pushed them down over her hips. The garment obediently dropped to her ankles and she stepped out. He caressed her hips and thighs then reached back and squeezed her ass. She gasped and twisted away. “What the fuck?” He turned her and raised the hem of her blouse, exposing her bruised behind. The marks were faded and the swelling was gone, but she knew it still looked bad. “Who did this to you? If Xyell beats you, I’ll kill him!”
His protectiveness pleased her, but she was trying hard not to smile. “My husband didn’t do this and it was not forced on me. I found the experience quite…cathartic.”
He stared at her for a long time, conflict clear in his night-black eyes. “If pain is what you need, I’m doomed. I can’t hurt a woman, any woman. Even if she wants me to.”
“I don’t need pain.” Even as the words left her mouth, a strange diffused ache branded her a liar. “The other night just happened. When I ran out of here, Caleb—”
“The captain did this to you?” It was none of his business, but she nodded and waited for the inevitable question. “Did he fuck you?”
“Why would you care if he did? I’m an assignment, remember? I’m your boss’s wife!”
He lunged so suddenly she cried out and covered her face with her forearms. Time paused and nothing happened. Her heart thudded wildly and she licked her lips. Nothing. No movement, no sound. She slowly lowered her arms and found him facing the other direction, hands clenched at his sides.
“You can’t fake that reaction. Does your husband hurt you, or was it your father?” The pain in his voice confused her. Was this guilt, or had he known a woman who suffered abuse?
“It was Mikko, but it hasn’t happened for years. Hurting me would require too much energy. I’m no longer worth even that. I’m sorry I reacted like that. Old habits die hard.”
He turned and approached her slowly, hands at his sides. “I’m thrilled he’s lost interest in you, but I’m sorry you ever suffered at his hands.”
They looked at each other for a long time, each sensing a kindred spirit. “Your mother?” she guessed.
He nodded. “I still dream about her screams and the sound of fists hitting flesh. They finally subjected him to cerebral rerouting, but none of us ever recovered. He was a zombie after the procedure and she tortured herself with guilt. I know I was too young to protect her, but that didn’t stop the dreams.”
Unable to ignore another haunted soul, she wrapped her arms around his back and squeezed him tightly. “It wasn’t your fault.”
“I know, but men who abuse the women they’re supposed to protect are beneath contempt in my book.”
“Where is she now?” She leaned back so she could see his face. “They aren’t still together, are they?”
“She died while I was fighting on the frontier. It’s been almost fifteen years ago by now. Dad is in a sanitarium like all the other zombies. Out of sight, out of mind.” His hands gently touched her hips then slid down to her ass cheeks. “Does it hurt?”
“Not anymore. I just have to be careful when I sit down.”
He leaned down and whispered in her ear, “I guess a wall banger ain’t gonna happen if I can’t grab your ass.”
She shivered. Had his imagination produced to the same image, or had he read her mind? Her gaze snapped to his. “Are you psychic? That’s one of the reasons Mikko avoids colonists. You never know what you’re getting.”
“Why? Were you thinking about being taken against the wall while you wrapped those long legs around my waist?”
He pushed his leg between hers and rubbed his thigh against her mound.
Her clit pressed against her pelvic bone and she groaned. Her desire had been simmering since Caleb sent her away without a proper fuck. The shattering orgasm he’d given her had only whetted her appetite for more. She wanted the fullness of a cock, not hours and hours of foreplay.
“I say we try.” She unbuttoned the top two buttons on her blouse then yanked it off over her head.
His hungry gaze fell to her swaying breasts, but his hands flew to the front of his jacket. With an urgency that perfectly matched her mood, he shucked his uniform jacket, tore off the undershirt and kicked off his pants. She watched him in silent wonder, spellbound by the savage beauty of his body.
Utterly ripped, his torso was a testimony to years of discipline and a lifestyle requiring physical prowess. He’d mentioned fighting on the frontier, so he’d been a soldier long before he sold his soul to Prince Tarhee.
“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” His cock rose high and hard against his belly, proof of his demanding need.
She wrapped her hand around his shaft and gazed into his eyes. “I want this as much as you do, but we’re going to talk when we’re done.”
“Deal.” He hurried her toward the nearest wall and snapped the narrow straps of her thong. “Gods, these things drive me crazy. Why bother wearing anything at all?”
“I usually don’t,” she admitted with a sensual smile.
He threaded his fingers through her hair and covered her mouth with his, tongue immediately seeking entrance to her depths. She opened for him, beyond resistance or pretense. She was a passionate woman with long-neglected needs. She still wasn’t sure what Mikko hoped to gain by giving her ready access to a lover, but so be it. She had been alone for far too long.
Raising one leg to his hip, he paused to explore her pussy. His long fingers parted her folds and zeroed in on her swollen clit. He circled the nub with featherlight pressure and her core clenched painfully.
“In me now! I need this bad.”
Her breathy admission drew a soft growl from his throat. He reached down, not giving her time to jump, and swept her other leg out from under her. His hands firmly clasped her ass, causing a moment of discomfort. Then he slid her up the wall, effortlessly controlling her movements. Her legs draped over his forearms, preventing her from locking them around his waist. She felt his cock nudge her opening, but he didn’t push inside.
“My daughter,” he said in a passion-thick voice.
“What?” Her body ached for the promised fullness and he wanted to talk?
“I signed the contract to protect my daughter. I didn’t want her raised in the colonies.” He slowly lowered her onto his cock. “You said you didn’t want me inside you until you knew more about me. Now you know.”
The admission left her with more questions than answers, but the sentiment was sweet. So was his motivation. There was nothing nobler than a parent’s love for his child. He drew back then thrust deeper, keeping her legs spread wide.
She squeezed his shoulders and rested her head against the wall. Shifting her lower and adjusting his stance, he began to move in long, steady strokes that rubbed all the right places. Heat gathered in her groin and tingles trailed down her legs, but her mind was filled with speculation.
If he had a daughter, did he have a wife? “What happened to her mother?”
He drove his entire length into her and stopped. “I’ll tell you anything you want to know after. I need you with me now.”
Then why had he brought it up? His mouth covered hers, his lips warm and caressing. He pulled one arm out from under her leg and she quickly wrapped it around his waist. Then he moved the other and she settled more fully on his cock.
The kiss deepened and her pussy clenched around him, accentuating the fullness and the connection. There was so much more to Quade than met the eye. He was complex and intriguing. She couldn’t wait to peel back his layers and discover what lay beneath.
He drew nearly out then slammed back in, warning clear in his dark eyes. “Look at me. Focus on what you’re feeling.”
Supporting her body with one arm, he leaned back and caressed her breasts with his other hand. His touch was firm and confident, his gaze downright possessive. His hand descended along her body and his gaze narrowed on her face. He found her clit with his thumb and rubbed back and forth.
“I don’t need more foreplay,” she muttered. “Just fuck me hard.”
“After.”
“After? After what.”
“After you come for me now.”
She dug her nails into his shoulders. “I don’t think I can.”
“Close your eyes and concentrate on my touch and my cock deep inside you.” His thumb changed direction, brushing up and down. “I want to watch you, feel you with no distractions.”
Rocking her hips forward, she made more room for his hand. He was holding her up with one arm. Damn the man was strong. He nipped the side of her neck, an unmistakable warning. She tightened her inner muscles and focused on the tension building in her abdomen.
As she centered herself more fully in the moment, her body came alive. Her nipple peaked beneath his fingers and her clit launched pulses of pleasure deep into her core. Still, she felt alone and on display, uncomfortable with his scrutiny. She opened her eyes, intending to tell him it wasn’t working, and was devoured by his ravenous gaze.
Her passage clamped down on him hard enough to make him moan as her back arched away from the wall. Pleasure erupted in a brilliant burst of color and sensation, shaking her entire body with its intensity.
Before the last spasm ebbed, he resumed his strokes, in and out, with steady rhythm. She came again and again, the sensory floodgates open wide. He lunged into her and ground against her, his hands again on her ass.
She watched him through a haze of pleasure, fascinated by the play of emotion across his features. He was unguarded, almost vulnerable as he struggled for release. Then his eyes bore into hers and his jaw clenched. He buried himself to the hilt and unleashed his stubborn control.
The distinct pulse of his cock sent another wave of pleasure crashing over her. She squeezed him with her legs and her inner muscles, savoring each heated splash of his seed.
He sank to his knees, clutching her against him as they both fought for breath. She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her forehead on his shoulder. Gradually her head cleared and her blood cooled. Uncertainty threaded through the afterglow, making her restless and uneasy.
Unwrapping her legs from around his waist, she found the floor with her heels and lifted herself off his cock. The emptiness seemed absolute after the fullness of their joining, but she refused to think about how easily she’d fallen into Mikko’s trap.
She grabbed the first garment she found, which happened to be his undershirt. The soft material smelled like him and caressed her body like surrogate hands. “All right, soldier. You’ve completed your mission with frightening ease. What’s your final objective?”
Chapter Nine
Struggling to his feet on shaky legs, Quade turned and faced Laetif. “My objective? You know your husband sent—”
“Stop calling him that. Mikko isn’t my anything.”
He heaved a frustrated sigh and pulled on his pants. “What would you like me to call him?”
“Fuckwad works or asshole or—”
“I get the idea. The ambassador sent me, but I don’t fuck on command. What just happened was between you and me.”
She didn’t seem entirely convinced, but she didn’t argue. “Then tell me about your daughter.”
“Do you have anything to drink besides water?”
“Do you have something against water?”
She was really in a mood. Many women became clingy after sex. Apparently Laetif turned feisty. “I haven’t had a beer since I left Outpost Nine. I’d do just about anything for one right now.”
“Will you rub my feet?”
“Are they clean?” He returned without pause.
“You’re about to find out.” She strolled across the cabin, long legs bare beneath his under shirt, and opened a built-in coolerator. Her delectable ass cheeks peeked out as she bent to retrieve the beer and blood flooded his groin all over again. She was a mission! He could not let himself become emotionally entangled with her. The fuckwad could reassign him on a whim, so there was no reason to invest anything in this bizarre relationship.
The view as she returned was even more inviting. Her full breasts jiggled and her nipples were clearly visible beneath the soft white fabric. He could remember the feel of those warm mounds in his palms and those responsive nipples hardening between his fingers. He wanted to tackle her and hold her down while he licked her from head to toe. Their first time had been over much too fast. He couldn’t wait to be inside her again.
“Do you need to go shower before we talk?” Her delicate brows arched as she looked pointedly at the erection tenting the front of his pants.
“Only if you’ll come with me.”
“I think we’ve both come enough for right now.” She handed him the beer and dragged the chair he’d been sitting in earlier back to the table where it belonged.
“Speak for yourself,” he muttered under his breath. He could come at least twice more before his body demanded sleep. He sat facing her and used the edge of the table to pry off the bottle top. After a long pull from the bottle, he set it on the table. “Give me your feet. I’m a man of my word.”
She carefully kept her thighs together as she raised her feet to his lap. “What’s her name?”
“My daughter?”
“She is the subject at hand.”
He lifted one foot and began to rub. “Her mother named her Brishta. I call her B.”
“Is her mother still in the picture?”
“Her mother was a weekend fling before I shipped out on a two-year tour of the frontier. B was waiting for me when I returned. DNA tests confirmed that she’s mine, but I’ve never seen her mother again. I have no idea how to find her even if I wanted to, which I don’t. But B might want to someday and I don’t know how to help her. I’m just grateful she decided to have the baby rather than end the pregnancy. B is unbelievable.”
