by Hawk, Reagan
Parker rocked on the balls of his feet. “You have an appointed liaison for offworlders?”
“We do,” the priest responded shortly. “She is skilled in matters of other planets. Where I too have been to other planets, she has been to far more, making her perfect in situations such as this.”
“She?” Dirks piped in, surprised they had a woman in any position of leadership. From what he’d read about the galaxy, the locals weren’t big on the women’s rights movement of long ago. Maybe the information in the ship’s database on Viscionia was grossly outdated. They were here to learn more about the people and the culture and to open peaceful talks between the Star Union and the planet. Maybe this was the step in the right direction they needed.
If Lukas didn’t fuck it up first.
The priest grinned, his expression saying he knew something funny. Something they didn’t. He motioned for them to follow him and they did. He entered the building Lukas’ shouts had come from, and Dirks spotted his friend behind bars, sitting on a wooden bench, the floor of the room covered in straw.
Lukas took one look at the captain and thumped the back of his head against the cell wall. “Great.”
“Care to explain yourself?” Captain asked.
Lukas slid him a sideways glance that screamed “fuck off”. Parker snorted and focused on the priest. “May I speak with this offworld liaison?”
Lukas stood and went to the bars, his hands looping around them. “Captain, the girls and I… it’s not how they say it is.”
Of course this was about women. Dirks hid his laughter and followed behind the captain and the priest. The priest led them down a long hall and then into an open room with vaulted ceilings. Iron chandeliers hung from above, giving off low light from the candles on them.
Several men from the village were there, their backs to Dirks. The men stepped back and the first thing Dirks’ noticed was the dress the woman wore. It was a deep red, and while the style was very similar to those he’d seen other women in the village wearing, she managed to show more skin and she wore it well. It clung to her curves.
He raked his gaze higher over the globes of her breasts and then to her face.
He gasped.
A face he’d memorized.
“Haeley?”
Confusion knit her brow for a split second before she flashed a wide smile. “Ledarius.”
Parker glanced at him as if waiting to be enlightened.
Dirks moved forward fast, wanting to touch Haeley. The men from the village darted in front of her, each drawing swords, keeping Dirks back from her. He put his hands up, his eyes wide, need coursing through him. “Haels?”
She touched the shoulder of one of the men. “Gamon, he is an old, trusted friend.”
“From your life before us?” the biggest of the men asked, the one she was touching.
She nodded.
He looked to the rest of the men and they lowered their weapons, allowing Dirks to pass. He went straight to Haeley and drew her into his embrace. He shook, unable to believe it was really her. She smelled of berries and flowers, though he could place neither exactly.
He clung to her as if she were a lifeline. “Haels?”
She pried herself from him. “Gentleman, please excuse us. We have some catching up to do.”
The priest grinned. “I’d say so.”
“Dom Nemael,” she warned, a slight tease to her voice. One she used to use on Dirks.
The priest waggled his brows and pushed everyone, including the captain, out of the room. He shut the large, thick wooden door behind him.
Dirks faced Haeley, staring her up and down, confused. “How are you here?”
“The how is easy. I was traveling, seeing the galaxies, and decided this planet would work to put down roots.”
“Seeing the galaxies, but you didn’t want to the leave Ravanious.” He reached out and took her hand in his. It was as he remembered.
“The space station we grew up on started to feel very small after you left.” She shrugged. “You seemed interested in what else was out there. I took a page from your book.”
“Why didn’t you contact me?” he asked.
She locked gazes with him. “Because we both needed to find our ways in life—on our own. You were right.”
He hated that his words were coming back to haunt him. He tugged on her hand, drawing her closer. “You have a life here?”
“Are you asking if I’m married with children?” She lifted a dark brow, her lips looking so damn tempting.
He nodded.
She smiled. “I’m not married. And I have no children, but I’m not celibate, Dirks. I have lovers.”
Lovers? As in plural.
He swallowed down his jealousy, his thought instantly going to the priest. He snarled. “The holy guy?”
She lifted her shoulders. “Nemael is one of my lovers, yes.”
“What the hell do you mean one of them? How many do you have? This is Viscionia—they’re totally and completely sexually repressed.”
She laughed. “To the outside it would look as though that were true, but we insiders know better. They are actually so free in their sexuality compared to Ravanious that it would blow your mind, Ledarius.”
She wasn’t the same woman he’d left on the space station all those years ago. This one was free now, liberated. And dammit if he still didn’t want her with every fiber of his being. “I go by Dirks now, Haels.”
“And I go by Domme Haeley.”
He stilled, trying to wrap his mind around what she’d just said. “What?”
Chapter Five
Haeley couldn’t believe how much Dirks had changed since she’d last seen him. He’d gone off to join the Star Union a boy and he was now a man. A strikingly handsome man with the same intensely penetrating eyes she remembered. Her pussy ached at the thought of his cock in her. They’d stolen away every moment they could long ago, to explore one another. To learn what felt good and to share each other’s bodies.
She now knew what felt good and how to fully please a man. She’d grown as well. In more ways than one. Her body still responded to Dirks, still wanted him near and in her. She pressed against him. “I can help get your man out of the cell. Then you’ll all need to leave. They’re not too open to offworlders here. Especially Star Union ones.”
“I just found you and you want me to agree to leave you?” he asked, shaking his head. “No way.”
“Dirks.”
He cupped her face and stunned her by boldly lowering his head, his lips crashing down upon hers. His kiss was hot and branding. He still wanted her. He made that abundantly clear. Her traitorous body, one she’d thought she’d trained, wanted him too. Her nipples hardened to pebble-like peaks and she moaned into his mouth.
He pushed his clothed erection against her to the point she could feel it through all her layers. Panting, she pushed at his chest, partly to stop him and his sensual assault and the other part to speed it up. She still wanted him. Still longed for his touch no matter how many men she made beg and taught to withstand pain and turn it into pleasure.
Dirks was still who she wanted in her most of all.
She wasn’t timid anymore and decided to stop acting that way. She cupped his face, her tongue darting back at his, giving as good as it got. Dirks tugged at her skirts and she paid no mind to where they were. She’d fucked a good number of the council in this very room, making them beg her to do naughty things to them as they were chained to the walls and whipped for being bad boys.
Haeley ate at Dirks’ mouth and then tugged at the top of his Star Union uniform, wanting it off him. He broke the kiss long enough to peel off the shirt portion and cast it aside. So much time had passed since they’d last seen one another. They should have taken time to catch up, to see if the other was anywhere near on the same page as the other, but none of that seemed to matter. All that mattered was touching him and being touched by him.
He tugged at the front of the corset
on her dress, making very little headway. Smiling, she assisted, her fingers easing over his, helping to free herself from the confines of her own attire. As her breasts spilled over the top of the corset, Dirks gasped and took hold of them, kneading them, caressing her pert nipples with his thumbs. Her body still responded to his touch.
His tongue sought out hers and they kissed as they continued to pull one another’s clothes off. When naked, Dirks lifted her as if she weighed nothing, and she wrapped her legs around his waist.
Their mouths never broke contact as he drove deep into her pussy. She cried out into his mouth at the feel of him. She moved on his cock, riding him, drawing out pleasure from the feel of his shaft in her. She cupped his face, taking lead on the kiss and making animallike noises while she took what she wanted from him.
He pumped and growled with her, seeming as swept up in the moment as she. Her body, starved for the man she clung to, tingled and then shook with her orgasm. She cried out, her pussy milking his cock.
Dirks’ jaw went slack and his cock twitched deep in her as he found release. Haeley pulled the last bits of pleasure from him and then straightened her back and hauled off and slapped him across the face.
She slid off his cock and went about gathering her discarded clothing.
Dirks grabbed her and turned her to face him, her dress pressed against her front. “Haels?”
She narrowed her gaze on him. “You left me. The Star Union was more important to you than I was.”
He shook his head. “Stars above, baby, no. It wasn’t. I wanted a better life for us. I joined to make something of myself and to give you the life you deserved. When I came back on leave from the academy, you were gone. No hint of where you’d taken off to or why.”
“You knew why,” she stated evenly.
He closed his eyes a moment and sighed. “Yes. I’m sorry. But I told you when I joined that I’d be back for you.”
“And I begged you not to go,” she reminded.
He released her arm and stared around the empty room. “So this was what?”
“One last fuck before we say our goodbyes—again.” She did her best to school her emotions. She did not want to cry in front of him. She’d wasted too many tears on him as it was. She’d taken far too long to get over him only to find out in the end she’d accomplished nothing. He still held her heart in a vise grip.
Damn him.
Unable to hide her emotions, she hurried into her garments and rushed out of the room, down the long hall and as far from Ledarius as she could get.
Chapter Six
Dirks stood near the cell as Gamon released Lukas. Dirks wisely put himself between the men, already knowing Lukas was a powder keg just waiting for the right spark to blow. Lukas didn’t disappoint. He lunged for Gamon and Dirks snorted, thrusting his longtime friend back from the villager.
Lukas growled.
Gamon lifted a brow. “He is much like an untrained dog.”
Nodding, Dirks continued to push Lukas back. “Yep, and I forgot a leash, so mind yourself. Okay?”
Gamon appeared less than amused as he stepped back. “You are free to go.”
“Glad to be rid of his hellhole,” Lukas snapped.
Dirks kept pushing him towards the exterior doors. “Captain wants us to rendezvous with him off site.”
Lukas spent more time glaring over his shoulder in Gamon’s direction than he did listening to Dirks. Lukas blew Gamon a kiss and Gamon grunted.
“Enough,” Dirks said sternly. “Want to be their guest for good?”
Lukas shut up and walked with a clear chip upon his shoulder. “This place is so backwards.”
“It’s not so bad,” Dirks said, his voice trailing off as he looked in the direction Haeley had gone. He’d wanted to go after her but knew better. She needed time. He’d hurt her possibly beyond repair when he’d gone off and not come straight back for her. To this day he couldn’t pinpoint the exact reason why. He’d given her the same spiel she’d thrown back in his face only hours ago—they needed time to find themselves.
Bullshit.
Dirks’ Star Union-issued boots clicked along the bricked, narrow roadway as he kept prodding Lukas to walk faster. Lukas twisted and gave him a hard stare. “Want to tell me what the hell crawled up your ass? I’m the one whose neck was on the line.”
“Haeley,” he said, hoping the one word would be enough.
With a slow, measured expression, Lukas came to a stop. “As in the woman you programmed your hologram machine after?”
Dirks groaned. Of course the head of security aboard the vessel would know something like that. Dammit. He probably told the captain about it too.
Lukas’ lips twitched. “Relax, tech-boy, your secret is safe with me. I couldn’t do anything other than listen in to one of your hologram sessions so I didn’t get a peek at her.” He looked around. “The real thing here?”
Dirks entertained ignoring him, but found himself nodding. “Yes.”
Something in Lukas’ expression changed. “She wouldn’t happen to be the hot number with the long braided hair, would she?”
“Yes, she would,” Dirks responded, his anger bristling near the surface. “Why?”
“She was nice to me. Didn’t take any of my shit either. I like that in a woman.” Lukas stilled. “Want to tell me how she ended up in this hellhole?”
Dirks sighed. “I’m pretty sure I chased her away and this is where she landed.”
“What the hell did you do?”
Dirks met the man’s gaze. “Ran off to be part of the Star Union and told her we needed to find our own lives.”
Tossing his head back, Lukas laughed. “Ah, and she fuckin’ did, didn’t she?”
The priest appeared and Dirks refrained from commenting further on his conversation with Lukas. “What? Did you come to rub it in my face that she’s done with me?”
“No,” said Nemael with a strange sincerity in his gaze. “I came to say she speaks with a quick tongue to protect a broken heart. If you love her as I believe you do, remain planet-side for another night. I will see to it you have time with her to speak your mind and your heart.”
“Why?” Dirks asked, wondering what angle the man played.
“I love her.”
The answer wasn’t one he was expecting and he didn’t like it in the least.
Chapter Seven
Dirks still couldn’t believe the captain had been fine with him remaining planet-side for the night. He’d assumed once they’d gotten Lukas back, they’d all leave the area. Captain Parker spoke about mending fences with the locals and possibly opening trade with them. Dirks had no interest in any of that, but if it gained him the chance to speak with Haeley again, he’d agree to just about anything.
He touched the arm of his Star Union-issued uniform. It settled his nerves somewhat, reminding him he was a soldier. He was above petty butterflies in the stomach over a possible evening of rejection, wasn’t he?
His stomach responded, begging to differ.
He exhaled slowly through his mouth and then went in the direction of the Temple of Hazonius. It didn’t look like any temple he could ever remember seeing, both in real life and archived in the Star Union vaults. While it had medieval qualities to it, such as all stone—some red and yellow and others a faded gray—high peaks and stained glass windows, there is where the similarities ended.
How had he and the captain missed this when they landed?
Dirks stared in wonder at the scenes depicted on the stained glass. There was a naked woman, tied to a post, men surrounding her with floggers in hand. Another was of a man on his knees, a naked woman before him, her breast in his mouth as his hands looked to be bound behind his back. He blinked in surprise as he noted a window that depicted a woman with her legs spread wide as she lay upon her back giving oral sex to one man while another fucked her.
He’d never seen any temple look quite like this one. He approached wearily, wondering what in the world worship
ers of Hazonius actually did. The large gate opened for him as he neared, and he stepped through to find a guard. The guard said nothing; instead he stared off into the darkened corner of the bailey. Dirks spotted a shape emerging from the recesses.
The priest.
He held his temper as Nemael approached. The priest wore dark leather pants that fit him snuggly, rather than the monk’s robe Dirks had last seen the man wear. Shirtless, Nemael wore only a pendant upon a leather cord around his neck. The symbol wasn’t one Dirks recognized. Upon closer examination, Dirks noticed the same symbol burned into Nemael’s skin, linking and forming a ring that went wide around the man’s upper chest and collarbone area. It looked as though it had hurt like hell to get, and from the paleness of the scars, Dirks was guessing Nemael had had them a while.
Nemael watched him with knowledge that irked Dirks. “You have questions.”
“Where is Haeley?” he asked, wanting to ask more but refraining. He didn’t want to befriend the man. Not when it was painfully obvious the man had fucked Haeley.
“I assumed you’d have better questions than that one,” Nemael said, his lips quirking.
Dirks scowled. “Is she even here?”
With a nod, Nemael stepped back and motioned to the lighted corridor off to the side of the bailey. “She is. Though, you will be a surprise to her. She assumed you returned to your ship with the rest of your crew.”
Dirks hedged in his steps. “Was she fine assuming that?”
“Are you asking if she broke down and wept?” the priest questioned, appearing far too amused for Dirks’ liking.
Was he asking that? He thought harder on it and then nodded. “Yes.”
“She isn’t the same woman you once knew. Truth be told, you knew a girl. She is now a woman. One who has learned to guard her emotions. Well, in most cases.” His gaze raked up and then slowly down Dirks. “Until a variable she was not counting on entered the equation.”
Dirks moved in the direction Nemael had pointed. Small wall sconces lit the way down the narrow corridor. Dirks turned at the end and entered a large room. Huge chandeliers were suspended by iron chains from the cathedral ceiling.
