I nodded, offering her a reassuring smile. “Of course. I will show you everything, Cassie. Trust me.”
No matter how much I wanted to, she did not need me coddling her. Allowing her to explore at her own pace, absorb her new life in her own way might make it easier. She walked out of the control room and down the hall toward the middle section of the ship. I let her go.
When the silence had stretched a bit too long, I turned back to the controls, spoke to the men who were somewhere out there. “I need to get my mate off this damn planet.” I looked through the window and out onto the rocky crags of the mountains.
Flynn grunted. “So, to confirm, you have not yet collected Neron’s head?”
“No.” And I wished I had. Then I could savor my mate, revel in our newly discovered connection without that asshole getting in the way.
“Then I can still win the bet.”
I laughed then, thankful for a moment’s reprieve from Neron’s looming threats.
“For fuck’s sake, Flynn. Is winning all you think about?” Thorn barked at him.
I could hear Flynn’s smile as he replied. “No. Fucking and hunting are our two favorite things, Thorn. But beating my brother is a close third.”
A grin spread on my face and I rolled my head on my neck to ease the tension there. Jace and Flynn were eerily close and I’d heard they shared everything, including their women. They were the complete opposite of Thorn, who was a true predator, a solitary hunter without patience for their games.
I sighed. “My mate is safe, for now.”
“Have you claimed her?” Thorn asked.
“No.” That would change. Soon.
Flynn’s voice sounded incredulous. “You really found a mate? Here? Thorn told us as much, but I thought that was some kind of joke.”
“You heard her speak,” I reminded him.
“Statistically, that’s almost impossible,” Flynn insisted. “How could you find a marked mate here?”
Thorn answered. “Our ancestors colonized many worlds. Earth must have been one of them.”
“My mission was to retrieve Neron. Now, I need to eliminate him so that I can be with Cassie. He is all that stands in my way.”
“Let us get him for you,” Flynn offered.
“He killed my sister. He murdered Cassie’s father, her only family. Sliced his throat and left him to bleed out where she would find the body.”
I heard Thorn swear.
“I must avenge them both myself.” I had to rid the universe of Neron for what he did to Maddie and what he did to Cassie’s father. For all the innocents he killed.
“You will let us know if you need assistance.” Thorn’s words were a command, not a question.
“Absolutely.”
Flynn was not appeased. “And your mark, Maddox?”
I smiled then, and knew they would hear my pleasure come through in my voice. “It burns like fire.”
“Then you don’t need help with the claiming?”
I saw red, just as Flynn intended, even though I heard Flynn’s laughter through the communication channel.
“Leave him alone,” Thorn warned. “Your mate might be on Earth and you will be just as cross.”
Flynn laughed again, this time full of doubt. “Statistically—”
“Yeah, whatever,” Thorn grumbled. “Statistically, you should be smarter than you are.”
They talked further about their missions and Jace’s condition, which Flynn found highly amusing and Thorn believed to be a result of carelessness. To which Flynn replied, “You know we like to play with our prey, Thorn. Killing ’em quickly is no fun at all.”
When I could not take another moment of wondering where Cassie had wandered, I bid them good hunting and went outside to take care of the horses, quickly removing their burdens and tying them within reach of both grass and water. Impatient to claim my mate at last, I carried the saddlebags and Cassie’s rifle inside, sealed the door behind me and went in search of her.
I found her wandering the ship, her hand out, fingers stroking over the walls, the buttons and lights.
“Everything is new to you, even the lights.”
She looked up at the ceiling, at the glowing stripe that ran the length of the corridor, illuminating the small space.
“That is what these strange lamps are called? Lights?”
“Yes. It is created by electromagnetic power, something that has yet to be invented on Earth. You can push a button and it will turn on and off.”
She closed her eyes and smiled. “A button is this.” She glanced down at her dress, tugged at one of her own buttons. An Earth button that held her garment closed. She believed me now, believed everything, but was not happy with that fact.
“Hungry?” I asked, hoping to find common ground. No matter what planet we were from, we both had to eat.
She nodded, and I led her to the food station and prepared a mild dish of Everian noodles and tea that I hoped she would like. She ate without complaint, without verve, even. I did not like to see her this way, and my chest ached as I watched her. It had been a hard day. A gruesome day. She’d met the man who would kill her only remaining family, then left all that she knew to go off with me, a man who claimed to be her mate, an alien bounty hunter from another planet. She didn’t believe, but then she’d seen me injured and heal myself with a ReGen wand. And lastly, she’d discovered a spaceship that was so far beyond their basic horse and carriage transportation that I could not even imagine the quantum leap in thinking required to bridge that gap.
I realized that I would be overwhelmed and confused in her place. Her courage was truly amazing, her intelligence and ability to adapt. She was strong, so very strong and I found that I not only admired her beautiful body, but the strength of her heart and mind as well.
When she was done, I disposed of our dirty dishes and lifted her up into my arms. When she offered no protest, I knew that she had reached her limit for the day. I easily carried her to my quarters, our quarters, reveling in the scent of roses as I went.
The room was large for a ship of this size, an officer’s quarters, with a bed just large enough to hold us both, but I found I liked the idea of having her so close to me as I slept. The pale green bedding was soft and the bed itself was programmed into the ship’s systems with automatic cooling and heating functionality to maintain optimum sleeping temperature.
The room was sparsely furnished with a desk, chair and not much else. This was a ship for travel, for hunting, not living and I’d not brought much with me. The storage chambers built into the walls were mostly empty as all I’d cared to bring were my hunting clothes and weapons, both of which I’d had to leave on the ship in order to blend in with the men of this simple planet.
I wondered what Cassie would think of me if she saw me in full hunting gear. My body strapped with blades and the changeable surface of my uniform that blended in with its surroundings making me nearly invisible. It was called a Hunter’s Cloak, and only those sanctioned by the Sevens were allowed to possess one. Others caught with the illegal gear faced fines or imprisonment. The Sevens did not want to be on their guard against assassins at all times on their own world.
I now feared Neron had acquired a Hunter’s Cloak after his escape. That would explain his near invisibility to me at the creek. This would make my hunt so much more dangerous, but now was not the time to think of danger. Not when I longed to bury my hard cock in Cassie’s welcoming body, to hear her scream my name as I pushed her to orgasm.
As I thought of my mate, Cassie strolled around the small chamber, inspecting everything. Her long, elegant fingers drifted over the top of the bed, the desk, and the chair, lingering there as she turned to me. “What about the horses?”
“I took care of them. They’re settled for the night.”
“What now, Maddox? You’ve got me here, on your ship. Are you planning to throw me down on that bed and have your wicked way with me?”
I could only tell her the trut
h, for it was obvious in my gaze, my touch. “Yes.”
Equal heat flared in her eyes.
“Eventually. But I promised you a bath.”
Chapter Eleven
Cassie
He led me into a small room I had yet to enter. Maddox walked ahead, pointing out the sink and showing me how to summon both hot and cold water. I’d never seen such miracles before. Immediate hot water! I’d heard of the newly invented water heaters, but never seen one.
Next to the sink was what I assumed was their version of an outhouse for less delicate matters. Maddox tossed a piece of very thin, soft paper into the bowl and waved his hand over the top. In a near silent rush it disappeared beneath a swirl of bright blue water.
I felt like I was in a fairytale, a world filled with impossible creations and magic. Smiling at my whimsy, I looked up to find Maddox watching me with desire in his eyes.
He took my hand and pulled me toward a strange, oval depression in the floor. He waved his hand over a copper-colored spout and water poured from the end to fill a small tub. As the tub filled, Maddox came up behind me, reached around and began undoing the buttons at the top of my dress.
I placed my hands on top of his to still them.
“Nervous?” he murmured. His warm breath fanned my neck.
I nodded, the back of my head bumping his solid chest.
“Maybe this will help.”
He turned his hand over so I could see his palm, see his mark.
“Take my hand, Cassie.”
His voice was deep, yet gentle and I could not resist his tender command.
Placing our palms together, I felt the searing heat of my mark touching his, the exhilaration that coursed through my body, the decadent desire that swept over me. I felt his cock grow hard as it pressed into my lower back. My nipples tightened and I was no longer modest or the least bit nervous. I knew, deep down, that he was right for me, that this was right. He didn’t have to say anything to offer reassurance. I felt the connection between us.
There was nothing to be afraid of with Maddox. He’d seen me, albeit in our dreams—all of me. He’d knelt before me outside the chicken coop and put his mouth on me, easily coaxing me to orgasm. I didn’t have anything left to hide. And I wanted to feel his hard cock filling me up, and not just in a dream. I wanted the real thing, his taste on my lips, his hands on my breasts. Him. I wanted him.
“Remove your dress, Cassie. I want to look at you.”
I stepped out of his embrace, our hands separating, but the feeling of belonging to him lingered. Turning to face him, I looked up at him through my lashes as I undid the buttons down my dress. His gaze followed my movement, watching as my bare skin slowly appeared. His jaw clenched and I watched as his cock grew and pressed against his pants, almost tenting the fabric.
I did this to him. I’d aroused him, pushed him to this level of carnal desire. I felt it. Felt his need and that only inspired me to push him a touch farther. I felt powerful, desired, and the combination of those two was like a jolt of lightning through my system.
The dress loosened and I shrugged it from my shoulders, pulled my arms free so the coarse fabric fell to pool around my ankles. I remained in my corset and shift.
His tongue ran over his lower lip as he took in the upper swells of my breasts. With practiced ease, I undid the stays on my corset as I looked at him. I took my time studying his broad shoulders and tapered waist. I allowed my gaze to wander the hard ridges of his strength from the corded muscles of his neck, down the bulging biceps to big, strong hands I couldn’t wait to feel on my skin. His stomach rippled with muscle and I ached to reach out and trace the outline of each crest and shadow with my fingertips, perhaps my tongue.
With steady fingers, my confidence unbounded, I lifted the chemise over my head and let it fall to the floor. My long hair swung down my back as I stood before him, completely naked, and offered myself to him.
Maddox’s eyes flared and he groaned. I felt the vibration of it in my core. I was wet there, dripping even, as I felt my body’s invitation to him slide down my thighs.
Inhaling, his nose flared. Could he smell my desire?
“Into the tub, mate, before I take you here against the wall.”
He took a step toward me, but I was not afraid. Instead, I was eager. Too eager, for the idea of being fucked as I was pressed against a wall sounded… exhilarating. Carnal. The fact that Maddox was so close to losing control was even better.
“Which direction would I be facing?” I asked, climbing into the tub. I hissed as the water, so wonderfully hot and steamy, immediately eased the aches caused by riding all day. It softened my muscles and made me relax. I sank into the water up to my neck and allowed my eyelids to drift down.
His near growl almost made me laugh. I was playing with fire now, and I knew it.
“If—no, when—I fuck you against the wall, which would you prefer?”
I imagined him before me, my breasts crushed to his chest and our mouths fused as he fucked me with my back pressed to the hard wall. The idea was exciting, but then I imagined the alternative, my breasts pressed to the wall, my head thrown back on Maddox’s shoulder as he fucked me from behind, one of his hands on my ass and the other fisted in my hair, holding me still for his thrusting hips.
The thought made me shiver as he opened a small compartment near my head and lifted out a strange sponge-like item and what looked like melted soap. “I’m not sure. I think I want to try both.”
He reached for me and pulled me nearly out of the tub to kiss me and I feared I had at last pushed him too far. He didn’t entice or tease. The kiss was an erotic thrusting of his tongue and exploration of my mouth, and I knew he was imagining mimicking the movements with his hard cock in my body.
Maddox broke the kiss and settled me on my bare bottom in the tub. The warm water came to my waist and Maddox shoved my hand aside when I reached for the sponge to cleanse myself. “No. Let me. I’ve been wanting to explore you like this since our very first dream.”
Content to let him have his way, I leaned back and closed my eyes as he washed every inch of my body, from the tip of my smallest toe to the juncture between my legs and up to my breasts. The experience felt decadent, and very naughty, the smooth glide of the washing liquid almost like oil on my skin. He lowered my head into the water and massaged my hair and scalp, wiped the grime of travel from my face and kissed me over and over, long, slow languorous connections of his lips and mine.
When I was as clean as I could be, he helped me stand and wrapped me in a large, soft white cloth. The strange cloth seemed to be thirsty for the water on my skin and in my hair, for within just a minute or two I was nearly dry. If instant hot water, an indoor commode and a wonderful cloth to dry with were what I’d been missing on Earth, it would not be a difficult adjustment.
Wrapped in the odd towel, I put my hand on Maddox’s chest, and I knew he felt the heat of my mark against his flesh, despite the thin barrier provided by his shirt. I had to tilt my head back to meet his eyes. “What about you?”
He had dried blood staining his forehead and was as sweaty and dusty as I had been. Surely, he wanted to avail himself of the hot water.
“Are you going to wash me, Cassie?”
The idea of seeing him naked, running my hands over his body, had me immediately nodding. There was no hesitation from him, quickly stripping off all his clothes until he, too, was naked. I looked him over, every inch of him as he winked at me, then stepped into the tub, which seemed to have some sort of constantly running supply of water, like a stream. There wasn’t a bit of soap or dirt left in the water when Maddox lowered his impressive bulk into the tub.
Around me, the tub was large, more than big enough to feel comfortable. But Maddox’s shoulders pushed the edges on both sides and his long legs were bent to accommodate the tub’s length. The position left his legs slightly parted and I couldn’t stop my gaze wandering to the sight of his huge, erect cock.
I’d s
een Charles naked, but he’d looked nothing like Maddox. Where Charles had been soft, his skin pale, Maddox was all hard, lean muscle. He had a smattering of dark hair on his chest that formed a triangle, tapering into a thin line at his navel and traveling down to a very large, very impressive cock. It was fully erect, curving upward toward his belly; his balls beneath hung heavy and full. If he was as desperate as I, he would be eager to empty himself inside me. My inner walls clenched at the idea. My body wanted to be marked by him, coated with his seed and rightfully claimed. The need to claim his seed was instinctual and for a moment I felt more animal than thinking woman. I saw and I wanted. There was space inside my head for nothing else.
Squatting down beside the tub, I reveled in bathing him, washing him and being able to touch every inch of smooth skin. He did not say a word, did not guide me or refuse me, allowing me to learn his body as I wanted. He was as much my mate as I was his.
“I am not sure how much longer I can wait, Cassie,” he whispered. I lifted my gaze from his body to meet his eyes. While they were so icy blue, I saw heat there. “I want you now. I want to carry you to my bed, throw you down and fuck you until you scream my name.”
“All right,” I replied. His words caused carnal images of us coupling to play in my mind and my breasts felt heavy, my skin too hot. I couldn’t breathe.
He stood then, abruptly and swiftly, water sluicing off his body. He stepped from the tub and grabbed the towel from me, leaving me naked and wanton as he dried himself with swift motions, all the while looking at me. Finished, he dropped the towel on the floor, bent at the waist and tossed me over his shoulder.
“Maddox!” I cried as my world flipped over and I had a wonderful view of his well-formed bottom. I put my hands on his waist for balance, although I knew he would never drop me. I felt cool air on my bare skin as he carried me through the ship.
He was not gentle as he dropped me onto a bed. I bounced once and hissed at the pain as the bruises caused by the long day’s ride took their toll.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, looking me over, the intensity of his gaze unsettling. I was surprised he’d noticed my slight discomfort. I did not intend to allow it to stop me from taking his hard length deep inside me.
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