by Sadie Carter
He was perfection. Chiseled cheeks, firm jaw, plump lips and deeply tanned skin.
Yum, yum, yum.
Zoey knew that her pirate fantasy was about to be replaced by a new dream. One featuring the sexy, silent alien in front of her. His gaze caught hers, holding her spellbound. Wow, there was so much sexuality dripping off him that she could feel her body readying, priming itself for his touch.
Her stomach clenched, her clit throbbing with each beat of her heart. Her breath quickened and she nervously licked her lips. She’d never had a reaction to a man like this, never mind someone from a different race.
No way was she sleeping with this big brute of a man. If he rolled over in bed, he’d squash her like a bug.
Zoey cleared her throat, reminding herself of why she was here. The sooner she spat out her message, the quicker she could get out of here and away from the sex god in front of her.
“Do you speak standard?” she asked, using the language that was common to a large number of races. It made inter-planetary trade much easier.
“Yes,” the middle one answered. His voice sent goosebumps across her skin.
Shit, she was in a bad way. As soon as she got back to the compound—if she got back—she was going to pay a visit to the lifebot again, and this time she wasn’t leaving until she came.
“Good, my name is Zoey Mira. Welcome to Solim.”
“Where is your minder, child?” Grumpy asked.
“I’m not a child. I’m twenty-four.” She frowned.
Calm down. Zoey forced herself to keep her arms relaxed at her side. She peered up at the sky.
No sign of the flying fire-breathers. Thank God.
They fired words back and forth between them. She wished she knew what they were saying.
Suddenly, she realized they had stopped talking and were staring down at her. “In our culture, twenty-four is still a child,” the happy one to the left said.
The man in the middle studied her almost hungrily. Really, she wasn’t that tasty looking.
“In my culture, twenty-three is a full-grown adult.” She frantically searched her memory. That’s right; the Zerconians could live up to three hundred years. No wonder they were confused.
“That still doesn’t explain where your minder is.” Grumpy crossed his arms over his chest. “Why did he allow you out here on your own?”
Minder? What the hell was he talking about? This time, she came up blank.
“I don’t have a minder. I’m not even sure what you mean. My commander sent me out here to talk to your commander, so if you could just send him out here so I could talk to…him…” she trailed off at their incredulous looks.
Even Happy was frowning down at her.
“You were sent out here alone on purpose?” Happy asked.
“Yes.” She scanned the sky nervously. They couldn’t have long before those lizard creatures appeared. It didn’t usually take them long to sense fresh prey.
“But you are a female.” Grumpy looked like he’d swallowed something sour.
She folded her arms over her chest. She’d refused to get changed out of her baggy top. No way did she want to give these aliens any ideas. Not that her body was anything to brag about, but she didn’t want to tempt fate. “Nice of you to notice.”
“Why would they send a female to welcome us?” Happy asked.
She sighed. “Look, just let me speak to your commander and then I’ll get out of here.”
“You keep looking up at the sky. Why?” the sex god asked.
Zoey just stared at him, all of her thoughts fleeing as a rush of arousal flooded her.
“Female?” He frowned. “Are you well?”
“What? Oh, sorry. My name’s Zoey. Umm, what was the question? Oh yeah, I’m checking for lizards.”
“Lizards?” he repeated the word slowly, as though it was foreign to him.
“Yeah, fire-breathing, flying lizards. That’s why we built the dome. To protect ourselves from them.”
“From fire-breathing, flying creatures,” he stated with a frown.
“Yes.” What was so hard to understand about that?
“Yet you came out here without any sort of protection?” There was clear disapproval in his voice. “What was your minder thinking?”
“Look, I don’t know what a minder is. What I do know is that my commander is waiting for me to report back. So if you could ask your commander to please come out here before those slimy, fire-breathing lizards turn us into a giant bonfire that would be great.
“We don’t have all day, so come on.” She made a hurry-up gesture with her hands. Probably not her best move, she realized, when all three frowned down at her.
“Take me to your leader.” Seriously, she didn’t just say that, did she? She needed to cut down on the time she spent in front of the screen.
“My name is Dexanon Xa’a. I am the Crown Prince of Zerconia. And I do not negotiate with females.”
Okay then. Just her luck to get the Crown Prince. Holy hell.
“Look, obviously this isn’t going to work. I’ll just go back to my commander and tell him you’d rather talk to him.” Which is what she’d suggested in the first place. Damn Pressad and his interference. Zoey turned, wondering how quickly she could get back to the compound without looking like a complete coward.
A large hand grasped hold of her arm, bringing her to a sharp stop. Her breath slammed out of her lungs as heat sizzled through her body. Arousal swamped her, causing her head to spin. The edges of her vision faded to black. Each breath was an effort through the heavy veil of need enveloping her.
Then there was nothing.
“What the stars?” Thor yelled, reaching forward to grasp the tiny female as she slumped forward.
Dex slammed him back with his shoulder, pulling the female up into his arms.
“Mine,” he snarled.
Thor and Koran looked at each other in alarm.
“Dex, what are you—” Koran began.
“Mine,” he growled again, this time at Koran as he tried to step closer.
“Dex, are you feeling well?” Thor asked.
Was he well? He wasn’t sure. Fierce arousal pounded through him. His swollen cock pressed painfully against his tight pants.
Possessiveness was a roiling, violent beast inside him. No one would touch her. No one but him. She was his. The other half of him. His mate.
“She is my mate.”
“That’s impossible, she’s not Zerconian.” Koran shook his head.
Dex glared at him, snarling. “It’s not safe out here.”
Too many unknowns, too many risks. He needed her inside where he could secure her safety. He didn’t like that they were stranded here until the engine could be fixed, but he knew they would be safer inside the ship.
“Dex,” Thor followed him as he strode back inside. The three guards, who’d been keeping watch, covered their backs as they entered the ship. “You can’t just steal her.”
“Mine.” Dex wasn’t going to stand here and argue. If Thor wanted to fight about it, then Dex would meet him in the training room. After he’d settled his mate into his quarters.
“At least let me check her,” Thor said reasonably.
Let him touch her? “No.”
The urge to join with her, to fully make her his, drove him forward as he made his way through the ship to his quarters. Her unconscious state worried him slightly, but he assumed it was because she was weak. He would need to address that. She didn’t weigh more than a child. Obviously, her minder didn’t care for her as he should.
That didn’t matter now because Dex would ensure she was properly cared for. No way would he ever let her endanger herself like she just had. He growled as he thought of the risk she had taken in coming out to greet them alone. That would be unheard of in his culture. Outside of their own home, women were to be accompanied by their minder or guards at all times until they were mated. Then it was up to their mate to see to their safety.
Dex’s mood grew even darker as he assessed all the risks she’d taken. She’d obviously been frightened, despite the brave front she’d put on. Her fear of the fire-breathing lizards had been clear. He didn’t understand how her men could allow such nonsense as to send a tiny female to negotiate with him.
“Dex, listen to me!” Thor jumped in front of him, throwing his arms out in an attempt to prevent him from moving forward.
Dex snarled. The tiny female stirred, letting out a quiet whimper. He made a soothing sound deep in his throat. It was understandable that she’d be afraid. He was much larger than she was and far stronger. But once he laid down some rules and boundaries, she would feel more secure.
Eventually, she would come to trust him. It should only take a rising or two. Maybe five risings at the most for her to settle into her new life.
The female drifted back off to sleep once more. Dex studied her with a frown, not liking the dark smudges under her eyes. What kind of care had she been receiving?
Hair the color of the Zerconian desert fell down her back in soft waves. She’d tied it back away from her face. Small spots covered her nose, standing out against her pale skin.
“Get out of my way,” Dex ordered. “If you want to fight this out, I’ll meet you in the training room later.” Once he had cemented his bond with the female in his arms, then he’d go beat the crap out of his cousin. It was the way the males in his race settled things. They were a violent, aggressive race and they needed physical release.
It was far safer to work things out in the training room than to hold everything inside until they exploded.
“They’re not going to let you just take her,” Koran said from behind him.
Dex turned with a snarl.
“Remain calm.” Koran held up his hands. “Remember, I am loyal to you.”
Dex didn’t like having someone at his back while he had Zoey in his arms. Zoey, strange name. Not terribly feminine. He would need to think of a new name for her. Something more soft and gentle. A new name would also help assimilate her into her new culture.
And break ties with her old race.
“He's overly possessive and protective.” Thor studied Dex. “Do you think she really is his mate?”
“I think it’s been too long since he found release,” Koran countered.
Dex glared at Koran as he took a step closer. “Mine. Back away.”
“She can’t be yours, Dex. She’s not one of us.” Koran frowned.
“She will be. Get out of my way, both of you.”
Thor sighed. “Dex, the Earthlings are going to demand we give her back.”
“So? We have the firepower to destroy them. What are they going to do?” Dex tightened his hold as the female stiffened then opened her eyes.
A screech so loud it hurt his ears burst from her mouth. He tightened his hold as she attempted to scramble out of his arms, her green eyes wide and frightened.
“Calm down,” he told her, trying to soften his voice. How the hell was he going to find the gentleness he needed to deal with her when his body was raging with need? “No one will hurt you.”
“What happened? Oh God, what was that? Why did I faint? What did you do to me?” She glanced around. “Where the fuck am I?”
All three men winced.
“For such a small thing, she certainly has powerful lungs.” Thor looked pained as he gazed down at her.
“Shut up, Happy,” she snapped.
“Happy?” he asked in confusion.
“Put me down.” She scowled up at Dex.
“No,” Dex replied.
Despite his obviously superior strength, she continued to struggle against his hold.
“Stay still before you hurt yourself.” He couldn’t allow that.
“Let me down, you overgrown buffoon.”
What was a buffoon?
“If you do not cease fighting me, I will be forced to punish you.”
“Punish me?” She stopped fighting, looking up at him in shock. He was glad to see that his female was no different than those of his culture. Generally, it was not needed to punish a female. Just the threat was enough to gain their obedience.
He was grateful, as he didn’t relish punishing someone as delicate as Zoey. No, that name was terrible. What should he name her? Lulu. Yes, he’d name her after his mother’s mother. She was an obedient, sweet woman.
“I will not allow you to hurt yourself. If you continue to fight against me, I shall be forced to punish you as a deterrent.”
“Punish me? Seriously? For trying to get away after you kidnap me? Did you expect me to just smile and say thank you for kidnapping me, overgrown ape man?”
What was an ape? All these strange words she used were confusing.
“I didn’t kidnap you. You are my mate.”
“No. I’m. Not. My name is Zoey Mira and I’m an analyst assigned to the Solim compound. I am not your mate. You can’t just steal me. You’re going to start a war between our races.”
He shrugged. “Your people don’t have the resources to fight us. If they try, then they will be destroyed.”
She gaped at him. “You are not serious. Why would you want to start a war because of me?”
“You are mine.”
He heard her gulp as she gazed at Thor and Koran nervously.
“Has he been, you know?” She made a gesture he didn’t understand, holding her clenched fist up to her mouth and moving it back and forth.
Zoran and Thor looked at each other in confusion.
“Has he been getting into the booze?” she asked. She studied him suspiciously. “Or have you been taking some happy pills?”
“Happy pills? Booze? I don’t understand.”
“Oh God, you really don’t. You have to let me go. This is crazy. I don’t care what you think, but I am not yours.”
“You are. Once we join, you will be mine forever.”
Zoey looked pleadingly over at Happy and Grumpy. They were her only help to talk some sense into the psycho who had decided she was his mate. Her. Why would he even want her? She was nothing special. Average height. Average weight—okay, slightly more than average weight. Average looks.
Just average.
Certainly nothing to get this excited about.
“Can’t you talk some sense into him?” she demanded.
“Quiet, child,” Grumpy said. “We’re trying.”
“She’s not a child,” he snarled. “And she’s mine. Get out of the way before I knock the two of you unconscious and have you locked up for insubordination. I am the Crown Prince. Do not doubt that I will fight you if necessary.”
Happy sighed and stepped aside. “I’ll try to think of an explanation for her people.”
“What? No!” she yelled as her captor moved forward, past Happy. “You can’t just let him take me! Let me go, asshole! Help! Help!”
They got plenty of curious looks as he made his way through the ship. This place was huge. No way would she be able to find her own way out of here. But no one interfered. In fact, they just bowed their heads as they passed by.
This wasn’t good. Not good at all.
Finally, he came to a stop in front of a large door that opened automatically. He stepped inside. Zoey studied her surroundings, unable to squelch her curiosity, despite the predicament she found herself in.
Slowly, her captor set her down on her feet, holding her waist with his hands. If she hadn’t been so engrossed in her surroundings, she’d have pushed him away.
Across the room was a large viewing portal, allowing light to filter into the big room. In one corner was a small pool of water. In the other corner, there was a set of armchairs and a fluffy, orange-colored rug.
But it was the item straight across from her than captured her attention. “How is that mattress just floating there?”
Her captor, what had he called himself? Crown Prince something-or-other, glanced over at the floating mattress.
“It’s alive, of course. Sometimes it likes to float around the room.”
“It’s alive? But it looks like a mattress.” Wait, maybe he didn’t understand that word. “You know, somewhere where you sleep.”
He gave her an incredulous look. “Of course it’s where I sleep.”
“You sleep on a living thing?” Okay, she knew he was insane, but this was plain bizarre.
“It is alive, but not really sentient. It was created, not born. It adjusts to body temperature, weight, height, but it doesn’t really think. It can also help give you pleasure.”
“What? Why would I care about that?” She took a step away from him.
He followed her, watching her every move with hunger in his eyes. “Because very soon we will fully join and you must know that I will bring your every fantasy to life. Every wish, every desire, even the ones you didn’t know you had will be fulfilled. The masic can help.”
“Masic?” she asked, trying not to think about everything else he’d just said. She did not want that. Not any of it.
Oh yeah? Then how come he sounds eerily similar to your fantasy pirate and you nearly explode every time you think of him?
He waved his hand over at the floating mattress, which was now another foot or so higher in the air. “Where we will sleep. And do other things.” He leered at her suggestively and she hastily stepped backward, holding up a hand to ward him off.
“Wait, uh, stop!” She held out a hand.
He came to a stop. That was too easy.
Zoey took a deep breath in. “Can we just slow down for a minute?” She attempted to smile at him. Reason with him, bide yourself some time. Surely, Happy and Grumpy are working on a rescue plan.
But then, they were on his side.
“I can’t remember your name. Don’t you think I should know that before we, ahh, you know … join?”
Images popped unbidden into her head. His body over hers, surrounding her, all that heat and muscle and smooth skin. Her body tightened, her nipples aching so much they hurt. She’d never reacted this way to a male before, not even her fantasy pirate.
Why him? Why’d she have to lust after a crazy alien who spouted out words like punishment and mate and joining like she was supposed to just go along with everything he said?
-->
