Rebel Heat

by Cyndi Friberg

  “Really?” She dragged the elastic band off the end of her hair and quickly unwove the braid. “You paid Flynn for Sevrin’s research then gave it to a Rodyte general who obviously has the means to pick up where Sevrin left off.”

  “Garin doesn’t have the research and I won’t give it to him unless we find out that Quinton has it as well.”

  The revelation took a bit of the wind out of her sails, but only a bit. She dragged her fingers through her hair as she glared at him. She needed to stay angry, needed to distance herself from the savage attraction drawing her to him. “Why the stipulation?”

  “If Quinton controls the formula, he literally decides who accesses magic and who is left depending on technology. That’s too much power for any one person.”

  “And if Sevrin didn’t keep Quinton in the loop, what will you do with the data?” Think. Focus on facts and implications. She couldn’t allow herself to notice how well the austere uniform suited him or how accurately the top outlined his chest and abdomen.

  “I’ll destroy it,” he said emphatically. “Both Garin and I think that’s what will happen. We’ll contain the fallout and make sure no one opens Pandora’s Box.”

  His easy use of human vernacular always surprised her. How much had he known about Earth before Sevrin stranded him in a house with nothing to do but surf the internet and watch TV? There were still holes in his understanding, but he’d assimilated a remarkable amount in a few short months. “Even if I agree with the strategy, that’s not all you did. Was it? You also promised them an even better alternative. Care to explain what the hell that meant?”

  “I know about the genetic anomaly.”

  Damn it! For half a second she’d allowed herself to hope he’d meant something else, something that didn’t involve human females. “You told the Rodytes that empowered children are waiting for them on Earth. All they have to do is claim a human female and all of their daughters will be extraordinary?”

  Tension rippled across his shoulders though his voice remained calm. “So think of it from the female perspective. Human females can make each of their daughters stronger, healthier and more intelligent by breeding with battle born males. Have you forgotten what I told you on the mountain? Bonding with a Rodyte will more than double the life expectancy of a human female, as well as making her stronger and healthier during those extra years. Why wouldn’t you tell your friends, spread it all over the internet, maybe call a press conference?”

  “It’s not the same,” she cried.

  “It’s exactly the same.”

  “You’ve dangled my species in front of your cousins like a pirate’s treasure. You’ve made my world more vulnerable than Sevrin ever did. And I don’t even understand what you gain by betraying us like this. The equation doesn’t work for you.” Her voice had grown shrill, so she took a deep breath and tried to rein in her emotions. This was beyond disastrous. “You’ve offered them the answer to their prayers, a way to rise above their mediocrity. Who could resist such a promise?”

  “A promise is all it is, morautu. Two thirds of the Rodyte military is made up of battle born soldiers. If they all ran off to Earth, Rodymia would be defenseless. No one—including Garin Nox—will allow that to happen.”

  His assurance was much less distracting than the name he kept calling her. Each time he uttered the word his voice became soft and caressing.

  “Then why are you here?” she asked instead. “What do you gain by sharing all of this with General Nox?”

  He poured blood wine into both the glasses and handed her one. “I’m just completing my mission.”

  “What mission?” She took the glass from his outstretched hand, unable to resist the temptation. Maybe the wine would help settle her nerves and make her feel less jittery.

  “When Sevrin originally contacted me, I had no idea what she wanted and she wouldn’t specify. Garin, the entire Nox family, has been in political limbo ever since Pern died. Quinton doesn’t trust them, yet Sevrin isn’t strong enough to restore the power they once commanded.”

  “So Garin told you to spy on Sevrin?” He nodded, but didn’t elaborate. “Isn’t she supposed to be an ally of the Nox family?”

  “Exactly. She’s supposed to be their ally, yet she’d grown secretive and scattered.” He paused then sighed. “As with everything, it’s more complicated than just Sevrin and Garin.”

  Despite her lingering anger, she allowed herself to smile. “Well, try to summarize.”

  “Sevrin had been playing games with Quinton too. So Quinton talked to Garin, asked if he knew anyone who could get close to Sevrin, maybe find out what she was really doing on Earth.”

  “This was after Garin had already decided to send you?”

  “Just before I was scheduled to leave. Garin let Quinton think it was a huge imposition, an ‘I will but you’ll owe me’ sort of thing. Royal promises are a handy thing to stash away for a rainy day.”

  “So Quinton thinks you’re spying for him, but you’re actually working for Garin.”

  “That’s the ultra-simplified version of events.”

  She had to admit it was clever and she could appreciate a sound strategy. Sound strategy? She tensed. Is that what this was to Nazerel? He was filling her mind with intriguing information as he waited for her emotions to subside. And eroding her anger left her open to his appeal.

  She knew where this night was headed. It was basically inevitable. Still, she couldn’t let him win this easily. She avoided his gaze, knew the power of those night-black eyes. Yet his fingers looked long and strong against the narrow glass. His muscular arms were easily capable of holding her down while he kissed her senseless. His mouth would taste sweet and spicy from the wine. She licked her lips, barely able to remember what they were talking about.

  Nazerel’s mission. The fact that Nazerel was a spy didn’t excuse what he’d done, or more accurately, what he’d allowed others to do. “Why didn’t Garin pull you once you found out what Sevrin’s project was about?”

  A harsh sort of laugh escaped his throat and he took a long drink of wine. “Do you honestly think Sevrin trusted me with the details? She claimed she could transfer Shadow Assassin abilities into human females. I thought she was full of shit, but I had to stick around long enough to find out how many of her claims were true and why she needed Shadow Assassins to accomplish her goals. Why didn’t she use Bilarrians or Ontarian Mystics?”

  He had a right to protect his people, but not at the cost of hers. “It couldn’t have taken you long to find out the answers to those questions. Why did you let it go on, and on?”

  “Again you’re overestimating the relationship I had with Sevrin. Flynn was my primary source of information and, thanks to you, I’m not sure I can trust anything he told me.”

  They were arguing in circles and the issues were becoming more and more transparent. This wasn’t a real conversation. It was a stall tactic. Even so, she couldn’t seem to stop. “Sevrin is dead and your men are back on Ontariese, so what is General Nox’s interest in all this?”

  “Garin thought Sevrin had lost track of the empowered females her father had promised the elite families and her new project was a desperate attempt at fulfilling the contract.”

  “Was he right?” Her taskforce had managed to learn most of what Sevrin had done, but no one understood why the ruthless bitch did anything.

  “That might have been how this started, but that wasn’t where it led. We’re pretty sure Sevrin’s true aspiration was to overthrow Quinton with the help of her empowered army.”

  “And rule as Rodymia’s first empowered queen?”

  “Crown Stirate, but yes. She wanted it all.”

  What Sevrin wanted was irrelevant now. All of her scheming failed and she’d died at the hands of her enemies. Morgan might have a clearer picture of Nazerel’s role, but she wasn’t sure the Ontarians would consider any of this justification for what Nazerel had done. Still, his words rang true.

  “So you’ve
reported in with your handler,” she concluded, “what now?”

  “That depends on you.”

  “Really.” She took several sips of wine then prompted, “How does any of this depend on me?”

  He closed the distance between them and took her nearly empty glass from her hand. After setting both glasses aside, he placed his hands on her shoulders. “You’re too smart not to understand what comes next. The only question is how is it going to happen?”

  She tried to disguise her nervous laugh as a cough, but that only made her sound strangled. “Do I get to choose a position?”

  “You can stay locked in this room until I’m ready to return you to Earth or—”

  “When will you return me to Earth? If we leave now, I won’t press charges.”

  He ignored the interruption and completed the ultimatum. “Or we can finish what we started in the tent.”

  She was about to tell him she was fine with confinement, but he didn’t give her the chance. He pulled her into his arms and silenced her with his mouth. Yet the kiss was filled with longing not demand. His arms held her securely against his chest as his lips moved over hers.

  Her pride required that she resist. He’d just exposed human females to an unprecedented threat and now he expected her to fall into bed with him. Her mind registered the irony, yet her body didn’t give a damn. He was fierce and determined, more exciting than any man she’d ever known. She wanted him, had longed from this moment ever since their first kiss.

  Tugging his shirt out from inside his pants, she slipped her hands under the clingy fabric. His back was warm and broad, the muscles flexing beneath her touch. He eased his tongue into her mouth and she pressed even closer. The spicy/sweet taste of blood wine lingered in his mouth, making the kiss even more intoxicating. She curled her tongue around his and dug her fingernails into his back, wanting him closer. Needing…just needing.

  He framed her face with his hands as he slowly pulled away. Their gazes locked and his breath warmed her parted lips. “You can pretend Garin gave us no choice, but I’ve wanted this since I first saw your face.”

  Not ready to speak the words, she pushed to the balls of her feet and pressed her mouth to his. He accepted her silent assent with a passionate growl then continued kissing her. She tugged his shirt up until it bunched beneath his arms. He tore his mouth from hers long enough to rid himself of the shirt then went right back to kissing her. They clung to each other, hearts pounding, breaths mingling as they exhaled in harsh pants.

  “This is crazy,” she whispered more to herself than to him. “I should hate you.”

  “But you don’t.” It was a statement not a question.

  “I can’t want you. It’s disloyal.”

  He stroked her lower lip with the pad of his thumb as he gazed deep into her eyes. “Disloyal to whom? There is no male in your life.”

  “To my team, my gender, my planet,” she cried. “You’re more dangerous than Sevrin by far.”

  “Not to you, never to you.” Apparently tired of her arguments, he swept her up in his arms and carried her to the bed.

  Garin had given her the perfect excuse for allowing this to happen, yet Morgan tried not to lie to herself. She wasn’t reluctantly allowing Nazerel to “claim” her so the other seven thousand males would leave her alone. She was allowing herself to surrender because she needed this release. She needed to be selfish and irresponsible, and Nazerel attracted her like metal to a magnet.

  His chest was warm, his neck even warmer. She curled into the security of his embrace and let go of her inhibitions. She was surrounded by people who depended on her strength and composure, her logic and strategies. Was it really so surprising that she wanted to revel in mindless passion for one night?

  But was this only for one night?

  He set her down beside the bed and reached back to release the fastenings on her dress. His expression was intense, hungry. She grabbed his upper arms. “This is just sex, right? You’re not going to form any sort of bond?”

  His fingers splayed against her back and his gaze bore into hers. “Forcing a bond into an unwilling mind is dangerous and it corrupts the connection. Even if that weren’t true, I would never do that to any female, much less one I—” He stopped himself from finishing the thought and glanced away from her face. “This is just sex.”

  Chapter Ten

  “This is just sex.” The lie tasted foul in Nazerel’s mouth, but he knew Morgan wasn’t ready for any other answer. Their attraction was unexpected and inconvenient, yet trying to resist the forces drawing them together was pointless. He’d had sex often enough to know that this was something different, something deeper than just a physical joining.

  She slowly let go of his arms and lowered her hands to her sides. “What does morautu mean?”

  Taking advantage of her distraction, he unfastened the back of her dress. “What do you think it means?”

  “Zilor said Garin’s mother was a morautu, a chosen mate. But you make it sound more like honey or sweetheart.”

  “And that upsets you?” The word was an endearment, but nothing so generic as sweetheart. The meaning was specific and intensely intimate. When she was ready to hear the explanation he’d tell her exactly what it meant, but not until she was ready.

  A millisecond before the dress slipped away from her body, she pressed the front against her breasts. “I didn’t say it upset me. It just seems odd to be called sweetheart by my enemy.”

  He caught her wrists and pulled her hands away from her chest. The dress slid to her hips, exposing her breasts. His breath caught in his throat and his already hard cock jerked in appreciation of the sight. “We’re not enemies tonight.” He looked into her eyes then at her breasts, not willing to pretend he didn’t find her amazing. “We’re two consenting adults who need a few hours away from reality.”

  She wiggled and the dress pooled around her ankles, baring the rest of her body. Surprise spiraled through his system, lust half a step behind. She wasn’t wearing undergarments of any kind.

  “Apparently pleasure givers aren’t big on underwear.” Her cheeks flamed, the flush spreading onto her upper chest.

  She’d sat there all evening, surrounded by Rodyte warriors, wearing nothing but that alluring dress. Nazerel could have slipped his hand up under her skirt and touched her naked flesh. None would have been the wiser. Until her scent filled the cabin and drove them all into a lustful rage. He would have been forced to fight off his cousins and claim her right there on the dining room table. A dark smile curved his lips. The scene appealed to the most savage part of his nature. It was fortunate for her that he hadn’t known until now.

  “I’m certainly not complaining.” He wrapped one arm around her waist and cradled the back of her head with his other hand. “You were stunning in that dress, but you’re even more beautiful without it.” He lowered his head before she could reply.

  Her lips parted for his and he pushed his tongue deep into her mouth, savoring the heat and softness. She caressed his arms and back as she sensually rubbed against him. He could smell her arousal, knew she was wet and ready for him. But, if she had her way, this would be their only night together. He intended to take his time and savor every moment she was naked and willing in his arms.

  He urged her backward. The bunk’s edge connected with her knees and she automatically sat. Her hands trailed down his chest and came to rest on his hips. Her gaze traveled even lower. She licked her lips and desire clasped Nazerel’s body like a punishing fist. Ever since she touched him in the shower he’d been tormented by the image of her on her knees, naked and eager as he slid in and out of her mouth.

  She reached for his pants, her fingers lightly brushing the bulge barely contained within. He hissed and caught her wrists. “I want you too badly for that, at least right now.” He moved her hands to each side and slightly behind her then knelt on the floor. He eased her legs apart, making room for him between her knees.

  “What about me?”
She tried to bring her legs back together, but he moved closer and pushed her legs even farther apart. “I want you just as badly.”

  “Do you? That’s hard to believe.” Challenge rang through his words and he slid his hand up her leg. He teased her inner thigh, his touch creeping higher and higher.

  She tensed, her muscles quivering beneath his fingertips. Her skin was silky and warm, then suddenly slick as her body proved her claim. She was so wet that moisture had spilled from her core and dampened her inner thighs.

  His lids drooped as his fingers reached her folds. “So soft,” he whispered. “And so wet.” He caressed her, allowing his middle finger to sink between the petal-soft folds. She held perfectly still except for the rapid rise and fall of her chest. He avoided her clit, knew she was already close to orgasm. “How long have you been like this?”

  Rather than answer with words, she took his face between her hands and kissed him. Her lips moved with wild passion, her tongue boldly seeking his. He wrapped his free hand around the back of her neck and pushed a second finger into her snug passage. When he filled her as well as his fingers could, he found her clit with his thumb and caressed her with a soft, circular motion.

  She moaned into his mouth, her hips rocking against his hand. Her scent was making him dizzy, making him ravenous for her taste. He wanted to bury his face between her thighs and coat his tongue with her cream. He wanted to anchor a link inside her mind so they could share thoughts and feelings. The physical joining became so much more intense when both parties could experience all the pleasure. But he’d promised not to touch her mind, to keep this strictly physical.

  Her mouth tore away from his and she cried out as release claimed her. She clutched his shoulders and arched her back, her inner muscles rippling around his fingers. He mirrored the rhythm of her body with his thumb, prolonging each spasm until she was panting and dazed.

  “Lie back.”

  She happily obliged and he paused to enjoy the view. Her colorful hair spread out around her like a sunset, accenting the beauty of her face. One arm curved above her head, the other rested across her abdomen, just below her breasts. Her waist dipped dramatically then flared into rounded hips. Long and sleekly muscled, her legs sprawled, allowing his hand to nestle between her thighs.