Love By Command

by Lacey Thorn

  Before I had time to process what I was witnessing a piece of wall flew open, revealing a door made to blend and be overlooked. Four men poured out. None of us had time to check on Kain. I only hoped he was unconscious and not seriously injured. I refused to consider the other possibility.

  Xanthus immediately took on two of the assailants. One jumped at Radek, taking him to the ground where they rolled. I faced off with the fourth. Training took over, but instinct played a part, as well. Taking a running leap, I jumped at the wall, using my feet to push off and turn. The momentum enabled me to kick hard enough to spin my opponent.

  He hit the ground hard. I landed in a crouch beside him. Rising, I stomped hard on his wrist and felt no remorse as I heard the bone snap. His weapon was useless to him now. I kicked it away as he pulled his hand to his chest, cradling it. One more sharp kick to his temple and he was out.

  I glanced over. Radek had his guy on the ground beneath him. It didn’t look as though he needed my help. Xanthus on the other hand did. Both men came at him. One to the side and behind Xanthus had a wicked-looking knife in his hand. That didn’t look fair to me.

  Jumping in, I took the one behind Xanthus with a roundhouse kick that had the man reeling back and away. I followed up with a front kick that took out his knee with a loud popping sound. I aimed for the places that would do the most damage. I didn’t play around when I fought.

  I heard a snap and turned in time to see Xanthus break the neck of his adversary. “No witnesses,” Xanthus grunted.

  No witnesses. Not only would I have to take this one out, but I’d also have to go back to the other and make sure he wouldn’t wake up. Ever.

  We’d already made enough noise that we’d be lucky if there weren’t more getting ready to pour out and attack. I quickly cut off the moans of the one holding his knee by slamming my boot heel into his throat. At that point, it was easy enough to use his knife. One quick thrust to his heart and it was all over.

  I turned to find Xanthus had already handled the first one I’d tangled with. Radek had Kain over his shoulder.

  “We need to move.”

  “Kain?” I asked, unable to hold my fear inside a moment longer.

  “It’s happened before. They rewire so a jolt goes out to the hacker, knocking him out. A signal beeps inside, alerting them to our presence. Kain is usually good at spotting a rewire. They must be getting better.”

  I nodded at Radek. “So he’ll be okay?”

  “A little rest and he’ll be fine. Nothing more than a bruised ego,” Xanthus assured me. “Now, let’s move.”

  Xanthus took the lead, and I automatically took up the spot behind Radek. He had Kain and had to be protected. I knew I’d earned my spot on the team when neither of them batted an eyelash or said a word. I’d gone from the one in the middle to taking the rear position. I’d be the one to make sure we weren’t followed and to defend us if we were.

  Four men had attacked. I’d taken out two. I’m an Enforcer. Hear me roar!

  I piled my hair on my head and stepped into the personal cleaning unit. It felt so good as the heated beam caressed my skin, cleansing all the dirt and sweat from my body. A second rotation of the beam focused from my neck down, removing any fresh hair growth so I was as smooth as a baby. The beam stopped, and I released my hair, letting it spill around my shoulders. The final beam washed over me, cooling my heated skin and treating my hair to a thorough cleansing.

  Goddess, I felt good. I stepped from the unit and hurried to the door that connected to our sleeping quarters. I was so primed and ready for the promised love play. I was almost on the edge of orgasm from thought alone. After our last few bouts, I had plenty of material to work with.

  I caught my breath as I stepped through the door. Radek lay flat on his back on the bed. His erection rose high in the air with his fist wrapped around it, pumping his shaft. I licked my lips and couldn’t have held back if I’d wanted to. I just looked at those guys, and my horny meter spiked off the charts.

  “See something you want?” Radek all but purred.

  “Absolutely,” I moaned, crossing to the bed then crawling up his sprawled legs until that gorgeous cock was level with my mouth.

  I took it deep, swallowing around the head and taking all of him I could. I cradled his balls in one hand and softly rubbed the velvet skin there. I loved the taste of him, all musk and man and uniquely Radek. Hands gripped my thighs, and I let Radek’s cock pop free to glance behind me. Kain smiled as he palmed my ass and slid his other hand underneath to slip through the slick lips of my pussy.

  Xanthus and Radek had been right. Kain had awoken within a few hours of our return to the shuttle. I’d sat with him, watching his chest rise and fall with every breath until his eyes had flickered open. At that moment, emotion had gotten the best of me, and tears had poured down my face. Kain had held me while I’d cried, crooning nonsense to me. Now, I needed this, him, them, more than any words could convey.

  “So sweet,” Radek growled, bringing me back to the present.

  “Mmm,” I moaned, licking Radek’s shaft while Kain’s finger found my opening and slid deep.

  “You like that?” Kain hooked his finger and gave my inner walls a rub. Every nerve fired to life, and I clenched around him.

  “I want your cock, Kain. Fuck me. Please.”

  Husky laughter filled the room. I felt warm lips caress the globe of my ass. “Fucking isn’t exploring.”

  “Kain.” His name came out as a wail. His fingers were driving me mad. His thumb tapped over my clit, but not quite forcefully enough to get me where I wanted to be. Just enough to drive me higher and higher. The guys were all about taking their time and savoring me. I was all about having them inside me, taking and giving while we all came.

  “Explore me with your cock.” I was willing to say anything to get what I wanted. “Please, Kain.”

  “Slow and thorough.” He spoke through gritted teeth as he slipped his fingers free, and I finally felt the nudge of his cock.

  “Yes…” I hissed out.

  “Don’t forget about me,” Radek murmured, bumping his cock against my chin.

  I wrapped my mouth around the head and slowly slid down his shaft, sucking all the way. I swirled my tongue over every inch that filled my mouth, tasting and doing some exploring of my own.

  Kain slipped his cock deep with one firm thrust. He rested there, his fingers flexing on my ass as he just breathed behind me.

  “I’ll never get enough of you,” Kain moaned. “The way you feel around my dick. The softness of your skin. The gold of your hair. So beautiful. So sexy.”

  “Mmm,” I groaned around Radek’s cock, sending vibrations down into his balls that had him lifting his hips up into me.

  Kain pulled back and sank deep once more. Slow and easy seemed to be the pace of choice at the moment.

  “You fit my dick like a glove, Soph. Like we were always meant to be together.”

  The words touched me. I wanted to believe that maybe we were always meant to be together, the four of us.

  “Want to share some of that?” Xanthus’ voice washed over me.

  Kain gave me a few more deep thrusts before pulling free of the snug grip of my pussy and moving away. Xanthus took his place. The large head of his cock notched in my opening, and he pushed inside. I felt the slap of his balls as he began a nice rhythm of vigorous fucking.

  Radek’s hands flexed and released in my hair as I worked him with my mouth. I tasted drops of pre-cum now and tapped my tongue in the slit to search for more. I couldn’t get enough. Every stroke of Xanthus’ cock made me hungrier, made me suck harder. I was lust. I was sex. And I wanted it all.

  Xanthus pulled free, and I wanted to scream with frustration. I’d been so close, so incredibly close to coming.

  “Time to explore some more,” Kain said. His hands reached for me, lifting me off Radek so he could move out from under me.

  I was turned on the bed, so I lay flat on my back. The thre
e of them loomed over me, eyes sparkling with a desire I knew was reflected in mine.

  “I’ve been dying to get my lips on that sweet pussy since you walked into the room.” Xanthus suited action to words and spread my legs wide to make room for his shoulders. The first slide of his tongue had me panting, my hands reaching down to grip his hair and urge him closer.

  Kain laughed. “I’ve got a hunger for those tight, pink nipples.”

  I groaned with anticipation, watching eagerly as he took position on the bed beside me and reached out to palm and squeeze my breasts. His fingers worked my nipples, both easing and increasing the ache. His dark head bent, and his tongue lapped over first one sensitive nub then the other. I wanted to feel the hard suction of his mouth, wanted the sharp nip of his teeth.

  Radek brushed my hair back out of my face. “You’re so beautiful, Soph, inside and out. You have heart and soul. You’re the kind of woman who makes a man want to lock out the rest of the world so he can be alone with her.”

  “We’re not alone,” I replied with a laugh.

  “We are. It’s just the four of us. That’s as alone as I hope we’ll ever get.” Radek’s words pierced my heart, and tears smarted in my eyes. I shuddered, thinking of reasons our numbers might be limited. It wasn’t something I wanted to think on, much less experience.

  He bent his head close to me and claimed my lips. I moved my hands from Xanthus to wrap around Radek and hold him close. Kain sucked on my nipple, tugging it high against the roof of his mouth. Xanthus’ tongue flicked over my clit, while two fingers filled my sheath.

  Radek swallowed my cries of pleasure as my orgasm built. I’d come to realize being an Enforcer hadn’t been my only dream. I’d had another dream. One I’d never voiced even to my closest friends.

  Emma and Mandy knew me better than anyone, but I’d held a key part of myself away from them. They’d seen the fighter, the one motivated to reach full-fledged Enforcer status, earning the tiger my uniforms now had. They’d seen the party girl, the one always dancing, smiling and engaging in sex just for the physical release. But there was another part of me. The one who’d hidden, too afraid of rejection to share herself.

  That was who I discovered now. The woman hungry for love, for a male to call her own. And this was my chance, for more than just an active-duty assignment. This was my chance to see if love was a possibility for me, with not just one man, but three. I could fall for them. All of them. Who was I kidding? I was falling for them, and their words made me think I might convince them I was worth their love, as well. I was no longer afraid.

  So I held on, held tightly to the three men who rocked my body with orgasm after orgasm. They rotated around me, each taking a turn tonguing my pussy. Each sucked my nipples and rubbed my breasts. And each shared a passionate kiss with me. I grew more relaxed, my body softening with each new orgasm until I was nearly boneless on the bed.

  Soft lips caressed my skin as I slowly came down from the latest orgasm. I couldn’t have moved if I’d wanted to. My eyes, which I hadn’t realized I’d closed, fluttered open. They all smiled at me. The girth and length of their bobbing shafts reminded me that, although I’d come several times, they hadn’t. Still, they smiled and said nothing. And there I went, falling head-over-heels with no guarantee my love would be accepted, much less returned. No guarantee what we shared right now would always be, that it wouldn’t fade.

  Yet I held out my hand. Only I knew my heart came with it.

  “Take me,” I whispered. “Make love to me.” I didn’t realize my words at that moment, how I’d used the term to make love instead of my normal choice of fuck.

  Radek came to me first, slipping between my thighs and plunging deep. I held him while he rocked in and out of me. I thought I was beyond another orgasm, but I was wrong. He brought me up with him and held me balanced on the knife edge for what felt like forever.

  “Now,” he whispered and began a fast and furious pace that sent me flying high. I felt the heat of his cum fill me as I clung to him.

  “I’ll never let anything happen to you, Soph. Never.” He placed a soft kiss on my brow then he was gone.

  “Ready for more?” Kain whispered as he took Radek’s place and plunged home.

  My knees rose of their own accord to grip his pumping hips. My nails found purchase on his shoulders. I arched my back, rising into him, pressing my breasts against his chest. Kain was all rigid muscle as he took me, all masculine energy and grace.

  “Can’t hold back,” he groaned as he slid a hand down between our bodies where we joined as one. His sure fingers found the swollen bud of my clit and rubbed over it.

  My cries echoed around the room. Pleasure drenched my body. I shuddered against him, holding him tightly as he came inside me. Hot jets of white heat filled me, warming me from the inside out. I didn’t want it to end, didn’t want him to stop, but it was inevitable.

  Kain’s lips brushed mine softly. Back and forth, they caressed while we both panted. “There will never be a time when you won’t be in my thoughts. I would fight unto death to defend you.”

  “Shh,” I whispered, placing my fingers to his lips and stilling his words. “No one will die for me.”

  But I saw the sincerity of his vow reflected in the ebony pools of his eyes. He slipped free of my arms without saying another word. But those he’d spoken still sounded in my head. Please, goddess, let none of these men die for me.

  “No tears, Soph.” Xanthus filled my vision, his fingers wiping the moisture that I hadn’t even realized had fallen from my eyes. “I won’t allow any of us to die.”

  I smiled. If pure will could grant such a thing, then Xanthus spoke only the truth. “I know.”

  “Then don’t allow doubt or worry to fill your mind.”

  “Are you going to make love to me?” He had yet to slip between my thighs, and I wanted to feel him there.

  “Every day for the rest of our lives,” he vowed.

  My breath caught, and that stupid rush of tears filled my eyes again. “Shh, Soph. Just let me love you.”

  Xanthus turned me on the bed and tugged until my knees hung off the side. Only then did he step between my legs. He grasped the backs of my thighs and lifted them high and wide.

  “Just lie back and feel.”

  And that’s just what I did. My eyes slipped closed as the first thrust seated him deep. Xanthus was slow and easy. He caressed my skin, touching and igniting a passion I’d thought already spent. His hands moved to the fronts of my thighs, and he straightened my legs against his chest until my heels found purchase on his shoulders. He leaned into me then, his cock hitting deeper than I’d thought possible.

  “We’ve always felt as if something was missing. We’ve been together so long. So long we often act as one person instead of three. I know what they’re thinking before they put it into words. And they know me just as well.”

  He drove deep, his cock filling me then retreating, leaving me empty. I wondered if they would ever know me that well, if I’d know them with that type of depth. I wanted to. I longed to have that intense bond. But that wasn’t something that could be commanded with a signed document, creating a quad unit. That was something much more human in nature.

  “So when I speak to you, know my words aren’t just my own,” Xanthus continued.

  “What?”

  He smiled. “How many times do I need to tell you to stop doing that?”

  “Stop doing what?”

  “Over-thinking.”

  “I’m not this time. I’m just thinking.”

  “Stop,” he commanded.

  I wanted to laugh, but he made me moan instead.

  “Feel, Sophia. Feel and listen.”

  “Yes,” I panted.

  “I think I finally figured out what was missing for Radek, Kain and me.”

  “What?” I asked, but my heart hoped I already knew the answer.

  “You, Sophia. We were just waiting for you.”

  I cried out, jerk
ing my legs wide and dropping them to wrap around his waist and tug him to me. Xanthus fell atop me, his hands catching his weight and preventing him from crushing me into the bed. But I wanted him to.

  We held each other just as I had with Radek and Kain. Xanthus and I clung and reached the heights together, reaching orgasm as I tasted his tongue.

  Later, as we all lay in bed, I was comforted by the sound of their even breathing. It amazed me how much I’d changed in only a few short days. I was no longer the Sophia Burrelis who’d sat in Lt. Certze’s office and agreed to form a quad squad with three Alpha Enforcers I didn’t know. That tiger symbol no longer held everything for me.

  Kain mumbled something, shifting in his sleep and reaching out to cup my hip where I rested on Xanthus’ chest. The steady rise and fall of Xanthus’ chest beneath my ear soothed me. Radek was on the other side of us, my fingers entwined with his. I felt treasured and loved whether the words were spoken aloud or not. We’d all found what was missing from our lives, and I truly believed the words would spill from our lips soon.

  I’m an Enforcer. I’d trained for it all my life. Soon, I’d enter the battleground again, fighting an enemy I was only learning about. Here, I was exhausted from the pleasure given to me by my men. Men whose touches, even when hard, were wanted, desired, craved. They treasure me, and I knew it.

  Maybe, that was why other faces flashed on my eyelids. The faces of the women I’d seen during our briefing, the ones I’d seen on the vid scans while on the ground in the Quadrant Five. The pain and anguish I’d read in those women’s eyes tormented me. I wanted to save them, to set them free from the life they even now endured.

  But I wanted more than that. It wasn’t enough for me to save them. I wanted to know where they’d come from, how they’d been hunted and captured. And I wanted to see to it that no other woman ever endured such a fate.

  “Sophia,” Xanthus whispered.

  “Yes?”

  “Stop thinking and go to sleep.”