“Maybe later,” he whispered, and hurried along to speak to O’Ka.
Seated at his desk before the touchscreen, he studied his ally’s striking face. She frowned in a dark way, waiting for his signal to offer her report. “Tell me of the attack,” he finally said.
O’Ka smiled, revealing her fangs. “There were three casualties on our side, noble sacrifices. They flew into the helm of the Kyleena mothership. The flames!” She leaned forward, her merciless eyes widening over the excitement of battle. “The explosion! Ah, Enrue, you should have been at my side to see it. A shame we cannot claim responsibility for it.”
He cleared his throat and shuffled his feet uncomfortably. Her damned nylenth blood again. “And the Emperor’s son? Did you capture him?”
O’ka pursed her lips, her voracious nature subsiding for a moment. She looked away, guilt spreading over her visage. “There was a problem.”
“What problem, Empress?”
“The ship is destroyed. The child is dead. Everyone died.” She raised one hand, open palmed. “It could not be helped.”
Enrue leaned back in his chair and fingered his chin, thinking. It is one less heir. If we kill them all, chaos will tie up the courts when distant relatives lay claims on the future throne. He nodded. “This is good. Better than what I had hoped for.”
“B—but…you said…”
“I was never one for hostages. That was Jorin’s idea. You know my ways, O’ka. I think mine are in line with yours.”
She regarded him with the sultry gaze she managed without effort. He knew if they were in the same room, her sweet scent would envelope him. Her lust was insatiable, or so he’d heard. Nevertheless, he knew it kept her loyal to him. So long as she desired him, she would continue her flirtations and her interest would not wane. For the nylenth, courtship was a dangerous game of cat and mouse, one he had no intention of playing.
“Very well then. I’ll send my pods to intercept the second child. If the ship is destroyed…” She shrugged. “So much the better.”
Enrue nodded. “Com me when the mission is complete. The Empire will be in an uproar over this.”
“Yes, Shiemir.” She disconnected.
His upper lip curled with disgust. Already his thoughts turned to Melia, the soft feel of her mouth against hers, the way her eyes glittered when he stared into them before Jorin came in. His cock thickened at the idea forming. After Jorin left, he wondered if she would resist him, if she would fight if he took her to his room. Maybe a union in bed would convince her to swear her loyalty. Although he had some experience with sex, he doubted his exploits were as numerous as hers. Somehow, it excited him. He’d never been with a partner like that.
He curled his hand into a fist and thumped it hard on the table. “Damn it!” He groaned and closed his eyes. “I have to get her out of my head.”
* * * *
He worked until night settled in his window, the blue-back sky misted with gray clouds and a few errant stars battling for his attentions. Enrue paced and glanced every so often at the moon. Jorin was gone by now. Giving in, he stomped out of his office and made his way to her cell.
The dim lights in her prison cast an eerie glow. As she had been the night before, Melia sat slumped forward, her wrists drawn high over her head and her hair covering her face. She needed a bath. He figured she’d be hungry and thirsty when she woke as well. Jorin had withheld any nourishment from her in order to weaken her. He keyed in the code and gave in to his needs.
The shackles clacked when they hit the wall. Enrue heaved her pliant body over his shoulder and carried her out. She moaned in her drug-induced stupor, but didn’t make any move to escape.
He carried her to his bedchamber, laid her across his bed and went to draw a warm bath. Pouring a cap of bath oil in the water, he imagined their circumstances were not so sinister, that she was not his prisoner, but his lover. “She cannot be both.”
When the tub filled, he returned to her and pulled off her pants. She wore black panties, lacey things, which incited dark thoughts. He slipped his fingers in the band and tugged the thin fabric away. Her pussy was trimmed and tempting. Enrue looked away, focusing on the data sharer on his desk. He gathered himself and set about removing her blouse and bra.
“Melia.” He sat beside her on the bed and stroked her cheek. “Wake up.”
Her eyes flickered, the pupils dilated and huge. She blinked and attempted to reach for him. Her hand slapped down on her chest. “Bastard,” she mouthed.
“I’m sorry.” He reached up and unbuttoned his shirt, casting the garment aside with little pomp. He wanted to hold her, to sink into the bath with her atop his body, their skin pressed together. He stood and untied his belt, dropping it. He slipped his feet from his shoes and dropped his pants and underwear. His cock awakened, stiff and at the ready.
“Bastard,” she managed to say aloud. “You bastard. I hate you.”
He bent and lifted her, one hand supporting her knees and the other gathered beneath her back. “Did he break you today?”
“Never. I’ll kill him in the morning. Then the Six will be five.” She reached once more, this time her fingers met the side of his head and curled into his hair. “Enrue?”
“Yes?” He entered the bathing room and stood there, waiting for her to gather enough energy to speak.
“I’m thirsty. I want to brush my teeth.” She half-laughed, half-cried. “I want to kiss you again you son-of-a-bitch.” Smacking her lips together, she laid her head back, her eyes blinking. “But I have to brush my teeth.”
He didn’t know whether to laugh or not. “All right. I’ll help you.”
“Yes.” She closed her eyes.
He set her on the chair by the mirror and found her a glass of water. She drank it down while he prepared a toothbrush. When he offered it to her, she she shook her head.
“More water.”
He nodded as she traded the brush for the empty glass. Enrue filled it at the sink. When he faced her, she narrowed her eyes, brushing her teeth in slow strokes. She took her time, stood on shaky legs and shirked off his hand when he moved to support her. She spit and rinsed in the sink, faced him and shook one finger in his face. “Just why the hell am I naked?”
“I’m naked too.” He held out the glass. “I thought we could take a bath.”
Her gaze traveled down his body, appraising. “A bath…” Snatching the glass from his hand, she stared at his erection. “And that? Is that supposed to mean nothing?”
“You have nothing to worry about from that. It’s been alone a long time.”
She guzzled down the water, wiped her mouth across her arm and set the glass aside. “Bullshit. You’re the Shiemir. I’m sure you have concubines, wards, probably little boys too. You can have whatever you want.”
He grimaced. “Little boys?” Enrue placed his hands on her slight shoulders. “I am not like the leaders in the Empire, little Cossia.”
She rested a hand on his chest. “No. I suppose not.” She closed her eyes and swayed a bit, obviously not recovered from the injections. “Hold me close before I fall on my ass.”
He scooped her up and carried her to the tub. Lifting her high, he stepped in and settled her across his body. His cock brushed her pubic hairs and it tickled, but he didn’t smile. Melia laid her cheek on his bare chest. Enrue leaned back and relaxed, his small fantasy of closeness coming true.
Chapter Twenty
Seducing the Shiemir
The memories became a thin mist. Melia let it dwindle. She calmed and wrapped her arms around Enrue. The water soothed her shivers. His chest made a sturdy pillow to rest against. His hard cock, prodding into her thigh, confirmed her suspicions. She aroused him, like all men she encountered. She hadn’t lost her touch. “Enrue,” she said, breaking the quiet between them. “You’re a fool to bring me here. You know I’m supposed to kill you.”
His large hand rode down her back to her butt. He gripped her ass and urged her down. “I know
what you are.”
“You should take me back to the cell now.” She raised her head. His face was serene, his eyes closed, and his lips parted slightly. She hungered for his mouth, for the fire he ignited in her body.
His free hand skimmed her side, her waist, and rested on the other cheek of her ass. “Are you going to keep advising me, or are you going to kiss me?” He raised his leg, parting hers. She slid into position, his cock just at her entrance. All she needed to do was scoot a little more and his length would fill her. She wanted that, had desired it since their first com, but then, she’d desired his death as well.
“Now, I’m not sure,” she whispered.
“Mmm.” He thrust up once, a small tease. The head of his sex rimmed her channel, dipping inside. “If you kiss me, I’ll tell you anything.”
“I know all your secrets.” She grasped his face and went in for the taste of his mouth. “I should kill you now. Drown you.” She brushed her lips over his, an ache building in her womb.
He lifted her hips when she kissed him. His cock fell away, and she wanted it back. Struggling in his strong grip, she urged her body into position once more, her kiss urgent.
He squeezed her butt cheeks hard. “Slower,” he said against her open mouth. “It’s been a long time for me.” He nipped at her upper lip. “If I am to die here, I want you to make it a memorable last rite.”
“You’ll never forget me.” She gripped his head and invaded his mouth with her tongue, satisfied when he couldn’t keep up with her advance. In one swift motion, she aligned their bodies and crushed his cock into her pussy, forcing him deep. He was large and fit tight. The satisfying sense of being filled made her shudder. “Will you?”
“I doubt it,” he managed when she pulled her lips away.
Melia sat up and arched her back. She shifted her weight from side to side, his rigid length satiating her need. “Holy Mother, that feels so good.” She wanted to ride him hard and fast, eager to reach a release. His fingers bit into her hips, a painful, delicious sensation. She rose high and slammed down, the solidness of him drawing a moan of delight from her mouth.
She lifted again and he halted her. “Slower,” he said, his voice an order. “Do it the way I want.”
“No!” She took his wrists and forced his hold away. “I need this more than you.” She crashed against him, slapping her body into him, his dick a stiff extension she needed to conquer, to control, just as she wanted to control Enrue’s mind. She hurried her pace. “Touch me here.” Melia took his hand mid-thrust and pressed his fingers to her clit. “You make me cum with you.”
His eyebrows crinkled over his hazel eyes. His harsh touch and inexperienced fingering only served to arouse her more.
“That’s it,” she encouraged. “Harder. Don’t stop.” Her fingers pinched at her erect nipples. She rode him faster, her mind suddenly clear. A pulsing throb embraced his length, signaling her impending climax. She twisted her nipples, clamping her hands over her breasts.
Enrue gasped and rubbed her clit in hasty swipes, his touch closer to the target. He met her thrusts, the two of them locked as one, joined and working toward the same goal. Water sloshed. Bodies slapped. Enrue cried out a long, groaning, “Aaahhh!” He seized up, his muscles taut and tense.
Melia felt his hot cum spurting inside her. She reached for his hand and guided his fingers into a steady rhythm on her swollen clit. Waves of heat swept over her body. She bit her bottom lip and rode the wave of her orgasm, her breath strained and uneven. She bucked and twisted, his cock slipping almost free. Finally, she forced him inside, stilling above his shaking body and lifting his hand away.
She caught her breath and smiled.
“Is it time for you to kill me now?” he asked, his chest heaving.
“Are you ready to die?” She planted her hands on his chest and lowered herself, his softening length still buried inside.
“Not just yet. I have a few more things to do. Can I take a reservation for a later date?” He half-grinned.
She kissed the bottom of his chin and lay down once more. “I’ll think on it. I’ve let you live too long as it is. I might get fired.” She toyed with his hard nipple, running her fingertip in slow circles across its shape.
“Do you do this to all the men you assassinate?”
“Only if they’re handsome.”
“The drugs must have blinded you.” He kissed the top of her head. His embrace locked her to him.
Melia snorted at his small joke. “I see just fine, Enrue.”
After their bath, they walked hand in hand to the bedroom and stood by the desk. There, he traced over her face with his fingers as if memorizing every detail. She had never had a man caress her in such a way. His soft touch made its way to her neck, lingered on her shoulders, and leisurely explored each of her breasts. She moaned in ecstasy.
“Am I doing this right?” he whispered, just before his mouth met her nipple.
“Keep it up. Maybe I’ll let you live.”
He suckled at her breast, drawing her nipple against the roof of his hot mouth. His hands paused at her waist.
“Bite it,” she told him. “Just a little. It feels good.” She glanced down at his unsure expression.
His teeth closed over her tender skin.
“Mmm. Yes, that’s right.”
He released her and licked his way lower, crossing her navel until he knelt before her. He buried his face against her crotch, breathing in her scent. She reached down and ran her fingers through his damp hair.
“Have you ever been to Em-4?” she asked, envisioning the pink holograms from her ship’s shower.
“Shh,” he said against her slit. He parted her labia. His tongue darted in to test the way. Warmth, wetness and a gentle tickle made her shudder. He paused to say, “Why would you ask such a thing at a time like this?”
He sucked her bud past his lips, his tongue raking over its surface. She moaned and rocked into him. “I’ve—just always—wanted to…”
His mouth worked magic on her pussy, drawing her toward another climax. He swirled his tongue in patterns she couldn’t follow. At either side of his face, her thighs trembled. He worked with diligence until she succumbed, whimpering in the throes of a pounding release.
He rose and curled his arms around her. “I was born in the Em-4 system,” he said. “My parents were on holiday on the first planet. I came a month early.” He kissed her lips, the musk of her juices fresh on his lips. “Why? Did you need a vacation from work?”
Melia nodded, thinking this coincidence, his origins being in the one place she longed to escape to, were too much to be meaningless. “A vacation would be nice after I kill you.”
“You’re a determined woman.” He pushed her toward the bed. Her backside pressed into the mattress. Clutching her sore wrists, he held them above her head. “But you need to understand. I’m a determined man.”
Forcing her backwards, he parted her legs with his and bent over, his arousal evident once more. “I want to take you again, as many times as I can tonight.” He wedged his cock inside her in a slow thrust. “I want to fuck you, Melia. You need to realize I’m stronger than you.” He slammed into her hard. “Leave the Empire.”
She raised her legs and locked her ankles over his tight butt just as he drove himself in again. “I’ll think on it.” She stared into his eyes the whole time he pounded inside her. His aggression was returning and she liked it. She wanted to fight him, to draw him down and beneath her, but she didn’t. He is meant for me.
He came in a violent thrust, gripping her wrists and groaning, his eyes squeezed shut. He let out a held breath and pumped into her a few more times. “Did you finish?” he asked.
“No.” She touched his face and urged him down on top of her. He obeyed and kissed her gently, his body slick with sweat. “But you can always try again.”
“Mmm yes.” He let go of her arms and combed his fingers into her hair, holding the back of her head while their kisses deepen
ed. He broke away, his cock leaving her. Enrue lay on his side, his arms shifting to her waist. He held her tight as if she might escape.
“Do you snore?” she asked.
He twisted his mouth. “Probably. There’s been no one in bed with me to complain.”
“You’re serious? You haven’t slept with anyone since your wife?” She never knew someone so high ranking who didn’t have a mistress.
“That’s right.”
“I don’t understand you.” She turned in his grip so her back faced him. Melia stared at the photovid on the bedside table. Scenes of Tarafian beaches and sunsets flashed and winked out in slow waves. “You can have anyone you want and yet you have no one. Why?”
He nuzzled her shoulder, small kisses lacing across her skin. “Why should I open myself up to loss again?”
The vid flashed and a portrait of a woman in a red dress overlooking the sea caught Melia’s attention. The woman looked familiar. She squinted, trying to place her. “So you chose me? Such a smart man.”
“Swear loyalty to me, Melia. You want to stay here, don’t you?” He assaulted her neck with his mouth, causing tingles to spread over her body.
“I belong to the Empire. I’m a ward. I told you that already.”
He worked his way to her earlobe. The image of the woman by the sea winked out and another picture replaced it. Melia wanted to close her eyes when he began whispering in her ear, but she waited for the photo of the woman to appear once more. The tip of his tongue teased her skin.
A series of ten images flashed before it returned. “Who is that?” she asked.
He leaned over her shoulder to see. “My daughter, Sima. She was killed by Unangi rebels before I invaded Irnia.” A slight emotion sounded in his voice. “An experienced assassin would have known that detail. Don’t they give you files on your marks?”
“Of course. I never looked up your daughter though, just you.” She placed her hands over his and closed her eyes. The memory of the woman in Alga came clear. Their resemblance was uncanny. She filed away the thought. “Go to sleep so I can kill you in the morning.”
Urden, God of Desire Page 10
