“Next time I want to hold you,” she complained, looking at his broad chest.
“If you ask very nicely. Now, do you want to sleep, or eat?”
She was exhausted, but more than that she was hungry. “Eat. But first I want to wash.” And get his toy out of her ass.
“The toy will dissolve after a little time,” he told her. He cupped one of her breasts in his palm, his touch warm and sure. “I’d like you to wear yours to lunch.”
Was he joking?
“Kiri.” He waited, petting her.
She rolled her eyes. “Fine. If you will.”
He smiled slowly. “Very well. But then you’ll owe me a favor.”
“What?”
He stroked his other hand up her thigh and traced her swollen labia, wet with his seed. “There are other toys designed to wear here, in your cunt. They stimulate and arouse as you go about your day.”
“No way. That’s really twisty.” Her face burning, Kiri rolled away from his beguiling touch and sat up.
He laughed, that deep sound in his chest that she loved. He pulled her back against his chest and pressed his mouth to her ear. “Want to wager that you will wear it for me? That and other toys?”
When he held her like this, surrounded by his heat and strength, she was afraid he could talk her into every wicked thing he imagined. She didn’t seem to have much willpower where he was concerned.
“You don’t own me,” she muttered.
He nipped at her earlobe. “That could change if you like.”
If she’d like him to own her? What the quark kind of a thing was that to say?
His grip changed, a new tension humming between them. “Kiri,” he said, a new note in his voice. “There’s only one facet of you I want to possess—that is your sexuality. And one thing you must remember, as we go forward. This, between us—sex play is all it will ever be.”
She froze. How was she supposed to answer that? Was he already regretting his decision to bring her here?
He stroked his fingertips over her cheek. “It needs to be said. I don’t want you to waste your time wishing for more.”
Turning her face into the soft coverlet, she let a soft sound escape her throat.
“Oh, Logan,” she choked. “I—I think it’s too late. After all this, how can you expect me not to love you, at least a little? I’ve been so lonely, so lost. And you’re so … so masterful. You swept into my life and took care of me.”
She shook her head, pressing her forehead into the bed. “I can’t help it. I do want to be yours … in every way.”
It was his turn to freeze, his big body going hard over her. “Kitten...”
She lost control then, her body shaking with the force of her emotion.
He grabbed her arm in a bruising grip and flipped her over. “Are you laughing?”
He looked taken aback. She let her laughter spill out in the quiet room, patting his chest in consolation. It was starry to be one up on him for once.
“Honestly, Logan Stark. Are you for real? I’ve got enough trouble without you bossing me around even more. And as far as falling in love just because you’re good at sex—not gonna happen.”
He shook his head wryly. “One thing is certain. You won’t bore me.”
She shrugged. “Same.”
“My only wish is to entertain and amuse you.” He swatted her lightly on the hip. “Now up. I’m hungry.”
He slid off the bed and walked away toward his lav. Kiri did the same, in the other direction. He was right, it would be a waste of her time to long for more than sex, no matter how good it felt to be held in his arms.
She already one impossible star to reach for, she didn’t need another.
Chapter 13
Kiri showered in the private, feminine bath between Stark’s bedroom and the mistress room. She was exhausted, her arms and legs trembling, and she leaned against the wall of the enclosure instead of standing erect. She managed to wash off and then sank down onto the bench outside, her face buried in the soft towel.
Great God beyond, what chaos her life had become. Like the explosion of a star, leaving the once bright glow scattered across space in chunks of rock. Okay, so her future hadn’t been all that starry, but at least she’d had a place of her own. Now, she wasn’t sure what the seven hells she had. Maybe a safe haven, maybe just a soft landing before she was catapulted out into the cold, dirty streets again.
Her stomach growled, reminding her that part of her ailment was that she needed nourishment. Evidently being arrested took lots of nutrition.
So did sex with Logan Stark. She shook her head, smiling with embarrassment at how he beguiled her into doing exactly what he wanted. Drying herself off, she tugged her new panties up. So soft and delicate.
She made a face as they snugged into place. She could still feel the remnants of the plug in her ass, as well as the gesic. And her pussy was tender from his cock pounding inside her. She felt like a sexual creature. This confused her, which made her want to snarl with irritation.
She was used to knowing exactly who she was, even after a night with an attractive guy. Kiri te Nawa, owner of her own business, looking out for herself and working hard for what she wanted. This man made her want to forget the world outside his penthouse, outside his bedroom. And as he had just reminded her, that was the wrong thing to do.
Her new cosmetics had been placed on the counter before the lighted mirrors. She opened the pots and tubes and carefully used the eye shadow and lip gloss as she’d been shown. Then, finger combing her damp hair into tousled waves, she gazed at her finished reflection in the mirror.
Tired, with shadows in her eyes, but she still looked pretty good. Of course sex with him had put that flush in her cheeks, not the makeup and new clothes. She frowned at her glowing reflection. She’d was a tough, independent woman, had been since she was a teen. She needed to remember that and not let him take over her life—because he might not want her clinging to him, but she didn’t doubt that he’d boss her around just as much as she let him.
Her gaze skittered away, her cheeks hot as she recalled just how good it was to allow him to take over in the bedroom. She pressed her hands to her hot cheeks, blowing out a hard breath, remembering kneeling before him, pleasuring him with her mouth. Lying spread on the pillows for him, able only to take what he did to her.
She caught her breath as her pussy contracted in remembered pleasure, the remnants of the gesic in her ass sending a tingle of sensation through her. She’d never even imagined letting a man hold her still, or use toys on her, never considered it an attractive part of sex play, and here she was, going off to eat a meal with her body still preoccupied with the remnants of passion.
She didn’t understand the pull he exerted on her. Too much to try and cipher out now. How could she explain to him that he wasn’t to fall for her, either, as she had no intention of falling in love with any man? If she said it now, it would sound as though she was only trying to give him tit for tat.
She wrinkled her nose. She’d just have to prove it to him.
***
They ate by the windows again, hot creamed vegetable soup with fragrant rolls and the soft white cheese to which Kiri was rapidly becoming addicted. Stark poured her a glass of the white wine she’d enjoyed at Jasmine, although he drank only water himself. He refilled her glass as soon as it was empty, too.
“I’ve business to finish up for the next few hours,” he told her. “Why don’t you relax with a holovid or a reader?”
The prospect of curling up with a good story was beguiling, but Kiri shook her head at Stark’s autocratic tone. “Have you another work station I could use?” She should be doing something, although what?
She leaned her head on her hand and then covered her mouth as she yawned unexpectedly.
“No.” He ignored her frown. “What I have is a state of the art holovid viewing area. You’ll relax for a few hours. You can go back to fighting the galaxy tomorrow.”
&
nbsp; And with that he picked up her glass of wine and ushered her into a small, plush room with a large leather sofa. He seated her, dropped a cloud-soft half-paca throw over her legs, showed her how to use the controller and left the room. The door shut behind him.
Kiri sat for a moment, stunned. She picked up her glass of wine from the elegant little hover-tray and toasted the huge holovid screen waiting her commands.
“Okay, guess I’m going to relax.” Weird. Sex and a meal was all she ever had with a guy, but she was staying with this one. She slid down in the comfortable depths of the reclining sofa, curling up under the throw. A distraction was definitely what she needed right now.
She found a travel show about Pangaea and settled back to watch. The tour guide, a slender Pangaean with green hair that fluttered around her head and throat, smiled. “Welcome to Pangaea, the garden planet.”
Soon Kiri was along for a tour of gardens full of beautiful plants and flowers. They proceeded to a farm which grew all manner of vegetables and then to a coffee plantation on a verdant, tropical mountainside. She’d like to walk through the rows of glossy leaved shrubs, feel the leaves and berries for herself, smell the air.
She woke with a start when someone said her name. “Ms. te Nawa?”
“Huh? What?” Kiri sat bolt upright. She’d fallen asleep in her nest. The holovid screen was off, and a few large hoverlamps had been lighted. In their soft glow, a slender man in a white smock and black pants stood beside the sofa. He bowed with a polite smile, his pale green hair gleaming. “Would you care for dinner, Ms. te Nawa?”
“Um,” she responded, rubbing a hand over her face. “Who are you?”
“I am Natan, Mr. Stark’s chef and housekeeper,” the man said proudly. “I will serve you dinner.”
She shook her head. “No, thanks. I’m not really hungry.”
Natan’s round eyes widened in horror. “But, Ms. te Nawa, you must eat. I have prepared a pie with real pheasant and baby vegetables. And there is a special wine to complement.”
Real game bird and vegetables, instead of vegeprotein? That sounded really good. “Will Mr. Stark be having dinner?”
His expression went to neutral, although she noticed shrewdly that his hair fluttered around his throat. “Mr. Stark is involved in a conference and will dine in his office.”
She shrugged nonchalantly. She didn’t need him around all the time.
As Natan returned to his galley, Kiri stretched and then went to use the lav.
“Could I just eat at the small table where we had lunch?” she asked, popping her head into the galley to give Natan the smile that got her male customers to buy the extra-large size of coffee with special additions.
He beamed at her. “Of course. I will set the table immediately.”
He brought a dish of candles and a lovely place setting with a salad and a goblet of wine, then held her chair for her with a flourish.
“Thank you,” Kiri said, charmed. “This is really nice, Natan.”
He bowed and then scurried away to bring her main course.
Kiri ate, and drank her wine, gazing out the windows at the lights far below. It was a fairly clear night for once—she could see the lights of space craft coming in to hover and land at the space port across a finger of the bay, and the lights of ships clustered along the docks. Once, a cruiser zipped by the windows, so close she jumped and nearly spilled her wine. It was closely followed by another with a bar of brilliant lights flashing across the top—the cops. She laughed—whoever the daredevil was, he or she was busted.
She wandered over to the windows with her wine to gaze out at the foggy night for a while. It felt strange to be here in this luxurious aerie, with time on her hands. Nothing to do but entertain herself until Stark was done with his business.
She watched more travel videos, the next one about Serpentia, the desert planet. Whoa, now there was a place about as different from Pangaea as you could get. Expanses of golden sand and red cliffs, with oases and spectacular sunsets. Strange beautiful snakes and beings.
Of course Serpentians looked nearly human, just more sinuous in their movements, and with that golden skin, almost like exotic statues. Haassea and Slidi were Serpentian. Kiri scowled as she remembered the sensuality both women wore like a cloak. But they weren’t here, she was. She curled into a different position in her cushions, leaning her head on one hand as she watched the holovid.
Serpentia had some nice resorts. She couldn’t get over how clean the air was there and on Pangaea. Must be nice to go out in the sun and rain without worrying about being fried or even poisoned.
But as the evening turned to night, she found herself yawning alone on the divan, too sleepy to enjoy her leisure. Well, it had been seven hells of a day, and the day before that. She was exhausted, and she wasn’t waiting for him any longer. She could see herself to bed quite well. How did rich people stand all this free time? Sitting still was exhausting.
She found her new clothing hung in the mistress’ closet, and the nightwear of previous guests relegated to the back. She chose a lovely nightgown and peignoir in a deep teal lii silk. It looked new. The lii silk slipped over her bare skin like a caress, and when she belted on the robe, she stared at herself, barely recognizing the slim woman in the mirror.
“You look like his mistress,” she murmured. She eyed herself uneasily. She felt like one, too. Well dressed, well fed and well fucked.
***
Stark sat back in his office chair with a sigh, rubbing his hands over his eyes. They were tired and dry. Natan had long since brought him dinner and then cleared away the remains, but Stark had worked on, making sure all the details were taken care of for his trip to New Asia.
He’d done this after spending much of the afternoon in a holovid conference with the captains of Orion and her sister ships, Cassiopeia and Andromeda, as well as the head of LodeStar security, Bronc Berenson. Stowaways had been discovered on all three LodeStar cruise ships. All ex-military males and females, all drugged, disoriented and claiming not to know how they’d gotten onto the ship.
Berenson, a large, stone-faced ex-soldier himself, looked even more grim than usual.
“Sir, I believe they’re telling the truth. Commander Navos himself questioned the pair on the Orion, and he says their last memories are of drinking in a bar on Earth II.”
“So they were kidnapped?” Stark’s gut iced. “Do we know why?”
“I have my suspicions, sir.”
“And what are your suspicions?” demanded Captain Aleah of the Cassiopeia.
She was ex-military herself, as was Captain Zeon of the Andromeda and Steve Craig. All of them looked as enraged as Stark at the thought that LodeStar vessels were being used to victimize ex-soldiers.
“Slavers acquiring gladiators.” Berenson bit out the words as if he were chewing off a chunk of rock. “Either as sport for large predators captured from the outlying planets or set against other sentient beings.”
“Or against each other,” Zeon added somberly. “This was once a custom on my planet for soldiers defeated in battle.”
“On Earth I, too,” Craig agreed, his disgust clear. “I hear there are still plenty of illegal fight rings there and on E II.”
Stark nodded. “Yes, and on Serpentia. As soon as one is found, the operation is simply moved to a new location. Bronc, any idea who the handlers were?”
Berenson shook his head. “No sir. But we’re working with the IGSF and the IBI. We’ll figure it out. We do have one lead. Two of the men were taken from New Seattle. Place called The Flash.”
“Find out who owns it.”
The conference ended with Berenson’s promise that Stark would know as soon as there were any breaks in the case. Stark instructed his captains to give the kidnapped men a free voyage home, and treat them like royalty. From the looks on their faces, this would not be a problem.
Stark called Natan for more coffee and some gesics for the headache that had begun to pound in his temples, and
worked on.
Finally finished with his preparations for his journey, he sat back in his chair, and drank a glass of moon brandy to relax before going to bed. He gazed absently into the glass. The clear amber liquid was the color of Kiri’s eyes.
He thought back to their sex earlier, and found himself grinning as he remembered her indignant words. ‘Honestly, Logan Stark. Fall in love with you over good sex? Not gonna happen.’ His little cat was nothing if not brutally honest. That was fine with him. He was all too used to women trying to parse out what he wanted to hear and then cooing it in his ear.
He took another sip, then grimaced as memory soured it on his tongue. The woman he’d wanted first, the one he’d thought would be by his side in his bed and on his arm, had been the mistress of lies. Adora Crest had professed her love for him, and sighed happily as he laid out his dreams of success and wealth.
He’d reveled in protecting her, her fears made him feel strong. Her longing for material things had made him feel a hero for giving them to her. She’d also nearly drawn him away from his primary responsibility—taking care of his younger brothers.
In his early twenties, he’d been the oldest, the one responsible for keeping them safe, clothed and fed. The bitch had nearly talked him into leaving them behind. She’d teased him into a hormone-ruled frenzy with her soft arms and glimpses of her perfumed cunt, begging him to cash in his newly successful business and go away with her, somewhere they could be alone together.
Only when he’d found her in the arms of another man had he been able to see the truth—that she had plans for his money all right, but they didn’t include him. She and her lover had planned to take all his credit and disappear.
The shame of even considering deserting the boys for the whore, heavy as his responsibilities had been for a young man, had nearly killed him. When he’d sobered up from a three-day bender, his brothers had forgiven him and they’d gone on with their lives.
Stark Pleasure; the Space Magnate's Mistress (The LodeStar Series) Page 12
