Diplomacy

by May Sage

Star winced, understanding his point. Some of them, like Kai and Alara, really could force their way into any mind they wished to see, but the strong psychics in their acquaintance never abused their powers.

  “Okay, point taken. I’ll ignore her screams for help next time. By the way, do you want to tell me how the fuck you found that Ithelian merchant on your mission?”

  Hart shrugged. “It was just luck, I guess.”

  Star was right to frown. She didn’t believe in such a thing as luck. Nor did he.

  “You’re sure you weren’t tracking her, brother? Ladies don’t take kindly to being stalked, you know.”

  He shook his head. “Not my style. She was conned by slavers over there. We’ve arranged to meet her crew here, and I figured I could pick you up and bring you to Haimo, as your ship is getting repaired.”

  “Wait a minute, did you say slavers?”

  Hart ran through his discoveries, his eyes still trained on Dara. She was standing close to the doors of the main hangar, but she hadn’t left yet. Good. He didn’t want her to, not before they could talk.

  Hart wanted to see her again, and he wasn’t going to count on a fourth chance to be handed over by the cosmos.

  “So, you delayed your report and your meeting with your man-crush, Kai, to bring her halfway across the galaxy.”

  He winced at that assessment.

  “And to give you a ride, too,” he added meekly.

  “You don’t get to use me as an excuse, I could have borrowed someone’s ship.”

  “Like anyone sane would lend you their ship.”

  His sister made Alara pass for a particularly slow leisure cruise pilot.

  “You loaned me yours!”

  “I said someone sane.”

  There it was. Annoying as she could be, he only had to spend ten minutes with his twin and his concerns evaporated. Feeling foolish for having hidden it from her for so long, he confessed.

  “Dara is that girl from Zeru. The king’s daughter, who came to me while you were shamelessly spying on me.”

  Star gasped. “Wait, so the only two females who ever caught your attention that way are, in fact, the same person?” She lifted her hand to her communicator. “That’s it, I’m calling mom. She needs to start practicing the wedding cakes now.”

  That. That was why he hadn’t told her before.

  “Star, I warn you—”

  “No amount of threats or bartering will stop me. I’m a good daughter.”

  “As you have pointed out, Dara has serious hang-ups about mages. She might have a thing or two to say about your plan to marry her off.”

  “The fact that you don’t have a thing to say against it makes it essential that I contact mother. Besides, meeting her three times? There’s something bigger than luck at play, and you know it. Twice, I might have bought it. Potentially. I’ve never come across the same person three times on different planets without planning it. It’s statistically impossible. Which leaves exactly one possibility.”

  Hart knew better than to ask what his sister could possibly mean, but she was so good as to enlighten him, regardless. “Fate is at play.”

  “Fate?” he repeated, laughing.

  There was no such thing. He told Star exactly that.

  “No? And how do you suppose seers get to envision the future? If there’s no force binding our destiny, what do they see?”

  “Possibilities,” Hart replied. “There’s such a thing as choice, however.”

  “Undoubtedly. And yet, here we are. Four years in, and you’ve met the same female three times, brother. Call it luck if you must. I’ll stick to the term fate.”

  He set his jaw and glared at Star, who seemed to have given up on being connected to their mother. She might finally have worked out that it was the middle of the night where their parents lived now.

  “I'll call mom later, don't think you're off the hook. In the meantime, try not to make the wrong choice, brother. Someday, destiny, fate, or luck—have your pick—might get tired of working overtime on your behalf."

  Sixteen

  Another kind of magic

  Most ships weren’t able to communicate while traveling at light speed, so it took a while to get through, but when the Fusion came out of warp, Dara was able to tell Zee exactly where she was and confirm an arrival time. It wouldn’t be long. Good. She'd made enough of a fool of herself for one day. She could tell that the mages had noticed how the simple healing spell upset her. Truth was, it had very little to do with them, and yet she couldn't help her gut reaction. One of them had let her down, and a childish part of her wanted to blame them all for it.

  Even Hart. Especially Hart. If she didn't find something to dislike about him, she was in serious danger of liking him a little too much.

  She ignored her inner voice that dared to whisper something along the lines of, “you already do.”

  “Any news?”

  Shit. She hadn't heard or seen him approach.

  “They're landing. They should be here soon.”

  “Good. It gives us just enough time to discuss a matter I'd meant to broach.”

  She was about to ask what the matter was, or something like that. Then, entirely unexpectedly, she forgot what she was supposed to say, how to think or speak, for that matter. He'd touched her, his hand resting at the back of her neck, and pulling her close.

  Shit. It was lucky that his second hand wrapped around her waist and pressed her against him, because her legs entirely failed her, turning to gooey mush.

  Hart didn't kiss her; he took her, claiming her body and soul the moment his lips fell on hers. Entirely unhurried, devouring her like she was the most delectable thing he'd ever tasted. Dara heard a raw, needy moan, and realized it had come out of her mouth. She wrapped her arms around his wide shoulders and held on to his coat, desperate to keep him there.

  Hart lowered his head, all the while lifting her by the waist, as if he also needed, wanted, her as close as he could have her. She instinctively wrapped her legs around his torso, and noticed that she felt a hot, hard, and fucking huge bump hit her right at the apex of her legs through their clothing. She moaned again.

  He was done playing. Now, he took his mouth, biting at her lip, and pulling it between his lips. His tongue darted out to lick her, and she captured it between her lips, sucking at it. Fuck. She didn't even care that they were in a hangar, that anyone could have walked in, that his sister wasn't far, probably watching them. She needed more.

  But Hart lifted his head away from her lips.

  “Stay,” he said near her ear. Just one word, then he bit her earlobe. A wordless promise.

  Fuck. What, why? He could have asked for just about everything else right then and she might have given it to him on a silver platter as long as he promised to touch her more, but staying? Where, for how long? She frowned.

  “I don't—"

  “Stay on Vratis. I'll see that you're authorized to open a shop here. You can do what you want. Well, try to keep it legal if you can, but just...stay. I think of you every day when you're gone.”

  Her jaw fell open in shock. He was joking, right? Or maybe he was just saying that to get in her pants. The idea that he might think of her at all was preposterous.

  “I…I…Oh, by the Goddess Light!”

  She did truly attempt to speak, but the male was doing ungodly things to her neck, and rubbing his cock along her wet slit, slowly driving her mad. She didn’t have any choice but to dive her hand right inside his pants and grasp the thick hard length inside.

  At long last, she did manage to formulate a full sentence. “I need you inside me, now.”

  She didn’t know what she was expecting, perhaps a “we’re in the wrong place, princess,” or an “answer me, first.” That just wasn’t the type of person Hart was.

  He dropped her to her feet, flipped her around, and pulled her pants down. The next instant, his head was buried between her thighs and lapping at her sweetest spot, making her scream out loud and
beg for mercy.

  Fuck. She tried to twist around to check if there was anyone with them, but a firm hand pressed on her back, keeping her in place.

  “Stay.”

  The first time he'd said that word, it had been a suggestion, he'd been making a request. Now, it was an order and he made no apology for it. Her insides clenched, becoming hotter just from hearing his voice.

  “That's it,” he said softly against her pussy. “If you want me to take you, you're going to have to be a good girl and come for me first.”

  She could do that. His finger joined his tongue, playing inside her, and she amended her thought: she could definitely do that, and soon. Then, Hart's teeth joined the party, nibbling at her sensitive clit, before sucking it hard. Dara yelled in a voice she didn't even recognize. All her muscles contracted harder than they ever had, and then let go, leaving her panting, sweating, confused, light-headed.

  Hart got to his feet. She twisted her back, and he allowed it this time, letting her watch as he unzipped his trousers. She gasped. Not only because his cock was a fucking monster, but also because it hit her that they were really doing this here, in the middle of a hangar that had all its doors open.

  “Your sister...”

  “Is a wise female. She's listening to some music inside the ship.”

  “But, someone could come in—”

  He smiled wickedly, something wild in his eyes. “Yes. Yes, someone could.” Hart tilted his head. “Ready to finish what you've started?”

  Was she? There was no doubt that if she said no, if she chickened out, he would sheath that monster cock and call it a day, but the very thought distressed her. Now more than ever, she wanted it. Needed it.

  What the fuck was he turning her into?

  She nodded.

  “Oh, no, that just won't do. Say it out loud, princess. Tell me what you want.”

  “Sadistic dick!”

  Hart chuckled low, sliding his shaft up and down her soaked slit, and teasing her by pushing forward a little, then retreating.

  “Please!”

  “Please what, Dara Rexis?”

  He really was an asshole. “Please fuck me. Now are you happy?”

  “Very.”

  Hart thrust inside her in one hard push forward that left her breathless and feeling so fucking full. He'd been right, there would have been no way he'd fit if she hadn't been so wet. She felt him in every part of her; each of her heartbeats and the slightest movement made the invasive member feel larger, harder, hotter. Then, he pulled it all the way out and rammed it forward again.

  “Arg!” she yelled, wiggling and lifting her hips. She was standing on her tiptoes and balancing on the floor with her fingers to keep herself from falling.

  The second time he moved, she moved her hips forward as he withdrew and back to meet him when he went thrust again.

  Sex had never felt so good. Every single part of her body wanted to be involved, her breasts felt heavy, needy, her nipples were rock hard. As if hearing their cry, Hart's hand, that had been holding her hips in place, moved along her ribs and caressed her breasts under his shirt. He obviously liked to play rough; within instants, he was pinching at her nipples. And damn him, but she loved it. She loved it so fucking much she could cry.

  Hart played with the angle of his hips, fucking her in different ways, until he hit the perfect spot, and truly made her beg. The pace of his hips picked up and his cock hammered mercilessly at the sensitive bundle of nerves, until she couldn’t take any more. She gave in, gave up, coming loudly, shamelessly. She could feel his length so damn deep at his last thrust, and then he emptied himself inside her.

  Dara was still catching her breath when Hart’s hand moved to straighten up her clothing, then his. She stood up and lifted her head, still feeling dizzy.

  “Sorry, princess. I didn’t want to rush you, but we’ll have company in half a minute.”

  Oh. So, he’d known they were alone for now.

  “Why didn’t you say that you could tell if someone was coming?” she grumbled, blushing.

  “Because,” he replied, “the idea of potentially getting caught made you wet.”

  And damn if the infuriating mage didn’t have a point.

  Nik came back in with parts for the ship, and like nothing had happened at all, Hart replied to his questions, telling him when he planned to leave for Haimo.

  Meanwhile, Dara stared at him, confused, wondering how they’d gotten to this point, and asking herself when she’d be able to get him naked.

  He caught her glance, and winked at her, before returning to his conversation.

  Seventeen

  Partners

  He hadn’t won. Making her come twice and stopping it before she was entirely sated was step one. She was too independent and too mistrusting to give in this easily. He needed to get her to agree to make Vratis her base so they could meet again, and, instinctively, Hart knew what it would take.

  The boy had to benefit from it somehow. Almost four years ago, Dara had come to him because she wanted to protect her siblings, particularly her little brother. The straightest way to get her was to get along with the boy.

  Hart was generally sure of himself, but he warily watched the Fusion approach. Hart wasn’t a hypocrite; he wouldn’t pretend to like the kid if he was insufferable. But if he didn’t get along with the boy, there was no hope of keeping the sister, it was as simple as that. Remembering the curious child, he hoped that he’d grown up into a bearable teenager.

  If not, he might have to resort to bribery.

  The blood-red ship was finally docked in the hangar. A small crew came out of it; larger than Hart’s, but that wasn’t saying much. There was a handsome dark-skinned man of his age that Dara introduced as Earl, and a short beautiful female with wild curls and wilder curves, Laeri. Hart recognized Wilm, the guard who’d whistled in the dungeon, and another guy, thin and, literally, surgically attached to his computer. Raff, Dara said.

  Then, there was the boy. He’d changed a lot; at fourteen, he was almost as tall as his sister, and he had some muscle definition on him, too. Not the sort of muscle sculpted by lifting weights in front of a mirror; these were lean, subtle, worked into his frame. Hart guessed that the boy was an integral part of the crew.

  He relaxed.

  “Is that a wolf?” the boy ask, his amber eyes fixed on Nura in wonder.

  “That she is,” Hart replied, glaring at his beast, who didn't look like she was going to play nice.

  She glared at the boy.

  Come on, work with me. We need him on our side, dammit.

  Hart was convinced that Kai's wolves and their pups were perfectly sentient, and she proved him right again, exhaling a semi-growl that sounded a bit like a sigh, before walking to the boy. She lifted her head to scent him, and reluctantly remained still when he patted her head. Then she turned to Hart, as if to say, "there, I did what you asked, now where's my treat?"

  Hart laughed and threw a piece of dry meat that she caught in her mouth.

  “He's so cool. How did you get one of these? I thought they were wild.”

  “She,” Hart corrected the boy, before explaining about Kai's wolves. Kaur listened in awe.

  It was working out just fine.

  “Hey squirt, come on, the ship won't fuel herself up.”

  The boy sighed. “I have, unfortunately, not yet worked out a way to be in two places at once, so see you later.” He waved at Hart before jogging to Earl.

  Cute. Looked like his plan might work out after all.

  “No way, that's a terrible idea.”

  She'd truly expected Earl and the rest of the crew to back her up when she explained that she was going to reject Hart's offer.

  “Do you know what my mother would give to be allowed to open a shop at the heart of Vratis? She'd sell me. Hell, she'd sell her soul for it. Just having to sell pussy for it ain't a bad deal, Rex.”

  “I don't sell pussy and I never will,” she replied tightly betwe
en her teeth.

  She turned to the one person she could always count on to be her ally.

  “Come on, tell them we shouldn't have a base here. For one, our father lives on this damn planet.”

  Kaur pondered on the question, head tilted. “I don't know, sis. I like the city, and daddy dearest is in the Farisle. That's, like, a two-day journey on the fastest planetary transport. Not exactly next door.”

  She glowered.

  “Alright, you know the rule. Every important matter is to be voted on. Who votes aye for the Vratis store?”

  Every hand except hers lifted high in the air.

  Shit.

  It wasn't that she didn't want a repeat of the previous day's activities, because she definitely wouldn't have minded doing it again. But accepting something from Hart after sex felt—as Earl had so rightfully put it—like selling pussy. She was going to have to keep everything as business-like as possible from now. No more sex if they said yes to this deal.

  Dara reached out to him with her communicator, only to be told by an automated responder that Hart was currently traveling at light speed. She left a message, asking if they could meet to discuss his proposal when he came back.

  There would be just one rule: no more sex.

  * * *

  “Oh, yes, Goddess Light, yes!”

  Fuck, but he was so good with his hands.

  She had a perfectly acceptable explanation as to why she found herself straddling Hart and bouncing on his dick in his apartment a week later.

  Pheromones. It wasn't her fault. His pheromones were just too strong.

  For seven days, she'd replayed their interlude in her mind, touching herself at night as she remembered his scent, his voice, the way he'd felt inside her.

  After leaving warp mode seven days ago, he’d contacted her to let her know that his fleet was on their way to Nimeria, promising to get in touch on his way back. She'd felt rather foolish. Was that the usual "thanks for the fuck, I'm done with you now?" She wasn't an expert on rejection; she'd only had one-night stands. She chastised herself for contacting him. But two hours ago, he had reached out to her. He'd sounded exhausted, but he'd called nonetheless.