“No,” James repeated, frowning now. What was going on here?
“I’ll inform her of your decree,” the guard answered. The door opened when she pushed a button on her wristband. She ducked through it before it was all the way to the ceiling. The door closed once more and James was left staring behind her.
Chapter Four
Shana was in the middle of slipping her fingers over her clit when a hard, militant knock sounded on her door. She sighed, forcing the image of prisoner 564, Captain James Alexander, from her head. They might as well interrupt her. She couldn’t get the sensations to feel as good as when he did it to her with his mouth.
Pulling on her loincloth, she strode across her home. She was considered well off, having made a good career for herself in battle. Her home had three rooms—a serviceable living room, a large bedroom, and bathroom—and adjoined the main complex, as did all but the outland farmers. There was no need for a food preparation area. Slaves brought her meals or she ate with the others. Either way, she never cooked.
Thinking it might be an early meal delivery, she was surprised to find two prison guards standing before her. Her heart raced slightly, but years of training kept the worry from her face. Had they found her out? Did they come to test her to make sure she’d taken men? Shana lifted her head, saying nothing as she waited for them to speak.
“Prisoner 564 has invoked the ancient Rite of Mairrit,” the guard said.
Shana blinked, not wanting to understand them. Suddenly, James was thrust at her, his arms chained to a metal ring about his neck. The links were short, forcing his arms to stay up and crossed, keeping his wrists close to his neck. He wore a loincloth that barely covered his ass and nothing else. His restraints were handed to her.
The guards bowed, and one said, “Here you are, Commander. Good luck breeding.”
They left and Shana shut the door. She turned around to glare at James.
“Hey, baby doll, miss me?” he asked, winking at her as if he hadn’t a care in the world.
Why was he grinning like that? Didn’t he know he’d just cursed her to being a mother? Now, until she conceived, he’d be stuck in her home. Surely the archaic Rite of Mairrit still wasn’t able to be invoked, was it? Eyeing the handsome specimen before her, she realized it indeed must be. Mairrit was only used in times when men were scarce and right now men were plentiful. How did he even know how to do it?
“What are you doing? Who put you up to this?” Shana asked suspiciously, backing away.
Even though he was chained, he looked intimidating. James took a step towards her. He towered over her by a foot and she was no short woman. His broad shoulders looked even broader upright and he filled up her living room with his very presence. Shana swallowed, remembering the pleasure of his mouth.
“All I know is that ever since you left yesterday, I’ve thought about you,” he answered. “I can still feel your lips on me.”
“Don’t,” she said, remembering all too well how she’d thought about him, dreamt about him. He occupied too much of her mind and that scared her. “Why do you do this?”
“What? Come on to you?” James asked. Damn him, he had the sexiest eyes.
“You know what I mean. The Rite of Mairrit. Why would you do such a thing?” Shana shook, wondering at the small pleasure that filled her to know he wanted her that much.
***
James shrugged, not wanting to admit that he didn’t know what exactly it was he’d done. All he knew was that no other woman had dared to touch him since he said he wanted to be Shana’s only lover. Not even as they dressed him in chains and a loincloth did they touch him intimately. At any other time, he’d have been disappointed. Here he was being dressed by a three very beautiful women and all he could think about was controlling Shana of Themis.
He studied the beautiful woman before him. She was dressed like her people. The narrow top clung just to the edges of her large breasts, hiding the dark nipples from view. He’d wanted to get a hold of those nipples ever since he saw them. His dick was hard, straining to conquer the warrior woman before him. She gripped his chains in her hand, absently running her fingers into the links.
She turned around, and he watched as she led him to a back room. Boy, her body was tight. He licked his lips, wanting nothing more than to push her over and plunge himself into her until she screamed and begged him to…
James paused, wondering what exactly he wanted from her. He wanted to command her, sure. He was her prisoner after all and didn’t take kindly to it. But there was more than that. He wanted more from her. He wanted… James frowned, not liking where his thoughts were leading him. He wanted the ultimate control over her. He wanted her to love him. She was tough, commanding. To conquer her would be a great prize to any man.
Seeing that she led him to her room, his stomach lurched. He looked around. It was nice, efficient, and clean. It looked more like a military barracks on a space ship than a woman’s home. There were no frilly decorations, no soft feminine touches. Everything was in its place.
His eyes fell to the bed, as she took his chains and hooked him to the frame. She bent over slightly as she worked and his eyes took it as an invitation to look their fill. Her muscled thighs were parted, teasing him with the bottom curves of her ass cheeks. It was more than any man should be forced to watch.
“I have nowhere else to put you,” she said, absently, pulling on the chains to make sure they were secure. “I don’t keep slaves, so I’ve never bothered making comfort arrangements.”
Shana started to back up and he couldn’t resist leaning forward so that his arousal brushed against her hip. She gasped, sitting up. There wasn’t much he could do to her without the use of his arms.
“Aren’t you just a little happy to see me?” he asked, his voice hoarse. He awkwardly tried to keep his balance as he leaned forward to kiss her neck. His tongue darted out over her skin, licking her.
“I told you, I have no wish for a child,” Shana said. “I’m going to find a way out of this Rite of Mairrit.”
“I don’t want out of it,” James murmured, still not understanding what it meant. It had brought him to her, so that was good enough for him. “I want to be here with you.”
“Stop saying that!” She tried to back away, but he moved over to block her, keeping her back to him.
“How about I say what I want to do with you?” he whispered. “How about I tell you about how I’d like to fuck every hole—”
“Quiet,” she commanded, moving to push past him. She stood to face him on her bed, her back to the living room door. “That is enough. You do not speak unless I give you permission. Do you understand, prisoner? To disobey means punishment.”
“Are you shaking?” he asked, stepping closer, pursuing the warrior woman. The chains jerked him to a halt, keeping him from reaching her. He frowned, yanking on them to no avail.
“No.” Shana stiffened, standing tall. Her chin lifted.
“You will be in about an hour,” he answered, grinning wider. His eyes narrowed with passionate intent.
“Why an hour?”
“I estimate that’s about how long it will take us to get back to my ship.” His grin widened and his eyes moved over her shoulder to give a quick nod. Shana turned, instantly moving to fight. A dart hit her in the hip. She jumped, flying through the air to knock the intruder’s weapon away. The dart gun went flying. Managing to land a punch before the drug on the dart kicked in, Shana stumbled back. Chained arms caught her and before darkness took her, and she heard James say, “I’m taking this one with us.”
Chapter Five
Shana awoke to the stroke of a wet tongue on her sex. She groaned, having been in the throes of the best dream. In her dream, James Alexander’s face was between her hips as she rode his mouth to completion. The dream faded into reality and she shivered as a long tongue probed her. She felt weak, shaky. She tried to clamp her thighs down on the head between them, but her legs were held back.
A low moan sounded and the tongue stopped its exploration. Shana groaned in protest. Her arms lifted, feeling heavy as she tried to pull them up. Something cold and metal brushed her temple and she turned to it. Slowly, a chain came into focus. She was a prisoner, her arms held captive over her head. Her eyes narrowed, as she mentally prepared herself for battle. Two restraints wrapped around her upper thighs, keeping her legs spread wide and open. She couldn’t see them, but detected there were two more restraints on her ankles, keeping her from kicking.
“Hey, baby doll,” came James’ voice above her. A warm mouth latched onto her breast. Her nipples were already sensitive, as if they’d been massaged while she slept. As if to confirm her thoughts, he continued, “Damn you’re sweet. You’ve been moaning for more ever since I started.”
He bit down, sending a shock wave of pleasure through her limbs. She jerked, caught between anger and arousal. When she opened her mouth to yell at him, he bit her again. Her arms strained against the binds, but she couldn’t get free. It felt good, too good. She began to squirm and closed her eyes, lost in an explosion of agony as he continued to touch her. At the moment, she really didn’t care that she was his prisoner.
“I’ve been waiting for you to wake up so we could finish what we started.”
Shana blinked, looking up at him. His green eyes bore into hers, impassioned. He was breathing heavy, and his glorious body was naked and strained with muscles. Realizing he meant to fuck her, she tried to pull her legs shut, but the chains kept them open. Her eyes flew down to his hard cock, remembering how it felt in her mouth.
“Stop,” she breathed, hiding her fear. She wasn’t in control. It couldn’t happen like this. “Where are we?”
“My ship,” he answered. “Tell me, when you had me prisoner, would you have stopped if I asked it of you?”
“No,” she said truthfully.
A grin curled the side of his face. He ran his hands over her body, touching her breasts, rolling the hard nipples until she was gasping for more. He moved his mouth over her flesh, sucking and licking hot kisses everywhere he could reach. She couldn’t close her legs and he touched where he wanted, denying her wet center for the longest time.
“Ah, put your mouth on me,” she gasped, her words nearing a plea. But, instead of a mouth, she received his hand.
James stroked her, his fingers warm and strong. She moaned in approval. He massaged her sex, parting her folds. Slipping a thick finger inside her, he began to stroke.
“Ah, you’re so wet for me, aren’t you?” James growled.
To Shana’s surprise, she discovered a whole new type of pleasure at his touch. He rocked his hand into her harder. Shana gasped, moaning softly as she tried to move her hips against him.
Sweat beaded his brow. “Ah, you like that, don’t you?”
As if he couldn’t hold back, he slipped his fingers from her, and took his arousal in hand, rubbing the tip against her folds.
Shana gasped, and panted his name softly, “James.”
***
James had been held back for too long, forced to keep his desires at bay until he made her want him as badly as he wanted her. His name on her lips did something to him. It made him feel weak and warm at the same time. He wanted her, needed her. He’d seen a lot of things in his life, had slept with many beautiful women, but none had moved him as this warrior did. There was something about her, the way she was, that he could understand. Being a warrior himself, he could appreciate her qualities.
“James, please, more,” Shana demanded, pulling so hard on her restraints he was afraid she’d hurt herself.
He couldn’t hold back. Finding ready body angled perfectly to receive him, he thrust hard into her tight passage. She moaned in surprise and James froze, feeling her virginal acceptance squeezing almost painfully around him.
“Ah,” he growled, caught between shock and arousal. He held still, trying to process this new information. “Shana, you…should’ve said…”
***
Shana didn’t want him to stop moving. She rolled her hips, rocking him deep inside her. After the initial surprise, the tightness felt good.
James strained, holding still. “Stop wiggling or I won’t be able to pull out.”
Shana didn’t obey. She began to wiggle harder, feeling pleasure in the pain his deep penetration gave her. Her knee managed to hit into him, kicking him hard in the side when he didn’t thrust. Being a warrior, Shana liked the mix of and pain in her body. Tension built inside her and she wanted more. She wanted it harder, faster. Arching her hips into him, she demanded, “More, James, give me more.”
“Ah, shit,” he growled. He pulled his hips back.
“Oh, yes,” she breathed. “Do that.”
***
James watched Shana in amazement. He’d never have tied her up like this if he’d known she was a virgin. But, hell, how was he supposed to figure that one out when the woman acted like she’d done it a million times? She walked around naked and confident, appearing as seasoned in the bedroom as he was. Though, knowing he was breaking into uncharted territory did something to him. It made him want her more.
James growled and began to move, pumping his hips into hers. He went shallow and slow at first, letting her adjust. When she moaned for more, appearing angry when he didn’t give it to her, he became bolder, going in deeper and longer. The harder he thrust, the more she said his name. Her passion amazed him.
“James,” she cried, her body seizing with an orgasm.
His cock twitched, and the feel of her muscles clamping down on him was enough to make him find release. Shana tensed and lifted off the bed. When she’d wrung every last ounce of pleasure from him, he collapsed on top of her.
“You got your way,” she said when their breath came back to them. “Will you let me go now?”
“My way?” He pulled up and out of her. “Don’t try and tell me you didn’t enjoy it.”
“I did,” she stated, unashamed by the admission, if not seeming a little confused. “But I don’t speak of enjoyment. I speak of the baby. You got your way.”
“Damn it,” James swore, following the curse with a long string of others. “Are babies all you women ever think about?”
“I’m confused,” Shana said. She pulled against the restraints and James absently began to release her, unhooking her thighs. “That is why we do this. To make children.”
“No,” James said. “We do this for pleasure.”
“Pleasure?” Shana repeated, as if the word were foreign. Her legs fell down onto the bed, free of both ankle and thigh restraints. “There is little reason to indulge in pleasures. It makes you weak.”
“Baby doll, what’s the point of working if you can’t reap what you sow?”
“Ah, yes, farming. We do reap what we sow and we eat well. I don’t see how that equals pleasure.” Shana suddenly smiled. “Unless you mean pleasure in hard work—”
“You’ve got a lot to learn and I’m just the man to teach it to you.” James leaned over, kissing her so she’d shut up.
“I will escape,” Shana said, breathing hard from his kiss when he finally pulled away.
“You’re not a prisoner,” he said, kissing her again as he unhooked her arms. “You’re free to decide what you want.”
“You’re letting me go? You’re taking me back to Cherron?” Hurt filtered through her gaze as she stared up at him. She drew her arms down to her sides.
“I’m asking you to stay with me,” he whispered, kissing her again. “To come with me.”
If he was going to convince her to stay will him, he’d need more than a few minutes—he’d take all night to find release inside her again and again. He loved the way she responded so naturally to everything he did. When he was done, Shana would know that she was completely his. He’d mark her body as his own, make it impossible for her to leave him.
Chapter Six
Shana stared at James, not knowing what to say. What exactly was he offering? And why
did she want to say yes? She’d never thought of leaving her people behind, her friends and fellow warriors. James seemed to see her conflict. When she opened her mouth to speak, he put his fingers over her lips.
“Let me show you what I’m offering before you say no. Let me give you pleasure first, the kind I want to give you every night as long as you’ll stay with me. Say you’ll give me this one night with you before you decide.”
Shana felt her heart flutter and slowly nodded in agreement. He began caressing her, tenderly moving over her body. He sucked her nipples, taking it slow. He roamed his hands over every inch of her flesh until she was jerking beneath him. Shana hesitated, not moving as she watched him touch her. Slowly, she lifted her hands to his shoulders. He looked up, smiling as she touched him.
“Do I…?” she began, curious, as she pushed up. With slaves they never gave back to them, weren’t allowed to touch. She ran her fingers over his muscles, and she found the texture of him almost addicting.
Using all her strength, she pushed him over onto his back. It was strange, touching him, having him touch her without one of them tied down with chains. She found she liked when they both had freedom to move. He moved his hands up her back, tangling in her hair as he pulled her mouth down to his chest.
Shana licked him, kissing him as he had her. She liked the taste of his skin as she drew her tongue over him in long strokes. Moaning softly, she rubbed along his chest. She drew down his body, licking her way past his navel as she moved to take him in her mouth. He gripped the sides of her head, working her over him. She enjoyed the way his hips moved beneath her. It was strange giving pleasure, but she found in doing so her own enjoyment was heightened to new measures.
“Oh, Shana, baby doll,” he growled. He pulled her off him, and she began to protest. Seeing the look on his face, she stopped, eager to see what he had in store for her next. He urged her to kneel before him, kissing a hot trail down over her spine. Lightly he bit an ass cheek. Shana cried out in surprise and he proceeded to lick the bite, soothing it with his tongue.
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