by Aria Bell
“I have not begged yet,” I whispered.
The look in his eyes grew almost feral. For a moment I thought he would take me, kiss me, make me beg, show I was wrong to defy him, even this littlest bit. I lifted my chin and waited, watching him.
He chuckled. The deep rumble sent a sexual thrill zinging right to my pussy.
He put a finger under my chin and tilted my chin up. For an instant I thought he would kiss me again, and a wave of anticipation took me. But instead of kissing me, he said, “You will beg for it. You will beg for each and every orgasm I give you. You will beg for every inch of my cock in your mouth.”
“As my prince commands,” I replied demurely but with a wicked glint in my eye. I began to get on my knees before him.
“No,” he growled, his smile almost savage as he caught my hand and held me. I thought I’d need a breakhammer just to loosen his grip. My heart began to beat harder and my body was a confused swirl of sensation and emotion. Why were my nipples tightening into hard points while at the same time, nervous dragonflies zoomed around in my belly?
He stared right into my eyes with an intensity that had my mouth dry and my breathing ragged. “I don’t need to command. When you beg for my touch, for my cock, you will do it of your own free will. Not my command.”
“Of course, my prince,” I said, my voice raspy.
He let go of me with a snort. “You play at being meek, but your spirit is strong. I like that. It will make it all the more enjoyable when you reach your breaking point and beg me to make you whole.” He leaned forward. I did my best not to either draw away or to part my lips for a kiss. “Because that’s what I want.”
I swallowed hard again. But I did not speak.
“Good. Now go. Go or I won’t be responsible for what happens next. You have my cock hard enough to break steel.”
“Go? How can I guard you if—”
His frown had me cold all the way to my toes. “Courtezhana, you have your quarters here with me now, a hundred paces from where we stand. There are six of my elite guard outside this door. More in the halls. The fortress is in lockdown.” He waved a hand in disgust at the armored covering for the window. “And I’m trapped in this little box with no enemies to kill. If you stay with me in this room, I will end up fucking you. So go.” His glower changed into something more devious, so packed with the promise of irresistible sex that it made my knees wobbly. “Or stay, and find out what happens.”
He turned away from me and my eyes bulged as he began to strip off his pants. He kicked them aside, starting to walk for the lavish bath in the back of his chambers. Then he slipped out of his black undergarment and left it on the floor. He turned to look back at me. Heat blazing in his eyes, full of promise, full of desire. His body was incredible, all hard ridges of muscle and a cock that made my pussy clench with the desire to ride it.
I left. No, I fled. I nearly ran out the door as if an army of assassin robots followed at my heels. That was my last chance. If I hadn’t left, I knew I would be on my knees. Begging.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Vorgyn Mar’Don
I spent the next two days avoiding extended time alone with Melika Gendressa, my courtezhana. My mate. I was busy dealing with the fallout from the attack on the ceremony. The investigation was leading nowhere fast and that frustrated me to no end.
Besides, I had spent an entire sleepless night with my cock hard and aching for her after the stubborn woman had refused to swallow her pride and ask me for what she clearly desired. I began to wonder what in the sacred name of Ungeni was wrong with me. Clearly her body needed me, shivered for my touch, but she would not yield. She would not beg. And I was going along with this stupid game.
She had the true heart of a Jardan, may Ungeni damn her stubborn ways.
Still, she was my shadow. She guarded me. My elite bodyguards had wholeheartedly accepted her after the battle. She’d seemed a little uneasy with the attention at first, but that might have just been because her breasts were half falling out of her torn, blaster-singed dress. Afterward, she fell into an easy camaraderie with them, clearly comfortable around warriors, trading bawdy jokes or insults with them as if she’d shared duties with them for years. It amused me. Luckily my guards were wise enough to know not to go too far or they would face my sword.
She belonged to me.
Technically, she belonged to my queen mother, who owned her life contract, but I don’t think Mother was going to pick nits over semantics.
In all the ways that mattered, she belonged to me. And she would admit it, too.
Eventually, she would admit it.
Having learned that the investigators still had no further information about the attack, I headed to the balcony. I felt a need to revisit the area, to try to see if being there could help me understand how such an attack had taken us all by surprise.
The answer to which I already knew. Every pair of eyes in the empire had been on Melika Gendressa.
I made my way across the balcony to the infinite edge where the force field separated the balcony from its unimpeded view of the mountain slopes and cityscape below. The wreckage had been cleared away. Except for the repair crews painting over a few scorch marks and filling some blaster holes in the walls and pillars, I never would’ve guessed what had happened here.
I stood at the edge, looking down on my kingdom. What had motivated them? It wasn’t mating a human; there hadn’t been enough notice. The weapons had been part of a well-planned, full-scale attack. The previous attack on my life had been simple assassin bots, the quiet way to kill someone without an all-out war.
Was someone looking for war? Was this tied to something my father, the king, had done? Or was it some power hungry noble? Another planet in the Galactic Imperium? But that would risk intergalactic war…
Behind me, a door whooshed shut and footsteps pounded across the balcony floor. I glanced to see who was approaching, although I already knew who it was. I recognized her footsteps. These were her angry footsteps.
Melika stormed across the balcony toward me. She was dressed in the specialized suit she liked to wear when killing robots. I preferred her spilling out of the top of that dress as she’d been the night of the ceremony. But I didn’t think she’d appreciate that opinion at the moment, considering the glower on her face. So I kept it to myself. With a smile.
The smile only seemed to annoy her, because she stopped in front of me, put her hands on her hips, and glowered harder. “Why are you avoiding me?”
I grunted, the smile vanishing. I wondered if I hadn’t made a huge mistake by mating her and not fucking her. She’d been much more polite and deferential before I made her my courtezhana. But wasn’t that always the way with females? “I avoid no one. Ever.”
“You left me waiting for you at court.” She was gritting her teeth as if she wanted to take a bite out of me. And not the fun kind of biting either. “You vanished out the back way and it took me forever to find you again. The whole time, no one was guarding you. And here you are outside, where you were already attacked. With only two guards here to protect you. And I didn’t even know.”
Her fire surprised me. It actually took me back a little. It was almost as if I’d hurt her. Or disappointed her somehow. It annoyed me, mostly because I didn’t like the way that made me feel.
I shrugged. “I have my sword with me.”
The shrug seemed to have the opposite effect, as she only seemed to grow angrier.
“Mate,” she practically snarled. “My mate. The most oinx-headed, fool-stubborn male that anyone, anywhere, ever had the cosmic misfortune to try and keep alive. Will you at least come inside where it’s safer?”
I narrowed my eyes, setting my expression in stone. “I will not hide from my enemies. I will not cower. This is my honor in question. My people look to me to be strong. To be honorable. To raise my sword in defiance of our enemies.”
She stood there looking at me. Her eyes still sparked, but she took a deep breath an
d slowly let it out again. “My prince…” She hesitated, still staring into my eyes. She took another breath, steadying herself. “Vorgyn. No one doubts your strength or your honor. No one could. But honor doesn’t matter to the dead. And eventually our enemies are going to succeed if you take unnecessary risks. So please. I’m begging you. Come inside.”
I liked the sound of my name from her lips. I liked the sound of her begging me. But I still would not bend. “You are wrong, my mate. My honor matters more than my safety. It is necessary for me to keep control.”
“To keep control over what?”
“From going over there and fucking you. From truly making you my mate instead of keeping up this frustrating game.”
Her eyes were wide, her mouth parted. She licked her lips. That flick of pink tongue always caught my attention. I wanted that tongue on me.
“Maybe…you should forget about honor then,” she said quietly, her voice almost a whisper.
“If I did,” I practically snarled at her, “then this would happen.” I reached out and drew her against me. She gasped at the feeling of my rock-hard cock as it pressed against her body. Now there was only a thin layer of clothing between us that I wanted gone as soon as possible. I gave her no chance to think before I captured her mouth with mine, pouring all my desire for her into my kiss.
She groaned and rubbed her body against me as I deepened the kiss. I slid my hands down her body, gripping her ass and drawing her even tighter against me, grinding my hard cock against her so she could not deny how aroused for her I was. Our kisses grew more intense. She was breathing fast. Her heart thumped hard against my chest, a tiny, quick beat when compared to the thud of my own. I did not break our kiss as I swept her up in my arms and carried her across the balcony.
My guards quickly opened the door for me. I ignored them. I was focused like a laser beam upon Melika. My mouth on hers. My body thrumming with electricity for hers.
The only place this little human with the warrior heart was going was my bedroom, where I would make her mine at last.
She could beg or not beg, but by the end, she would be screaming my name.
I swore it. On my honor.
CHAPTER NINE
Melika Gendressa
My brain must have melted the instant his lips touched mine. He pulled me into his strong arms. I went, more than willing. His hard cock thrust against me, so there was no denying how badly he wanted me. I was already soaking wet, all the way through my panties, so slippery for him I thought I might lose my mind.
He carried me across the balcony, through the doors, and into his chambers. I didn’t care that the guards at the door or the servants inside knew I was soon to be fucked by our prince. I wasn’t embarrassed at all. It was my job, now, after all.
Soon we were safely inside his inner chambers. He finally set me down.
“Get to the bed,” he ordered me. “Strip. I want you naked. Now.”
I went to the bed, yanking at the clasps that held my kenvo suit to me. Shucking out of the armor and pulling off the pieces that fit tight against my body.
I heard the door signal that it was locked, then I heard him coming toward me. “I want you in only skin by the time I reach you.”
I gave a decadent shudder, my nipples peaking at the command and lust in his voice. I quickly yanked off the top part of my suit and flung it away. I kicked off my boots. Then I shimmied out of my pants and panties in the same motion, an instant before he was on me.
He was naked and glorious. Again he swept me up effortlessly. I yelped as he tossed me onto the bed. I hit with a laugh and bounced into the center of the big, soft bed. I barely had time to catch my breath before he was there with me.
His green eyes seemed to burn with lust. He drank in the sight of me, taking in the sight of my breasts, my legs, my pussy already wet and swollen for him, taking it all in as if he were starving and the sight of my naked body could save him.
He was so big, so strong. His cock thrust upward from his body, long and hard and weeping precum from the slit. His big hands cupped my breasts, his palms and the soles of his fingers rough with calluses, raising a fine spray of goose bumps on my skin. Then his thumbs circled around my stiffening nipples. Little shocks of electricity tore through me as he caressed them, making my entire body quiver and my pussy ache. He drew one hand down my side, to my hip, lower, to my thigh. I shivered at the incredible sensations of his fingers over my skin.
The look on his face told me that I was the only important thing in the universe to him in that moment. Nothing else mattered but me.
I lay back, my eyes half-lidded, as his fingers skimmed higher, over the tender inner skin of my thigh. My hips arched up to reach them.
“Open yourself for me,” he growled.
I spread my legs for him as wide as they would go, arching my hips up, my thighs trembling with the desire rampaging through my body. He traced his fingers over my wet folds, teasing, and then circled my nub. The feeling of his fingers on my clit sent shockwaves of pleasure through me. I cried out and jerked at the intensity of the feeling. A moment later, he slid two big fingers into my pussy, stretching me, caressing my tender G-spot, sending more sensation spiraling through me. My breath grew ragged, and I couldn’t help the motion of my hips as they rocked against his hand, looking for more, while his other hand toyed with my nipple. My entire body was on fire. I let out a helpless moan as he worked his fingers in and out of me, faster, harder.
I ground myself against him, needing him to drive away the ache that demanded more. I felt the orgasm building in the distance and wanted more. I wanted his cock inside me, stretching me, filling me. A sound slipped from between my lips, equal parts moan of pleasure and needy sigh.
“I know what you want, my little human,” he said. “You want my cock inside you. Thrusting into you, hard, fast, wet. Making you come.”
I didn’t even hesitate. The desperation in my voice was real. “Yes. Fuck me. I need your cock in me. Please…oh god, please…”
He grabbed his big cock at the base of his shaft and positioned himself over me. The large crown of his cockhead nudged at my pussy lips, then pushed forward gently and steadily, sinking into my pussy. The sensation of his girth stretching me, opening me, nearly pushed me over the edge. Then he drew his cock almost all the way out, just so the ridge of the head was barely inside my pussy lips, then he thrust into me, fast, hard, driving his length all the way inside me, his balls slapping at my tender flesh. The motion, the heat, had my hips rocking against his, grinding out every bit of sensation as he thrust deeper with every stroke.
The orgasm began to crest over me. He wrapped his arms around me and rolled me onto him, his cock still inside me, and the wave crested higher. I rode it out on top of him, his fingers tracing my nipples and sending more waves of pleasure through my body. I kept my eyes open and watched because I didn’t want to miss an instant of the pleasure I could see in his own eyes as I rode him.
Finally, the ecstasy peaked, crashing over me, rocking me to my core. I cried out in mindless pleasure. He drove into me faster, harder, trying to come with me and only spiking my physical bliss even higher with every fuck of his cock and slam of his hips.
The real thing was even better than the aranza fantasy.
I lay there, exhausted. He began to kiss his way along my shuddering body.
“Oh my stars,” I said. “You can’t want more.”
“Oh, yes, little human. That was only the first.”
He was not done yet. The realization thrilled me and took my breath away.
“I can’t…”
“You will.”
He rolled me back over and buried his lips in my neck, kissing me softly, teasing the delicate flesh beneath my ear and raising a wave of goose bumps on my skin. And my body responded just the way he said it would.
After two more orgasms, I was utterly wasted, unable to do much of anything except pant as I lay there in a boneless haze of bliss. He kissed me ten
derly on my temple and snuggled me against his big body.
I drifted off to sleep in his arms. Content. Happy. Safe.
CHAPTER TEN
Vorgyn Mar’Don
I woke before Melika, well before dawn. She was still snuggled in against me. My scent was all over her, my seed still drying inside her. That soothed me, having marked her, having finished mating her and making her mine. But when my cock, which was pressed against her adorable pink bottom, started to stir to life, I gently climbed out of bed, careful not to wake her. She needed her rest.
I threw on my robe and made my way into the kitchen area. Jorkal, one of the servants, made some food and fixed some sora brew, a savory drink that sharpened focus and helped me wake the rest of the way up. I used the comm system to check in with the captain of the guard on the status of fortress security. Everything was fine, no alerts or problems. I checked with the head of the investigation into the attacks, but there was no new information except that they were trying to trace the robots back to the manufacturer and date of purchase. No leads on who it was who wanted me dead.
I skimmed the dozens of messages from nobles and important merchants expressing their concern over the attack, and more messages revolving around the standard trade issues, complaints, requests, and invitations. One message was from the leader of the Gotanz Shipping Guild, complaining about my refusal to sign the trade agreement with Katal Minor. Couldn’t these people take more than two days off to grieve before resuming business as usual? I deleted the messages and headed back to the kitchen.
I brought food and sora back to Melika in my room. The smell of food stirred her awake. We ate together in bed with the armored shutters open, but with the shielding up on the window so we could enjoy the view as dawn broke over the city. I filled her in on all I’d learned, which was mostly nothing.
“The only way to end these attacks is to find out who is behind them,” she said, chewing on a sweetdough biskyt. “To do that, we have to figure out what provoked them. How many enemies do you have?”
