by Lolita Lopez
He decided not to tell her that he could easily bust out of the cuffs if he wanted. Besides, his curiosity raged. What would she do to him now that she thought she had complete control of the situation?
“Do you get a safeword?”
Her question surprised him. “Do I need one?”
She shrugged. “You gave me one.”
“You’re new to all this. I want you to feel safe and secure when we’re trying new things.”
“Is that your way of telling me you already feel safe and secure?”
“Yes.”
She shook her head. “For a battle-hardened soldier, you are way too trusting.”
“I trust my intuition. My intuition tells me I’m perfectly safe in your hands.”
She didn’t disagree with him but he sensed she thought he was a little crazy or maybe even slightly stupid. His assessment of her stood. She wouldn’t hurt him or put him at risk.
Naya’s mouth dropped to his chest. She took her time exploring his chest and arms with her fingertips and lips. The ticklish kisses along his collarbone and just below his ear made his heart stutter. She traced his nipples with her tongue and made sure to nip him a few times. He hissed at the brief, sharp bites but had to admit it felt rather good in a strange sort of way.
As Naya kissed her way down his body, Menace tried to control his breathing. Even though he knew he could break out of his restraints at any moment, the vulnerability from having his hands bound heightened the sensations he experienced. White-hot currents streaked through his lower belly and into his chest. His groin tightened with anticipation as she slipped down between his thighs and wrapped her fingers around his dick.
A growling moan escaped his throat. Her wet, soft tongue swiped the head of his cock. Nostrils flaring and arms captured overhead, he stared down at her. The comfortable tilt of the restraint couch made it possible for him to watch her performing oral sex on him. The sight of her pink tongue gliding up and down his pulsing flesh made his heart race.
“Naya,” he whispered “That feels so good.”
She smiled up at him before sucking him between her lips. She took only the very tip of his erection into her mouth but it was enough to leave him dizzy. Her lips were stretched around his girth, the sight one that would remain forever imprinted in his mind. She eased off his cock and painted his shaft with her tongue.
When she pulled him into her mouth this time, he curled his fingers toward his palms. He needed something to grip but there was nothing. Hands fisted above his head, he drew measured breaths into his lungs and tried to regain some control over his response to her hot mouth moving up and down on his shaft.
His cock popped free from her mouth. She stroked his length with one hand and used the other to push his thighs wider apart. When her tongue touched his balls, he gasped. She licked all around his sensitive sac and sucked on the plump flesh. Every tug of her mouth sent his need skyrocketing.
“Naya!” He wished he could sift his fingers through her dark, silky hair. Instead he lifted his hips in silent urging. She laughed and continued to tease him with her tongue and fingers.
The moment she pulled his cock back into her mouth, he exhaled roughly. Lifting his hips again, he carefully thrust into her willing mouth. He was much too big for her to take completely but she gave it her best try. The crown of his cock nudged the back of her throat. The quick flash of tightening as he pinged her gag reflex left his balls aching and his cock throbbing. Primitive as it was, he couldn’t deny his response to her slight gag.
She didn’t abandon his cock. Using her fingers to control the depth of his oral penetration, Naya kept her mouth on him. He fought to breathe normally and wondered how much longer he could flirt with danger. Every stroke of her tongue pushed him closer and closer to the edge. As much as he wanted to spill in her mouth, he wanted to come deep inside her, marking her as his much, much more.
“No more,” he said finally and let his hips fall back to the couch. Naya continued to lick him lightly and suck the head of his cock gently. “Naya,” he said with a moan. “I want to come inside you.”
Her gaze jumped to his. “You could get me pregnant.”
Cold crept into his chest. “Yes.”
“Is that how this works? You seduce me, get me pregnant and then I can’t leave?”
The frustration lacing her voice began to deflate his lust. “Are we going to argue about this now?”
She sat back on her heels. “I don’t see how we can avoid the conversation.”
“Naya, the Grabs exist so soldiers who have earned enough points through skill and bravery can build families.”
“But so quickly? We hardly know one another!”
He couldn’t argue against that fact. She hugged herself and a slight shiver of panic stabbed his belly. She was pulling away from him emotionally. All the trust he’d built with her was threatening to shatter. “What can I do to make this easier for you?”
“Give me time, Menace.” She caressed his naked thigh. After a moment, she finally spoke. “I’m willing to give this thing between us a try, but I can’t risk making a child with a man I hardly know. That’s not right, Menace. I know what it’s like to be unwanted.”
His eyes widened. “No child of mine would ever be unwanted.”
The look in her eyes told him she wanted to believe him. “You say that now, but I’ve seen what resentment does to a kid. Being told that you’re the reason someone was trapped isn’t a good feeling. I lived it for years. I won’t—I can’t—do that to my child.”
It was obvious someone had hurt her deeply. Her mother? Her father? Both? “You would never resent your child.” He believed that with every fiber of his being. “Neither will I.”
“Menace…”
“I won’t come inside you. I’ll pull out.” He bargained with the only chip he had. “If I could go down to the infirmary and get birth control for you, I would, Naya.”
“Why can’t you? I thought your society was all about technological and medical advances.”
“We have population issues. The war has lowered our birthrate dramatically. A couple can only gain access to birth control after the birth of one child or the presentation of medical issues in the female. Very rarely they’ll grant waivers for other reasons. I’m willing to put in the paperwork, but it could be months.”
“Months?”
He nodded and tensed his jaw. It killed him to offer, but he refused to force her into a situation she didn’t want. “If you would prefer, we can abstain from intercourse until I get an answer on a petition.”
She tilted her head. “You’re serious?“
“I am.”
With a little sigh, she said, “There are other ways.”
He frowned. “Other ways?”
She nodded. “I was taught to chart my cycle by a midwife in Connor’s Run.”
“Chart your cycle?” He had no idea what that meant.
“You keep track of certain signs and your temperature so you can anticipate your fertile window and avoid sex during that risky period.”
“And it works?” It seemed too simple to be true.
“Beautifully,” she said with a slight smile. “There’s a reason Connor’s Run and some of the wealthier sections of The City have such low birthrates. When you use charting with a sponge soaked in certain solutions, you have an almost foolproof recipe for family planning.”
He jumped on this new bit of information. “I have a thermometer in my med kit.”
She laughed and rubbed his stomach. “You only check your temperature in the morning.”
“Oh.”
“But we’re safe tonight.”
“You’re sure?” He didn’t want her to feel pressured tonight. The mistrust and resentment that would breed could kill their fledgling relationship.
She drew a lazy design on his leg. “My cycle is just a few days old. I typically have ten to twelve days in the first half of my cycle where I’m safe, five to six when it�
��s risky and then fifteen to eighteen days before my period begins. But,” her gaze skipped to his face, “nature isn’t foolproof.”
She couldn’t have uttered a truer statement. “The choice is yours, Naya. I’ll respect whatever decision you make.”
She didn’t say anything. Instead she slid back down between his thighs and stroked his cock. Their serious discussion had put quite a damper on his lust. With her supple lips and nimble fingers, Naya coaxed his erection back to life. He let his eyelids drift together as he enjoyed the wonderful feelings caused by his woman.
When she released his erection from her mouth, his eyes popped open. His breath arrested in his throat as she climbed up his body and straddled his thighs. Wordlessly she held his gaze and rose up on her knees. Naya reached down between their bodies and grasped his cock. She teased his ruddy, weeping crown through her slick folds. His pre-cum mixed with the shiny nectar seeping from her core. Without saying a word, she’d declared her decision to risk everything with him.
“Release my hands,” he ordered, his voice husky with emotion. “I need to touch you. I have to feel you.”
Her smoky gaze softened. With his hard shaft trapped between her thighs, she leaned forward and jerked free his bonds. Wrists free, he slid one arm around her waist and tangled the fingers of his other hand in her hair. Menace pulled her sweet mouth down for a kiss. He put every last ounce of emotion he could muster into that kiss. He needed her to know how precious he considered her gift of trust.
Breathing heavily, Naya sat back and moved into a better position. She lifted her ass and clasped the base of his cock. He didn’t dare move a muscle as she aligned their bodies. Biting her plump lower lip, Naya pressed down on his shaft. He groaned when he finally breached her wet pussy.
“Oh!” Her eyes widened but she didn’t pull away from him. “You’re too big.”
“I’m not,” he assured her, his voice filled with desperation. Sweeping a hand down her back, he whispered, “You can take me.”
“I can’t.” Even as she spoke her denial, Naya braced herself with a hand on his chest and pushed down on his cock. Like him, she seemed aflame with the need to be joined so intimately.
“Easy, sweetheart,” he murmured and kissed her mouth. “Take it slow.”
Her slick honey coated his shaft. She’d inched down on his erection and then retreated until just the tip of him remained buried in her snug pussy. He’d never felt anything so perfectly tight and wet. In that moment he thought he might actually die from pleasure.
“Ride me, Naya.” He gripped her waist, pulled her forward and then pushed her back.
“Menace!” She moaned loudly and placed both hands on his chest. Her lips parted on a long sigh as she followed his urging and rode him. Her lush breasts bounced with each swaying snap of her hips. Unable to help himself, Menace latched on to her nipple and tugged hard. She cried out and clawed at his chest, her short nails digging into his skin. He just laughed and sucked harder.
When her head fell back, he knew she was close. He could feel her slick passage gripping his cock. Wanting her to shatter with ecstasy, Menace licked his thumb and found her clit with the rough pad. She groaned and shuddered. “Please…”
He wanted to tell her that anything she wanted was hers, that all she ever needed to do was ask and he’d do everything in his power to make it happen. Instead of telling her, he showed her. With a few quick flicks of his thumb, he sent her over the edge. She shouted his name again and again while her pussy fluttered around his shaft.
The last spasms of her orgasm rhythmically gripped him. Menace held tight to her waist and planted the soles of his feet against the couch’s firm surface. Knees bent against her backside, he pounded into her from below. The well-trained muscles of his abdomen and thighs flexed as he jackhammered her tight pussy.
“Menace! Oh! Oh! Ooohhh!” She came again, her shocked cry music to his ears. “Menace!”
There was no holding back now. He slammed balls-deep in her welcoming pussy and growled. “Naya!”
He shook with each burst of semen that left his body. His head ached from the sheer force of his climax. The muscles of his torso and legs burned from exertion but he didn’t care. He’d claimed Naya now. He’d marked her as his own and made her his wife and mate.
Cradling her to his chest, Menace pressed a tender kiss to the crown of her head. Like him, she panted for breath. Her cheek rested against his chest and her warm, soft body felt so right curled up against him. Her silky, fragrant hair tickled his mouth.
Quite unexpectedly she laughed. The raucous, joyful noise infected him and left him grinning from ear to ear. “What in the world is so funny? Not my skills as a lover, I hope.”
“Oh, no,” she assured him. “That was the best sex I’ve ever had.”
“Then what has you giggling like a fool?”
“I guess I’m not so bad for a consolation prize, huh?”
Even though the words he’d jokingly spoken had wounded her in the forest, he heard the teasing tone in her voice now. “No,” he confirmed with a smile and stroked her back. “Not bad at all.”
Chapter Six
Naya stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror and tried to get a hold of her wildly vacillating emotions. She had gone from infuriated and frustrated with Menace for snatching her away from her friend and her dreams of a new life in the colonies to…well…what?
Her feelings toward Menace were so tangled. She felt comfortable enough to admit that she liked him. Maybe more than liked him, but she didn’t dare dwell on that issue. Menace had proven to be nothing like the imaginary sky warriors who had terrified her since childhood. No, he was sweet, kind and patient.
And trouble. Big, big trouble.
She’d known Menace for less than a day and already she was starting to wonder if the key to her future happiness was that shockingly huge, green-eyed, white-haired alien waiting for her in the other room. He’d offered her everything she’d always wanted—a home and security. All she had to do was try to make things work between them. That’s all he’d asked.
She fingered the white collar encircling her neck. The thin strip of plain white leather looked so stark against her honey-brown skin. It had seemed such a savage and cruel thing when he had first put it around her neck. Now she had a better understanding of what this collar meant to Menace. He saw it as a symbol of the commitment he’d made to her in much the same way her people viewed matching wedding bands. She wasn’t his slave or his sex toy. She was his wife.
Even though he’d been exceedingly good to her, Naya couldn’t shake the idea that he was putting on an act. The contract she’d been forced to sign upon boarding the transport ship had so many clauses in such tiny print on the tablet screen. She hadn’t been able to make any of them out but she was certain there had to be an escape clause of some kind. All contracts had them, right? The idea that Menace was simply going to keep her happy until some type of time limit passed wasn’t one she could discount.
She’d gotten a good look at the spaceship during her processing. The sheer size of the Valiant stunned her. She couldn’t even comprehend how so massive a ship could remain in orbit. The mechanics and engineering required were so far beyond anything she could understand. Even if she could escape Menace’s quarters, she wouldn’t get far. The chip in her wrist and the heavily armed guards all over the ship had dashed those hopes. If by some miraculous chance she managed to evade all of that she wouldn’t have the first idea how to get from the ship to the colonies.
The realization that maybe she didn’t want to flee—at least not yet—hit her hard. Menace’s skillful seduction had done more than just show her that she was capable of enjoying sex in ways she’d never thought possible. No, he’d also shown her that the two of them shared an undeniable connection. Try as she might, Naya couldn’t deny that she and Menace clicked on a level she’d never been able to reach with any other man.
Finally she admitted to herself that she wanted
to stay and try. Maybe it wouldn’t work. Maybe in a week or two the lust between them would fade and they’d both be looking for ways to get away from each other. More frightening for Naya was the prospect that things would be better between them. She wouldn’t know the first thing about making a long-term relationship work. Every man she had ever known had fucked her over in one way or another. Even Dankirk, the man she had been friends with longest, had gotten her into scrapes that she had only just barely survived. Experience told her it was only a matter of time until Menace did the same.
“Naya?” Menace knocked twice on the bathroom door. “I left one of my undershirts on the bed for you. Come find me when you’re dressed.”
“Okay.” She stared at the door. A quiver of embarrassment shook her belly. She had never actually done this part. Typically she would bounce from her partner’s house or send him packing from hers as quickly as possible after sex. The second Menace had unlocked the door of the playroom and offered her the use of the bathroom, she had fled. She had milked this tidying-up business about as long as she could without rousing suspicion. Now what?
Gathering her courage, she opened the bathroom door and entered the spacious bedroom. Her entire apartment back in Connor’s Run would have fit in Menace’s master suite. He had dimmed the lights to a comfortable setting. She spotted the folded gray shirt sitting on the end of the bed. The fabric was a darker gray than the bedclothes. Apparently shades of gray and black were favored here.
Naya slipped into the too-big shirt. It skimmed her knees but she was glad for the extra length. It looked like an ill-fitting dress but gave her a sense of modesty. Running around without underpants wasn’t something she did very often, but something told her Menace would probably prefer it.
Like the bathroom door, the bedroom door slid into the wall when she touched the frame. It was basically a high-tech version of the pocket doors used in her tiny apartment to save space. Unlike her apartment, these quarters were uncommonly roomy. Having been blindfolded earlier, she had missed the grand tour. She took a moment to scan her new, possibly temporary, home. The open living area was connected to a dining space and kitchen. On the far wall were more doors. She assumed they led to bedrooms.
