Harmony reached down into the kit and removed the shaver. The pewter handle held a secret slot down its length where the blade was hidden. Pinching the steel edge, she pulled it from its crevice, snapping the curved blade into place. With tense purpose she wrapped her fingers around the handle while pressing her thumb against the back of the blade and slowly glided it along his face, scraping off the growth. She worked diligently, stopping only to wipe the blade on a moist cloth.
When she was finished, his skin was completely smooth and not one speck of cream remained. She picked up the cloth, wiped the remaining cream from the shaver, then pushed the blade back into its slot and placed it back in his kit with gentle care.
“Better?” he asked in a low sexy voice.
“Much.” She ran her palms along his cheek. There was no desire to get off his lap.
“Tell me,” he said, grinning at her playfully, “why did you choose to be a bounty hunter? I’ve read your bio. You have a background in biochemistry. You don’t exactly fit the type.”
She shrugged. “I like it and I’m good. What more reason could there be?”
“Isn’t it lonely?”
“If you’re talking about sex, I get plenty of—”
Tanner leaned forward and tenderly pressed his lips against hers, cutting her off. It was a soft, tender kiss, so unlike the man who gave it. He broke the kiss. “I’m not just talking about sex, Harmony.”
She got up. “I’m never lonely.” He was too close to a painful truth she wasn’t quite ready to face. The navigation system sounded a close-to-destination chime and she was grateful for the distraction.
Tanner swiveled his chair around and brought up a screen shot of the pleasure barge. Alas Babylon, an ugly old ship that looked like it was in dire need of repairs, floated through space like the corpse of a bloated whale.
“Saddle up,” Harmony said. “It’s party time.”
Tanner pulled her closer and slid his hands under her shirt. He caressed her back. “Not yet.”
Harmony placed her hand on his cheek and felt the solid muscle of his jaw beneath the flesh. She ran her hand down his face, stopping at his lips. There she hesitated and traced her thumb along a thin scar that ran diagonally down the upper lip. Beneath her, his muscles tensed like a racehorse about to bolt from the starting gate. A quick glance at his eyes and the savage hunger raging there brought a fusion of warmth up the back of her neck. Within her, desire roared to life like a flame set to dry kindling. Why haven’t I ever felt this before? What is going on with me?
Lips as hot as burning coal blazed a trail of kisses up and down her throat. It raised gooseflesh on her arms.
Tanner exhaled hard against her neck. “You make me so fucking hot, Harmony.” The statement was partially muffled by her skin.
Harmony tried to calm herself but it was no use. Her body refused every command her brain gave. She was a hostage to her lust, a slave to the primal need within her, and nothing could set her free but the fulfillment only Tanner could deliver. Her hands caressed Tanner’s thick neck and traveled down to his broad shoulders. She tried to knead the muscles along his shoulders and back but they were solid granite.
The level of his excitement was a complete turn-on and Harmony couldn’t help but feel flattered. She’d been with men who were eager to have sex with her, but not like this. This was something else entirely.
Tanner was clawing at her pants, feverishly trying to get his hand past the snug waistband. Harmony peeled his hands off her and got up. She kicked off her boots, slid her pants and underwear off, and returned to his lap. His nostrils flared as he drank in the scent of her arousal. He dipped his finger into her weeping channel and thrust it in and out a few times, then he inserted another. Sweet pleasure swirled inside her abdomen as she rocked her hips to match the rhythm of his strokes.
He removed his fingers slick with her nectar and licked them clean. Her scent seemed to push him into a carnal fever. He grabbed the shaft of his cock and guided it into her. Pressure and friction ushered in a wave of bliss that overwhelmed any thought of resistance.
Close to release, Harmony pumped her hips in desperation. Her frantic thrusts pushed his cock harder against her clit, setting off a frenzied climax that dragged an unexpected scream from her throat. The peak was raw and powerful, resonating with more intensity than any other she’d ever had. As it subsided, she expected Tanner to follow her in pleasure, but he didn’t. He’d frozen with his cock buried deep inside her, his face a perfect mask of pure delight.
“Is something wrong?” she asked.
Tanner gave her a searing kiss that took her breath away. When he finally pulled back he said, “No, nothing’s wrong. Nothing’s ever been so right.”
Before Harmony could decipher what he was talking about, he grabbed her hips and started his relentless pumping. Her pussy thrilled as he worked in and out, giving rise to new and surprising delights. His building excitement became an aphrodisiac, pushing her arousal to untapped heights. Sweat ran down his face and neck as he labored and his hands grew so hot they threatened to burn her with their decadent fire. Another climax, and another right on the heels of the first, until a beastly roar filled the space and Harmony felt Tanner’s cock jerk several times as it delivered its payload.
For several minutes he didn’t say anything or try to remove his cock from inside her. It grew soft and slipped out, leaving her feeling warm but empty. Harmony licked her lips and wiped a trickle of sweat off her cheek. Shaking with unspent adrenaline, she moved off him without a word. She hunted down her pants and underwear and put them back on. “Are you ready to get back to work?”
Tanner just shook his head. He put his cock back into his pants and carefully zipped them up. “Yeah, I guess I am.”
Chapter Eleven
The Alas Babylon offered everything a wandering space pilot could want—good food, large staterooms and plenty of willing sex partners of every age, shape and breed. Bounty hunters, being a lonely and solitary bunch anyway, often frequented places like this not only for their sultry offerings but also to gain information on whichever skip they were currently chasing. Harmony considered herself pretty seasoned as far as hunters went but she’d never visited a pleasure barge before. It wasn’t that she had anything against coming to one, it was just that these barges usually offered few valuable leads and were designed to waste a lot of money and time. And the latter was the one thing Harmony usually didn’t give herself the luxury of wasting.
Harmony walked down the wide hall, rehearsing what questions she would ask Marz’s mother once they caught up with her. Tanner stalked along, playfully leering at every obviously female prostitute who strutted by. Except for an occasional dirty look, Harmony ignored him, focusing instead on getting down to the main area so they could scare up information about their lead. Then they could request Marz’s mother, who went by the name of Li’l Donna, and go someplace private to question her.
They passed under a greeting banner advertising the same-sex wing off to their left and then came into an enormous oval room with a welcome desk at the center and glass doors all around leading to different sections. There was a short line at the polished chrome desk and Harmony trotted up to the end and waited.
Tanner nudged up close behind her. He leaned forward and nuzzled her hair away from the back of her ear. “Too bad we don’t have more time to spend here.”
Harmony grinned and shook her head. “Do you ever take a bounty seriously?”
“Not as seriously as you.”
“Well, I take pride in what I do. I like being one of the best.”
“And why is that, Harmony? I’ll tell you why, because you don’t like being the best, you need to be the best. A bounty isn’t just a payday for you, it’s a mission. I’ve never seen a hunter as anal or obsessed as you are.”
“I’m not going to apologize for wanting to be successful and making money.”
“Nor should you. But what do you do with all that money? You c
ertainly didn’t buy a new ship with it. You’ve got the same clunker you’ve had since you started.” He glanced past her to see how the line was progressing.
“First off, my vessel suits my needs, and that’s why I don’t purchase a new one. Second, I prefer to spend my money on new weapons. What do you spend your money on?”
“Gambling, booze and whores. I bring in a bounty, collect the cash, blow it all, then go out and get another one.” The line advanced two more people. They were next.
“You don’t save any of it?”
“Nope.”
“I don’t know why that surprises me. What if something should happen and you couldn’t work for a while?”
“I’ll worry about that when the time comes.” He lifted his chin sharply to let her know it was their turn at the desk.
Harmony turned around, surprised at how irritated she was. She shook it off and smiled at the clerk. He was a bone-thin alien with large black eyes and a mouth that had been altered into a permanent grin. The artificial grin made him look particularly creepy so she fixed her eyes on his forehead so she wouldn’t have to look at it. “We’d like an hour with Li’l Donna.”
The clerk stared down at the computer screen. “What exactly is your pleasure, madam?” The system gave off a pale blue light that danced across the clerk’s face as he advanced through the digital menus.
Harmony glanced back at Tanner. “I’d like to watch my boyfriend have sex with her.”
“Very good, madam. That will be two hundred credits.”
Harmony was about to reach into her pocket and pull out her card when Tanner handed the clerk his. She noticed the Galaxy Recovery logo on the glossy surface before it disappeared behind the desk. A moment later the clerk handed it back to him and they were on their way to the room.
“Did you use the company credit card for this?”
“Yes I did.”
“Edna is going to kill you. That’s against policy, you know. You’re supposed to pay for your own expenses and then submit a reimbursement request to the proper department.”
His gray eyes sparkled with demonic amusement. “Are you going to tell on me when we get back?”
“No, I won’t need to. Edna will find out soon enough when she reviews the daily statements. I just hope I’m there to watch. She’s going to go berserk and hand you your ass. I can’t wait.”
He shrugged. “I subscribe to the philosophy that it’s better to beg forgiveness than seek permission.”
She squinted at him. “That’s a stupid philosophy.”
“Is it really, Harmony? As I recall, that was the same philosophy that landed you in an AEssyrian prison for a year.”
A fireball ignited in her stomach. Sometimes Tanner just went too far. She stormed ahead and stopped in front of Li’l Donna’s door. “That’s a cheap shot, Tanner, and I’m hardly in the same class as you. You know, I would really like it if you could just shut up for a little while. In fact, I would prefer it if you didn’t talk to me for the rest of the day.”
He shook his head and chuckled. “No chance of that, sweetheart.”
Chapter Twelve
Li’l Donna was a moderately attractive middle-aged human with long blond hair and dull, cynical eyes. Although she appeared youthful, Tanner knew she’d most definitely had a Kirillian total body regeneration done within the past year. Her skin was just too taut and smooth for someone who’d spent the majority of their life entertaining johns. She invited them in with a forced smile and prepared them each a drink.
The woman held a glass out to Tanner as she ran her gaze up and down his body, apparently wondering if he would be worth her time. There was a cold deadness in her stare that filled his gut with a gloomy, unpleasant tension. He set the drink down on the coffee table.
“You want to get right to it?” she asked Harmony, handing her the other drink.
Harmony took the drink and strolled over to a plush chair upholstered in tiger stripes. She plopped into it, looking cool and relaxed, and gave Li’l Donna a disarming smile. “I’d like to talk first if that’s all right with you. It makes my boyfriend relax and helps me build the fantasy.”
Harmony had a carefree and alluring sexuality that was completely natural. It came off her like a hint of perfume and never failed to stroke Tanner’s desire. Watching her sit in that chair with one leg hung over the armrest was almost too much for him. She seemed to be teasing, daring him to try and seduce her here in this place he found so unappealing. A sudden and commanding hunger tore into his groin and he had to clench his fists to keep from reaching out for her.
“Tell me about yourself,” Harmony said, sipping her drink. “Where did you come from? Are you originally from Earth?”
Li’l Donna didn’t seem to mind Harmony’s chattiness, and for what they were paying, she shouldn’t. She reclined on the overstuffed leopard couch, downing drinks and rambling lies about herself, which Tanner did his best to tune out. Harmony’s strategy was brilliant though—loosen the woman up and get her to talk until she blabbed about the one thing they cared about, her piece-of-shit son.
If she stayed relaxed, Donna was bound to tell them a lot more than she ever would under threat, which was how Tanner liked to work. But, he had to admit, in this case Harmony’s way was better, and since he had no qualms about being lazy, he let her ask all the questions. He picked up his drink and wandered around the room looking for any clues Marz had been there. The way the two women were talking and laughing already, you’d think they had known each other for years.
Tanner stopped for a moment by a large bay window and swallowed some of his drink.
“Do you have any children?” Harmony asked in a tone that was all confidential girl-talk.
“Yeah,” Donna said. “Two boys.” She craned her neck to see where Tanner was. “I think your boyfriend is getting bored.”
Harmony smiled. “No, don’t mind him, he’s fine. How old are they?”
Donna started looking uncomfortable. “They’re both in their thirties. One is a businessman, but the other…” She paused to take a sip of her drink. “My Ken has always been a challenge.”
“Do they work on the barge too?”
Donna got up and tucked her robe around her. “No. Right now they’re both living on Cyprus Four.”
Harmony stared into her empty glass and shook the ice as though she didn’t like the position of the cubes. Tanner could almost see the wheels turning in her brain.
Donna folded her arms under her breasts. “Listen, we’d better get to work here. I have other clients to see and your hour’s gonna be up pretty soon. In the order you said you wanted me to fuck your boyfriend?”
“Yeah,” Harmony said, distracted. “I like to watch.”
Tanner bristled as Li’l Donna strutted over. He’d fucked his share of prostitutes in his day, but they weren’t his preferred lay. He also had no desire for this woman at all. He was kind of hoping this sex thing worked out long term with Harmony.
The prostitute tried to put her hands on his chest and he backed away from her. Li’l Donna gave Harmony a questioning look. This was going to get weird if he didn’t think of something fast. Squaring his shoulders like a man about to throw a punch, he gave Li’l Donna a wicked smile and said, “You should know before we start that I like it rough.”
The woman’s face dropped into a frown. “Rough?”
“Yeah,” he said, peeling off his shirt. “Real rough.”
Li’l Donna ran her gaze down over his tattooed skin and her frown deepened. She glanced back at Harmony, who gave her a sheepish smile.
“It’s okay. He won’t leave a lot of marks.”
That was enough for Donna. She picked up Tanner’s shirt and tossed it at him. “I don’t do rough.”
Harmony stood up and plastered a surprised look on her face. “But we already paid and?”
Li’l Donna marched to the door, hit a button and opened it. “I’ll see you get a full refund. Now will you please leave?”
Harmony glanced at Tanner then stormed out of the suite in a huff.
Tanner gave Donna a brooding stare. “What a fucking rip-off this place is.” He tried to sound pissed off and disappointed but he didn’t think he was too convincing. He slipped his shirt back on and followed Harmony out the door. He wondered if a jaded businesswoman like Li’l Donna really believed they were there just for the sex. He sure hoped she didn’t tip off her dirtbag son that they’d been asking questions.
Chapter Thirteen
The stateroom on the Alas Babylon was small, cramped and dark, just the way Prime liked it. He settled into the darkest corner and set the tripod legs up on the translator. Grabbing the pheromone sensors off the unit, he attached them to the glands just under his thorax. His scent filled the sensors and the translator sputtered out a few syllables as it warmed up. Prime tried again and this time the unit uttered an electronic “Hello? Hello?”
Satisfied his guests would be able to understand him, he settled in to wait.
It was unfortunate he had to resort to this crude device to converse with other alien species, but that was the way it was most of the time. He could comprehend most other languages in the galaxy, but few outside his own species could understand his scent communications, and none but his own people could master his language.
But then there was that bounty hunter scourge Harmony Knox. She could understand him, which was very odd since studying his language involved days of secluded learning on his home planet of Hydra. That meant she must have spent a good deal of time there once upon a time. Curious enough since most mammals avoided his home planet for fear of being eaten. But then nothing should surprise him about Harmony. She was the only hunter he’d ever met who’d almost caught him, not once but twice. He’d almost been lucky enough to kill her the first time they met, but she’d gotten dangerously close to finishing him off on AEssyria. Good thing the Imperials showed up when they did or she would certainly have succeeded.
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