by Anne Kane
His eyes darkened and she could see the effect her words had on him as his cock swelled to even larger proportions. Lowering himself over her, he propped an arm on either side of her head and took her lips in a slow, thorough kiss that left her gasping for air. Hot and demanding, his lips sent searing darts of want deep inside her. He shifted positions, and she felt the head of his cock pushing against the entrance to her sex. “Are you sure?”
“Yes!” She thrust her hips upward, trying to impale herself on that magnificent shaft. “Damn it, fuck me.”
He drew back and entered her with one powerful thrust, his cock stretching her slick channel with a force that left her whimpering in mindless lust. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers tangling in his dark hair. Flames of desire whipped across the surface of her skin, sending her spiraling out of control. She bucked and writhed beneath him as he drew himself out of her only to plunge back in. He drove her almost to the edge of madness, then deliberately slowed the pace, making her cry out in frustration.
He knew just how to keep her on the edge, playing her body like a fine-tuned instrument. Plunging deep and fast, now slow and hard. Fire began to build deep within, washing over her. She moaned and bucked, incapable of reasonable thought while her body demanded more and more. Her orgasm exploded over her, and she was unable to keep quiet, hollering his name to the stars as wave after wave of pleasure rolled over her.
A few more hard thrusts and a warm wetness drenched the walls of her channel. Roark roared his pleasure, burying his head in her hair. The two of them collapsed in a tangled heap of limbs, their breath coming in ragged gulps.
The energy gathered around Breanne, seeping into her very bones as she lay in the arms of her lover. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her up against him. Cradling her there, he brushed a gentle kiss across her forehead.
“Sleep well, Breanne. Tomorrow, we go hunting for pirates.”
* * *
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Breanne wriggled her wrists in the plas-tek bonds Roark had fastened around them.
“It’ll work.” Roark gave her a lopsided grin. “You’re just upset because you’re in bonds. As long as the pirates think I’m selling you, they’re going to let us onboard. Now hold still while I get these on your ankles.” He squatted down to fasten a chain around each of her ankles, with a connecting line of stretchable plas-tek to hold them together. “You look rather enticing this way. Maybe we’ll try a little bondage once we get this cleared up.”
Breanne rolled her eyes. “Dream on.”
He tilted his head, laughing up into her eyes. “You’d like it. I guarantee it.”
“I don’t think so.” She shook her head and changed the subject. “How are we going to get them to give up Talia?”
“We’re not.” He tested to make sure the chains were secured, and then stood. “This will get us onboard. Once we’re there, we find your Stargazer and fight our way back out.”
She stared at him in amazement. “That’s your plan? The odds are going to be just a tad against you.”
This time, the smile was grim. “I’m a cyborg. That evens the odds up nicely. Once the fighting starts, you grab your friend and make a run for our ship. Don’t stop, certainly not for me. Close the hatch and stay safe. Once I’m done, I’ll come and find you.”
Breanne shivered, remembering how he’d looked the first time she saw him: large and dark and menacing. “Okay then.” She took a deep breath to calm her racing heart. “Let’s get this show on the road.”
“Try to look a little less satisfied with yourself.” He tilted her chin up to feather a kiss across her lips. “I’ve captured you, screwed your brains out, and I’m about to sell you to the highest bidder.”
Breanne laughed, and then schooled her face into a more somber pose. “How’s this? Or should I be sniffling a bit?”
Roark grinned and swatted her on the butt. “You’ve just had the best sex of your life. I don’t think sniffling is in order. Maybe dazed adoration.”
She lifted one brow. “My. My. Don’t have much of an ego problem, do you? How’s this?” She widened her eyes and let her jaw go slack.
“Keep it up and I might have to put off the rescue for a bit while I teach an ungrateful Stargazer a lesson in manners.” He ran his hand through her hair, mussing up the long locks. “There. That looks a bit better. They’re going to expect you to look a bit disheveled.”
He turned to key the com panel. “Showtime. I want you behind me, slightly to the side so they can see you when I contact them.” A vid screen appeared above the console, showing all the ships within communications range. He placed his palm down on the panel, and she watched as all the ships except their target turned a dull red, indicating they were locked out of the com-loop before he started to broadcast. Breanne moved to a position just behind his left shoulder and focused on a spot on the deck, hoping she looked suitably cowed.
Roark glanced at her approvingly and then turned back to the vid-screen. “This is Roark, commander of the spaceship Blazing Star. I apprehended a fugitive Stargazer and her bond-master has not responded to my request for payment, so by right of interstellar bounty laws, I’m offering her for sale. Reply to this frequency if you wish to inspect the goods or make an offer to purchase.” He reached back and hauled her forward, making sure the pirates got a good look at her before he cut off the feed.
“Now what?” Breanne looked up at him.
“Now we wait.” He gave her a grim smile. “I don’t think we’ll have to wait too long.”
As if in reply, a deep ping sounded from the com panel, and he nodded. “They won’t want to pass up the opportunity to acquire a second Stargazer, and they’ll be under the impression I broadcast that message to every ship within com-range.” He turned to the com panel and opened the feed.
The vid screen popped back up and Breanne didn’t have to fake the alarmed look on her face. A Tracian, one of the most hideous of the sentient races, glared at them. “This is Dar, of the spaceship Alpher. How do we know the female is a Stargazer?”
“Take a look.” Roark sounded unconcerned. “If you’re seriously interested, I’ll bring her to you to examine, and perhaps test.”
The Tracian shook his ugly head. “No. We’ll come to you.”
“I don’t think so.” Roark frowned. “I’m not stupid enough to let a Tracian crew board my ship. If you want to see her, send me your co-ordinates.” He paused. “And I’ll want proof that you’re able to pay the asking price. I’ll accept no less than five thousand gold credits.”
“Not possible. We let no one on our vessel.”
“Suit yourself.” Roark shrugged his massive shoulders. “I’m sure someone else will be interested.” He cut the com-link with a wave of his hand, and the Tracian disappeared.
“Now what?” Breanne couldn’t believe they’d already lost.
“They’ll call back.” He glanced over at her and his expression softened. “It’s a game. They demand. I refuse. They want you and eventually they’ll agree to let me bring you over.”
Breanne had her doubts. The Tracian hadn’t looked very interested, and he certainly hadn’t looked like a creature who liked to play games. “And if they don’t?”
“Then we go with Plan B.”
“What’s Plan B?”
He gave her a crooked smile that made her heart do a little flip-flop in her chest. “I’ve no idea. I’ve never had to use a Plan B.”
Breanne gave an unladylike snort and opened her mouth to reply, but the pinging of the com-link cut her off.
“And that would be our friend the Tracian.” Roark turned back to the control panel, letting the com ping several more times before he opened the link.
“We accept. You may bring her aboard for our inspection.” The creature’s beady eyes narrowed as he looked at Breanne. “You will dock on the starboard side and await my security team.”
Roark shook his head. “The money. I want to see five tho
usand gold credits before I take her anywhere.”
The Tracian glared and then stood aside to reveal a gold credit-string on the console behind him. “We have the credits.”
“Lovely. I’ll see you shortly.” He cut the transmission and turned to pull Breanne toward him. Dipping his head, he kissed her hard on the lips. “See, no Plan B required.”
Chapter Five
Roark maneuvered the shuttle into the docking ring. A metallic clang sounded as the ring sealed against the hull and the command console flashed an all clear. He removed his hands from the neural interface and looked over at her. “It’s showtime. Are you clear on what to do?”
Breanne nodded, swallowing a nervous lump in her stomach. “As soon as Talia shows up to verify my status, get her into the shuttle, then wait for you.” She couldn’t hide the fear in her eyes. “What if they capture you, or worse?”
He shook his head. “Not going to happen. When the fighting starts, I can use my cyborg tech to flood my system with adrenaline. It would take a full Federation battalion to stop me. A couple dozen pirates don’t stand a chance.” The corner of his mouth twisted up in a crooked grin. “Besides, they won’t risk having a bounty hunter running around their ship. I’m betting they’ll be right there when we unseal the hatch, with Talia close by to verify you are what I claim. We’ll snatch the girl, and be back aboard my ship before the engines have time to cool.”
Breanne wished she felt as confident as he sounded. A thousand butterflies appeared to be practicing a new flight pattern inside her belly, and she could barely talk, her throat was so dry. She tried to straighten in her seat, but her bound hands limited her movement. Roark had fastened the plas-tek so she could snap it when she wanted, and she had to be careful not to do that too early. The bonds on her ankles would break off with a twist of her leg.
Roark unstrapped his safety harness and stood. “We need to wait until they invite us aboard. My guess is they’ll make us wait, hoping our nerves will fray.”
“Good plan.” Breanne wasn’t sure she had any nerves left.
“Hey, you’ll do fine.” Roark walked over and released her harness, then leaned over to rub his hand down her back in a soothing motion. The onboard com-unit squealed, and she jumped. So much for remaining calm. Roark strode to the com-panel and hit the audio switch. “Roark here.”
“The security is ready. You may exit your vessel.”
“Acknowledged.” He shut the unit off and turned to Breanne. “Ready?”
She nodded. As ready as she’d ever be. Getting to her feet, she crossed to stand beside him, giving him a weak smile.
“Just follow my lead.” He palmed the door panel and it slid back smoothly. Directly in front of them stood the Tracian, flanked by two humanoid guards, their blasters pointed directly at Roark.
“Nice touch.” Roark dismissed the two with a careless wave of his hand as he stepped onto the pirate ship. A slight movement of his head signaled Breanne to move in close behind him. “We both know they aren’t going to shoot, because I’d have you in a headlock, gasping for air, before they managed to pull the triggers. So tell them to back off before I decide not to play nice.”
The Tracian studied him for a moment, then turned to his guard and grunted a command. “You have a lot of balls, Roark. I like that. Now, let’s get down to business.” He looked at Breanne, his gaze sweeping from her head to toe in an impersonal manner. “I have a Stargazer of my own, and I’ve ordered her up here to verify this one. If she checks out, you can have your credits and leave in peace.” He frowned. “Of course, if she turns out to be a fraud, and you’re trying to con me, I’ll be very unhappy.”
Roark stood his ground; his arms crossed on his chest and he feigned surprise. “You already have a Stargazer?”
The ugly creature nodded, his beady eyes shining with greed. “Yes. But with two, we can outmaneuver anyone. We would be invincible. I hope that little female checks out.”
“No problem there.” Roark relaxed his stance, his arms dropping to his sides. Breanne realized he was getting into position to move. “She’s a Stargazer all right, a Class Three. I’m sure you’ll be impressed with her abilities.”
A noise from down the corridor drew Breanne’s attention, and she let her senses flare outward. She felt Talia’s presence just before the other woman came into view. She could tell the minute Talia realized there was another Stargazer onboard. Surprise, quickly followed by dismay, tinged her aura. She came down the corridor, her identity unmistakable with that long, black hair and the trademark blue eyes. Her steps faltered as she took in the scene in front of her.
Breanne sent out a wave of reassurance, which only seemed to confuse the other woman. Dar turned toward Talia, and her face turned to an unreadable mask. She moved toward Breanne, ignoring the men.
“You will tell us if she is one of your kind.” The Tracian and both of the guards watched the two women intently.
Breanne kept her eyes downcast, watching both the approaching woman and Roark at the same time. She hadn’t dared dream that she’d find Talia without having to leave the ship or Roark’s protective presence.
Talia continued to walk toward her. Roark stood still, balanced lightly on the balls of his feet. The guards ignored him, their attention fixed on the Stargazers. Talia stepped past the pirates and reached out to place her hand on Breanne’s shoulder.
The corridor exploded in a flurry of movement. Time seemed to slow. Roark took out the guard on the right with a brutal chop to the side of his neck. The man slid to the ground with a strangled gurgle, his blaster dropping with a metallic clang. Roark kicked the weapon back toward Breanne and turned to the second guard. The Tracian stepped back to give the guard more room.
“Kill the bastard.” Anger vibrated in the Tracian’s voice. “If the female’s not a Stargazer we can always sell her as a sex slave. She’d fetch a pretty load of credits at auction.”
Roark didn’t bother to answer, his attention on the guard. The man outweighed him, but Roark’s superior skills and cybernetic enhanced speed quickly began to show. He knocked the blaster out of the man’s hands with a roundhouse kick, and then turned to dance in under his guard, pummeling his unprotected belly with his fists.
Breanne snapped her bonds, kicking the discarded plas-tek aside before she reached up to grasp Talia’s hand and draw her into the shuttle, away from the guards. Roark had told her to close the doors, but she couldn’t bring herself to abandon him to the Tracian and his henchmen.
“What are you doing?” Talia looked over her shoulder at the guards. “Those guys are psycho and they’d love an excuse to hurt us. If the Tracian gives them the go-ahead, you’ll wish they’d killed us.”
“They don’t have time to worry about us. They’re too busy trying to save their own asses.” Breanne couldn’t keep the pride out of her voice as she dragged the smaller woman into the shelter of the ship.
The fight felt like it went on forever. Crouched in the airlock of the shuttle, the two women watched anxiously. The Tracian moved in while Roark’s back was to him, and Roark knocked him to the ground with a solid backhand blow. Grunts and the sound of flesh hitting flesh filled the air. Roark moved like the machine he claimed to be, his movements calculated to cause the most damage.
Why had she ever doubted him? Roark fought with deadly intent, his rugged face impassive, his movements so quick they blurred in front of her. The guard grunted, but held his ground, managing to hammer the side of Roark’s head with a flailing fist before Roark retreated out of reach. The two men circled each other warily, ignoring the curses hurled at them by the downed Tracian. Roark feinted with his left, but the guard blocked him. Then the guard tried a low sweeping kick to throw Roark off balance. Roark stepped over his leg, and before the man recovered his balance, Roark hit him with a right-left combination to his face.
The guard screamed in agony, falling to his knees, and Roark jumped in from the side and finished him off with a hard elbow to the back
of his head. The man dropped face-first to the floor, and Roark nudged him with the tip of his boot.
“Damned useless humans. Why do I have to do everything myself?” The Tracian advanced on Roark, the guard’s blaster pointing at the cyborg’s heart. “I really didn’t intend to let you go, you know. The female is worth many credits, Stargazer or not. You were an idiot to board my ship.”
No! Breanne looked around wildly and grabbed the blaster that the first guard had dropped earlier. Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, she aimed it at the Tracian and gently squeezed the trigger as her instructor had taught her to do all those years ago.
A bolt of pure energy sprayed from the muzzle of the weapon and caught the Tracian square in the back of his head, burning a neat hole through it. Roark jumped out of the way as the lifeless body slid to the floor, and then turned to glare at her. “I thought I told you to lock that door and let me deal with the pirates.” He advanced toward her, and she couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face. He was alive, and that was all that mattered. He’d learn soon enough that she didn’t take orders -- not even from a cyborg who had stolen her heart.
* * *
“I’m not going to go live on a planet inhabited by a bunch of headstrong women.” Roark ran his hand down Breanne’s back, loving the feel of her soft skin beneath his palm. “We can live on my ship and visit when it’s absolutely necessary.”
They’d taken Talia back to her home planet, where her parents greeted her with tears of joy. Now, they just needed to sort out their own future.
“But we would be so much more comfortable living planet side.” Breanne arched her back, pressing her breasts against his chest. “The ship is okay, but it doesn’t have the creature comforts of a planet.”
“It has privacy.” He dipped his head to suck one nipple into his mouth. “And I think we’re going to need a lot of privacy.”
Breanne giggled. “You might have a point there, but I have a job to do. I’m one of the Triad. I can’t just announce I’ll be unavailable because I met a sinfully sexy bounty hunter and I’m up here getting my brains fucked out.”
