by Calinda B
He swore, his thrust changing to a fast and desperate rhythm, every stroke shoving her into the circle of his arm and the bulkhead behind her. “God, yes. Keep squeezing me like that,” he ordered, his eyes narrowing till they were nearly shut. “Fuck, fuck ... your pussy squeezes tighter than a fist. Now come again, so Darry can watch this time.”
Catching movement from the corner of her eye, Scala turned her head. Darry leaned against the entrance to the passageway, watching them, his melted caramel gaze hot. He smiled slowly at her. Somehow the blend of mischief and lust in his gaze only added to her pleasure. Let everyone see how much Darkrunner wanted her.
Tal laughed again. “Fuck. You like him watching. I knew it.” He lifted her higher against the wall, arching up to take her in long, hard strokes. Scala moaned as her orgasm revved up again.
Then he stiffened in her arms, and she felt his hot come flood her pussy.
She came for him, for the man watching them and for herself.
Tal slumped against her, his head tipped down on her shoulder, his breath gusting hot on her throat. Her pussy throbbed around his shaft, and she could feel his heart pounding against her chest.
“Trix will be sorry she missed this,” Darry said. Scala laughed breathlessly, drunk on satisfaction and the pleasure of being held and admired.
Darry palmed the bulge at his groin, and raised his brows, giving her an enticing look. “I don’t suppose ...?”
“No.” She curled her lip at him. “You’re late to the party, mate.”
Tal leaned into her, an odd look in his eyes as he stroked his thumb up her cheek and back down, catching the corner of her mouth and delving in a bit. His rings were smooth and knobbly against her skin. “Also, I don’t know that I want to share you just yet.”
A cold blade of fear and anger pierced her warm glow of satiation like a bubble. Scala lowered her leg and pulled her arms from his neck, wriggling impatiently until he winced and pulled out of her, one hand on his cock.
“One fuck doesn’t mean you own any part of me, Darkrunner.”
She bent to insert her foot in her tights and pull them up, ignoring his semen trickling down her leg. She’d wash later.
When she straightened, Tal still stood before her, fully clothed again. Of course all he’d done was unfasten his pants. Now his gaze held a familiar, mocking gleam. As she straightened the waistband of her tights, he cupped one hand over her breast, and squeezed her nipple between his thumb and forefinger, just hard enough to pinch. It sent an unwelcome thrill of pleasure through her.
“Then I’ll just have learn how to make you want to do as I say, won’t I?” he asked her.
Darry grinned as she shoved Tal’s hand aside. “He won’t stop trying,” he agreed cheerfully.
“A lizard may wish for the moon,” she muttered, but inside her the chill spread.
Darkrunner would never tame her, never make her one of his inner circle, part of his little coterie, because she couldn’t risk letting him that close. She had to walk away from him before the heat in his gaze turned to the fury of betrayal. To enjoy her freedom, she had to stay alive.
A crease appeared between Tal’s charcoal brows. “Now what’s going through your mind, I wonder.”
She was saved from answering by Dalg’s voice rumbling over the com.
“Boss, you through fucking your new hire for now? We’re approaching the Lure Valley.”
“I am,” Tal agreed. “For now.”
He ducked in to give her another quick kiss and walked away, leaving Scala torn between anger and an aching sense of loss. She curled her hands into fists at her sides. She wished he hadn’t kissed her so softly. Made it hard to summon her anger.
“Arrogant bastard,” she muttered, but the words lacked conviction.
Darry caught her arm as she headed into the passage. “Hey,” he chided. “You should listen to him, Scala. Tal takes care of his people.” He smiled at her and lifted her hand to press a kiss into her palm. “Mm-m, pussy. Your pussy.”
She shoved him away with the flat of her palm, but she did it gently. “Voyeur.”
“Exhibitionist,” he shot back with a grin. “See? We’re all perfect together.”
But Scala’s smile disappeared as she walked away from him. Perfect? Yeah, not if they discovered what she was really doing here.
She’d end up perfectly dead.
Chapter 8
The Lure Valley showed up on the Z’s holographic readouts as a wide, low valley with an oasis at its heart, and a river running south within an ever-deepening canyon. The oasis was surrounded by trees Tal had seen only on holovids. Tall and slim with central trunks, they had clusters of fringed leaves at regular intervals up the trunk and clusters of large seeds or nuts hanging among the leaves. Lower trees and shrubs grew under them, around a series of pools that had been walled with stones.
Tal could see all this clearly because the whole place was lit up like a casino. Except that these lights were placed to highlight gardens, not flashing with advertisements. He guessed they were an advertisement in their own way, shouting ‘Look at this! I have massive amounts of credit!’
Sprawling homes were surrounded by gardens, each with their own pool, bright azure bowls among overhanging shrubbery. Tal grimaced at the thought of climbing into that water. This planet was crawling with reptiles. Who the hells knew what kind of serpent could be lurking under those shrubs, ready to bite bare limbs and maybe even a guy’s privates?
He’d never been in water himself, except to showerdry or lounge in a hot whirlbath. Only a hazard-suited diver or an imbecile would venture into the cold, dirty seas around New Seattle.
He pictured his new crew member slipping through this bright water naked, and his cock twitched. Now that he’d like to see, even if he didn’t get in himself. Then he pictured her smirking at him and taunting him for his refusal to do so, and his pleasant fantasy evaporated.
“Scan for large craft,” he ordered, scowling down at the nearest pool, glimmering in the lights.
“Scanning,” said a voice from the dashboard controls.
“There’s a private space port a mile from the oasis,” Dalg said. “We should look there.”
“Good idea. These places don’t seem to have hangars on the roof. Waste of valuable space.”
“Stupid,” Dalg agreed. “Hard to make a quick getaway if you have to wait for your pilot to bring your craft clear from over there.” Dalg stabbed a massive digit at the space port showing on the holovid. On the other side of the hills that rimmed the valley, it was also brightly lit.
“What’s bad for them is good for us,” Tal said. “Makes it easier to spot our target ship. Head to the port, we’ll have a look.”
They landed on the open paved area outside the main building of the small spaceport. A hololink immediately opened over the Z’s controls. A Serpentian in a trim uniform smiled politely from inside the lighted office. Pretty, in a tight-assed fashion, hair pulled back and collar buttoned up around her throat.
“Good evening, sir. How may I help you?”
Tal smiled at her. “I’m looking for a business associate. He just flew in from Earth II.”
Her smile turned appreciative, but she gave him a regretful look. “I’m sorry, sir. I can’t divulge information about any arrivals or departures.”
And he didn’t have the energy just now to persuade her to talk. He shrugged. “Well, then I guess I’ll have to wait for him to contact me. Any open hangars?”
She consulted her console and blinked. “No, I’m very sorry, sir. The port is full.”
Tal sighed. She must have run the registration numbers on the Z. He sighed as he broke the link.
“Your reputation precedes you, boss,” Darry said behind him.
“It has a way of doing that,” Tal agreed. “Fuck ‘em, we’ll spend the night on the desert.”
He gestured at the night outside the ship. “Pick a spot, Dalg.”
They took off, but not before D
alg made a very rude gesture at the space port office through the windshield.
He brought the Z down again on an open area on the other side of a rocky escarpment. When the cruiser was powered down, Tal rose and followed Darry into the main cabin, where he opened the hatch.
“Where are we?” Scala asked, already on her feet.
“Camping out tonight,” Tal answered. “The local port isn’t very hospitable.” He strode down the gangplank into the warm night, ready to get the hells off his ship. He took a deep breath, sampling the dry, warm air. It smelled of cured plants and clean, dry air borne on winds for long distances. However, a faint acrid stench made his lip curl.
“Wait!” Scala yelled.
He turned, supremely annoyed at her tone. “You giving the orders now, Snake Eyes?”
She ran lightly down the ramp to his side. In the light from the cabin, he saw her roll her eyes. He also noted that her chest was moving quickly with her breaths. Nerves—he’d really frightened her.
“Just trying to keep you alive, Darkrunner. You don’t just walk out into the desert here without knowing damn well what else is out there. There are creatures hunting at night that you don’t wanna meet.”
She smirked, her cheek curving in the light from the cabin. “And on Serpentia, sorry, you’re not the scariest monster in the dark.” She held up a glowlight and shone the beam out at the desert around them
“What is?” asked Darry uneasily, standing a few feet up the ramp.
“Try that,” Scala said, freezing the beam of her light on the sand several meters away under a low, sparse shrub.
Tal looked with deep interest. In New Seattle, he would lead, but here, she knew the perils. His skin tightened in a primal reaction at what he saw, and his hand tightened on the grip of his laser weapon.
Eyes glittered back at them in the light, laser-like in their intensity. Narrow, slanted eyes set in a triangular face above two flat nostrils and an open mouth that revealed two glittering fangs. The head swayed from side to side, rising in the light to reveal a long, sinuous body with markings that echoed the blackness of the night.
“What the fuck is that?” Trix demanded.
“A wraith,” Scala answered. “One of Serpentia’s most dangerous vipers. One bite and powerful venom is coursing through your system. First you’re paralyzed. You can’t move, can’t breathe. Then your heart stops, and finally your central nervous system shuts down. But not before every cell of your body burns in agony from the poison.”
“Shit,” Darry muttered. “Think I’ll stay aboard, thanks very much.”
“I’m with you, lover,” Trix agreed. “That thing is huge!”
Tal brought his laser up, aiming.
“No,” Scala protested. “The viper’s just doing what it’s supposed to do—hunting. Serpents have an important place in the ecosystem here. Wasn’t for them, the planet would be overrun with desert bunnies and deerbitt.”
“Sounds like they kill off extraneous humanoids, too,” Tal said, but he lowered his weapon and watched as the serpent lowered from its defensive stance and slithered away into the darkness. He gave her a look. “I’m still in the mood for a stroll.”
She sighed. “Well, I suppose I can’t stop you.”
“Fuck, don’t try,” Darry said. “It’ll just make him go farther, longer. Boss loves livin’ on the edge.”
Since this was true, Tal didn’t bother to disagree. He gave her a taunting smile. “You’re not gonna stop me, you’re gonna come along and keep me safe, aren’t you?”
She raised a brow at him. “Do I get hazard pay?”
“Hells no. This whole trip is one big hazard and you knew that coming in.”
She laughed, a soft, husky sound that rippled through him like a fine liquor. “True. All right, come on, earther.”
“Have fun,” Trix said. “Been nice knowing both of you.” The sarcasm in her voice was edged with nerves.
“I won’t let anything happen to him,” Scala called over her shoulder.
Exhilaration pumping through his veins, Tal followed her into the night. As he stepped onto the desert, it crunched beneath their boots. He shone his own light at the ground before him—sand and small rocks. Something small and many-legged scuttled away from the light.
“How about the insects here?” he asked. “I suppose they’re deadly too.”
“Just the spiders and puncture-tails,” she said, her voice hushed. “Oh, and some of the ants. Stay clear of the rocks and you’ll be safe enough.”
She stopped, and Tal stopped behind her. The night was quiet and hot. He was already sweating in his long-sleeved tee and leathers. The acrid stench was gone and all he could smell was the faint, spicy vegetation, clean air ... and her. He leaned closer and inhaled.
Woman. Clean, healthy woman, perfumed faintly with his brand of gelsoap and her own sexy musk. Hells, every time he got close to her, he wanted to bury his nose in the curve of her neck and drink in the scent of her skin. His soap sure as fuck didn’t smell that good on him.
He wanted her again, right now. Probably not a good idea, considering they were surrounded by predators, which for all he knew would be attracted by the sounds and scents of fucking. His cock twitched at the thought, and he grinned to himself. Worked on his short snake.
Well, he’d have her as often as he could get her, and then say goodbye with a healthy dose of credits to her account. By then he’d have her out of his system, and he’d be ready to go after Kiri.
Kiri. He pictured her in his mind, and then scowled as her face blurred and shifted into the sly, sexy smirk of the woman next to him. The two women were similar in appearance, that was all. Kiri was ultimately the more attractive of the two.
He smacked Scala on her taut ass. “Why are we stopping?”
Instead of retorting as he’d expected, she drew a deep breath and let it out. “Because I ... I kind of forgot how much I miss this place,” she said quietly. “It’s home, you know? I was so eager to get away, see the galaxy.” She huffed a laugh that sounded more forlorn than humorous. “I’ve seen it all right. From every stinking scow that plies space.”
Tal slid his arm around her slender waist and gave her a squeeze. “Look at the bright side. All that travel led to fucking me.”
Instead of the swift retort he expected, she was silent. He frowned at the brilliant constellations overhead. “What?”
She shook her head. He saw the glitter of her eyes in the reflected glow of their lamps. Fuck, were those tears? No, Serps didn’t weep.
And when she spoke, her voice was soft. Smoky, like good whiskey that slid down and didn’t kick until too late, when a man had already swallowed it. And like a fool, he went back for more.
“Nothing, just weird, that’s all. I never realized it until now, but ... when Darry said the ships guards all acted like they have titanium rods up their asses … he was right.” She shook her head. “I was bored out of my mind on the Orion. Always trying to stir things up. You know the girl I saved from Ssaar?”
He made an affirmative noise.
She snickered. “Not four days before that, I tried to seduce her myself … to get there before he did. And to piss off the captain, who had the hots for her.
“No wonder I got myself into trouble.” She gave him a sidelong look.
“No, go back a little,” he directed, holding up one finger. “When you seduced her, what did you do, exactly? And was she a blonde, with big eyes and pouty lips, or possibly a redhead?”
“She was a lovely Serp with dark blonde hair,” she said, leaning close. “With round tits and a mouth that tasted of Cremarte … because that’s what we were drinking when I kissed her.”
She paused dramatically. “… And that’s all that happened. She turned me down.”
“Damn it,” he said. “All right, payback. I get to watch you with Trix.”
“Maybe,” she said. “Anyway, not saying you’re a keeper as a boss, Darkrunner, but you and your people are more f
un than the tight-assed LodeStar crew.”
“I’m better than one of Logan Stark’s minions,” he said slowly. That was supposed to be a compliment? He shook his head, fighting a ridiculous urge to laugh out loud. “I don’t know whether to thank you or shut your smart mouth by stuffing something big into it, like my cock.”
“You could do both,” she suggested, her voice a sultry purr.
And just like that, he was hard as cerametal, his cock fighting against the snug leather encasing it.
“Oh, babe,” he said, pulling her closer and bending his head to her. “You’ll be the one thanking me.”
Her breath was soft and damp on his face. “Not likely, but it will give you something to try for besides not blowing in the first few secs. You may be the best, but I’m better.”
“We’ll find out,” he said, and kissed her, drinking in her taste and heat. She was lithe and slender in his arms, deadly and delicate in one explosive package.
Then he froze as a horrible sound ripped through the night. A deep, ferocious growl that rose in volume until it was nearly a shriek. It came from directly behind him.
Every hair on his body standing up, every muscle tight, adrenaline laced with fear racing through his veins, Tal whirled, shoving Scala behind him.
Laser in one hand, flash in the other, he confronted this new peril, ready to kill to protect himself and his woman, just as he would in a dark, dirty alley in his own territory.
This was a creature out of a nightmare. It stood on four squatty, bowed legs. The head was huge, with a ruff of scaly protrusions that were crowned in what looked like horns. And in the center were two slitted eyes that flamed red in the beam of light, and a mouth straight out of hell. A gaping maw big enough to engulf a man’s head, it was rimmed with sharp white teeth. A long, leathery tongue flicked from the center.
The monster clawed at the earth and bellowed again. Scala moved as if to step out, and Tal shoved her back. “Stay behind me. I’ll protect you.”
She made an odd sound, clutching at his arm. “Oh, Tal, really?”
