by Lynn Best
Carefully, Rahan backed up, still circling her nipple with his thumb. He lowered her onto the velvet couch, helping her get situated. She felt cold at the loss of his body heat, until he knelt before her, sliding until his body was between her spread knees. Her evening gown fell open, exposing her bare legs. The woman on the other couch leaned forward to get a better view, and Charis blushed.
Rahan gripped her pale thighs. “Do you like this?”
What could Charis say? Her body certainly liked it. Her panties were soaked, and her heart was pounding. But what kind of woman let other people watch?
“Don’t fight it,” Rahan urged, using his hand to slide the dress up higher on her thigh, exposing her panties.
Trembling with pleasure and apprehension, Charis sank back on the velvet and let Rahan touch her. His hand slid up her thigh, stopping right where the fabric of her panties began. Slowly, his thumb began to caress the flesh beneath the small strip of fabric. His touch was electric. Up and down his thumb ran over the sensitive area, lighting her on fire. She lifted her hips, urging him to continue.
But then he stopped, getting up and leaving her spread wide, dress eschew. Charis saw all three of the people watching her. A few of them had started to touch themselves. The thrill of it was amazing, and it drowned out the embarrassment as they stared at her hungrily.
Rahan walked behind the couch. His strong hands found her shoulders, working out knots before sliding down the front of her dress. He pushed the fabric down until her breasts were exposed.
She noticed one of the males across from her grow more excited at the view. He began stroking himself harder.
Charis watched in fascination. Who knew she could be turned on this way? But God, she was. She’d never known excitement like this before.
Rahan bent, taking her nipple into his mouth. With expert flicks of his tongue, he had her moaning and arching. He moved on to the other, nearly sending her over the edge with pleasure.
“You do like this,” he purred, smiling. “I’m so glad, little doe.”
Charis couldn’t say anything. She was topless, spread wide and on display. It was a fantasy. One she wasn’t even sure she was actually experiencing… except for the fact that her core was throbbing wildly and her nipples ached for more.
Rahan strolled back around, centering himself between her thighs again. “We can’t complete the deed. To do so would mean a vast penalty on my end. A situation I’m working on correcting. But there is much I can give you.”
She looked down, not sure what he was talking about, but then his head disappeared between her legs. Feeling him pull her panties aside nearly made her gush with desire. His finger trailed around the sensitive areas, teasing, toying. Then she felt his tongue slide deliciously up her core.
Charis moaned.
When she looked up, the three on the couch were pleasuring each other while they watched intently, turned on by how hot she was getting. It made the whole experience even hotter.
Rahan seemed to know she was close to finishing. Slipping his finger inside her, he began to stroke her, making her so hot she could barely stand it. When he added his tongue, licking and flicking, she lost it, coming while crying out. She rode wave after wave of pleasure, the noises of the others losing it, too, only adding to the sensations.
It was the hottest thing she’d ever done.
When it was over, she lay, disheveled and still exposed, on the couch. The three seemed finished, too. They nodded at her as if in thanks before leaving the room. Rahan stood up and cleaned himself off.
“It’s good to know at least one fantasy that turns you on.”
She sat up, pulling her dress over her soaked panties and readjusting her straps. “I’ve never done anything like that before.”
He nodded. “I could tell. Glad to be your first.”
“Well, not my first…”
He winked. “You know what I mean. This place is for you. For your fantasies. Whatever you want, we can make happen.” He sat beside her, sliding a hand up her thigh.
“What about Han?” she asked.
Rahan turned away. “We’ll need to be careful.” His voice was tense. Controlled.
Charis shivered.
Rahan stood, holding out his hand to help her to her feet. “Time to go.”
“What about you?” she protested.
He batted the idea away. “I brought you here to pleasure you. And I want to leave something until next time.” His smile said there would be lots of next times.
Charis freshened up, and then they left. Charis felt lightheaded, still dreamy from the encounter, but worried now that she was going back to Han. Would he know? Would he have felt it? Not if what Rahan said was true.
When they got to the wall where Han’s suite was, Rahan gave her a lingering kiss. “Remember,” he said. “There are lots more fantasies where that one came from. Think of some others for our next meeting.”
“When will that be?” Charis asked, already feeling turned on again.
He ran a hand down her neck. “As soon as possible, little doe.”
Then he pressed his hand to the wall, and it opened. Charis stepped inside, watching him as the material closed until she could no longer see him.
When she turned, Han was standing there.
“Han, oh, I was just… taking a walk.”
He held up a hand, furious. “Save it. I can smell him on you.” He stomped away.
Damn. She was no closer to solving her problem, and she’d driving Han further away. But she couldn’t regret what she’d just done. It was the most exciting thing she’d ever experienced.
Still, when she looked out the window into the stars, she couldn’t help but think how far away from home she truly was.
At that moment, the wall slid open again and Bram strode it. He stopped abruptly when he saw Charis. His eyes widened. She touched her hair. It must be a mess from what Rahan and she had done, and she knew she was blushing deeply. If Bram suspected, he did nothing but give her a scathing look before turning his attention to Han, who had just appeared in the hallway.
“Sire, we are ready for you.” He gestured out of the room.
“What are you talking about?” Han demanded.
Bram cleared his throat. “I have arranged something special for you and Charis.” He gave her that look again, like she had better remember their deal and not screw this up.
Too late for that.
“I’m not going anywhere with her,” Han growled.
Flustered, Bram stepped forward. “Sire, remember the powers your mother gave me. I’d very much like you to try with this female so you can regain control of your position and become the king she wants you to be.”
Han’s face darkened at the mention of his mother. His eyes flicked to Charis, meeting her gaze momentarily before diverting away. “Fine.”
“Make it sound so enticing,” Charis murmured.
Bram shot her a look.
She shrugged, her eyes offering an apology her heart didn’t feel. Her heart was, in fact, still beating hard from what Rahan had done to her. God, it had been so hot.
Han made a noise in his throat.
Charis turned her attention to what was going on. Bram was ushering them out of the room. Han stormed forward, and Charis trailed behind, wondering what kind of situation she would find next.
Bram led them down the non-descript hallways, stopping beside another blank wall. This time, when he pressed his hand and opened it up, Charis was dazzled.
The scene before them looked like one out of a movie.
A soft blanket of wildflowers danced in a wind she could feel tugging at the loose strands of hair at the nape of her neck. A gentle rolling hill set a scene right out of The Sound of Music, one of her mom’s favorite movies. Trees and hills. Flowers and a bright blue sky. The whole place smelled floral and fresh. She could even feel the sun beating down on her shoulders.
Yet, behind her was the blank white hallway. This was all an ill
usion. How did they do it?
She smiled, despite her situation. It was a lovely spot. And Bram had thought of everything, including a checkered blanket with a woven picnic basket holding down one corner. Now she could detect the scent of cooked meat in the air, and her stomach rumbled. How long since she last ate? How long had she been on this ship? It seemed like days, but it could’ve been hours.
When she turned to take it all in, she spotted Han standing gloomily off to one side, looking miserable. If this scenery didn’t soften his mood, nothing she could say would.
“Well, enjoy,” Bram said, adopting a fake cheeriness.
“How long do we have to stay here?” Han asked, but Bram had already sealed them up. Once he did so, the wall blurred until it now looked like a bright blue sky.
They stood there awkwardly for a moment until Charis tried to break the ice. “Lunch?”
“What?”
“Would you like some lunch?” She gestured to the basket on the blanket.
He glowered. “I don’t need to eat.”
Ignoring his comment, she strode to the blanket and sat. How ridiculous she looked in her formal evening gown sitting on a hill. “Well, I do need to eat, so suit yourself.”
She opened the basket, finding an amazing array of treats—turkey sandwiches, aromatic cheese, chocolate-covered strawberries, fluffy rolls. Her stomach did flips as she selected a roll and dug around for the butter.
“Mmm. This is delicious. You have to try it.” She offered her roll to Han, who was still standing, watching her.
He grabbed the roll, putting it up to his mouth. She watched him take a bite and chew. “Good?” she asked.
He shrugged.
Shrugging was better than glowering. Shrugging was something.
She opened the container of chocolate-covered strawberries. Holding them up, she asked, “Ever had these?”
He shook his head.
“Oh, well, that really is a pity. On Earth, they have their own food group. Here.” She pulled out the best-looking one and held it up to him.
He walked a bit closer. Taking the giant red berry, he put the brown tip to his lips. When he bit it, his eyes opened wide.
“Amazing, right? Like a gift from the gods.” She took her own and bit it, smiling. “Where do you get these?”
“Bram has them replicated.” Han sat down on the blanket beside her, and then reached for another berry.
“Replicated?” she asked, helping herself to another. If Han thought her plain, what did it matter if she packed on a few pounds while she was at it?
Through bites, he answered. “Our ship can replicate any item on your planet. Well, most items. That’s what all this is.” He gestured to the trees swaying in the distance, and the gentle call of birds.
“All of this is fake?” she asked, running her hand through the grass at the edge of the blanket. It felt so real.
Looking up, Han called out into the air. “Computer, mute.”
All at once, all the sounds Charis had been hearing—the wind, the river down below, the chirp of sparrows—it all stopped, plunging them into silence.
“Do you prefer it on or off?” he asked.
“On.”
“Computer, unmute.” Suddenly, the sounds were back.
Charis looked around again, searching for signs that what she was seeing was not real. It seemed impossible to tell. “This is amazing. How does it make it seem so real?”
He ate the last of the strawberries. “Your small mind wouldn’t understand.”
Gah. That answer again.
She swallowed down her annoyance with the last bite of strawberries, and then focused on unpacking the sandwiches and cheese instead. When she offered them, he took both, and then, seeming to realize what he was doing, handed her a sandwich back—thick-sliced turkey on artisan bread, lettuce, tomato, mustard. It tasted amazing, but then she wondered if it were replicated, what was she putting into her body?
“So you’re the future king,” she said, trying small talk. “What’s that like?”
“As you can see, irksome, since I have no power. I won’t officially be king until I can prove I can have an heir. If my brothers produce an heir before I do, they inherit the title.”
Well, that was an interesting development. Maybe that was why his brothers were so interested in bedding her. But she wasn’t the only female on board for sure, and there were lots of other women they could abduct from down below. Not that she wished that on anyone. Still, she knew some women who would love to have hot sex with three of the most stunning male specimens ever to exist.
And here she was just wanting to go home. They’d sure picked wrong.
As she was thinking, Han devoured two whole sandwiches and half the cheese without even slicing it. “You’re a growing boy,” she commented.
He looked up mid-bite. “What?”
“It’s a saying where I’m from.” Why did she even try?
“Earth. It is nice there,” he added.
“It is.” This was surprising. She tried to take it further. “Have you been to Earth?”
“Once,” he said, nodding. “It looked a lot like this.”
“Then you went to a nice part of Earth. Not all of it looks like this. Clearly, you’ve never been to Cleveland.”
He nodded. “You have a lot of garbage on your planet. A lot of pain.”
His face was soft, thoughtful. He looked so handsome when he wasn’t yelling and stomping. Charis leaned a little closer to him. “It’s nice you think about our pain from way up here. Most people wouldn’t think aliens would care about what happens to us.”
He seemed to consider her expression. “Why wouldn’t they care?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know if Earthlings would care about another planet’s pain. We can barely get them to care about their neighbor’s pain. Maybe your kind is more empathic than mine. That’s a nice thought. The universe needs more empathy.”
“But you care about other’s pain. And you are human. Are you unlike your kind?”
She shook her head, smiling. “No, I was just born sensitive, and then got training to help me listen to people, to care about their feelings, and help them with them. It’s my job.” But really, it was more than that. Even if she stopped being a school social worker, she knew caring about people was built into her DNA. She’d be doing it to people in the grocery store, the post office.
He reached out suddenly, and pulled something out of her hair with gentle fingers. The closeness and the gesture were unexpected, and Charis startled. But then he held out the offending object, a dandelion seedling.
She took it from his fingers, their skin momentarily brushing. She remembered the surge of pleasure she’d felt when she’d last touched him. She also remembered how he’d batted her hand away in anger.
“We make wishes on these,” she said, holding it out so the wind tugged at it. “Make a wish.”
“A wish?”
“Yeah, a wish. Like, ‘I wish I were taller.’ Or… That’s not a good one. How about, ‘I wish Bram would let me brood alone in my room.’” She winked at him, trying to let him know it was a joke.
He just frowned. “What is your wish?”
She shrugged, not wanting to say. “I wish there were more strawberries.”
“Lie,” he said. “You wish you could go home. You wish you could get away from me.”
His gaze was penetrating. He dared her to deny it with his stare.
She looked away. “Well, what do you expect?”
He got up. “I expect you’ll get your wish soon enough.”
Turning, he walked down the hill and off into the trees.
Charis sat on the blanket, feeling terrible again. There was no way she would be able to get Han to kiss her. She’d done her absolute best to be friendly to him, and it had ended miserably. It was pointless. She felt almost like crying. She sat for a long time, wishing things could be different.
Then something small dropped on her he
ad.
Looking up, her brain had a challenging time processing what she saw. There was a hole in the sky. No, rather, the part of the wall that looked like the sky had opened. The circular cut out was dark, a face peering through. As she watched, the face dropped until she could see who it was.
“Kahn,” she said.
He put a finger to his lips, reached down, and drew her into the dark hole.
CHAPTER NINE
Charis blinked as her eyes adjusted to the dark. Kahn had sealed the hole in the surface below them, leaving them in almost complete blackness. The only light, it seemed, was radiating from his body. She stared, trying to focus on what she was seeing.
“What are you doing here? I thought you were in jail.” He was hunched over because his tall frame could not fit into the narrow conduit that he’d drawn her into. Her heart was pounding fast—a combination of emotions running from fear to excitement to confusion. Last she had seen Kahn, he’d been arrested by Bram for making out with her.
Sheesh, she was really getting around, wasn’t she? But she didn’t seem to be able to help it. It was like she was an alien Rumspringa or something. Or maybe she’d had a dirty girl buried deep inside her all these years, and it took handsome alien men to draw it out.
Either way, she had no idea what she was doing inside this dark tunnel with this man she barely knew.
Kahn’s dark brooding eyes searched her face. “I’m so glad I found you. When they let me out, I thought of nothing else.”
“You thought of nothing else but me?” She blushed, not really sure he was telling the truth, but he seemed sincere. Dark hair fell into his eyes, and she wanted nothing more than to brush the strands out. And then touch him some more.
There was that dirty girl again.
“But what if Han finds us?” she asked, half expecting him to appear in a rage, punch a hole through the wall, and drag her down. “He can sense my emotions.”
Kahn took her hand. “It doesn’t matter. I’ll take us someplace he can’t find us. Come on.”
Charis didn’t know if this was a good idea or bad one, but she took his strong hand anyway and let him lead.
