“Nor do I, about Xylon. And thus the real world intrudes.” He frowned. “Shit.”
“We had to get back to reality eventually.” She tried to keep her voice light but reality hadn’t contained a lot of joy for her lately, so its return was not something she’d been looking forward to. Still, denying the inevitable did neither of them any good.
“Not that.”
“No?” Something disturbing had obviously entered his thoughts. “What then?”
“I just gave that grand speech about not fucking around when a special person exists in your life and we’re headed into a sexual ceremony, where there’s going to be a third person or even more. And I’m going to have to fuck them. Now I feel like an idiot.
My brain must be in park.”
“An Initiation is different. It’s a duty.” His words caused her pulse to race. Did that mean he thought she was the special person in his life and he didn’t want to be with anyone else? Moisture built behind her eyes but she refused to show that vulnerable side of herself and forced the tears away.
Sam looked at her with uncertainty on his face before speaking again. “Yes. I guess.
It’s all kind of difficult to wrap my mind around.”
“I understand. Cultural differences are oftentimes the most difficult.”
“Well, I’ve learned over the years that sometimes you have to take a leap of faith and let whatever happens, happen, no matter the struggles that may come.”
She cocked her head at him, thinking that an odd statement, especially from a highly trained military man. She didn’t think he quite grasped the rite’s concept. An Initiation was about survival. “I don’t think—”
“Let’s not think too much, Brianna. Sometimes it’s better not to understand everything completely but to just feel your way.” He pulled her on top of his cock, which had grown rock hard again.
Ah yes. Feelings. She was all for that. The feel of him inside her stole any logical thought from her brain. With a contented sigh, she sank down all the way until his cock filled her pussy completely. With him inside her—touching her, fucking her, giving her more pleasure than any she’s ever known—everything felt right.
His fingers curled around her hips. “Brianna?” he whispered softly.
She looked down into his eyes. His voice had come out quietly but she could see that whatever he wanted to say was extremely important. She waited, giving him however much time he needed, though her sexual needs felt as if they were stealing all coherent thought from her. The muscles of her pussy lightly squeezed his cock.
He closed his eyes a moment, as if fighting for control too. When he opened his eyes again and spoke, his expression and tone were completely serious. “Only us. No matter what. Here.” He tapped his chest. “In our hearts. Only us. Yes?”
At his words, her pulse raced, the blood rushing through her body like a space-speeder. “Yes. Only us.”
As long as they remained in this room, their worlds didn’t exist. Their problems didn’t exist. Their responsibilities didn’t exist. Only the two of them existed and the pleasure they were able to give each other.
She began to ride his cock, slowly and steadily. Her eyes remained locked with his.
She felt her body reacting, her sexual need building even more. Her palms rested on his chest and her fingers curled into the hair there. So soft. Before Sam, only duty and fun had existed for her. Now…
The emotions in his eyes humbled her and made her crave more from him than was realistic. He pumped his cock up into her. Not hard, not gently, but with a confidence she admired. As if she truly belonged to him in his heart. As he’d said. As if those hadn’t just been words to calm her.
Sam would make a good Warrior.
But Sam wasn’t a Warrior, did not have any Xylon blood in him at all. She tried to force away the sudden negative thoughts but they crashed through her in wave after emotional wave. She and Sam could never officially be joined. He could never Brand her as his woman, his mate. They could never know that special connection.
“Hey,” he said, his voice gentle as he stilled his hips. “Where did I lose you?”
His words brought her back. She shook her head. “I’m sorry.” She had to make the most of their time together now because it was, in all likelihood, the last bit of private time they’d have. Again she felt the sting of moisture behind her eyes. What was wrong with her? She bounced up and down on his cock, needing to drive him as deeply inside her as she could.
He grabbed her hips. “Whoa. Wait. What’s going on, Brianna?”
“Nothing. Now fuck me!” She didn’t know why but all of a sudden she felt lonelier than she ever had in her life. She didn’t want to feel that. All she wanted was to join with Sam, to feel the ecstasy only he could give her. To fuck him until no other thoughts entered her mind.
He pulled her off him and she moaned in distress. No man stopped a woman in mid-fuck. Why did he have to be so understanding, when she just wanted to purge these feelings inside her? She tried to scoot off the bed but he dragged her back against his chest and held her tightly.
“Relax. Relax.” He stroked her skin and hair soothingly. “Something’s wrong. What is it?”
She shook her head. She didn’t want to talk about it. She didn’t even understand it.
All this wasn’t supposed to be so serious, so important. But somehow that’s exactly what it had become.
“Okay. You don’t have to tell me.” He kissed her gently behind the ear. “But I’m here when you’re ready to talk.” His words faded as he said them.
He probably realized, as she did, that their time was coming to an end and he might not be here with her in this shelter for much longer. They didn’t know what was going to happen once the Initiation was complete and the orbiters were ready to go. He would be headed back to Earth and she’d most likely either remain here until a rescue ship could be sent or she’d be one of the first to head off for the Ice Moon to assume a command position. Others down here had much more Earth experience. They would be chosen for the long-range mission. She held little hope of being able to join him.
“Don’t be sad, Brianna.”
His voice held such feeling, as if he knew exactly where her thoughts had gone. She sniffled but refused to cry.
Tentatively he lifted her leg and draped it back over his own. He slowly entered her from behind, pushing into her cunt all the way. She sighed and her muscles clenched his thick shaft. She needed him so badly. His cock inside her made her feel complete.
Physically and emotionally.
No. She mentally shook herself. This was all physical. It couldn’t be anything more than that. If she admitted it was, she’d have to endure another loss when circumstances ultimately tore them apart. She was a Warrior, in control of her emotions, in control of her body, enjoying sex just for sex.
Sam cupped her breast, then moved his fingers to gently play with her nipple. He pumped his hips, fucking her slowly, building the physical pleasure to a point where nothing else mattered. She reached for his hand, pulling it from her body, and laced her fingers through his. This leisurely fucking brought all her tender emotions to a peak and she felt on the edge of breaking down, no matter how hard she was trying to control it.
He kissed the back of her ear, then let his tongue swirl around the rim. He nibbled on her lobe. “Come for me.”
A climax rushed through her, strong and unexpected. “Ah…” She moaned and arched, feeling him coming inside her at the same time. They both groaned in ecstasy then sagged against the mattress, still joined.
“You make me a better man,” he whispered in her ear.
“Oh, Sam.” That had done it. She couldn’t fight what she knew in her heart. She was falling in love with Colonel Samuel Briggs. She’d known the truth, admitted it to herself without using the actual word, then tried to deny it. All because these feelings scared her to death. She was beyond denying it now. With a touch of
his hand, with each soft word, whenever they stared deeply into each other’s eyes, her heart melted.
Let whatever happens, happen. His words echoed in her head. Somehow, everything was going to turn out all right. It had to. Or she might not survive.
* * * * *
Halah watched Kam punch the door with his fist. Torque had locked them in their quarters as Braden had ordered. She understood her mate’s anger and frustration.
This was ridiculous. Too much needed to be done for them to be locked away. With no way to communicate either, other than some silly little beeper, in case an emergency with Kam’s health or some other such problem arose.
Torque had pulled the wires from the communication’s panel and taken them with him. He’d said he would check on them later and bring them some food but that would probably be very much later, given the tasks at hand. “Is there any way you can connect with Laszlo mentally?”
“I’m a Sensor Reader, not a psychic, Halah,” Kam snapped. “As Torque so aptly pointed out back in the meeting,” he muttered.
“I know that. Don’t take your foul mood out on me. I’m just trying to help.” She paced back and forth, then turned toward the door in thought.
Kam puffed out a breath. “Sorry. My head and throat hurt. Not that I should use that as an excuse. Please. Forgive me.”
Halah’s gaze shifted to his face, where she saw his genuine pain and regret. Worry snaked through her. She didn’t see how he survived, day after day, having to live with such discomfort. “Didn’t Leila give you something?”
“It’s worn off. I think the drugs down here are probably too old for any truly effective treatment.”
“What about those pills from Frost? Do you have any of those?” She’d begged him not to take any of the medication he’d received during their mission on the Sand Moon, not knowing what they might contain. But if that’s all they had—
“Unfortunately, no.”
She stepped over to him and rubbed his temple, sending a small electrical charge through his head. Usually it helped. She regretted her harsh words to him. They were under a lot of stress and she knew he hadn’t meant any harm. “Is there an access panel to the door on the inside somewhere?”
“I don’t know. Why?”
She wiggled her fingers. “Maybe I can short out the controls and get us out of here.
We can go directly to Laszlo after that.”
Kam’s brow furrowed.
“What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know if I want to do that.”
Now he was making no sense. “What do you mean? You want to get out of here, don’t you?”
“Yes of course I do. How bad is that oxygen problem?”
“Bad enough. Don’t change the subject. What’s going on inside your head?” She was worried about him. He’d been acting differently since the implant had been deactivated. Not a lot but enough for her to notice him struggling more with everything, as if he didn’t have complete control over himself.
Like Braden, she didn’t trust the device Frost had put inside Kam’s throat. She suspected there was more to the sonic controller than any of them realized.
“If we break out and go to Laszlo, it will look like we’re taking sides against Braden,” Kam explained. “Braden and the others will never trust us again.”
“They don’t trust us now. We’ve already proven ourselves, more than once. It still wasn’t enough. It might never be enough for them.”
“That’s just because of the shit with Laszlo, the layer of secrets never ends. He keeps putting me into a position where I can’t win. And you too, by association, if nothing else.”
“Which the others should understand isn’t our fault. Are we supposed to spend the rest of our lives begging them to believe and trust us?”
“They’re my friends and my family. They feel betrayed. Maybe in their position I’d feel the same.” He shrugged, his emotional discomfort as visible on his face as his physical discomfort. “I don’t know. My thinking is scattered.”
“It’s the oxygen…and probably the pain.” She thought over what he’d said. The others felt betrayed, yes, but so did he. That was obvious and she understood why.
Regardless, none of that changed their situation. “Our primary concern should be getting out of this shelter safely. We need to be working together right now. Someone down here is a traitor. It’s not either one of us. Laszlo will believe us. You know that.”
“And if the traitor is Laszlo himself? We could be playing right into his hands.”
“Do you believe he is?” She wasn’t used to hearing Kam doubt Laszlo’s motives, just his methods.
“I don’t know what to believe anymore.”
“All right.” She sighed. “If you don’t want to go to Laszlo, let’s try to verify who’s sabotaging everything ourselves. We can sneak into Laszlo’s quarters while he’s involved with the Initiation. He has a computer we can use and no one will be the wiser. I might be able to pull up some ghost files from the substation’s temp storage. I can access it through the network. As long as they didn’t shut down the computer, which would wipe it clean, some evidence might still be hidden in the system. With this ancient equipment, it’s a guess at best. But it’s at least worth a shot.”
Kam nodded. “I like that idea. I want this settled.” His eyes suddenly lit up. “What about the vids? We can check who used that computer since we’ve been in the shelter.”
“There aren’t any vid-monitors on the sublevel. Only up here in the public areas.”
His brow furrowed. “Which means, if we’re able to get out of here, our escape will be recorded once we hit the corridors. I hadn’t thought about that.”
“I’m sure no one is monitoring the videos right now. They’re too busy for that.
We’ll be all right until someone comes with food, which will be a while. If they even bother at all.”
“Halah…”
“Sorry, I’m jaded. Now, what about that access panel?”
He turned and examined the walls. “There’s no clear access, but if we can break through the wall on the right here, we should be able to get into the circuitry.”
* * * * *
The comm in Laszlo’s quarters buzzed. Brianna slipped out of bed. Sam had fallen asleep a while ago after making love to her more tenderly than any man ever had. He’d made her come so many times that she’d lost count. A very special memory she intended to keep tucked away deep in her heart.
After they’d fucked, she’d slept too, better than she had in a long while. But once she awoke, reality set in again. She’d felt the call coming. No matter how much she didn’t want to think about it, they had their duties. She knew what that buzz meant.
As she reached the comm panel, her gaze turned back to the man in bed, lying completely naked atop the covers. His light snores made her smile. Odd as it sounded, the normalcy of a man’s snore relaxed her. She flipped a switch on the comm panel.
“Brianna here.”
“It’s Laszlo. We’re ready for you and Colonel Briggs in the conference room.”
“All right. We’re on our way.” This was it. She hesitated a moment, not wanting to give up the peace she’d found here. Finally she headed back over to the bed and crawled up onto the mattress. “Sam. Wake up,” she whispered.
He slowly stirred. “Hmm.”
“Laszlo is ready for us. It’s time for the Initiation.”
His eyes slowly opened and he stretched. “I’m not looking forward to leaving this room, this bed.” With a contented look on his face, he yawned.
She smiled back at him. “Me either. It’s much more comfortable than those mats we’ve been sleeping on.”
“Especially comfortable with you next to me.” He reached for her.
Brianna pushed away reluctantly. “We need to get cleaned up and dressed.” She eased off the bed.
Sam frowned. “Spoilsport.”
&nbs
p; Once they’d both used the EPS—a waterless, electronic power shower—they returned to the sleeping area. As Brianna started to dress, her mind drifted to military matters. “Um, Sam?”
“Yeah?” He bent over to grab his underwear off the floor.
“If ACE is an alien exchange program, who did we exchange for you?”
He paused in pulling on his boxers and looked up, surprise reflected on his face.
After a moment, he slipped on the underwear. He looked away and picked up his one-piece uniform. “Shouldn’t that be something you ask Laszlo?” He stepped into the legs and pushed his arms through the sleeves.
“I’m asking you.”
“You better ask him.” He zipped the front, then reached for his boots.
Brianna huffed out a frustrated breath of air. Just when she thought she had Sam figured out, he went and did something aggravatingly male.
She understood duty and following orders, but considering the circumstances, she would have thought he’d be more open and honest with her. She was a command officer after all.
But then, he didn’t really understand the dynamics of the group here. And there certainly wasn’t time to try to explain everything to him. It was all too involved and complicated.
Sam looked back over at her and stared into her eyes. “Some things I can’t relate, Brianna. I’m sure there are things you can’t tell me either.”
He had a point there. “You’re right.” She didn’t want to put him in an awkward position for she’d expect the same respect from him if their positions were reversed. “I don’t like it. But I won’t push you about it.”
“I appreciate that.” He stepped up to her. “Believe me when I say I wouldn’t hold back anything I thought would hurt you.”
“Now you sound like Laszlo.”
He frowned. “Somehow I don’t think that’s a compliment.”
She smiled and scratched her temple. “Sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.”
He cocked an eyebrow.
“All right. Maybe I did. A little. My frustration got the better of me. One of my faults. But I truly am sorry.” She stroked his cheek and sighed. “We all have things we feel we can and cannot do, people we can and cannot trust, information we can and cannot share. It’s definitely difficult.”
Ecstasy Bound Page 17
