Rebel Souls

by D. L. Jackson

  Ava went wild. The more she screamed and thrashed, the more he intensified his effort, and the wilder she got. Licking, sucking, tasting, until her pussy throbbed around his tongue and cream dripped down his chin. Gods he could do this all day, but he needed more. His cock ached to be buried inside her. He kissed the inside of each thigh and crawled up her body to stare in her eyes. She panted under him, her lips slightly parted, her eyes glazed over, and the word more written all over her expression.

  He cupped her face and kissed her, desire on his lips. Her taste—want lingered there. He wanted her to know he could taste what he did to her. She closed her eyes, indulging in the wickedness of the moment, kissing him with passion he’d never felt.

  Seth used his knee to push her thighs apart and in one thrust, he filled her. Her tight channel gripped him; her slick flesh accepted him without resistance. He closed his eyes and groaned.

  Gods, he could stay like this forever, buried inside her, holding her in his arms. He drew back and thrust slowly, no urgent need to finish, but only the desire to live in the moment, savor each touch, taste, and sound she made.

  Her nails raked his back as he loved her. Her cries intensified. Lust coiled in his gut, drawing up tight in his balls. His muscles tightened and just as he thought he might be able to go longer, she orgasmed, spasming around him. Squeeze. Release. Squeeze.

  Oh fuck, oh fuck. His eyes rolled back and he thrust one last time, gripping her hips and holding her to him as his orgasm exploded inside her. The force of the climax rolled over him. Seth groaned, as wave after wave of pleasure washed through him like a storm, taking his breath, taking his control. He threw his head back and growled, sounding more animal than man, unable to leash his reaction.

  As his orgasm ebbed to a throb, he sucked in a breath and opened his eyes. She stared back, not saying anything—not needing to. Nothing could describe what had occurred between them. The heat in her gaze, the look on her face, said it all. He leaned in and took her lips softly. Forever mine.

  He’d fallen for her. Gods help him. He could never let her go. “I could get used to this.” And he meant it. No other woman would do.

  ***

  Seth had fallen asleep an hour before, one leg thrown across her hip, his arms holding her back against his chest. She’d counted every beat of his heart, every breath, sinking deep into his embrace as though she could merge with him. She didn’t want to move. She didn’t want to sleep. She didn’t want the moment to slip away as she dreamed.

  His scent lingered on her, the smell of sex clung in the air. The heat of his body warmed her through to her bones. Had she fallen in love? Could her heart speak the truth her mind didn’t want to hear? She’d known him only for a short time, but never had she counted the beats of Brodie’s heart, or shared her bunk for a night with him. Nor had she felt a quickening in her soul the way she did when Seth made love to her, when he held her wrapped in his arms.

  One last run. She’d make one last run with a hold full of Rebels, and then she’d retire to be with him. She didn’t owe Brodie anything. The price she’d paid to the Nexian Revolution had already cost her too much. It wouldn’t cost her anything more.

  Two weeks before, she’d discovered her birth control had failed, that her Terran genetics had blessed her with two ovaries. Her physician had failed to inject both with nanites, not knowing the other existed, assuming she was all Nexian. She’d wanted to say something about the baby, but couldn’t. At first she’d been terrified, wasn’t sure how she’d explain to Legatus Reynolds he would be a father.

  Then he’d walked into her hanger, hunger on his face. Even though he wasn’t Nexian, was against all she’d stood for, nothing had been clearer in that moment. He wanted her. She wanted him. She’d finish this one last mission, and then she could tell him, hope he was as happy as she was now.

  She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep in his embrace, finally knowing her place in the galaxy where she belonged. Yes, when she finished the run, she’d tell him about the baby.

  ***

  The high-pitched sound of a laser shattered her dreams. Ava opened her eyes and surveyed the dim interior of her quarters. She’d turned in her sleep and faced Seth. His eyes had opened. She looked over his shoulder, to see Brodie behind him, laser pointed at his head.

  “Get off my wife.” Brodie kicked him in the back with his boot, shoving Seth into her. “I’d told you I’d kill you if you touched her again.”

  “So do it already,” Seth challenged him back.

  “No, not in front of Ava.” He shoved with his boot again. “Get dressed, Ava. You’re coming with me.”

  “I’m not going anywhere with you. Put the laser away, Brodie.” Brodie had never hesitated to kill before, but since he’d come back, he’d backed down from every encounter. Could he have had a change in heart, lost his taste for violence?

  “Not this time.”

  She’d take a chance that was what held him back. “If you kill him, you’ll make me your enemy. Is that what you want?”

  Brodie’s gaze darted from her face to his laser. He must have decided she was serious, because he stepped back and holstered the weapon. “Get up. I’m kicking your ass.”

  “By all means, if you think you got it in you.” Seth smiled and rolled off the bed to his feet. He swiped his pants off the floor and pulled them on. He no sooner buttoned them, and Brodie caught him with a mean cross to the jaw.

  “That’s for fucking my wife.”

  Seth staggered back and rubbed his jaw. “Cheap shot.” He threw a cross of his own, popping Brodie in the nose. “She’s not your wife.”

  Blood trickled from his nostril. Brodie wiped it away with the back of his hand. “I’m going to take immense pleasure in this.” He charged, catching Seth around the waist, taking him to the floor. The entire ship shook with the impact.

  “Stop it.” Ava yelped and jumped off the bed. She pulled a shirt over her head that dropped to mid-thigh. Brodie and Seth rolled across the floor, grappling for the top position. They hit a shelf that had been bolted to the wall to keep it secure during launches and landings, and knocked some of her trinkets off—baubles she’d kept from her shopping trip with the Regulator and hadn’t packed away for launch yet. The nick-knacks hit the floor with a crash, glass and gems scattered. Ava dodged out of the way as the pair rolled back across the floor.

  Elbows. Fists. Blood. “Enough.” She leapt onto the bunk to avoid them. Brodie pulled his laser. Seth grabbed his hands, keeping its business end from his face. They rolled the other way again. A bolt misfired and hit the ceiling, leaving a blast mark and red hot metal steaming where it impacted. Ava looked up. “Gods damn it, you’re wrecking my ship!”

  That or they’d kill each other—her—the baby. Her hand dropped to cover her belly. Too much was at stake to let this continue. Ava glanced around for anything to stop them. Another shot went off and hit the wall near her shelf.

  She dashed for the latrine and a cup she kept there. She filled it with icy water and ran back into the room, tossing it on them. It neither slowed them down, nor cooled them off, but it did cause Seth’s grip on the weapon to slip.

  And it was all Brodie needed. He ended up on top, wresting the laser free. Seconds later, he had the barrel pressed against Seth’s forehead. The Regulator lifted his hands by his ears.

  “So, you like fucking my wife?”

  “Very much.”

  Oh crap. Ava snatched her boot-knife off the shelf, desperate to stop what was coming. From that point forward, everything seemed to go in slow motion.

  “I’m sorry about this, Ava, but he can’t be a part of our world. I didn’t want to do this in front of you,” Brodie said, glaring at the Regulator. “He’s too dangerous.” The laser whined as it charged to fire.

  On instinct, Ava put all her weight behind it and threw the knife. It flew straight at Brodie’s right shoulder, embedding just shy of his lung.

  The laser dropped from his hand. He turne
d his head, eyed the blade buried to the hilt, and returned his gaze to Ava, devastation on his face. “You stuck me, Duchess,” he whispered and staggered to his feet, his left hand cradling his injured arm.

  “You were going to kill him.” Her heart squeezed in her chest. My gods, what have I done?

  He gave her a sad smile and then spat blood at Seth, stumbling toward the door. “When you’re done playing with this bastard, you know where to find me.” He exited the room, the door sliding shut behind him.

  “No.” Ava ran for the door. The Regulator was already on his feet. He hooked her waist and spun her around, pressing her back against the closed door. She kicked and struggled but didn’t get anywhere. After a minute of fighting, she blew out a breath and looked Seth in the eyes. “Release me.” She had to go after him—beg forgiveness. She couldn’t let their friendship end like this.

  “Let him go.”

  “I hurt him.” Emotionally and physically. She’d never seen Brodie look so lost. Defeated.

  “He’d have killed me.” He held her gaze, daring her to deny it. “You saved my life.”

  Ava’s eyes filled with tears. She hadn’t wanted to hurt Brodie, but she didn’t want him to shoot Seth either. How could she have allowed herself to get into this situation? To hurt a man who’d been there all her life, for a man who would arrest her if he’d knew what she’d done and still intended to do one last time, a man who was also the father of her child.

  Seth pulled her against his chest and stroked her hair. “You missed major organs. He’ll survive the wound.”

  She nodded and blinked away the tears. Yes, he would. Seth spoke the truth. Brodie didn’t break easy, and it would take more than a knife in his shoulder to take him out. But that wasn’t what tore her up. She’d lost some of his trust, his friendship when she’d chosen Seth over him. She’d never get that back. Inside she hurt as if she’d been the one stuck with the knife.

  Seth raised his com to his mouth. “I need an all-points bulletin out on a fugitive named Brodie Mark, for assault on a League officer with intent to kill. Last seen in the Blue District. Contact the local authorities. I want a warrant, and I want him in custody.”

  Ava’s heart jumped. He couldn’t, wouldn’t let Brodie go. “Seth, please.”

  He shook his head. “I’m a Regulator first, Ava. He’s a killer. I can’t overlook this or let him go.” He fixed her with a stern look. “Don’t ask that of me.”

  She nodded, only agreeing because they wouldn’t find Brodie if he didn’t want to be found. Gods, she’d tried for years and had finally given him up for dead. He’d be safe. But why couldn’t Seth just let him go? Couldn’t he understand what drove Brodie to act the way he had? He loved her and had lost her to another man.

  “He only did it because he loves me.”

  “Then he should have thought about that before he ran off with my tech officer.”

  Ava swallowed. “Is this true?”

  “I would never lie to you, Ava.”

  But she’d lied to him, continued to hide things from him. Why did love have to be so complicated?

  Chapter Ten

  Seth stroked her cheek with his thumb and stared into her eyes. “I want to take you out. Show you the man outside the Regulator.” In a short time, Captain Frost had come to mean more to him than he’d ever dreamed she could. He envisioned a future, with her in his arms, maybe a couple of children, retirement, and their own home—maybe here on New Xiera.

  “You didn’t need to call the locals on him.” She pulled her face away and stared at the damned door where the Underground leader had exited. The pain in her eyes told him she wanted to chase Brodie and fix things between them.

  Not happening. That bastard had his chance and threw it away. Seth didn’t share, and he wasn’t about to back off a second time to give the fuck-up a chance to patch up what they’d had before. This time he’d be the one to stake claim. He’d seen the emotion in her eyes when they’d made love. This thing between them had grown into something much more than a casual encounter, and gods, for once in his life he wanted it to be. He wanted to show her he could make her happy, give her what she needed and that he’d be there for her anywhere, anytime she needed him.

  He slid his palm down her arm, grabbed her hand, and lifted her fingers to his lips to give them a soft kiss. “Put something comfortable on, but nice enough to go out somewhere special.” He released her, popped the hatch to her cabin, and stepped outside. Turning around, he leaned against the frame, keeping the hatch open. “I want to show you something.”

  “Seth, I…. Can we just call it a day?”

  How could she call it a day? The star had just risen and morning had yet to start. No way would he leave her here to sulk and blame herself for the Rebel leader’s injury. Brodie brought it on himself. “No. I want to show you something you’ve missed, the beauty of this world.”

  “I grew up here. I’m aware of the beauty.”

  “Have you ever seen the star rise from the embassy balcony? Or watched the light as it hit the mountains in the distance. Most of all, have you done it with a lover beside you, soaking in the romance of this world?”

  She bit her lip and shook her head.

  He smiled. “You’ve spent most your life here and call New Xiera home, but you’ve never really lived here, have you? I don’t know what this is between us, but I want to explore it further. I have three weeks left of my leave, and I don’t want to spend it chasing Brodie Mark. I want to spend it with you, watching the star rise and fall, dancing to erotic music in the hottest clubs, living my life, here with you. I want to show you I can be more than a Regulator.”

  “One moment, then.” She gave him a smile. “I can’t say no when you ask like that.”

  ***

  They strolled down the walk, hand in hand. The smell of freshly baked bread floated in the air from one of the many bakeries that sat along Market Street. Still early in the morning, the late night partiers hadn’t risen yet, and New Xiera had taken on the calm serenity of a world waking from pleasant dreams.

  Various wild birds and flying lizards of brilliant colors drifted on the breeze blowing off the sea. Their soft songs floated in the air in a musical lilt that made her heart and soul feel light.

  Merchants began to set their products out, chattering with co-workers and family while they worked. An elderly couple cuddled up on the edge of a fountain, tossing crumbs to colorful fishes swimming in the water, whispering to each other with adoration on their faces.

  A friendly nod here—a smile there. It all seemed so new, so different than she remembered. Ava had always been in a hurry, not really taking the time to enjoy what New Xiera offered and as Seth had pointed out, never sharing it with a lover. Even when he’d followed her from the beach, she’d been too distracted by him tailing her, to think about what was before her.

  Bright colored fabric awnings rolled out from the sides of the tall buildings, shading wares from the heat of the star that would come mid-day. They passed a farmer riding a glider, pulling a cart full of fruit. He gave a gracious nod as he passed, calling out a friendly greeting. A citrus and berry smell followed in his wake.

  The street was covered with brilliant-colored stone tiles. The opalescent colors were carefully laid out, creating mosaic patterns that danced when light illuminated them. Patterns of local flowers, vegetation, and wildlife wound along the street in a graceful stone tapestry. The masterpieces could be admired from above as ships approached the city to dock, on foot as lovers strolled across them, or from the tops of the towering buildings, kissing the clouds.

  “Hungry?” Seth asked and tugged her toward one of the bakeries.

  “Starved.”

  He strode up to a smiling woman and nodded at several sweet rolls wrapped in paper cones with icing and cream drizzled over them. He lifted a finger and pressed a credit into her palm. She handed Seth one of the sweet breads.

  “Thank you,” Seth said in Old Xieran dialect, one A
va hadn’t heard in a while.

  “You’re welcome,” the woman replied in Terran, showing him he couldn’t fool her with his accent, no matter how well he spoke the language.

  “You speak the old language?”

  “There’s a lot you don’t know about me that I want to share,” he said. They strolled away to a courtyard and found a seat overlooking the bay. Ava reached for her bread, and Seth pulled it back. “You’re not supposed to feed yourself lover’s bread.” He plucked a piece from the cone and lifted it to Ava’s lips so she could take a bite. “The pleasure is in the giving as much as the receiving.”

  She smiled and accepted the treat from his fingers, closing her eyes and groaning. “Gods, that’s delicious. I can’t believe I grew up here, and I’ve never had it. My mother and father never allowed me to leave the Blue District, and then later, after they died, I was lucky to get away from the ship. My uncle kept a pretty tight rein on me.”

  “So your parents died when you were young.”

  Ava frowned. “Yes. Their ship got caught in Nexian and Rebel crossfire.” She kept that they were one of the Rebel ships to herself, not wanting to volunteer too much of her past, something that could be used against her in the future. She wanted to trust him with details of her past, but there were some bones that should remained buried. Moving forward would be impossible without leaving them behind.

  And she would. After this last run, she’d retire. Brodie was a fool to believe that the revolution would end, and that his form of violence would bring peace.

  Fact was, she was tired, wanted something more than the perpetual pain the revolution had inflicted. She wanted to raise her child free of the violence, with parents who’d loved as deeply as hers had. Seth was her future. Never had that been clearer than now.

  He nodded but didn’t probe. “I, too, lost my parents when I was young. It’s why I chose to become a Regulator. My grandfather was a Regulator. I traveled all over the galaxy with him, but I think this was his favorite destination. We often came here when he had leave. He never told me why, but years later I figured out he had a woman in this port. He always left smiling, and every time he saw New Xiera from space, he glowed. Love has that effect on people.” He used his thumb to brush a crumb from the corner of her mouth.