“I’m an uncontrollable rogue.” I rinsed out the shampoo and worked in conditioner. Satisfied, I took the soap and a cloth and started on her back.
“All the nurses have a crush on you,” she said.
“I’m your mate,” I said. “They mean nothing.”
“Yeah, right. You’re just a flirt. All charm and no substance.”
My hand stilled. Was that what she truly believed? That my care and devotion were meaningless flirtations? I said nothing. Meyet was too tired to argue with. Tomorrow, I would show her that I was more than surface charm.
I turned her around and worked on her front, scrubbing her arms and chest. The strokes over her breasts were detached and I tried to in no way appreciate the heavy weight to their fullness or the rosy pink color of her nipples. Completely clinical. I focused my eyes on her navel.
“They want to know how I tamed a big bad Fremmian barbarian,” she said.
“I like a woman who’s not afraid to give a big bad barbarian a piece of her mind.” I crouched down on the floor and picked up her foot. Gently, I worked the soap into a lather and then worked my knuckle into the sore muscles, all the way up her calf. I tried to keep my thoughts emotionless. Dispassionate. Despite the generous curve to her thighs and hips, her legs were solid muscle. Doctors were on their feet all day.
My hands worked up her thigh, closer to the apex with her wet, curly hair. She gasped and took in a deep breath. I’ve been here before, nose close enough to enjoy her concentrated scent: honey and lemon, sweet and astringent, simple and comforting. I leaned in, my nose nearly touching the damp curls.
Screw dispassionate. I was a passionate man and I wanted to taste my mate. I wanted to press further in and part her folds with my tongue and lap up her nectar. “You can tell those nosey nurses that you’re the sweetest thing I’ve ever tasted,” I said, my voice strangled by desire.
“Now that would be a lie, Ruush et Rueben,” she said. Her hand rested on the top of my head, fingers tangling into my hair. I wasn’t sure if she wanted to press me in or push me away.
“I wouldn’t want to make a liar out of you,” I said. Heat radiated from her core, her arousal hot and slick. “I want to taste you, Meyet, but not without invitation.” I pressed my nose in and she gasped.
“I haven’t said stop.”
“You haven’t said yes, either.”
“Ruush,” she said, fingers pulling in my hair. “This is your invitation. Don’t make ask again.”
“Never.”
My hand parted her folds, already slick with desire. A simple stroke sent her into a shudder. My tongue lapped at her, caressing every silken pink part of her. Yes, she was as fragrant and sweet as I had anticipated. No, better. My tongue circled her sensitive nub. Her knees trembled. My kitten liked that. My hands cupped each ass cheek, keeping her vertical. I’d gather each drop of her sweetness, a liquor too precious to waste. My tongue speared her inner channel and she shuddered.
“I need,” she said in a whisper.
“What do you need, mate?”
“More. I need you in me, Ruush.”
Mmm. I liked how she said that. I pushed a finger into her eager core, the muscles gripping me tightly. She was hotter than anything I’ve ever felt. I sucked on her clit and my fangs scraped the sensitive skin lightly. She moaned and a shudder went through her soft, wondrous body. My kitten really liked a little pain with pleasure. Another finger went in, stretching her impossible tightness. I pumped my fingers and her hips rocked, riding my hand. I needed this. I needed to taste her, every morning and every night for the rest of my days. To be without her was crazy, improbable and impossible. My tongue worked her clit into a frenzy, flicking and sucking, and she released on my face. I drank every drop of her.
A man could get used to this.
The water streamed down my back. I pressed my face into her wet curls one more time and growled. Mine. All this was mine. When I rose to my feet, she caught my chin and pulled my face towards her. So bold. My kitten kissed me. Our first kiss, not sweet and shy or hungry and possessive, but matter of fact, with her taste on my lips.
“I want your cock in me,” Meyet said.
Stars, I wanted that, too, but I hesitated. She reached down and wrapped her hand around my hard cock. She stroked the length of me with a firm grasp.
“I don’t understand you,” I said.
“I want you to fuck me, Ruush. Isn’t that what you’ve been trying to do since I came aboard?”
“Yes. No,” I said, fighting to concentrate while she was stroking my cock. “It’s not right.”
“It feels right to me,” Meyet said. Her wrist flicked up to the head and back down again. Stars, she made a compelling argument.
“You’re not free to make your own choices. Not yet.”
“I’m making my choice now.”
I shook my head. “Not while I still have you in this contract. It’s not between equals.”
Meyet tried to pull away, a heavy sigh on her lips, but I held her close. I parted her legs with my thigh, setting her astride. My hand went to her searing core and parted her folds. If my kitten needed more, she’d get more, just not everything she asked for. Not yet.
“When this job is done, when we’re square, you’ll be a free woman. There's nothing sexier than a free woman. I’m going to take your maidenhood and make you scream my name,” I said. My fingers worked their way back into her tight heat. She moaned, head sagging against my shoulders, and stroked my cock.
Our hands worked together, rhythm matching. Her hips bucked, as she rode my hand. I push into her grip, savoring each stroke. My balls tighten and I’m not far away. My lips caressed the curve of her neck, teeth nipping at the tender flesh.
“Come for me now,” I murmur in her ear. Her body shuddered with release, a cry echoing in the steaming shower stall. I spilled into her hands. With a satisfied grin, my dangerously sexy kitten licked the palm of her hands. I growled. I know what I said about wanting my mate free of obligations when I claim her, but I was seriously reconsidering in that moment. I could be a little flexible in this morally grey area, right?
I cleaned us up, again, dried her off, and led her to the bed. With a chaste kiss on the forehead, I curled into bed beside my mate.
Chapter Thirteen
Meyet
The aroma of bacon and eggs woke me. Real bacon and eggs, not that reconstructor cardboard stuff.
I was in Ruush’s enormous bed. Since arriving on Avalon, I’d spent every night in Ruush’s bed, to maintain the ruse, of course. The same type of surveillance that could detect a crew of five hiding in the ship could also detect if an alleged married couple were not sleeping in the same bed. And despite often waking curled up next to the large Fremmian man, he never touched me. Our relationship had been strictly business.
Except last night.
Stars.
A fierce blush overtook me and I wrapped a sheet around my chest. Last night had been just sex, but it was amazing. I threw myself at Ruush and he turned me down flat. I should have been humiliated or upset but instead, I was really delighted. Granted, I had been on the receiving end of some mind-blowing oral in the shower. I asked him to fuck me. Begged, even, and he said no. Not that way. Until my debt to him was square, we weren’t equals and he wouldn’t take me, even if I was pleading. And then I rode his hand to another highly satisfying orgasm. His fingers pumped into me; I rocked on his hand all the while stroking his thick cock. We came into each other’s hands.
My blush intensified. Nothing about last night was like me. I wasn’t sure what came over me. I had never even come close to having sex before, with anyone, let alone a man who made me tear out my hair in frustration, a man who should have been my enemy. Ruush was a charmer, sure, but he was also a liar, a scoundrel, and a rogue. I knew his type. He was no better than the men I was running from. I couldn’t trust him.
Still, he had taken such good care of me over the last week. Maybe that’s what had come o
ver me. No one had ever taken care of me or even acted concerned for my well being. I was normally the one doing all the caring.
It was nice. More than nice. Fucking amazing. I could really get use to it. Too bad it was all a sham. Ruush was only putting on an act. He was just making damn sure that everyone saw what a good husband he was. Meanwhile, he’d been plotting this deplorable heist, pumping staff for information with a smile and wink. None of it was real. I should have known better than to let that act turn my head. I was horny last night and Ruush was a willing partner. Nothing more. End of story.
Suddenly, the blue devil entered the room. He carried a tray with two plates and set it down at a table in the corner of the room. “You’re up, finally.”
“Why did you let me oversleep? I don’t have time for breakfast.” I needed to get to the clinic soon to start my shift. I jumped out of the bed and started dressing in scrubs. My hair was a mess but it went under a cap, so it didn’t really matter.
Ruush sat down at the table and ignored my words, but he did watch my ass as I dressed. “You need to eat. If you don’t take care of yourself, you’ll get sick and then you won’t be able to help anyone.” My mouth opened to protest but I said nothing. I hated it when he was right. “You’re not going to waste real eggs and bacon, are you?”
My stomach growled. He played dirty. “Make it into a sandwich, and I’ll eat on the way.” I pulled a top down over my head, obscuring my breasts from his gaze. His eyes dimmed in disappointment.
“No can do, kitten. I already told the Clinic you’re not coming in today.”
“What?!”
“You’re taking the day off.”
“No. No, you don’t get to make these decisions for me. You’re not my real husband.” And even if he were… Ugh. The man was infuriating.
“Funny thing is, the director told me he told you to take a day off two days ago.” Ruush tucked into the plate, making a production of how scrumptious the meal was, rolling his eyes in rapture with each bite. Gah, my eggs were over easy, the way I liked them. There was even toast.
“Fine, I’ll eat but I’m not taking the day off.” I was too hungry to resist. I’d eat, get my strength up, and then go to the clinic. Tonight, Ruush had something planned, so this was my last day to put in good work to atone for all the supplies he was going to steal. I dipped the corner of my toast into the egg yolk, wondering why I had to atone for his actions. I was a victim here, too. Why was I wasting my energy feeling guilty because of him?
I glared at Ruush as I munched on the toast. Look at him, with his stupid handsome face and stupid sexy grin, acting like he’s so clever. And when was the last time I actually had a day off? I couldn’t even remember. When I was a kid, it was work, work, work. I scrubbed and cleaned and sometimes recited poems and sang for Calmness’s amusement. When I was old enough, I apprenticed to a Tal healer. That was constant work, too. Preparing ingredients, reading, memorizing, and learning how to maintain all the medical equipment. Then university. Then back to Calmness and endless days of stitching, mending, diagnosis, patching, soothing, and more often than not, placating Calmness’s hypochondria. Outside of the odd injury, Calmness was a healthy man, but paranoid. He was always expecting illness or disease, or poison from his enemies. Well, poison by enemies was what got him in the end, so his paranoia wasn’t unreasonable.
A day off might be nice.
Tomorrow all this would be over. I’d be on my way to Galax One, reunited with Malik. Who knows where we would go. Staying with Ruush wasn’t an option, as surprisingly pleasant as the last two weeks have been. He doesn’t need me or Malik on his crew.
I rubbed at the tension spot between my eyebrows. What this niggling feeling regret? Regret that my time with the smuggler was coming to an end? Preposterous.
Still, I should enjoy out last day together, right?
“What’s on your agenda for the day, besides making me play hooky?” I asked.
“Kitten, let’s eat breakfast. We can talk business afterwards.”
“Not that I’m agreeing, but what does one do on a day off?” I asked.
A wide grin spread on Ruush’s face. I was screwed.
***
I insisted on checking the crew’s vitals before entertaining any of Ruush’s shenanigans. After running some tests, I found the slumbering crew was within the acceptable range.
“The chambers’ program will wake the crew gradually,” Ruush said. Waking out of stasis wasn’t a fun experience. “The process will be finished in seven hours. We should be here when the chambers open.”
I nodded. The crew would be dizzy, perhaps nauseous. I sincerely hoped someone barfed on Ruush’s shoes. “Let’s hope that you maintained those stasis chambers better than your med bay.”
“Are you always looking for a fight, doc?”
I glanced up from the panel. His words were grumpy but a smirk on his lips said he was amused. “I take the wellness of the crew, and my job, seriously.” Did he like take-charge women? Resolve and Jonee certainly took no crap from him.
I powered down the screen with a touch. Why did I care what type of women he liked? He was a smuggler, never staying put for any amount of time and always hiding from someone with a grudge. I couldn’t trust a man like that. The big Fremmian man probably had a woman at every space station, too. That notion upset me more than Ruush’s questionable trustworthiness.
“What’s that look for?” he asked, resting a hand on my shoulder.
I blinked, clearing my head. His concern for me wasn’t real. This was a necessary sham that would end tonight. Then he’d drop me off at the nearest space station and we’d be done with each other. I couldn’t get emotionally involved with the charming blue smuggler. “How long does it normally take your crew to get their bearings after stasis?” I asked.
“Last time, it took two hours. Jonee gets all punchy and Vex wants to sit on the floor and stare at his tail.”
“You got seven hours to show me a good time, Captain,” I said. The gleam in his eyes set my heart racing.
He clapped his large hands together. “Daylight’s burning, kitten.”
The Promontory flew West, against the rising dawn, and into the receding night. “Where are you taking me?”
“And spoil the mystery?”
Within thirty minutes, the ship was off the coast of Avalon’s far western continent. With minimal fuss, Ruush sat the ship down in a grassy clearing on top of a bluff.
The brisk salty air was bracing against my face as I exited the ship. It was still night, but dawn glowed pearly over the water.
Ruush pushed an old hover bike down the ramp, a bundle strapped to the back. “Climb on, kitten.” The engine revved to life with the push of a button. While hover-engines were quiet, some people preferred the loud grumble of an ancient fuel burning engine, like in the movies. Ruush was one of those people.
“Where’s my helmet?” I asked over the growl of the engine.
“Don’t be so square.”
Square. Right, because I valued safety.
With grin of white fang on slate blue skin, he revved the engine again. I rolled my eyes but climbed on behind him. I pressed against his back, my legs touching his thighs and my arms locked around his waist.
The hover bike accelerated effortlessly. We headed down the bluff, towards the beach. The bike glided over the sand, clearing the ground with a foot of empty space. The low thrumming of the machine lit up the nerves on my bottom and thighs. Unconsciously, I gripped Ruush tighter with my legs, leaning into him. The brine in the sea air did not mask his masculine, smoky scent. He smelled forbidden, like leather and the back room of bars, high stakes card games, cheap beer, and expensive cigars. Oh, he was trouble. Delicious, tasty trouble.
The lights of the next town glowed down the beach. We raced in that direction but I was positive the small town was not our destination. Finally, our journey ended at an expanse of flawless white sand. Waves rolled onto the shore. Ruush turned off the bi
ke. I didn’t move, listening to the pings and clicks of the cooling engine.
“You can let go now, kitten.”
Right. I pulled away, a blush rising to the surface.
Ruush removed the bundle at the back of the bike and headed towards a cluster of palm trees. He unrolled a black and white patterned carpet which appeared far too nice for the sand. Next, he unpacked a small bag, removing half a dozen colorful balls. The balls expanded into pillows when exposed to the air. He patted the carpet, indicating that I should sit. With pillows arranged at my back, I leaned against the trunk of a tree. He placed a blanket around my shoulders. Finally, he produced a thermos and two mugs. I accepted the hot coffee with glee. He watched me carefully, face bright and eager.
As I took my first sip of the black, sweet coffee, the sun broke over the water, turning the sea into gold. The waves rolled onto the beach, sucking at the sands. The wind pushed my hair back from my face as the sun warmed every part of me. This was perfect.
Inevitably, one of us would say or do something to ruin it.
Ruush leaned into me and planted a kiss on the top of my head. “Good morning.”
“Thank you,” I said, not pulling away. The grin on his handsome face was enough to set my stomach all a flutter and get my panties damp. Too bad this was a sham. My panties wouldn’t survive a serious seduction from the Fremmian rogue.
“You like it? We can keep racing the sunrise. I do have a spaceship,” Ruush said, swagger in his voice. There. He ruined it. Now there was no more pressure to be nice.
I slugged him playfully in the arm. He was showing off. “I take it the grand gesture was to get the ship away from spying eyes?”
“Maybe I just wanted to do something nice for you on first day off?”
I shrugged. This was too polished and well-planned. He’d taken enough women on a “Good Morning Date” that he’d got the routine down pat. “This was amazing, Ruush. And the coffee is even the way I like it.” Black with lots of sugar.
Alien Rogue's Price: Alpha Alien Romance (Alpha Aliens of Fremm Book 4) Page 8
