by Aubrey Ross
Before she had time to move, he tossed a folded towel onto the floor in front of him. She smiled at the thoughtful gesture and lowered her knees to the towel. Without the night-vision goggles, he couldn’t see her any better than she could see him. Her warm fingers worked their way from his knees to the juncture of his thighs.
He moved his legs apart, giving her plenty of room to play. Would she tease him with her tongue or immediately suck him into her mouth. The Pleasure Palace was a distant memory and her pussy had distracted him while she did this before.
She tilted her head and gently sucked one of his testicles and then the other. The sensation made his toes dig into the shower’s base. His cock twitched and ached as blood further hardened the shaft.
He pushed his fingers into her hair and pulled her away from his balls. “I want the heat of your mouth and the swirl of your tongue. I’m too…ticklish to enjoy that.”
“Ticklish?” There was definitely amusement in her tone. “You’re ticklish?”
“If you no longer want my cock in your mouth, I can think of all sorts of ways to spend our limited time together.” His gut clenched as he heard his own words. This was a fantasy, nothing more. He couldn’t allow himself to feel anything but lust for this pampered princess.
Her lips closed around the head of his cock and her fingernails dug into his hips. He closed his eyes, welcoming the sting of her lacquered nails against his lean flesh. She pulled him closer, teasing him with the moist heat of her breath. Desire spiraled up his shaft and tightened his balls. Oh yes, this is what he needed. They only had a few hours before reality intruded again.
She slowly sucked him into her mouth, flicking her tongue along his length as she pulled back. He pushed his fingers into her damp hair, guiding her movements, speeding her tempo. Beyond gentleness, but unwilling to hurt her, he listened to her muffled sounds and felt for any tug against his hold. Deeper and deeper he thrust. She took him eagerly, tilting her head and relaxing her throat until his balls rested on her chin. He kept his strokes slow and even, allowing her to accept his entire length again and again.
Tension gathered in his gut and tightened his balls. The wet heat of her mouth combined with her selflessness, arousing him unbearably. With an intentional swallow, she sent him over the edge. He shuddered and clenched, feeling as if his soul poured into her along with his seed.
Dragging her to her feet, he kissed her deeply, sucking her tongue into his mouth. She shuddered in approval and did the same. She clung to him, whimpering as they savored the combined taste of their passion.
A long time passed before he released her lips. “Turn around.” He didn’t give her time to disobey. With his hands on her shoulders, he turned her to face the spray. “Brace yourself against the wall. I don’t think I can be gentle.” She splayed her fingers against the shower stall and widened her stance. He pressed his chest against her upper back as he rolled her nipples. “I’ve never wanted anyone as badly as I wanted you while you were doing this to yourself.” He thrust his fingers into her pussy hard and deep.
She rocked forward and groaned. His other hand left her breasts and found her clit. Pairing each drive with a clever caress, he soon had her gasping and moaning. Her cunt rippled around his fingers and her clit twitched against his fingertips. He took her to the very brink then backed off. Her head came to rest against his shoulder and her panting breaths filled his ears.
“Please, Master, let me come.”
Pushing his fingers in as far as he could, he rolled her clit until he felt her orgasm detonate. Her inner muscles clenched rhythmically as she cried out. With his fingers filling her, he drew spasm after spasm from her trembling body.
She arched her neck, allowing him to reach her mouth with his. They kissed and kissed as she drenched his fingers with fresh silken cream.
With obvious reluctance, he withdrew his fingers and turned her around. He pressed her warm body against his and kissed her some more. He wanted to lick her pussy again, but there was no point. They couldn’t have what they both wanted. It had to end now.
“I’ll recycle your uniform and the sheets.” He stepped back and lowered his hands to his sides. “Run the maintenance cycle as soon as you’re finished scrubbing every millimeter of your body. Regardless of the coalition’s response, I won’t come to you again.”
Chapter Six
Meredith Caperelli scowled at the orange-tinted sky. It had been nearly two years since she set foot on this dismal outpost and she wasn’t pleased to be back now. She’d chosen the other two members of her team carefully and briefed them on the way from Halley Prime. They knew their objective was hostage retrieval. However, they had only a vague understanding of who the hostages were and why they’d been taken.
“Didn’t you used to live on Borrelly?” Hamilton asked as he adjusted the ship’s trajectory.
“Why do you think I was chosen for this assignment?” Hamilton might be a bit too curious. But when push came to shove, he’d follow orders without question. “I can provide a plausible explanation for being on the outpost until we’re ready to spring our trap.”
Meredith had never worked with Juarez before, but the young woman was fresh out of training and eager to prove herself. Hopefully her enthusiasm would outweigh her inexperience.
“Do you really think Korbin Reah is the mastermind behind the rebels?” Juarez asked. “According to his file, he works for the coalition.”
“What better cover for the rebel leader? He has access to the coalition data stream while he spreads his subversive propaganda,” Hamilton said without looking up from his control console.
“If Korbin is the mastermind behind this operation, shutting it down should be no problem.” Meredith didn’t bother concealing her disdain. When she’d first encountered Korbin he’d been an embittered child of eight who hated everything and everyone—except his precious father.
Meredith had been as attracted to Simeon as she’d been repelled by his son, so she’d pretended an interest in the pathetic little boy. Korbin had seen right through her pretense, even if Simeon hadn’t.
Her marriage to Simeon had lasted four years. She’d never meant to become pregnant, but Corry had been a pleasant diversion for a time. The things that attracted Meredith to Simeon in the beginning ultimately drove them apart. His passion and ingenuity fascinated Meredith until she realized he was so consumed by his fanciful ideas there was no room in his life for anything else.
When the CCC extended its invitation, she hadn’t hesitated. Corry adored her father and idolized Korbin. They were better off without her. Meredith always knew she was destined for Halley Prime. She’d freed herself from a life of drudgery and want, and never looked back.
There were occasional visits and infrequent communications, but her involvement with the Reah family was a chapter in her life she’d considered closed.
Until now.
She opened a comlink to Corry’s apartment, but got no response. Was Corry mixed up in this nonsense? It would be typical for Corry to follow blindly where Korbin led. The two had always been inseparable. If Korbin had dragged Corry into this rebellion, Meredith would make sure he was punished to the full penalty of the law.
Meredith grabbed the overnight bag she’d prepared hours before as Hamilton set down in the visitor’s shuttle lot. “I’ll either return shortly or com you, so don’t get too comfortable.”
“Yes, Major,” Hamilton said, and Juarez snapped to attention as Meredith made her way toward the hatch. Meredith always insisted on formality, regardless of the size of the team.
She went to the office building indicated in the report and asked to see Korbin Reah.
“I’m afraid he’s in a meeting, Major Caperelli. Was he expecting you?”
Unwilling to justify her presence to a receptionist, Meredith said, “I’ll wait.” She moved to the row of chairs facing the interior of the office complex. If Korbin tried to leave the floor, he’d have to walk right past her.
The receptionist glanced at her from time to time as he continued to route communications. Meredith intentionally stared at the young man, hoping to make him uncomfortable.
Two men in Corrections uniforms exited the hall and shortly after the receptionist said, “He will see you now.”
Korbin sat behind a large desk, his attention focused on his access terminal. He glanced up at her entrance but didn’t greet her or acknowledge her presence in any other way.
“It’s nice to see you too,” she muttered.
“I have a full agenda today. For that matter, my agenda is full every day. What do you want?”
She’d expected a cold reception. Korbin never pretended to feel anything but animosity for her. “Where’s Corry?”
“Did you try her apartment?” His tone was casual, his expression composed.
“Of course. Why do you think I came here?” She paused, studying his features, assessing his eyes. He’d always been damn good at hiding his thoughts and feelings. “I told her several weeks ago I was up for a short leave. She said she’d be available to spend some time with me.”
“You’re full of shit, Meredith.” He leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers against the armrests. “Corry has no interest in spending time with you. What do you really want?”
She ignored his hostility, curiosity winning out over her urge to smack him. “When did you last see her?”
“We had lunch yesterday.”
“And you haven’t seen or spoken to her since?”
“Why are you on Borrelly?” He folded his hands on his desktop and glared.
Something was definitely wrong here. It shouldn’t take long to figure out what. “Believe what you like. I’m here to visit my daughter. If you’ll just let me in to her apartment, I’ll wait for her there.”
“If you’re determined to stay, I’ll arrange accommodations,” he answered immediately. “It’s better that way.”
Better for whom? Her smile turned speculative.
* * * * *
Meredith noticed the guard attempting to trail her as she left the office building. Korbin had great instincts. He just needed better help. Several abrupt turns and a bit of backtracking lured the young man into an alley. A quick blast from her pulse pistol rendered him unconscious and she returned to her ship.
“Find a commuter lot. Somewhere we can stay for a couple of hours,” she ordered Hamilton as she activated the panel in front of her. “We’re about to confirm the rebels’ base of operations.”
The last retinal scan logging Corry’s movements had been two days before. So much for Korbin having lunch with her.
“How can we be certain this is where the hostages are being held?” Juarez asked.
Meredith debated how much to tell them. The executive council had stressed that discretion was top priority. She stuck to the facts. “All residents of Borrelly, both inmates and employees, are implanted with an ident-chip. We’ll use shipboard scanners to locate any person without such a chip.”
“A sector-by-sector scan could take—”
“Get started.” She cut off Hamilton before he overtly questioned her decision. Corry didn’t have an ident-chip either. It was far more probable that she had left the outpost, but this might kill two birds with one stone.
It was a tedious process. Hours passed as names and designations of the entire population of Borrelly scrolled across the ship’s main vidscreen. Late in the afternoon, the scanner beeped, indicating an error or what Meredith had been hoping to find, a person not identifiable to the scanner.
Meredith adjusted the search parameters, closing in on the outpost’s newest facility. The complex was still under construction. She laughed.
“Korbin is listed as superintendent for this project,” she told the others.
“That’s pretty damn brazen,” Juarez said. “He’s hiding them in plain sight.”
“At a glance, it’s business as usual. No one is going to question guards on Borrelly. Everyone is doing what they’re supposed to do.” Hamilton glanced at Meredith. “There are only two in the complex without ident-chips. Aren’t we after three hostages?”
“We have to start somewhere. Juarez, put us down here.” Meredith pointed to a clearing on the far side of the complex. “Hamilton, you’re with me, so you’ll need to look the part.” Meredith and Hamilton changed out of their military garb and into nondescript workers’ uniforms.
Meredith programmed her arm band to track the two signals and led Hamilton toward the complex. The side entrance was flanked by guards. They crouched on the ground, protected from view by a rounded hill.
“Create a diversion and I’ll take out the guards.”
He raised his brow at her command but didn’t argue. She crept to the crest of the hill on her belly and braced the rifle against her shoulder as Hamilton strode toward the guards. If this was a simple construction zone, why did they need armed guards?
Hamilton’s angle was perfect, leaving her a clear shot at each target. Kill or incapacitate? She heaved a frustrated sigh. It was so much easier when the enemy was truly an enemy and not disgruntled children.
Easing the intensity level back to stun, she dropped the first guard and the second in quick succession.
“Nice shots,” Hamilton said as she joined him, but the gleam in his dark eyes revealed his amusement at her leniency.
She looked at her arm band while Hamilton heaved one of the unconscious guards to eyelevel and scanned open the door. “Down that corridor and to the right.” With only an occasional glance from the construction workers, Meredith and Hamilton located the holding cells. A control booth separated the two small rooms. She drew her pulse pistol and crept toward the portal. Avoiding the retinal scanner, she entered the master override code Admiral Tiptonn had given her. Nothing happened. Damn it.
Hamilton motioned her back and aimed a controlled energy stream into the locking mechanism. The privacy panel released with a soft hiss.
A young man sat facing the wide console and multilevel displays. She fired her pulse pistol before he knew what hit him, and Hamilton shoved him back from the controls.
She studied the vidscreens, her mind sifting through possibilities. Danette Tiptonn was easily recognizable even in an inmate’s uniform. The young man must be Palmer, so where was VinDerley?
“Holy shit,” Hamilton muttered when he got his first look at the hostages. “Were they trying to start a war?”
Meredith didn’t comment. She deactivated the energy barriers and reverted control of the doors to their motion sensors. “You get Palmer. I’ll release Danette.” The blonde just stared at Meredith suspiciously as she entered the holding cell. “I’m Major Caperelli. The coalition sent me.”
“How do I know that?” Danette snapped, rising from the bunk.
“You can trust me or stay here.” Meredith turned toward the door, unwilling to argue. “Do you know what they’ve done with the premier’s son? I haven’t been able to locate him.”
“You’re really from Halley Prime?” Danette followed Meredith into the corridor, glancing around anxiously as if she expected someone to interrupt them. Interesting.
“Why would I lie?” Meredith asked.
“We haven’t seen Ashton in days.”
Palmer accepted Meredith’s introduction with a beaming smile. Danette just nodded at Hamilton.
“This way,” Meredith directed.
They reached the ship without incident. If an alarm had been triggered, it wasn’t audible.
Palmer didn’t speak until they were safely on the ship. “Thank you, Major. You can’t imagine how relieved I am to be away from this place.”
Meredith ignored the praise. She needed to find somewhere near Korbin’s office to hide the ship.
“We’re not out of the woods yet,” Danette reminded him, her tone oddly hesitant.
“Where’s Ashton?” Palmer asked.
“We were hoping you could tell us.” Hamilton entered new coordinates into the navig
ational system.
“They kept us separated,” Palmer said. “We haven’t seen him since the first day.”
“The leader told me Ashton escaped.” Danette cleared her throat. Her voice sounded stronger as she continued. “I think Ashton took one of the rebels with him. The leader was really upset.”
“The leader? How many different people did you see?” Meredith asked.
“A woman seemed to be running things to begin with,” Palmer explained, “but I haven’t seen her in a couple days. I’d only seen one of the men until the leader questioned me. Do you think Ashton took the woman?”
“Describe her for me.”
“Small, pretty, dark hair, green eyes.” Palmer provided the description.
“Damn,” Meredith muttered. Apparently Corry was right in the middle of this mess. The small ship shuddered as it left the ground. “I want to bring the leader back with us, but I won’t risk your safety to capture him.”
“How do you know who he is?” Danette asked.
“We had several suspects, but finding you here on Borrelly narrowed it down considerably.” Meredith settled her gaze on Danette’s flushed face. She needed to be questioned extensively. Admiral Tiptonn’s daughter was hiding something. “Can you positively identify him?”
“I never saw his face,” she answered calmly. “I was blindfolded when he questioned me. That’s probably why I’m still alive.”
“I’d recognize his voice,” Palmer volunteered. “But I never saw him either. The woman seemed to be just as much a leader as the man. Do you know who she is?”
“Yes,” Meredith admitted. “One thing at a time.”
* * * * *
“What are you talking about?” Korbin yelled. “Who would release the hostages? Who the hell had access to the control booth? Where is Larz?”
“Let me load the surveillance file and you can tell me,” Sharon returned angrily. “Larz didn’t check in as scheduled, so I accessed the security system and brought up the holding cells. They’re both empty. That’s when I commed you.”
