He felt her enter his mind and watched her eyebrow climb even higher as she caught his desire, her lust rising to meet it. She licked her lips.
“I don’t know that that’s really a punishment.”
“Humor me.”
“Of course, my lord.”
Her tone was light and teasing. She smiled, slow and sultry and moved closer to him. She lay her hands against his chest, lingering as she moved them down, taking her time. Even through his clothing her touch made him burn. Lust rose like a fine red mist in his mind, in the air between them. Her hands drifted lower until finally they stopped on his belt buckle. She only paused a minute before releasing the catch, then the button and zipper on his pants. They fell to the ground and she hooked her fingers in his underwear, pulling them down as she sank to her knees.
His erection jutted forward. With one hand, she gripped his hip while the other wrapped loosely around the base of his cock. Then her lips brushed over the head, light, gentle. Almost a caress. She traced it with her tongue and fire raced up his spine at the sensation. He groaned and she looked up at him shyly. He wondered how much of it was an act for his benefit, but quickly banished the thought. The bond wouldn’t allow artifice between them. Not in this.
All thought fled though as she took him into her mouth. Just the head. Lightly sucking as she ran her tongue over the slit there. He quit breathing and thrust forward. He wanted her to take all of him, needed to embed himself in the wet warmth of her mouth. She obliged him. Let his cock slide farther into her mouth, suckling as it did. He pulled out, thrust back in, gradually building a rhythm, increasing his speed. As his strokes grew faster, her mouth grew slicker and tighter. She made soft mewling sounds each time he touched the back of her throat.
It didn’t take long before he was gritting his teeth. He hadn’t planned on coming in her mouth this first time, but if he didn’t stop her soon the choice would be out of his hands. Just another minute and I’ll stop. But he found it impossible to do so. His release rushed through him, exploding through his body as he jetted in her mouth. He stopped moving, frozen as it broke over him but she kept sucking, her throat moving to swallow his cum. When there was no more, she licked his shaft, careful to clean it of every drop. She smiled as she sat back on her heels, palms resting on her thighs.
“That what you had in mind?” The submissive position inflamed him even as her words and tone made it clear she didn’t see herself in that light. She was cocky and self-assured. His der’lan was well aware by now of the effect she had on him.
“Not quite,” was his almost growled response.
She rose gracefully and he grabbed her before she could skip away, burying his hand under the pinned up mass of her hair and claiming her lips for his own. She moaned and pressed closer, molding her body against his. He was hard again in an instant.
She was wearing too many damned clothes. He reluctantly left her mouth and knelt to yank the zippers down on her boots. They sailed through the air as he removed them and when he reached for the buttons on her pants she was already ahead of him, shoving them free. He pulled them off and stood, lifting her so she could wrap her legs around his waist as he slid home. Turning, he leaned back against the hovercraft, bracing his legs apart to support them, before moving inside her. Thrusting harder and harder, faster and faster, he kept his mind firmly locked to hers, felt her thoughts splinter apart as her body followed.
He slowed his strokes, holding back his own orgasm, and kissed her again. This time slowly, drinking her in as he felt his control of the emotions that had raged through him all day slip. He poured it into the kiss, into the movement of his cock stroking her. The joy in finding her, claiming her. The fear of losing her. The frustration and anger that she fought him step by step in doing what a Delroi male was supposed to do. Protect his mate. Honor his der’lan.
He’d gone from absolute terror to fierce pride and back again watching her climb that cliff side earlier. Now he wanted to cling to her, hold her close and never let her leave his side again. His to protect, to honor, to cherish, to love. He shied away from the last, uncertain what loving a woman would do to the warrior.
She laid one palm on the side of his face and pulled away from his kiss. He couldn’t stand the reluctance he saw shining in her eyes and pulled her face back to his. He kissed the tip of her nose before turning to nibble at her lips.
“Give it time. Remember?” he whispered.
He wasn’t sure if the words were for him or her, though. Then he was kissing her again, more urgently this time, trying to banish his own conflicting emotions and the unwillingness he sensed from her to risk her heart. He stood straight, driving as deeply into her as possible and felt her pussy convulse, clench around him. She threw her head back and cried out as she came. The sweet sound pushed him past the thin edge of his control and he thrust into her once more, twice more, before releasing.
They clung together in the aftermath, gasping, hearts beating erratically yet somehow together. He slowly disengaged his mind and body from hers, setting her down on unsteady feet. She stepped back. For the first time since he met her she looked vulnerable. With her hands on her hips, her breasts rising and falling in alluring tandem with her heavy breathing, she looked up to meet his gaze.
“Well. That was … intense.”
His smile was slow in coming, but real and she blinked in surprise. “That it was.”
He pulled his clothes back together and stepped away to gather hers. He didn’t like the shadows in her eyes and wanted to give her a moment to compose herself. He liked her strong and fighting, not defenseless and confused. She didn’t speak as he handed her her pants and boots. Didn’t speak as she dressed, or got in the hovercraft, or even after they were speeding on their way.
As it turned out, his worry about going to her base was unwarranted, but Laney was careful to keep that observation to herself. The base her apartment was on was a small satellite of the larger base where division headquarters and her office were. The installation included senior enlisted housing, a small exchange and commissary, and not much else. It was a small close-knit community and the guard at the gatehouse knew her well. He raised an eyebrow at her arrival with a Delroi warrior in one of their hovercrafts, but didn’t question her right to be there. He waved them through without asking even one question. She wasn’t sure if she should be relieved or alarmed at that. She’d mention it to Bob later.
She directed Alrik to her place and was glad habit had forced her to hide a key near the door. She dug the fake rock out of her potted fern, removed the key, and opened the door. She hadn’t been here for months and the air was musty. If she were staying longer than the time it would take to pack a bag, she would have opened some windows to air it out. Since she wasn’t, she shrugged it off and walked through the small living room and kitchen to her bedroom at the back of the quarters.
Alrik followed silently, but she got the impression he took everything in. What did he think of the mess she’d left? The books and knick-knacks cluttering every surface? She tried to view it objectively and decided the place was her, but didn’t fit what people believed about her. Nothing she could do about that.
She shrugged and opened her closet. Standing back, she set her hands on her hips and studied the contents. What did she want from here? From her old life? Her books. Her files and computer. Her private weapons.
The closet was full of uniforms. Formal and battle dress, all obviously Alliance. After today she felt like a hypocrite wearing them. She dug into the back of the closet and began pulling out civilian clothes. She didn’t have much, but the bed was soon full of her small supply of jeans and t-shirts, dresses and skirts. She eyed the jeans and then the baggy camouflaged combat pants she was wearing and went to the other end of the closet. It took some searching but she finally found her black combat pants, the ones reserved for missions where she didn’t want her allegiance easily guessed at. They were added to the pile on the bed.
What else? Sh
oes. She grabbed sneakers and sandals and eyed a pair of tall black leather boots. With a slow smile crossing her face, she grabbed them too. They almost reached her knees and resembled the boots the Delroi wore, unlike her mid-calf Alliance-issued footwear.
A soft chuckle broke her from her resumed study of the closet. She met Alrik’s amused gaze. “I thought you just wanted a few things?”
“I wasn’t planning on taking all of it,” she answered cringing at the defensiveness in her voice.
He was leaning against the doorframe, his arms crossed over his chest, when she started pulling off her clothes. It suddenly seemed very important to her to get out of her uniform and into something that didn’t proclaim commitment to either side. She didn’t realize he’d moved until she was naked, and felt a moment of unease. She was getting so used to him she hadn’t considered he might take it as an invitation. She had the black pants on and was pulling on the tall boots before he reached her.
He stopped and grinned. “Need some help?”
She scowled, refusing to get pulled into the sexy undertone. “Nope. I want to get out of here before anyone gets curious.”
He sighed. “Need some help?”
“There’s a duffle bag and box in the top of the closet,” she answered while she sorted through the pile on the bed.
He handed her the bag and she stuffed the other black pants and two pairs of jeans into it. She hesitated over the dresses. She almost never wore them. Would she find a need for one any time soon? She decided to pass and examined the shirts. She picked simple, dark colored and un-patterned t-shirts and added them to the bag.
What else? She went to the dresser and opened the top drawer tossing out underwear and bras. Everything he’d seen so far was no nonsense white cotton, so Alrik raised an eyebrow and fingered the lacier black and red under garments with interest. She shrugged.
“Can’t be the soldier all the time, can I?”
He handed her the box he’d retrieved and she opened it with relief. Her spare knife and pistol, both in leg holsters, were inside. She drew them out and strapped them on. He took a deep breath, but didn’t protest. After today, there was no way she would continue going unarmed. She could see it disturbed him and he turned away. He walked to her small nightstand and opened the top drawer.
She remembered too late what he’d find there and hurried forward to stop him. He held up the vibrator and flipped the switch, watching in interest as it swirled into action. She closed her eyes and wished she could sink through the floor. Did the Delroi have sex toys? Even if they did, hers being discovered like this was embarrassing.
“Very interesting,” he muttered and buried it in the middle of her duffle bag. “Anything else?”
She couldn’t find her voice while her head was suddenly filled with Alrik’s speculation of how he might make use of the vibrator, so she turned her back and unbuttoned her uniform jacket and then pulled off the t-shirt underneath it. She felt more than heard Alrik suck in a deep breath. Surprised, she turned to see what the problem was this time. His eyes roved her body.
“You’re pushing your luck, woman.”
She hurriedly reached for one of the black shirts left out on her bed and pulled it on.
“Better?”
He groaned. “Not much.”
Frowning, she turned to the dresser mirror and examined her appearance. She liked it. Dressed all in black, the shirt tight across her torso, the pants loose fitting enough to maneuver in, knee high boots, a gun strapped to one leg and wicked looking knife on the other, she looked a dangerous soldier but she wasn’t in the green shades of her people or the tan of Alrik’s. She was something else. She smiled. Yes. It was fitting. Wearing all black might become her new signature look.
Turning back around, she reached for the bag, zipped it up, and slung it over her shoulder. “Let’s go.”
She could tell he wanted to say something but he choked back the words and followed her out. She paused in the living room.
“Before we leave for Delroi, I want my books.”
He nodded. “I’ll make the arrangements.”
“Thank you,” she replied softly.
She wasn’t sure what meant more to her. That he was willing to haul her books across the galaxy or that he hadn’t protested her weaponry. She thought about the toy he’d put in the bag. On the other hand, he might have his own special kind of reprimand for that planned for later. She was grinning as she entered the hovercraft and they left to meet his shuttle. She was learning to like his idea of punishment.
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Chapter Eleven
Laney had been surprised at how relieved she was to be back on board ship, but when Daggar met them in the shuttle bay and dragged Alrik off right away she was pissed. He’d spent the ride getting her good and horny. His fingers had stroked the sensitive underside of her arms, her nape. Brushed the swell of her breasts. Feather soft touches, designed to enflame just as much as the explicit images he shared with her. Leaning over her with the vibrator, face tense with desire as he imagined her coming over and over again, screaming his name and begging him to stop, both knowing damned well she wouldn’t want him to end the torment, to end the pleasure, And now he was disappearing? And it didn’t even seem to faze him. He kissed her distractedly, murmured I’ll see you tonight, and left. She wanted to stamp her foot and howl at the frustration flooding her body. Instead she picked up her bag and went to their quarters.
Inside she paced and tried to calm her mind enough to unpack the bag. Her eyes narrowed on it where she’d tossed it to the bed. There was always the sex toy. After a moment she shrugged off the idea. She knew it wouldn’t come close to satisfying her in her current state and instinct told her Alrik would be angry if she tried it without him. Why that suddenly mattered she couldn’t begin to guess.
Sighing, she made a decision and stepped to the door. She had to get out of here. Jaxon was waiting outside and smartly saluted when she stepped through the doorway. She smiled.
“Jaxon. Do you know where Cilia is?”
He cocked an eyebrow. She was beginning to associate the action as the default non-verbal why of Delroi warriors.
“Probably in the Healer’s bay, my lady.”
“Lead the way, then.”
“Of course, my lady.”
“Is everyone going to call me that?”
It was irritating. It had been a long time since there was a class system on Earth that included nobles. She only knew them through history books. It implied a position she hadn’t earned. He just shrugged in response to her question. She took it as a yes. One more thing to add to the growing list of things she had to get used to and not something she wanted to worry about now. She had two priorities—verifying she was pregnant, and finding and dealing with whoever was behind the planet-side attack. She didn’t want any other surprises.
The first should be easy enough to accomplish, but it might be too early to tell. She followed nervously, not sure if she was ready to hear confirmation of her gut instincts. But then, maybe she wouldn’t. It had to be too soon to know anything for sure.
The walk was short. She walked into the large room and Jaxon took up position near the door. There were only a handful of healers there, mostly men, and one by one they met Jaxon’s cold gaze and exited. Cilia watched the scene play out with an amused expression on her face. Laney didn’t bother to hide her exasperation with either of them.
“Was that necessary?” Somehow she managed to keep her tone mild.
“Yes.” She narrowed her eyes at his laconic answer. He’d been talkative enough Earth side. “Did you want rumors of why you came to the healer’s bay all over the ship by dinner time?”
She hadn’t considered the possibility and was relieved he had. Odd to have a virtual stranger looking out for her. She shook her head, hoped it would clear her thoughts. No time now to consider the dynamics of her new relationships. She met Cilia’s gaze instead and dived right in.
“How early can you detect a pregnancy?”
“Within the first twenty-four hours usually. Your physiology is a little different, though, so possibly longer.”
Laney nodded. “Let’s find out then.”
Cilia smiled. “This way.”
She led Laney to a chair near a counter that held an assortment of vials and hermetically sealed needles. She tied a rubber band over the top of Laney’s arm, tapped the vein and withdrew a small amount of blood. Laney looked away during the process. Funny. Not much bothered her on a battlefield, but the sight of her own blood had always made her queasy.
It was over in seconds, and while Laney stood and held a small piece of white gauze over the puncture mark, Cilia placed the vial in a metal box. She pushed a button and the box whirred to life. Laney moved forward to watch. After a couple of minutes the display screen on its top blinked, but the results weren’t in a language Laney could translate. She looked at Cilia for the answer.
“Positive.”
Her knees went weak and she hastily backed up to the chair. Feeling light headed, she rested her elbows against her knees and leaned forward, taking in deep breaths. She’d had a strong suspicion, but confirmation was something else. God had a fine sense of humor. She was so not mother material. Her head swam with visions of all the things that could go wrong, that she could do wrong.
She was well on her way to a full-fledged panic attack when she felt Alrik enter her mind. He wrapped her in warmth, in understanding and confidence. Her heart steadied from its staccato rhythm and she got control of her breathing. She felt his pride in her when her fear diminished and the irritation was enough to snap her the rest of the way free of her panic.
The door opened with that soft whoosh she was becoming accustomed to, and she lifted her head to glare at Alrik and Barak as they strolled in. Alrik looked entirely too pleased with himself. She stood as they approached and with a jerked nod to her, Jaxon excused himself to take up his station outside the door.
Invasion Earth Page 12
