by Anna Hackett
“She’s holding her own.” They both watched Neve land on the cyborg’s back. A moment later, she slammed several hard blows to the cyborg’s head. It fell like a cut tree, and slammed into the ground.
“But Gabriez’s tech…it can damage people’s brains,” he said.
Ryan grimaced. “I didn’t like her before, but now I like that crazy alien even less.”
“We need to get out of here. And you need to get out of the system.”
“On it.” She tapped rapidly. “I’m going to leave a hidden bug to monitor Neve. That way, we can find her when we come back.”
He watched Ryan pull out of the system and cover her tracks. The trail only showed the installation work Zhim had done. She’d just shut down her comp when the doors to the room opened.
Godval and a cyborg guard entered.
“The system detected irregular activity,” the cyborg said in a toneless voice.
Zhim gave a dismissive sniff. “This is complex work. I’m not surprised this inferior system detected it.” His tone dripped arrogance.
Ryan looked up at him, her eyes wide.
“Is the installation complete?” the cyborg asked.
Zhim nodded. “Yes.”
“Gabriez has requested your presence to bid her farewell.”
Dread filled his veins. Gabriez would be presiding over one of her meals. From what he’d heard, they were never much fun for the guests.
“It would be my pleasure.” He inclined his head. “I’ll just escort my assistant out first.”
“Gabriez wants her there, too.” The guard bared metal teeth. “As a show of hospitality.”
Drak. Now the information lord was interested in Ryan.
“As you wish.” His gaze connected with Ryan’s and they finished packing up their gear. Then they followed Gabriez’s men up to the main room above.
Tables now filled the space, and metal blinds had been drawn over the window to the labyrinth. Several dancers writhed on pedestals. In the air above, small drones covered in bright lights cavorted.
As they walked along the tables, Zhim looked down at the platters laden with food. There were specialties from all over the planet, and from several other planets, too. Most of it was suited to a reptilian palate.
“It looks awful.” Ryan’s nose wrinkled.
“That’s because most of it is poisonous. Gabriez actually needs to ingest certain poisons.”
“Ugh.”
“Keep your head down and stay quiet,” he warned.
“Ah, Zhim.” Gabriez was lounging on pillows at the head table. Her forked tongue flicked out. “They tell me that you’ve completed the work. Thank you.”
“We need to get going, Gabriez. I have other appointments.”
“Stay for a few minutes. We were just about to start the entertainment.” She lifted her hand and waved.
The large metal blinds behind her started rolling up. The partygoers tittered.
Zhim saw people in the maze below, running, screaming, and fighting. He swept the space and spotted Neve. She had a sword now, and was hacking at several cyborg opponents. Gabriez had filled the damn labyrinth with her organic-machine hybrids.
He glanced over, and saw Ryan trying to hide her dismayed reaction.
“I have a new toy to test out.” Gabriez held up her hand.
On her palm was a tiny speck of metal. Then it moved and Zhim made out tiny fluttering wings. It was a robotic insect and it was almost pretty.
“It took me months to perfect him.” The information lord threw the insect into the air.
It buzzed away, and one panel of glass slid open. It zipped through, and into the labyrinth. One of the screens on the wall changed to show close-up camera images from the maze.
Zhim watched, body rigid, as the insect zeroed in on one man. He was tall and thin, his clothes nothing but tattered rags.
The insect flew at his face and he batted at it. Then Zhim saw it fly into the corner of his eye and wiggle its way in.
“No.” Ryan’s horrified gasp.
The man on the screen clawed at his face. “No!” His mouth opened in a scream. “Make it stop.” His piercing wails echoed upward.
Gabriez was grinning. “It embeds at the base of the brain and causes immense pain. I can control people’s pain responses. It will be a perfect tool for…information gathering.”
Torture, she meant. She was a sandsucking monster. “Ingenious.” He forced the word out. “I’m sorry, Gabriez, but my assistant is not feeling well. We’ll leave you to your entertainment.”
The alien woman’s green eyes narrowed. Zhim’s heart pounded painfully in his chest as he waited for her answer.
“Very well. Thank you again.” Her voice dropped. “And your lovely assistant.”
Zhim grabbed Ryan’s hand and tried not to sprint out of the building. They moved back up the stairs. As they stepped out into the night, Ryan took some deep breaths.
“Hold it together a bit longer.” He led her toward his transport. It was exactly where he’d left it. He disabled the security system, and shoved his gear in the back.
As soon as Ryan clipped into her seat, Zhim pulled away, accelerating fast. He wanted as much distance between them and Gabriez as possible.
“She’s horrid.” Ryan pressed her palms to her eyes. “Poor Neve. We need to get her out.”
“We can’t rush in there, or Gabriez will gladly imprison all of us.” Zhim tapped the screen in the transport and Galen’s face appeared. “We made it, and we have the schematics.”
“Well done.”
“We saw Neve. She’s in the labyrinth, and for the moment, she’s alive.”
“Good. Send the schematics through, and we’ll start making plans to infiltrate.” The imperator’s face darkened. “I’ll have to sit on Corsair to stop him charging in there.”
“I recommend going in first thing in the morning,” Zhim said. “Gabriez’s party will run through the night. She’ll sleep most of the day.”
Ryan leaned forward. “Galen, the place is riddled with cyborg guards and other horrible tech designed to inflict pain.”
The imperator nodded. “I’ve already made plans to meet with Magnus Rone. He’ll help us.”
Zhim had met the cybernetically-enhanced imperator of the House of Rone only a couple of times. Information on the man was surprisingly thin. “His help will be invaluable. I had a look at her defenses, Galen…they’re tough. You won’t be able to break in with brute strength alone. I’ll need to hack through her online defenses so you can sneak in undetected.” The part of him that wanted to make sure Ryan never went anywhere near Gabriez again reared up, but he forced himself to shut it down. He understood the need to prove yourself and escape the hardships of your life. He looked over at Ryan. “And I’ll need Ryan’s help to do it.”
She blinked, and then a smile broke out on her face. “You bet, info-boy.”
He looked back at Galen. “Ryan will stay with me tonight. We’ll brainstorm the best way to hack through Gabriez’s system.”
Galen nodded. “And I’ll work on the infiltration plan with Magnus. We’ll see you first thing in the morning.”
Zhim drove into the parking area beneath his building, and soon, he and Ryan were zipping up to his penthouse.
As the doors opened, Ryan headed straight for his computer room.
“Ryan—”
“I want to start running searches through Gabriez’s data. Neve doesn’t have the luxury of time.”
“I’ll set it up, but for now, let me show you to the guest room. You can shower and change.”
She wavered, looking torn. “I would like to wash the muck of that horrible place off.”
“Come with me.”
He led her to his well-appointed guestroom. “There is an assortment of clothes in the cupboard. Hopefully, something will fit you.”
“Thanks.” Her gaze locked with his. “Thank you for everything.”
Zhim stared at her for a moment.
“You’re welcome.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “Well, I’ll leave you to it.”
He left her, and after uploading the data they’d confiscated, he moved down the hall to his own room. As he stripped off and headed for his bathroom, he tried not to think about Ryan next door. Naked. With water sluicing over her slim curves.
He blew out a breath. He had a system to break into, and a woman to help save. He was not supposed to be thinking of Ryan.
By the time he’d changed, Ryan was already back in his computer room. He noted she was only wearing a man’s shirt that was long enough to be a dress on her. She’d cinched it in at the waist.
As she tapped on the screen, he realized she’d hacked into his system and gotten past his password. He shook his head, fighting a smile. Why was he no longer annoyed at her lack of respect for his security?
“Find what you need?”
“Oh.” She jerked and looked up. “I thought you’d be longer.” Her cheeks were pink, and she didn’t quite meet his gaze.
“What are you doing?” He was suspicious now.
“Nothing. I’m not in your files, or anything. I’m accessing my own.”
He circled the desk, and she threw her hands over the screen.
“Tell me.”
She huffed out a breath. “It’s just a journal, okay? The healers said I should write about…everything.”
To help her work through her pain. That made sense. So why were her cheeks burning red?
“Okay,” he said.
She cleared her throat. “Let me just close it down…” She moved one hand and touched the screen. Then she straightened as though she’d been electrocuted. “Oh, my God. The screen’s frozen!”
“I can fix it—”
“No! Don’t look.” She spread her fingers, her voice turning high-pitched. “My stuff, my personal stuff, is stuck on the screen.” She looked at the ceiling. “Why me?”
“I have to look to fix it. I won’t read it.”
She snorted. “Says the man who has to know everything.”
“You’re going to have to trust me, Ryan.”
She blew out a breath upward that ruffled her hair. “Fine. But don’t look.”
When she lowered her hands, Zhim moved to fix the screen. Her data was frozen in the center of the screen, and as his gaze slid over it, he inadvertently caught glimpses of a few words in English. He’d become quite proficient at reading the language.
Hot sex with a hot alien.
Sex outside.
Spanking.
His heart knocked against his ribs. What the drak? “Hot sex with an alien?”
“You read it!” she wailed.
“I didn’t mean to, the words just leaped off the screen—”
She made a small, screaming sound, and covered the screen again. “Oh, God. Why can’t I catch a break? I swear, the universe is just out to get me.”
“It’s too late for hiding, Ryan.” Zhim kept his gaze on her. He’d never wanted to get information more than he did now. “Tell me what that was.”
Ryan’s cheeks were flaming. She couldn’t believe that Zhim had seen her stupid sex list.
He was watching her now, his gaze narrowed and focused. The man was ruthless when it came to uncovering secrets.
She blew out a breath. “Look, you know that the last few months of my life were stolen from me. I was barely able to survive, I couldn’t make a single choice for myself.” She swiped a strand of hair back behind her ear. “Hell, before that, on Earth, I wasn’t really living, either. I loved my job, but I just kind of fell into my sort-of engagement with—”
“With the sandsucker.”
“He wasn’t all bad, but yes, he could be an asshole.” She threw her arms out. “I haven’t ever thrown caution to the wind. I haven’t been adventurous, or indulged my secret fantasies, or tried new things.”
Zhim raised a brow. “Like hot sex with an alien?”
“This is my life now. I’ve accepted that Kor Magna is my home.” She lifted her chin. “I’m planning to embrace it.”
He was quiet for a moment. “That makes sense.”
She blinked. “It does?”
He nodded. “And I’d like to help you.”
Now, it was her turn to freeze, her brows drawing together. “Help me?”
He took a step toward her, tall, lean and graceful. “I’m an alien.”
Her chest went tight and she felt heat flood her cheeks. “You want to have sex with me?” Her voice was breathy and high.
“Hot sex. Yes. And I want to learn what the Butter Churner position is.”
Oh, God. Against her will, her gaze ran down his body. He was gorgeous. She’d never been one for big, bulky muscles. Zhim was lean, with a quiet strength, and most of all, he had a big brain she found fascinating.
Ryan shivered, tingles igniting on her skin. She swallowed and found her voice. “I’m not one of those long, elegant women you seem to prefer.”
“No, you’re not.” The colors in his eyes seemed to swirl, and his gaze was laser-focused on her. “I’m finding that I’m not that interested in long and elegant so much anymore. Small, pretty, and insanely smart are proving very attractive.”
Holy cow. Desire flooded her. She took a step closer, like she was pulled by a magnetic force. “This is crazy, Zhim. We drive each other insane.”
He tilted his head, and she noticed his hands flex. He wasn’t as cool and composed about this as he looked.
Time to start living, Ryan. She jumped on him.
He caught her, and his mouth landed on hers.
God, the man could kiss. As his tongue thrust into her mouth, she clenched his shoulders, her fingers digging in.
He strode out of the comp room, banging into a desk on the way out. He cursed, and Ryan laughed.
“Bedroom is too far,” he grumbled.
Suddenly, they were in his living room, and he was lowering her onto a long couch.
Ryan attacked his neck, raking her teeth down his skin. Then, he was gripping her chin, and bringing her lips back to his.
“Stars, you taste so good,” he bit out.
They tore at each other’s clothes, and she attacked the fastening on his shirt. She fumbled briefly with the unfamiliar closure, but then struck paydirt, and the silky shirt parted up the center. She ran her hands over his skin and the muscles beneath. God, she loved his chest. Smooth and lean and sexy.
He pushed her back and then her shirt was gone. He cupped her breasts, a reverent look filling his face. He leaned down and sucked one nipple into his mouth.
“Oh, that’s good.” She arched up, her hands delving into his dark hair.
Suddenly, he leaned back, his hot, hungry gaze drifting down her body. “You are gorgeous, Ryan.”
“I’ve never really thought so.”
“Slim, pretty, everything in proportion.” He licked his lips. “And so many things for me to discover.”
He shifted and leaned down, peppering kisses across her belly. Her eyelids fluttered and she writhed under his touch. He took his time, a lot of time, kissing, licking and stroking. Like he was memorizing every part of her.
Then he nudged her thighs apart.
Ryan’s breath hitched. “Zhim—”
“I’ve been reading documents from Earth about pleasuring females, and the clitoris.”
She rolled her eyes. “Men.”
“Well, I am an information merchant.” His grin was predatory. “I must know everything.” He slowly stroked her between her legs.
Jesus. Her hips bucked up.
He took his time, stroking, fingers brushing her damp curls. “So warm, soft, and wet.”
He was relentless. He parted her folds, watching every one of her reactions. He slid a finger inside her and she moaned.
“I like that sound.” A satisfied smile played on his lips. He worked a second finger inside her. “Drak, you are tight.”
“Quit…tormenting…me,” she gasped.
�
��But you like it.” The words came out with a slow hiss of air, and Ryan looked at his face.
His gaze had narrowed and his own breathing had increased.
Clearly, he liked it, too. His thumb stroked her clit, and she jerked beneath him. “Ah, there it is.”
Air burst out of her in ragged breaths. He kept sliding those fingers inside her, that thumb circling her clit.
Then his hands were gone.
She reared up. “What? No, don’t stop—”
He pushed her back down. “Grab the pillow, Ryan. Hold on tight, and give it all to me.”
He lowered his head, his breath hot on her thigh. Oh, God. She reached up above her head and gripped the side of the couch with her fingers.
Zhim licked her.
She cried out once, and then his tongue was delving inside her. Sensation flooded over her skin, and incoherent words tumbled out of her mouth. He didn’t rush, exploring every part of her with his tongue.
“You taste divine, Ryan. Like the rarest delicacy.”
She felt the edge of his teeth, and then he sucked on the nub of her clit. She hissed in a sharp breath.
“And you feel warm, tight, and wet. I love it.” He used that wicked mouth, uncovering every part of her and learning what she liked the most.
“I can’t…I…” Her body was strung tight as a bow, sensations winging through her.
“I want it all. Give it to me.”
She looked down her naked body to where his dark head rested between her thighs. His eyes were blazing, the nebulous swirl of color glowing in the dim light.
His fingers brushed her clit. “Give it to me, Ryan.” He lowered his head once more, and when he licked her clit this time, she exploded.
Her body stiffened, her hands flexing on the couch. She cried out, her body shuddering, the orgasm hotter and stronger than anything she’d experienced before.
She flopped back on the soft couch, her chest heaving, pleasure still making her muscles twitch. She tried to get her brain firing. Zhim shifted, and when she opened her eyes, he was standing over her.
He shed his shirt, and then, with a few flicks, he opened his trousers.
Instantly, Ryan’s body went tight again. Her gaze was glued to his hands. He kicked his trousers off, putting his body on full display to her.
