by Anna Hackett
It wasn’t fancy, but it did the job. In the corner of the space were several containers of water, baskets of dried meats and nuts, and a pile of pillows and bedding.
They both dropped onto the bench cut into the rock on one side of the room, pulling in deep breaths. Corsair reached out and lit a small oil lantern.
“The desert people who use this shelter always clean and restock it,” he told her. “It’s the—”
“Way of the desert.” She dropped her head back against the wall. A wince crossed her face.
“You’re sore.” He moved closer, touching her shoulder. “You strained something.”
She nodded. “Nothing too bad. Not as bad as your wound. You’d better let me check it.”
He started to argue, but he saw shadows shift in her eyes. She wanted to check that he was okay. He stood, stripping off his bandolier, and then shrugging off his shirt.
Neve blinked. She wasn’t looking at his almost-healed wounds. Instead, she was eyeing his chest.
He wasn’t a vain man, but he was aware of what he looked like. His work on the caravan kept his muscles honed. He sat on the bench again and stretched his legs out in front of him.
Neve cleared her throat. “Let me clean off all that blood and take a closer look.”
He gestured to a container of water, and she tipped a small amount into a bowl. After finding a cloth, she dunked it, and started cleaning the blood off his abdomen.
“Your tattoo is interesting,” she said.
He glanced at the ink on his chest. “It’s words in the language of the desert. I got it after the traders who purchased me set me free.” His gaze met hers.
“What’s it say?”
“The desert can never be owned. The wind never corralled. The sand never still.”
“That’s beautiful.” Her hand paused. “Wow, your rate of healing is incredible.” She stroked her fingers across his stomach.
Corsair’s cock reacted, throbbing hard. Drak. She was so close to him, smelling like woman and healthy sweat.
She finished cleaning his skin, and he glanced down at his belly. The wounds were now only scratches. She pulled a tube of med gel from the pack and spread it over the marks.
“You’re not native to Carthago, then?” she asked.
“No. Most of the desert peoples came from other planets, a long time ago. My species is from a neighboring planet, but my people have been on Carthago a long time.”
She stroked his stomach a few more times. “There. All done.”
Corsair’s cock was pressing hard against his trousers now. He cleared his throat. “Why don’t you clean up, and then I’ll put some liniment on your sore muscles.”
She started to argue.
He held up a hand. “If you don’t, you’ll be too stiff to travel tomorrow.”
She stared at him for a second, then nodded.
Corsair turned his back, again listening to the rustle of clothes and the splash of water. Ignoring his rising desire, he quickly stripped the rest of his own clothes off, and freshened himself. As he tugged on clean trousers, he closed his eyes, and imagined rivulets of water moving down over golden-brown skin, round breasts, and slim legs.
Then he sensed movement in front of him and he opened his eyes.
Neve stood there, looking at him, wearing only a large, loose shirt. Her dark curls were loose and damp, falling around her shoulders.
His gaze drifted down. The shirt hit her at mid-thigh, leaving so much of those delectable legs bare. Her very long legs. It didn’t take much to imagine them wrapped around his hips, while he was buried balls-deep inside her.
He swallowed. “Sit down.” His voice had a husky edge to it. He reached over and grabbed a small pot of liniment.
She sat down on the bench, giving him her back. He moved in behind her, and then reached out to push her shirt slightly off her shoulders. She had nice shoulders, toned and smooth. He dipped his fingers in the liniment, and then started massaging.
She made a tiny moan, her head dropping forward. Corsair dug his fingers into her hard muscles to ease the knots.
“You should have left me,” he said.
She snorted. “That was never going to happen.”
Stubborn woman. “Because you need me to find the desert witch.”
There was a pause. “Yes.” Another pause. “But I’ve gotten used to having you around. You are pretty useful.”
He curled his hands over her shoulders, thumbs kneading deep. She moaned again, and that sound set his imagination on fire. He imagined all the other places that he could stroke and touch, that would make her moan like that again.
Drak. Focus, Corsair.
“I might actually miss you if you died,” she murmured.
He raised his head and saw she was looking back over her bare shoulder. Her pale eyes were bright, staring directly into his.
She lifted her hands and finished undoing the fastenings on her shirt. The garment slipped down her arms and off her body, to pool on the rock below.
Corsair sucked in a breath. He watched as she reached up and grabbed his hands on her shoulders, and then slid them down her chest until his hands cupped her firm breasts.
Yes. Desire was a hard punch to his system. He caressed her breasts, rubbing his thumbs over her nipples. She made small, husky sounds, and he kept stroking until they were small, hard nubs.
“It’s been so long since anyone has touched me,” she said, shifting against him.
Was he just another body to her? A way for her to blow off some steam?
Did it matter?
Corsair pulled her back, until she was pressed hard against his lap. He ground his hard cock against her buttocks.
He lowered his mouth to her neck, nipping at her skin and then scraping his teeth over the beating pulse. Her nipples hardened even more under his fingers.
“Who’s touching you, Neve?”
“You.”
He sucked on her skin and she writhed against him. Right on his cock.
“Say my name,” he growled.
She looked over her shoulder. “Why?”
He slipped his hand down her taut belly, feeling her muscles quiver. “I want you to know who’s touching you. Who’s going to kiss you, taste you, and slide his cock inside you. Now, say my name.”
“Corsair.”
“Again,” he demanded.
“Corsair.”
He slipped his hand between her legs, delving through the dark curls, until he found where she was soft and needy. She cried out, letting her legs fall apart for him.
“Good. This is what I want, and this is where you want me to touch you.” He stroked her slick folds. By the desert sand, she felt so good.
He kept stroking and exploring, and came across a small, little nub, swelling under his touch. As he circled it, she jerked and cried out.
Curious. He played with it more, watching the pleasure on her face build until she was undulating helplessly against him.
“Who’s touching you, Neve?”
“Dammit, you are. You pirate, desert rogue, and frustrating, gorgeous man. Corsair. Now sink your fingers inside me and make me come, damn you.”
Fierce need flooded him. “When you come, make sure you scream my name.”
Neve’s body was going up in flames.
And it felt so good. She didn’t want it to stop.
In the past, she’d ruthlessly controlled her hookups. Chat up a cute guy in a bar, have a few drinks, go back to his place for a fast, sweaty ride. Say thanks and leave.
This…this was different. All-consuming, and charged with so many emotions she didn’t want to think about it too hard.
Right now, all she cared about was relief from the violent need growing inside her.
Corsair’s busy fingers were still stroking between her legs. She spread her thighs out wider, shifting against the hardness she felt under her ass. It felt like he had a very generous cock under those trousers, and she was keen to explore it.
Then he shifted, sinking a thick finger inside her. She cried out, and he pumped another one inside.
“Drak, you’re beautiful.” His voice was guttural against her ear.
He pulled his fingers out and brought them to his lips. He made a satisfied sound as he licked. “So good.”
Desire was clawing at her insides. “Touch my clit again.”
She felt his knuckles slide through her folds, and a second later, he pinched her clit between his fingers.
“Yes!” Her hips bucked up.
He kept rubbing, and his mouth was back on her neck, licking and sucking. All the sensations inside of her were spiraling out of control.
With another flick against her clit, she splintered apart with a wild cry.
She collapsed back against him, and he held her close as she came down from the high. She felt boneless. And relaxed. And so, so good.
His fingers were gently stroking her belly. “You didn’t say my name,” he murmured against her ear. He nipped her earlobe. “You will the next time.”
Next time. Before she could gather her thoughts, he stood and pulled her to her feet. His hands stroked down her back, then her sides.
“I love your body,” he said.
She stood there, letting him explore and trying to control her body’s responses. No one had ever touched her quite like this, like he was worshipping her.
Then she heard the rustle of his clothing behind her. Trousers being unfastened. Anticipation spiked.
He sat down on the bench again and she glanced back at him. God, the man was gorgeous. Gold skin and muscles. And one hard, very thick cock rising up against his six-pack abs.
He circled his cock with his hand, pumping it. “You want this?”
She nodded. He reached out and gripped her hips.
“You’re going to sit down on my cock now, Neve. You’ll take me inside you, and I promise, you’ll feel me stretch you.”
He pulled her back toward him.
Her anticipation amped up, and she swallowed against her dry throat. He held most of her weight as he lowered her down onto his lap. She stared blindly at the rock wall in front of her, waiting to feel him.
The hard head of his cock nudged her slick folds. She moaned, pressing her hands to her thighs.
“I’m going to stretch you. You’ll feel all of me, all the way inside you.”
God, that dirty talk was such a turn-on. Then suddenly, he jerked her down, his big cock sliding inside her with one hard thrust.
Neve cried out. She was so full. He was so big.
His hands snaked up to cup her breasts. “Ride me, Neve.”
Needing more, she obeyed. She started moving up and down, pressing her hands to his hard thighs for leverage. She felt the brush of his hair under her palms, the flex of his muscles as he helped her. She bounced up and down, taking him deep.
“Drak.” He made a growling sound. “So drakking tight.”
She quickened her pace. She wanted to come again, but she also wanted to see this man lose his control.
Lose it because of her.
She moved harder, slamming up and down, their thighs slapping together.
She felt him sink a hand in her curls, his fingertips brushing her scalp, and he tugged her head back. “That’s it, Neve. You’re taking all of me now. I’m deep inside you.”
Yes. Then his other hand shifted, stroking between her legs again.
“Say my name, Neve. Come now, and say my drakking name.” He bumped his hips up as she slammed down, his cock plunging deep and his finger pressing against her clit.
“Corsair!” Pleasure made her explode, and she screamed his name.
As her body shuddered, he slammed her down one more time. Then he stayed lodged deep, a groan ripped from him.
Oh God, a wild mix of emotions churned inside her. Neve felt the hot spill of his release deep within.
Chapter 7
Drak, he felt good.
Neve tried to pull away from him, but he held her tight, keeping her there against him, with his softening cock still deep inside her.
She made a frustrated sound, but he stroked her thighs, then he stroked down to where they were still joined, feeling where his thickness spread her apart. Joined. The sticky mix of their release was sliding down her skin.
“Let me up,” she said.
“No.” He wasn’t letting her withdraw from him like a skittish desert catta.
But he did stand and turned her to face him. He lifted her into his arms, keeping her pressed against him as he carried her over to the pillows in the corner. He’d broken through her defenses, and he had no desire to be on the outside again.
“I hate bossy men.”
“Tough.” He laid her down, lowered himself on top of her, and kissed her. She tried to bite his lip, but he kept the kiss slow, savoring the taste of her. Finally, she went still beneath him, and kissed him back.
When he lifted his head, confused eyes stared at him.
Had no one cared for her before? Savored her? He moved over to the supplies, grabbed a clean cloth and dunked it in the water. When he turned, he saw her gaze was on his bare ass. He didn’t bother to hide his grin. She made a huffing sound and looked away.
Corsair returned to the pillows, leaned over her, and brushed the cloth between her legs, cleaning away the evidence of their loving.
She was watching him, her gaze dipping down to his cock. She could hardly miss that he was getting hard again.
“You seem to find it easier when we’re arguing than when I’m nice to you,” he said.
She shot him a scowl. He set the cloth aside, and when he turned back to her, she moved. With a quick leap, she jumped on him, taking him down into the pillows.
“I don’t need you to take care of me, Corsair.” She straddled him, her hands pushing his arms down above his head. “Just fuck me. Right now, I just want your cock.”
He bucked his hips up, rolling them over until she was pinned beneath him. “That’s not enough. I want more.”
Her eyes widened, and for the briefest second, he saw something that he’d never seen on Neve’s face before. Fear.
Corsair lowered his voice. “I won’t hurt you.”
Her eyelids flickered. “People always hurt each other.”
So strong, and yet so skittish. “I won’t.” He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her collarbone. “I’m going to make love to you now.”
Those eyes widened more and her chest hitched.
Corsair kissed her again, before letting his mouth slide down her neck. He loved that it was elegant and delicate, when the rest of her was so strong. He kissed down her body, sucking one nipple into his mouth, then the other.
He took his time, liking that her hands tangled in his hair. But he wasn’t done. He wanted to know every piece of this woman, every part of her body, and every bit of her soul.
He continued downward, kissing, licking, sucking. His tongue dipped into her navel, and then he was pushing her thighs apart, cupping his hands under her ass, and lifting her to his mouth. He put his mouth on her, his tongue spearing inside her, and her cries echoed around the small room.
Yes, that was what he wanted. More of that.
He slid his tongue back up to her clit, tugging at it, and then sucking it into his mouth.
“I can’t come again,” she panted.
Oh, he was going to enjoy proving her wrong. He kept suckling, and, a second later, her body arched off the bedding like a bow.
“Corsair!” She let out a long moan and he felt her long, liquid release shudder through her.
His own desire went up in flames. He needed her. He had to be inside her.
He lifted her slim legs, pushing them up onto his shoulders. Then, he was lining his cock up with her warmth and sinking blissfully into her.
“Oh, God. Yes,” she cried out, her head thrashing against the pillows.
Corsair started thrusting into her, loving the small cries coming from her th
roat.
“Come for me,” he ordered.
Her head thrashed again. “I…can’t come again.”
“Yes, you can. There’s no anger here, Neve. No pain, no challenge, nothing to prove. Just you, and me, and pleasure.” He sped up his thrusts. “Give it to me.”
She came again, shock skittering across her face. It was followed by so many fascinating emotions. Emotions he knew she never showed anyone else.
That was enough to tip him over the edge. As the inner muscles of her body clamped down on his cock, he lost any sense of rhythm. With one last plunge, he went deep, his orgasm ripping through him.
“Neve!” Breathing heavily, he dropped to the cushions beside her, curling his body around hers. “I’ve got you.” He had no plans to let her go.
This time, she didn’t pull away. Instead, she snuggled into him, her eyes closing.
Corsair smiled to himself. Progress.
Then he frowned, pressing his chin to her curls. He had her now, but they still had to both survive a meeting with the desert witch.
Neve sped across the desert on a lanky, two-legged beast that reminded her of an ostrich.
She tightened her hold on the creature, and glanced over to where Corsair was riding his animal. He spied her looking and grinned, the wind ruffling his tawny hair.
In the early light of the desert dawn, she and Corsair had devoured each other one more time. The rogue had bent her over the stone bench and hammered into her from behind until they’d both flown apart.
Afterward, they’d eaten, packed up, and climbed down from their rock tower. With no tarnid, she figured they were in for a long walk. But once they were on the sand, Corsair had let out a sharp whistle. Only minutes later, two beasts with long necks, long back legs and beige scales, had sprinted across the sand toward them.
“Wild morlochs,” Corsair had told her.
It had taken a few minutes to get the hang of riding one of these strange beasts, but now that Neve was comfortable, she enjoyed it. She laughed into the wind, loving the speed.
“We’re nearly there,” Corsair called out, pointing ahead.
She peered in the same direction, thin shapes appearing out of the shimmer of heat over the sand. She frowned. They looked strangely like people, just standing idly there. But as they got closer, bile rose into her throat. They’d been people—once. Now, they were nothing more than skeletons, bleached white by the sun, propped up on spikes. Bits of ribbon and tattered cloth were tied to them, fluttering in the breeze.
