by Paige Tyler
Grabbing a towel from the rack, he slowly and methodically dried her off, afraid if he didn’t do something, he’d start analyzing the confusing bevy of emotions he was feeling. When he was done, he picked her up in his arms again and carried her over to the bed. Setting her down, he climbed in beside her and pulled her close. She rested her head on his shoulder with a contented sigh. He gazed up at the ceiling, listening to her breathing and wondering if she might fall asleep.
But instead, Teyla ran her finger over the delicate ring on the chain he wore around his neck. It was then that he noticed the gem set into it was the exact color of her eyes. He was about to comment on it, but she spoke first.
“You never take this off. Not even in the shower,” she observed softly. “It must be very special to you.”
“It is.”
She was silent for a moment, her finger still absently playing with the ring, tracing the purple gemstone set in it. “The woman whom it belonged to must have been very special to you as well.”
“She was,” he said quietly. “It was my mother’s. It was passed down from mother to daughter or son for generations in her family. She gave it to me before she died.”
Teyla lifted her head to look at him in surprise. “Slayter, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize.”
He gently brushed her hair back from her face. “Don’t be sorry.” The corner of his mouth curved. “It was a long time ago.”
“How old were you when she died?”
“Ten.”
“That must have been hard on you and your father.”
Slayter put his arm behind his head. He’d never been the sharing type of guy before, especially about where he came from, but for some reason, it was easy to open up to Teyla. “It was hard on me. My father took off for planets unknown when I was five. Haven’t seen him since.”
She nibbled on her lower lip. “Who took you in after your mother passed?”
“I lived on the streets for a few years until I got a job on a pirate ship.”
She frowned. “Isn’t that a little young to be a pirate?”
His mouth quirked. “I was mature for my age. Luckily, Hewson was a crewman on the ship. He took me under his wing, watched out for me and taught me the ropes.”
“Just like you did for Olin,” she said softly.
Slayter cupped her cheek, wishing he could take away the pain he saw reflected in her eyes. He couldn’t believe how close she’d gotten to the boy in such a short time. “Olin will be okay, Teyla. You’ll see. In a few days, the kid will be good as new.”
The smile she gave him was sad, as if she didn’t quite believe that. He wasn’t sure he believed it himself. He couldn’t let her see that, though. He pulled her down for a tender kiss, then wrapped both arms around her, hugging her close. He thought she might want to talk some more, but after a while her breathing became slow and even, and he knew she’d fallen asleep.
Slayter stared up at the ceiling, his thoughts once again turning to the unfamiliar emotions he’d felt earlier. The sex they’d just shared hadn’t been “training” to make her a better slave. It had been about finding comfort in the arms of someone he cared about.
The fact he found that consolation in the arms of a woman he barely knew, one he planned to sell off to the highest bidder in a few days, seemed a contradiction. But the feelings wreaking havoc on his heart right now didn’t lie. As crazy as it was, he was falling for Teyla. Hell, he’d already fallen. Hard.
He swore under his breath. He needed to get a grip on reality, and fast. He didn’t even know if what he was feeling was real or the result of a long, hard day. God knew, he wasn’t qualified to judge the subtleties of the male-female dynamic. Pirates weren’t exactly known for their stable, meaningful relationships, after all. While he might be feeling what he thought he was feeling for Teyla, it was just as likely he simply enjoyed being in the company of a beautiful woman. A woman who just happened to be more practical and honor bound than anyone he had ever met. Hell, for all he knew, she was being nice to him because she thought it was part of her training. She’d as good as said it was her obligation to make herself as valuable as possible on the auction block. Their apparent sexual chemistry might be no more than a desire on her part to make sure she was talented enough to earn the money her father owed him. She might be lying beside him even now because she thought it was part of her duty.
For some ridiculous reason, that thought hurt like hell.
Slayter sighed. He needed to stop this. Teyla would only be on his ship and in his bed for a few more days. Distancing himself now would be the smart thing to do. But as he lay there waiting for sleep to come, he couldn’t stop thinking about how nice it would be to have her fall asleep in his arms like this at the end of every crazy day.
Chapter Five
Teyla’s heart beat a little faster when Slayter told her the next morning that they wouldn’t be going to Arkhon.
“At least not for another day or so,” he added as he strapped his holster to his thigh.
She tried hard not to let her disappointment show. For a moment, she’d thought Slayter had decided to forgive her family’s debt and keep her for his own. But that was just foolish.
“Since Fennec, Layton and Yarbry won’t be able to take a turn in the healing pods for a while, I’m going to drop them off on Verane so they can get medical treatment,” Slayter continued.
Teyla nodded, but didn’t say anything. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t even considered that might be the reason for their detour.
Hurriedly getting dressed, she sat down to a quick breakfast with Slayter, then went off to check on Olin. Although he hadn’t woken up yet, Bantly said his vital signs were stronger. That was reassuring, at least.
Teyla was still in the medlab when they docked on Verane later that afternoon. Slayter came in with a doctor and four other men a few minutes later. She waited anxiously while the doctor checked on Olin and the other crew members who were in the healing pods. He nodded approvingly, assuring them everything possible was being done for the men, although he did recommend Bantly add a few extra nutrients to the bath to promote quicker healing and prevent infection. Between the medication he prescribed and the medical treatment for the three men they left on the planet, Slayter spent a good portion of the platinum chips the Thracian Prime had given him. He didn’t seem to care about the money, though. Teyla suspected he would have spent every penny he had on them if he had to.
Getting Fennec, Layton and Yarbry to agree to leave the ship long enough to receive medical care, though, turned out to be a battle in itself. They had no desire to be left behind and only relented after Slayter swore by some kind of pirate’s oath that he would return for them in less than seven days.
Teyla assumed they would be going straight to Arkhon after leaving Verane, but Slayter gave the order to set course for a planet called Haan. When she gave him a curious look, he explained that the two crewmen who’d been killed during the attack were from Haan, and that they would be taking them there for burial. She was a little surprised at that. She hadn’t thought rough, tough pirates would be so religious and sentimental. Apparently she’d been wrong. It turned out she was wrong about a lot things when it came to pirates.
During the trip, Teyla spent most of her time in the medlab helping Bantly tend to Olin and the other wounded. Olin still hadn’t regained consciousness, which worried her, but the tech assured her the teenager was doing much better.
When she wasn’t in the medlab, she was making love with Slayter. The sex they had ran the gamut from slow and gentle to wild and urgent. While Slayter was just as attentive and wonderful in bed as he’d always been, she couldn’t help but notice he seemed preoccupied whenever they weren’t in the throes of passion. She wondered if he blamed himself for the attack on the ship and the two crewmen’s deaths. She wanted to tell him it wasn’t his fault, but she got the feeling he wasn’t in the mood to talk about it.
Although Teyla wished they were going to Ha
an under better circumstances, she was grateful for the reprieve. While she was firm in her decision to honor her father’s deal, that didn’t mean she wasn’t more than a little scared at the prospect of being sold into slavery. More importantly, however, going to Haan gave her the chance to spend more time with Slayter and the crew. As amazing as it sounded, she was going to miss the newfound camaraderie with the men and her life aboard the ship.
Mostly, though, she was going to miss Slayter.
She had never expected to feel anything for the pirate her father had bartered her away to. When she’d first suggested Slayter train her in the ways of pleasuring a man, she had assumed she would have sex with him, gain some valuable experience, then leave the ship and never think of him again.
That wasn’t going to happen, though.
Somewhere in between that first kiss and the glorious nights she’d spent in his bed afterward, she had come to think of him as more than simply a pirate. Of all the bandits in the galaxy, her father had traded her off to the most intelligent, decent and captivating rogue she was likely to ever find. It was no wonder she’d fallen in love with him.
Her breath caught in her throat at the thought. Holy Mother of Kallor. She’d just admitted to herself that she was in love with Slayter. It was almost ironic. She was in love with a pirate who was going to sell her into slavery.
She only wished they could have met under different circumstances. As a teenage girl, she’d fantasized more than once about a man like Slayter sweeping her off her feet and falling in love with her, then whisking her away to live among the stars with him. But that wasn’t going to happen. Slayter was a pirate with expenses and obligations little different than her father’s, and she was the woman who would earn him enough money on the slavery block to take care of those expenses for a long time. There was an even bigger issue, though. Slayter didn’t feel anything for her.
Relationships like theirs didn’t have happy endings, even in the silly romance stories she liked to read.
Tears stung her eyes and she blinked them away. Stop it, she told herself. She could be as miserable as she wanted when they got to Arkhon. For now, she would enjoy her time with Slayter. It was the Kallorian way to live in the moment.
They arrived on Haan in the early morning hours the following day. Slayter dressed in silence, putting on the finest shirt and breeches she’d seen him wear. Teyla chewed on her lip, watching as he shrugged into his coat.
“I realize I didn’t know Donnel or Feeny very well, but do you think I could come to the service so I could pay my respects?” she asked.
Slayter looked surprised by the request, but after a moment, he gave her a small smile. “Of course. Donnel and Feeny would like that. So would the rest of the crew.”
The service for the two crewmen was extremely moving and Teyla had tears in her eyes the whole time. When they’d first arrived at the church, she hadn’t been sure what kind of reception Slayter and the pirates would get from the men’s families, considering they had died on his ship, but to a person, they were kind and gracious. They even thanked Slayter for bringing the men home. Several of the men’s male relatives were curious as to why Slayter’s ship had been attacked, however.
Slayter told them what little he knew, that a group of pirates had boarded his ship presumably looking for the credits they’d gotten for a recent job.
“You would do wise to be watch your back out there,” one of the men said. “Word is that someone instigated the attack, maybe even paid the bastards to do it.”
Slayter frowned. “Who?”
The man shrugged. “Some pirate you poached from.”
“Poached from?” Slayter’s brows knit together in confusion, then he swore. “Rommel. You have to be shitting me. That bastard paid someone to attack my ship because I stole his take, fair and square?”
The man shook his head. “I never said it was him. You should be careful, though. If Rommel did do it, and I’m not saying he did, he won’t be satisfied with simply killing two of your men. He’s going to want retribution. The man doesn’t live by the code.”
Teyla’s blood ran cold at the words. She didn’t know much about the other pirate or the code they were referring to, but she’d heard enough to know the man and Slayter had been enemies for a long time.
Beside her, Slayter’s jaw tightened. “I’ll watch my back,” he told the other man. “And when I run into Rommel again, you can be sure he’ll pay the price for what he did.”
Slayter said little on the way back to the spaceport. Teyla wanted to ask him about the pirate Rommel and whether Slayter thought the man would attack his ship again, but he didn’t seem to want to talk.
“We’ll be landing on Arkhon tomorrow morning,” he said when they were alone in his cabin.
Teyla’s heart seized in her chest at the thought of leaving him, and she was glad she had her back to him. If Slayter knew she was upset, then he might feel guilty, and she didn’t want that. None of this was his fault. It was just how things were meant to be. Tomorrow would bring what it would and there was nothing either of them could do about it. At least they had this last night together. And she meant to enjoy every minute of it.
Forcing a smile to her lips, she turned and put her arms around his neck. “Then that means I have tonight to show you how much I’ve learned.”
She didn’t wait for him to answer, but instead pulled him down for a long, deep, intoxicating kiss. Slayter slid his hand into her hair with a groan, his tongue urgently seeking out hers and tangling with it.
Tearing his mouth away, he kissed his way down her neck to the curve of her shoulder as he reached around to undo the hooks on her dress. He slipped the straps off her shoulders, pushing the garment down until it landed in a puddle of silk at her feet and she was left in nothing but her lacy bra and matching panties. He took a step back, slowly looking her up and down before bending his head to kiss her again.
His mouth was hot and even more demanding on hers than before and Teyla parted her lips with a moan as he plunged his tongue into her mouth to take sweet possession of hers. Slayter’s hands glided up her back to find the clasp of her bra. Unhooking it, he slid the straps off her shoulders and down her arms, freeing her breasts from their confines. Teyla waited anxiously for him to cup them in his hands, but instead he hooked his fingers inside her panties and slowly pushed them down. As he got to his feet, he ran his hands up her bare legs and over her hips to bury his hands in her hair and close his mouth over hers once more.
Teyla grabbed the front of his shirt, pulling him closer. Her nipples tingled where they brushed against the material, and she eagerly undid the buttons so she could push it off his shoulders. She would have reached for the fastenings on his breeches next, but he swung her up in his arms and gently set her down on the bed.
Slayter gazed down at her, his molten gold eyes caressing her naked body with a passion that made her breath catch. No matter how many other men saw her naked, she would never forget the way the handsome pirate looked at her.
The thought brought a stab of pain with it that was so intense tears suddenly clogged her throat. She swallowed hard, wondering how she was going to keep from losing her composure. Dammit. She didn’t want to spend her last night with Slayter crying, and was relieved when he finally stripped off the rest of his clothes so she could focus on his magnificent body instead of how much she was hurting inside.
Tossing his breeches on the floor, Slayter climbed onto the bed and settled himself between her legs. Bracing himself on his forearms, he nibbled lightly on her lips as he teasingly rubbed the head of his cock up and down her pussy. The sensation made her forget her dismal thoughts, and she lost herself in how good what he was doing felt.
Teyla gasped when he finally entered her, wrapping her arms and legs around him to pull him in even deeper. Slayter mumbled something she couldn’t hear, but before she could ask what it was, he bent his head to claim her lips in another scorching kiss. She moaned against his mout
h and tightened her arms around him, automatically lifting her hips to meet his when he gently began to thrust.
Unlike the other times they’d made love, Teyla didn’t beg him to go faster or take her harder. This time, she wanted the pleasure to last all night.
It was as if Slayter wanted the same thing because he kept his thrusts slow and steady, sliding out until only the tip of his shaft was inside her before sliding back in to completely bury his length in her pussy again. Then he held himself there, pressing so firmly and so deeply she swore she was going to climax just from the fullness of him.
He repeated the same sequence of mind-blowing moves over and over until she was practically dizzy from it. Just when it seemed she would go insane with ecstasy, Slayter suddenly rolled over onto his back, taking her with him so she was now the one on top. Breathless, Teyla could only sit there and gaze down at him.
“Ride me,” he commanded huskily, the hands on her hips urging her to move even as he spoke.
Teyla didn’t need him to tell her twice. Placing her hands on his chest, she made slow, rhythmic circles on his cock. In this position, she could grind her clit against him perfectly, and she caught her bottom lip between her teeth.
She teased herself, grinding against him until she was close to coming, then switching to an up-and-down movement that still felt amazing, but allowed her to hold off on climaxing.
Slayter lay back and let her do whatever she wanted, a smoldering look in his eyes that was almost enough to make her orgasm just from the intensity of it.
She prayed the pleasure would last forever, but soon the sensations became too strong and she rotated her hips faster and faster until she felt herself start to come. Then she went even faster. Ecstasy consumed her and she cried out.
When she finally regained her senses, she opened her eyes to find Slayter looking up at her with a hungry expression in his gold eyes. There was something else reflected in their molten depths as well, some emotion she was afraid to put a name to, but it made her catch her breath all the same. Could Slayter actually feel something for her? The idea was too crazy to even contemplate. Not that she could have analyzed it right then anyway, because at that moment, he sat up and closed his mouth over hers. She wrapped her arms around him, surrendering to him with a throaty purr.
