by Ivy Barrett
She took a deep breath and Ashton felt her emotions stabilize as if she’d raised some intangible barrier. Pushing away from the wall, she eased past him and went into the cabin. He had no choice but to follow.
“Who are ‘they’?” He kept his tone soft and resisted his urge to touch her. Another erotic wrestling match wasn’t what they needed right now.
“My—clients. They know I can’t provide for them forever and I can’t provide for everyone. Still, I see it in their eyes. They expect me to work a miracle, to accomplish what my—what others failed to do.”
“What your…father failed to do?” It was an educated guess, but her cheeks flushed and she quickly averted her face. He sorted through the facts he’d uncovered during his research and the pieces fell into place. “Cordelia Reah? Korbin is your half-brother.”
“Corry. No one calls me Cordelia.”
“It’s nice to finally meet you, Corry.” Unable to resist the impulse any longer, he stroked her cheek with his knuckles. “Kidnapping us was Korbin’s idea, I take it? Your father was a pacifist.”
“And look where that got him. We all know his death wasn’t an accident. The council told him to shut his mouth and when he refused, they shut it for him.” She straightened her shoulders and reinforced her control.
He didn’t bother debating the point. Even his mother had suspicions about the incident. “What will Korbin demand in exchange for Danette and Palmer?”
“I honestly don’t know.” She glanced up at him through her lashes. “Our departure will throw a wrench in things, to say the least. I just hope he doesn’t do something stupid.”
Stupider than kidnapping three highly placed citizens of Halley Prime? Knowing she wouldn’t appreciate his sense of humor, Ashton bit back the sarcastic question. “We’ll just pray we can put out fires faster than your brother can start them.”
She shook her head and sat on the edge of the bunk. “Sometimes I feel like that sums up my life. It was easier when Dad was alive.” One corner of her mouth quirked with the hint of a smile. “We used to gang up on Korbin.”
After so many days of her unflinching spirit, he found her vulnerability endearing. It made him want to shelter her with his mind and body, protect her from anything that might mean her harm. And that included her hotheaded brother.
You don’t realize it yet, sweetheart, but you’re not alone anymore. Again, he didn’t say the words out loud. She wasn’t ready to hear them.
“We really should get some sleep,” he told her instead. “If the land is half as interesting as the topographic scan indicated, we’ve got our work cut out for us tomorrow.”
“Will you release the cuff?” She stared into his eyes with guileless calm.
“Not a chance. I’ve seen that look before.”
Chapter Six
Corry lay on her side in the darkness, crowding as close to the schooner’s wall as she could get. Ashton’s big body hugged her back. He’d slipped one of his arms beneath her neck and their linked hands rested on her pillow. His other hand cupped her breast, making her nipple harden.
Was he awake? Could he sense her restlessness?
“Ashton?” she whispered.
“Corry.” He shifted, pressing his erection against her behind.
Heat spiraled through her body and lodged between her thighs. “I’m not usually like this,” she protested as her core clenched and her clit tingled.
“Fascinating and unpredictable?” He found a bare patch of skin at the nape of her neck and gave it a playful nip. “Or feisty and passionate?”
She could hear gentle teasing in his tone. Still, she needed to see his eyes. Squeezing between his chest and the wall, she rolled to her back.
“I’m not ashamed of wanting you,” he told her. “My body reacted instantaneously. It just took longer for my mind to accept what my body recognized.”
She shook her head and glanced away. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’re special. I sensed it the first time I touched you. There’s more going on here than two lonely people wanting to fuck.”
Dragging her gaze back to his face, she knew the battle was lost. “Only a fool makes the same mistake twice.”
“Maybe it wasn’t a mistake.” He leaned down and covered her mouth with his before she could argue further. Denial was a waste of time when his empathic receptors told him how much she wanted him. She ached for his touch, craving the stunning release she’d only known in his arms.
She tried to touch his face, but the wristcuff brought her up short. He entwined their fingers, anchoring their hands against the pillow.
“You need to say it,” he whispered. His gaze bore into hers, smoldering and caressing. “No more games, no denials. Say, ‘I want you inside me.’”
Her other hand clutched the back of his uniform as he arched over her. This wasn’t about pride or domination. They couldn’t move on until she stopped lying to herself.
“I want you inside me.” Tingles cascaded through her body with the admission.
A sexy smile curved his lips and desire ignited in his eyes. “That’s a good start.” He found the separator and parted the front of her utility suit. The seam opened down her torso and between her thighs. Lifting her hips, she allowed him to divide the material as far back as he could reach.
“Release the cuffs. I can’t touch you like this.” She tugged on the back of his shirt, illustrating her limitation.
“But I can touch you.” He folded back the sides of her suit, framing her naked breasts. “We did this way too fast before.”
While his fingers stroked her breasts and rolled her nipples, he explored her features with featherlight kisses. She refused to accept a completely passive role. Finding the hem of his uniform top, she slipped her hand underneath and splayed her fingers. His back was warm, the muscles bunching and flexing as he held himself above her.
He moved downward, his mouth teasing a path along the side of her throat. “Oh Corry,” he murmured, and her excitement surged.
“Say it again,” she whispered.
“Corry.” Her nipples, already hardened from his touch, gathered into tight, aching peaks. He circled one with the tip of his tongue and then firmly sucked the other.
She raked his hair with her fingers, urging him on, wanting more. Shifting positions carefully on the narrow bunk, he got his legs beneath him without releasing her nipple. His hand pulled hers off the pillow and he chuckled.
“This could be a bit challenging,” he said.
“Not if you release the stupid thing.” With stubborn intent, he bent her leg nearly to her chest then draped it over his upper arm, alleviating the obstacle.
“Much better.” He grinned and settled on his knees between her thighs. He traced her slit with his fingertip, nearing but not touching her clit. “What were you thinking about before? You were so turned-on your desire woke me up.”
“Don’t ruin this with words,” she pleaded. “I want you inside me.”
He moved their hands above her head and braced himself on his forearm. Then, staring deeply into her eyes, he pushed two fingers into her passage.
“Were you dreaming or fantasizing?” He passed his thumb over her clit and she started, sensations zinging through her belly. “Tell me.” His gaze narrowed and his thumb rubbed, the warning unmistakable.
“A little of both,” she admitted. He rewarded her honesty with several slow, deep thrusts. “I was mostly asleep until you touched my breast.”
“What did I do in your dream?”
“What you’re doing now.” She squeezed his fingers with her inner muscles, hoping to distract him from his questions.
“Just this?”
“No, you sucked on my nipples until I came around your fingers then turned me over and…”
“And what?”
“You spanked me then took me from behind.” Why was admitting she wanted to be spanked even harder than admitting she wanted him to fuck her?
&nbs
p; His lips caught one of her nipples and she closed her eyes. It hadn’t been her intention when she told him her fantasy, but she’d just placed her order for the night. He pumped his fingers into her pussy. The firm strokes made her crave a more substantial penetration.
Each time he drew on her nipple he rubbed her swollen clit. Sensations darted from her chest to the apex of her thighs and back. He sucked harder and rubbed faster, his fingers never stopping the rhythmic shuttle.
She tossed her head, trembling on the brink of orgasm. Her fantasies were a pale imitation of the delight he unleashed. She arched and cried out as she came in pulsing waves.
A faint hiss signaled the deactivation of the restraints. She moved her arm, testing her conclusion. His empty cuff now dangled from the one still in place around her wrist. Before she could object, he grasped her hips and turned her over. Only then did he release her wrist as well. He took the restraints and dropped them to the floor beside the bunk.
Too impatient to undress her completely, he helped her pull her arms out of the sleeves and peeled the suit downward. He bared her bottom and hips, but left the material bunched around her knees. Then he squeezed her ass with both hands, awakening her nerves and loosening her muscles.
“Don’t tense up. Let the sensations wash over you.”
A quick flurry of spanks showered down on her and she tried to obey his command. Her hands fisted on the bunk’s pad, but she didn’t clench the muscles in her rear. Instead, she breathed through the sting and let the heat roll through her. He slowed his swats, pausing between each to let the cycle of sensation run its course.
When he finally stopped and unfastened the front of his pants, she was buzzing with anticipation and need.
She expected frantic brutality. He had something else in mind. Kneeling behind her, he bent her over until she braced herself on her forearms. Then he eased his shaft between her legs and parted her folds. He rubbed the plush head of his cock over and around her sensitive nub.
“Please,” she moaned. “No more teasing.”
“Teasing is offering something you don’t intend to give.” He pushed into her just a bit. “You’ll get all of me, but I like to savor this part.” He gave her a little more. “Do you have a problem with that?” He found her clit with his thumb and forefinger, plucking gently as he slowly filled her core.
Her legs shook and tension wound, binding tighter and tighter until she clenched her jaws to keep from screaming.
“Scream if you need to.” He pinched her nipple with his other hand. “Don’t hold back.”
He rocked his hips, hesitating with just the tip of his cock inside her. She tried to rock back, to bring him deeper, but he wouldn’t allow it. Then he grasped her hips and drove his full length into her with one forceful thrust. His balls slapped against her mound and sensations burst within her, spiraling up her spine and blossoming in her chest. She screamed. He thrust hard and fast, the thick slide of his shaft prolonging each spasm.
Where one orgasm ended and the next began, she couldn’t say. Sensing what she needed before she understood it herself, he changed the speed and force of his thrusts. He added a teasing touch when she craved it and stopped when she wanted nothing to distract from the savage pleasure of his cock surging into her body.
She felt him in her mind, forging some sort of link. Instinct warned her against the invasion. She resisted, pushing outward and shaking her head.
I want you to feel me as I feel you. This will give me no greater access than I have now. His hips slowed. His hands cupped her breasts. I won’t force this on you. I want you to want it.
“I will,” she panted, “just not tonight.”
He came to rest deep inside her and brushed her hair away from her face. “I’m sorry.” He kissed her shoulder. “I’m moving too fast.”
She didn’t argue. All of this had taken her by surprise. How could she desire the enemy? “Now you’re not moving at all,” she pointed out, hoping to minimize the damage.
His hands caressed her back and the outer swell of her breasts as he resumed his strong, steady thrusting. Resting her forehead on her hands, she concentrated on the fullness and the heat they were generating.
Thought suspended and reality narrowed. A darker, more primal desire twisted through her mind. Sensations bombarded her brain, feelings not emanating from her body. Ashton’s pleasure poured across the half-formed link.
She clutched the bedding and matched him stroke for stroke. As the intensity built, it became impossible for her to distinguish his feelings from hers. She absorbed all the pleasure with greedy abandon. Why had she resisted this?
He was holding back, waiting for her to come, determined that they find release together.
“If I feel you…come inside me, it will take me with you.”
His fingers dug into her hips as he drove deep one last time. He shuddered against her, his hot seed bursting out in distinct jets.
She closed her eyes and opened her mind. His orgasm washed over her and pulsed through her, triggering her own release. A low cry escaped her throat as she surrendered to the breath-stealing pleasure.
Wrapping her in his arms, he rolled them to their sides in much the same position they’d been when they awakened. She snuggled back against him, feeling sleepy and somewhat sad as the sensations receded.
“Why can’t I feel you now?”
He chuckled. “I’m only human, sweetheart. Give me a few minutes.”
“Not your… I can still feel that just fine. Toward the end, I could sense your emotions, but it’s like the line went dead.”
“I didn’t realize the link took. I tried to dissolve the connection. I was a bit distracted at the time.”
“Do you create this link every time you have sex?”
He didn’t answer for a long moment. “I’ve never wanted to share myself with someone before.”
And she’d refused the link, resisted his attempt to connect with her. “It was amazing. I should have realized you wouldn’t hurt me.”
“Not intentionally.” He sighed and pressed a kiss into her hair. “Go to sleep, Corry. We have a long way to go tomorrow.”
* * * * *
Feeling like a leashed pet, Corry followed Ashton around the schooner as he gathered what he deemed necessary for their trek through the wilderness. She tugged against the cuff every chance she got until her wrist turned red. He simply ignored her. After all they’d shared the night before, she couldn’t believe he’d had them waiting when she woke up.
“None of your messages got through?” She finally broke the silence as he tied a length of rope around the pillowcase he’d filled with supplies.
“No one responded. It’s possible the messages got through and the schooner didn’t receive the reply, but I doubt it. I think we’re on our own.”
“Do they have a transport station on this outpost? I’ve never been here before.”
His brow arched in challenge as he reminded her, “I don’t know a damn thing about it. You’re the one who scheduled this detour.”
They set off through the trees. Ashton activated the directional guide on her control band. They were east of the settlements. They just didn’t know how far. She didn’t ask questions. Dense and choked with vegetation, the jungle was nearly impenetrable. Her motivator was their only weapon. They needed a machete. Ashton tore at the vines and kicked a path through the entangled branches. It was slow going at best.
Heat and humidity combined in a sweltering haze. Sweat tricked between her breasts and she stumbled over the uneven ground. Why couldn’t they have made it to Chiron? The agricultural outpost was highly populated and she could have arranged for transportation at any of its export centers. She really hadn’t planned this very well.
Waving away a swarm of tiny insects, she dared to speak. “Would you happen to have insect repellent in that bag?”
“Yeah, it’s right next to the homing beacon and the inflatable spaceship.”
“You don’t ha
ve to be such an ass! Release the cuff and hike back to the schooner. There was plenty of dehydrated food. You can wait for Daddy to come find you.”
He paused for a glare. “Now who’s being an ass?”
She scrambled for just the right obnoxious reply, but he abruptly turned away.
“Do you hear that?”
“Hear what?” Bugs buzzed around her face and muggy air rustled the trees, but she heard nothing out of place. He pulled her in a slightly different direction, apparently tuned in to the suspicious sound.
She finally heard the rushing water moments before he kicked his way into the clearing. At the far side of a rippling pool, three identical waterfalls flowed from the cliffs high above. “I’ve seen this in vidfiles,” she said softly. “These are the Cliffs of Enarre, a sort of open-air temple for the Perrlain Tribe. Their settlement can’t be far.”
“The Perrlain Tribe?”
“They’re naturalists. They worship nature and shun technology.”
He shook his head. “Why couldn’t we stumble onto the tribe that exploits nature and worships technology?”
“They all live on Halley Prime.” She softened the jibe with a chuckle.
A rumble erupted behind them, deep and menacing. Turning, Corry spotted a creature half-hidden by the thick underbrush. Its grizzled brown fur looked coarse and matted. Sharp quills adorned its flat tail.
“I don’t think it likes you,” Ashton teased as the creature growled again.
“What is it?”
Ashton shook his head. “I don’t know, but stay away from that tail. Damn, those quills look painful.”
As if understanding his words, the creature flipped up its tail and launched the quills directly at Corry. She yelped and ducked. Ashton threw himself in front of her. The quills caught his shoulder, embedding deeply.
He cried out, clutching his upper arm just below the injury. Corry snatched her motivator from his pocket and fired on the beast. It shrieked and ran off into the trees.
“This stings like a son of a bitch!”
She carefully plucked the quills from his shoulder, touching only the very end. “Take off your shirt. Let me see if the wounds are swelling.”
