by Shea Malloy
“It will fit. Put it in your mouth and see.”
She did as he ordered, lapping at the moisture at the tip before sucking the head into her hot mouth. His fingers tightened in her hair as her tongue swept over his flesh. He groaned, fighting the impulse to shove himself into her. She sucked him in as far as she could manage, then she sighed softly, her eyes drifting shut as if she genuinely enjoyed having her mouth full of his cock.
“You have never looked more beautiful,” he growled.
Karen opened her eyes, the brilliant blueness flashing with a challenge that said she would make him repent his comment. Kess welcomed the punishment, the sweet agony of her lips sliding up and down his length in an intentionally torturous rhythm.
She pulled off of him, her hand continuing to jerk him as she kissed a path down his shaft in a loving, worshipful manner. Every press of her lips made him twitch in response and sent a shiver to the base of his spine.
It was an intensely erotic sight to see this stunning, wholesome human female down on her knees before him, her legs spread, her plump pink lips wrapped around his length. He couldn’t take it anymore. As much as he longed to hold her head in place and drive himself into her, he wanted more. He’d wanted her for too long to delay it any further.
He slipped out of her hot, wet mouth and pulled her to her feet. He crushed his mouth against hers in an unpolished kiss as he dragged the straps of her dress from her shoulders.
The material slid to the floor once he pushed it past her hips, and the flimsy cloth covering her sex went next. She stood naked before him, nibbling on her lip in that nervous manner he’d come to familiarize with her.
Gods, she was perfect. Her eyes sparkled in the dim light, her creamy skin was flushed pink and devoid of the tattoos common to his people. It made her seem exotic. Kess removed his own clothing in a far more leisurely pace, so he could enjoy the glorious sight before him, never taking his eyes off of her.
She was a prize he’d never known existed, never dreamt to possess, yet now she was his.
Karen’s appreciative gaze as she regarded his naked body pleased him. She glided her fingertips over the tattoos on his arms, across his chest, down his abdomen, smoothing over the network of scars left behind from the Muridian attack.
“The person who did this to you is dead, right?” she asked, her eyes burning with vindictiveness on his behalf.
“Yes.”
“Good.”
She gripped him boldly, pulling a sharp sound of pleasure from him at her touch. She rose up on her toes to plant a chaste kiss on his lips.
“I’m ready. You can fuck me now, Kess.”
Oh, he will. He held her waist and lifted her. She wrapped her hands around his neck, and her legs around his hips. He relished the contact of her smooth, supple skin, more so the dripping wetness between her legs pressed against his rock hard flesh.
“This is what you want,” he said against her ear, raising her so his tip pushed against her entrance.
“Yes… yes…” she moaned, squirming to take more of him. “Please, Kess…”
He buried his face in her neck, inhaling harshly as he pushed into her, savouring her gasp. Her fingers sifted through his hair, her nails digging into his scalp.
He claimed her mouth again, kissing her deeply, hungrily, as he began to slide her up and down his shaft.
“Being inside you is where I was always meant to be.”
And she sighed her agreement. He stepped forward and leaned her against the glass, anchoring her. Moving his forearms under the backs of her knees, he spread her legs wide so she could take him as deep and as hard as he wished.
“Oh my god…” She arched her back away from the glass, inclining her neck. He feasted on the sight of her breasts bouncing with each of his thrusts, then dipped his gaze to her stomach where his baby thrived. A part of him embedded in her, linking her to him forever.
Her walls tightened, her body trembled. He didn’t relent even though her slick channel spasming around him, and her crying his name threatened to finish him before he was ready. He kept fucking her against the glass wall of his observatory.
He drove into her, spearing her again and again. Her unique scent mingling with his, the softness of her skin, her tiny moans and sighs of pleasure, her heat enclosing him like a glove all conspired against his control.
As if she knew, she cupped his face, pulling him close.
“I want to feel it, Kess,” she whispered. “I want to feel you coming inside me.”
“Karen…” he groaned. He kissed her hard, slamming into her deep. His legs shook from the force of his explosive release in her tight warmth. She came with him, rocking her hips in tandem with his as shivered in his arms.
“You better not put me down,” she said with a breathy laugh, her eyes sparkling. “I don’t think I can stand. I’m nothing but goo.”
“That’s not good enough,” he said. He rearranged his hold of her so she could wrap her legs around his waist again, ensuring he was still encased in her delicious heat. “You are still conscious, still able to speak coherently.” He smirked at her as he carried her to his chambers. “I must fix this.”
—
Kess fulfilled his promise, pleasuring Karen until she breathlessly begged him for a reprieve. She promptly fell asleep and Kess dozed with her until a thumping sound woke him late in the night.
He sat up, his years of training honing him to be on high alert right after rousing from sleep. He gazed around the dimly lit room. He never slept with the lights entirely off as a deterrent from falling into too deep a rest.
He stood and the thumping stopped.
“Perimeter scan,” Kess ordered. A holographic, rotating video of the Reihanat’s exterior appeared before him as his security systems searched for any aberrant activity.
Kess relaxed marginally when the system detected nothing out of the ordinary save for the underwater life swimming close to the Reihanat. Even if he’d benefited from military-grade protection systems, nothing was foolproof. Advanced cloaking technology existed and they oft had a habit of falling in the wrong hands.
Perhaps it had been a cuar. The mammoth sea creatures lived in the depths of the ocean, rising up infrequently to nudge against the Reihanat when they were bored.
Kess turned his gaze to Karen. She lay on her side, snoring softly, her golden hair tousled and splayed across his bed. The sight of her calmed him. He returned to the bed, content to watch her in the quiet. The temperature controls nullified the need for bed sheets, so her body was on display to his admiring gaze.
He couldn’t resist sliding his hand along her smooth flesh, into the dip of her waist and up over the curve of her hip. He felt himself hardening again. Wanting her again. This human female was both a curse and a blessing made real and incredibly desirous.
You can’t have her.
He knew that, but in every known story when an object was verboten, the desire to possess it intensified. Yet he didn’t want her because it was forbidden. He wanted her because he recognized that the point of no return had passed him by. In a short space of time, this human female whose existence he barely registered in the past was now an important part of his life.
None of it mattered if she didn’t value him similarly. And if by some miracle she did, he would have to make certain choices to deserve her and their baby in his life. He would have to make choices even his Administrator had demanded during their meeting as she reinstated him as Commander: give up his quest to avenge Riva, or face dishonour and dismissal from the Union Police.
Sorrow accosted Kess, his loss a tangibly hollow sensation in his chest. He’d sought revenge for over two standard years, blocked by every turn. Liol had died, carrying with him whatever vital information Kess needed.
Despite his efforts and resources, Kess was no closer to learning anything new about his brother’s untimely end. There was this unshakable sense that something insidious lurked in the truth surrounding what happened to
his brother. As much as he wanted closure, Kess wasn’t certain he was ready to discover his brother was anything else than what he had appeared when he was alive.
He was an expectant father now. Perhaps it was time he forget about the past and focus on the present… the future—
The alarm systems blared to life, alerting him of an unidentified object approaching at high velocity overhead. Then an explosion followed the announcement. The Reihanat trembled, the sound of shattering glass and squealing metal thunderous.
Karen lurched up, her eyes as wild as her hair.
“Kess? What’s… what’s going on?” she asked, her voice thick from sleep.
“Stay here,” Kess commanded, hastily sliding into a new pair of trousers. He didn’t bother with any other article of clothing. Only his knife and his gun would do.
“Attention required. Significant damage to main level. Shutters engaged,” announced his alarm, repeating the warning in cold, ominous tones.
He charged out of the room, confronted by four Xarxi lizards on the west stairway leading to the main level. He was one Dava male with a knife, a laser gun and telekinetic abilities, yet he fought them all. He leaned on his rage, on his indignation that these bastards violated his home and posed a threat to the mother of his unborn child.
He sent his knife flying into the chest of one Xarxi, two laser blasts into another. He dodged the attacks of the other two as they advanced on him, their laser blasts scorching the floor and the walls. As he rolled to his feet and gunned down the last two Xarxi lizards, the sound of Karen’s terrified scream over the sound of the alarm drew his attention.
Kess spun and raced back to where he left her. A force slammed into his chest and he fell backward with a grunt. He swept for the source of the Dava who’d just attacked him as he pushed to his feet. A man stepped into view from the east stairway, dragging Karen with him, an armed Xarxi lizard in tow.
Karen wore her dress and it gave Kess some modicum of relief the man hadn’t captured her in a vulnerable state. He was proud of her quick thinking, even if the terror on her face pained him. He swallowed his dread. Instead, he harnessed the mindset honed from his years of military training and police work.
Calmness in crisis. He would not let fear or panic subvert his mission.
In retrospect, it was easy to live by these rules when it was only his life on the line. He was no stranger to dangerous situations, and his lack of fear of death had put him at an advantage. Yet in this occasion, the woman he’d fallen in love with and their unborn baby’s life were in the hands of ruthless, violent criminals.
A heavy, unpleasant sensation burned in Kess’ chest and curdled in his stomach.
Guilt.
This was his fault.
Karen’s life… his baby’s life… they were both at risk because of him.
The man held a laser gun to her head, his black eyes shining with sinister satisfaction. Kess see-sawed between burgeoning desperation to protect Karen and confusion at the man’s familiar face.
“Commander Reihan, look at this treasure I discovered running to help you.”
“Varrack,” Kess spat, flexing his fingers in preparation for a fight. “Release the Klara’s kin. Whatever is your purpose for barging into my home does not concern her.”
“Release her?” Varrack laughed, the sound harsh and humourless. “For you to make such a request proves you are incredibly foolish and blind to your disadvantage.” Varrack smirked, tightening his hold around Karen’s waist, his fingers visibly digging into her skin. “She is my gift. Your repayment for what you did to my best cohort.” The unpleasant smile dissolved into a sneer. “For killing Liol.”
Kess froze, the dots rapidly connecting. It couldn’t be. All these years and the man he sought had existed right on his home planet?
“At last, your tenacity bears fruit, Commander. A prevalent trait in your bloodline, it seems. Your kin’s determination made him succeed as my most efficient importer. A shame I had to kill him when he developed worthless morals.” Varrack’s lips curved again, clearly delighted to reveal the truth. “Alas, I must not tarry. Here I am to reunite you with your dearly departed brother.”
Before Kess could react, Varrack turned the gun away from Karen’s head, aimed it at him and fired off a blast.
10
Karen
—
“No!” Karen cried out in horror.
Kess’ body thudded to the floor. Outrage replaced the fear that kept her rigid. She fought the man who held her at gun point. The man Kess had referred to as Varrack.
She didn’t understand what they’d said to each other, but she knew Varrack’s name. This monster had harmed Megan and tried to kill Jillian and Jonnar. Now he’d shot Kess. The father of her baby and the man with whom she’d fallen in love.
She ducked from the gun point and surged her elbow back, slamming it as hard as she could into the bastard’s side. With a grunt he released her. But his strength and speed outmatched her own. Before she could make an escape toward Kess, his heavy hand descended, backhanding her.
She cried out, involuntary tears springing to her eyes as her head throbbed. Her lip split and bleeding, a residual stinging heat persisted where he’d hit her.
“Stupid human bitch,” Varrack snarled in words she understood. “I’m going to kill you. I’m going to kill your sisters. I’m going to kill that bastard Klar who took what’s mine!”
Karen breathed hard, gaping at the Dava male whose dark violet eyes glistened with unrestrained fury. The insanity lurking there amazed her. How could one individual possess so much hate? Clearly that much negative emotion encased within him had taken a toll on his mental state.
Karen scrabbled from him as he reached for her. She wrestled against his grip, but he overpowered her, hauling her to stand. He shoved her against a wall, leaning into her. Baring his teeth viciously, he wrapped his long fingers around her throat and squeezed tight so she couldn’t breathe.
She slapped his arm, clawed at his grip, knowing it was all futile. But it was her body’s response to something threatening her life. Even as the darkness edged her vision, she worried about Kess. Her heart was crushed under the weight of sorrow that he’d been mortally wounded. She would never see him again, never hear his voice again, never feel his touch…
As her consciousness faded, Varrack abruptly released her as he and the other green were flung back. Karen sank to the floor, struggling for air and to beat away the darkness threatening to steal her awareness.
Her heart leapt to her throat when she saw Kess standing, clutching his bleeding side as he marched forward. Gun in hand, he fired off a round of laser blasts, the sound loud as it bounced off the walls. Varrack dodged the blasts, shoving the lizard forward as a shield.
Karen covered her mouth to stifle her horrified cry at the close up view of the lizard’s demise. The scent of blood and burnt flesh permeated the air. Kess aimed for Varrack again, but Varrack knocked the gun free from Kess’ hand.
With a snarl he charged forward, tackling Kess to the floor. They rolled, trading vicious punches and kicks until Varrack got the upper hand because Kess’ blood loss weakened him.
No. No. Karen’s heart thudded in time with the throbbing in her head. She couldn’t just sit here and watch him die. She had to do whatever was in her power to save him. She’d done it before and she’d do it again in a heartbeat.
So Karen lurched toward the dead lizard and wrenched the laser gun from his body. The gun was heavier than she expected, so she held onto it with both hands and aimed at Varrack who straddled Kess, punching him.
This wasn’t like the movies at all. Time didn’t slow down for her to reason or question anything. As a matter of fact, everything went at warp speed. She’d never fired a gun before, let alone an alien gun, but it had a trigger and she pulled on it.
The shot missed Varrack entirely. Unharmed, he focused his baleful gaze on her. He grabbed hold of her with his telekinetic power, lifted her,
and flung her so hard against the wall, her vision went momentarily black. Something cracked. Searing agony raced up her right arm and spread throughout her body.
Her breath was knocked from her and she slumped to the floor.
She’d failed.
She’d failed to save Kess.
He was going to die.
Then Varrack would kill her too.
And her baby… oh god… her baby…
She looked toward Kess, her heart lifting as she saw his knife speeding toward his outstretched hand. His grip tightened around its handle, its lethal edge glinting as Kess arced it down into Varrack’s throat.
Blood.
So much… so much...
But it was over.
—
Whoa. A drop like that can kill ya.
Karen reared back from looking over the balcony. She pressed her back against the firm, reassuring wall to allay the vertigo. Despite enduring a kidnapping, a deadly ambush, and a fight with a madman bent on killing her, heights still wigged her out.
She inhaled the crisp evening air and enjoyed the view of the sprawling, lavender-coloured lands of the palace. Even on an alien planet, the orange sunset was picturesque and breathtaking. The sight calmed her, reminded her that this was yet another day she had lived to see.
She touched her stomach.
Yet another day her baby had been awarded to flourish inside her.
Her recovery time after Varrack’s attack had been minimal. Her baby, thank goodness, had not been adversely affected from its mother thrown around like a punching bag by a hateful maniac.
Kess, on the other hand, still recuperated, drifting in and out of consciousness as he healed from injuries old and new. When she visited him last night, Zezvar said he’d achieved stable condition and would be completely lucid soon.
She should pay Kess another visit soon. She bit her lip in embarrassment when she remembered Megan and Jillian’s gentle teasing that she showed as much devotion to Kess as a worried wife.
