Vee hid his sigh of relief. It was as he expected, but to have Rydak confirm the plan was an added layer of reassurance. He hoped Eva understood when he was finally able to explain the truth to her.
“I need to get back. I don’t like leaving Eva alone.”
It took effort, but Vee ignored Khane’s loud snort. Rydak pushed off the wall and followed Vee out into the hall. In a rare move, his Team Leader gripped his shoulder with a glove covered hand and leaned in close. “Something’s different. Tell me the truth. How are you?”
His words echoed Bane’s concern. Vee swallowed and met the glowing silver gaze filled with compassion. All of them knew of Rydak’s innate empathy. That he touched Vee willingly said a lot. Without the gloves, skin to skin contact caused Rydak debilitating pain. “Despite what Khane implied, you don’t have to worry. I won’t let the female distract me.”
“Females are always a distraction.” Rydak smiled then grew serious. “There’s more. You can trust me, Vee. Is it the Supreme Matire?”
The Unit knew a little about his struggles with his Matire. They assumed familial difficulty because many of them were raised with Enotian values and Enotians loved nothing more than the bonds of family. Never could they understand the strife between Vee and his Matire was far more.
“No. I have not been in contact with her recently.” There would be consequences for his lengthy silence.
Rydak released his shoulder, his frown deep. “The Earth female affects you. You mentioned being compromised, but never have you given me cause for concern on an assignment before. Should I worry now?”
Vee didn’t much care for sharing overly personal details. He didn’t wish to do so now. But this was Rydak, a man who’d watched over him early on when he’d joined the teams. A man he greatly respected and admired. “I will work through it.”
Rydak studied him as if seeking the truth beyond the words he said. Vee held the steady gaze, giving nothing away. Until he better understood his developing feelings for Eva, there was nothing more he could say.
“If you need help, reach out.”
His nod was abrupt as Vee escaped the intense scrutiny. Control tightly woven around him, he opened the door of his rental to the fragrant aroma of flowers. Moisture dampened the air and Eva jerked upright where she stood beside the bed. Desire stabbed at his gut as cracks sliced into his control.
“I used the sink and the scented liquid cleaner to freshen up.”
In her hand she held up a bottle of blue foamy liquid. A skin tight pant suit covered her from neck to ankle, every curve on display.
And there went his plan to maintain his icy demeanor. Vee made a promise to question Bane about his choices in understated clothing as Vee had specified.
Chapter 10
Eva held her breath as Vanquish eased into the room and closed the door behind him. He stared for the longest time until Eva grew uncomfortable. She tugged on the material of the sleek black outfit. “Thank you. For the clothes.”
She wasn’t sure how he managed her correct sizes down to the dainty underwear, but it was nice not wearing the scanty outfit Mannid forced on her. Everything Vanquish had provided was attractive, designed to flatter not flaunt. The toiletries had been a blessing and she’d eagerly scrubbed her teeth as she stood over the sink and whipped a brush through her hair.
“No problem.” He strode toward the food device. “I need to eat again. Do you want something?”
Eva sat on the bed and resisted the urge to be next to him. Being this effected by someone in such a brief amount of time was ridiculous and yet Eva couldn’t sit here and pretend there wasn’t a strong attraction there. Then again, perhaps she’d imagined the connection, and it was only on her side. “Sure. Whatever you’re having is fine.”
As he went about the preparations, she worked up her courage and blurted, “What happens next?”
He froze, his back still to her. Unwilling to avoid the very real issue, Eva spoke quickly. “After the rematch. What happens to me?”
The food device beeped. Vanquish finished and brought two dishes over. He handed one to her then used his foot to snag the chair and dragged it closer. When he seated himself and started to eat, Eva set her plate beside her on the bed. She couldn’t eat with her future in the air. “Vanquish?”
“Vee,” he muttered.
“What?”
He met her gaze then went back to demolishing his food. “Call me Vee.”
“Right.” She cleared her throat. “So about the whole owning thing. You said I was free. A-a-after your fight the first day.”
She hated the stutter tripping her tongue on the words.
“Yes.”
An exhale of pent up air slipped past her lips. Eva bit her bottom lip wondering if it was that easy. Vanquish, no Vee, leaned forward and tapped her plate. “Eat.”
Knowing she’d need the fuel, Eva ate, all the while trying to figure out how she’d ended up in her current position. By the second and third bite, she realized she was starving and finished her food in silence, head down as she devoured the meat and noodle dish covered in a yellowish sauce.
Once done, she looked up and met a piercing green stare. His odd eyes dilated to intriguing diamond points. “More?”
His tone had become lower, husky. The desire wasn’t gone. It had only been muted. Goosebumps peppered the skin on her arms. Eva handed over her plate. “No. That was enough. Thank you.”
He took her dish and stacked it with his own on his lap, but didn’t get up. Eva’s breath sped up. Arousal sparked to life in little flickers, letting her know it had in no way faded. The new clothing rasped against her sensitive flesh. Eva waited for Vee to speak and wasn’t disappointed.
“Tell me how you ended up with Mannid.”
She blinked. Not what she’d expected. It took a moment to shove down her body’s demand to straddle his lap and test the potency of the shaft swelling between his legs. “Earth has an agreement in place to help women find husbands. A partner,” she clarified in case he misunderstood. “I was kidnapped from the ship before it reached its final destination. I was one of the last still onboard other than the crew since I’d selected a world farther out.”
His expression shifted, became darker. “You already had someone identified?”
She did. It had taken time, but Eva had carefully gone through the brochure provided and selected a planet with humanoid beings. Her husband to be had a name she couldn’t pronounce, but she’d been intrigued by the tiny image attached and his bio stating an interest in horticulture.
It had been her hope they would have a happy relationship if not loving. Her brows pinched. She’d tumbled head first into slavery instead. Aloud, she replied with a crooked grin, “Yes. Obviously that didn’t turn out the way I wanted.”
The joke fell flat as Vee watched her closely, a thin line of anger threading among the faint notes of attraction. Unsure what caused it, Eva cleared her throat and fought the urge to fidget. Her nipples betrayed her and drew into tight buds, garnering Vee’s attention as his gaze dropped to her chest. He braced one hand on the mattress beside her hip and leaned in. Was he going to kiss her? Eva inhaled sharply, but he only reached up and wiped his thumb across the corner of her mouth.
Still tender from when she’d bit it earlier, Eva winced. The dishes clinked in Vee’s lap and the spell was broken. His jaw tensed as he stood abruptly and turned toward the kitchen nook. Air wisped from her lungs and Eva swiped at nonexistent sweat from her brow.
***
There had been another. Vee breathed deeply, fighting back his rage at the thought. Eva had selected another to be her partner. It was to be expected. She was an Earth female searching for a mate. To be angered at that was pointless. Unfortunately ignoring the anger meant focusing on the desire.
Unfamiliar feelings surged demanding he stake a claim. He tossed the disposable dishes into the recycler and hunched over the counter, hands braced on the rough surface. Heat flared in his groin area, sp
reading until it seemed as if he would burn from within. He throbbed, shaft swollen and thick.
With his head dropped forward, ragged air puffed from his lips on every breath as he worked to still the fierce urges battering at his senses. He had fought long and hard for years to gain control of his emotions. Now it was obliterated by the mere presence of an Earth woman he’d only just met.
Breathing through his mouth was no help. The aroma of Eva’s arousal coated his tongue and Vee bit his inner cheek hard to muffle his groan. Her scent surrounded him, drowned out any other smell in the rental.
He gripped the counter tight, hoping for a distraction. Anything to keep him from returning to the female across the room and falling to his knees to beg for a single touch.
The very idea caused his cock to punch hard at the fabric of the flimsy leather pants he wore, reminding him of his flaw and how wrong he was as a Serpine. In the past, that was enough to dim his arousal. No longer. The reminder did nothing to dull his raging need.
One touch. He’d be satisfied with one touch to ease his pain. Gritting his teeth, Vee bit back the whimpers threatening to reveal his vulnerable state.
“Vanquish? I mean Vee. Are you alright?” Soft hands, silky skin, grazed his lower right arm.
Vee jerked. He hadn’t heard her approach. Dazed, he could only stare at the hand on him. No one snuck up on him. It was an ongoing joke with the teams. Sensations popped and sizzled where her fingers rested on his flesh.
“Mmm.” The choked moan broke free as fine tremors racked his frame. He should move away. Step back to break her tentative hold or he was gonna to do something irreversible.
Mine. Mine to touch. Mine to protect.
Instinct countered the rational part of his brain fighting for clarity.
“Vee? Um, you’re making me kinda nervous here.” A shaky laugh. Her fingers slid free on a slow drag. Vee parted his lips to protest, but she continued. “Not nervous. Scared. I’d really like to not be scared for longer than five minutes at this point in my life. And so far you’re the only one I hope I can count on not to hurt me. I think.”
Hurt her? The very possibility defied logic.
“Never!” Vee spun around and clasped his hands about her waist. His barked command caused a flinch. Vee gentled his touch and stroked his hands up and down her back in a gentle glide. “Never do you need to be afraid of that. I won’t hurt you.”
He bent his forehead to hers and nuzzled. The sweet scent of the cleanser and pure Eva bombarded him. Trills slipped past his lips as he tugged her close enough to cradle between his slightly parted thighs.
“Never hurt you, Eva,” he whispered over the colorful bruise on her forehead.
“Vee?” Not scared this time, curious. Long black lashes flickered and Vee knew she was as tangled as he was in this vortex of desire.
“It’s alright.” Rubbing his cheek along the side of her face, he absorbed the stillness of the moment. He’d take only this brief contact between them while he worked to regain control.
“This might sound crazy as hell.” Eva ran her fingers through his hair and used the strands to bring his face up to hers eye to eye. She gave a half-laugh. “But...I feel something. A connection and it’s the last thing I should be thinking.”
Because of her experience with Mannid. Vee agreed for that reason and many others. “It is not the time.”
He loosened his grip about her waist, but Eva reached down and held her hands over his, keeping them on her hips. “No. I...just...Kiss me. Please. I need something good to erase the bad.”
Something good to erase the bad. No one outside his Unit had ever implied Vee was something good. It made him more determined to do what was right for Eva and that meant ending this before it went too far. Her circumstances were too precarious. He remembered his teammates discussing the experiences of their Chosens from Earth. Their stories as sex slaves kidnapped by Marenians varied, but all had suffered trauma. “It wouldn’t be...appropriate.”
“Yeah, I get that but I really, really need you to kiss me. Hold me and help me forget. Please, Vee.”
Vee couldn’t resist her desperate cry. He didn’t question again, didn’t ask if she was certain. He just lowered his mouth and brushed their lips together.
Too light.
He did it again, deepening the contact. Eva gasped, opening her mouth to his seeking tongue. Vee closed his eyes and rested his weight on the counter behind him. He drew Eva as close as possible, not a sliver of space between them as he kissed her with all his pent up desire.
Jagged whimpers of pleasure, bolts of lightening and a sweet taste he’d forever identify as Eva’s alone. Vee slanted his mouth over hers and moved one hand to cradle her head in his palm. Careful, so very careful of her bruises. Black strands of rich silk cascaded over his fingers as he worked the braid free with desperate tugs.
Eva slid her hands up his chest, the sharp prick of nails pierced the blue mesh of his shirt and started a blaze Vee wasn’t sure he wanted to put out. He thrust and she rocked. Hunger created a need to feast and Vee gave in to tasting every inch of Eva’s mouth possible.
His hands trailed all over her body, eager to caress and stroke. Eva leaned her weight into him, trusting Vee to provide support. And he did. Vee realized there wasn’t much he wouldn’t do for this female.
Except, he shouldn’t be doing this. Reason edged through the out of control arousal. Mannid, the assignment. He had to focus.
He softened the fierce licks and nips to her mouth, prepared to pull back, but Eva fisted a chunk of his hair. The grip gave him flashes of home. Domineering. Forceful. He waited, pulse thrumming to see what she’d do next.
Lavish kisses teased his throat. Tiny flicks of her wet tongue dotted a path downward. His groan was torn from deep within. Breath suspended, Vee arched his neck to the side, giving better access to an area he normally would have never exposed to another. Eva sucked hard on the skin at the base.
Nesting instinct broke through, the intensity with which it hit, strong enough to send a bolt of fear through Vee. This was nothing he’d ever experienced before. The arousal and desire around Eva earlier didn’t compare.
She brought her mouth back to his on a moan and slid her tongue along the seam of his lips. Vee opened to her, groaning as the rich taste of her set off a chain reaction.
Pleasure pain exploded in his groin and spread outward. Like a fever raging through his blood, rational thought drowned beneath the onslaught. He spun them around, pinning her to the counter.
Holding her, feeling her soft body pressed against his was amazing. His heartbeat thundered in his ears as Vee trilled deep in his throat. The need to be one with Eva stood out in his mind. She was meant for him. He needed to create the bond now, secure his position. Ensure that another male couldn’t take her from him.
Protect.
Protect.
Mine.
Mine.
The erratic nature of his thoughts ripped through the overwhelming tide. He tore his mouth away on a loud gasp, panting. Painstakingly, he released the firm hold he had on her ass.
Eva blinked open eyes glazed with passion. Delicate features no bruise could detract from. Her lips were puffy, glistening with wetness. Her breasts strained the top of the jumpsuit, swollen and full to look at. “Vee?”
Confusion added a gentle cadence to her voice. Vee’s legs weakened to the point he almost gave in to the need to drop to his knees before her and bury his face between her thighs. His growing addiction to the touch of this female was a weakness and all he could think of was getting her naked and stretched out in a bed with him.
But he couldn’t. She was a victim and his duty as a Jutak warrior dictated he see to her safety. He’d been close to sex sharing with her in a dirty rental while under the guise of another identity. It was a colossal error in judgment.
“Did I do something wrong? Bad breath?” Eva tried to joke, but worry glimmered in the depths of her eyes.
“Shh.”
Smothering the urge to trill again, Vee smoothed her hair back and cupped her face. The timing couldn’t be worst for his Serpine biology to come into play. What was growing between him and Eva wasn’t simple attraction. Not on his part anyway.
“Why’d you stop?”
Because he had a mission to complete and being with her obliterated his ability to think clearly. Vee eased back and ignored the sharp stab of disappointment. Fighting what his body demanded was a physical ache he’d be hard-pressed to pinpoint. “We need to slow down.”
She continued to slide her hands through his hair, fingers burrowed deep. Tender touch followed by firm pressure. Vee fought a moan of ecstasy.
“Slow down or stop?”
“Stop.”
It was a gentle refusal, but when her mouth dipped in the corners and her eyes darkened with dismay, the nesting instinct threatened to burst free. Vee closed his eyes and cast about for an explanation she’d accept. One that didn’t involve revealing the truth he couldn’t yet share.
Chapter 11
“Eva, I have to focus on the fight. I’m sorry.”
Eva had never been more embarrassed in her life. His reasoning made since and she’d been trying to force herself on him. Shame bubbled up. “No. I’m the one who should apologize, Vee. I was only thinking of myself.”
And wanting something to wipe away her entire time with Mannid.
He pressed his forehead to hers. “After the fight, we will talk.”
Talk. Was there anything more to say? He had his life and she was—Eva didn’t know what she was to him. Ignoring his ominous tone, she swallowed down the pressure threatening to let her fear run free again. “One more kiss?”
She thought he’d refuse, but his lips curved in a half smile. “One more.”
His mouth moved on hers. Not hungry and demanding as she expected someone like him to kiss when given free reign. Soft, gentle. His lips teased, sliding back and forth over hers, coaxing her tongue to join. She did. The rough rasps of his palms glided up her throat, thumbs stroking in soothing circles as he encouraged and seduced. She was.
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