by Tana Stone
The thinner air must be making her feel giddy, he thought, telling himself not to get aroused. The female was clearly out of it, and not thinking straight.
She nuzzled her head into his neck, and he bit back a groan. His cock strained against the tight environmental suit, despite his best efforts to convince himself this was not the time. He still needed to find shelter.
Staggering forward, Torven started to wind his way into the mountain range. Luckily, Trista appeared to have drifted off again, and he could focus on keeping them from slipping off the narrow rock ledge, instead of freeing his throbbing cock.
Darkness fell, as he spotted the low opening of a cave. The ceiling was not high enough for him to walk inside without bending over, but it extended far back, with tunnels shooting off the main cavern that led even deeper. He lowered Trista to the floor and slumped down next to her.
They’d made it. He’d found shelter for them for the night. He stretched out on the ground, his chest heaving as he tried to slow his breath. His arms and legs burned, the muscles twitching in relief that they were no longer moving.
Before allowing himself to relax, Torven pulled a bundle out of his pack. He snapped one of the thick, black sticks and a flame erupted from the center. He set it down and arranged the other heat sticks around it, watching them alight as they touched the burning flame. The fire would burn for hours, without tending. It would keep them warm and deter creatures from their shelter.
He took a quick look around where he sat. No scat. It didn’t mean there were no creatures in the cave, but at least, nothing had come to this entrance in a while.
Too exhausted to eat, Torven unfurled a blanket from one of the packs and covered Trista, then leaned back against the other pack. He crossed his legs and folded his arms, glancing down at the sleeping woman.
He brushed a strand of her hair off her face. She looked peaceful, with her eyes closed, and none of the fear dancing behind her eyes. She hadn’t seemed scared of him when he’d been carrying her, and he hoped that meant she’d forgiven him for kidnapping her. It could have been the thinner air making her forget to be angry with him, but at this point, he’d take it.
He stroked a finger down her cheek as he watched her sleep, his own eyes feeling heavy. The last thought he had as he drifted off to sleep was that they were safe. No one could hurt her or take her from him. For now.
Chapter Twelve
Trista rolled over, and her face touched something cold. She blinked and opened her eyes, discovering that her cheek was pressed against the ground. Although the hard rock wasn’t covered with ice, it was frigid.
Where was she? A few feet away, a pile of black sticks burned low, and gave off a yellow glow of light and some blessed warmth. From the fire’s dim illumination, she could see she was lying in a cave of some kind. She rubbed her head, trying to remember how she’d gotten there.
The last thing she could remember, she’d been running across icy terrain. The shuttle. She remembered the shuttle, and watching it sink beneath the surface of the ice. Her stomach tightened. That’s right. They were stranded on the frozen planet. Their only way off was probably at the bottom of an icy lake, along with some seriously scary creatures.
She shuddered. She could go a lifetime without ever laying eyes on that freaky albino monster again. That is, if she had a lifetime. She couldn’t imagine surviving for long in a place with no vegetation, and no animals that didn’t want to devour them. At least, Torven had seriously wounded that mutant alligator and kept it from taking a bite out of her.
Torven. Her pulse fluttered. Where was Torven? He’d been running beside her. Hadn’t he carried her at some point?
She sat up and peered through the dim lighting, but didn’t see him. She heard a noise behind her and spun. He was slumped against a wall of the cave, his arms crossed and his head lolled to one side. For a moment, she worried that he wasn’t breathing until she quieted her own breath and heard his slow, soft exhalations.
Even though he reminded her of a sleeping giant, his presence comforted her. Since he was asleep, she could really look at him without feeling like she was ogling him. And this time she didn’t have to feel guilty for gaping at him like she did after she shot him.
Like every Drexian warrior she’d seen, he was big. But not just bulky, like some of the men she’d known back home who’d let muscle go to fat. Every inch of him was hard muscle. She could see that even through the form-fitting environmental suit, and she’d felt it when he’d pinned her down.
She realized than he was actually quite handsome, when his eyebrows weren’t furrowed with worry and his eyes weren’t burning with anger. She liked the dark scruff on his face and the black lining his eyes, although the plunge in the lake appeared to have worn off most of the pigment.
She shivered as a blast of cold air blew into the cave and seemed to go right through her suit. Looking down, Trista noticed a tear in the fabric near her stomach.
It must have gotten ripped when I fell into the ice, she thought. Since she’d been sleeping with her back to the entrance, she hadn’t felt the cold, but now the air chilled her skin.
Trista turned fully toward Torven, sidling as close as she could to share his body heat. He jerked as he woke, fumbling for his blaster until he saw it was just her sitting next to him.
His eyes swept the cave. “Are you okay?” He tilted his head at her. “You weren’t planning on shooting me in my sleep, were you?”
She tried to give him an outraged look, but it ended up a half-smile. “I told you I was sorry about that, and I promised never to do it again. Anyway, it would be pretty shitty to shoot the guy who saved my life.”
“I am also the guy who kidnapped you,” he said, his forehead creasing.
“I’ve decided to let that slide. I’ve also decided to believe that you’re innocent.”
His expression grew serious. “Thank you.”
She shrugged. “You believed in me when I told you I could fix the ship. I figure I can return the favor and believe in you.”
“The ship.” He groaned like he’d just remembered everything that had happened.
“Yeah. So much for getting out of here.” She rubbed her arms. “I did mention that I hate winter, right?”
“I promise this is not how our story ends,” Torven said. “We will get out of here.”
“I hate to be the one to remind you, but we’re on a giant ball of ice with no ship. We were flying stealth when we crashed, and no one knows where we were heading.”
“That is all true, but I sent a communication before we jumped off the ship.”
“You did? Like an SOS?” Her voice dropped. “Doesn’t that mean the Drexians will be able to find you and arrest you?”
“I sent it coded over a special channel only used by Inferno Force,” Torven said. “There are few people who can intercept it, and even fewer who can decipher it.”
Her shoulders slumped. “So, you’re saying I shouldn’t hold my breath for the rescue party?”
“I’m saying the rescue party will hopefully not being an arresting party.”
“Let’s hope Dorn can prove that you didn’t do it. I’d kind of like to go home.”
“Home to Iowa?” Torven asked, knowing that tribute brides could not return to Earth.
She scrunched her mouth to one side. “That’s funny. I was actually thinking about the station as home. I’m happy to never see Iowa again.”
“No? It is not a pleasing place?”
She shrugged. “I’m sure it is for some. There’s lots of nice farmland, some decent cities, and tons of free parking. I was just ready to get out.”
“And now the Boat feels like home?”
She thought for a moment. “The crazy thing is, it does. I’ve been so focused on feeling like I didn’t fit in there, but at this point there’s no place I’d rather be. No offense to this place.”
Torven managed a small grin. “I have been to many planets, and I would not count this a
mong my favorites, although I would rather be here with you than anywhere else.”
Trista’s pulse tripped. “Yeah, whatever.”
“You do not believe me?” Torven’s expression was serious. “I would never lie to you. That would be dishonorable.”
She met his eyes and the intensity of his gaze made her catch her breath. “Okay, I believe you. I’d still rather be back on the Boat.” She dropped her eyes. “I thought by this point we’d both be there.”
He pulled one of her hands into his. “Tell me more about the Boat.”
“I know I’ve only been there for a few weeks, but my suite—our suite, I guess—is a holographic recreation of a Greek island, and it’s pretty nice. It has a great view. I never would have been able to visit someplace as amazing as that if I’d stayed on Earth. And I really like the other tribute brides. At first, they intimidated me, but they’ve all been so nice to me. And I’ve even warmed up to the nutty aliens in charge of planning the weddings.”
His eyes held hers. “Had you started planning our wedding?”
Trista swallowed hard, trying to quell the butterflies in her stomach. “I kept putting it off by saying I wanted to wait and see what you liked.”
“But that wasn’t the real reason?” he asked.
She dropped her gaze and let out a breath. “I didn’t want to start planning, because I didn’t want to get my hopes up. I haven’t had the greatest track record with guys, and I wasn’t sure you’d even want me once you met me.”
Torven lifted her chin with one finger. “Why would you think I would not want you?”
His piercing stare made her cheeks burn. She bit the corner of her bottom lip. “I might not be what you expected. I know I’m not hot, and all you Drexians have these amazing, hard bodies and I…Well, I don’t.”
“I do not want you to look like my Drexian brothers.” He traced his thumb along her jawline. “I like you soft.”
Her skin buzzed where he touched her. “Oh.”
“But you were right about one thing,” he said. “You are not what I expected. I never imagined that you would be courageous enough to shoot me or that you would be a…What did you call it? A grease monkey?”
She couldn’t help grinning. “I don’t think whoever picked me out on Earth imagined that, either.”
“You have been a very good surprise.” He ran his finger down her throat and paused. “You are shivering. Are you cold?”
She motioned to the rip in her suit. “I must have torn it earlier.”
Torven began unzipping his suit. “You will wear mine.”
She waved him off. “No way. I don’t want you to freeze to death.” She hesitated for a moment then crawled into his lap. “This will be better.”
His entire body went rigid as she straddled him, pressing her chest flush with his and wrapping her legs around his waist. She didn’t know if it was the fact that she knew they’d probably die stranded on the planet, or if it was the fact that he’d risked his life for her more than once, but Trista felt safer the closer she was to him. Not only that, she wanted him. Bad. She’d heard the other tribute brides talk about their hot and horny guys. Now she had one right next to her—and one who desired her—and she wasn’t going to let fear or her stupid past ruin it for her.
She’d never been the aggressive one when it came to relationships, seeming to trip and fall into bad guys who liked to take control. She liked the idea of calling the shots for once, even if her entire body shook at the thought of seducing Torven.
“Body heat,” she said as she leaned her face against his chest and heard his rapid heartbeat. “It will keep us warm while we sleep.”
He didn’t say anything in response, and Trista hoped she hadn’t read him wrong and made a huge mistake.
Chapter Thirteen
Torven closed his eyes and blew out a breath. How was he supposed to sleep like this? Her body was pressed against him, and he could feel the soft swell of her breasts and the curve of her ass.
It was warmer, he’d give her that, although he couldn’t say if it was shared body heat, or the fact that her touch sent fire rocketing through him. She shifted, and he swallowed a groan.
No matter how slowly he breathed in and out, his cock pulsed between his legs. It didn’t help that she was straddling him, the only thing between them a few layers of fabric. Her full breasts pressed up against his chest, making him bite his lip to keep from sliding his hands up her body. He swallowed the sharp tang of blood.
“It would work better if you wrapped your arms around me,” Trista said.
Was this still about body heat? He couldn’t see her face, so he couldn’t tell if she was deliberately arousing him. It didn’t matter. He had no right to claim her. Not yet. Not until he was free.
“Torven?” she said, her tone insistent. “Arms.”
He circled his arms around her, leaning his head back against the rock of the cave wall. It’s just for warmth, he told himself. We need to stay warm.
Torven tried to ignore her when she raised her head and nuzzled his neck. It was clear she was exhausted, and suffering the effects of the thinner atmosphere. He steeled himself and thought back to particularly gruesome battles he’d fought in. If he kept his eyes closed and ignored the flowery scent of her hair, he could almost imagine himself on his Inferno Force battleship, the air filled with the sound of explosions and the smell of burning fuel.
His mind wandered from his memories to the feel of the soft female wiggling in his lap. Gods, this was harder than he’d thought.
No matter how desperately he wanted to flip her onto her back, rip off her suit, and claim her lush body, he knew he could not. Not until he was proven innocent. He may be a disgraced Drexian warrior, but he still had his honor, and he would not take what wasn’t his to take.
Torven comforted himself with the thought that his friends would be working to prove that he was not a traitor. Soon, he would be vindicated and the pretty human would be his. Until then, he would have to grit his teeth and fight his urges.
“If we ever get off this barren planet.”
“What?” her question made his eyes open.
Had he said that out loud? “Nothing. Just hoping my transmission got out before the ship went under.”
Trista traced a finger over the flat, ebony tooth that hung from the leather string around his neck and rested in the hollow of his throat. “I’m assuming this isn’t a shark’s tooth, since I’m guessing there aren’t necessarily sharks on other planets.”
He answered without looking down. “It is a craktow tooth. From the planet Grandor.”
“What does a craktow look like?”
This was good. Thinking about alien beasts took his mind off his aching cock. “Its skin is as black as its tooth, and it swims under the water. It is the size of at least three Drexians and has serrated fins.”
Trista shuddered. “So, like a shark on steroids.”
He did not know what that meant, so he grunted in reply.
“Did you kill it to get the tooth?” she asked.
He nodded, touching the tooth absently. “I was not alone. It took many of us to bring it down, and we almost drowned.”
She put her hand over his as he fingered the tooth, then she lowered her hand to rub it across the muscles of his chest. “Torven?”
“Yes?” He heard the huskiness in his voice.
“What if we don’t get off this planet?” she asked. “What if we’re stuck here?”
He flinched as she put words to his fear. “Someone will find us. My people will not give up looking for you, if nothing else.”
“But without any sort of black box or beacon, what are the chances they’ll come looking on this popsicle of a planet?”
He wasn’t sure what she meant by ‘black box’ or ‘popsicle.’ “My brothers from Inferno Force will hear my transmission,” he said with more confidence than he felt. “They will find us.”
Her breath was warm against his neck, and
his cock twitched. She was not making this easy.
She nipped at his neck. “You sure?”
“Trista.” He dropped his hands to her hips as she arched them forward, rocking against his hard cock. Blood pounded in his ears as he fought his desire.
“Yes, Torven?” She looked up at him, her eyes wide.
He loved hearing her say his name. He wanted to hear her screaming it as he made her come.
“Not like this,” he said, forcing the words out of his mouth.
“No?” Her tone was teasing as she dragged her tongue down his neck and then tugged on the craktow tooth with her teeth. She leaned back, running a hand down his chest and he caught it before she reached his cock.
“What’s wrong?” She pulled back. “I thought you wanted me.”
“I can’t,” he said.
Her cheeks became splotched with color. “Can’t? Or don’t want to?”
“You don’t understand,” he said, releasing his grip on her hand.
She scrambled off him. “Oh, I think I understand being lied to pretty well.”
He stared at her as she scooted away from him and pulled her knees up to her chest. “Lied to?”
Her breath was ragged. “I’m sure it’s easier to keep me subdued if you tricked me into thinking you’re into me, right? Make the stupid human fall for you, and then she won’t try to run off, is that it?”
Torven watched as she shrank into herself, her shoulders slumping forward and her eyes swimming with tears. He shook his head. “That’s not what I was…”
She held out a hand, her palm toward him. “Save me the explanations. I’ve heard them all. It all boils down to me being an idiot again.” Her voice became a whisper. “I don’t know why I ever believed someone like you would be into me anyway.”
Torven felt a flash of anger at the human men who’d made his mate feel this way about herself, and at himself for managing to hurt her when all he wanted to do was keep her safe. Before she could stop him, he’d pulled her back to him.
