Alien Explosions

by Sadie Carter

  “What do you mean that one of them recognized you? You’ve been here before?”

  He grimaced. “You know when I told you that I returned to Zerconia after Fancia ran off?”

  “Yes?”

  “Well, I didn’t return right away.”

  It hit her like a light bulb going off. “Oh God, you followed her, didn’t you?”

  He nodded. “A foolish decision. But I had to make sure she was certain this was what she wanted.”

  Sweet. If a little naïve.

  “What happened?”

  He moved faster, as though thinking about Fancia filled him with restless energy. “I caught up with her and her lover in the airspace outside of Santex. It’s a planet not far from here. Fancia’s lover was a courier so they moved around a lot. I got there just in time to see his ship being blown apart by a rival courier ship who had taken offense that he was entering their airspace.”

  “Oh God, you watched her die?” she asked, horrified.

  “Yes.” His voice was tight.

  “Then you returned to Zerconia.”

  He let out a grim laugh. “I should have. No, then I set about tracking down the people who had killed her.”

  She gulped. “How long did that take you?”

  “Three years.”

  Oh God, he’d been so in love with her that he’d tracked down her killers even after she’d used and dumped him. What would it be like to have him love her like that? They might be mates, but that didn’t mean he would ever love her.

  “When I was last here on Equin, the Loomins chief had been injured and they had heard of my healing abilities. They kidnapped me to take care of their chief. Thankfully, I was able to save his life, which is why they spared our lives right now.”

  “That must have been scary.”

  He shrugged. “I really had nothing left to fear. Not death, not pain, not sorrow.”

  Because he had lost Fancia.

  “So what was with holding your hand over my mouth and slapping my ass? Was that some sort of show for them?”

  “They heard your…um…singing and came to investigate the noise. One of them thought an animal might be injured and in pain.”

  “Oh, ha ha, it wasn’t that bad.”

  He didn’t reply to that.

  Wise man.

  “I did not wish to draw their attention to you. But Loomins only recognize strength, any sign of weakness and they would have tried to take you from me. So when you pinched me I had to retaliate.”

  “You didn’t have to look as though you enjoyed it.”

  “Yes, I did.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  She lay back on the bed with a sigh of relief. She was clean. She was fed. And now she could sleep. It might be a roughly built hut in a small village, and the bed might just be a pile of rushes on the ground covered in furs, but it felt like fucking heaven.

  She might just lie here until the Zerconians arrived. Truthfully, she was so exhausted that was a real possibility. As soon as they reached the outskirts of the village, people had rushed out to greet them. The Savans were a tall, lean race. Both the men and women were built similarly, the only difference was that some of them had facial hair.

  They were certainly friendly though. As soon as Moroco had explained what had happened, well she thought that was what he said, a group of them pulled her off to a nearby river where they’d helped her bathe, much to her embarrassment. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had bathed her.

  Then they’d dried her, given her some clean clothing and fed her. She hadn’t seen Moroco, which had kind of worried her, but once she was clean and had a full belly it seemed that her body had decided it was time to rest. Obviously sensing her fatigue, two of the group had led her to this small hut.

  She yawned and stretched. At least her back felt good. She wished she could say the same about her feet. She’d left the bandages on while she was bathing then pulled them off afterwards. The women—and lord she hoped they were women considering where they’d had their hands while they were helping her get clean—had clucked over the state of her feet. She’d had to politely refuse when one of them tried to put some sort of gloop on them. But she had been grateful for the rough sort of footwear another produced. They were just a wooden base with ropes that tied over the top of her feet, but they kept her feet off the dirty ground.

  She needed to be careful about infection. Hopefully, Moroco had some more antiseptic and bandages in his pack. Where was Moroco?

  Her mind circled back to the conversation about trust. She didn’t trust easily, most people, she’d found, would let you down. And if you let yourself care about them then you just ended up hurt.

  So how could she trust Moroco? She knew he would protect her. He’d proven that time and again. He’d do whatever was necessary to take care of her, including carrying her for hours because of her injured feet. Sure, he was incredibly autocratic, he always thought he was right, and they would butt heads time and again.

  But then, she wouldn’t enjoy being with a weak man, would she? A man she could walk over would never gain her respect.

  So what did that mean? That she already trusted him? That she was ready to move forward? To what? Have sex with him? Oh hell, she was more than ready for that. But if he was her mate then sex was going to tie them together forever. There were no divorces, there was no leaving.

  Instead of filling her with panic, that thought gave her a feeling of security. He could never leave her. If there was one thing that Moroco wasn’t, it was a quitter. He was loyal and he was honorable. He’d spent years tracking down Fancia’s killers. It made her a bit sad to realize how devoted he’d been to another woman.

  And no matter how much she pissed him off, no matter if she gained fifty pounds and her hair went gray, he wasn’t going to leave.

  She closed her eyes with a yawn. Maybe she should go and find him. Soon…she’d go soon.

  ***

  He slid into the bed next to her. Her skin felt cool to the touch and he pulled up the fur she’d managed to kick onto the ground, tucking it around her. She murmured something in her sleep and he couldn’t stop himself from leaning down and kissing her forehead.

  She was frowning, as though she were having less than pleasant dreams. But once she felt his touch, those frown lines disappeared. He hadn’t liked leaving her on her own for so long but he knew that the Savan females would take care of her. When he lay back, she rolled over as though sensing his presence, pressing herself up against him.

  It had been the same the night before. Once she fell asleep, she’d plastered herself against him, throwing one leg over him and almost trying to burrow under him. It had made sleep next to impossible. He’d just lain there, staring at the ceiling and telling himself all the reasons why he couldn’t roll her over, spread her legs and take her.

  It seemed tonight was going to be more of the same. At least they’d both had the chance to bathe and change and they didn’t have to sleep on the ground. He frowned, thinking of her feet. He wondered if she’d removed the bandages. What if they had gotten infected? The could need rebandaging.

  Knowing he wouldn’t sleep until he’d checked, he carefully pulled the fur back and climbed from the bed. He relit the lamp. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to go take care of his other pressing need as well, because there was no way he could sleep with his shaft as hard as it was.

  She sat, her hair over her face, staring at him sleepily. “Moroco? Where are you going?”

  “To check your feet. Are they hurting you? Did you take the bandages off?”

  She yawned then pushed her hair back from her face to smile up at him. He liked her like this. All soft and flushed from sleep. She seemed gentler, less on guard.

  “My feet are fine. You can look at them in the morning. Come lie down, you have to be as tired as I am.”

  “Actually, I have something else to take care of first.”

  The garment she was wearing had slipped down, revealing t
he top of her breasts. He swallowed heavily. Coming back to this hut had been a bad idea. He should have asked for a hut of his own. But he hadn’t liked the idea of leaving her to sleep on her own. What if she woke up disoriented and needed him? What if the Loomins decided to follow them and grab her?

  No, sleeping apart from her wasn’t an option. Not that he would be getting much sleep.

  “What? It’s dark outside, what do you need to do?”

  “It matters not.” He resigned himself to lying against her once again with his shaft and balls fit to bursting.

  He slid in next to her.

  “Oh, you’re nice and warm.” She snuggled next to him. “Moroco?”

  “Yeah,” he snapped, his need for her making his temper short.

  She leaned up on one elbow to look down at him. She bit at her lip, looking hesitant.

  “Would you…if you’re not too tired…I mean…”

  “What is it?” he asked. “Is your back sore? Do you need me to massage it?”

  “No, it’s not sore. Although a massage is kind of what I want.”

  He sighed. “You speak in riddles. I am too tired for this conversation.”

  He felt her withdraw and saw a flash of hurt cross her face. The light of lamp he’d relit flickered, casting shadows across the room.

  “Of course. Go to sleep.” Her voice was cool and she rolled over to lie stiffly at the edge of the bed. That was for the best. It meant he might manage some sleep.

  He rolled over to face the other wall and reached for the lamp to turn it off then pulled his hand back. The hurt on her face just didn’t sit well with him. What had she been asking him for?

  “Saffron?” He reached over and grabbed her arm gently, turning her over. He stared down into her face, saw the misery and felt his stomach tighten. He didn’t like to see her upset, especially when he knew he was the cause. He brushed her hair back from her face.

  “Your hair smells like flowers.”

  She nodded. “The women washed it for me. They were women, weren’t they?”

  He raised his eyebrows. “Think I would have let men bathe you?”

  “I guess not.”

  “You guess not?” he thundered. He rolled so he was over her, although he made certain to rest his weight on his arms. “No other male will ever touch you. You are mine.”

  “Yeah? Prove it.” There was challenge in her voice and something else. A vulnerability he had rarely seen her exhibit.

  “Gladly,” he told her. Then leaning down, he kissed her.

  The kiss sizzled across her skin, making her shiver and groan. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, determined not to let him go. She’d known exactly what she was doing when she challenged him.

  And thank God, he had taken the bait.

  She kissed him like her life depended on it, throwing everything she had into the kiss. She pressed up against him, feeling his hard cock. The knowledge that he wanted her just as much as she did him gave her the confidence to reach down and brush her hand against his hard dick.

  He moved back, staring down at her.

  “Don’t stop,” she cried out, arching her chest up. She needed to feel his touch everywhere, her nipples, her lips, her pussy.

  “I am not stopping. This time you will be mine.”

  Those words, spoken so arrogantly, would have infuriated her in the past, but now she understood.

  If she was his then he was hers as well.

  He moved back, staring down at her as he knelt between her open legs. “Is your back paining you?”

  “No. No, I feel fine. Damn it, Moroco, touch me.”

  He raised one eyebrow. “Do you think you are in charge?”

  Oh fuck. She should have known that he would be dominant in the bedroom. He was dominant everywhere else so why not here as well. Her excitement grew in leaps and bounds. Who knew that she’d enjoy being bossed around in the bedroom?

  “I don’t know. You don’t seem to want to touch me so maybe I will have to take charge.” Daringly, hoping she looked sexy and not stupid, she ran her hand down her stomach towards her pussy, pushing it beneath the skirt the women had given her to wear. They hadn’t supplied any undergarments so she’d worn the whole outfit to bed as it was kind of chilly tonight.

  Well, it had been before he arrived.

  His eyes widened as he watched her. Then he snatched both of her hands and held them with one of his, pressing them above her head. “This body is mine. You are mine. And there is no touching without permission, understood?”

  “Or what?”

  “Or you are finally getting that spanking.”

  “Promises. Promises.”

  Holy fuck, had she really just said that?

  “Another challenge? You are feeling brave.”

  Brave or stupid, she wasn’t certain which it was at this point.

  He rolled her over and she gasped as he quickly drew her skirt down over her hips and off her legs.

  “Moroco?” She peered over her shoulder at him, feeling uncertain.

  He ran a hand over her ass cheeks. “I like to be in control of everything. That includes while joining. Does that make you fear me?”

  There was something in his voice. Something that told her to tread carefully. That her answer was important.

  “I know you’d never hurt me. Can you handle the fact that I’m not always going to let you get your way? I’ll challenge you.”

  “I always thought I wanted a sweet, biddable mate. Someone who would anticipate my wishes, someone who would obey me without question.”

  “Sounds boring,” she commented, even though she felt a stab of hurt. She would never be sweet or biddable.

  “I never once threatened to spank Fancia.”

  Of course, he hadn’t. Okay, this conversation was doing nothing for her libido. She tried to roll over but he pressed his hand against her back.

  “I thought that was what I wanted. Now, I discover it is not.”

  The words weren’t flowery. They weren’t a declaration of undying love.

  But they were enough.

  He rubbed her buttocks, squeezing them and her arousal started growing again.

  “Spread your legs.” He ran his hands up the inside of her thighs, pressing a hand against her mound.

  “Moroco!”

  “Hush. We do not want our neighbors to hear us and worry that something is wrong. You will need to quiet yourself, as hard as I know that will be for you.”

  Before she could snap back at him, he slapped his hand down on her ass.

  “Hey!” she cried out, trying to roll, but he held her steady and smacked her other cheek. Once. Twice.

  “I owe you several of these,” he said in a dark voice, pausing to rub the heat of the slaps into her skin. Oh God. That heat filled her body, making her clit throb and she actually found herself pushing back at him, wanting more.

  He snorted in amusement. “Liked that, did you?”

  He gave her several more spanks. All of them stung and each time he paused to rub, the heat drove her insane.

  When he rolled her over, her breath was coming in fast pants, her pussy swollen, her nipples rubbing against her top.

  He grasped the bottom of her top, pulling it off over her head. “In our bed, you will wear nothing.” He cupped one breast, running his thumb over her tight nipple.

  “I will if you do,” she told him.

  He grinned. “Why would I wear something to bed? It would only get in my way when I wake in the night and decide I must have you. We will both be naked so I can have access when I want you, how I need you. Sometimes, I will spread your legs and lick you into orgasm, other times I will press you to the bed and enter you in one deep thrust. Other times, I will suck on these nipples until you find your release, screaming in my arms. When we are in my home, you may make as much noise as you wish.”

  “I can’t come just from having my nipples sucked,” she told him.

  “You do like to offer challen
ges, do you not?” He ran one hand up and down her body. “But not tonight. This night I must be inside you. I have to feel your warmth around my shaft, sucking on me, taking me into you.” He circled the tip of his finger around her clit. A light touch that wasn’t nearly enough to send her soaring over the edge.

  He flicked her nipple in time with her clit. Gentle movements that drove her insane and kept her on the brink. She closed her eyes as she writhed on the bed. “Moroco, please!”

  Something warm engulfed her nipple and she opened her eyes to see him sucking on her nipple. His tongue flicked it right as he plunged two fingers deep inside her.

  “Ohh!”

  He raised his mouth, frowning at her. “What did I tell you about remaining quiet?”

  “Sorry,” she said, whimpering as he paused, his fingers deep inside her. “I won’t do it again.”

  He sighed and shook his head. “I wish I could believe that. Your discipline is seriously lacking.”

  “Guess you’ll just have to teach me, huh?”

  “Yes. I believe it shall take a lifetime.” He moved his fingers from her pussy.

  “No!”

  “Hush. You have no say in what I do. Your job is to do exactly as I tell you. Then you shall be rewarded.”

  “In case you haven’t worked it out, I’m not very good at doing what I’m told.”

  His eyes flared. “That is what I am counting on.”

  He slid an arm beneath her legs, pulling them back to her chest. “Does this position hurt your back?”

  “No.” But it certainly left her feeling vulnerable and on display, especially when he shifted so he could view her pussy and ass.

  “Good.” He shifted so his other arm pressed her legs back, smacking his free hand down on her ass. Oh God, in this position he could easily hit her pussy as well. With his next smack, he did. And from his smug grin she knew it had been deliberate.

  She arched back as pleasure engulfed her, sharp and stinging. “Ohhh. How do you expect me to remain quiet when you do things like that?”

  “You will just have to learn, will you not?”

  He ran his finger up and down her slick slit then lower towards her puckered entrance. “Moroco, no!”