by Tana Stone
Moving through the ship, she finally reached the captain’s quarters, and the source of particularly off-key singing. What was Vrax doing? She spotted his clothes flung on the wide bed and saw that the door to the bathroom hung open. Warm steam billowed out from inside, along with the scent of soap and the sound of cascading water.
“You’re taking a shower?” she asked, pushing open the door the rest of the way so that it banged against the wall. The space was a blend of utilitarianism—wide open and white-tiled with a single drain in the floor—and surprising luxury—fluffy towels hung on a rack with a plush mat on the floor. She’d never thought of Ma’Von as the type for luxuries, but she guessed she hadn’t known him well.
Vrax didn’t flinch, and she suspected he’d heard her coming. Or felt her, at least. “Is that what this is called?” He turned to face her, his muscles glistening with water as it poured over him from above. “It is amazing.”
Her mouth watered, and she wasn’t sure if it was from the sight of the hot water, or the sight of his naked body. She forced herself to keep her eyes from drifting to his long cock, but even as she thought about not looking at it, she noticed it begin to swell and rise.
“You should join me,” he said, extending a hand.
“Don’t you think someone should be flying the ship?” She knew that wasn’t much of an argument, but she also liked sparring with him too much to miss the opportunity.
“You told me it flies itself.”
She frowned and folded her arms over her chest, even as drops of water splattered on her. He raised his arms and ran them through his hair, the water sluicing off his locks and spilling down his back.
Holy shit. She couldn’t keep from staring now, and a flash of heat ignited between her legs.
He locked eyes with her, his gaze burning. “Take off your clothes before I pull you in here with them still on.”
She knew he wasn’t kidding. Tori kicked off her boots and shimmied her pants down to the floor. Before she could pull her shirt over her head, he jerked her by the hand, pulling her underneath the water with him.
“Too slow,” he said, as she yelped and water poured over her face.
“You ass!” She struggled in his arms, but he held her flush against him, his body curled around her back.
He ran a hand down one side of her body and slapped her ass cheek. “I prefer to talk about your ass.”
“I wasn’t talking about your ass, I was calling you an ass,” she said, but couldn’t help laughing.
“Either way,” he murmured, massaging the cheek he’d just slapped and nuzzling his face in her neck. He wrapped one arm around her body and cupped her breast through the soaking-wet fabric of her shirt.
“You’re impossible,” she said, leaning her head back as his words sent tremors down her spine.
He nodded, tweaking her nipple and tipping her hips forward. “And you’re perfect.”
Tori braced one hand on the tile wall as the warm water rushed over her, and she moaned. No one had ever thought she was perfect. No one had ever been able to match her, or keep up with her. Or had ever wanted to. Not until him.
“You are perfect for me,” he said. “You are mine.”
Vrax’s hard cock was tucked between her thighs, her body humming in response. She was his, and somehow she always had been. The idea of belonging to him should have terrified her, but instead, it thrilled her. She wanted to be his and only his.
“Yes,” she managed to say between gasps.
He leaned her over farther and dragged the crown of his cock through her folds, her slickness mixing with the water.
Now, she thought. I need you now.
Before she could take another breath, he thrust into her, lodging his rigid length fully and holding himself.
“So tight.” He used his hand to tilt her hips higher and thrust even deeper.
Tori dragged her hands down the tiles, her moans mingling with the sound of the rushing water and the slapping of skin as he pounded inside her. His hand moved from her hip around to her clit, which he circled as he continued driving himself deep.
Her mind was a tangle of his need and her desire, the emotions almost too much for her. She cried out as her body contracted, quivered and pulsing around his cock. He roared as he hammered hard a few more times then held himself tight as he emptied into her.
Looping an arm around her waist, he leaned the other against the tile wall, holding her shaking legs up and keeping her from collapsing on the floor.
“We did it,” she said, after they’d both stopped breathing hard. “We escaped. We’re going back.”
His body tensed slightly and she felt his conflict. He buried his head in her neck again, kissing her softly. “We got your crew a ship.”
Butterflies swirled in her stomach. “Maybe.”
“What do you mean, maybe?” He turned her to face him, pressing her against the tile.
She shrugged, looking up to meet his desperate gaze. “I mean, I might not need a ship anymore. I know I won’t be going anywhere without you.”
“No?” His voice was thick with emotion.
“You go, we go,” she said. “Team motto. Besides, I’d never let a good fighter go. Especially after I’ve spent all this time training you.”
He raised an eyebrow. “You have been training me?” He lifted her up so that her legs wrapped around his waist, and his hands clutched her ass cheeks. “Maybe I need to remind you who is in charge?”
She growled as he crushed his mouth to hers, eager to continue their battle for command.
Epilogue
Holly stole a glance at the tall Crestek next to her, as she was hurried through the city. Screams and blaster fire came from outside the city walls, but she tried to ignore that and focus on the alien with his arm wrapped around her.
He was as big as the Dothveks, with broad shoulders that made his black cloak pull tight across his back. His hood had fallen back to reveal brown hair falling over his pointed ears, and amber eyes a warmer hue than his gold skin.
Definitely not human, but definitely hot.
She gave herself a mental shake, reminding herself that she wasn’t on a date, and he wasn’t a guy she’d picked up at an outpost. T’Kar was the alien she’d just agreed to marry in exchange for having Max released. It wasn’t a trade she regretted, but only because she knew her crew wouldn’t let it happen.
She’d made it perfectly clear that she expected a rescue when she’d said her farewells to her friends. And if there were any people in the universe she trusted, it was the other female bounty hunters she’d worked with for the past few years. They wouldn’t let her down, and they wouldn’t let her get married off to a total stranger.
She almost laughed at the idea of her getting married. Of any person she knew, she was probably the last one anyone would expect to settle down. Except maybe Tori, but Holly didn’t know if the Zevrian had any interest outside of battle, including men.
No, most would have considered Holly the last person they’d ever imagine getting hitched. It wasn’t that she didn’t like men. She liked them a lot. She just didn’t like sticking with one for more than around twenty-four hours. That usually worked out well, considering how quickly she and her bounty-hunter crew darted in and out of places. Sure, she had some men she saw every time her ship stopped on their planet, but then she’d been gone again before they could get attached.
As far as she was concerned, she had the perfect setup. Lots of different men to keep her from getting bored, lots of great sex, and no feelings to get bruised. She glanced over at T’Kar again. She had a feeling that arrangement wasn’t what he had in mind when he’d agreed to take her for a mate.
They crossed a square with a tree blooming from the center, blue branches reaching to the sky. Holly looked up at a tall cylindrical building and at the rotund Crestek emerging from it, draped in purple robes.
T’Kar stiffened beside her, his arm gripping her a bit tighter. “We are going upstairs
to my chambers.”
The alien’s brow furrowed. “But your father has requested your presence in his office.”
“My father can wait while I make our guest comfortable,” T’Kar told him, his words clipped.
The Crestek in purple glanced at her. “This is the female you are taking as a mate?”
T’Kar did not answer, pushing past him and taking her inside the building. She turned to him as he led her up a ramp that encircled the inside of the building. “I guess you’re weirded out by the idea of marrying a stranger, too?”
He paused and looked down at her. “I do not know what ‘weirded out’ means.”
“Don’t worry,” she said. “I’m sure we’ll have some time to get to know each other, first.”
As if I’ll be here that long, she thought to herself.
A sound from behind them made Holly turn. Purple Cloak was following them, a strange expression on his face. When he saw that she’s caught him, his gold skin mottled pink.
“Did you have something else you needed to say?” T’Kar asked the man.
The alien shifted from one foot to the next. “Just that you won’t.”
“Won’t what?” Holly asked.
“Have time to get to know each other first,” the Crestek said, a gleam of satisfaction in his eye. “Wedding preparations have already begun.”
“What?” She stared from one Crestek to the other. “So this wedding will happen…?”
“Today,” the round alien said, dropping his gaze to the floor.
Heat pulsed off the huge alien beside her, his hand slipping to her bare arm, and his touch scorched her skin. She pulled away and peered up, meeting his hot gaze.
She was so screwed.
Thank you for reading TORMENT!
If you liked this alien barbarian romance, you’ll love TRIBUTE. Holly is not the marrying type, but the alien she agreed to get hitched to doesn’t seem to believe her. Tall, dark, and serious might be hot, but this engagement isn’t real. Right?
One-click TRIBUTE Now>
“This action-movie of a story would win an Oscar for best screenplay if it was ever on the big screen. It held my attention (and sometimes my breath) all the way to the end.”-Amazon Reviewer
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Preview of TRIBUTE: Barbarians of the Sand Planet Book 4
Chapter 1
Holly stepped into the suite and let out a sigh of relief. She’d been hurried through the Crestek city so quickly, she’d barely had time to register much, except for lots of stone buildings with the occasional awning or parapet extending over a courtyard. After rushing into a tall cylindrical building and up a spiraling ramp, they’d finally reached a heavy door that had swung open without being pushed.
The spacious room behind it was a far cry from a prison cell or even one of the barbarian tents in the desert. Holly nodded appreciatively as she took in the sunken sitting area surrounding an open fire and sheer ivory drapes as room dividers. Unlike the earthy and vibrant colors in the Dothvek oasis village, this room was all sleek lines and neutral-colored stone. It even smelled crisp—like rain over cut grass.
“You should be comfortable here.” The deep voice behind her made her spin around and put a hand to her heart.
“Don’t sneak up on me like that,” she said.
The tall Crestek studied her. “I did not sneak. I was behind you the entire time.”
“Then you’re really quiet. That’s something you share with the Dothveks then. Those guys can move like shadows.”
Something flickered behind his eyes, and Holly wondered if that had been the wrong thing to say. She did know that this guy was a Crestek, and the Dothveks and Cresteks were mortal enemies, despite the fact that they looked almost identical. That was something she definitely wasn’t going to point out.
“Can I get you anything?” he asked.
“No, thank you.” Keep it polite, she told herself. Let him think you’re going along with it.
He inclined his head slightly, but his eyes didn’t leave her face.
Holly swallowed hard. So, this was the alien she’d promised to take as a mate. His black cloak hugged his huge frame more than the other of his kind, and his amber eyes flashed as he watched her. She considered herself something of an expert on men, and there was something more primal about this guy than he let on.
She jerked her gaze away and walked across the room. She was still coming to terms with her impulsive decision and the reality of now being trapped inside the Crestek city. At the time, it had seemed like a good idea to volunteer to take Max’s place, especially after she saw the way Max and Kush looked at each other. No way was she going to let them be driven apart. Not if she could help it.
Besides, she knew her girls would break her out before anything crazy happened. If the bounty hunter babes were good at anything, it was nabbing people.
A sharp knock on the door made her turn her head. The old man who’d brokered the deal to take her strode into the room, smiling as if he was joining a cocktail party and not checking on a new captive.
“I hope you find your suite to your liking, my dear,” he said, then turned to his son without waiting for her answer. “I will send up some attendants to ready you both.”
“Ready us?” T’Kar tilted his head at the elder Crestek. “What do we need to be ready for? I thought our forces were still fighting off the enemy attack.”
“Yes, yes,” his father waved a hand to dismiss his concerns. “That’s why we need to move quickly. We need to formalize the bond before those barbarians change their mind and use the chaos to their advantage.”
T’Kar folded his arms over his sizable chest. “I do not understand.”
His father sighed. “The bonding ceremony between you and the offworlder. It will take place now.”
“Now?” Holly’s voice sounded shrill, even to her own ears. She was getting married to a total stranger right now? She’d assumed she’d have time to get to know the guy first, not to mention get her ass busted out by her crew.
The chancellor swiveled his gaze to her, his slippery smile wide. “Do you have a problem with that my dear? I’m sure there’s still time to bring back your friend and rescind the agreement.”
Holly bit back a smart-ass reply. She’d better be nice if she wasn’t getting out anytime soon. And she definitely didn’t want them dragging Max back in her.
She gave him a smile equally bright and insincere. “No problem at all.”
As the elder left in a flourish of swirling silver robes, she steadied her breath.
Stay calm, she told herself. You’ll figure a way out of this. You always do. So, you have to get hitched to tall, dark, and hooded. It’s not the end of the world. You’ve dated worse. It’s not like your husband-to-be isn’t incredibly hot.
Her internal dialogue wasn’t helping her calm down, since it just reminded her that she’d agreed to marry a total stranger. Seriously, what had she been thinking? Was she really going to go through with this? Did she have a choice?
She glanced around the room. No exits except the heavy door that her intended stood in front of. She gulped as she took in his impressive bulk and wondered what else was under that cloak.
For fuck’s sake, Holly. Stop thinking about the hot alien and start thinking about how to get yourself out of this mess.
T’Kar locked eyes on her, one slash of an eyebrow twitching up, and for a moment she wondered if she’d said that aloud. Her pulse quickened.
Shit. Holly had known a lot of men in her day, but she’d never met one who could make her stomach do flips with a single look. Too bad she didn’t know if this was a good sign or very bad one.
Girl, you are in so much trouble.
Chapter 2
T’Kar stormed down the hallway, his boots echoing off the st
one walls and his long cloak snapping around his heels. He did not pause to knock when he reached the door, pushing hard on the massive wooden door to enter the room.
The old man at the long table glanced up at the intrusion, his lined face creasing into a flicker of a smile, before he dropped his head once more. He waved T’Kar forward, even though the motion was unnecessary. T’Kar was already barreling toward him, his face flushed.
“I trust you have settled the female into your suite,” T’Kar’s father said, his voice flat as he scanned the papers spread out in front of him.
T’Kar ignored the non-question. “What is this about the wedding taking place now?”
The Crestek chancellor didn’t bother to raise his head again. “I thought it was perfectly obvious. We need to secure the arrangement before those barbarians come get her.”
T’Kar flinched at his father’s classification of the Dothveks—the sand-dwelling warriors they shared a common, if distant, ancestry with. He’d heard his father’s warnings all his life about the brutal barbarians who dwelled on the sands and desired nothing but war. Recently, though, he’d come in contact with a Dothvek and had found the warrior to be nothing like he’d been taught. It had only increased his curiosity about his distant relatives and proven to him that his father’s fears were unfounded.
“We have no indication they’ll come after her,” T’Kar said. “The female volunteered to come with us and the Dothveks agreed to the agreement. They have no reason to break the truce, especially not after we fulfilled our side of the bargain and helped beat back the ship of offworlders.”
His father shook his head and gave him a look as if he was a simpleton. “You think the barbarians need a reason to attack? They are brutes who are always looking to spill blood—Crestek blood. No, they will attack and try to claim the female for themselves.” He waved a spindly hand in the air. “Not that I blame them. They have as few females as we do.”
