Acting Out (3 page)

Korian had taken several steps backward in surprise as she
had continued to poke his chest during her tirade. She was gratified to see him
hold his hands up in the universal gesture of surrender and his features turn
contrite. “My apologies, Jessica. I can only blame my poor manners on lack of
sleep and extreme stress, because I can think of no other reason for my lapse.
You are absolutely right, of course. You have been very understanding and
incredibly flexible considering your circumstances, and I am being a poor host
and behaving dishonorably. Will you forgive me and allow us to start this
discussion over?”

Jessica absently massaged her sore finger and nodded her
head sharply. “Of course, I will. It’s not lost on me that I’m at your mercy
and dependent on you, but I’d hoped that we could work together to make this
experience as painless as possible.”

Relief swept over his face and he again indicated for her to
walk with him. He led her through two more rooms until they arrived at a glass
enclosure that offered a breathtaking view of verdant lawns decorated with lush
foliage, vibrant blooms, and fruit-laden trees. Korian gestured expansively
toward the vista and asked, “Would you care to stroll the gardens while we discuss
the finer points of your visit?”

Jessica took a deep breath and slowly let it back out and
willed her temper to settle. “That would be lovely, thank you,” she replied,
her tone civil if a bit stiff.

Pressing his palm to a sensor by the door panel, he allowed
her to pass before him and then joined her on a pebbled path. The air was mild,
if a bit cool in the fading light of the twin suns overhead, but it was
perfumed with the intoxicating aromas of exotic flowers and ripened, sweet
fruit. Jessica had to admit that T’Kala was beautiful and appealed to her love
of nature.

After several moments of tense silence, Korian began to
speak. “You know, you made a very good point back there, and I’m not just
referring the one poking me in the chest,” he teased her lightly.

She looked up at him and quirked her lips. “Really? I
thought all of them were good points. For the sake of argument, which one do
you mean specifically?”

His chuckle was deep and rumbly and sent Jessica’s stomach
in flutters of excitement. “The one where you stated so eloquently that you
were receiving no compensation or incentive for agreeing to help me. It was
selfish on my part to assume that you would just do as I demanded. I have no
access to Earth funds, so I am not sure what I can offer to entice you.”

Now this was familiar ground to Jessica. Even though her
agent and publicist handled most of the business end of her career, she still
had a lot of practice in making her demands and ensuring she got them. While
she thought over her options and what she wanted most out of this ordeal, she
bought herself time by stopping to smell a bell-shaped flower that was
blood-red in color. She hummed with appreciation at the scent that reminded her
of vanilla and sandalwood.

Korian, watching the enigmatic human closely, reached
forward and plucked it from its stalk and handed it to her. “This bloom is
called
thalia
and it is the favorite base for many of our female’s
colognes. Its vibrant color is rivaled only by that of your hair,” he commented
gallantly.

Jessica tossed her wavy, scarlet mane behind her shoulder
and eyed him skeptically. She wasn’t sure what to make of this man. One moment,
he was flirting shamelessly, the next he was belligerent and arrogant, and the
next he was courtly and effusive. It made Jessica long to see beneath the
layers of his masks to the real man underneath.

She decided to let his pretty flattery go unnoticed for the
moment, though she did tuck the bloom behind her ear in order to enjoy its
scent. “Let’s cut to the heart of the matter, Korian. You need me in order to
carry out your plan. You need me to play a role, and I am prepared to do that,
but I get paid very well to do the same thing on Earth. I am open to
negotiating our contract, so why don’t you tell me what you expect of me first,
and then I will counter with my own demands?”

Jessica thought she saw a flash of disappointment cross his
features, but he quickly schooled his expression as he considered her words.
“Very well. As you know, many members of our ruling class have recently become
enamored with the Earth film
Taking Heat
. I regret to admit that I have
not seen it myself, but my advisors have assured me that it is the favorite
entertainment at their gatherings. It is quite rare that broadcasts from Earth
are available this far away, but it was procured by a noble named Rox’Ana
Ful’Tera. She is the most influential and powerful of all the territory
delegates, and I suspect, the instigator of unrest that has swept through the
ruling class.”

“What leads you to suspect that it’s Roxanne that’s behind
this?” she asked, more to distract herself from the impulse to belt out the
famous song by The Police than out of sheer curiosity.

Korian reached up to run his hand through his shaggy mane
and confessed, “It may have to do with the fact that Rox’Ana suggested an
alliance through marriage to her daughter, and I flatly refused it. She was
quite vocal in her animosity towards me when I foiled her plan to get closer to
the throne.”

Jessica snorted rudely. “Gee, ya think? What was the matter
with her daughter? Is she ugly? Too fat? Too skinny?” she guessed, feeling a
vengeful glee at the thought that he had turned her down.

Korian shot her a peeved look and replied, “Not at all.
Actually, she is a celebrated beauty throughout our circles and she already has
numerous suitors lined up to take my place.”

She scowled at his words and huffed, “Then what’s the
problem? If she’s so wonderful, then why did you turn down your shot at first
dibs?”

“I do not know what these ‘dibs’ are that you speak about,
but I will confess that I find her to be incredibly dull. Every time I have
tried to speak to her, she only wishes to talk about frivolous pursuits. The
last time I saw her, I actually fell asleep while she droned on and on about
shopping markets she visited when she traveled to Mamaxon, one of the ruling
planets of the Great Alliance,” he explained, his pale eyes rolling with
sarcasm.

“Fine, so she’s boring. Political matches on my planet have
been made for thousands of years regardless of feelings, so why not just marry
the girl and secure your throne that way? Seems like it would be a lot easier
than kidnapping an Earthling celebrity and concocting this elaborate scheme,”
Jessica shot back.

Korian pinned her with his gaze until Jessica came to a full
stop and turned to face him. “Warrior kings have never taken a lifemate based
on such matters, and I will not be the first to start. If I give the nobles
this victory, it will only feed their greed for more power until they take the
throne and relegate the warrior class to mere infantry. No, I will do as my
forebears have done and seek my lifemate with my body, heart, and mind united.
It is the only way for a T’Kalan warrior.”

Jessica swallowed thickly and pressed her hand against her
pounding heart. After several tense moments, she finally replied, “Okay, then.
So, what do you need me to do?”

Korian’s body slowly eased closer to her own, closing the
gap between them. “In two days’ time, I have planned for a gathering in my home
for all the most powerful of my delegates and nobles in order to view this
movie. At its conclusion, I will present you as our guest of honor. While they
are distracted with your presence, my spies will be able to infiltrate their
offices and homes in search of evidence. Of course, should you agree, I would
also like you to ask leading questions and see if you are able to glean
anything of use on your own.”

Jessica’s body swayed closer as she fell a little deeper
into his gaze. “I see. So, I am to dazzle them with my exotic alien celebrity
while secretly playing your spy, too?”

“Mmm-hmm,” he hummed, his hand coming up to finger a flaming
lock of her hair. “If you affect them half as much as you do me, then they will
have no choice but to tell you whatever you wish to know.”

“Flattery will get you everywhere,” she teased him slyly. “Though
it’s not enough to gain my compliance. I assume you will also want me to accept
their invitations and make the rounds to their homes, too?” When he nodded in
confirmation, she continued, “That means that I will be very busy over the next
few weeks. However, I wish to see more of your world and to meet more of your
people. I also want to see my warriors and spend time with Mahoney before I
have to leave.”

His jaw clenched and his eyes hardened, but he tipped his
head sharply. “Agreed. I will arrange for an escort to accompany you-“

Jessica cut him off with a pointed finger and interrupted,
“Oh, no you won’t. I am not a child to be babysat. I want to have fun while I am
here, and having one of your men report back to you my every movement is not
part of the deal. I will agree to a driver for the transport only, but he stays
with the conveyance.”

Korian’s expression turned dark. “It is my duty to ensure
your safety, Jessica. Should something happen to you while under my
protection-“

“Oh, have no fear, King Korian,” she cut him off again. “If
I am not with Mahoney, then I will likely be with one of my other warriors, so
I will be very safe. In fact, Zandar has invited me to view the stars from his
observatory.”

“It is not the stars he wishes you to observe,” he snarled,
snagging her arm to pull her into his chest. “Surely you are not so naïve as to
believe such a tale.”

Jessica’s body molded to the hard contours of his and she
peeked at him through her eyelashes. A wild and dangerous feeling sparked
inside her and she decided to see how far she could push the warrior king. “Who
said I believed it? Maybe I want to experience what he has to offer. He is a
handsome, virile man and I am an unattached female looking to have some fun.
Why shouldn’t I take him up on his offer?”

His arm was like a steel band around her waist as he dragged
her up his body until their faces were aligned. “He will not touch you,” he
snarled. “I will challenge any of them that dare to try.”

Jessica sucked in a breath at his savage words, but she met
him halfway as he crushed his lips to hers in a hard, punishing kiss. Her hands
trailed over his shoulders until her fingers tangled in the soft strands of his
black hair that feathered across his nape as his tongue forced its way into her
mouth to conquer and claim her own. Her pulse raced through her veins, sending
heat spiraling low in her belly, at the feel of his rough strength holding her
aloft from the ground. She could feel the thick, iron bar of his arousal
pressing against her and she arched against him to feel even more. He growled
low in his throat and nipped her bottom lip until she whimpered in need.

“Korian, please,” she whispered into the night air as he
trailed his way down the fragile column of her neck.

He shuddered against her and moaned softly against the pale
skin beneath her ear. “Tell me, Jessica. Promise me that none of them will
touch you this way. Tell me that none of them will taste the sweetness of your
lips or feel your breasts crushed against their chests. I do not wish to
challenge my men to combat over you.”

She threw her head back as he continued to kiss and bite his
way down her throat. She reveled in his possessive attention, but she had to
hear the words from him, too. “Only if you are willing to take their place,”
she demanded breathlessly.

His body froze against her and his exhaled breath gusted
hotly against her collarbone. “I cannot promise that, my
thalia
.” He
slowly released her and steadied her until she regained her equilibrium. “I
should not have taken such liberties with you as I just did and I apologize for
allowing myself to be carried away. I cannot afford to be distracted at this
time, even for a beautiful female such as yourself. There is too much at risk
and dangers are all around. Between the nobles out to take the throne, and the
impending threat of invasion, it would be disastrous for me to split my
attention even further.” He cupped her face in his large palm and searched her eyes.
“Please tell me you understand, Jessica.”

Jessica felt like she had been hit with a bucket of ice
water. She blinked her eyes rapidly to keep the angry tears at bay and choked
on the bitter rejection that threatened to burn her alive. Knocking his hand
away from her face, she answered coldly, “So what exactly is it you want me to agree
to, Korian? That you can’t have me, so no one else can, either?
Fuck that.
I’ll
make no such promises, and you’re in no position to dictate what I do with my
own body. You may have me prisoner here for the next month, but I am still free
to decide who I give myself to. If I want to go out and screw every one of my
warriors, I will do so if I choose.” She ignored his thundercloud expression
and continued, “I’ll play the part you want me to play, and I’ll do my best to
achieve your goals, but the rest of my time is my own and I’ll do whatever I
want and see whomever I please, and if you dare try to stop me, I will make you
regret that you ever laid eyes on me.”

She turned on her heel and stalked away, pausing only long
enough to pluck the flower from her hair and toss it at his feet. Thankfully,
the door panel opened at the press of her palm and she fumed and cursed his
name all the way back to her room.

Korian grunted with effort as he pummeled the training bot
until it fragmented beneath his bloody knuckles and did not rise again. Sweat
poured down his body and he swiped it irritably out of his eyes as he kicked at
the pile of broken and splintered parts that disintegrated under the wrath of
his fists. Even with his muscles screaming and his breath heaving in and out
like bellows, he still felt the overwhelming need to punish and destroy. What
he really wanted was Zandar Nic’Omar broken and bloody at his feet instead of
the training bot, but he just as quickly dismissed the idea as it floated
through his mind. Zandar was a faithful warrior and lieutenant of his flagship,
The Ax’Sandre
, and the king could not allow his petty jealousy to
tarnish his feelings for his brother in arms.

Instead, he wiped his face down with a towel, and shouted,
“Command, initialize another training bot.”

A computerized male voice replied, “Affirmative.
Additionally, Captain Mikael R’Varsel requests an audience and awaits your
decision.”

Korian lowered his eyebrows in consternation, but then his
expression cleared. “Command, terminate request for training bot and grant
entrance to Captain R’Varsel to the training room.”

He grinned as the panel slid open to allow the tall, muscled
warrior entrance. Though similar in coloring to Korian, the Captain was several
inches taller and narrower of shoulder, yet his body was still corded with
muscle. His hair was shorn closer to his scalp and his face sported a trim and
roguish beard that did little to hide his scowl and foul mood. Even though
Korian could tell that his old friend wasn’t happy to be there, he still paused
to clasp his hand to his heart in the warrior salute and Korian returned it
automatically.

“Though the hour is late for a visit, your timing is
opportune, old friend,” Korian greeted the other male. “I find myself in need
of a sparring partner.”

Mikael cast his gaze at the remains of the broken training
bot and arched his eyebrow. “I am of a mind to take you up on your offer, my king,
especially since I was roused from my bed by my angry lifemate.”

Even though Korian knew what prompted this visit, he decided
to play ignorant. “She must not have been too angry, or you would likely be
headed to the medi-unit instead of barging into my home in the middle of the
night,” he taunted the older man.

Mikael growled his reply as he stripped off his shirt and
began to twist and flex to warm up his muscles. “You are lucky that you are not
in need of a medi-unit yourself. I had to use all my powers of persuasion to
keep Katsuko from coming here herself. She was most upset on behalf of her
friend after receiving a transmission from her this eve. I only managed to
convince her to allow me to come in her stead.”

“Then consider me in your debt, warrior, for I have seen the
damage that your Mahoney can inflict on unsuspecting males and it would only
undermine my throne further to be bested by your female. Come take her place,
then, Mikael, and let us take our frustrations out on one another,” the king
beckoned his warrior.

“With pleasure,” the captain growled as he charged at the
shorter man.

The sound of their flesh impacting echoed in the large room
like a sonic boom when their bodies collided. Mikael got in a good punch to
Korian’s gut and the king grinned as he doubled over in pain even as he reached
down to grab the taller man’s foot and heaved him backward until he lost his
balance and crashed to the floor. Korian followed him down and rained hard
blows on the captain’s face until Mikael cracked him in the temple with a hard
elbow and sent him sprawling.

Mikael gained his feet and casually wiped away the trail of
blood trickling from his swollen nose. “Perhaps I have knocked some sense into
you, Korian, for I mean to know why Jessica MacGregor contacted my lifemate
with angry tears streaming down her face.”

Korian felt the warrior’s words like a blow to his face. He
scrambled to his feet as the bigger man stalked him and looked for an opening
for another attack. “It was not my intention to upset her, Mikael. It was only
a misunderstanding,” he tried to explain.

Mikael swung for his face and Korian just barely managed to
dodge the blow and felt the force of his swing in the air that blew his hair
back from his sweaty face. “Misunderstanding? What part of your conversation
did she misunderstand? Was it the part where you threatened the Warrior Challenge
on any warrior that so much as touched her, or the part where you led her into
believing you wished to join your body with hers moments before rejecting her
altogether?” he snarled as he finally landed a blow to the king’s nose.

Korian heard the crunch of cartilage and his head snapped
back. Even as the pain exploded behind his eyes, he embraced it. He knew he
deserved every bit of the punishment that Mikael could dish out, but he still
charged forward and tackled the other man to the ground and delivered a
punishing fist into his kidney. The fight continued in earnest as the two
warriors traded blows, rolling around on the springy flooring and escaping
chokeholds until they were both dripping with sweat and blood.

Finally, Korian held up his hand and called, “I yield, Mikael.”

Mikael immediately lowered his fists and relaxed the tension
in his body. Limping over to the coolant case, he extracted two containers of
zala
water and passed one to his liege. Korian accepted the offering with good
grace and slid down the wall until his bottom was flush with the floor and his
friend followed suit.

As if they hadn’t just spent the better part of the last
hour fighting, Korian picked up on their conversation where it left off. “I
didn’t mean for that to happen, Mikael, I swear it to you. I am still not sure
what came over me. She was just standing there in my garden, her hair floating
on the breeze like living flame, and blithely informing me that she wished to
spend time alone with
her
warriors. The thought of Zandar Nic’Omar with
his hands all over her drove me to madness. And then for her to offer herself
to me instead? I thought I had died and gone to the stars.”

Mikael swished the water around in his mouth and swallowed
before answering. “I do not see the problem here, my king. I would have given
anything for Katsuko to fall into my bed so easily. Why do you hold yourself
back from taking what she offers you?”

Korian banged his head on the wall a few times before he
finally replied, “I cannot afford the distraction she poses, Mikael. There is
danger all around me from within my court and from enemies with stolen cloaking
tech, and I know that if I get just one taste of the sweet nectar between her
thighs, I will never wish to come back up for air. She will be here for only a
short time before she leaves for her own world again and I do not want any
feelings of attachment to complicate her mission here.”

The stern captain shot his friend a disbelieving look. “From
what I am hearing from you both, there seems to already be ‘feelings of
attachment.’ Why do you insist that she must return home at the end of the
month? I have spent much time with Jessica MacGregor and she is kind and
compassionate, not to mention highly intelligent and capable. She would be a
welcome addition to our citizenry should she wish to stay, and I know that my
own lifemate would be thrilled to have her here. The unmated warriors aboard my
ship are all half in love with her, so if you do not wish to take her for your
own lifemate at the end of her captivity, then she will not be short of
suitors.”

Korian growled and crushed the container in his bruised and
bloodied fist. “You do not need to remind me that other males lust for her. She
has made that point more than clear,” he snarled.

Mikael couldn’t hide the gleeful grin that spread across his
face and caused the split in his lip to seep fresh blood. “Then you should
claim her for your own, Korian. You could do no better than the Earthling for a
mate. She has already proven her loyalty and devotion to our people through her
service aboard
The Ax’Sandre,
and if you swear not to repeat these words
to Katsuko, I will also add that she is exceptionally beautiful. You cannot
have it both ways, my friend. Either you claim her for yourself, or you allow
her the freedom to choose another.”

Korian groaned and rubbed his face with exhaustion. “It is
not as easy as you make it sound, old man. I am too young and my reign on the
throne is too unstable at present to take a mate. Yet the thought of her in
another warrior’s arms makes me want to tear apart rocks in my hands. I confess
that I do not know what to do about the frustrating human.”

Mikael moaned in pain as he hauled himself to his feet and
offered his hand to help leverage the king to his feet. When they were both
standing, Mikael gripped the younger man’s shoulder companionably and met his
eyes. “I can advise you on many things when it comes to war and strategy, my
king, but when it comes to women? I can only say that if you want her badly
enough, you will find a way. May the stars shine wisdom down upon you, Korian.”
He turned to walk away, but stopped to face his king once more. “But I fear I
must warn you of this. Should you make Jessica MacGregor cry again, it will be
Katsuko that you will have to explain your actions to next time, not me.”

The captain saluted his king once more and limped out the
door to head back to his home. Korian cringed at the thought of having to face
the fierce Earth warrior. He had watched enough of the security footage from
the ship to know that he could not be 100% confident that he would come out the
victor in such a fight. With his shoulders slumped and his head ringing with
pain, he exited the training room and made his way back to his room. Alone.