Acting Out (6 page)

Before Jessica could even think to formulate a reply, Korian
swooped in and staked his claim with his lips and tongue and teeth. His mouth
tasted like sin with a mixture of wine and something sweet and she chased the
flavor with her tongue. Jessica moaned into his mouth, her hands sliding up the
plains of his chest as his traveled down hers, both of them frantic with lust
as they gripped and squeezed until they were panting into each other’s mouths.

Korian kissed his way over to her ear and growled, “Take off
your dress before I rip it in two with my hands.”

Jessica sucked in a breath and her stomach swooped with
anticipation. With shaking hands, she reached up to her shoulders and pressed
the latches that kept her dress secured her body. With a soft
swish
of
fabric, the emerald green gauze fell to the floor at her feet, leaving her
standing in nothing but her thong underwear and high-heeled shoes. She heard
Korian groan as she braced her back against the window and presented herself,
unashamed, for his perusal.

“Your skin glows as if the light of the stars live inside
you,” he murmured, his hand reaching out to brush against her puckered nipple
with his knuckles.

Jessica gasped as her body’s pale skin began to flush with
heat as if his words were the spark to the gasoline of her desire. Never in her
life had any man looked at her and seen past her starlet persona and into the
soul of the most secret and primal parts of herself. No man had ever kissed her
as if he were trying to consume her through his lips and make her believe that
he would die without the taste of her on his tongue. Until Korian. Within weeks
of her meeting him for the first time in Mikael’s hospital room, she had fallen
for him a little bit more with each meeting. She reveled in his possessive
touch, thrilled at the control over the power he held as king, and craved his
jealous passion. She also trusted the intelligence of his mind, his innate
sense of honor, and the gentleness of his touch on the youngling companion. She
wanted him, badly, and she thought she may not be able to take it if he refused
her again.

Korian reached his hand out and began to trace the flush
with the palm of his hand as it spread from her belly and up into her breasts.
“See how your body responds to me? Your skin is so hot, it turns pink for me.
Let me see if I can set you on fire until you burn,” he purred, as he wrapped
his arm around her waist and pulled her up his body until she was pinned
between his chest and hips and the sun-warmed glass.

Her back was arched across his arm, pressing her breasts up
in the air, and Korian took advantage. He swiped the flat of his tongue across
a nipple, and then blew cool breath across it until it hardened into a painful
peak. Her body jerked when he latched his hot mouth around it and sucked the
point deep and pulled.

“God! Korian!” she cried out. Her fingers wound into the
soft strands of his black hair and she held him to her chest as he continued to
nurse before pulling back to gently clamp the tip between his teeth. He was
driving her crazy with only his mouth on her breast, and her fingers began to
scramble with the closures on his uniform in her haste to get to his skin.
“Take it off! For God’s sake, take this off so I can touch you!” she demanded
as her hips rolled forward of their own accord.

Korian switched to the other breast and subjected it to the
same treatment. “Closures are on the front,” she though she heard him say
around his mouthful.

She desperately clawed at his chest and at his neck until
her fingertips caught the latch, and his jumpsuit parted across his torso. He
reluctantly released her and set her feet back on the ground long enough to
allow her to pull it down until it hung around his knees. Before he could get
his hands back on her, though, she stopped him with a hand to his chest.

“Oh, no. It’s
my
turn, now,” she drawled, her hand
running down the center of his chest. His muscles jumped under her fingertips
as she traced and trailed over the ridges and valleys of his abdomen before
slowly continuing unerringly down to where his shaft strained, hard and thick,
against the fabric of his tight shorts. He snarled like a beast when she boldly
gripped his length in her hand through the material and
squeezed
.

“Jessica, do not tease me right now. It will not go well for
you,” he warned her, his voice taught with strain.

A spark of excitement lit in her eyes and she licked her lip
as their eyes held while waiting for her decision. Her fingers flexed around
him and then moved up to the tip, before reversing and sliding back down slowly
until she held the weight of his sack in her hand. A thrill of triumph shot
through her veins like heroin, sending her body into a high of arousal, when
Korian snatched her hand and pulled her up against the glass with her arm
pinned over her head. He found her other hand and joined it with its twin until
her wrists were secured by one big paw of his hand. His free hand crept down
her body until it reached the lace band of her thongs and bunched it up in his
fist.

“I will buy you as many of these as you want, because I plan
to rip these off of you any time I see you wear them,” he rumbled in her ear.

Jessica gasped, her breath pushing her breasts even tighter
to his chest when he suited action to his words and ripped the material from
her body. And then his hand was there, the heat of it warming the lips of her
sex. She was undeniably vulnerable beneath him with her arms pinned above her
head, her body nude, and his warrior-strong fingers gently parting her to dip
into the wet, swollen center of her. But she knew, in her gut, that she could
trust him. He would never hurt her, and in fact, cherished her with his words
and his actions.

“Do you want me, Jessica? Will you welcome me inside your
body, and allow me to fill you until our bodies become one?” he panted harshly
against her ear. His thick finger pushed inside her, its passage made easy by
her body’s excitement. She could only moan helplessly in reply as he swiftly
added another finger. She could feel his lips curl against the column of her
neck before he growled, “Your body has given me your answer, but your lips must
confirm it.”

Jessica dragged her eyelids open and her sapphire blue eyes
locked with his pale lavender ones. “God, yes, Korian. I thought you would
never ask.”

An earthquake of a tremor shook his body. He released her
wrists with one hand while his other pushed down the boxer briefs until his
shaft broke free. Jessica strained for a glimpse, but he was too fast for her.
He picked her up under her armpits and braced her against the window once more.
As if on instinct, her arms wound around his neck while her legs wrapped around
his waist as he moved in closer until his erection was a hot brand across her
sex. Time froze for a long moment as they teetered on the precipice, each of
them waiting for the other to change their mind. They answered at the same time
when their lips crashed against the each other and Korian thrust his hips until
he felt crown of his shaft slide inside her.

“Oh, my God,” Jessica moaned, her head hitting the window as
she threw her head back. There was a slight burn of stretching as he continued
to sink inside her and she scrabbled at his back with her nails as waves of
pleasure and pressure washed over her. When he paused, his breath ragged, she
hissed, “Don’t you dare stop now!”

His chuckle came out breathy and slightly hysterical. “I am
just being careful. I do not want to hurt you,
thalia
,” he explained on
a groan as he sank in further.

Jessica bumped her hips against him hard and Korian sank
into her to the hilt. Jessica cried out, fingers clutching his hair, and
gasped, “I don’t need careful from you right now, my warrior. I want to feel
every inch of you.”

Korian’s hands tightened around the firm handfuls of her ass
and pulled back before plunging in deeply again. “I thought you’d never ask,”
he parroted her words back to her as he leaned in to take her mouth with his
once more.

Their bodies moved together, a perfect symphony of want and
need, as she rocked into him while he thrust into her. Every part of her was
touching him, and she still couldn’t get enough of the man who had so
ruthlessly seduced her without knowing it. She had never felt so safe with
anyone in her life, even Mahoney, and she let go of her fears and allowed her
body to give in to the demands of his. Each plunge of his length inside her,
she felt him pushing her toward heaven and her body coiled tighter, jolts of
electric pain ratcheting her higher, until she felt as if her body would fly
apart at the seams.

Korian was panting in her ear, his deep voice whispering a
litany of dark desire. “I have wanted you from the moment I heard your laughter
while standing in the hallway of Mikael’s hospital room. But once I laid eyes
on you, I knew I had to have you. I was afraid of tasting you, Jessica, because
I knew that if I ever sank inside your body, once would never be enough. I was
right to fear you,
thalia
. For now, I do not believe that I will ever be
able to let you go.”

His whispered confession sent her over the edge and her body
seized in agonizing bliss as her climax sent her violently into convulsions of
pure ecstasy. Vaguely, she could hear him cursing in her ear as he pounded into
her until he came with a shout. His hips continued to jerk as her orgasm
squeezed and released him until he had emptied himself deep inside her.

Jessica’s body felt like jello and she gratefully sagged
against his strength while they fought to get their breaths back. Korian kissed
her neck lazily before darting his tongue out to taste the salt of her sweat.
She hummed in relaxed appreciation and combed her fingers through the soft
waves of his black hair. Eventually, he made his way up to her lips and sank
into her mouth for a long, luxurious kiss that made Jessica think of the cherry
on top of a sundae.

“I’m pretty sure that your guests are expecting me to come
back out there. The party is still in full swing,” she reminded him between
kisses.

He grumbled as he pulled back and rested his forehead
against her. “Why must duty always interrupt when I am least inclined to bother
with it?”

She laughed lightly, slapping his chest until he lowered her
back to the floor and steadied her until she had her feet under her. “I’m
pretty sure that’s part of your job description, King Korian. However, even
kings have to find their beds sometimes.”

His eyes flashed with renewed lust. “What if this king
wishes to find
your
bed later this evening?”

She picked up her gown and draped it over her arm and then
tucked the ruined scraps of her panties in his hand. Walking past him and
toward the discreet panel for the washroom, she tossed over her shoulder, “Then
I would just say that should you find my bed, I will be sleeping in it. Naked.”

She could barely suppress her laughter when she heard him
curse and then stumble as he tried to pull his jumpsuit back in place.

The next day, Jessica once again found herself sparring with
Mahoney. With repairs still being completed on
The Ax’Sandre
, Jessica’s
friend had some free time on her hands when she wasn’t training on systems
operations and working with the defense minister on programming new bots for
warfare. This meant that she got to spend more time with Jessica, putting her
through her paces, and grilling her for information. Jessica had tried to bring
her
bimbop
to keep them company, but the tiny defender grew increasingly
savage as Mahoney attempted to attack and teach her friend.

“Ow! That little shit just bit the snot out of me!” Mahoney
snarled, grabbing her foot to staunch the bleeding. “What the hell is its
problem?”

Jessica grimaced as she picked up the growling mass of fur
and cuddled it to her neck until it began to vibrate and make the sweet
burr
burr
sound she adored. “Sorry about that. Little Mahoney here is very
protective of me just like her namesake, aren’t you my little sweetie pie?” she
crooned, rubbing her fingertip over its nose.

Mahoney’s face turned grim and she put her hands on her hips
as she demanded, “Please tell me that you did not name that wolverine in
panda’s clothing after me. And what were you thinking buying a pet anyway? I
thought you were determined to go home at the end of the month. There’s no way
you’ll be able to take it with you.”

Jessica stalled on answering as she settled the creature
inside its crate and out of the line of sight. She shrugged with her back
turned to her friend and replied evasively, “Who knows? Maybe I might stay,
after all. Even if I don’t stay, I can leave her in good hands with Enahara.
She’s having a baby soon, and
bimbops
are fiercely protective of babies.
Besides, what better name could I give such a loyal and aggressively violent animal?”
she teased her warrior friend.

Mahoney studied her shrewdly as she sipped from her
container of water. They had been sparring for well over two hours already and
Jessica was already tiring. Abruptly changing the subject, she announced, “I
saw that you and Korian disappeared from the party last night together and were
gone for about an hour. You want to tell me what that was all about?”

Jessica struggled not to let the blush sweep up over her
cheeks, but it was a losing battle. “I don’t really think that’s any of your
business,” she replied, her tone peevish.

She jumped when Mahoney clapped her hands and shouted, “Ha!
I knew it! You and the king were knocking boots, weren’t you? As soon as I saw
his face last night, I had this feeling.”

A huge grin broke out over Jessica’s face and she
capitulated. “Okay, okay! Yes, we had sex, and it was passionate and amazing.
It was even better the second, third, and fourth time when he came to my room
last night after the guests had left. You happy now?”

Mahoney arched an eyebrow and crossed her arms. “It all
depends on what his intentions are towards you and what yours are toward him. If
you are both just enjoying each other’s company while you’re here on T’Kala,
that’s one thing. I’m just afraid that one or both of you are going to end up
hurt at the end of the month, and that would piss me off to no end. I really
don’t want to have to either commit regicide over your broken heart, or assault
with a deadly weapon over his.”

Jessica made a rude noise. “Bitch, please. You love me too
much to hurt me and you love your husband too much to hurt his king. I know how
to spot your empty threats by now, Mahoney. Besides, I’ve only been here in the
compound for less than a week, so how would I know if I have feelings for
Korian? The only thing I know for sure is that he can make me come-“

“Stop right there!” Mahoney interrupted her, holding her
hand out in warning. “I don’t need the gritty details of your sex life with my
king, thank you very much. I just worry about you, Jess, and I don’t want you
to get hurt.”

Jessica’s eyes dimmed as she replied, “I guess it doesn’t
matter if I do get hurt, though, does it? If I decide not to stay, they’ll
modify my memory before returning me back to Earth and I won’t remember any of
this. Not T’Kala, Mikael, Zandar, my
bimbop
, or Korian. It will be like
it never happened.”

Mahoney looped her arm around Jessica’s shoulders and pulled
her in for a side hug. “Don’t worry about that right now. If the worst happens
and you want to go back home, I’ll make sure that your memories stay intact if
that’s what you want. I just happen to know the Captain of the T’Kalan army,
and I’m pretty sure I can convince him to look the other way.”

Jessica squeezed her back with an arm around her waist and
rested her head on Mahoney’s shoulder as they walked toward the door. She
scooped up the little pet crate as she passed by and replied, “You’ve always
got my back, Mahoney. Thank you for being the best friend I’ve ever had.”

“You’re not too shabby yourself, Red,” she replied lightly,
as she nodded a stiff hello to Mantor as they passed him in the hallway. “By
the way, Mikael told me that your schedule has already been booked up for the
next two weeks with social gatherings thanks to Rox’Ana Ful’Tera. I can’t tell
you much about what was found by our spies, but I can tell you that she is a
nasty piece of work. You need to be on your toes and watch your back at all
times, you hear me?”

Jessica pressed her palm to the sensor outside her bedroom
door and Mahoney followed her inside. “Seriously, Mahoney, after all the
agents, publicists, paparazzi, bitchy costars, and Hollywood hangers-on, do you
really think that I can’t handle her? I’ll have her eating out of the palm of
my hand in no time.”

Mahoney cautiously watched as Jessica retrieved her new pet
from inside the crate, and eyeballed it for any imminent attack. When the
little fur ball just followed her friend around with a happy trot, she turned
her attention back to the conversation at hand. “I know that you know how to
talk to these kinds of people, but we’re talking about politics and revolutions
here, not blockbuster movies and top billing. The greed for power can make
people do desperate, and sometimes violent, things. You’ll be taking a warrior
escort with you, right?”

Jessica rolled her eyes and turned to her dresser to assess
her reflection. “Geez, Mom! No, I will not be taking an escort. The whole point
of this charade is to find out what she’s got up her sleeve. How am I supposed
to do that if one of the king’s men is at my side all the time? I’ll be fine,
Mahoney. I promise.”

Her friend didn’t look appeased at all. “I would still feel
better if you take someone you trust with you. What about Zandar? You two have
been quite chummy lately, and I know he would jump at the chance to be your
escort. With his sister being married to a noble, he would be able to blend
better than any other warrior.”

Jessica dropped her gaze and picked up her hairbrush to run
it through her long, scarlet waves. “It’s not fair to keep Zandar from his
duties every time I need to go to a party. Rox’Ana has nothing more nefarious
planned for me than squiring me around P’Hartha to parade me before her noble
friends. The only thing I’m in danger of is being bored out of my mind.”

When Mahoney didn’t reply right away, Jessica finally met
her friend’s exotically-slanted Asian gaze in the mirror. She could see the
steel of determination in her eyes, and she had a feeling that Mahoney was
getting to her real point. “You know that Zandar’s falling for you, right? I’ve
seen that look in his eyes reflected back at me from Mikael’s, and the only
thing holding him back is the fact that you are under his king’s protection.
Don’t lead him on if you don’t think you can feel the same way, Jessica. It’s
not fair to him, especially if your heart is leading you in a different
direction. He’s a good man and a strong warrior, and I would hate to see him
get his heart broken or incur the wrath of the king.”

Jessica turned to face her warrior friend and braced her
hands on the shelving behind her. “I know you’re right, Mahoney, but I care
about him, too. He is so warm and funny and courteous.” Jessica’s face
dissolved into sadness as she whispered, “I wish I could love him. He would
make any woman a wonderful lifemate.”

Mahoney stood to her feet and walked over to her friend and
squeezed her arm in understanding. “But he doesn’t make your pulse race or your
body burn, does he? Not like Korian does.”

Jessica shook her head miserably as a lone tear rolled down
her cheek. A sob caught in her throat and she threw her arms around her
athletically-toned friend. “What am I going to do, Mahoney? Even though Korian
is passionate and possessive, I have no illusions that he’ll want me for more
than the month. He already told me that he couldn’t afford to split his
attention at this crucial point in his reign. What if I am just a pleasant
diversion for him? Why couldn’t I have been attracted to Zandar? He’s already
made his intentions clear, and at least I would know what to expect from him.”

Mahoney patted her gingerly, her embrace awkward. Jessica
knew that her friend was uncomfortable with affection, but she couldn’t contain
her own need to touch those she loved and seek comfort from them in return.
Mahoney cleared her throat and pulled the actress away from her body so they
could look eye to eye. “Jessica MacGregor, you need to pull yourself together.
The question you should be asking yourself is not what Korian or Zandar wants,
but what do
you
want. What happened to the young starlet that hounded
the director for months until she landed the part in
Taking Heat
? What
happened to the fiery redhead that demanded a salary equal to her male costar
and got it? All you need to do is figure out what you want and don’t let
anything or anyone stand in your way. You may not carry a blade or know how to
fight, but by God, you are a warrior in your own right. Now, put your big girl
panties on and make shit happen.”

Jessica laughed and wiped her face until her tears were
gone. “You always know just what to say, Mahoney. You’re absolutely right! I
need to decide what it is I want from each of them, and make sure they fall in
line. You’re the best bestie that’s ever bested! I could just lay a big kiss
right on you.”

Mahoney took a big step back and held her hand up. “I’d
rather you didn’t. I don’t know where those lips have been, but I do know where
mine have been, and you’d probably rather not know where.”

Jessica cracked up as she waved her friend out of her room.
She felt energized and full of purpose once more. She had let herself doubt and
worry, but no more. She was proud and stubborn as only a Scottish woman could
be, and she was going to get what she wanted. She just had to figure out what
that was first.