Battling Rapture (9 page)

“Eat me,” she said.

“I plan to, but not just yet.”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

He shrugged. “Be careful what you ask for.”

He smiled, but there wasn’t anything humorous about the
situation. There weren’t many things an Ordanian could become addicted to. But
just the sight of her caused his body to shake. Maybe she was his addiction.
Certainly, her smell fed his craving. He wanted to go slowly with her, but his
body urged him to devour her. His instincts goaded him to consume her.

Her skin dazzled. Her shape beckoned. He wanted to mark her.
He took a step back. She twisted and turned with her head flung back as she
tried to wriggle from the binding. And her breasts. He closed his eyes for a
moment. He could spend a lifetime caressing them, kissing them, fondling them.

He needed a moment. If not, he would fall on her body, rip
those tiny green panties from her and—

“Did you fall asleep over there? If you let me go now, I’ll
forget about this.” Her tone was biting, yet still sexy as hell.

He had it bad. Rhine slowly came to grips with what was
keeping him rooted to the spot. If he wanted to mark her—and he really did—he
wasn’t planning on giving her up.

“Look, gigantosaurus, it’s kind of chilly in here. Either do
something or let me have my clothes.”

She wasn’t even nice to him.

He opened his eyes and stared at her. He didn’t mask his
emotions. He allowed everything he felt to show. She gasped and tried to scoot
up on the bed.

“Calling me names won’t stop the inevitable,” he said.

He climbed on the bed and caught her leg. He tugged her
toward him so she was lying flat on her back again. He pulled her panties from
her slowly, despite her jerking movements. They were already slightly damp and
her arousal prodded him to hurry. He tortured himself revealing her skin bits
at a time. When her slit came into view, he smiled at the smooth, bare flesh.
She fought him, but her folds told a different story.

They were plump, wet and, if he remembered correctly,
delicious. He discarded the scrap of fabric and buried his face in her pussy.
She was as spicy as her personality, but he caught the middle notes of
sweetness too. He inhaled deeply as he opened his mouth and began to lap at her
juices. His gaze travelled up over her firm, quivering stomach and heaving
breasts. Her eyes were locked on his face between her legs and the way she held
her bottom lip between her teeth forced him to double his efforts.

She could lie with her mouth all she wanted. She wanted him.
Her eyes said so. The tremble in her limbs said so. Every lick of his tongue
gathered moisture from her pussy and yet more appeared, racing toward his
waiting mouth, and tongue. Surely, he’d never encountered another woman as
continually drenched as this one. If he wasn’t the cause of it, he would be
after tonight.

She didn’t want to be touched, but her body craved it. He
planned on touching every inch of her and continuing to do so until she
automatically leaned into him when he neared. She’d already forced him to
desire her. To have any peace, he would have to train her to want him and only
him.

He pushed her unresisting thighs against the mattress and
kissed her pussy intimately. He tugged on the outer lips, nipping her slightly.
He almost smiled when the passion he could feel inside her flared higher. He
speared her canal with his tongue and was immediately rewarded as her muscles
tightened around his tongue and she produced more nectar, which he quickly
devoured. Her clit was prominent in its fleshy home and he considered its
plumpness an invitation.

He sucked her clit into his mouth and she moaned deeply. She
lifted her hips, thrusting against his suctioning mouth. He absorbed her
pleasure, monitoring it carefully. She gasped and moaned continuously now. He
had to be careful. He needed to bring her to the brink and not a step over.

“Oh, right there. I’m going to come,” she whispered.

He released her clit with a groan of his own. He kissed the
flesh of her inner thigh before doing the same to her belly and sides. If he
wasn’t going to feast on her pussy, he wanted to plunge his cock into her. But
he wouldn’t. Not until she asked.

“What are you doing? You aren’t finished.” Her voice was
plaintive and she bucked beneath him.

He ignored her words as he buried his face between her
amazing breasts. He slid his cheeks over each of her puckered nipples. The
contrast between the nipples’ texture and the smoothness of the globes of her
tits distracted him. He brought his hands up and molded each one. The contrast
between his lightly tanned skin and the golden-brown of her flesh fascinated
him. She was truly a delight for the eyes.

He brought his cock to rest along her pussy’s open lips and
rubbed. They moaned at the same time and he couldn’t resist capturing her
parted lips with his own. He kissed her, allowing his tongue to sink into her
mouth as he desperately wanted his cock to do with her pussy. She brought her
legs up slowly and pressed them against his ass.

She contorted and almost succeeded in creating the right
angle for him to enter her as he slid past the opening to her pussy. He
adjusted and moved one of his hands down to clutch at her ass. He pressed their
pelvises closer. He held her still. He paused in kissing her. Their mouths
remained desperately open as they panted into each other mouths in a failed
attempt to catch their breath.

He never slowed his hip movements, but he did knead the
roundness of her ass. The feel of it was just as amazing as her breasts. He
wondered if all the women from her planet were so ample and plush. Surely such
a small woman didn’t need so much cushion. He squeezed her again and she
gasped. He decided she was built for his pleasure. If everything else about her
delighted him, why wouldn’t her ass as well. He told her so.

“That’s stupid,” she gasped against his mouth. “And also
completely irrelevant. Why have you stopped?”

“You know why. I told you what I want from you.” He kissed
down her jawline and licked the side of her collarbone.

The slight saltiness of her skin pleased him. He kissed and
sucked her neck. He enjoyed every whimper she made. Then he realized his hip
movements were pushing her toward her climax. He abruptly stopped. It almost
killed him.

“No!” she screamed.

He bit down on her shoulder without breaking the skin. She
shuddered.

He lifted his head, and looked into her eyes. “Ask me for
what you want.”

She whimpered before leaning forward to rest her forehead
against his.

“It’s so easy. Just ask me to fuck you and I will slide into
you as slowly or swiftly as you like. I’ll rub your pretty clit for you and let
you come.”

Though he felt like taking what she so clearly offered, he
knew he must make it her choice in the end. He never wanted her to say the
decision wasn’t hers. Or worse, deny she’d wanted him later. Minutes ticked by
as he clutched her, fully conscious of his cock wedged between her folds,
dripping with her juices and his precum.

He sighed and began his tactile assault again. He pulled the
lobe of her ear into his mouth and sucked.

“Fine!” She took a deep breath. “Fine. Fuck me. Fast and
hard, please, since you’re taking requests.”

He smiled against her neck before shifting, aligning the
crown of his cock with her slippery opening. He kissed her lips and, honoring
her request, he pressed his entire length inside her. She bucked and cursed. He
paused for a moment to absorb the wonder and tightness of her inner walls. He
waited to determine if he’d hurt her.

She clenched her inner muscles and he nipped at her lower
lip in return before pulling his mouth away.

“Let’s go,” she said. Her legs tightened around his waist.

He hoped she was close. He wasn’t going to last long. He
pulled almost entirely out of her before slamming back in. The tight glove of
her cunt was tenacious in trying to suck him back.

“Yes,” she whispered.

He had his senses wide open to search her for signs of pain.
It was there, but fleeting, appearing as he drove home inside her, then
disappearing into tendrils of bliss. He imagined he felt every corner of her
pussy as the tight sheath nestled him each moment he was inside her. It was one
of the most decadent moments of his life, yet he knew he’d held out too long
and wouldn’t last much longer. Her pussy was just as snug as he remembered and
it felt as if she milked him, massaging the climax from him.

He moved his fingers to her clit, never ceasing the driving
force she’d asked for. He worked her button and was satisfied when he felt her
spasm around his cock. He didn’t let up, not the clit stimulation or his
thrusts. She screamed and the sound traveled down his spine and settled in the
base. He thrust twice more before pulling in as close to her as he could get.
He released his seed in jerks. His climax cascaded through him, almost painful
in its intensity.

He came down slowly, glad he had shielded her more fragile
body from his full weight even in the fuzzy aftermath of his climax.
Satisfaction coursed through him as he realized their sweaty bodies helped
their scents transfer. Not only would another hyper know she was his, they
would also know he was hers.

Her body still shuddered. He ignored his own desire to
recover and, propped on his elbows, released the tie from the headboard. He
didn’t unbind her wrists yet. As he massaged her arms, she quieted. Her last
shiver subsided, along with a deep sigh.

He kissed her and she allowed it. Her pussy tightened around
him and he savored the feeling before carefully sliding out of her. She winced
and he controlled the urge to wince with her.

“Give me a minute,” she said quietly.

She closed her eyes and was asleep in seconds. He unbound
her wrists and checked for damage. There was none. He gathered her close and
arranged them both on their sides so he could spoon behind her. He brushed
sweaty locks of hair from her face and concentrated on the feel of holding her
in his arms without her trying to break his nose or crush his balls. Certainly
he was making progress.

Chapter Five

“Niki.”

She opened her eyes. Her gaze locked with Rhine’s. He knelt
beside the bed. A lock of his hair nearly covered his amazing blue eyes and she
reached out without thinking, and pushed it behind his ears. The smile started
in his eyes. She groaned. These little tender moments needed to stop. She
rolled over on her back.

“You need to get up. The communicator will be finished
shortly.” He stood and loomed over her.

“Why are you so tall?” She was a little irritable. She
covered her eyes with her arm.

“Is that a real question?”

He moved around and she felt something drop on the blanket
which covered her. She looked down at the green dress and leggings she’d worn
earlier. She rolled her eyes and sat up. She tugged herself into the dress
sleepily and then went into the bathroom to brush her teeth and clean up a bit.
When she returned to the bedroom, he held out the leggings.

“Really?” she asked.

“Your legs must be covered.” His tone was harsh again.

This wasn’t the man who had worked her body so expertly a
few hours before. She snatched the leggings from him and put them on. Typical
man. They were all mercurial and bossy.

When she stood, he pulled her into his arms. She wouldn’t
admit it, but she really liked the way he smelled. Well, now that he didn’t
smell as if he’d just come from a strip club. Dancers. She stiffened and he
rubbed her back until she relaxed against him again.

“We have somewhere to be,” she reminded him.

He pulled away and she searched out her shoes. They walked
into Tor’s room. The communicator was smaller than she thought it would be,
considering all the work and parts that had gone into it.

“Are you ready, Niki?” Gunter asked.

She nodded. They turned the machine on.

“Put the private locator code in,” Tor told Olaf.

There was a pinging sound. “What is that?” she whispered.

“It is ringing,” Rhine said.

She had to admit, she’d expected the Contu guards to come
barging in and ruin all the men’s work. The screen changed from gray to full
color. A man’s face filled the space. She identified the blond man as Cam’s
husband, Lord Huntu. He was kind of scary looking up close.

“Where are you?” he said.

“We are guests in the Tuetvon fortress,” Rhine responded.

“Where are they? Do they have Niki?”

Niki’s head felt fuzzy as she heard Camryn’s voice.
Suddenly, her familiar face squeezed in next to her husband’s on the screen.
Her smile was the widest she’d ever seen.

Niki gazed at her for a moment, noticing how good she
looked. She looked happy. She finally remembered her purpose and signed, “Don’t
speak.”

Camryn blinked and signed back,” Okay.”

The men talked around Niki, but she ignored them and
concentrated on getting her message across.

Niki signed, “We are being held hostage. We are in danger.
Help.”

Camryn’s eyes rose from Niki’s hands and Niki recognized the
expression in her big, brown eyes. That was fury at its best.

Camryn signed, “Somebody’s going to die.”

Niki laughed. She couldn’t help herself. She felt tears at
the back of her eyes and breathed through the urge to cry. She was so close to
having Camryn back. Suddenly, the feed was cut. She pinched the skin between
her thumb and pointer finger to help halt the flow of her tears. She calmed
enough to focus on the group.

“Jammer’s up,” Olaf said.

“Are you okay?” Rhine asked.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” She refused to look at him.

“What did Camryn say? I saw her hands moving,” Bronwyn said.

Niki smiled. “She said, ‘Somebody’s going to die.’”

They all smiled with her.

“It’s early, but we may want to get ready now. I don’t know
how quickly Venn can get us out, but we want to be prepared. Good job,
everyone,” Rhine said.

Niki left the room without him. She took a shower, ignoring
the possible eyes on her. She dressed in her last clean dress. It was peach
with an embossed design. Just in case she needed to smack down anyone, she
plaited her hair and tied it up in a bun. She shoved her things back into
Rhine’s satchel. She was sitting on the side of the bed waiting when Rhine
exited the bathroom with a black towel wrapped around his waist.

Yeah, her pulse picked up a little. She fought down a strong
desire to lick the last bead of water coursing down the center of his chest. Or
follow it inside his towel. She had yet to get her hands on the monster he
housed under there. Taking it in her mouth would be a challenge, but she was up
for it. Or he was. She smiled at the tent he had going on.

“I’m sorry, but you will have to wait to take advantage of
my body, Niki.”

“Say what now?” She raised her eyebrow and gave him her
haughtiest look.

“You’re staring at me as if you would like to molest me. I
don’t mind, but we have to be focused now, not become distracted by love play.”
He pulled another leather tunic over his head.

“You’re something else, you know that?” she asked.

“Yes, I am Ordanian.”

She snickered.

“Was there a translation problem?” he asked.

“You could say that?”

She didn’t even bother to avert her eyes as he dropped his
towel and pulled on his pants. She admired his ass as he bent over. Her hand
actually itched as she thought about caressing it and holding it tightly. He
was right. She did want to molest him. A lot.

She leaned back on her forearms, and squeezed her thighs
together. He picked up his socks and boots, walked to the bed and placed them
by her feet. Then he leaned over her, bracing his hands near her shoulders. She
looked up at him. His hair was cool against her face and throat.

“Did you want something?” she asked.

“I want you,” he said close to her mouth.

“I thought we had to focus.”

He nibbled the edges of her mouth before kissing her deeply.
The kiss was slow and sweet, but the shocks racing through her body were not.
Even her toes tingled. Her eyes remained closed for a moment after he pulled
away. The bed dipped beside her. She opened her eyes and sighed. He tugged on
his socks and shoes. His expression was indifferent, even though her body
pulsed and throbbed.

When he stood, he pulled her up with him and walked them out
of the room.

“You know I don’t like to be manhandled.” She managed a
glare.

“I am showing you courtesy by escorting you from place to
place. If you would take my arm, I wouldn’t have to hold yours.” He sounded as
if he was instructing her on proper etiquette.

The others were waiting in the large room. They sat around
stiffly. Even though their faces were expressionless, she still felt the
tension in the air.

“If they party all night, do you think anyone will be awake
this morning?” she asked.

Her stomach was a little growly since her dinner was
interrupted the night before.

“We can go down and see. There should be something set out
for early rising guests,” Rhine said.

She didn’t feel as if she was a guest. She felt as if she
was a prisoner. They left the room and were joined by several guards halfway to
their destination. The great hall was surprisingly full. Niki looked around
warily. She remembered what happened the last time these people congregated for
a meal. Her stomach fluttered.

“What’s wrong,” Rhine whispered.

“I don’t want a sideshow with my breakfast,” she responded.

They sat at the table and Niki sighed heavily before taking
her place on his lap.

“If there is a problem today, I will send you out with
Gunter.”

“No, then you won’t have anyone to watch your back. I’ll
just put my big-girl panties on and deal with it.” But not without a lot of
grumbling.

“You aren’t wearing panties?” Rhine glanced down at her lap.

Gunter coughed. She glared at him, then Rhine.

“It is an expression. It means I need to be a grown woman
and deal with my problems directly.”

They both nodded as though she was handing out sage wisdom.
It was kind of…cute. You know, if ginormous men could be labeled with a word as
mild as cute.

Servants appeared with enormous platters of food. She picked
at everything. Nothing looked or tasted as she thought it should, but she was
happy to have anything at all. Bute Chaeen walked in followed by six women of
various species. He sat on his crimson throne and the women began to choose
food and drink for him.

This place was right out of a bad dream. Harems, prison
guards and a child leading it all in the body of a grown man. She observed the
beast shifter. So far, he hadn’t said a word about the transmission they’d sent
earlier that morning. She really didn’t think Bute Chaeen was as smart as the
men thought.

The sound of a platter hitting the floor jerked her
attention to the right.

“I’m sorry, sir.” A brick-red-skinned woman was desperately
wiping at the shirt and pants of a large Contu male.

Rhine stiffened beneath her. The Contu was already partially
shifted. His body was rigid and he had both hands balled into fists. The entire
room had fallen silent.

“You’re useless,” he said.

He growled and then brought his fist down on the side of her
face. The woman doubled over and whimpered. Niki stood and began to round the
table. Rhine pulled her back with an arm around her stomach.

“Hell, no. I’m not going to watch some woman get beaten,”
she hissed at him.

His world was screwed up. He was a fool if he thought she
was just going to sit there with the rest of them and watch. He passed her to
Gunter and stood. He’d crossed half the floor before she could begin her
assault on his cousin. She stilled.

The Contu grabbed the woman’s hair, and jerked his fist back
to hit her again. Rhine grabbed his wrist and held it. The Contu threw his head
back and howled. He actually howled.

“You dare, Ordanian. This doesn’t concern you,” the Contu
said.

“She’s half your size. Why don’t you attempt to give me the
beating you’d intended for her?” Rhine’s voice was cold.

Niki held her breath. The Contu wasn’t as tall as Rhine, but
he was as wide and muscular. Plus, he had wicked long sharp teeth and claws.
For a second, fear gripped her. She hadn’t taken bulk, teeth and claws into
account when she’d decided to interfere.

“He will be fine, Niki,” Gunter whispered.

She remembered they knew what she felt and she swallowed her
emotions. Rhine didn’t need to worry about her right now.

Bute Chaeen spoke, “Sir Rhine has challenged you, Sarwee.
The winner will be awarded the Rarian slave to do with what they will.”

Bute Chaeen’s tone was bored, but his eyes gleamed. She
wished she had some itching powder for his loincloth. Rhine took off his jacket
and tossed it on the table as he stepped back to a clear spot on the floor. The
Contu snarled a bit and drool slid down his fangs.

The beast man circled Rhine, lunging at him and pulling back
before he was within arm’s length. The crowded room erupted in shouts and
laughter. Rhine looked as calm as a mild summer breeze. His hands were up and
ready, but he didn’t seem to respond to any of the beast shifter’s deceptive
movements beyond keeping his eyes on him.

It was torture trying to suppress her emotions. The contents
of her stomach were churning with all the turmoil of a typhoon and her heart
lodged in her throat. She watched as the Contu swiped at Rhine with his claws.
Rhine leaned away and grabbed the man’s fully extended wrist. He followed
immediately with an elbow jab to the underside of the shifter’s snout.

The shifter’s head snapped back and Rhine didn’t hesitate.
Methodically, he delivered blow after blow to the stunned man. His jabs were
faster than anything she’d seen outside a movie. The Contu’s face was bloody
and he clutched at his ribs. Rhine alternated his punches between the man’s
sides, gut and face.

The crowd had fallen silent as the shifter received his
beating. She was slightly uncomfortable with the ease in which Rhine dealt with
the beast shifter. She thought about her attacks on him earlier as the Contu
fell to his knees. He’d obviously been modifying his strength to keep from
hurting her. She’d known he was strong, but this was chilling.

He didn’t appear to be pulling any punches now as he
delivered a beating the beast man would never forget. The sound of fist hitting
flesh and bone was unmistakable and slightly nauseating. This wasn’t a fight.
Rhine slaughtered the other man.

“Rhine,” she said.

In the silent room, her voice seemed to carry and the
Ordanian paused. His head cocked, but he never looked away from the Contu. He
raised his hand and dealt the man a flat-handed chop to the side of his neck.
The beast shifter slumped to the floor. He didn’t move. Had he killed him?

Rhine turned. He grabbed his jacket and a cloth napkin from
the table. He tossed the jacket over his shoulder and wiped the blood from his
hands as he walked toward her. His eyes never left her face. Gunter released
her and she walked around the table and waited.

“I thought you were the diplomatic one in your tribe,” Bute Chaeen
said. He turned his frown from Rhine’s back to the defeated Contu on the floor.

“There are no weak links in Tribe Huntu,” Rhine said as he
reached her side.

She chose another napkin from the table and reached up to
wipe the splatters of blood from his face and shirt.

“Thank you,” she whispered. He nodded.

She caught movement out of the corner of her eye. The beaten
woman knelt before Rhine. Niki caught the red woman’s hand before she could
touch the waistband of Rhine’s pants.

“No.” Niki showed the woman her fiercest expression.

The woman looked up at her in surprise and tried to shake
her loose, then turned to Rhine. “Master?”