Beneath a Trojan Moon (7 page)

She would have collapsed forward and hit the bed, but his strong hands were there holding her up.

Now his face looked a little savage, desire a stark stamp on his features.

“I’m going to have you now.” He reached down and in one swipe, tore her panties off her. His blue eyes met hers in the mirror. “It’s going to be hard.”

She bit her lip, feeling the sweet sting of desire building again. “I like hard.”

With a curse, he stood, and in seconds his trousers were gone.

By the energies. Relda just stared at him. The man was the perfect model of rugged, strong male. And she was right. He was big everywhere. Really big. His large, thick cock arched upward. He wouldn’t be a comfortable fit. She’d feel every inch of him.

Then he was back behind her on the bed. He pushed her forward a little, ran a finger between her legs again, making her bite her lip. Then she smiled. He was checking she was ready. If she got any more ready, she was going to implode.

His thighs bumped the back of hers. “Relda, look at me.”

Her gaze locked with his in the mirror, then he entered her in one hard thrust.

“Hunt!” Her neck arched. He was in so deep. So deep and hard and good.

Chapter Six

Hunt was consumed with a combination of lust and violent need.

The feel of Relda, so tight and honey-slick around him, was enough to drive him out of his mind. But added to the sight of her, canted forward, his body tucked up tight against her golden skin was enough to blow his mind.

Unable to hold back anymore, he pulled out and plunged back into her.

She cried out and he cupped her breasts, pulling her back against him. He slammed into her, a primal rhythm nothing could stop. Like he’d promised her, skin slapped against skin, they were as close as he could get them.

She was his and he needed to prove it to her. He’d never asked for anything much in his life. He’d served his galaxy until it had eroded his soul. Now he needed something, someone, who was his to love and protect.

And she was right here in his arms.

He pushed her forward until her arms touched the bed and her head rested on them. With her shapely ass in the air, her legs still spread, it was a sight that would make a man commit murder to possess. And it was all his.

He gripped her hips and plunged back into her. Over and over until her hands were twisted in the sheets and she was rocking back against him. He felt the sweet, little clenches she made around his cock, knew her orgasm was coming soon.

He reached beneath her, found that slick, little nub again and with one flick, she was screaming his name.

He pumped into her again, bottomed out, then held himself deep inside her as his own release tore through him. He groaned, pumping his seed inside her.

As Hunt collapsed on the bed, he turned and tucked Relda close to his side. She sprawled in abandon, one arm and leg thrown over him.

He stroked her wild curls and listened to her heartbeat settle down to a normal rhythm. No one was hurting his woman, no one. “I didn’t use any protection. But I’m healthy.”

She stirred. “I have a Namah implant.”

The implant protected against pregnancy and disease. He pulled her closer. He didn’t like the fact that there was an invisible, chemical barrier between them. One day, he vowed, he’d slide inside her without it.

“I’m Vega-Lyran.”

Her voice was a low whisper. He smiled into her temple. Hearing her confirm it, knowing she trusted him, gave him immense pleasure.

“My grandparents ran from the executions. Raised my father on the run. He fell in love with my mother, who was also a Vega-Lyran survivor. They taught me what they could about my powers.” She turned, emerald eyes looking up at him and one hand idly playing with the hair on his chest. “Usually Vega-Lyran children are schooled for years on how to manipulate energies.”

“That’s why your control is shaky.”

She nodded. “We lost my father first. The hunters found us and he staged a diversion so my mother and I could get away.”

Her voice was matter of fact, but he heard the pain buried in it. “I’m sorry.”

“Two years later, hunters were chasing us on the megacity world of Rendar. My mother stepped in front of a public transport.”

“How old were you?”

“Fourteen.”

Gods, so young. His hand tightened on her hair. No wonder she collected lost girls. “I know how it feels to lose the ones you love.”

Her green eyes blinked up at him. “You lost your family?”

“Yes. I was eight. My homeworld, Predia was attacked during the Frontier Wars. My parents and brother were killed in the bomb blasts. I was taken a GSS orphanage.”

Her hand pressed flat against his heart. “I’m so sorry, Hunt. And you eventually joined the GSS?”

Her touch was a balm to the pain. “As soon as I was old enough.” He shrugged. “It gave me a family of sorts, a purpose. What happened after you lost your mother?”

“My parents had taught me how to survive, how to blend. I moved around a lot, learned I was good at business. After a few years, I let down my guard. There was a man.”

Hunt’s arms tightened.

“Relax, big guy.” She slid her body against his. “I thought I loved him, but I was young and stupid. It was infatuation at best. But I messed up, I told him what I was.”

Her flat tone told Hunt it hadn’t gone well. “What happened?”

“He sold me out to bounty hunters. I escaped…barely.”

What an idiot. Hunt felt the fizz of anger in his blood. Wished he could pound on that stupid bastard.

“I ran, then four years ago I came here. You know the rest.”

“You move a lot.”

She sighed. “Yes. I was hoping to stop that if I could…”

She was thinking of running again. He tightened his arms. “You will. Here and now.”

Relda pressed up on one elbow. “I slept with you, Calder. That doesn’t give you the right to dictate my life—”

“I
will
keep you safe. Even if you fight me every step of the way.” He rolled, tucking her beneath him. He slid inside her with one thrust.

She moaned, her gaze locking with his.

He pumped into her, this time slow and steady. He lowered his head closer to hers. “Because you may not have realized it, but you’re mine.”

“Hunt—”

He pulled out, slid back in and she made a strangled, little cry.

“Mine. I’m not letting you go.”

“Damn alpha male,” she grumbled. But she wrapped her legs around him, her heels digging into the back of his thighs to urge him on.

They never took their eyes off each other as he continued thrusting inside her. He watched her explode over the edge, would never get enough of seeing her come apart in his arms.

Moments later he followed her, holding himself still inside her as his body shuddered through his orgasm.

Once they could both function again, they showered together. Soaping each other slowly, caressing and tracing edges and curves.

“I love this big, tough body of yours.” Relda pressed a kiss to his chest while her hand ventured farther south.

Hunt grunted. “I much prefer your soft curves.”

She traced a long faded scar across his stomach. “So many of these.”

“I’ve been in a lot of fights. Thankfully, not so many now.”

“Why did you come to Souk?”

“It was time to retire. War was making me numb.” He’d been dying on the inside, wasn’t sure why he was fighting anymore. “I wanted peace.”

“Peace sounds like such a nice concept.” The light faded from her eyes. “But trouble seems to follow wherever I go.”

“Hey.” He tipped her chin up. “I’m going find whoever is after the Trojan Moon. I’ll stop him.”

“Hunt, they know what I am now…or at least suspect. I can’t let them catch me or have the Moon. It isn’t just a pretty, valuable jewel. It amplifies psionic power.”

He frowned. “How?”

“I don’t know exactly. Remember I said there was a myth that it came from the forehead of the statue of a Terran goddess?”

“Yeah.”

“The forehead was also called the third eye. It represented powers beyond the ordinary. Psionic powers. Whatever the origins of the stone, it takes a user’s power and amplifies it.”

“So in the hands of a low-level psionic—”

“It could turn them as powerful as a Vega-Lyran.” She opened the shower door. “Skin’s turning wrinkly, I’d better dry off.”

As Hunt rubbed a towel over himself, he thought about the Trojan Moon and what it could do. He had to find this bastard and end this…before Relda ran again.

He watched her drying off. Gods, he could watch her and that naked, golden skin, all day long. She poked around in his bathroom cupboard before closing it with a huff.

“Not a decent lotion anywhere.” She shot him an arch look over one smooth shoulder.

“I’ll buy you any lotions you want.” He grinned. “I’ll even put it on for you.”

She tucked the towel around her body and smiled back. “So considerate.”

Hunt strode his to wardrobe and pulled on his trousers. “I need to get into the office. See if my team’s flagged any ships at the spaceport that might belong to whoever is behind this.” As he shrugged into his shirt, she came over to him and started doing up his buttons.

He froze. It was such a…domestic thing to do. In a flash, he imagined having her do this for him every day. Waking up to her smoke and spice scent surrounding him, making love to her, showering and dressing together.

This
. He wanted this.

“Thank you for helping me, Hunt.” Her voice was very quiet.

He grabbed her hands. “It’s my job, but I’d do this for you no matter what.”

She went up on tiptoe and kissed him.

The kiss started out gentle but morphed to something wilder. Hunt groaned and swept her closer. Her hands clutched at his shoulders.

They both pulled apart, panting.

“I have to go.” But damn it, he wanted to throw her back on the bed and tear off the clothes they’d just put on.

She straightened his collar. “I know.”

“I want you to stay here. It’s safe. Only I know you’re here. The apartment’s owned by the Marshal’s Office, so the general public doesn’t know how to locate it.”

She stiffened. “I’m not going to hide and be some useless damsel waiting for a rescue.”

“Relda—”

“I’ve been hunted all my life. I won’t hide, won’t be a victim, won’t let them win.”

“So what, you’ll act as bait and then use your powers on them?”

She stared at him. “Yes.”

“And if you lose control, you’re happy to risk destroying the city, injuring your friends and your girls?”

Her mouth snapped closed.

He cupped her shoulders. “I know you want to fight and it isn’t in your nature to wait, but let me do my job, okay?”

She watched him steadily for an entire minute. “Okay.” The word was dragged out of her.

Hunt felt like he’d won the Galactic Lottery. She was placing her trust in him. He pressed a kiss to her nose. “Thank you. I won’t be gone long, I promise. Don’t answer the door to anyone but me. Stay inside—”

“I got it, Hunt. Go, do whatever manly, marshal things you need to do.”

For that, he gave her a light swat on the butt, then kissed her again. This time a quick brush on her forehead. He didn’t trust himself to kiss her carnal mouth and not end up back in bed.

After she closed the door behind him, he waited until he heard the locks click into place and the beep of the security system engaging.

“I know you’re still there,” Relda said through the door. “Go.”

Hunt smiled at himself and started down the stairs. But his smile melted away as his thoughts turned to finding the bastard who kept attacking his woman.

***

Relda hated doing nothing. Her skin itched with the need to be out there, doing something.

To distract herself, she had no qualms about poking around Hunt’s apartment.

Not that there was much of the man in the place. It was pretty stark, the shelves empty and the furniture standard. But he did have a nice collection of actual books. She carefully touched the covers, seeing that he favored historical military thrillers. No surprise there. She guessed his Sync would be chock full of the same and easily imagined him sprawled in the armchair at the end of the day sipping an ale and reading a book.

She poked around in his closet and found a whole slew of black cargo pants, simple button down shirts and a few more of those tactical vests.

But on the far wall in the bedroom she noticed a small holo-pic. A landscape. It was of a beautiful agrarian scene with a large, ringed planet hanging overhead. Predia. His homeworld. She pressed a finger to the frame and thought about the terrible circumstances that had forged such a strong, admirable man.

Relda decided to raid the tiny kitchen for a snack when the front door chimed. Her heart leaped. Maybe Hunt had already found the attackers. She hurried to the door and activated the panel beside it.

The camera showed a sandy-blond man in a deputy’s uniform.

“Ma’am, I know you’re there,” Deputy Westin said. “The marshal just wanted me to check on you. Don’t open the door, just let me know you’re okay.”

Relda frowned. Hunt had said to only open the door for him, but this was Deputy Westin, he’d been hurt protecting her. And besides, she wasn’t going to open the door. She touched a button. “I’m fine. Thank you.”

The deputy’s face lit up. “Excellent. Thanks.” He turned and left.

She wandered back into the living area. She could read one of Hunt’s books, turn on the holo-screen and find a movie. But an edginess was growing under her skin, energy sparking around her.

She couldn’t see her own future, but her abilities always gave her hints. Something was coming and whatever it was, it wasn’t good.

She worried the rings on her fingers. Maybe she should call Hunt? She shook her head. And tell him what? She was feeling nervous without him?

Huffing out a breath, she paced the living room. She was fine here. Besides, she wasn’t exactly defenseless.

Suddenly, there was a loud bang. Relda spun and saw the front door shudder under the impact of…something.