Cosmic Bounty (8 page)

“A food modulator.
You tell it what you want to eat and it transforms the molecules into edible foods,” he explained, carrying the tray over to the table he’d sat at before.

“Bet that cuts down on cooking.”

“We still prepare meals on
Galafrax
. Modulators make long distance space travel easier.” His golden eyes roamed over her body from head to toe.

“Were we too rough on you last eve, little pet?” The tender concern on his face surprised her.

Memories of what they had done to her came flooding into her brain, making her cheeks heat.

“I wouldn’t say too rough. It’s been a long time since I had sex and you four aren’t exactly small in size, compared to human men that is.” She slipped her legs over the end of the bed, her feet dangling. Every piece of furniture around here was built to accommodate a taller height. She felt tiny and petite in comparison.

Hul
still wore the same black and red lined uniform, thick boots on his feet, tight fitting trousers with loops and hoops, no doubt to strap weapons to. His top vest displayed his symphony of bulging red shoulder muscles. A series of red straps along the sides and under his arms held the two pieces of the vest together.

She sighed, knowing how good his toned, hard body felt pressed against her soft skin, how wonderful it was to run her hands over his muscles.

Ahhh
, heck, one round of foursome-out-of-this-universe-sex, and they had managed to turn her into a horny twit!

Hul
turned, moved along the wall and waved his hand. Kat realized the whole bulkhead was one large storage area.

He opened another panel and fetched a long, silver, cylindrical instrument. He then held out his hand to her. “Come.” He commanded firmly, in a tone holding no sway to argue.

She hesitated, still uncertain of this brother, but pushed the doubt to the back of her mind. She placed her feet on the cool metal floor and immediately felt the vibrations of the ship skating up her legs, through her body.

She walked across the quarters and placed her pale, trembling hand in his deep red one.

Hul’s
hand closed over hers. He tugged her over to the chair. She gasped when he lifted her, setting her on the seat, her legs dangling a few inches off the floor.
Hul
knelt in front of her, pushing up her the hem of her sundress. She tensed, watching him, unsure of his intent.

“Relax,” he said in a low, husky tone. “This will make you feel better.”

He bunched only one side of her dress over her hip before pressing the device to her skin. It hissed and she felt a slight tingle, which spread throughout her side.

A few seconds later, the discomfort she felt eased before vanishing altogether. He lowered her skirt taking her hands and placing her back on her feet. She stretched and felt good. He must have seen the question in her eyes.

“It’s a pain inhibitor,” he explained.

“Oh, um, thank you.”

He rose to his feet, before bending down to capture her lips in a surprisingly tender kiss. Kat leaned into him, moaning softly, feeling the kiss quickly turn more heated. His tongue demanded entrance past her lips, and she willingly opened. He explored, tasted and teased, leaving her gasping for breath when he finally pulled back.

As her passion-filled cloud cleared, Kat came to realize the steady hum of the floor no longer whispered against her toes. He suddenly settled back into the chair she had been sitting on a moment before, with her on his lap. Just like
Ric
did before.

She drew in a deep breath and blinked to help clear her heated and muddled thoughts.
Hul
reached around her and picked up something resembling a green sausage, lifting it to her lips.

“Eat now.”

“I can feed myself, you know,” she ground out, folding her arms in front of her. Her body quickly sobered, annoyance setting in.

He must have picked up on her defensive state. “Does it offend you I want to feed you?”

“Depends on why you want to feed me,” she countered.

“It brings me pleasure to see you eat from my hand. Is that not reason enough?”

“No, not if I am only thought of as a simple pet to feed.”

“Are you going to argue about everything I choose to do?”

“Yes, if it gets my point across.” She tried to climb off his lap, but he dropped the green sausage and pinned her in place. She felt his hot breath on the back of her neck.

“Are Demos women meek and submissive?” Kat couldn’t help but ask.

“No, far from it.
We have to fight and prove ourselves worthy to even attempt a mounting.”

His statement stunned Kat into momentary silence, and her brain raced.

“Oh, should I have fought you?” Not that Kat wanted to, when her only weapon at her disposal was her sharp tongue.

“No. We were not trying to sway you into being our
sheraz
.
We enjoy that you are easy to accept us and easy to please.”

“So, is that what I am, an easy, accepting pet,” she snapped.

The vibrations of
Hul’s
low growl of disapproval only proved to spark her body to life. Her skin prickled with sensual goose bumps and her pussy flooded with cream.
Yup, most definitely a horny twit.
Damn it!

Hul
picked up the sausage thing again. “Eat,” he barked in an uncompromising, commanding tone.

Something in Kat’s brain clicked. Without thought, she leaned forward and took a bite, chewed and swallowed. She gasped, and then started coughing and choking, waving her arms wildly, when the horrible sausage set her mouth and throat on fire.

Tears filled her eyes. “Water,” she gasped in a blind panic.

A cup rim pressed against her lips; she seized it, gulping down soothing, fresh water.

“Easy there, little pet.”
Hul
picked her up and set her on the bed, swiftly re-filling the cup. But the water did little to ease the burning.

Kat struggled to pull air into her lungs, trying to cough at the same time, tears now streaming down her heated cheeks.

The rushing of heavy footsteps outside the door alarmed her, as the door
whooshed
open, admitting one of the brothers. She couldn’t tell from her blurred vision which one it was.

“What by the Ice Plains have you done to her?”

“
Ossisso
does not agree with her, it seems,”
Hul
explained, way too calmly for her liking.

“Damn it,
Hul
! I doubt she has your fire pit of a stomach. She needs soft foods.”

“I only wanted to share my favorites with our little pet.” Concern started to lace
Hul’s
tone.

Ric
shoved
Hul
out of the way. She heard him growl at his brother.

“Take slow, deep breaths, Kat,”
Ric
commanded, gently. “Fetch me
Yolick
milk; it will soothe her throat and settle her stomach.”

Hul
muttered under his breath, while
Ric
wiped the tears from her face. A moment later she felt another cup placed against her lips. She swallowed down a sweet, thick, coconut-tasting milk.

Ric
was right; the milk coated and soothed her burning mouth and throat, like a healing balm.

“Thank you,” she managed to whisper, before glancing up at
Hul
. “If I didn’t know better, I’d swear he was trying to kill me.”

Hul
stood, looking formidable with his legs apart and his arms folded across his chest, glaring at her.

“No one meant to harm you.
Hul’s
choice of foods is not to everyone’s tastes.”
Ric
smiled kindly. She found herself smiling back.
Hul
, in a seeming huff, turned and stomped out of the quarters, the door silently sliding shut behind him.

“Oh dear, I didn’t mean to upset him,” she said as an afterthought.

“You didn’t, little Kat. He’ll recover. Feeling better now?”

She nodded.
Ric
reached out, fingering the fabric of her sundress. “This suits you—very beautiful. Is this kind of clothing common on your planet?”

“Um, in the warmer parts, yes.”
She felt herself blushing at his compliment, suddenly feeling rather shy, even after everything they had shared.

“Our planet is warm. Not from the sun, but the great lakes of fire which burn night and day. I will see if I can have similar clothing made for you, and what should we do with your mane of hair?”

Kat’s hands flew to her hair, mortified. Her hair must be an absolute mass of tangles.

“Um, I have a hair brush in my bag, if you still have my bag?”

Ric
got off the bed and walked to the same invisible storage area, waving his hand over a lower part of the wall, revealing her burgundy suitcase. He brought it over to her.

A pang of loss washed over her, as she studied the only thing she had left from her home. She swallowed back the lump of emotion and unzipped the case, rummaging through her clothes to pull out a bristled brush before re-zipping it again.
Ric
removed it, putting it back into the storage unit.

She started working at the knots, smoothing out her hair while
Ric
watched in obvious fascination.

“Your women don’t have long hair?”

“Not like this. Out of tradition, hair is short, better to battle with. Even our women keep it short, so there is no need to tend it other than washing.”

“On Earth, hair can be a woman’s crowning glory, or so I’ve heard. We like to do all sorts of things with it, wear it many different ways.”

“It is beautiful, so soft. It is a melding of different shades of color. It is quite mesmerizing, but then again, so are you.”

Again she couldn’t help the rise of a blush through her cheeks.
Ric
chuckled and reached for the hand and removed the brush from her grip.

She was a little confused at his action until he turned her slightly on the bed, taking over the task of brushing her long hair.

She sighed at how wonderful it felt.

“
Hul
told me you have to fight for the women on Demos. Is that true?”

“What else has he been telling you?” He glided the brush through her hair in long, soothing strokes.

“Not much, other than bossing me around.”

“Do not worry your lovely head about
Hul
. We may be quads, but are as individual as you can get in some aspects.
Hul
is more, um…” He hesitated.

She guessed he was contemplating if he should tell her or not.

“Serious, dominant?” she offered.

She heard the smile in
Ric’s
voice. “You’re very astute. I must remember that.”