Death Defying (Dark Desires) (17 page)

“You might not be willing to accept me in your bed, just yet,” he said. “But while you’re working for me, you don’t sleep with anyone else either.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, really. You’re captain, and in everything else, I’m willing to take your orders. But in this, you’ll take mine.” He pushed up close to her.

“And how are you going to make me?” she asked, genuinely curious.

“I’m going to ask nicely.”

She was backed up against the wall now with nowhere left to go. The heat of his body pressed against hers, his hips thrusting into her, so she could feel the rigid line of his erection against her belly, and flames burst into life inside her.

“How nicely?” she asked, and her voice sounded weak and thready.

“Very.”

His lips lowered to hers, and her breath caught in her throat. She stared into his eyes. “Aren’t you scared I’ll bite you again?”

“Yes.”

Her hand came up to press flat against his chest and beneath her palm the thud of his heart beat a rapid tattoo.

He leaned in closer. “But I’m willing to risk it.”

Just one kiss
, she told herself. No doubt she’d feel absolutely nothing, just like with Devlin. But she was already way beyond feeling nothing. Need coiled up tight inside her, and she knew it would snap with the first touch of his lips.

She tried to remember the research center but couldn’t bring it to mind, then Venna, her “angel,” but again the image refused to materialize. All she could see was Callum’s violet eyes drawing her in. His lips slightly parted.

“You’re sure?” he said at the last moment.

“Jesus!” Her fingers hooked in his shirtfront, and she dragged him the last few inches. The first touch of his mouth was almost tentative, gentle, and she didn’t want that.

Her lips parted beneath his, and she thrust her tongue into his mouth, tasting the smoky sweetness of whiskey. She was drowning in the taste of him, intoxicated. Her breasts ached, and her insides were melting. Her hand slid up over his chest to curl around his neck and hold him close while she rubbed her body against his, trying to get some relief for the strange sensations building within her.

“Slowly,” he murmured against her mouth. But she didn’t want it slow. She didn’t know how she wanted it. How could she?

At last, he deepened the kiss, his lips hard, his tongue urgent. At the same time, he slipped a thigh between hers, raising it so it pressed against her sensitive core, and sensations flooded her body. She whimpered deep in her throat as every cell yearned toward him. He must have sensed her need, and he pushed his hand between them, cupping her sex. She went instantly still and didn’t move as his fingers shifted against her. Even through her clothes, the feeling was exquisite, and her thighs parted as one long finger rubbed against her.

Her breathing turned hard. She’d pulled back from the kiss unable to focus on anything but the hand between her legs. Her eyes clamped shut as the pleasure built inside her. She felt out of control, and she hated that but there was no way she could stop this now. Then he found the exact spot and rotated his finger, and at last she exploded, pleasure radiating out from that point between her thighs. For an age, her body spiraled out of control, and she realized he was holding her upright with one arm around her shoulder. The other hand was still between her thighs and as the shivers subsided, he pressed upward, and she came again.

Pulling her against him, he stroked her back, the touch strangely soothing, and after a few minutes, the shudders that racked her body died away.

He released his hold on her and stepped back. Tannis pushed her heavy lids open to find Callum watching her, head tilted to one side. His expression was blank, and she had no clue what he was thinking. Then he gave a slow smile, and her heart rate picked up. Her legs were shaking, and she locked them. She’d never known her body could feel like that, could react like that.

He remained silent, and she bit her lip. Then coughed, opened her mouth, and closed it again. She had no clue what to say. Tearing her gaze from his, she peered around and realized they were still in the corridor outside her cabin. She’d lost all track of where they were.

If anyone caught her canoodling with their client, she would never live it down. Luckily, the corridor was deserted.

She licked her lips and took a deep breath. “Would you like to come in?” She nodded at her door.

He shook his head. For a moment, she didn’t understand, and then he took another step back as though distancing himself.

“I honestly never meant for anything to happen tonight,” he said.

“You didn’t?”

“I just meant to make sure nothing happened with anyone else.”

Her eyes narrowed, and his lips twitched.

“I was trying to give you some space.” His hand came up to touch his lip and he winced as though at a memory. “I decided you needed time to forgive me, before I tried again.”

“I’ll never forgive you.” That was the goddamned truth, but she wasn’t sure forgiveness was what mattered anymore.

“Well maybe not forgive but at least see past what happened. Then I thought a kiss wouldn’t hurt, and we both got carried away. But I’m guessing this whole sex thing is new to you, and I don’t want you coming back later and claiming I took advantage of your innocence.”

“I am
not
innocent.”

“No? Maybe not innocent in some things, but I’m guessing that’s the first orgasm you’ve ever had.”

She so didn’t want to be here right now. Her hands fisted at her side as she fought the urge to punch him in the nose.

Been there. Done that.

She was supposed to have moved on. But he was infuriating, and she wasn’t used to holding back. “Look, if you’re not coming in, maybe you’d better piss off. Go practice your Mr. Nice Guy disguise on someone else.”

“I will. If I practice enough maybe it will sink in. Anyway…” He nodded at her door. “When this is over, ask me again.”

…

He was a total fucking idiot.

What had possessed him to walk away?

She’d come so sweetly for him. He could have been in there with her now, buried deep between her thighs. At the thought, his cock jerked in his pants and his balls ached.

He was taking this nice-guy thing way too far.

He got to his own door and hesitated. Should he go back?

In the end, he slammed his palm to the panel before he could change his mind. Once in his room, he leaned against the wall and closed his eyes.

His cock was still hard, and he shoved his hand down his pants and gripped it in his fist, tried not to think it could be Tannis’s hand around him. Or her mouth.

He groaned at the thought and a minute later, he came.

Chapter Fourteen

On the monitor, Tannis could see Devlin’s ship,
The Black Cat,
with an array of smaller ships fanned out behind him. His job was to coordinate his people, annihilate the Mark One cruisers guarding the weapons ship, and to protect
El Cazador
.

El
Cazador
was positioned slightly to the rear and side where Tannis had a good view of what was going on. Their job was to destroy the weapons ship.

They’d had a meeting of the captains earlier that day on board
El Cazador
. It hadn’t taken her long to figure out that Devlin had been right: the Rebels were definitely in need of some “good” people. She guessed it wasn’t Devlin’s fault. You could only do so much with training if the raw material was crap. And the ships were a mixture of old and ancient, no match for the sleek, new Mark One cruisers of the Church.

Still, this was hardly a plan that required brains to see it through. They were going for a straight-up attack. Just blast them all out of space. How difficult could it be?

Obviously, too difficult.

“They’re good,” Rico murmured, and she knew he wasn’t referring to the Rebels. The Church was managing to fend off the attack. Not only that, but they had arrayed themselves in front of the weapons ship and were effectively deflecting any shot
El Cazador
sent toward her.

And now, as if things couldn’t get worse, it looked like they were using the shield of the other ships to just continue on their way.

“Shit, Rico, they’re getting away.”

“Do I look like I’m blind?”

“Well, do something.”

He turned and snarled at her with a flash of fangs. “Shut up, sit down, and strap yourself in. That goes for everyone else as well.”

Tannis opened her mouth. Rico snarled again, and she clamped her lips together and did as she was told. There were some occasions when it just didn’t do to cross the vampire.

Callum took the seat next to her, and she watched him struggle to fasten the harness—those wings made things awkward. He glanced up, caught her gaze, and grinned.

He looked far more relaxed than he had when he’d first come on board over a week ago. Which was odd as right now things were going to shit. She could see the weapons ship getting smaller on the monitor as they stood around doing nothing.

“Janey,” Rico said. “Get Devlin on the comm.”

“Okay.”

“This isn’t working,” Rico said.

“No shit,” Devlin replied.

“I want to change tactics.”

“What do you need?”

“We need to turn this around literally. I want your lot to concentrate everything on the central ship. Bring her down, ignore the others for now.”

“And what then?”

“I want you to create an opening we can get through. We’re going after the weapon. Once we’re through, you follow us, turn around, and make sure they don’t come after us.”

There was a minute’s silence. No doubt while Devlin considered the plan. But the plan was a good one. Well, actually the only one.

Callum leaned across while they waited. “Did you sleep well?”

She had actually, like a baby. “Okay.”

“I didn’t. I tossed and turned and told myself I was all kinds of stupid that I hadn’t taken you up on your offer. I had a hard-on all night. Couldn’t shift it.”

Her gaze shot to his groin, and he chuckled. “Don’t worry I got myself under control eventually. At least I did until I saw you all strapped up in that harness. When this is over, you, me, and that harness are going to get together.”

She shifted in the seat and warmth stole through her body. He must have caught the movement, and he grinned. “You like that idea? Get you all naked first, then strap you down…”

Holy moly, she was melting, and he wasn’t even touching her.

“Tannis!”

She jumped as Rico snapped out her name, and she turned guiltily to face him.

His eyes narrowed. “If you could put off the foreplay until later—we’re going in five.”

Jesus, she hadn’t even heard Devlin reply to them. “I’m ready.”

“Yeah, I bet you are, but ready for what?” He turned back to the controls. “Okay, we’re off.”

Rico had switched on the main screen, showing Devlin’s forces. They were grouping together, tightening up, turning so they all focused the central ship. Then as one, their blasters flared. Skylar punched
El
Cazador’s
guns at the same time and the ship exploded with flashes of light. But the Church’s ship maintained position, and Rico swore.

“And again,” he said.

This time when the shots hit the ship, she rolled. The blasts kept coming now, hitting her vulnerable underside, and she lost control and spun. She hit the ship next to her, and together they tumbled through space.

“We’re off,” Rico said. “Hold on.”

He punched the main thrusters, and
El Cazador
shot forward, heading for the gap between the ships. Skylar kept hitting the guns so a steady stream of blasts shot out. Tannis closed her eyes as the speed built up until she was pressed into her seat by the force.

A blaster from one of the ships caught them in the side and they rolled. For a minute, the lights went out, and Tannis hung upside down from the harness. Then they flickered back, and the ship righted herself. She blinked and then stared at the monitors. There was nothing to be seen but space. They were through.

“What’s happening behind?” she asked.

Rico flipped the monitor and the screen filled with flashing lights. She stared at it, trying to make sense of the chaos of ships.

“Looks like they pulled it off,” Rico said. “They’re between us.”

It did, and Tannis grinned. “Janey, can you get Devlin?”

“No problem.” She flipped the comm unit to speaker. “He’s on speaker.”

“Thanks, Devlin.”

“My pleasure. You take care of my little brother.”

“Will do. See you around.”

“Remember that offer is always open.”

“I’ll remember. Okay, shut it down, Janey. Let’s get after that ship.”

…

It took them an hour going at full speed before they picked up the weapons ship on their scanners. Callum stayed in his seat and watched the crew. They worked well together. There had been no sense of panic, well except for maybe Tannis. But she had more at stake here than any of them.

She was up on her feet now, stalking the bridge, fizzing with energy. “Any sign yet?” she asked for the fifteenth time—he’d counted.

“Captain, sit down,” Janey said. “I promise I’ll tell you when they show.”

She ignored the request and continued pacing, hands shoved in her pockets, and Callum sat back and admired her sleek, sinuous figure. If all went well, they would be there and back within twenty-four hours.

“There she is,” Janey said.

“How long until she’s in range?”

“Ten minutes.”

Tannis flung herself into her chair, fingers drumming in the armrests. “Well?”

Janey sighed. “Nine minutes and thirty seconds.”

“Okay,” Rico murmured. “Let’s get ready to blast the bitch out of the sky.”

“Just hold on a second,” Callum said. He’d been considering an idea while they caught up. Now, he was interested to know what the others thought. “Janey, are you getting anything from them?”

Janey glanced at Tannis, and she nodded her permission.

“I’m picking up a lot of chatter,” Janey said.

“What sort of chatter?”

“I think it’s the Church, but I don’t think they’re communicating. It’s more like the steady pulse from some sort of tracking device—a beacon perhaps.”

Tannis swiveled in her seat to face him. “What is it?”

“I have an idea.”

“A good one?” Tannis sounded as though the notion of a good idea coming from him was unlikely.

“Well, obviously I think so.”

“Spit it out then.”

“Why don’t we not blow her up?”

“That’s an idea? It sucks.”

“Why don’t we take her instead?”

“Board her?” Rico said.

“Why would we want to do that?” Tannis asked.

She was being slow. He presumed Tannis wasn’t thinking straight. He hoped it was because of his proximity, but suspected it was more that she was close to getting the Meridian she had dreamed about for so long.

“At the moment,” he said, “we’re planning on taking the shuttle down to Trakis Seven. But the shuttle is small for the three of us, and I’m not sure I trust Tannis and Venna in a small, enclosed space together.”

“Good point,” Tannis muttered.

“Plus her range is short.
El
Cazador
is going to have to stay relatively close in order to pick us up after we’ve been on planet.”

“And,” Rico said, “we have to presume that if we blow up that ship, then they’ll come after us. Either the ones who survive the Rebels—and having seen their performance I’m presuming some will—or they’ll send someone else to intercept us.”

It looked like he had Rico on his side. “But if we take the ship,” Callum continued, “and use her to get to Trakis Seven, the beacon will show her going exactly where she’s supposed to go.”

“And
El
Cazador
can get out of the way until we need to rendezvous.”

Tannis sat for a minute, chewing on her lower lip. “Hmm, won’t they just comm the Church when we try and board?”

“Not necessarily.” He turned to Janey. “Can you set up a jamming frequency? Stop any comms getting through, but keep the beacon functioning?”

“Of course.”

He turned back to Tannis. “So, what do you think, Captain?”

“Rico?”

“I’m for it. Can’t believe I didn’t think of it myself.”

“Skylar?”

“I’m with Rico. It’s obvious, really.”

“Okay, Janey—jam them.”

“I’m on it.”

“So how do we do this?”

“Daisy can take the controls on
El Cazador
,” Rico said. “She can send them a few blasts from the front to keep them busy while we sneak around the rear in the shuttle.”

“Who’s going?” Skylar asked.

“I reckon you and me, Jon and Tannis. That’s four against four—it’s probably overkill, but no point in taking chances.”

Callum was starting to feel as though he didn’t exist. Whose idea had it been anyway? “Five against four,” he said.

Tannis swung around to face him. “
You
won’t be fighting. You’ll be staying in the shuttle with that woman until it’s all clear.” He opened his mouth to argue, but she continued without giving him a chance to speak. “You’re the only one who knows how to find that Meridian—you’re too valuable to risk.”

“I don’t think so.”

Tannis smiled sweetly. “Who’s captain?”

Shit. Had he really said he’d take her orders? He hadn’t meant it literally. She stood staring at him, hands on her hips.

“You’re the captain.”

“Thank you.”

…

The shuttle was a squash with six people. Rico got the seat as he was flying. Skylar stood behind him, her hand resting on his shoulder. Jon stood off by himself, arms folded across his enormous chest, a scowl on his face. Alex had put up a fuss when she’d realized they were not taking her, and for someone so small, she knew how to make her feelings clear. Callum knew exactly how she felt.

Venna stood on the far side as though trying to keep as much distance as possible between them.

Tannis lounged against the curved wall just inside the door, and Callum inched around toward her, his wings making it difficult in such a confined space. Everyone else faced the monitor at the front, and he pulled her toward him, wrapped his arms around her, and reclined against the wall. For a moment, she stiffened, then relaxed into him.

He leaned close and whispered in her ear, “Be careful in there.”

“I’m always careful.”

He let out a small bark of laughter, and all heads turned in their direction. He waited until they’d turned back. “Darling, I bet you’ve never been careful in your entire existence. For someone who wants to live forever, you picked a dangerous way of life.”

…

Callum’s words made her stop and think. For once, his touch wasn’t sexual, it was comforting, and she turned his words over in her mind.

The truth was she’d spent her time in the research center terrified of death, every day an ordeal to be got through. But however terrible it had been, she hadn’t wanted to die—had clung to her dream of living forever.

But since then, though she hadn’t courted death, she hadn’t been afraid to put her life on the line while doing a job. In fact, she’d enjoyed pitting herself against almost impossible odds. It made her feel alive.

She decided he didn’t need an answer. Resting back against him, she closed her eyes and relaxed.