Pale Stars in Her Eyes (2 page)

"You would ask for such details.” Helm looked amused. “Blood tests, purity issues, and the color of her pubic hair. Tell me, did you inquire on the state of her teeth?"

"I'm an engineer. We like to know just what we're dealing with. Details are important to us.” Armada laughed.

"Soldiers are less complicated, I guess. I just don't want my dick to be best friends with my hand for the entire way to Septinium and back. A warm female, S-species or human, beats the hell out of masturbation any day. I'm already tense and we've been out only a few days."

"She's frightened and not particularly willing,” Ran interjected. “I feel it."

Both of them looked at him, their expressions hard to read, but he felt their first reaction was one of surprise he even brought up the girl's feelings. After all, she was just a human and a captive at that. Larik said, “Surely she's been instructed our captives are never ill-used. Besides, at her intelligence level, she must realize she has no choice."

It was true, she didn't have a choice but to submit and service them whenever they wished. Still, Ran wasn't interested in a woman who didn't want sex as much as he did. “I just think we should approach this the right way. The four of us are stuck with each other this journey in close quarters, and as you pointed out, Colonel, it's a long one. If we take care to make sure she's sexually initiated with as much sensitivity as possible, she'll be much more likely to participate with enthusiasm."

"That's logical.” Armada nodded thoughtfully, taking a sip of wine in his cup. “I want to be fucked back. I've never taken an unwilling woman, human or not."

Helm blew out his breath in a small sigh. “I guess I hadn't even thought about how the woman might feel. We're told it doesn't matter because the humans have no rights. I just knew she was going to be here with us for that purpose and my cock took over. I've never forced myself on any female who wasn't ready to spread her legs with enthusiasm."

Ran looked around the table. “Which one of us then, goes first? She's a virgin, though thank the stars and moons it won't hurt her because the medical procedure took care of the physical part of it. If properly aroused, she'll enjoy it even her first time."

Helm shook his dark head, his raven hair shifting across the material of his uniform. “I'm very big,” he said with obvious reluctance. “Probably too big for an uninitiated woman. One of you two should probably break in our beautiful guest."

That revelation was not a surprise, considering how large the colonel was in every other way, his cock probably was huge.
And ‘guest'
, Ran thought,
is the wrong word
. ‘Slave’ was more appropriate, but he refrained from mentioning it. He looked at Armada. “We can toss for the privilege."

The young engineer thought for a moment, and then said, “No, you do it, sir. You'll know just what she's feeling every moment and surely that'll help you guide her in the right direction. I can wait for her to adjust to the arrangement."

Maybe it was just as well they both agreed before the door slowly slid open. Lieutenant Herad stepped in first, saluted the colonel, and then turned and made an imperious motion with his hand. The creature who answered the unspoken order made the room fall to a sudden hushed silence as she entered.

The first thing that sprang to Ran's mind was that the rumors of her beauty were not exaggerated. Instead, they didn't do her justice. Shining golden hair tumbled over slim, tense shoulders, framing a perfect oval face. Her features were delicate and fine-boned with arched dark blond brows, a straight small nose, and a soft pink mouth. A flush stained her smooth cheeks as the silence lengthened and they stared at her. Long lashes dropped slightly over a pair of azure eyes, the color not the almost startling sapphire color of Armada's, but instead like the pale stones mined on his native planet, Minoa. Her body also rivaled any fantasy, male or female. The girl was slender and lissome, her arms and legs bare, and from what he could see of her breasts and the depth of the inviting cleft between them, her tits were spectacularly large and lush. She wore the standard issue for a female sexual slave—a scanty gown made of an almost sheer material that was a token covering but little more.

She didn't move or speak, not even when Herad nodded his head at their unspoken approval of his choice and silently left the room.

The door swished shut.

Armada finally tore his gaze away and muttered, “You lucky bastard, Kartel."

The girl heard the words and her gaze shifted to him. There was a hint of defiance there and Ran sensed it too, the willful urge to resist even though he knew she had been warned punishment would be involved if she didn't submit. It almost overrode her fear, but not quite, and the warring emotions crowded his mind.

He met those lovely blue eyes, holding her gaze deliberately. “I agree,” he told his comrades, without looking away. “Very damned lucky. We all are. Now ... if you will excuse me, I think I'll introduce myself."

"This will be your room."

The declaration, spoken in a smooth, almost mesmerizing voice, made Jerra glance around. It was much larger than the tiny stateroom that had been her prison for the past days since her abduction. The floor was smooth but warm under bare feet, and there was literally no furniture, except a large bed set right in the center of the space. A small door was open to show a tiny cleansing room, but the most puzzling thing was a window, open to the room she had just come from. Through it, she could still see the other two men sitting at the table, sipping their wine and watching her. There was no window to the outside world, not even so she could see the monotonous slide of sparkling stars in the distance as they moved through space.

She looked back at the man who had taken her hand and led her inside. “Which one are you?"

"Kartel."

"Oh."

The famous diplomat was a tall man, but so far, all the S-species seemed to tower over her. His hair was a rich brown chestnut shade, with golden streaks here and there, and it waved against the strong column of his neck. His face had an elegant yet completely masculine beauty to it with clean lines to his nose and jaw, and a sensual mouth. Arched brows just slightly darker than his glossy hair emphasized his striking eyes. They were a beautiful deep verdant green that on an average human would look unnatural, but on him seemed to fit. Wide shoulders filled his tunic, his legs looked long and athletic, and his posture seemed utterly relaxed. His lips curved in a small smile as if he knew what impressions she was receiving.

Since the evolution, she'd heard the Superhumans were all extraordinarily good looking, and the three men she was to serve certainly fit the description. She supposed that fact was one small consolation.

He said, “You know why you're here."

It wasn't a question and she didn't treat it as one. “You don't waste any time, Ambassador. I've barely arrived. And here we are.” She indicated the bed, hoping he didn't notice the trembling of her hand before she let it fall back to her side.

He laughed at the sarcasm in her tone, a low ringing sound that echoed in the chamber. “I see no use in waiting, for you'll only grow more apprehensive. All three of us are already restless and could use some activity to take off the edge, especially myself and Colonel Helm. There is precious little for us to do on the journey. Our job begins when we arrive at our destination."

"And I am to be your ... entertainment in the meantime?” She lifted her chin as she spoke, though her heart pounded and her stomach felt tied in knots.

Softly, he said, “We will also entertain you. Tell me, what is your name?"

For a moment, she hesitated, but then she shrugged because she couldn't see the point in refusing, especially since Herad knew it anyway. As far as she could tell, her captors knew everything about her, inside and out. “Jerra Aubrey."

He inclined his head, and his green eyes seemed to look right through her. “There's no need to be afraid, Jerra. Your presence here is about sexual pleasure, nothing more."

"That's the trouble. Nothing more? I am an object to you, not a person, and this is not my choice."

"Certainly you can choose to make the best of what has happened to you. Maybe you didn't know this, but captives quickly flourish in our care. None I've heard of want to go back to their previous life, which should tell you something. Enjoy your time on this journey, and afterwards, breed children as beautiful as you are. You'll be nurtured and well-cared for by the most powerful beings in this universe."

The man was a diplomat, after all, and he specialized in soothing disgruntled rulers and irate nations. It was no wonder he thought he could cast her platitudes and soothe her into his bed, Jerra thought resentfully.

For there was no doubt that was why they were in the room. She didn't have any experience with men, but the way he looked at her indicated an intense carnal interest that was unmistakable.

He was going to have sex with her and there was nothing she could do about it.

"I won't resist you,” she said coldly. “But I won't enjoy it, either."

"Are you so sure? You're a virgin after all and have no experience. Most females enjoy sexual release equally as much as men. I think you're going to be pleasantly surprised."

After her physical examination, she'd been taken with the other prisoners to a large room where they had been instructed on how to behave during their duties. There had been little to no explanation about what actually was going to happen, but instead emphasis on cooperation and obedience. Jerra looked at the tall man in front of her with a glimmer of uncertainty. He certainly seemed amused
and
sympathetic to her trepidations, which she had not expected.

"Let's find out, shall we?” He indicated the bed with a graceful movement of his long-fingered hand. “Take off your gown and lie down."

"With them watching?” She felt at once flushed, her heart pounding harder. All she knew about sex was what she'd read in books. Since she was below the age the government would give consent for her to marry, she wasn't allowed much around men on her home planet. A woman had to be twenty-five, and everyone understood it was because the S-species wanted to be able to pick and choose who they wanted.

"If they want to watch us, they can. That's why the window is there. Also, we can tell that way if you are already occupied."

Her cheeks flushed deeper. “Occupied?"

"This chamber is made just for the purpose we are about to use it for, Jerra. You'll also sleep here.” He began to unfasten his tunic, his eyes taking on a glitter that made them more brilliant than ever. “Now, the gown, please."

He dwarfed her in size and could easily force her, so she grabbed the hem of the filmy garment and jerked it up off over her head. Without looking at him, her face averted in embarrassment over her nudity, she did as she was told and climbed into the middle of the bed. She felt very much on display, knowing all three of them could see every bare inch of her and fought the urge to try and cover herself with her hands.

It was easy to know when he followed, for the mattress dipped and she suddenly felt the warmth radiating from his skin as Kartel reclined next to her.

Naked.

Without thinking, she impulsively looked over out of sheer curiosity. He lay propped on one elbow, and a wickedly attractive smile hovered on his mouth. Her lips parted in surprise as she saw the hard, defined muscles of his chest and shoulders, the sinewy length of his legs, dusted with a light covering of hair, and most startling of all, the bold length of his engorged penis high against his flat stomach.

It looked very long and entirely too big to put inside her, and she studied his arousal in unwilling fascination. The smooth length had veins visible from base to the flared tip. A small hole crowned the crest, the slit shiny with droplets of fluid. She could see his shaft pulse slightly in a regular rhythm and realized with a small shock it was the steady beating of his heart.

"You're curious, aren't you?” he murmured. “And desirable as hell, which is an excellent combination in a bedmate. We'll all be happy to teach you every way you can please us. We'll also demonstrate exactly how we can please you."

Jerra had to force her gaze away from his straining erection. It frightened her, but she was also inexplicably intrigued. “Why would you care about pleasing me? I'm simply a warm convenient toy with the correct anatomy for you to use."

His smile widened. “How convenient for you that the portion of
my
anatomy I'll use is also a tool to bring you sexual satisfaction and great pleasure. And we do care about you being pleased in a selfish way, I suppose, for it enhances the experience for the male when the female enjoys intercourse. Tell me, did you receive an injection this morning?"

She had, though no one had bothered to tell her why. She nodded, doing her best to resist the urge to return to staring at his formidable erect cock.

"The shot was to enhance your sex drive and bring it up to an S-species level. You'll get them from time to time on our journey.” He still hadn't touched her, but just looked at her with his captivating eyes, his voice smooth and unthreatening. “So you see, we are not interested in only your luscious body, but also your general well-being. The happier you are with us, Jerra, the more we can all enjoy each other."

Was it true
? God, she hoped so for her situation had seemed so hopeless.

"I'm not lying, Jerra, and I'm glad your fears are easing a little."

Before she could speak, he moved. Nothing sudden, just a shifting of his weight so one sinewy thigh slid over hers, trapping both her legs. His fingers trailed slowly up her arm in a persuasive caress as he leaned forward and captured her mouth.

The pressure of his lips startled her and she stiffened, but all he did was lightly brush against her until she relaxed. It wasn't unpleasant, for his mouth was warm and tasted sweet from whatever beverage he'd been drinking when she'd arrived. His tongue traced the seam of her closed lips and then with gentle insistence, he forced it into her mouth.