Rebel (3 page)

Ashton was sitting on the middle of the bunk
with his legs crossed in front of him when Corry returned to the
cellblock. He looked remarkably at ease and rather bored.

“Back to your corner.”

He stood and crossed the small cell in two
long-legged strides. She tried not to gawk, but his mocking smile
told her she’d failed.

Setting her zippered bag near the wall, she
removed several food items from the tray before placing it on the
floor near the energy barrier. With the motivator poised and ready,
she deactivated the energy field and slid the tray forward with her
foot. Ashton didn’t move until she triggered the barrier again and
lowered her weapon.

“What’d you bring me?”

He lifted the tray to the bunk and examined
its contents, so she didn’t bother to reply. This was a dangerous
man. She couldn’t allow herself to be drawn in by his easy manner
and practiced charm. He had never known the hardships and neglect
of the people she championed. She must remain focused on the
cause.

“I brought blankets and clothing, but you’ll
have to barter for them.”

His brow rose and he grinned. “Now you’re
ready to barter? What do I have that you want?”

“Information.” She managed to sound calm
despite the tightening in her stomach. He wielded charm like a
weapon, with skill and lethal accuracy.

“What can I tell you that you don’t already
know?” His attention focused on the food. She’d provided the
requested sandwich, two pieces of fruit and a large cup of
coffee.

“I think it might be interesting to hear a
description of this conflict from the perspective of a citizen of
Halley Prime. Start at the beginning. Tell me about the formation
of the Comet Coalition.”

He took several bites of the sandwich and
sipped the coffee before he bothered to respond. “You want a
history lesson?”

“History through the eyes of the premier’s
son.”

“Perception has no power to change
documented events.”

“Oh I disagree. Perception has everything to
do with how events are documented.”

“Fine.” He relented with a shrug. “I don’t
appear to be going anywhere. But conversing in my underwear is a
bit uncomfortable. If I promise to relate historical events with as
much detail as you care to hear, may I have one of the
blankets?”

She considered her options for a moment.
“Back to your corner.” Once he’d obeyed, she tossed the uniform
bottom into the cell.

“So you hadn’t meant to keep me naked?” He
pulled on the simple garment. The material was grayish-blue, and
elastic at the waist and ankles made it possible for one size to
fit most every inmate.

Corry didn’t miss the speculative light in
his dark eyes as he dressed. He was doing his best to figure out
where he was. She sat and crossed her legs in front of her.

“Talk,” she prompted, picking up her own cup
of coffee.

He munched on the remainder of his meager
meal then began. “The Comet Coalition was formed by necessity just
over twenty-five years ago. Our homeworld Shardrake was struck by a
massive comet that obliterated life on the entire planet.”

Corry sipped her coffee silently and watched
the play of light and shadow on his muscular torso.

Ashton shoved the tray to the foot of the
bunk and picked up the coffee mug. He paced the breadth of the
small cell, looking very much like a caged animal. “They had
fourteen months to decide how to reorganize the entire population
and six outposts far enough removed from the homeworld to survive
the destruction. So the coalition was formed and the population of
Shardrake relocated to the six outposts.”

“No one I know will dispute those events,
but some of the details are not quite so clear,” Corry told him.
“The reorganization of the collective population seemed to benefit
some groups far more than others.”

He didn’t argue the point as she’d hoped. He
nodded stiffly, the gesture not so much an agreement as an
acknowledgment of her opinion. “Each outpost had been engineered
for a specific purpose. The location, natural resources and so
forth determined the focus of the outpost.”

“What’s the focus of Halley Prime?”

“Halley Prime is the heart of the
coalition.” His gaze narrowed just a fraction as it moved over her
face. “It offers order and direction, social structure and
justice.”

“Justice?” she mocked. “Apparently your
definition of the word is vastly different from mine.”

“There have been social distinctions and
class disputes since the beginning of time.” He stopped directly in
front of her, his hands clasped behind his back. “Those still
working for a living have always resented the wealthy. You act as
if the destruction of Shardrake brought about the financial
security of those living on Halley Prime. We didn’t exploit the
catastrophe. The citizens of Halley Prime had power and wealth long
before the formation of the coalition.”

“Only those privileged few who had wealth
and power were allowed to settle on the only outpost sophisticated
enough to provide the sort of lifestyle
all of us
had before
the comet hit Shardrake.”

“How does that differ from life in general?”
His posture relaxed and he kept all traces of challenge from his
tone. “Wealth equals power, and power, by definition, allows one
more control over any situation.”

Her fingers itched to offer him a more
advanced demonstration of the motivator. He was standing in a
dilapidated containment cell, the prisoner of revolutionaries, yet
he spoke with calm aplomb. What would it take to rattle him?

“So you subscribe to the ancient adage?” she
asked.

“Which adage would that be?”

“
The golden rule.
”

“Do unto others as you would have them do
unto you?” he quoted with lazy curiosity.

“No. Those who have the gold make the
rules.”

He had the audacity to laugh. “I’d never
heard that before, but it’s far more accurate than the sentimental
version, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Accurate—and tragic. I don’t consider
kindness to be a useless sentiment.” She rose and glanced down at
the bundle of supplies she’d brought for him. “It’s too bad all
your wealth and power can’t help you now.”

With careful deliberation, she unpacked the
zippered bag, arranging each item along the wall in front of the
cell. He could see the promised warmth of the blankets, the light
source offered by the lamp, the comfort and modesty of the uniform
top, but the energy barrier would prevent him from reaching them.
Without a backward glance, Corry left the cellblock.

Her haunting floral scent penetrated the
darkness, drawing Ashton from a fitful sleep. For a moment his
brain couldn’t separate reality from the sensual images lingering
in his mind. He’d wrapped himself around her in his dream, warming
his icy flesh with the heat of her naked body, thrusting into her
brutally while she writhed beneath him.

The subtle shuffle of clothing and a
metallic scrape jarred his senses to full alert. He opened his
eyes. Unable to focus, he reached across their telepathic link and
found her with his mind.

She crouched in the corridor outside his
cell. He could
see
her clearly. Years of training had
strengthened his psychic abilities and increased his control. NV
goggles allowed her to maneuver in the dark. She reached toward the
portable lamp, hesitated, and shook her head. He fought back a
smile. Why surrender her best advantage? She was nobody’s fool.

Closing his eyes, he lay perfectly still,
curled on his side, his head near the barrier. She took the blanket
and the uniform top and turned to face his cell. After making some
adjustment on the side of the goggles, she unsnapped her motivator
and moved soundlessly toward the cell.

Ashton eased his arm beneath him and found
the back wall with his feet. Wadding the shirt inside the blanket,
she prepared to toss the bundle into his cell. She deactivated the
barrier and he sprang. His body collided with hers, the momentum
driving her back against the corridor wall. He found her wrist and
twisted. Her cry echoed down the hallway as her weapon clattered to
the floor. Whipping the goggles from her face, he plunged her into
the same oppressive darkness she’d inflicted on him.

She tugged against his hold. “I was giving
you a blanket. Let go!”

“You risked your life to give me a blanket?”
He firmly grasped her throat. “Are you really so stupid?”

“You must think so.” She punctuated her
words with the point of a knife perfectly positioned between his
ribs. “I don’t want to kill you, but I will.”

Her warm breath puffed against his bare
chest and a violent shiver shook Ashton. He’d never been so cold in
his life. Didn’t she realize hypothermia could kill in a matter of
hours? His thumb moved from her windpipe to the soft underside of
her jaw. Her skin felt like velvet, warm, inviting velvet.

Anger and desperation drove him on. Knocking
her arm away from his body, Ashton kicked her legs out from
underneath her. She hit the concrete floor with a grunt. Her knife
skittered out of reach. He came down on top of her, straddling her
hips. She struck out at him blindly. He easily avoided her flailing
fists. He was freezing and she was warm. Nothing else mattered.

He ripped open her shirt and unclasped her
bra. She shrieked, clawing at his hands. Ignoring her kicking legs,
he jerked off her boots and stripped away her pants. Echoes of his
dream flared within his mind. He wanted to thrust inside her, feel
her liquid heat ripple around his aching cock. Grasping her panties
with both hands, he paused.

She clutched his wrists but stopped
fighting. Only their harsh panting disturbed the silence. Could she
sense his hesitation? Why had she stopped struggling? Blood pounded
in his ears. His throat dried up and his fingers twisted the thin
silk. She’d left him alone—to freeze—in utter darkness!

“If you rape me, they
will
kill you.
Not even your father will be able to stop them.” Her voice trembled
and her hands moved to his shoulders, shoving against him with all
her strength.

Ashton didn’t budge. Closing his eyes, he
concentrated on his psychic vision, analyzing her expression,
sorting the myriad emotions seething within her. She blinked
repeatedly, trying in vain to penetrate the darkness. Her lips
trembled and her breasts quivered, ripe and ready for
ravishment.

“And if it’s not rape?” He dragged her arms
above her head, grasped both wrists with one hand and circled her
pebble-hard nipple with his thumb. “The cold can do this.” He
slipped his hand inside her panties and lightly teased her curls.
“But why are you so wet?”

He claimed her mouth in a long, deep kiss,
nibbling, tracing the supple contours with his tongue, careful not
to venture between her teeth. He wanted to taste her, to discover
the silken interior of her mouth, but that pleasure would have to
wait.

Sliding down along her body, he captured her
nipple between his teeth, applying steady pressure until she cried
out. He licked and sucked, fascinated by the rasp of her hardened
crest against his tongue.

“How are you… It’s almost as if you can see
me.”

He didn’t reply. Continuing his exploration,
he moved his mouth to her other breast. He cupped her, squeezed
firmly, absorbing the heat of her flesh. Her skin was warm and
growing warmer. He rubbed against her breasts with greedy abandon.
He needed her heat, craved her touch, wanted so much more than she
was willing to give.

Desire simmered within her, but he sensed
fear as well. His skin stung and his joints burned. Images from his
dream taunted him, keeping his cock hard and aching. Could he ease
beyond her fear and free her passion? Did he really want to
try?

He cupped her mound.
Wet.
She was so
excited her cream had soaked her panties. With a strangled growl,
he dragged the material to her knees.

“No!” She arched and twisted. “You’re not a
rapist.”

“And you’re not being raped.”

He silenced her with his mouth and wedged
his hand between her thighs. Her hot, wet folds closed around his
fingers, and Ashton moaned. Intense desire spiked through his body,
making his cock jerk beneath the insubstantial confinement of his
boxers. He pushed two fingers into her, capturing her soft cry with
his open mouth. Her core clenched and rippled despite her protests.
She trembled, her inner thighs flexing against his hand.

There was no way she could deny wanting him.
Her body spoke with perfect eloquence. Finding her clit with his
thumb, he rubbed, thrilled by the rhythmic flutter of her hot
pussy. She twisted her hips, trying to avoid the stimulation. Fear
surged within her and Ashton recoiled. Why was she still
struggling? She wanted him!

A sob escaped her throat. She trembled
beneath him, neither responding to nor resisting his caress.
Scanning her mind, he found only fear and resignation. Hissing out
an exasperated breath, he accepted the inevitable. He couldn’t take
her on the cold concrete floor while she cringed and whimpered.
Withdrawing his fingers, he released her mouth.

“I’m so fucking cold. You
are
going
to warm me.” Why did he care if she was frightened? She deserved to
be terrified. She deserved… She didn’t deserve to be raped. He
grinned in the darkness. She deserved to be
spanked
.

Her breath escaped in a heated whoosh and
she tugged against his hold. “I have blankets and clothes. We’ll
both freeze lying here naked on the floor.”

She was right, but she felt so damn good
spread out beneath him, Ashton couldn’t bring himself to move. He
needed to think, to strategize. Were they still holding Palmer and
Danette in the other complex? That building had been fully
mechanized, far more sophisticated than this crumbling heap. Still,
he couldn’t leave them at the mercy of the rebels.