Rebel (5 page)

His fingers bit into her face painfully, but
Corry wasn’t sure he was aware of it. His gaze moved from her eyes
to her mouth and lingered.

“One taste,” he muttered. “The rest will
have to wait.”

Surely he didn’t mean to kiss her. His
expression promised strangulation, not affection. Then his mouth
possessed hers and she understood. This was not about affection. It
was about domination.

His arms shifted, crushing her slender body
against his much-taller frame. The dangling wristcuffs bumped
against her side as he captured her head in the cradle of his
elbow, preventing her escape. His mouth moved over and against
hers, demanding and forceful, until a ragged sob tore from her
throat. He frightened her, yet her body had never been so aware, so
sensitized, so ready.

His heartbeat thudded against her breast and
his cock pressed against her belly. It was happening again. Her
body ripened, swelled and melted. She wanted his aggression,
reveled in his need until her own desire matched his. Would he
finish what they’d started outside his cell? Would he wrap her legs
around his waist and take her roughly against the wall? She
trembled. How could that thought appeal to her?

She relaxed against him and he deepened the
kiss. Holding her jaw firmly with one hand, he thrust his tongue
into her mouth in an unmistakable parody of a more significant
penetration. That was what he wanted. That was what they both
wanted. Stars, when had she become so depraved?

He cupped her breast, flicking her erect
nipple through the layers of her clothes. “Does this happen with
everyone or just men at your mercy?”

“You’re not at my mercy anymore,” she ground
out. The teasing pressure of his thumb sent darts of sensation from
her nipple to her clit. He had to be a sorcerer. No one had ever
affected her like this before.

“I want to fuck you senseless right here
against the wall. Do you think we have time?” His hand swooped down
and cupped her mound.

Shoving against his chest, Corry turned her
face away. “Stop it!” There was a definite catch in her voice,
revealing her confusion.

“Do you like it rough? Are you wet and ready
even now?” She swung at his smug face, but he caught her wrist.
“Have you ever taken it up the ass?”

“You’re disgusting.”

“Maybe. But I bet you’ll love
everything
I do to you.”

“If you want a butt buddy, they’d be happy
to oblige at the Pleasure Palace. For the right price of
course.”

He shoved her away, caging her against the
wall with his arms. “What would you know about the Pleasure Palace?
I thought you’d never been to Halley Prime?”

“Go to hell.”

He chuckled. “Already been there. We need to
move fast, but I’ll warn you right now, little rebel, this is far
from over.”

Pushing off the wall, he pointed the
motivator at her. “What setting did your buddy leave this on?”

She said nothing.

“I guess we’ll find out how compassionate
you rebels are. Whatever punishment he meant for me will be
delivered to you.”

Ashton hadn’t planned to kiss the little
rebel, but the temptation had simply been too great. She’d taunted
and teased him, haunted his every waking hour and infiltrated his
troubled dreams until he had to do something to exorcise her image
from his mind.

Fresh-faced and innocent-eyed, she sure as
hell didn’t look like a criminal. Who was she? Her kiss-reddened
lips trembled slightly and a lock of her dark hair had escaped the
severe braid to dangle over one of her eyes. Why was she allowing
herself to be used by the rebels? The questions had driven him
half-mad during his long hours of isolation.

He put the wristcuffs on her and triggered
the locks. “Let’s go.”

Her full, inviting lips compressed into a
grim line as she battled some inner conflict. “Don’t do this. I
can’t go with you.”

“Move.” He punctuated the word with the
motivator, not willing to argue. “Where are my shoes?”

“I recycled them.”

“Damn,” he muttered. “Socks will have to do,
I guess.”

“If you leave me here, I’ll tell you how to
get off-world.”

“I’d rather you showed me.” He flashed a
taunting smile and she went wild. Jerking to the side, she slammed
his fist against the wall with finger-numbing force. Her boot heel
stomped his unprotected instep and her sharp little elbow jabbed
his stomach.

Ashton grunted. Pain radiated from his foot
and his middle, and his captive slipped from his grasp. She fled
down the empty corridor, boot heels ringing against the floor.
Focusing past the pain, Ashton ran after her. She’d reached the
security door at the end of the corridor and her palm was pressed
against the scanner. He intentionally slowed his pace. Let her open
the door. That was one less obstacle.

The door slipped open and she stepped out
into the sunlight. Ashton was right behind her. His arm circled her
chest, forcing her hands to her sides. She kicked back at him, but
he managed to avoid her flailing feet.

“Stop it,” he snapped. “I’ll knock you
unconscious and sling you over my shoulder. Is that what you
want?”

Her head slammed back into his chest.
Another grunt escaped Ashton.

“Fuck you!” she panted.

Her temper finally exhausted his patience.
Ashton picked her up and shoved her down onto a grassy patch of
ground. With quick, angry movements, he tugged off her boots and
her knee-high stockings. He tied her feet together with the
stockings and threw the boots as far from her as he could.

“How is this going to help?” she demanded.
“Are you going to carry me all the way back to Halley Prime?”

He didn’t respond. Sitting down beside her,
he tossed one leg over her hips to hold her to the ground and
turned his attention to the control band.

“What’s your plan, big shot?”

Ashton ignored her. She occasionally shoved
against his leg with her bound hands, but most of her belligerence
had been expended. The configuration of the control panel was only
slightly different from models he’d used before. He established a
data link and confirmed their location. “Are you employed by
Corrections or is your stay here mandatory?”

Her eyes narrowed, but she said nothing.

The communication functions available on the
band were minimal. He couldn’t contact Halley Prime and there was
no one on Borrelly he could trust. He turned his focus to
transportation. He needed to get off this outpost as quickly as
possible.

Corry couldn’t believe he’d actually done
it. They were off Borrelly with no one the wiser. She hadn’t told
Korbin when she intended to make the switch, so it could be hours
before they realized she was missing. Ashton left her shackled to
the navigator’s chair and basically ignored her.

“How’d ya do it, hot shot?”

He leaned back, his hands hooked behind his
head, as Borrelly became a miniature sphere on the vidscreen.
Swiveling in the pilot’s chair, he faced her. “How’d I do what?”
His insolent smirk told her he knew exactly what she asked.

“How did you authorize our departure without
setting off every alarm on the planet?”

“Simple security.”

“Security?” she echoed.

“It’s sometimes important for the premier to
travel incognito. So a latent program is written into every
coalition security system. Dad can trigger it with a code.”

“And this program does what exactly?”

“It overrides all established security
systems, logs a random flight plan and approves access on a
supervisory level.”

“So, Borrelly’s records will indicate this
ship was used by some randomly generated personnel?”

“The program is comprehensive enough to
consider probability. It will file a flight manifest appropriate to
an orbit schooner leaving this terminal at this time.”

“How long has the premier had such a
code?”

“For as long as I can remember. The code
itself changes periodically, but the ability to travel without
leaving a trail has always been available to certain members of the
executive council.”

“Unbelievable.” The privileged citizens of
Halley Prime had never felt obligated to play by the rules. Well,
actually they played by their own set of rules, rules that didn’t
apply to non-citizens.

“Why does this bother you?”

“Why wouldn’t that bother me?” she countered
sharply. “Your father can come and go as he pleases with no
accountability.”

“It’s not a matter of accountability. It’s a
matter of safety. If Father’s off-world agenda were public
knowledge, it would subject him to any number of hazards.” He
paused, his dark eyes narrowed. “That reminds me of another
miraculous feat. How did
you
do it?”

“How did I do what?” She fought back a smile
as their conversation rewound.

“How did you snatch us from the gala without
setting off every alarm on Halley Prime?”

“Maybe there’s more to our little band of
rebels than you suppose.”

“Oh come on. I told you my secret. Surely
you can tell me yours.”

His voice was playfully coaxing, but his
dark eyes settled squarely on her face. Their gazes locked, his
stare drifting to her mouth. Her lips tingled. Was he remembering
their frantic kiss in the corridor, the sensual promise as yet
unexplored? She hadn’t forgotten how he felt, how he tasted. He’d
ignited feelings she’d never dreamed existed with little more than
a kiss.

“We’ve been experimenting with molecular
transportation.” She needed something to distract her wayward
thoughts.

“Experimenting? It seems to me the project
has moved beyond experimentation. How much does the coalition
know?”

“You tell me. You’re the one who knows all
their secrets.”

“Technology is not my father’s field of
expertise, nor is it mine.”

Her chin came up a notch. “No, you excel at
head games and mind control.”

“And you hide behind your anger. You shield
your fascination with a wall of disdain.”

“I hide my fascination from no one. I’m
intrigued by the unknown. Everyone is. My interest in your culture
doesn’t in any way negate my disdain for that same culture.”

“Oh really?” His mouth curved in a mocking
smile.

He knew. Somehow he knew just how enthralled
she was with his culture, with the privileges of citizenship.
“Fascination with something doesn’t always indicate approval. You
can be fascinated with a mass murderer without approving of the
actions.”

His smile vanished. “That’s a rather odd
parallel.”

“Is it? What’s so abhorrent about murder?”
He just stared at her in bewilderment, so Corry answered. “Murder
is a senseless waste of life. It can also destroy the lives of
those closest to the victim.”

“Are you going somewhere with this
delightful analogy?”

“The best description of the culture on
Halley Prime is a senseless squandering of all life has to
offer.”

He laughed uproariously and Corry wanted to
smack him. “Have you even been to Halley Prime?”

Clenching her fists, she refused to respond.
All her visits had been brief and specific, allowing her little
time to explore the lavish outpost. Staring straight ahead, she
finished her explanation. “Each extravagance you enjoy is paid for
by the occupants of the other outposts. Countless lives have been
destroyed by the coalition’s quest for power and pleasure. You
stroll through life without a care in the world while the rest of
the coalition starves. That’s a high price to pay for your
luxury.”

“Where do you get these wild ideas?” He
raked a careless hand through his hair, his eyes sparkling
merrily.

His amusement fueled her indignation. “Have
you been to Wirtanen or Chiron? There’s nothing wild about my
ideas. We smuggle them food and medical supplies every chance we
get, but—” She bit off her words before she revealed too much. The
rebels were faithful, but they were few. “I’ve personally paid an
enormous price that directly benefited the coalition.”

“What price? How have you paid?”

She wanted to tell him. His lightly mocking
tone challenged her to reveal things she knew she shouldn’t. He was
the enemy! “You’re very good, Mr. VinDerley, but you don’t know me
as well as you think you do.”

“I think you’d be surprised.”

According to Ashton’s calculations they
would reach Halley Prime by late afternoon the following day.
Pushing the engines any harder would exhaust their limited fuel
supply, so he would just have to be patient. The schooner’s
communication capabilities were pathetic. They would be able to see
Halley Prime before any message sent from the ship reached his
father.

He didn’t have to see the little rebel to
picture her petulant expression. She hadn’t spoken a word in nearly
an hour. He’d charted a course, completed systems diagnostics and
reviewed some of the ship’s idiosyncrasies, and still she sat
silently, glaring holes in his profile.

It had been several years since he’d piloted
a ship himself. Halley Prime had automated docking technology, but
he wanted to be prepared for what would be expected of him.

“So,” he swiveled to face his hostage, “how
shall we spend the next nineteen hours?”

“Playing chess?” she suggested with a
smirk.

“Not my favorite game.”

She was adorable when she was angry. No, she
was always adorable, but anger added color to her cheeks and made
her eyes flash. Her clothes varied little from day to day. Black
pants and a solid shirt, usually some shade of green. Today she’d
chosen a deep forest green that perfectly matched her wide,
thick-lashed eyes.

The safety restraints secured her to the
chair. Why hadn’t she released them? Only her right hand was bound
to the chair. More of her long dark hair had escaped the braid and
framed her lovely face.