Rebel (6 page)

“I need to use a utility closet.” Her
expression filled with hostility and frustration.

He better make sure there was nothing in the
room she could turn into a weapon. Without bothering to explain his
actions, he located the needed facility. There were four pull-down
bunks in the stern cabin and one small private cabin opposite the
galley. Schooners were not designed for long-range travel.

He inspected the utility room thoroughly,
removing the shaving razors and a bottle with a metal stem attached
to the dispenser pump. There was nothing else even potentially
dangerous. When he returned to the main cabin, the little rebel had
released the safety restraint and knelt beside the chair, working
frantically to unfasten the wristcuff.

“Now this position doesn’t foster my
confidence.” He folded his arms across his chest.

Her gaze shot to his face and she smiled
with apparent innocence. “I didn’t know if you were coming
back.”

“Right.”

“I really do need to use the utility
closet.” She stood, but her hand was still connected to the chair,
forcing her to stoop a bit.

“I was about to release you, but now I’m not
sure that’s wise. How do I know you won’t cause trouble?”

“I promise,” she said much too quickly.

“Not good enough.” Then, with a slow, wicked
smile, he said, “Take off your clothes.”

Corry gasped at his outrageous demand. “I
will not take off my clothes.”

“You will if you want that wristcuff
released.”

“That’s ridiculous. There is no reason for
me to undress.”

“This isn’t a negotiation. It’s a simple
choice. Take off your clothes or stay attached to the chair.”

Payback was a bitch. He hadn’t forgotten any
of the indignities he’d suffered at her hand. She could see it in
his eyes, the anger, the hunger.

If she refused, he’d ignore her until she
gave in or soiled herself. “You’re a hateful little man,” she
sneered, turning her back.

Mechanically, refusing to give in to the
emotions raging within her, Corry undressed. It was no easy task
with one hand shackled to the chair, but she unfastened her pants
and wiggled out of them, kicking them off to one side. The buttons,
which secured the front of her blouse, were harder to manage.

She cursed all the while, and Ashton’s soft
chuckle only compounded her anger. Lifting her right arm out of the
sleeve, Corry had no choice but to leave the shirt bunched around
her left wrist. He’d taken away her boots already, so she was left
with only her undergarments. The panties were solid black, nothing
fancy, but the cut showcased her slender legs and sleek hips.

The wristcuff released with a soft pop.
Corry snatched her hand away and spun to face Ashton. He was
enjoying the spectacle all right. His dark gaze moved with insolent
thoroughness over her exposed skin. Her undershirt was designed to
support and protect her breasts. The modest scoop of the neckline
left only a hint of cleavage revealed, but her entire midriff was
bare.

“Are you finished gawking?” she asked
casually, despite the resentment threatening to consume her.

“Not hardly.”

“Well…” She took a deep breath to steady her
voice. “You’ll have to take an intermission.”

She strode past him, back straight,
shoulders squared—face flaming red. Only after she’d enclosed
herself in the utility room did she allow her façade to slip. She’d
never been so embarrassed in her life, or so angry.

Even after she used the facilities, Corry
lingered in the cramped lavatory. He was waiting, ready to continue
her humiliation. She glanced at her reflection and groaned. Her
hair was a tangled mass. Little of the braid remained. She tugged
the elastic band off and finger-combed the long strands. Perhaps if
she didn’t look quite so rattled, she’d feel stronger.

A deep flush colored her cheeks and emotion
swam in her tear-bright eyes. Why couldn’t he be an arrogant
bastard all the time? Just when she was ready to slap him, he
flashed that devastating smile and caressed her with his
night-black gaze. She couldn’t afford to like him. Surrender was
out of the question.

She needed to calm down, to think and plan.
There had to be something she could do, some way of getting herself
out of this mess. One thing was certain. She couldn’t go to Halley
Prime. There was nothing directly linking her with the rebel
activities, but Korbin, with his characteristic zeal, hadn’t taken
the same precautions to guard his identity. The rebel cause was
just, and Korbin was willing to risk anything to see that they
prevailed.

Ashton tapped on the door, his deep voice
easily penetrating the barrier. “You’re stalling. You’ve wasted
enough time.”

Corry took several deep breaths and willed
her heart into a more natural rhythm. He could only humiliate her
if she allowed herself to feel shame. With slow, deliberate
motions, she unlocked and opened the door.

“If I’m slowing you down, set me ashore at
the nearest spaceport,” she suggested cheerfully.

“And deprive myself of your charming
company?”

She ignored his provocation. Her gaze
quickly scanned the cabin. The wristcuffs lay on the floor where
they’d fallen, but her clothes were nowhere in sight.

“I’d like to get dressed now,” she told
him.

“And I’d like you to finish undressing.” He
paused for a wicked smile. “But I think we can compromise.”

“This is no compromise. I’m cold.”

“I’ll be happy to warm you.”

Ignoring the sensual purr in his tone, Corry
walked to the bank of storage compartments, searching each in turn.
Empty! He must have shoved her clothes into the recycler.

Determination burned through her
self-consciousness. She stomped to the ship’s stern and lowered one
of the pull-down bunks. The bedding was attached at the bottom.
Undaunted, she continued her search. The locker in the small
private cabin contained a blanket. With a defiant flourish, she
shook it out and settled the soft material around her
shoulders.

“Feel better?” Ashton lounged in the open
doorway, one shoulder rested against the doorframe, his brawny arms
folded over his chest. A lock of burnished hair lay across his
forehead, and the consuming intensity of his gaze bore into
hers.

“I feel like strangling you,” she said
bitterly. “There were legitimate reasons for what I did. You’re
just being petty.”

He took a menacing step forward. “It’s petty
to subject you to the treatment you dealt me?”

“I made you undress to discourage you from
escaping. Where the hell am I going to go? We’re in the middle of
freaking space!”

“You also left me in that freezing cell
without food or light because you didn’t like what I had to
say!”

“Korbin would have beaten the shit out of
you! You should be thankful—”

Her words died in a frightened squeak as he
grabbed her. One hand fisted in her hair while his other arm
encircled her waist. “Korbin? Who is Korbin? Stupid question. Who
is Korbin Reah to you?”

She glared and her jaw clenched.

“Your lover?” His hand tightened in her
hair. “Shit, is he your husband?”

His line of reasoning was so far off base
she couldn’t help but laugh. “I thought you were psychic.”

With his dark eyes blazing, he leaned in
close and whispered, “I would have preferred the beating. Would you
like to know how I passed the hours in that cold, dark cell?” She
turned her face away, but he continued in her ear. “I ripped your
clothes off while you thrashed and screamed. I relished the
struggle. Your anger made me want you more.”

Korbin was right. Ashton could mesmerize. He
wove a spell around her, muddling her mind until all she could do
was feel. He pulled her hard against his chest, his hand still
twisted in her hair. With her arms trapped by the blanket all she
could do was arch away, and that ground the distinct ridge of his
erection into her belly.

“Stop it.” She turned her head and glared
into his eyes as she tried to wedge her arms between them. The
blanket hampered her efforts. Shouldn’t she be afraid?

His mouth hovered over hers, brushing
against her lips with the barest hint of a caress. “I fucked you
savagely twice, but soon your resignation wasn’t enough. I wanted
your passion to equal mine. I touched you with my hands and my
mouth.”

Desire spiraled from her chest to her groin,
mocking her struggle. She’d spent way too many hours imagining his
hands and his mouth igniting sensations in her body.

“And I begged for it, right?” She jumped
ahead, hoping to minimize the images triggered by his words. “You
were such a phenomenal lover I wept for joy at your touch and was
powerless to resist you.”

“No.” He shook his head, brushing his lips
against hers. “You wept with shame because you hate me and still I
made you come over and over.”

“That amounts to the same thing.”

“Does it?” he jeered. “I say we find
out.”

Corry knew he meant to kiss her the moment
he put his hands on her, but she wasn’t prepared for the rush of
emotion unleashed by the kiss. His mouth took possession of hers,
lips urging hers apart, tongue delving between.

She couldn’t breathe. Her head spun as his
hand splayed across the back of her scalp, holding her in place.
She wanted to resist, to hold perfectly still and show him she was
unaffected by his kiss. He was warm and strong, his mouth sure, his
tongue demanding. Reluctantly her tongue returned his caress,
tasting him.

He tugged the blanket from her hands and
molded her against his body. With her breasts crushed against his
chest, she could feel the steady thumping of his heart. His large
palm slipped beneath her panties and cupped her ass cheeks. Corry
groaned into his mouth. He rocked his hips, intentionally rubbing
his thick cock against her.

It had been so long. No, it had
never
been like this.

“Lift your arms,” he whispered.

Without thought or hesitation, she obeyed.
He grabbed the bottom band of her undershirt and tugged it off over
her head. Cool air played across her bare skin and she shivered.
His hands swept slowly down her arms and came to rest beneath her
breasts.

She couldn’t do this. She was betraying the
cause by succumbing to his touch. Looking down, she was struck by
the contrast between his gold-toned hands and her pale skin. His
fingers squeezed her breasts but left her rosy nipples uncovered.
They tightened, waiting for his attention.

Why was she allowing this? He was repaying
her for her cruelty, mocking her with her body’s eager response,
and she allowed it. No, she encouraged him with her cooperation and
her sighs. Shame washed over her in a cooling wave. She lowered her
arms, crossing them protectively over her breasts.

“You’ve made your point.”

“Was I making a point?” His smile was slow
and predatory.

“Leave me alone.”

“I don’t want to. I’d think that was
obvious.”

Ashton had never been so aroused in his
life. What had started out as a punishment quickly took on a life
of its own. The softness of her skin, the sweet taste of her mouth
intoxicated him. He wanted more. He wanted to sink into her heat,
feel her inner muscles tighten as pleasure shattered her world.

She was frightened by her desire, but there
was no denying the signs. Her nipples tightened into pebble-hard
tips, a bright flush crept across her ivory skin, and her pupils
dilated dramatically. She wanted him.

He should stop. He should lock her in this
room until they reached Halley Prime. But his first glimpse of this
spirited beauty had aroused his desire and his fascination. Each
interaction only reinforced his need to sample her fire.

“Why did you sneak into the cellblock with
the blanket?” He caged her against the wall with his arms.

“I overreacted.”

He chuckled. “When you left or when you
returned?” Her lips twitched as if she suppressed a smile. “I’ve
never been that angry. If you’d been a man, I probably would’ve
snapped your neck, but you’re the most confounding woman I’ve ever
met.”

“Is that a compliment?”

Using just his fingertips, he raised her
chin until she looked into his eyes. “I’ve wanted you since you
marched into the holding cell that first day. You were all pride
and bluster, and I wanted to kiss you senseless.”

“Do you always get what you want?”

He answered with another lazy smile. Tracing
her lips with his index finger, he waited for them to part then
slowly pushed into the warm, wet interior of her mouth. She allowed
the intrusion, her gaze locked with his. Her tongue swirled around
his finger and Ashton guided her arms to her sides. Still wet from
her mouth, his fingertip traced her nipple.

Settling his mouth over hers, he coaxed and
caressed. He nipped at her lips, soothing each tiny hurt with a
stroke of his tongue. He wanted to devour her, to consume her, but
she deserved to be savored. Her lips parted under his. Accepting
the silent invitation, he slid his tongue into her mouth, tasting
her, taking her.

She pushed her fingers into his hair,
responding with equal fervor. Her tongue slid against his, curled
around his, and followed his retreat. She’d never been this bold
before, never ventured into his mouth. Heat spiked through his
body, spearing his groin, making his cock buck.

He lifted her, wrapping her legs around his
waist as he latched on to one tender nipple. Suckling firmly, he
felt the beaded tip poke against his tongue. She was so passionate,
so wonderfully responsive. Could he make her come just by teasing
her nipples? He didn’t have the patience to find out.

He didn’t have the patience for a lot of
things right now. He’d meant to bring her to orgasm over and over
before he finally took her. But his painful erection mocked his
selfless intentions. He needed to be inside her!