Stark Pleasure; the Space Magnate's Mistress (The LodeStar Series) (27 page)

“You’ve an appointment tomorrow,” he said calmly. “And I expect you to behave as the lady I know you can be.”

“Oh, wow,” she breathed, shooting from her chair. “No more time to chat then. Gotta go watch an etiquette holovid.”

He held up his hand when she would have stormed away. “Kiri. Is there ... anything else you’d like to share with me?”

“Oh, quark no.” She batted her lashes at him, ignoring the odd, searching look in his eyes. “I wore some of my new pretty clothes and played with my little coffee stand.” And used his money to search for her heart’s desire, but damned if she’d share that with Mr. Galactic Mogul.

He shook his head, looking down at his drink. “I’ll see you later, then.”

Fine with her. Not like she wanted to sit around and gaze adoringly at him.

***

In the mistress room, the door shut behind her, Kiri let out a growl of irritation that echoed off the quiet walls and drapes. She wanted to smash something, preferably over his thick head. Arrogant man. And to think she’d been so happy to see him.

Too restless to sit with her angry thoughts, Kiri washed and donned a shell-pink nightgown and robe. She’d been after the least enticing set of nightwear, but there was no such thing in the collection of his mistresses’ leftovers, so she merely belted the robe tightly around her waist and stalked into the viewing room, where she brought up a holovid.
 

She was in the mood for something violent. Chaz Jaguari had a new action adventure out, in which he was trapped on Serpentia with a beautiful native girl, surrounded by space pirates. That would do nicely. Maybe the pirates would murder a business mogul or two.

She fell asleep at the end of the holovid, but woke when she was lifted from her nest and borne in strong arms into Stark’s bedroom. She hadn’t been carried in ... years. Then she remembered she was angry at him. When he set her on her feet by his bed, she scowled sleepily.
 

“Go take over an unsuspecting planet or something.” She batted at his hands as he deftly untied her robe.

“I have my hands on the only acquisition I want at the moment.” He tugged at her nightgown and she hunched her shoulders protectively.
 

“I’m tired.”

“You’re angry, which is entirely a different matter. Now give me the damn gown or I’ll rip it off.”

“Go ahead, it’s yours.”

“Yes, and so are you, but I don’t want to hurt you. This lii silk is soft, but strong. Rather like you.”

With a huff of disgust, Kiri lifted her arms and let him pull the gown over her head. He did so, slowly, and then cocked his head, considering her. “You know, I think you need a small reminder of who’s in charge here,” he mused.

He sank onto the edge of the bed, still clothed, and patted his thigh. “Lie down. Here.”

She glared at him, her hands clenching. “No.”

He grinned, his teeth flashing white as he grabbed her arm and gave her a sharp tug. It didn’t hurt, but with her muscles tense she fell over like a statue, landing face down over his hard thighs. She struggled, letting out a screech, and he smacked her bottom with his palm, hard. The sound was loud in the quiet room, and it stung.
 

“
Ow
.” Her breath caught in her throat. “Logan Stark, you are a quarking tyrant.”

“Yes,” he agreed. “I am. And you are a recalcitrant little wild cat and I did promise you this.” He spanked her again, hitting both bare cheeks with a stinging blow.
 

“You’ve caused me a great deal of trouble.”
Smack.
“And so I’m going to take it out of your delectable—”
smack
“—twitching tail.”
Smack.
 

“Hurts.” She fought the hot swell of hurt and indignation behind her eyes. She’d never been spanked before in her life.

He smacked her once more, but then he stroked gently over the stinging places he’d left, his touch now tender and soothing.
 

“I believe I’ve made my point.”

“I don’t like you,” she said, her voice thick.
 

“Yes, you do. You’re angry and you wanted a fight. I want something different.” He pulled back the covers, depositing her in the bed. Then he stood and yanked off his clothes. He was fully aroused, she saw as she turned to glare at him over her shoulder.
 

He bared his teeth at her. “There’s only one way through this, kitten,” he told her, yanking open the cupboard beside the bed and reaching into one of the drawers.”We’re going to fuck our way out.” Gah, that sounded like a bad holovid line—he was teasing her.

“I should never let you touch me again.” She turned her back on him. The bed moved under her as he knelt behind her.
 

Then she flinched as she felt his warm lips against her shoulder. He pressed a trail of soft kisses across her back, and down. “But you will.”

Chapter 22

“Mmm,” Stark murmured, tugging the covers down as he kissed the swell of her hip, and then her ass. “Mmm, so pretty and flushed. I may have to spank you more often. Seems the perfect way to tame a naughty wildcat.”

“You won’t.” She hated that it felt so good to have him kiss her there, and even better to have his warm hand stroke down her bare leg and urge her onto her back. And better still to have his warm kisses trail across the flat plane of her belly and into the soft curls on her mons. But if he thought he was going to tease her, she’d knee him.
 

He didn’t. He attacked her clitoris with expert flicks of his tongue, a quiet growl of approval in his throat as she shivered in his hands. But when she lifted up to him, begging silently for more, he stopped. Moving up over her, he raked her with the length of his cock, hard and throbbing again.
 

“Put me inside you, little cat,” he said, biting at her lower lip. She smelled her own scent on him, and she wanted him more than her next breath.

“Just fucking?” she taunted. “Sure that’s twisty enough for you?”

“You’re right. What was I thinking? Give me your hands.”

“Busy.” She curled her hand around his heat, and guided him into her sleek opening.
 

He thrust deep inside and stilled, waiting. She gave a growl of frustration. She needed him to move. He waited. She sighed loudly.

Slowly, Kiri lifted her arms, laying them on the pillow over her head. Stark’s eyes warmed as he grasped both her wrists in one hand.
 

Then something closed around them, soft and resilient, yet too strong to fight. She tipped her head back. The quarker—he’d used soft restraints on her. They coiled around her wrists like metallic golden snakes against her pale skin. She eyed him warily to see what else he planned.

Stark leaned on his elbow and surveyed her. “Beautiful. Thank you for reminding me. I purchased them especially for you.”

He bent to kiss her breasts, each in turn. Kiri lay under him, open and pliant. Gah, why did she give in to him every time? Stark came down over her, but he startled her by sliding his arms under the crooks of her knees and then moving forward so that his forearms were planted on the bed, and he held her wide open to him. It was disconcerting and embarrassing.
 

“Just right,” he approved.

“Logan.” She started to lift her arms.
 

“Would you prefer to have your legs constrained as well?” he asked politely. “If you’ve a preference for that, I have more restraints.”

He kissed her, soft, sipping kisses that made her forget her irritation with him.

“No?” he murmured. “Very well then.” He thrust into her, very slowly, so she squirmed with frustration to get him deeper, where she needed him.

“Do you want me deeper?” he asked.

“Yes,” she groaned. “Logan, let me loose, I want to hold you.”

“But that’s the point, kitten. You can’t. I have the control. All you can do is tell me what you need. Now, deeper?”

“Yes, damn you. Deeper.”

He flexed his hips, seating his cock so deep inside her she gasped.

Stark paused and kissed her again. “Now what, kitten?”

“Again. Please.”

“Such a polite kitten,” he approved. “I am yours to command. Just indicate your pleasure.”

Fury and arousal battled inside her. “Again,” she growled.

He thrust once more, long and sweet, and then stopped, smirking down at her.
 

Kiri realized that he was going to make her verbalize every single move. She was going to kill him—strangle him with his own stupid, quarking restraints. But first, he was inside her, an instrument of exquisite pleasure waiting for her use, and she needed what he had to give.

“Again,” she demanded. “Again, again, again …” To her chanted, breathless rhythm, Stark began to fuck her in earnest, long, hard, swift strokes of his magnificent cock, until she forgot everything but how good it was.
 

When she came, pleasure imploding around him until she moaned his name, he bowed in her arms and gave a hoarse shout of pleasure. Heat flooded her, and he relaxed, weighing her into the bed. Their hearts pounded together for a long moment before he withdrew slowly, his cum a hot spill on her inner thighs.

He slipped the restraints off and pressed a kiss to each of her wrists. Then he rolled onto his side and pulled her close, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “My sweet little cat. You please me very much.”

With the weight of his strong arm draped over her, his heart beating under her ear, she basked in his praise, pushing away the guilt at submitting to him so completely. So she was as twisty as he was—she’d worry about that tomorrow.

***

Kiri walked into the elegant pastel foyer of Maitresse the next day with her head high. A young Serpentian she’d never seen before bowed politely and led her back to the dressing rooms. There were other clients looking at clothing, women with the ageless beauty that wealth could buy, and several employees working, all clad in the fitted cream smocks with the signature ‘M’ on one shoulder. Taara was nowhere in sight. Perhaps she was in one of the dressing rooms.

Haassea herself was waiting for Kiri in the small sitting room. Once again a pot of tea and small tray of treats awaited, this time airy beige scrolls dusted with sugar. The Serpentian looked up as Kiri walked in, and although she smiled with perfect grace, for some reason the hair on the back of Kiri’s neck stood up. This might be a truce, but it was an armed truce.

Kiri sank onto the divan across from the Serpentian, crossed her legs, and waited. Quarked if she’d be rushed into some gauche utterance.

Haassea leaned forward to lift the tea pot and poured two cups. She handed one to Kiri, who took it, but shook her head at the graceful offer of the sweets. She took a careful sip of tea.

“Logan was so disappointed that you weren’t able to find anything you liked here,” the Serpentian said smoothly.
 

So they were going to play it that way. Kiri looked the other woman in the eye. “I was very disappointed in the selection I was offered.”

Haassea made a moue of regret. “That was unfortunate. I can assure you it won’t happen again.”

Kiri raised a brow. If she spoke, she’d just say something else to irritate Stark.

Haassea’s eyes twinkled with humor. Despite her anger, Kiri relaxed a little. The woman was certainly charming. No wonder Stark had sponsored her.
 

“I see from your ensemble today that you like things with a bit of dash.” Haassea tipped her head to one side, looking over Kiri’s slim leggings of deep chocolate, and matching high-neck sleeveless top. Her poppy throw lay across the divan behind her. On her feet were a pair of short chocolate boots with tassels. “I think we can find you several things you’ll like. And of course, a few gowns.”

“Gowns?” Kiri took a sip of hot tea, hoping the motion hid her shock. Stark wanted to dress her in evening wear?

Haassea’s arching brows lifted. “Of course. You do realize that Logan is a very wealthy man. He attends the finest functions here and on the other planets where he has homes.”

Of course he did. Quark, why couldn’t she have hooked up with a man who was a simple business owner like herself? Of course then they could have had a fine affair, but he wouldn’t have had the credit to invest in her business and hire Finder again without blinking an eye.

Kiri managed a smile. “He did mention we’d be traveling a great deal.” Not that she wanted to go, but she wasn’t going to admit that to this woman.

Haassea’s lashes veiled her eyes as she set her cup down. “Yes. Now, do come along and we’ll begin.”

Kiri rose. “I’m ready.” She didn’t like tea anyway.

She was disappointed to see that when they entered the large dressing room, already hung with garments, the attendant was a stranger.
 

“Sari will help you,” Haassea said, gesturing at the slender, dark young woman.

“Taara’s not here?” Kiri asked.

“Not today. I leave you in Sari’s hands. Do have her call me if there are any problems.”