The Power of Persuasion (3 page)

She followed him closely until he brought them up at the back of the lab building. The security systems around the post were obviously down. He indicated one of the walls that hid the trash disposal units.

“Wait here, put your back against the wall. You’ve got a clear view of the lab door, and no one can come up behind you without you hearing them.”

Even his voice sounded less human. What the hell was he? He turned away and she caught his sleeve.

“Be careful.”

He nodded and was gone so swiftly that by the time she blinked he was nowhere in sight. She leaned against the wall and assumed her firing stance, her gaze fixed firmly on the door.

The noise started quietly, a low rumble that built as something shrieked and then three single gunshots that reverberated in the chilling night air. She refocused her aim on the back door breathing out slowly the way she’d been taught. A shadow flitted by one of the windows and she stiffened as a faint telepathic probe touched her mind.

She knew there were some telepaths in the Etruscan army. Was that how they’d found her? If so, they now knew she was still alive. She focused on her shields, shutting herself down at much as possible, her gaze never leaving the back of the lab. A figure launched itself out of the door straight for her. She raised her weapon eased down on the trigger and fired.

The female stumbled, but kept coming, her red blood now staining the snow, her arm reached out to grab hold of Neeve. Bracing herself against the wall, Neeve kicked out at her assailant, knocking them both back on the snow and then she fired again. This time into the back of her assailant’s skull. Inside her head, the telepath screamed and Neeve screamed right along with her.

Then all went quiet. Nothing moved anymore and the snow around her just kept getting redder. Neeve tried to breathe through her clenched teeth and heard a wispy whistling sound that surely didn’t come from her.

“
Doc, I’m behind you. Don’t shoot
.”

She stayed still but she didn’t lower her weapon until he came out in full sight, hands raised. He stared down at the figure sprawled in the snow.

“Nice job.”

Her hands were shaking so badly that she almost couldn’t lock her weapon. He waited while she completed the task, his gaze everywhere, and his stance predatory.

“There were four of them. I got the other three.” He held out his hand. “It’s safe to come back in now. I’ve already contacted base, and they’ll be sending an armed unit up here as soon as the storm blows over.”

Neeve finally holstered her weapon and stood. Her knees gave way and she slid down the wall again. McNeill was on her in a flash and crouched in front of her.

“Are you hurt?”

She shook her head and stared into his calm indigo eyes. They reminded her of the night sky.

He touched her arm. “Doc?”

“I killed her.”

With a shudder, she threw herself at him and buried her face in his shoulder. After a second, his arms came around her and he held her tight.

“You did what you had to do. We’re going to be fine.”

She was shaking too hard to care what he was saying, and too intent on keeping him chained to her to do anything but breathe in the smell of death, discharged weapons and him… Gods. He smelled wonderful. She rubbed her lips over his throat, nuzzling at the fabric there.

“Doc…”

She looked at his mouth and licked her lips before leaning in and claiming the kiss she’d been wanting ever since he’d landed on top of her in the snow. His lips were cold, but he parted them without hesitation and let her questing tongue inside the volcanic heat of his mouth. His hands shifted on her body drawing her close until she was pressed against him from head to groin.

“You’re in shock,” he whispered against her lips. “This is just a surfeit of adrenalin. You need to get inside and lie down.”

“Only if you come with me.”

“Doc—“

But he didn’t stop holding her or kissing her, so she ignored that advice until he was groaning and moving against her, too.

“
Inside.”

This time she let him haul her to her feet and bring her into the darkened lab. He propped her up against the nearest wall and closed the back door, setting the alarms. As soon as he’d done that, she grabbed him again and started to kiss him. His thigh shoved between hers and she rubbed herself against the hardness until he started to curse.

She opened her eyes. “Gods I’m so sorry, I don’t know what’s wrong with me, I’m just—“

“Mating with me?” His smile was crooked. “We are in that time zone aren’t we?”

“Then find the medical supplies, there must be something to put me out.”

“Not advisable. I need you awake in case anyone else attacks us.”

She held his gaze, her whole body trembling as he continued to lean into her, his breathing as erratic as her own.

“Then tie me up somewhere and shut the door.”

“Negative. I need you in my sight.”

“Then what?”

“This is working just fine.”

His mouth came down over hers with a savagery she hadn’t expected, but she opened to him, her body turning molten with need under his hands. She gasped as he picked her up and took her into the locker room that adjourned the bathroom and snapped on the lights. And then he had her against the wall and he was stripping her out of the important bits of her clothing, the ones that barred his way to her sex and she was helping him and doing the same to him.

As soon as she was freed, he picked her up and brought her crashing down over his big hard cock, holding her there with one hand wrapped around her hips as they both fought to breathe. Then he started to move fast and she started to come and then there was nothing except the slap of flesh on flesh and sensation that bridged their minds and bodies in a red-hot circle of intimacy.

Mac came inside her and wanted to roar as his hot seed pumped endlessly into her warm welcoming cunt. If he was going to die, this was one hell of a way to go.

What the hell was wrong with him?

That first sane thought for quite a while had him lifting her off him and settling her down on one of the benches.

“We’ll keep this professional, right?”

“Yes, of course.”

Mac studied her bent head. “I’ll give you all the sex you need, no strings attached for the duration of your mating period or until help arrives.”

“That’s very…generous of you.” She hesitated. “If you’re sure?”

“Not a problem, doc.” He hoped he sounded more professional than he felt.

“I’ll start the shower.”

He’d set traps around the perimeter to warn him if anyone approached and he was fairly confident they’d got the first wave of Etruscans. He had no way of knowing if there would be more. He turned the shower on, stripped off his clothes and returned to the locker room only to see Doctor Neeve’s delectable arse in the air, as she struggled out of her tiny pink panties.

Like a heat seeking laser, he came up behind her kneeling figure and grabbed her by the hips shoving his cock deep and just pounded into her. She reached around to grab his upper arm bracing herself against his thrusts as she came and kept coming until he was finally able to climax himself. He collapsed over her back, one hand cupping her breast and struggled to breathe. What the hell was going on? He was in the middle of an extremely dangerous military situation and all he could think of was fucking the good doctor until he ran out of come.

“Captain McNeill?”

He picked her up and carried her toward the shower. “Call me Mac.”

She rubbed her face against his cheek. “I’m so sorry about this.”

“It’s hardly your fault I can’t keep my hands off you.”

“But it is.” She cupped his cheek. “I’m in heat, and you can’t help it. I didn’t realize you were a telepath. I didn’t think you’d be affected by me.”

He set her down carefully in the shower and picked up the soap. Whatever she was doing to him, it was having a miraculous effect on his dick, which was again stiff and ready for round three. He rubbed a soap slickened hand over himself and groaned and she went down on her knees and reached for him. For the first time in his life, he prayed that he’d neither be attacked nor rescued for a very long time.

His knees were wobbling by the time she finished her exquisite torturing of his cock and balls and he was more than ready to carry her back to bed and sleep the night away. He shut off the shower and fetched a warm towel to wrap her up in. He didn’t even want to cover up an inch of her skin. He wanted it on display for him so that he could touch her and fuck her at will.

God he was fucking insane! Where had that come from? He’d never been this possessive, even with Leah. The thought of his wife was enough to help him lay Dr. Neeve down on her bed and step away.

“I need to go and check our security status and call Nimbus.”

She nodded and rolled onto her side so that she could see him more clearly.

He hesitated. “Will you be all right?”

“Yes. Will you come back?”

He nodded. “Keep your weapon handy, just in case.”

He wasn’t sure he could keep away. Setting his jaw, he forced himself to leave and shut the door. The first task was to check the security cameras around the base and the second to make sure his superiors knew the situation. Even if the Etruscans had cut off normal methods of communication he had the means to make contact with anyone he pleased.

The security cameras were down, but back up power was available. After a quick override of the systems he reinforced the force field around the base using a new system the Etruscans would not be able to penetrate. Unless they were already inside the perimeter. With a few choice curses, Mac donned his snowsuit, picked up his weapon and patrolled the area around the small station buildings. It was one way of making sure his dick froze and stayed out of commission. He gathered the corpses in a neat pile for disposal by whoever eventually turned up to rescue them.

Back inside, he nuked some coffee and took it through with him to the control room. He focused on the blank screen

“
Captain McNeill to Major Kaiden. Priority code 777.”

“Kaiden. Go ahead.”

Even using his advanced and enhanced telepathic powers, the reply was faint. Mac quickly summed up the situation and waited for Kaiden to reply.

“
Roger that. Will check air space for any unidentified ships or shuttles and determine where your Etruscans came from. Anything else?”

Mac considered that. “
Yes sir. Dr. Neeve is in her mating cycle
.”

“
Damn
.”

“
I’m reluctant to sedate her in case we need to get out of here fast
.”

There was a definite pause, as if his commanding officer was conferring with someone else.

“Mac? The Etruscan shuttle has been detected and detained from sending any more personnel down to the surface. There is a storm coming through which will delay the ground response. On the assumption that you are safe where you are, we’ll monitor the area 24/7 and alert you to any possible issues.”

“And Dr. Neeve, sir?”

“We’d appreciate it if you could be a good soldier and do your duty by her.”

Mac blinked. “
You mean you want me to take care of her mating issues?”

“You’re in command, Captain McNeill. Do whatever is necessary, over and out.”

Mac sat back, If he wasn’t mistaken, he’d just been given official government approval to fuck Dr. Neeve’s brains out.

Neeve sat up and wrapped the sheet around her. She knew McNeill had returned to the post, but there was still no sign of him. He’d promised to come back. She cupped her breast and pinched her nipple. Gods she
burned
…

The door opened and she instantly went for her weapon but it was him, Mac as he’d told her to call him. She lowered the gun and he shut the door, and holstered his own weapon.

“Is everything okay?”

He studied her for a long moment. “Yes. They’ve found the Etruscan shuttle and shut it down. We should be safe until the rescue crew gets here.”

“Which will be when?”

“There’s a storm coming through.” He raised his arms over his head and peeled off his snowsuit giving her the perfect view of his abs and flat stomach. Then he stepped out of his pants and she could see the heavy thrust of his erect cock. ”It’s going to be a while.”

“Then you could safely knock me out.”

He walked toward her, his gaze on the sheet she had clutched to her breasts. “If it’s all the same to you, I’d rather fuck you when you’re conscious.”

She let go of the sheet. With a groan, he placed his hands on the bed and leaned forward until his mouth closed around her nipple. She gasped and reached for his cock, wrapping her hand around it and squeezing hard. Wetness coated her fingers as he sucked her and moved his shaft to the same rhythm of his mouth through the tight circle of her fingers.

His hand came off the bed, trailed over her hip and delved between her legs, separating out the slick folds of her sex, thumbing her clit and sliding his fingers deep. She came for him and he added two more fingers stretching her, making her push up against his questing hand.

She tugged on his cock and he let her pull him onto the bed and obligingly lay on his back while she straddled him. His breath hissed out as she lowered herself and took him deep, rocking against him in little circles until he was fully seated within her.

Neeve held still and looked down into his dark blue eyes. Her mind bumped his, seeking entry, but he wasn’t ready to admit her yet. Perhaps he couldn’t. Wouldn’t that be for the best?

“What’s wrong?”

His voice was guttural with need, his hand already splayed over her hip ready to guide her into the rhythm he wanted.

“I’m not used to doing this without a telepathic connection. It feels strange.”

“I don’t know how to open such a link.”

She rocked her hips, felt his big cock jerk inside her. “You did it without thinking the first time. Now you are guarding your mind.”

He sighed and she felt the subtle easing of his mental barriers. “Will this work?”