Unchained (20 page)

He slid his arm around her waist and held
her firmly in place. “But I should warn you. I may not be able to
keep my hands off you tonight,” he growled low, his eyes dark.

Cidra could feel his heat through the thin
fabric separating them as he pulled her to him and crushed her
mouth under his. Cidra gasped at his masculine power and hunger. It
was the same riveting, raw, dangerous, and utterly exciting kiss
he’d given her on the dance floor. He possessed her, his breathing
deep and savage.

Her body reacted instinctively, melting
against his. Grey groaned. His tongue invaded her mouth, exploring
deeply as she returned it with reckless abandon.

Grey moved his hands across the dress,
sliding it over her soft body, the silkiness commanding his senses.
He had to stop soon before he was pulled too near the edge. They
would be summoned for dinner any moment. He hated Bohr all the more
for it.

On cue, a gentle chime announced company.
Cidra’s head pulled back.

“
The door,” she whispered,
regret in her voice.

There was a moment of silence before the
chime rang again. Grey released her. “You better get it.” Feeling
the full ache in his lower body, he added, “I’m in no shape to
greet our hostess.”

He smiled grimly and sunk onto the bed.
Cidra turned and headed for the door, hastily straightening her
dress. The door slid open. Sil stood on the other side, her head
bowed.

“
I hope I didn’t interrupt
anything.” Her yellow eyes met Cidra’s, woman to woman.

“
Not at all. We were
just...resting.” Cidra smiled lightly at Sil while trying to calm
the pounding of her heart.

“
Very well. Dinner is
prepared. Kindly join us when you are ready.” Sil bowed and
left.

The door slid shut. Cidra turned and rested
back against the door, her body struggling to recover from the
intimate assault. Grey sat quietly on the edge of the bed, his
elbows resting on his knees, his hands relaxed.

“
Cidra, just how isolated
were you on Avion?”

She looked confused. “What do you mean?”

“
Did you see
anyone?”

Cidra blinked at him. “Of course.”

“
Men?”

She turned ashen and then angry. “Why do you
want do know?”

“
Because I don’t want to
hurt you,” he persisted.

Cidra’s mouth went dry as the full meaning
struck her. He meant when he made love with her. She looked away
quickly and then straight at him. “Syrus wouldn’t allow anyone to
get close to me. He felt it was too dangerous. Does that answer
your question?”

He nodded once. “Must have been lonely for
you.”

Cidra tilted her head back against the door,
watching him. “Very. But you know all about lonely, don’t you?”

Grey looked up at her in surprise. “I know
lonely.”

“
How?”

“
I was an only child. My
mother died shortly after my birth.” His eyes never left hers.
Cidra knew she was about to hear something he’d probably never told
anyone except maybe Syrus.

“
And your father?” she
whispered.

“
Lied to me.” The words
were so sharp and bitter that Cidra gasped. His gaze burned into
her, through her to somewhere long ago.

“
He told me she died giving
birth to me. Every day of my life he reminded me that I was
responsible for her death. And I believed him. Until the day I
broke into Avion’s archives.”

Cidra’s eye widened. She had heard of
Avion’s secret archives. An information system of sordid details,
confirmed or otherwise, all documented meticulously. Juicy,
potentially destructive tidbits with which to control their
citizens and intimidate neighboring worlds.

“
That’s when I discovered
that she had died long after my birth. Beaten to death. The
attacker was never found. The whole incident was covered up and
forgotten.” Grey’s fists were clenched tightly, white and
bloodless.

Cidra stopped breathing. Oh dear Lord. No
wonder he didn’t trust anyone.

“
When I went home that
night and confronted my father with the truth, he beat me for the
last time. I left and never returned.”

Tears burned her eyes. “I’m so sorry, Grey.”
The hushed words sounded wholly inadequate. Her heart went out to
the child and the man, wanting desperately to take back the past
and make it right. She couldn’t do anything about the past, but she
could do something about the future. She could help him heal.

“
Don’t be. It’s history.”
He looked at her as if he finally saw her standing there. “I
consider it a lesson.”

Cidra sucked in air. “Don’t say that. You
can’t go through your life believing that everyone will lie to
you.”

He snorted. “Why not? It’s worked pretty
well so far.”

Cidra touched the center of her chest.
“Because, its not good for your heart.”

Grey stared at her and for a fleeting moment
she saw the longing. Then his eyes hardened and he stood up
abruptly. “Let’s go. I want to get this over with.”

After more than two hours, Cidra conceded
that the dinner was not going well. It was obvious that Bohr wanted
the Crystal Zemi badly. He was willing to pay any price for it
except the name of the buyer of those Saurian fighters. He flatly
denied any knowledge of the sale at all. The fact that the mere
name was so highly safe-guarded even after ten long years sent
chills down her spine.

Grey was a capable and patient negotiator,
but Cidra could feel his frustration growing. They weren’t going to
get anywhere this way. Time for a more direct approach. Time to
find Bohr’s office.

Cidra politely excused herself from the
table, using the auspice of a lav trip to freshen up. She was fully
aware of Bohr’s lecherous gaze as she walked out. He had barely
concealed his carnal desire all evening, staring exclusively at her
breasts. Sil seemed unaffected by the blatant conduct, obediently
holding her silence.

Grey was another story. Only Bohr seemed
ignorant of Grey’s extreme displeasure simmering just below the
surface. Cidra suspected, under different circumstances, Bohr would
find himself in serious trouble.

Silently, Cidra headed in the general
direction of Bohr’s office. The hallways were a maze of walls and
doors, with no apparent pattern. Between the dark, earthen walls
and sporadic lighting, it was nearly impossible for her to see
anything.

It didn’t take her long to realize that her
chances of finding Bohr’s office were small. Just as she was about
to turn back towards the dining hall, she froze. Her danger sense
triggered. She spun around to find Bohr staring icily at her.

“
Are we lost?” he asked
with a lewd smile, his green skin dark and menacing.

“
I must have missed a turn.
The lighting is very dim.” She obligingly lowered her eyes and
managed a faint smile with all the humility she was willing to give
Bohr—which wasn’t much.

He suddenly stepped forward and trapped her
between him and the wall, his tongue flicking around her furiously.
She backed up instinctively, stunned by his swiftness. But disgust
and anger followed with a vengeance. She glared directly into his
glowing eyes, throwing humility to the wind.

“
I’ve always wanted to
claim a fiery human female,” he said leering down at her cleavage.
His luminous, yellow eyes slitted. “I shall thoroughly enjoy this.”
He grasped both her arms tightly with amazing strength and moved
closer to her. A wave of repulsion swept over her when his tongue
flicked over her, tasting the bare skin of her breasts.

She spoke crisply. “Let go
of me
now
.”

The corner of Bohr’s reptilian mouth raised
in amusement.

“
Back off, Bohr. She’s
mine.”

Bohr’s head snapped around. Cidra saw Grey
standing behind him, a dark, looming figure backlit by the distant
dining hall.

The Saurelian stared at him for a long
moment as if gauging his opponent’s size and strength. Finally, he
said, “She’s only a female. You humans trade females all the
time.”

Grey’s face was deep in the shadows, but his
voice came through low and deadly. “Not this female.”

“
Not even for a
name?”

Cidra’s eyes
widened.
The name
.
He would give them the name for her. A sickening shiver rolled
through her.

Her eyes flashed to Grey. Even in
silhouette, she could tell he was furious, on the threshold of
explosion. Fists clenched, body coiled, and much, much too still.
Looking back at Bohr’s cocky grin, she realized the Saurelian had
more arrogance than brains.

“
Not even for a name.
Release her.” Grey took a step forward. Bohr didn’t move. War was
declared.

Cidra made the decision. Grey was still
healing. She had no doubts he’d win a brawl with Bohr. But at this
rate, she’d never get her hands on the man.

Without hesitation, she brought one knee
sharply up into Bohr’s groin with enough power to lift him to his
toes. He released her immediately and crumpled to the floor,
groaning all the way.

Grey stepped into the light, crossed his
arms, and leaned his shoulder against the wall. “You’re lucky she
got to you before I did. I wouldn’t have stopped there.”

Cidra made no move, leaving Bohr rolling
helplessly on the floor between her and Grey.

“
Did I ever tell you about
Saurelian law, Captain? Civil law, rules of claim, penalties, and
punishments?” Cidra glowered down at Bohr as he fought to
breathe.

“
No, I don’t believe you
did,” answered Grey, playing along. The fierce rage that had
gripped him when he saw Bohr’s tongue flick over Cidra began to
dissipate. He could have killed the man with his bare hands. The
bastard didn’t know it, but he owed Cidra his life.

Cidra continued as if no one was writhing in
pain at her feet. “It’s very interesting. Females on Saurel have
little power, however, once she is claimed by a male, total
commitment is required by both parties. If a male is caught
claiming another female, the law is on her side.”

Bohr’s head shot up. He stared wide-eyed at
Cidra.

“
While he is sleeping or
otherwise occupied, she can make sure he never claims another
female as long as he lives. It’s usually quite a surprise for the
husband—one minute he’s a male, the next...” She grinned in
satisfaction.

Grey kept his gaze steady, fighting a flinch
any red-blooded male would have made. “Sounds extremely painful,
not to mention depressingly permanent.”

Bohr looked at him with desperation. “You
won’t tell Sil, will you? She’d do it tonight. I know her. And
she’d enjoy it, too.”

Grey only raised his eyebrows. “Cidra does
carry your scent now, and she does have a witness.” He shrugged in
mock resignation.

Bohr scowled at him. Then at Cidra, and
finally slumped in surrender.

“
What do you want?” he
mumbled gruffly.

Grey and Cidra exchanged a triumphant
look.

“
You know what we
want.”

Bohr muttered, “Information.” He took a deep
breath. “The name of the buyer was Plass. I never met him or heard
from him again. We conducted all our business over subspace.”

“
Was he working alone or
for someone else?” Grey questioned, hoping for a more recognizable
name.

Bohr shrugged. “I don’t know. He never
mentioned anyone else. In fact, he didn’t say much at all.” He
painfully staggered to his feet, leaning against the wall. “That’s
all I have.”

“
It’s enough. Appreciate
your cooperation, Bohr.” Grey slid over to Cidra’s side.

“
I have your promise, not a
word to Sil, right?” Bohr begged.

“
I always keep my word. By
the way, if you’re so worried about Sil, may I suggest you give her
the respect she deserves. You might sleep easier. Extend our thanks
for a lovely meal. I think we’ll call it a night. And stay away
from Cidra. She won’t save you next time.”

Ignoring Bohr’s baffled expression, he took
Cidra’s arm gently and headed back to their chamber.

Cidra smiled up at him brightly. He could
feel the satisfaction of their victory flowing through her, see the
exhilaration in her eyes but the man in him saw something more. He
saw a woman’s hunger. The hallway felt like it would never end.

Finally he escorted her through their
chamber door. Once inside, she pulled away from him and headed
directly for the lav. Grey stood empty-handed and confused.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

“
Cidra?”

He heard water running in the basin. She
re-appeared with a wet cloth and began rubbing her arms with it. He
watched the trail of water glisten on her skin, heard the blood
thrumming through his veins.

Glancing up at him, she explained. “Bohr’s
scent. I can still smell it.” Then she paused, wondering if Grey
would find that fact disgusting. Her eyes searched his face, but
the only emotion she found made her want to melt. Looking down, she
continued to wash her arms.

She didn’t realize he’d moved until he
gently pried the cloth from her hand.

“
I’ll do that.” His voice
was husky and heavy. The heat from his body wrapped around her,
drawing hers out, mingling and sinuous.

She watched in detached fascination as he
started with her hands. He swabbed a finger with the cloth and
pressed the clean fingertip to his lips. Cidra drew a shuddering
breath as each finger enjoyed the same treatment. Then he wiped and
kissed each palm and moved up her arms. Long, lingering, hot kisses
followed the cool wet trail of the water. By the time he reached
her shoulders, she was leaning back against the wall for
support.