Alien Overnight (27 page)

A muffled snort sounded behind her, but no one said a word.

“Monica Teague, daughter of Cecine.”

Steeling herself, she opened her eyes to find Kellen kneeling before her, his hands resting on his thighs, a river of blood trickling over his knee. His dark eyes were now bright with humor—in fact, there was a dimple indenting his left cheek and he looked like he was having a hell of a time not laughing out loud. She couldn’t help smiling in return, her blush burning brighter than ever.

“Monica Teague,” he said again, growing serious. “You are the most beautiful, most independent, most caring woman I have ever known, and I declare my humble desire to be your mate.”

She put trembling fingers to her lips as joy and love and need all slammed her at once, making her face screw up against her tears as he continued, “I am fertile and have already fathered one child. I offer my skills for your pleasure in the mating chamber and my seed, if you wish it, for the planting of babes. I offer you my name, which carries some honor, and my possessions, which are many. I offer my protection, which is without equal among our men, and my fidelity, an oath that will bind me all my days. And above all these, Monica Teague, I offer you my love, which will not fade even after we are but vague memories of our children’s children’s children.”

“Kellen,” she whispered, holding out her hand. Instead of taking it, he put his hands on the floor and lowered himself until his forehead touched the biologic pad.

“I realize now, my love, that I made you feel like an object. Having experienced that sensation firsthand in my previous mating, I regret it more than you can possibly know 145

Robin L. Rotham

and will do everything I can to make reparation for it.” His voice was muffled by the pad. “I am unworthy of you,
sziscala
. My little fighter. But I beg you to consider restoring me as your primary mate.”

Blown away, she opened her mouth but nothing came out.

“You need not answer now, daughter.”

Was he kidding?

“Of course I need answer now!” She slid off her chair onto her knees and laid her hands gently on Kellen’s hair, savoring the crispness of it. When he remained facedown, she grabbed two handfuls and pulled. “Please get up.”

Her hands slid away as he rose slowly and looked at her, a question on his face. She leaned forward, her eyes on his, and kissed his lips softly before asking again, “Would you please get up?”

He frowned. “I am up.”

She rolled her eyes.

“To your feet, Commander.” He hesitated before standing, and when he got to his feet, blood hit the pad in audible splats before being absorbed like they were never there. “Goddamn it, you should have left that bandage on.”

That got him smiling again.

Sinking back on her heels, she stared up at him. “Well, I’m nowhere near as poetic as you and Shauss, but here goes. I love you, too, Kellen. I think I always have. In fact, I think I must have been made for you.”

“I know you were.”

“Shhh—it’s my turn, Commander.” She laid her hands on her thighs, as he had done, only hers were relaxed, palms up. “I’m yours to do with whatever you will. I may bitch about it, but that’s mostly just habit. I know you’re fair and wise and determined to do what’s best for everyone, including me. I’ll try to be a little more agreeable in public, but I can’t promise anything. I’ll try to be a little more agreeable in the bedroom, too, but sometimes it’s more fun to be a pill and take the punishment.” She reddened as laughter rippled through the room. Kellen laughed, too, setting off explosions deep in her belly. “Jesus, I can’t believe I said that. Oh well.”

Then she focused on Shauss. “I love you, too, Shauss, and I wish you’d come back to us. If I have to, I’ll learn to live with someone new, but I’d rather not. I know I’m not your dream girl and you’re not thrilled about sharing, but if we all just talk a little more, we could probably make it work for you, at least until something better comes along.”

He gave that self-deprecatory grin. “Like there’s anyone who could top you, sweet one.”

“Well, you never know.” She craned her head around to look at her father. “We can do that, can’t we? Let him go if he finds someone else? The bond doesn’t have to be unbreakable, does it?”

“Not if you all agree to it.”

146

Alien Overnight

“Kellen?” She looked up at him, pleading with her eyes, and he held out his hands and pulled her up. Then he cupped her face in his palms and leaned down slowly, oh-so slowly. He captured her bottom lip in a brief caress and then did the same to her upper lip while she sighed raggedly. When her knees began to tremble, he slid one arm around her waist and slanted his head, kissing her with all the carnal intent she’d longed for, and everyone else was forgotten.

Too soon, he raised his head and grinned at Shauss, holding her tight against him, his hard-on pressed to her belly. “Have you had enough of being alone again, Lieutenant? Think you can sacrifice a bit of your pride for the loving touch of a female?”

“If he won’t, I will,” someone said. A ripple of agreements followed and Monica frowned ferociously.

The two men looked at each other for a long, intense moment and she felt Kellen’s cock give an interesting leap before his eyes narrowed on her. “I can live with it if she can.”

Oh great. What the hell kind of deal had they worked out?

“Well, then,” Shauss said, rising and crossing his arms over his chest. “It’s a dirty job, but I guess somebody’s got to do it.”

“Hey, now.” Monica let her frown deepen. “You’d better work on that attitude or there won’t be any
loving touches
coming your way for a long time.”

Laughter filled the chamber.

“Commander,” her father interrupted. “Now that the matter has been settled to the satisfaction of all, we are due on the transfer deck. A thousand anxious Terrans await our guidance and I would rather not prolong the suspense any longer than I must.”

Kellen pulled away at once and reached for his uniform.

“You will go directly to the infirmary and have that wound sealed.” Kellen opened his mouth as if to argue, but her father held up that magical hand that stopped all conversation cold. “Ketrok, see that he does not leave the infirmary until he is fit for duty.”

“Yes, Minister.”

“Daughter, you may attend your mate.”

“Yes, Father.”

After Cecine had left the room and the men were piling out behind him, Kellen tugged on his boots, chuckling. “Now that wasn’t so bad, was it? Showing a little respect at the right moments can have unforeseen benefits.”

“Don’t even talk to me until you’ve stopped dripping blood or you’re going to macho yourself into an early grave.”

“Monica, it’s a flesh wound.” He smiled patiently.

“Tell me that when it’s developed a nasty, gangrenous infection and has to be amputated at the shoulder.”

147

Robin L. Rotham

Shauss was one of the last to leave, touching his finger to his brow in a sardonic salute as he passed through the door, and a thought occurred to her.

“So what is it you can live with if I can?”

Kellen took her hand. “Walk with me to the infirmary,
sziscala
. It seems we have a few intimate details to iron out.”

148

Alien Overnight

Monica lounged at the head of the bed, shivering with heat, unable to move a muscle. Although she wore a slim white nightgown, Kellen had pulled the neckline down to frame her naked breasts and posed her legs in a lewd sprawl, leaving her completely open to his view. But he didn’t even look. Instead, he stripped out of his bloodstained uniform, tossing it into the corner, and dug through the cabinets while she watched. Pulling out a clean uniform, he laid it over the chair and dropped his boots into the sanitizer, then ducked into the shower without another word.

Asshole
, she raged even as the fierce tingle in her bottom squeezed more slickness from her vagina.
Treat me like a piece of fucking furniture
!

That was how Shauss found her moments later, and the wicked curve of his smile sent chills down her spine.

“My, my,” he drawled. “Kellen has a genuine flair for apology.” He walked over and set a lumpy bag in one of the chairs and then turned. Eyes on her crotch, he asked,

“Did he insert the penetab?”

An involuntary whimper broke from her as her back arched.

“Ah. Neural gag. I wondered why you were so quiet.” Coming around the corner of the bed, he sat by her hip, facing her. “I’ll just check…”

His right hand pushed her knee up and back even farther while the other skated down her thigh to her wide-open vulva, hesitating only a second before dipping into her moisture. Although he carefully avoided her hot points, she seized with reaction anyway, and he smiled as he coated his fingers with her abundance of natural lube.

“I assume Kellen told you we’d reached an agreement,” he murmured, stroking delicately around her nook, spreading her moisture, not quite making contact where she needed it so badly. “Never doubt that planting a seed in your womb would be an honor, sweet one, but if I’m not prepared to commit to this bond for life, I have no business fathering any of your children. Which is why I will spend only here,” He reached up and pushed two slick fingers between her parted lips, stroking her tongue lightly. The salt tang of them made her moan.

“And, of course,” his eyelids lowered when he pulled those fingers out and slid them down between her buttocks, “here.” She squeaked as one of them eased inside her. “I brought lubricant, as ordered, and a few other surprises, as well.”

Oh crap. Surprises were the last thing she needed right now.
Fuck me
,
already
.
I
’
m
dying here
!

“Have all our guests settled in?”

149

Robin L. Rotham

Kellen ambled from the shower, toweling his hair, and Monica moaned with regret as Shauss withdrew from her and stood up.

“Yes, though several of them are less than thrilled with the accommodations and many are inquiring about their families. Most of the unrest quieted when the minister informed them that the compound had been obliterated. They all seemed quite relieved to hear that any family members who desired it would be flared aboard tomorrow.”

“Any significant problems after I left?”

“Just one. He’s spending the night in detention.”

“Excellent.” The towel dropped to the floor and Kellen stood there naked, fists propped on his hips, looking a lot like Tarzan. Though his cock was already standing tall, he watched her with amusement. “Your little nurse friend was surprisingly adamant about seeing her husband, so he was flared aboard this afternoon, as well.

Miss King, on the other hand, had nothing to say to any of us.”

Monica raised her brows. Poor Jasmine. Hadn’t she been through enough already?

“I suppose I can’t blame her, but she’s going to have to get over her injured feelings.

I suspect that life on Garathan will be a lot safer for her and for the others, at least until we have proven that we had no hand in the attacks.”

This time she arched one eyebrow doubtfully.

“Yes, I know the video footage of Pret’s page planting explosive devices has put our collective tit in a wringer…” She rolled her eyes at his sophomoric grin. “But we will get to the bottom of the matter eventually. Our tech science team has already determined that the images were captured by flare recording, which means that he was undoubtedly double-crossed by one or more accomplices.” His expression darkened.

“At least one of whom is probably aboard the
Heptoral
now. Pret was stripped to the skin before he was outfitted and placed in detention, so someone must have given him the polarized activator. Unfortunately, surveillance imaging has revealed nothing of value.”

Shauss yawned. “Have you finished briefing her or shall I come back in the morning?”

Grinning once more, Kellen sat down beside her, stroking her still-sprawled thigh.

Thank God
. “I believe her briefing is complete, for the moment.”

“Thank the Powers.” Shauss went and picked up the lumpy bag. “I’ve been waiting all afternoon to try this.”

“What is that?”

Kellen watched with furrowed brows as Shauss squirted clear gel all over the piece of plastic.

“It’s an anal plug.”

“Shauss…” He cocked his head to one side, ignoring the aroused whimper from beside him. “I thought you intended to plug that yourself.”

150

Alien Overnight

“This will help to stretch her muscles so that she can accommodate me without too much pain.” Shauss regarded him seriously. “I did take your concerns to heart, especially after she reacted with fear the last time I tried this. When she mentioned lube this afternoon, I decided it would be wise to read up and dig a little deeper into my treasure trove of Terran toys.”

Kellen shook his head as Shauss crawled up between Monica’s legs, holding the glistening plug high. “Sometimes I wonder about you, Lieutenant.”

Shauss separated her buttocks with his fingers and carefully began pushing the plastic into Monica’s anal sphincter. Her breathing grew harsh and her nipples stood at sharp attention. “One of our mission objectives was to observe and participate in as many of the Terrans’ customs as we could.”

Kellen laughed outright. “I doubt the Council had
this
in mind.” Although if they could see this little tableau, they’d probably have it in mind quite often in the future.

“How does that feel, Monica?”

At her throaty groan, Kellen ordered the gag released. She immediately sobbed,

“Oh my God, Shauss. Just put that thing away and fuck me. Please,
please
! I need to come, damn it. Now.”

“So amenable tonight,” Shauss murmured without looking away from his task.

“Patience, sweet one.”

She let out a short scream. “Goddamn it, I didn’t take you guys back so you could torture me!”

“Are you certain of that?” Kellen asked, leaning over her face. “I distinctly remember you enjoying every bit of torture we administered last week.”