JakesPrisoner (2 page)

Jake was conscious of several men running toward the
vehicle. “Tanith, did you just bypass the ignition interlock of your own
terra-pod?”

Tanith released the brake and reversed at speed into the
middle of the driveway, narrowly missing one of the men. “Of course not,” she
said, never taking her eyes from the mirror. “This one isn’t mine.”

The Terra-pod spun in a wide arc, scattering a thick cloud
of dust before speeding through the open gates. Jake’s fingers gripped the edge
of his seat. Damn it, he had just organized a date with a crazy woman.

Tanith adjusted the mirror and muttered an expletive under
her breath when two vehicles exited the gates in pursuit. “Terra-pod, display
map. Grid area 12E.”

The map flashed on the dashboard screen and Tanith braked
suddenly before reversing down a narrow side street. She dimmed the lights and
watched as one of the pursuit vehicles sped by. They weren’t so lucky with the
second one. The large, slate-gray terra-pod stopped at the entrance to the
laneway and a man stepped onto the pavement. Jake recognized the older
Cyraelian from earlier. He wasn’t giving up easily.

Tanith gave him a speculative look. “Have you ever played
Tor-bird, Human?”

Jake could feel a trickle of sweat running down between his
shoulder blades. This wasn’t the easy seduction he had planned. He was liable
to get killed before he got any information from her. “I can’t say that I
have.”

Tanith revved the engine. “Terra-pod, engage passenger
safety restraints.”

A lightweight harness enveloped him and the terra-pod shot
forward, throwing Jake hard against his seat. Their speed increased as they
approached the other vehicle and only at the last second did it reverse onto
the main street. When they missed the vehicle by inches, Jake let out a breath
he didn’t realize he’d been holding.

Tanith drove with the same nonchalant skill he’d observed in
seasoned pilots. They raced through the streets, staying barely within the
speed limits. A short while later, they reached the outskirts of the city,
passing a field of wind turbines before turning off the highway and heading
into the desert. Only then did she reduce speed.

The desert was still and beautiful at night. He liked it
that she didn’t feel the need to fill the silence with small talk. Through the
open windows of the Terra-pod, he could taste the desert air, sweet, dusty and
earthy. In a strange way it reminded him of home. They turned off the main
road, moving along a twisting incline until they reached the top of the hill.
When Tanith adjusted the controls, the roof of the Terra-pod opened. Jake
stared at the view in front of them. A million stars hung in a dark-blue velvet
sky. They looked so near that you could almost touch them.

Tanith gazed at the sky and sighed. “This is one of my
favorite places. I envy you, Human. You’ve been there, up among the stars. What
is it like?”

He was supposed to be seducing her, finding out everything
he could about Raoul. Instead, they sat side by side, counting shooting stars,
and she listened to him talk about what it was like to travel across the
galaxies. He couldn’t remember when he’d had such a good time. It was kind of
like a date and he was enjoying himself far too much with someone who was
supposed to be his enemy. Jake reached down and took her hand in his. “I don’t
suppose you want to talk about what happened earlier?”

He was only half hopeful that she would tell him. Tanith
struck him as someone who was adept at getting into and out of trouble.

She didn’t try to draw her hand away but her face betrayed a
fleeting expression of sadness. “Human, I don’t think you would believe me.”

When Jake raised her hand to his lips and kissed the inside
of her wrist, he was rewarded with a smile. “You could try me.”

She shook her head regretfully. “I wish that I could, but
thank you.”

Tanith leaned across and kissed him lightly on the cheek. He
wasn’t giving up that easily. Jake turned his head and his lips caught the edge
of her mouth. Her palm brushed lightly against his chest and she pressed her
mouth against his in a gentle exploration. Her tongue darted tentatively inside
his mouth and then more eagerly, deepening the kiss. Jake slid his hands around
her waist, pulling her across his lap. He could feel the warmth of her skin
through the fine, silky fabric of her gown.

Her mouth left his, nipping against his jaw before moving
slowly down his neck, her fingers unbuttoning his tunic as she explored. A soft
groan escaped his lips. He had never been so turned-on by a kiss and he wanted
more. Her attentions returned to his mouth, a languorous, teasing caress that
made him wish there was a backseat in the Terra-pod.

She broke the embrace reluctantly. “That was nice, Human, I
wasn’t sure if we would be compatible.”

“There’s one way to find out.” Jake drew her to him for
another kiss. Her mouth was soft and the hot, sweet taste of her was seductive.
Desire flared, hard and demanding. He wanted to take her into the night, to
press her body against the sands, to sheathe himself inside her while she cried
out for him. His hand slid from her waist and he cupped her breast, rubbing his
thumb gently across the tip until it peaked.

Tanith moaned softly and removed his hand. “You tempt me,
Human. But it’s almost dawn and I have a meeting in two hours.”

One of the suns was beginning to rise, casting orangey-pink shadows
on the desert sands. She slid off his lap and turned on the engine. “We should
go.”

By the time they returned to the city, delivery-pods had
appeared on the streets and the city was beginning to stir. They pulled up
outside an apartment block on a tree-lined avenue. “This is where I leave you.
I’ve reengaged the auto-response unit. The Terra-pod will take you back to the
spaceport. Goodnight, Human. Call me.”

With the briefest of kisses, she was gone. As the vehicle
pulled away, Jake caught a last glimpse of the red dress as Tanith entered the
glass lobby of a residential building. He would call her the minute he got back
to the ship and he wouldn’t stop calling her until she agreed to see him again.

Tanith hugged herself as she entered the lobby. The human
was perfect. No slime, no forked tongue and he didn’t care about Raoul. Best of
all, he talked to her like a real person and not like an object that he wanted
to acquire. The elevator doors chimed open and she stepped inside. As the doors
closed, a dark hand reached between them, forcing them open again. Her heart
dropped like a stone when she saw the men from the night before.

“Ms. Jasson, Atam wants to see you—now.”

“Not a chance, Jake. This is supposed to be a diplomatic
mission. The big guy will lock me in the brig if I breach security on the
Cyraelian com systems. Anyway, I thought you were pumping her for information
last night?”

A slow red tide crept up Jake’s neck and Pete roared with
laughter. “You struck out? I don’t believe it. The biggest womanizer in six
galaxies and you struck out? There is a god after all.”

“Please, Pete, just take a look.”

“Not a chance.” Pete swiveled in his chair and turned to
face the monitor.

Jake turned on the view-screen and looked at the yellow planet.
Far below them was the vast tract of desert, which made up most of the southern
hemisphere of Cyraelia. He had commed Tanith at her office several times and at
her home, but she hadn’t responded to any of his messages. Either she didn’t
want to see him again or she was in trouble because of him. Both options gave
him a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. Pete was the only one who could
help him. “I’ll get you a date with Ensign Nakamara,” he offered. “She was just
telling me yesterday how cute and charming you were.”

Pete swiveled around in his chair. Jake knew that the techie
was shy with women and the petite ensign turned him into a tongue-tied idiot
every time she looked at him. “Did anyone ever tell you that you’re a complete
bastard, Svenson?”

“Frequently,” Jake gave him a lopsided grin. “I’ll be back
in an hour and I want to know everything then.”

Fifty-five minutes later, Pete commed him in his quarters.
“Jake, I’ve sent you an encrypted file and you better delete it the minute
you’ve finished reading it. It’s not pretty. You may want to think about
walking away from this one.”

Jake’s fingertips hovered over the screen. If it was bad,
maybe he should just delete it without reading it. He felt as if he was spying
on her.
You are spying on her, idiot.

Tanith’s face appeared in a news com about her appointment
as technical advisor for RVS, a consortium that developed tech products for the
Cyraelian defense forces. Her bio said that she had graduated top of the
women’s military service class for her year. It was strange that she went to
military school, given the Cyraelian attitude toward women.

Jake flicked through the next file. Her service record
indicated several reprimands for insubordination. That sounded just like her.
The next file was Tanith’s transfer to the military school by Cyraelian social
protection services. She was just sixteen and the report indicated that she was
uncontrollable.

A sealed juvenile criminal record revealed four counts of
terra-pod theft, when Tanith had run away from foster homes. She had been
placed in foster care after her parents died. There was a separate law
enforcement file on their deaths and it looked as though Pete had spent twenty
minutes trying to decode it. He bit down lightly on his lip as he read the report.
Tanith’s mother had committed suicide and her father died six months later.
Poor kid. Her older brother, Raoul, was deemed to be a bad influence on her
because he worked for crime lord Atam Sorza. The same man he had taken Tanith
away from the previous night. Damn. He had to find her.

* * * * *

It was late afternoon by the time Jake reached her
apartment. His Fleet Command uniform drew a curious look from the concierge but
he gave him Tanith’s apartment number anyway. He had four hours before he had
to be back on board the ship. Jake pressed Tanith’s door com and waited. No
reply. Maybe she wasn’t home. Maybe he was getting worked up over nothing. The
door opened a crack and he caught a glimpse of a tearstained face before she
closed it swiftly. Jake pressed the door com again. “Let me in, Tanith,
please.”

The door of the neighboring apartment opened and Jake
received a frosty glare from an elderly resident. “Please leave or I will call
law enforcement services again.”

“What do you mean again?” Jake advanced toward the neighbor,
who scuttled back into the safety of her apartment.

“This is a nice facility. We don’t want her kind here.” With
that, the door slammed shut in his face. What the hell was going on?

“Jake.” Tanith’s voice came in a low whisper and he followed
her inside.

Although she had made an effort to clean up, it was obvious
that the room had been ransacked. Cushions had been sliced open, a small table
lay broken in one corner and the remains of a large glass mirror had been swept
into the middle of the room. This was his fault. If he hadn’t been such a cocky
bastard last night, none of this would have happened. Tanith sat on the edge of
the couch. Without the exotic makeup, she looked younger and somehow
vulnerable.

“Who did this?” Jake’s heart sank, he guessed what was
coming.

“Atam’s men, when I wouldn’t go with them. They kept asking
if Raoul had sent me a key.”

“Did they hurt you?” Please say no, or he would have to
track them down and break every bone in their bodies.

Tanith sniffed loudly and shook her head. “No. They were
just trying to scare me.”

Jake sat down on one of the torn cushions and pulled her
into his arms. He couldn’t do this. Seducing her for information about her
brother was one thing, but involving Atam Sorza was something entirely
different. Strom would have to find another way of catching Raoul.

Between bouts of tears, she told him about her wild brother,
Raoul, and Atam Sorza, who had drawn him into a life of crime. There was some
conflict between them and she was being dragged into it. “Don’t get involved
with me, Jake. My life is a mess.”

Jake stroked her hair away from her face, twisting the silky
dark strands between his fingers. “It’s too late for that. I’m already
involved.”

He was surprised to find that he meant it. Tanith snuggled
against his chest. Her breathing became slow and regular and he realized that
she had fallen asleep. Jake watched through the large window as each of the
suns set and the room became dark around them. He was due back on board the
ship in less than an hour.

She didn’t waken when he carried her to bed and draped a
quilt over her. Next to a bottle of perfume on her dressing table was a small
laser weapon, similar to the one she had worn strapped to her thigh the
previous night. On a low shelf near the window were framed images of a
well-dressed man and a woman with dark, sad eyes. Above them was an impressive
display of gymnastics trophies. He liked the muted opulence of the room. What
he didn’t like was the half-packed bag on the floor beside the bed. Tanith was
scared and she was getting ready to run. Jake returned to the sitting room and
commed Pete before going to explore the kitchen.

Tanith woke with a start. The room was dark. She couldn’t
remember going to bed and there was noise coming from the kitchen. She
stretched out her hand, reaching for her weapon. Padding quietly along the
carpeted corridor, she opened the door. The human was cooking and, from the
aromas wafting around the room, he knew his way around a food preparation unit.
The table was set for two. His uniform tunic was draped over the back of one
chair. Jake had chilled a bottle of sparkling
venon
and a red flower sat
in a small vase.

For some inexplicable reason, she wanted to cry again. This
afternoon she had started to pack, ready to run away. She hadn’t done that for
years and somehow it had brought back all the hurt. She couldn’t do this
anymore. She was sick of being used and she didn’t want to spy on the humans,
not this particular human anyway.

Jake pressed a glass into her hand and snatched a brief
kiss. “You’re just in time.”

She thought she had forgotten how to laugh, but Jake’s
stories of life on board the ship kept her giggling—especially the ones about
his techie friend, Pete, and his disastrous attempts to find a girlfriend.
Until they returned to the sitting room, she had no idea how late it was. “Oh
Jake, I’m so sorry. Will you get into trouble?”

He nodded but his eyes were teasing. “They’ll probably lock
me in the brig for being AWOL. This could be my last night of freedom for at
least a month.”

Tanith slid onto his lap. “Then we better make the most of
it.”

Her kiss was different from the sensual exploration of the
previous night. Tanith pressed her mouth against his, eager and demanding. Her
hands slid under his shirt, stroking the roped muscles of his abdomen. Jake
groaned with frustration. If Tanith didn’t stop touching him like that, he
would take her on the couch. If it was anyone else, he would have given in to
the temptation without a single thought. But he couldn’t do that to her, not
after today. Maybe they could just fool around for a while before he went back
to the ship.

She pulled the shirt over his head, tossing it onto the
floor. Tanith’s mouth began a slow glide down his neck. Her lips fastened on
his nipple, biting gently, and he gasped with pleasure. He was rock-hard and he
couldn’t fool himself any longer. They were never going to be platonic. Tanith
wrestled with the fastening of his pants and slid her hand inside, stroking the
hard length of him, before pushing the pants off. “Oh, Human, what a nice
surprise.”

She stood up and pulled off her clothing quickly before
straddling him again. He could feel her small hard nipples as her breasts
rubbed against his chest. When Jake took one into his mouth and laved it with
his tongue, Tanith purred with delight. She lowered herself onto him and he
groaned with pleasure. Her mouth fastened on his again and Jake could taste
pure raw need. He bucked his hips against hers, driving himself deeper. Tanith
bit him on the shoulder. “Not yet. No touching, no moving.”

She grasped his wrists, placing them behind his head. It
took every ounce of self-control for him to sit still. Tanith moved up and down
slowly, her head thrown back, her hands tracing a path across her breasts with
the tips of her fingers. Her pace increased, grinding harder against him and
her tongue flicked out, running a teasing path over her lips.

“Please,” he groaned. “Let me touch you.”

Tanith raised her hips until the barest tip of him remained
inside her. Jake bit his lip. She was going to pay for this. He was going to
make her scream for him. She lowered herself onto him in a single movement,
sheathing him inside her, and he growled. That was it. He was taking over. His
arms whipped around her waist and he stood up. Still inside her, he carried her
to the bedroom. Tanith’s eyes opened wide in surprise. Jake smiled. So it was
true. He’d heard that Cyraelian males were sexually passive. Tanith was in for
a shock.

He lowered her gently onto the bed. Jake’s hand fisted in
her hair and his mouth claimed hers roughly. She clawed at his back, not caring
if she hurt him. Jake thrust slowly, watching her face, changing his angle and
depth to pleasure her. Tanith arched her back, writhing under him. Her breathing
became fast and shallow and Jake could feel her inner muscles grasping him. She
was going to come. He thrust hard, sheathing himself inside fully, pumping his
seed into her as she screamed out his name.

Jake rolled over and pulled her into his arms. His heart was
thundering in his chest. Tanith had more than matched his passion. There was no
coyness, no pretense with her. He wanted to make love to her all night. Her
hand reached down to stroke him and he stirred again, responding to her touch.
Jake felt her laugh against his chest, a low feminine purr of approval. As he
stroked her back, his hand came into contact with a raised pattern of skin
along her spine. Tanith gasped. “Did I hurt you, Tanith? What is that?”

She sat up and pulled away from him. Her expression was
wary. “It’s called a
Dermatrax
. All Cyraelian females have them.”

Jake stroked her hand. “Let me see it. Please, I want to.”

Tanith lay facedown on the bed. From her waist to the base
of her spine was a series of tiny raised welts in shades of blues and greens,
as intricate and shimmering as the silvery skin of a fish. He had slept with
women of other species, but none were as strangely beautiful as this. “Can I
touch it?”

Jake moved his fingertip lightly along her spine. The
Dermatrax
rippled, responding to his touch. “It feels like it’s alive.”

He placed his palm flat against the base of her spine. It
was warm to the touch. It felt like her but not her, as if Tanith was two
creatures. Jake bent his head and pressed his lips against it. The
Dermatrax
had a soft, sweet scent that was faintly intoxicating. Jake stretched out
beside her, still stroking his fingers along her spine. “You’re beautiful,
Tanith. Why would you hide something like that?”

Tanith looked at him, puzzlement etched across her face. “In
my culture, the marks are considered shameful. We do not expose them in public
and we may not speak of them. My mother believed that the true purpose of the
Dermatrax
was to summon a mate. That there was one true love for each of us and you
should stop at nothing to find him. My mother…”

“What about your mother?” Jake stroked her hair gently. He
had half an idea of what she was going to say.

Instead she gave him a bright smile. “Let’s not talk about
that now. It is good having you here like this, Human.”

Jake heard a noise from the other room. The alarm on his com
badge was buzzing. “Sorry, baby, I have to get that.”

He padded out to the sitting room, looking for his tunic.
Seven missed com messages. Damn. “Pete, I’m kind of busy,” he whispered.

“Jake, you’re kind of AWOL. What do you want me to tell the
big guy?”

In the dim light of the bedroom, he could see Tanith waiting
for him. Even if he wanted to, he couldn’t walk away from her now. Something
had started between them. Something that had nothing to do with Raoul or Atam
and he didn’t want to let it go. There was only one way that Strom would permit
their relationship to continue. “Tell him the subject is secured.”