Rystani Warrior 04 - The Quest (13 page)
Read Rystani Warrior 04 - The Quest Online
Authors: Susan Kearney
He buckled metal guards over his forearms and others over his knees, adjusting the straps to fit. Whoever had worn them last had been of smaller stature, but no doubt their psi had been in working order.
She strode to a bulkhead. “Ready to choose your poison?”
“Poison?”
Angel laughed, her tone throaty and sexy, and then she pressed a panel in the wall. A compartment opened to reveal a large assortment of hand weapons. She displayed throwing knives, tiny derringers, fully automatic signature heat blasters, laser cannons, hyperspace distorters, and even a crossbow with arrows in a quiver.
Her jewelry might be fake, but her weapons looked first class. Kirek grinned in pleasure, removing a shiny cluster shooter with a solid
bendar
handle. “Please don’t tell me that these are also frosting?”
“Nope. All are genuine.”
For a Rystani, Kirek possessed an unusual aversion to killing, but he appreciated fine weapons as much as any warrior. To him, life was sacred, and he’d gotten by in the past by using his intelligence to avoid violence—if he didn’t count what the wormhole blast had done to the Zin. That blast had wiped out millions of beings, and although they were the enemy, although the blast had been an accident, he carried that burden on his soul.
He took a portable force field inhibitor, an illegal device on most worlds that shut down psi forces and would make a fight more even. “Now, this
…
I like.”
“I picked up that little item in card game off Helvar Beta II, but I’ve never had occasion to use it,” Angel admitted.
He recalled that she’d won the
Raven
in a
card game, too. “Sounds as if you could gamble as a profession.”
“I’ve had my share of luck—both good and bad. I prefer to depend on skill.” As he slipped a knife under his shin guard, she nodded her approval and placed a dagger into the top of her own boot. “But the best place for gossip is a card game. Players are so focused on winning credits that they often reveal more than they should. That’s how I first heard about the Vogan ship, as a rumor during a game.”
“You took my bait.” He’d planted the rumor, knowing a salvager would pick him up and take him to Dakmar. What he hadn’t know was that the Raven and Angel would be the ship to arrive first.
Angel nodded. “My first stop in port, after selling salvage and ordering repairs, is always a casino.”
Before his burnout, Kirek had been able to use his psi to alter gambling machines in his favor. He’d used the skill only once, on Kwadii, in order to save the lives of his crewmates. However, knowing he could drop onto any Federation planet and survive was another in the growing list of abilities he no longer possessed.
Reminding himself that he was a whiz at figuring odds reassured him only a little. He was landing on an alien moon, among strangers and enemies, and his jobs were to protect Angel, meet his contact, and avoid the Kraj. He should be better prepared.
Kirek was as accustomed to using his psi to accomplish his missions as the fish on Endacron used their tails to swim upstream. If he forgot his new circumstances and hesitated during a critical moment, he could jeopardize the mission. He’d prefer Angel was stepping onto a more civilized moon, especially when she’d dressed to call attention to her delectable female shape.
“Are Petroy and Leval accompanying us?” He placed a stunner into the waistband at the small of his back. Since Angel hadn’t bothered to hide most of her weapons, he didn’t either.
“Petroy will remain here to oversee the repairs and make sure the supplies I’ve ordered are loaded. Leval and Frie never leave the
Raven.
”
“Never?” He glanced at her, and she hesitated, clearly torn about whether to say more.
Finally she asked, “Ever heard of agoraphobia?”
“The fear of leaving home?”
She nodded. “The
Raven
is their home. When I won the ship, they were already aboard.”
“And before that?”
She shrugged. “Frie once mentioned a communal Terran colony that didn’t take kindly to the practice of marriage. They escaped on the
Raven.
If I even mention them taking a vacation, Frie breaks into a sweat and Leval curses.”
She glanced at him, as if sensing his unease. “Is there a problem?”
He shot her a wicked grin, deliberately provoking her. “In my experience, females are always a problem.”
She chuckled. “Then you obviously haven’t had the right experiences.”
“A situation I’m more than willing to rectify.”
DESPITE THE HEAT in Kirek’s eyes which had given her a warm glow, Angel felt a chill at the knowledge that while Dakmar’s premier bank might appear civilized, the moon was run by the most powerful tyrant in the quadrant. There might be a ruling council and police, but corruption was rampant. With enough credits, one could arrange for murder or slavery or spacejacking or just about any crime one could dream up. While the Federation occasionally sent inspectors, the moon had remained a hotbed of criminal activity for hundreds of years.
With her salvage parked in orbit, estimators from several firms had already inspected the Vogan ship by the time the
Raven
had docked. Angel merely had to accept the highest bid and inform her bank, and the buyer transferred credits into her account. She’d stopped by the bank to pick up her credit chip, fully intending to put almost all of her proceeds back in the
Raven.
Her bank transaction took only moments, and Kirek’s dealings, as he appeared to open his own account, didn’t take much longer. He joined her with a quiet glance at the guard, the lobby, and the other customers. “Banks here are most efficient.”
Kirek’s demeanor might be all business, but she kept catching his gaze on her chest. Tonight, she had plans for him, and she fully intended to enjoy teasing him all day. She didn’t even mind that when another male approached too closely into her space, Kirek bristled. But when they entered the repair bay and he stepped forward to take charge, she signaled that she would take over. When it came to repairs of the
Raven,
no one knew her ship as well as she did. She was mighty particular about parts and labor.
Caught up in her instructions and haggling over price, she noted Kirek talking with the chief mechanic while she dealt with the owner. She supposed men would be men and paid little attention as he walked around several ships in progress, checked out an engine repair, hovered over a vidscreen with a mechanic, and appeared to admire one of the latest trade ships out of Zenon.
However, she also noted that he never strayed far, always keeping her in his line of sight. When she wrapped up her business and took back her credit chip, which was now worth considerably less, he appeared at her side. “All set?”
She sighed. “I would have liked to purchase heavier hull plating, but the cost was prohibitive.”
“We should be fine.”
Kirek seemed oddly unconcerned about her preparations for the journey. Yet he intended for her to take the
Raven
through an alien portal into another galaxy. From there she wasn’t certain of his plans. While she wanted to prepare for every contingency, he hadn’t even asked her how much fuel she could carry, never mind weapons, oxygen, food, or extra parts.
Perhaps Kirek trusted her. Or perhaps the scenery had distracted him. More likely, he was in protective mode.
He might appear relaxed, but his gaze kept moving, scanning not only ahead, behind, and to their sides, but also above them—as if he expected the Kraj to drop out of the ceiling panels and attack. They left the repair facility and proceeded onto one of the many moving walkways.
She kept her voice low so the couple behind them couldn’t overhear. “Are you concerned about the Kraj?”
His gaze sparkled. “They’ve been
…
detained for questioning.”
She frowned at him. “Did you arrange—”
“Dakmar’s computer has them owing some old port taxes. No doubt they’ll clear up the mistake soon.”
She’d underestimated Kirek. He had been busy. No wonder he hadn’t been concerned with the
Raven’s
repairs. He’d been taking care of delaying the enemy—but how?
“Has your psi healed?”
“One of the mechanics and I hacked into the system.” She’d thought she’d seen him hand over his credit chip when he’d been talking to the mechanic. Now she understood he’d paid the hacker.
Kirek gazed curiously at a woman posing for business in an upstairs window who wore nothing but a veil and thigh-high boots. Her expression bored, her body sculpted to perfection, she performed an erotic dance. “I’ve never seen a place quite like Dakmar. Even on Endeki, the sex isn’t advertised on the street.”
“Enjoying the scenery?”
“Very much.” His
stare drilled her then flicked down to her chest then back to her eyes, leaving no doubt about which scenery he was enjoying.
They exited the hangar bay through a portal and entered a rolling sidewalk, joining humanoids and several sentient birds that couldn’t fly since their wingspan was longer than the corridor. Although the space on Dakmar was much larger than on the Raven, the moon was crowded and always made her feel slightly claustrophobic. Even with her suit’s filtration set on full, she felt as though the air was stale.
“Now what?” Kirek asked.
“We find a card game.”
“And?”
“Food.”
“What then?”
“I thought we’d have a party.” She leaned forward and let the side of her breast press against his arm.
“A private party? Just for the two of us?” He jerked, she laughed, and then he glared at her as if he was about to burn up right on the sidewalk. My, oh my, her big Rystani warrior was edgy.
“Actually, I thought maybe you’d want to take me dancing,” she teased.
“Dancing is not what I have in mind.”
ANGEL SIDLED CLOSER to Kirek, enjoying that she could adjust the filters of her suit and his to allow her to breathe in his appetizing scent and touch his awesome heat.
She shot him a brazen look. “What
do
you have in mind?”
“Not a card game.”
He caught her gaze, and from the deep violet sparks, she saw he wanted her. His patience had oh so obviously almost run out, and she wondered if making love with Kirek would excite her as much as the anticipation. She couldn’t recall ever being this on-edge, all her nerves dancing, her stomach fluttery and jittery, her veins bubbling with glossy desire. She suspected it wouldn’t take a whole lot of stimulation to arouse her past a point of no return.
With a grin of satisfaction that indicated he seemed to be right there on the edge with her, she snuggled even closer against his hard muscles. “With the right enticement, I could be tempted to play other kinds of games.”
“Good.” He closed a hand over her arm. “I’ve planned a little surprise.”
Angel didn’t normally like surprises, but at his words, a pitter-patter of tingling seeped down her spine in a delicious tickle of heat. When he stepped from the moving sidewalk and guided her toward an establishment with two unmarked platinum double doors, she realized he wasn’t thinking fast on his feet, but had made prior arrangements.
Interesting. She shouldn’t have been surprised, but she was. It wasn’t necessarily logical that if he’d lost his psi he would also lose his take-charge attitude, but losing one’s psi might be as disturbing as losing one’s sight, and she’d expected Kirek to display a certain amount of disorientation. But he seemed to have adjusted almost effortlessly, revealing that confidence that made him so damn attractive.
The building had no sign. No portals. Just a discrete address—
Deck 52, Quadrant 4—carved into the sparkling marbalite steps leading to the imposing front doors.
Angel was delighted that under his difficult circumstances, he wanted her enough to strategize a seduction. They approached, and the doors opened with a hiss, inviting them into a lush foyer that widened into an opulent living area. The enormous building appeared to be more like a private home than a hotel, and she stared in open-eyed wonder. Plush white carpeting, billowing white floor-toceiling curtains, and a magnificent crystal chandelier showed off exquisite sculptures and precious art that hung from walls decorated with silken tapestries woven from shimmering star silk.
“What is this place?” She expected security to arrive at any moment and ask them to leave, but they appeared to be alone. “I’ve been to Dakmar many times, but I had no idea this building existed right in the heart of the merchant district.”
Kirek seemed completely at home, as if accustomed to vast wealth. Either that or luxury didn’t impress him—but if not, then why had he chosen this place?
“A government official keeps the apartment for his off-world mistress. She’s visiting her home world, and he’s currently on Zenon Prime and isn’t due back for—”
“You broke in?” Her voice rose in awe of the magnitude of his thinking. “But those doors outside opened after recognizing our identities.”
“Security is run by computer.” Kirek grinned, took her hand, and led her farther into the building.
The way he avoided a direct answer to her questions made her wonder if he’d also paid the mechanic to hack in and make these arrangements. Angel decided that for once, she was going to try to go with the flow. She owed herself a vacation and had no intention of using their limited time in arguments. Besides, his silence about his methods added a bit of a thrill to their rendezvous.
They strode past a miniature waterfall and a cascade of scented blooming plants, dozens of varieties of white flowers from many different worlds. In the great room, music and mist gathered around them creating an exotic atmosphere.
Beside her, Kirek gave her an innocent look, and she sighed. As much as she wanted to relax and trust him, she didn’t believe a mechanic had hacked into such an elaborate mansion. She hadn’t wanted to spoil the mood by questioning him. She’d told herself she wouldn’t question him, yet she simply couldn’t let it go. She disengaged her hand from his. “Are we here illegally?”
“Have a little trust.”
She supposed he could know the owner, or perhaps he’d rented the place for the night—but she didn’t believe that wealthy people rented out their residences like a hotel. Thinking aloud, she narrowed her gaze on him. “Why are you refusing to tell me how you arranged all this, unless
…
” She frowned. “What else have you done?”
“Come and see.” Kirek didn’t appear the least bit perturbed that she was suspicious. Instead, he kept walking, and she followed him into a large dome that appeared empty. A materializer, a toy for the wealthy, stood by the domed wall. The materializers could create food from their memory banks or create simple objects. “I programmed the entertainment area. I hope you don’t have any water phobias.”
While she eyed the expensive materializer, wishing she could afford one for the
Raven,
she worried that he still hadn’t answered her question about how he’d arranged for them to stay at this beautiful estate. “No, but—”
He threw a switch. The dome disappeared and holograms now presented them with a gorgeous blue sky, powder-fine white sand, and a turquoise bathing pool. Water cascaded over a rock wall into the inviting rock pool, creating a pleasant roaring in her ears. A thudding in her pulse.
Kirek had gone to a lot of trouble and yet, it disturbed her that he wouldn’t answer her questions. Worry niggled through her bones that she should be thinking long and hard about why he hadn’t been up front with her.
He may simply have wanted to surprise her. She didn’t like secrets and reminded herself that since she had no intention of becoming involved, his methods shouldn’t matter.
She wanted no more than a fling and hoped her attraction to him might even last for the duration of the mission. So she shouldn’t be worrying about how he’d arranged this surprise without her knowledge—not with such a magnificent setting, not with such a fine specimen of a man to share the beach. Besides, they probably wouldn’t be caught.
Besides, she
so
needed a few hours of glorious sex.
“Ready for a swim?” Bronzed skin gleaming in the sunlight, he took her hand and tugged her toward the water.
Again, she tried to cast aside her suspicions. They were about to begin a dangerous mission, and she owed herself a good time. While she still didn’t know if she could trust Kirek’s arrangements, she had no doubts about trusting him with her body that was already clamoring for his attention.
She shot him her sexiest grin. “First one in the water gets to touch the other first—for as long as they like,” she challenged him, turning both their suits transparent.
Angel had vowed never to let herself grow bored with her sexuality. She loved adventure and experimentation. A little creativity could go a long way toward adding to the excitement. Right now she couldn’t think of anything better than a new man to ease her ratcheting arousal.
Sensing she and Kirek were about to make memories that she’d cherish for a long time, she unbuckled her holsters. But instead of gracefully flinging the weapons aside in a sexy movement, the strap caught on her ankle. She hopped awkwardly on one foot, and her jerky movements caused her breasts to bounce. Kirek’s eyes blazed bright with interest, and she realized with this man she could be herself and he would appreciate her. The idea that he found her naturally sexy caused her heart to thud.
“Am I distracting you?” she teased, racing to remove the rest of her flash so she could beat him into the water.
“You’re cheating,” he accused, his tone a gruff growl of impatience. And hot interest.
“Can’t blame a girl for wanting to stroke all those hard Rystani muscles.”
Flinging him a mischievous pout, she grazed her finger over the top of her breast and flicked off an imaginary speck of sand. But taunting him wasn’t as easy as she’d have liked. He was quite good at giving her back some of her own teasing. When he bent to remove his leg shields, she got a great look at his fantastic butt, and then he straightened to his full height. His powerful chest narrowed to a very flat stomach causing her gaze to roam
…
and go lower.
Yum.
Kirek’s proportions could have served as a model for a Greek god. His muscular calves and thighs were strong without being massive. His buns—all tight and hard and coiled as if to pounce.
With her squeal of glee and his roar of approval, they bolted toward the water. The race was on. She couldn’t quite get over her luck that Kirek would be all hers for the next few hours. She eagerly awaited having so much of his attention directed only on her.
They sprinted step for step across the sand. When she reached the water first, winning the foot race, her shorter legs splashing into the cool pool before his longer ones, she laughed knowingly. “You let me win.”
“It’s I who has won.”
Angel suspected there would be no losers here. He waded out then dived head-first into the water. Knowing his suit could hold at least enough air for what he had in mind, when he didn’t surface immediately, she plunged in after him.
She’d assumed the pool would be
…
empty. But assorted neon-colored sea creatures swam, scooted, and dived past her. One sea snake lit up with a pink phosphorescent glow. Angel had no fear that any artificial creatures in the tank could hurt her. Kirek had set this scene with pleasure in mind—she enjoyed the surprise of a rainbow-hued coral reef near the bottom.
Even as the coral beckoned to be explored, she wanted Kirek.
Where was he? The water was so clear she could have seen him if he was below.
Flipping onto her back, she found him directly above her and reached out with her psi to claim her prize. While she couldn’t extend her psi bubble as far as Kirek had done in space, hers was large enough to bring him inside hers, where they could share air and talk, yet still have the sensation of water everywhere but on their faces. She set both suits to automatically keep their mouths, noses, and ears in the air with water everywhere else, and the resulting sensation was indescribably intimate.
Looking savage and bronzed and huge as he floated above her, his golden flesh tempted her. She placed a hand on his shoulder, loving the combination of his slick, hard flesh at her fingertips. “I’m very ready to claim my—”
“Not just
…
yet.”
Surrounded by blue water, yet able to breathe and talk, they had created the perfect cocoon in which to make love. Or so she thought until he grinned and swam them slightly closer to the surface
…
where the waterfall cascaded down into the water, creating an erotic tattoo on her skin.
“This is so awesome.” Even if they’d inadvertently set off a silent alarm, she doubted anyone would find them down here.
“
You
are
awesome.” He wriggled a bit, causing her palm on his shoulder to slide down his back. His flesh was warm, wet, and pleasingly supple.
“So where should I touch you first?” She trailed her fingers up and down his back, leaned forward, and demanded he give her a kiss.
He parted his mouth, and she pulled back from the kiss, nipping his bottom lip with a gentle tug. Then she let him see the desire in her eyes. “I’ve never made love while under water. Thank you.”
“You still haven’t made love under water,” he pointed out with a gruff impatience.
“But it’s going to be good, isn’t it?” She barely knew what she was saying as she trailed her tongue over his earlobe down his neck to his collarbone. His skin tasted slightly salty, with a bite of tang and a hint of exotic spice.
He leaned his head down to capture her lips, and impudently, she flipped him over so his back was to her stomach. He took one surprised stroke of the water with his hand then settled into an easy float, letting her position him between her and the surface the way she wished.
Now without his flaming eyes watching her every move, she could explore his nape, his shoulder blades, his waist. As her hand grazed his buttocks, his muscles tightened, and he let out a ragged hiss. Between the water cascading onto his chest from above and her fingers trailing wherever she wished and her mouth skimming down his back, she sensed he might be having difficulty holding still, but he allowed her to do as she wished
…
and it was her wish to see how far she could push him.
Ever so slowly, she worked her way down his back with her lips. She enjoyed the dimpled hollows at his waist, the curve of his spine, the arc of his tight buns. Damn, he had a fine butt. She explored the curve of his cheeks, quite pleased when his balls drew up tight against his body as she teased her way over.
She occasionally allowed the tips of her breasts to graze along his back or butt, and a nearby muscle would spasm, proving he was most definitely paying attention. When she reached between his legs and took his balls into her hands then squeezed gently, he gasped.
With a grin of satisfaction, she didn’t let go, but held on tight. Then she bit his butt and licked away the sting, and all the while her hands firmly kept him captive. In the water it was easy to maneuver around his big body, and she swam between his legs, maintaining hold of his tight balls with her hands. With a mischievous grin, she took his erection into her mouth in one smooth lunge.
His back arched. His hips bucked. His fingers threaded into her hair.
She used her tongue to flick over his sensitive ridge then sucked hard, keeping her hands tight on him, letting him know that he was hers to have, hers to stroke, hers to lick.
