Talson Temptations 3: Talson's Net (11 page)

A tendril of his power snaked along her shield, a band of
fear searching for a crack to penetrate.

Keilor stood and rounded his desk. “You little whore.” Rage
crackled along the psychic plane and made his eyes white, filled with energy.
“I waited
years
to make you mine, to give your
psychei
time to
mature. Talson is nothing. Less than nothing. With your
psychei
bonded
to mine, we’ll complete Project Overhead and own the entire Otra/Earth
commercial line. I’m not about to waste that potential on a Talson,” he
sneered.

Ah, Project Overhead. Information she could sense Val
tucking away. “Please. What can you give me that he can’t? Talson offered
power, wealth and the best sex of my life. You would hurt me and get off on it.
You think I don’t know that?”

He regarded her with more savvy intelligence than she’d credited
him having. “Rowe, I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s come over me. It’s just…” A
sheen of tears glistened in his eyes. “I’ve always loved you. We Otra view our
familial ties differently than the humans. I worried you wouldn’t be able to
see beyond your human frailties. If you can’t consider us as lovers, at least
think of us as business partners.

“Consider what your status would mean for your future
children, Rowe. No more abuse or taint because of your poor mother’s humanity.”

A new tactic. “Meaning what? And what are you talking about
with Project Overhead? Otra/Earth commercial line? In case it’s escaped your
notice, we’re getting our asses handed to us by the pirates polluting
commercial space.”

Power, wealth and the best sex of your life? Is that all?
Val’s anger underscored his amusement.
What about my huge cock? Why not tell
him about that?

She’d known Val wouldn’t be happy with her plan, but she
needed to do this her way.
Don’t think you can boss me around, Talson. This
fight is as much mine as it’s yours.

When you come out of that office, we’re going to talk,
Rowe. For a long time.

His sensual menace aroused her. Hell, everything about Val
aroused her.

She took a step forward and reached for Keilor’s hand.

His eyes narrowed in suspicion. Before using her own ability
to manipulate him, which he clearly was on guard for, she called on Quinn’s
psychei
.

Keilor blinked at her and his entire body shivered.
“Wh-what…?” She glanced down to see him rock hard in an instant. Then she hit
him with her ability. “Take down your shields and disable your scramblers. Open
up to me, Keilor, then forget all about it. You can trust me.”

He did so without a peep, and she couldn’t believe it could
be this easy.

It wasn’t. The minute he disabled his jammers and relieved
the Otra shielding for him a few doors down, his
psychei
burst with
suppressed rage. “For a smart woman, you are one stupid bitch.”

The b-word. Definitely not a good move on his part. Anger
flowed through her like water.

“Oh? Enlighten me, cousin.”

“Who the hell do you think is running the attacks on Talson
shipping? Who do you think stole millions out of our last haul and nearly
killed my father? Not the ‘San clan,” he said in falsetto, ripping at the
collar of his shirt. “
I
did it, Rowe. Me. Keilor Chartrell ‘Or Ryi. I
possess a network no one in all of Earth or the Otra colonies can match. I’m
slowly capturing the freight. But with you by my side, I’ll take their minds
and souls as well.

“Unfortunately, the only other Otra I’ve ever met that had
your talent is your father. And he bonded with a human. A fucking human.” He
shook his head, his eyes full of zealous hate. “The only worthwhile
contribution your pathetic mother made in this life is you. A lacking little
half-breed. Despite your poor genes, I’m affording you the rare opportunity—the
rare
honor
—of becoming my
iriu
. I can give you a bloodline. Power
and wealth from the Talsons? They have no idea what true power is.” His stare
turned from heated to calm, and she wondered at his mood swing. “I can give you
all that, and more.

“You’ll accept me one way or the other, Rowe. I’m only going
through the motions of civility to make you more comfortable. In a few days,
everyone and everything you care about will die. Quinn, as useful as I suspect
he might have been, is too close to you. His sister as well. Your aunt and
uncle. And of course, your new fuck partner.

“Talson Shipping will suffer a tremendous setback when their
fourth freighter explodes with Valis inside.”

She stared at Keilor, amazed at his thoroughness.

He shrugged. “Choose me or don’t, but I’ll have you in the
end.”

The thought of being in his control at all shook her—and
gave him the opening he needed.

Even as she chided herself for giving in to even a second of
fear, he slipped beneath her shield and overtook her mind. Terror swarmed and
froze her to the spot.

Keilor smiled. “Oh yes. A rough, hard ass-fuck should put
you in your place nicely. My pretty little
iriu
.” He unsnapped his
trousers and took himself out.

The man was large and had a multitude of piercings along his
shaft. The pain that must have caused scared her, because she could tell Keilor
felt nothing but good at the thought of instilling harm, either to himself or
to others. What scared her more was her inability to move past the fear. She
couldn’t yell, couldn’t move, and started to hyperventilate. Keilor wouldn’t
stop with her. He’d kill Quinn and he’d destroy Val, no question.

Then he stepped closer.

* * * * *

“I’m sorry, sir. But this doesn’t make any sense.” The
secretary conferred on the vid phone with someone at shipping central—Romy,
who’d patched into her call—as his brother did more to confuse her, stalling
for time. Val sensed Rowe’s satisfaction and contented himself to wait. It was
killing him to let her in there without protection. From all he’d learned, her
cousin was a powerful Otra with more
psychei
than seemed healthy. He
ruled by fear, not respect, and didn’t make friends so much as servants of
those who worked for him.

Quinn remained seated in the waiting area behind him. Val
didn’t like her with her cousin by herself, but they’d expected it. She’d
demanded to be in charge of this, and he knew he couldn’t stop her, not if he
wanted a future with her by his side.

Rowe needed to know he believed in her, that he respected her
ability to take care of herself. She had to know he loved her—

A rush of power surged through the office, taking everyone
to their knees. Val held his head, aware of the throbbing, the fear, the
inability to function. And he knew Rowe needed him.
Now.

Buoyed by the sense something had gone wrong, he crawled to
Keilor’s door and tried to open it. When his body started to shut down, he
mentally reached out for Rowe, searching for her
psychei
and found it
buried in Keilor’s unnatural grip.

Quinn, help me,
he yelled.
Let me use your mind,
your power. We have to get to Rowe.

Immediate energy filled him, an unhesitating sharing that
added to Val’s building strength. He used his mind to shove Keilor’s door open.

The slamming of the door against the wall broke the sudden
stillness. For just a moment, Keilor’s concentration lapsed. But a moment was
apparently all Rowe needed. Val stared in shock as his petite
iriu
yanked his and Quinn’s power, added it to her own, and slammed into Keilor with
it.

Her cousin stammered as she advanced on him, his exposed
cock no longer a threat, but a joke. Rowe yanked him down by his collar and
whispered something in his ear, then stepped back with a cruel smile on her
face.

Whatever she said did the trick, because Keilor shrieked and
backpedaled like a scared little boy. His erection died, leaving him limp,
embarrassed and unimpressive.

“No. You can’t do this to me,” he cried.

Rowe nodded. “Can and did, asshole.” She strode to his desk
and pressed a buzzer. “Security. I need you in here now.” She glanced over at
Val, finally, and he swore she sighed a breath of release. But she didn’t show
a thing on her face. Not even when Quinn stumbled into the room looking pale.

“Where the hell have you been?” she asked him. “Get this
criminal out of here. I want his confession broadcast to every member of
Chartrell Shipping. And I want Otra law called in for the debriefing as well.
He and good old Uncle Fulton are done here.”

Keilor didn’t just look defeated, he looked hunted. Val rose
to his feet, still unsteady, and wondered what the hell his mate had done to
the monster who’d caused such damage just a few minutes earlier.

He didn’t say a word, though. He waited for her outside in
the waiting area, content that she was safe, healthy and humming with victory.
When
we get home…

I’ll tell you all about it, mate,
she answered.
Thanks for not taking over.

I would have if you’d let me. But no way in hell do I
want you threatening me with whatever you did to your cousin. Man looks
bone-deep terrified. You sure are mean,
veyu
. I like that.
A lot.

He could feel her blush and rested back against the chair
where he sat, satisfied all was as it should be. Finally. But his
iriu
owed him for causing such worry. He could have lost her, for all that she’d
saved herself. He had a right to some payback. And he knew exactly how to exact
his revenge.

* * * * *

Hours later, back in Rowe’s
apartment, V
al palmed her ass, relishing the sight of his
iriu
on
her hands and knees, bound and helpless before him.

“Honey, we’ve barely begun and you’re begging. Have a little
dignity.”

She glared at him over her shoulder, her eyes promising
retribution. But the love burning in her
psychei
glowed like the sun.

“That’s right, sweetheart,” he crooned as he thrust inside
her, gratified by her long, drawn-out moan. “That’s just how I like you, quiet
and obedient.”

“You son of a—”

“Now, now. Naughty behavior, Rowe.” He pulled out and
spanked her hard, leaving a red mark on her ass. She cried out her indignation,
but said nothing more. “That’s right. You earned this when you put yourself in
harm’s way. I told you I didn’t want you in danger.” He rubbed the sting of his
slap away and noted how she leaned in to his touch.

He used his
psychei
to rub her clit and was rewarded
with a roll of her hips and the cream that flowed over his fingers. Wet and
more than ready, she’d been primed and teased for the past hour. He’d brought
her close but not all the way to climax, wanting her to feel desperate—a subtle
punishment for scaring him so badly when she’d fought Keilor.

But now Val needed to end her discipline. He wanted to see
her come, to feel it rush through him as they shared climax.

He pulled out of her and tossed her onto her back,
delighting in the bonds holding her wrists apart. The ties were long enough to
allow him play, but not too long to let her escape the bed.

She regarded him with Otra-bright eyes striated with green,
and the love that shone for him and him alone made everything in the world
right. He knelt between her legs, delighted in her shaking limbs. “I’m going to
eat you,
veyu
. I want you to come over my mouth, so I can taste how
sweet you are. My lovely little Rowe.” He tilted her hips and stared at her
soft pink folds.
Beautiful.

Val, please.

He loved when she spoke to him on their private pathway.
Their
psychei
merged, entwined. One bond, two souls. He plunged two
fingers inside her as he sucked her clit, aroused anew by her scent. He could
spend a lifetime licking her and never get through.

“So good,” she rasped. She was so open, so receptive to
everything he did and wanted to do to her.

“But it’s going to be better.” He shared an image of him
jetting deep inside her, and she spasmed around his fingers, coming hard.

He licked her up, devouring her pleasure.
That’s it, take
it, sweetheart. Oh yeah.

She continued to shiver, her body drawing his fingers
deeper, needing more. Needing
him
.

Hard and aching, Val covered her and spread her thighs wide.
He angled himself for penetration and shoved deep inside her. The slick passage
welcomed him, her gloving heat too much to ignore. He pumped three times and
came, his orgasm so powerful his brain seized as he filled her, mind, body and
soul.

So fucking good.
His orgasm felt excessive, even to
him, and he wondered at the fury of it. As if his body knew, he sensed her
fertility. A ripe womb, ready and willing to be filled with life. At the
thought, he recognized a sense of anticipation, of the future. His love by his
side.

“I can’t wait either,” she murmured. “But I’d like to
remember making a baby without my wrists tied to the bed.”

He laughed and hugged her, then withdrew from her and
removed her restraints. “But, sweetheart, what’s a little lovemaking without
your hands tied?”

She crawled into his arms. “Hmm. I’ll have to think about
that. I have a recurring fantasy in which I tie
you
up and watch Quinn
have his way with you in my new office.”

“The one in New Hattan, or on Werfal 7?” He’d contacted his
family after they’d returned to her home. “My parents can’t wait to meet you.
Unfortunately, I have a feeling my brothers can’t wait to throw a few
I-told-you-so’s my way.”

“Well, I look forward to meeting your family. Especially
Adri.”

Val blinked down at her. He felt the jealousy she hurried to
suppress. “Rowe, you shouldn’t be worried about Adri. I mean, yeah, we were
intimate. But my brother was there the whole time. It was so much more than
sex. Like with Quinn.”