Chapter 12
“We can, but you’ll have to keep those sexy little moans under wraps.”
Her green eyes twinkled, and her lips pursed.
In the past, he would have stiffened, wondered what she’d do next to disrupt his life.
Now, a surge of excitement swept him on seeing the devilment take form.
It made him wish he could read her thoughts, a notion that hauled his brain to a screeching halt even as his feline purred extra loud.
Reading her thoughts would become possible if they mated, if she ever managed to shift to feline.
His blood pressure soared, heat and awareness sizzling across his skin, his senses, his mind.
Gwen leaned closer, her breath wafting against his ear. “You think my moans are sexy?”
“Hell, yes.” No point trying to dissemble when his cock felt hard enough to drill through steellite bars. No point trying to fib when he couldn’t keep his hands off her delectable body. No point trying to evade the truth when his feline kept purring like an oversized motor.
Gwen grinned at him, two dimples popping into sight. “I guess we’ll need to try a new position.”
“We will,” he agreed, his damn smile setting up residence on his mouth and not letting go.
His facial muscles ached from the unusual action, and he belatedly felt sympathy for his friend, Jarlath.
He hadn’t liked Keira, hadn’t approved of their courtship.
What he hadn’t realized was the difficulty of fighting the blast of different emotions and his feline self.
“I’m going to take you against the wall,” he said and enjoyed the slight widening of her pretty green eyes, the deepening of her iris coloring.
“That could be fun.”
“And I might drop you on your arse since I possess just one arm.”
She tugged on the empty sleeve of his tunic. “You won’t drop me. I’ve seen you train with the others.”
Her utter confidence in his abilities threatened to cut him off at the knees. Although she hadn’t touched his stump, she didn’t treat him different either. In that moment, everything—every truth, every doubt clicked together with the finality of a final puzzle piece.
Gweneth Swithin was not a normal feline female.
She’d faced adversity and risen above it, and he could do nothing less than meet the challenge she set him.
He could imagine a future with this woman—if he forgave himself for the past and accepted felines made mistakes.
He’d learned from his errors but also allowed himself to become bitter and closed himself off from his friends.
Gweneth offered him a second chance if he allowed himself to believe.
Warmth pressed at his chest, embraced his heart, his feline.
He believed.
He cupped her cheek and kissed the tip of her nose. “We’ll have to do this quick to avoid detection.”
“My first quickie,” she said with delight.
A chuckle burst free, unbidden, and he dipped his head to steal a kiss.
Her lips welcomed him, and her arms snaked around his neck as she pressed closer.
The sensations—almost too fast to catalog—roared through him.
Pleasure frisked his nerve endings, the warmth around his heart grew an extra layer as their tongues danced together, their lips mated and he lost himself in her generous response.
When their lips parted, they smiled at each other.
“Can you take your trews off without removing your boots?”
Gwen nodded. “Mogens designed our clothing. It’s stretchy but retains shape.” Without demure, she yanked down her trews and worked them over her sturdy black boots.
“Underwear too. Your tunic will cover you if anyone comes.”
Gweneth followed his instructions and placed her lacy underwear on her folded trews.
So calm, he mused. Nothing rattled her much. Her attitude had a lot to do with Ry and his crew. All of the Indy crew bore the same competence—a fact that made him grateful.
His hand slid beneath the hem of her tunic to caress her buttocks. Smooth, fragrant skin.
“Part your legs.”
The instant she did, he cupped her pussy and smiled at the liquid heat of her.
“You want me.”
“Always,” she said. “Now that I’ve had sex with you, I can’t wait to have your cock deep inside me again. You make me feel whole. So much better than my vibrator.”
Phrull, she destroyed him with her honesty. No games. No tricks. No pretense. “I want you too. I can’t wait to thrust into your hot pussy.”
“Then what are you waiting for,” she whispered. “Take me. Fill me. Make us both feel good.”
She didn’t mention the Incorporeal couple, but they sat at the back of his mind. Somehow…
He yanked down his trews and underwear until they hovered around his knees, his erect cock springing free.
With a show of athletic strength, she levered herself up, opening herself to him as she curved her bare legs around his hips.
Her flesh appeared pink and swollen as he guided his shaft to her entrance.
They both let out a sigh as he tunneled inside.
She pushed down, going faster than he would’ve if they’d been in more comfortable surroundings.
“Slow. We have time.”
“You’re not hurting me.” Her smile burst free. “Not much. I’m finding I enjoy a tinge of pain. Gives the enjoyment an edge.”
“I’m a big male. If the reivers are watching, they’re watching. Nothing we can do about it, so we might as well make it good and move at our pace.”
“Fast,” she insisted, and suddenly, he sank balls deep into her heat.
They paused, then she squeezed her internal muscles around his length. Sweet stars. His eyes slid shut, and he almost detonated when she repeated the move.
“Phrull, Gwen. Slow down. I’m secs away from coming.”
“Good,” she said sweetly, and she slipped one finger between them to stroke her nub.
Amusement spread through him as he pulled back and stroked into her clinging flesh again. A spiral of pleasure shot from his balls and up his cock. A growl sneaked from between his gritted teeth.
“Stars, I love the way you do that.”
His eyes flicked open to stare into hers. They danced with humor and passion. He watched her irises darken as he withdrew and thrust into her again.
Footsteps sounded outside their cell, and he quickened his pace. Never mind Sheera and Leeam. He thought his feline would sulk for half a rotation if he stopped now. He hadn’t ceased his purrs since he’d first pushed into Gwen’s sheath.
Gwen stilled on hearing the footsteps and issued a shuddery groan.
Then she leaned forward and licked the side of his neck.
Her tongue seemed more abrasive than normal, the warm lick raising a raft of sensations.
Without warning, she nipped him. His feline roared, and Ellard came so hard he saw stars swirling through his mind.
His legs trembled, but Gwen held tight, continuing to grind against him as she rubbed her clit.
She gasped, and he felt the squeeze of her internal muscles as she stilled, leaning more of her weight into him.
“Damn, that felt good,” she whispered.
“Oy, what you be doing?” a voice called from the door of their cell.
“If he can’t work it out, he needs a brain transplant,” Gwen whispered.
Ellard shook with silent laughter but helped her to separate their bodies. She slid down his lower body, grinning at him as she gained her balance. He tugged her tunic down to cover her then bent to yank his clothes back into place.
He handed Gwen her clothes and turned to block the reiver’s sight of her dressing.
“What do you want?” Ellard asked, going on the attack. Anything to distract him from Gwen.
“Chieftain say he hear from king. Willing to pay reward for your safe return. Both of you.” This Scothage male possessed a tall and rangy build. His plaid shirt appeared cleaner, although the yellow-and-gray checks made Ellard long for screening glasses. Everyone would see him coming.
“When will the exchange occur?” Gwen asked, ducking from behind him to stand by his side.
“Seven cycles from now. They need time to raise the currency.”
“I see.” Ellard wandered closer to the door and glanced at Leeam and Sheera. “What’s wrong with them? They look ill.”
“They do be lookin’ sick,” the reiver said. Now that he came closer, Ellard saw he wore yellow disks to stretch his lobes. They went well with his protruding ears. “Chieftain be angry if they die.”
Ellard knew a few other beings who would let loose their wrath as well. “Where will the exchange take place?”
“We have to move debris field away from planet. We meet on edge of field.”
Gweneth pressed against his armless side. “You’re responsible for the debris field?”
“Aye. Malasses be clever. He design bubble to trap debris field.”
“Who is Malasses?” Ellard asked. “Have we met him?”
“He be a Kiraxes. Clever. Help us gain power and currency in exchange for catching these two for him. Why he want, don’t know. They weak and puny.”
“It looks as if those bands around their necks are killing them,” Gweneth said.
“Bands stay on,” the reiver said firmly. “Malasses say.”
“When will you hand them over?” Gweneth asked. “It should be soon, before they die.”
“We deliver on Scothage. Go after exchange you. Two cycles, three at most before we hit home. Pity can’t touch you.
” He leered at Gweneth. “You be bonny lass. And you be big. Chieftain say give more food. Keep hale and healthy.” After one final pervy glance at Gwen, he pushed two tubes through the grate.
He repeated the action, shoving tubes into Sheera and Leeam’s cell before disappearing.
His footsteps faded, and Ellard heard the slam of a door.
“They look terrible,” Gweneth whispered. “At this rate, they’ll die before someone can rescue us. If they knew enough to capture Leeam and Sheera, why don’t they know how to feed them?”