Chapter 9
CHAPTER
NINE
“Yeah, that’s . . . good, Lee.”
Anna squeezed her internal muscles tightly around Akran’s cock, enjoying the tension on his face and the change in his breathing. Since that first night when she demanded his cock, she’d come down to see him work out almost every night, and had extended his exercise routine to include fucking her.
She was straddling his lap now as he sat on the edge of the workbench, his hands gripping the underside of the metal frame as he strained to keep still beneath her. His heart was thumping and his skin was covered in a thin sheen of sweat. She pinched his nipple hard and he jumped.
“Will you use your mouth on my breasts?”
He went still and then slowly looked up at her. “If you’re sure.”
“I . . . want to try it.”
He dipped his head again and she sighed as his tongue flicked over her nipple. With him deep inside her, reminding her that there was nothing soft about him at all, she could deal with this.
“God,” she breathed out as he latched on to her nipple, making her rock her hips against him, the angle of his cock more extreme so that she climaxed again. She fell forward and set her teeth on his shoulder as the pleasure thundered through her.
After a long while she remembered how to breathe and eased her teeth out of his skin, rubbing remorsefully at the bite marks.
“Are you done, Lee?”
She closed her eyes again, aware that he was still hard inside her and would remain so until she left. It was infuriating. She’d tried every filthy, slutty trick she knew, but he wouldn’t climax.
She sat up and looked at him.
“Why won’t you come in me?”
“You asked for cock.”
“But it’s your cock that comes.”
“And then I’m soft inside you and you’re full of come and that’s going to remind you of things you’d rather not think about.” He lifted her off his lap and stood up. “You’re due at the military hospital tomorrow. I suggest you get some sleep.”
She watched in disbelief as he nodded, grabbed his towel, and started up the stairs.
Didn’t he want to come inside her? He’d had no problem fucking her repeatedly during training and leaving her so wet that his come was dripping out of her for days.
Damn it, was she actually getting nostalgic about training?
She found her robe and put it on. The pipes were gurgling, so he was probably in the shower getting himself off and thinking of . . . what? Of Palk? And why did she care anyway? He was just completing his assignment by offering her his nonemotional, noninvolved, always-hard cock.
So why was she pissed, and why was she always the one who had to go after him and shout about stuff?
She went up the stairs, paused in the kitchen, and then went right through into his bedroom without knocking.
The light was on in the bathroom. He was just emerging through the door, with only a towel around his hips.
She glared at him. “Why do I have to chase you down all the time?”
He went still.
“Why, Akran?”
“Because I did that to you for months and I’m not inclined to do it again.”
“It was part of your job.”
“Yes.”
“And I’m still your responsibility until I’m considered sane enough to go out on my own.”
He nodded, his gray eyes guarded. “That’s true.”
“And that’s it?”
“What else could it be?”
“I don’t know, Akran, because you won’t allow it to be anything else.”
“I’ve given you everything you’ve asked for.”
“Your cock.”
“Yeah.”
“I’m not bloody Palk!”
“We’ve already established that.”
She shook her head. “That’s what you think, though, isn’t it? Deep down. That I’m like him—that all I could ever want from you is physical gratification.”
He shrugged. “That’s all I have to give you, Lee.”
“I don’t believe that for a second.” Her hands balled into fists. “You’re—”
“I’m what?” He took three steps closer, which brought him right in her face. “Why would you care what I’m like, Lee? I fucked you and fought you and made you face an alien race that terrifies the greez out of anyone who comes in contact with them. I did that to you! I fucking nearly killed you!”
She touched his cheek and he flinched away from her.
“Don’t fucking touch me. I’m still that man. If it were up to me, I’d keep you naked and collared and on your fucking knees servicing me for the rest of your days. And God help anyone who tried to take you away from me, I’d fucking rip them apart just like the Ungrich.”
He was breathing hard, his gray eyes narrowed. “Yeah, don’t look so shocked. That’s the kind of guy I am, Anna Lee, so don’t make me out to be a hero.” He turned away from her. “Now get out and go back to bed. I’ll be ready to take you to the hospital at eight hundred hours.”
She barely waited to be told, but ran back to the safety of her bedroom before he could see her tears.
The next morning he was waiting for her, dressed in his usual black uniform, his expression unreadable as he checked and primed his weapons.
She forced down a cup of javron , put on the heavy sweatshirt he offered her, and followed him over to the front door.
He turned off the security system right in front of her so that she could read the codes, and waited as the door unlocked.
“After you, Lee.”
Anna took a step toward the brightness and then hesitated long enough for Akran to walk right into her. His hand curved over her elbow.
“It’s okay. We’re going to walk to the transport system and pick up a military vehicle to the hospital there.”
“They couldn’t pick us up here?” God, was that her squeaky voice?
“I thought you might like to take a look at the city.”
“Why?”
His voice was patient. “Because you might want to live here one day.”
“Next door to you, right? How sweet.”
He let go of her arm. “We’re going to take the elevator to the street level.”
She allowed him to walk slightly ahead of her, unwilling to share how afraid she was and how angry and ashamed that fear made her. Everything except Akran felt like a threat. The most innocuous objects they passed could hide anything . . .
“Lee, are you doing okay?”
She looked up to find that he was waiting for her about ten meters down the hallway and that she had stopped to stare at an abstract pink painting on the wall.
“Sorry, just admiring the artwork.”
He shot a guarded look at her as they waited in front of the elevator. “It was pink, Lee, and that wasn’t admiration I saw in your eyes. It was pure terror.”
She opened her mouth to make him shut up, but he held up his hand.
“Look, it’s going to be hard enough for you to get through today without us fighting. Shall we call a truce? If you feel bad or worried or anything spooks you out, tell me, okay? I don’t want you jumping off the roof here.”
“Is that what Solly did?”
The elevator dinged. “Do you really want me to answer that?”
“No.” She hunched her shoulder at him. “And yes, I’ll tell you if I’m freaking out.”
“Thank you.” The doors opened and he ushered her inside. “Now hold my hand, and don’t lose your greez when the doors close.”
The city was huge and totally overwhelming. Anna was worn out before they even reached the hospital. It seemed that every single thing she feared featured on Akran’s innocent walk and ride to the hospital. Small spaces, tunnels, the press of the crowds . . .
She glanced up at his face, which had gone back into his usual austere military mode.
He’d done it deliberately. There was no way the military wouldn’t have picked her up at his place.
She was a valued and much-honored citizen for life now.
He’d decided there were a few things she had to face.
But he hadn’t let her deal with the shit alone.
He’d been right alongside her, anticipating her reactions, calming her down, holding her freaking hand . . .
“Are you sitting in on the testing today?”
“If you want me to, I can certainly try.”
“Unless you have other stuff to do. You must have put your life on hold to babysit me.” God, now she was babbling like some sort of teenager with her first crush.
His smile was brief. “This is my life, Lee.”
“No family to visit?”
“They were wiped out in one of the Ungrich raids up north. I went straight into the military from a government-sanctioned orphanage.”
“My parents died in an alien raid too. That’s how I ended up working at the spaceport in a government-assisted job.”
“On Earth.”
“Yeah. I was determined to see the stars, so I hopped on the first spaceship that was willing to take me and never went back. Then I just kept going and somehow ended up here on a planet that refuses to believe mine exists, despite the fact that we’re obviously all human-based life-forms.” She sighed.
“That was my first mistake, thinking things would be better out here than they were at home.”
A guard stepped out in front of them. Akran held up his pass and they were waved through.
“I have to settle up a few matters, Lee, but I’ll be free to sit in on your sessions after that.”
She shrugged. “Only if you have time, okay?”
He opened a door into a white-walled room that smelled of disinfectant and pain. “I’ll wait until they take you in for processing.”
“Thanks.”
Hell, she wanted to grab hold of his hand and never let go, but that wasn’t fair. He’d made it very clear that his job was done and that he had nothing more to offer her. She should respect his choices.
Except she didn’t want to . . .
Which was stupid because she wouldn’t even be here dealing with this alien shit if he hadn’t chosen her to train.
She’d be dead.
A white-clad man came out of the inner door and smiled at her. “Anna Lee? Thank you so much for coming in to see us today. Our nation appreciates your sacrifice. We’re ready for you.”
Wow, things really are different . . .
Akran stood and nodded to her. “I’ll catch up with you later.”
“Sure.” She tried to sound as nonchalant as he did.