Chapter 3 #5
“Please, sir,” I begged.
“That wasn’t the answer I was looking for, was it?” he said, his tone hardening just a little. The air rushed out of my lungs and I shook my head.
“Yes, sir. I deserve to come,” I whispered, my voice just barely audible even to my own ears.
His thumb pressed a little harder on my clit and I sighed with pleasure as he gradually increased the pressure bit by bit.
My hips rocked back and forth, trying to urge him further but he did as he wanted no matter what I did.
I’d only get to come when he decided I was allowed to. Just the thought of that made me hotter and I squirmed against his touch.
He slid two fingers inside me while keeping his thumb on my clit. Arousal took over me completely, as if the only thing in the world was him and me. There was nothing else that mattered. Not the Association. Not the Syndicate and not even what was about to happen in just about an hour.
The only thing that did matter was his touch on my skin.
His fingers fluttered inside me and my back arched in passionate excitement.
His thumb circled my clit, teasing me higher and higher until I thought I was going to break apart in the palm of his hand.
My pussy clenched around him greedily, wanting every inch and I moaned out loud.
His thumb worked more furiously at my needy bud and soon, I was more desperate to come than ever.
“Come for me, little girl,” he demanded.
And I did.
I came for him, my pussy clamping down hard around his fingers.
My inner walls clutched at him while he circled my clit, forcing me to take every last second of orgasm as he ripped it from my body.
White-hot pleasure cascaded through me, taking me captive and not letting go.
My blood boiled. My body burned with fever and my ecstasy slammed into me like a wave against a rocky cliff.
This was paradise.
When my release finally began to fade, he pulled his fingers free of my body and I whimpered pitifully at the loss of his touch for a moment until he took my hand in his and pressed his lips to the backs of my knuckles.
“I want you to remember how much I care for you, no matter what happens today. That I’ll always keep you safe, my little human,” he whispered, pressing my knuckles against the side of his cheek.
I sighed, feeling the heat of his skin. I knelt before him then and laid my head on his thigh, breathing deeply of his scent and wishing today was already over.
I felt sated and less stressed about upcoming events, but the tendrils of fear were slowly working their way back through my mind. Would Credare discover me here? Did he already know? The unknown was terrifying, and I did my best to push it away and remember myself.
Bane ran his fingers through my hair, and I sighed.
Just his touch seemed to scatter my fearful thoughts.
“The Association is due to arrive in the next several minutes,” he said. “I want you hidden in the walls well before they get here,” he added gently, and I nodded. I stood up, fidgeting just a little.
“Be safe, okay?” I said then and he nodded with a grin.
“Credare doesn’t have anything on me,” he joked, winking at me as he did so.
I grinned.
I hoped he was right.
I walked back to the panel I had emerged from and slid it carefully back into place, keenly aware of my bare pussy beneath my short skirt.
The air caressed my naked skin, a constant reminder of his words and his promise of protection.
I turned, watching as Bane stood up from the bed and left the room.
I followed him silently, completely hidden within the walls into the front parlor where the meeting between the Syndicate and the Association was due to take place.
I pressed my palm against the scanner and the sitting room came into focus. I could see everything.
Every guard was tense, their gazes sharp.
I could hear a commotion outside. I focused on it, recognizing the sound of wheels engaging, of hydraulic engines and anti-gravity systems humming with the effort to land a great beast of a ship not far from the home we were stationed in.
I knew that a landing field wasn’t far from here, designed close enough in proximity to make meetings like this easy, but not close enough to endanger everyone here.
The guards would be sent to meet Credare and his men, to escort them here while Bane waited in the safety of the guarded home.
With a deep swallow, I pushed away my fear, focusing only on the mission. I had to be Bane’s eyes and ears. I wouldn’t wish Credare’s cruelty on even my most brutal enemy. I had to protect him, just as he was protecting me.
I watched as Bane sat in a lounge chair, both opposite and farthest from the door. He leaned back and folded his hands together, the motion expectant. He turned his head toward me, almost as if he knew I was there and smiled.
Five minutes later, I heard an air shuttle sputter loudly outside the house and everywhere I looked, the guards stiffened. The time had come. Credare had arrived.
I moved closer to the wall, turning my head so that I could see the front door.
It opened then and a few guards I didn’t recognize walked inside.
On their right shoulders was an Association symbol, a circular target with a shooting star cutting through the middle.
Then I witnessed my first glimpse of Credare in more than seven years.
He hadn’t aged well.
He was an alien, but humanoid in nature.
His skin was tinged slightly green, a putrid color that only sought to make him look ill.
His eyes were a sickly yellow color that made me question the functionality of his liver, which had only worsened from the very first time I had met him.
His eyes were larger than a human’s and more circular; quite unsettling when I first laid eyes on him.
He was dressed in a black suit, left unbuttoned with the sleeves rolled up a little to reveal both his wrists and forearms. I could see the thumping of his heart through his shirt, another trait of whatever alien species he hailed from.
I watched as his eyes glazed over the front sitting room. He looked cocky and overconfident as always, but there was something else about the way his body moved and the expression on his face. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but quiet alarm bells began to sound in my head.
I didn’t know if it was because I was nervous to see him after so long or if it was actually something to be worried about. I couldn’t figure out what was so off about that moment and I bit my cheek, watching closely. Then I shook my head.
Focus, Cara. Focus.
Credare smiled and even his grin was unsettling. The movements of his lips exposed gray, rotted teeth and I grimaced, remembering the rancid smell of his breath long ago. I was really thankful to be hidden behind the walls then.
“Bane,” Credare murmured, his voice rough, nasally, and far too high-pitched.
“Credare. It’s nice to finally meet you,” Bane answered, his tone confident and even a little dangerous. Credare didn’t even flinch.
Neither one approached the other.
“I’ve heard so much about you. I figured it’s time we meet and maybe, the two of us to come to some sort of mutually beneficial agreement,” Credare said, sitting down in the chair opposite of Bane.
Two figureheads of powerful groups in the same room.
I felt as though I could cut the tension with a knife.
Bane cocked his head to the side.
“Agreement? What is it that you want?” he pressed, his tone both flippant and edging on hostile.
“Access. For the longest time, the Association and the Syndicate have been at odds with each other and I’ve never been able to take advantage of the flourishing trade here on Dryac,” Credare began, picking his words carefully.
I could tell that he was trying very hard to appear nonthreatening.
Behavior like this was against his nature.
He usually just took what he wanted, no matter the consequences.
Bane just stared back at him and ran his thumb across the bottom of his chin, deep in thought.
“Why would I ever agree to such a thing? It would only open the door for an attack here on a planet that the Syndicate has free rein on, from you and your people and the Intergalactic Coalition. Allowing you here would only bring more trouble. More than it’s worth,” he replied.
“My friendship is more than worth a little hassle,” Credare answered, his usual cruelty edging back into his voice, but Bane didn’t flinch, not even in the slightest. Instead, he leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees. His eyebrow rose in disbelief.
“You still haven’t detailed how this might benefit me,” he answered.
I saw Credare’s lip twitch. He wasn’t used to being questioned. There were only a few people in space as powerful as him and Bane was one of them. It was strange for him to be in a situation where he wasn’t the one in complete control.
“A cut of the profits. Access to the most up to date and the latest technology from the Coalition. More beautiful women than you can imagine,” Credare described.
“Slave women, you mean?” Bane questioned.
“Of course. Is there any other kind?” Credare chuckled, his ensuing salacious grin disconcerting.
Unfortunately, I knew the man was serious.
He liked his women beaten, scarred, and trained to be willing to take whatever he wanted.
I shuddered, thankful I had avoided that particular fate with him. I don’t know if I would have survived.
Bane tensed for a moment, but it passed quickly. It was clear he didn’t appreciate Credare’s love of slavery either, but he was careful to shake it off.
“I have enough of what I need without having to align with the Association. What else do you have to offer?” Bane pressed and Credare stiffened slightly. He clearly wasn’t used to being pushed like that.