Chapter 14 #2
“Ria, I have some Guild robes in the cargo hold,” Zayn said. “Thought we could dust them off and wear them when we infiltrate.”
“Great.” She followed him down the hall to the hold. “How’d you come across Guild robes?”
“Ah, you probably don’t want to know.” He keyed a code into a panel and the large double doors of the hold slid open.
The hold was large enough to fit salvaged ship parts in. It was mostly empty, with stacked crates on one side and cabinets along the other wall.
He made his way to one cabinet and yanked open the doors. Numerous outfits spilled out. The plain, rough garb of colonists, jeweled robes that had to belong to royalty, spacesuits, flight suits.
Ria pulled out one black garment and gasped. “How on Earth did you get a genuine Centaxian Security uniform?”
“Probably something else you don’t want to know.”
Shaking her head, she set the uniform back. CenSecs were cyborgs, enhanced with implants that made them some of the deadliest beings in the galaxy. And they were notoriously hard to take down. Thankfully, they stuck to their star system.
Zayn pulled out two long black robes. The home garb of the Assassin’s Guild.
She fingered the fabric, surprised at the feelings inside her. Once, this had meant honor and duty. Now it was a symbol of her prison.
“Ria?”
She shook her head. “Sorry. These will be fine. They’re an older style, but with a few amendments, no one will give them a second glance.”
“So, what do assassins wear under these things?”
She looked up at him and saw his eyes gleaming. “You’re trying to distract me?”
“Is it working?”
She couldn’t help the smile that touched her lips. “Most wear a fighting suit.”
“Hmm, I can imagine one of those suits slicking over your curves.” His gaze wandered down her body.
“Give that to me, you lech.” She snatched the robe. “I want to check this fits.” She skirted the crates.
“Aww, come on. I’ve seen you in all your mind-blowing, naked glory,” he wheedled.
“You stay there, Zayn Phoenix. I don’t trust you or your fast hands.” She shucked out of her trousers and shirt. “We need to make sure we’re one-hundred-percent prepared for this mission.”
“We still have plenty of time before we hit the Nebula.”
She adjusted the folds of the robe, their weight a familiar sensation. She stepped out from behind the crates. “This works fine. Not too long for me. Perfect if I need to run or fight.”
He nodded. “I’ve used the other one once before, so it fits me fine.”
“We’ll probably have to run and fight in these.” She knew the risk they were taking. That one or both of them might not survive.
“Yeah.” His eyes darkened, his face looking stark in the dim lights of the hold. When he started walking toward her with very deliberate steps, she took an automatic step back. “Zayn?”
“I need you, Ria.”
Then he was on her, backing her up against the metal wall. His hands went to her hips, his body crowding hers.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“No more talking. Not now.”
His hands shifted inside the fabric of the robe and found the invisible bindings just below her breasts. He gripped it and yanked it open. The robe sagged on her shoulders, baring her bra to the cooler air of the cargo hold.
She swallowed. She’d never seen him like this. So driven. His hands were on her bra and with a hard yank, he tore it open. Her gasp was loud. Seconds later, his hands gripped her hips and boosted her up. Then he buried his face between her breasts.
God. His mouth was a hot caress. He moved over one peak, sucking on her nipple. She made a husky cry, her head thumping back against the wall. She watched his tawny head against her paler skin. He moved to the other breast, his teeth scraping gently over her flesh, making her shiver.
“Zayn—”
“I said, don’t talk.” He lifted his head, his hands bunching lower in the robe. He yanked again and the robe split open all the way. Then his hand was sliding between her thighs, cupping her mound.
She was already damp, and as his fingers scraped over the tiny scrap of silk, she moaned. His fingers dipped beneath the fabric, brushing against where she wanted his touch. Her hips bucked. Another wild yank and her torn underwear fluttered to the floor.
His body pressed against her, his breath hot against her cheek. His fingers brushed over her clit, then he plunged one thick finger inside her.
Ria heard the echo of her cries around them, rebounding off the walls.
“That’s what I want to hear. Nothing else.” He eased another finger inside her, stretching her. “I’m going to fuck you, right here, right now. In this damn robe. They can’t have you. I won’t let them.”
A trickle of unease washed through Ria’s desire. Was he thinking of her or his ghost?
“Do you want me to fuck you, Ria?”
Hearing her name made her chest loosen. “Yes.” Always. If he knew just what she wanted from him, he’d run to the other side of the galaxy.
She felt him fumble with his belt and zipper. Then the smooth head of his cock brushed against her clit, and she cried out again.
He shifted and with one hard thrust, he filled her. This time, she screamed. He wasn’t gentle. His moves were hard, fast, rough. She loved it.
He pushed them both higher and higher, giving her no time to catch her breath, or think. His hand slid between them, his thumb hard against her swollen clit. Sensation coalesced into a hard ball low in her belly which then splintered, cascading over her in a wild rush.
As she screamed her release, Zayn pumped inside her one more time, then ground himself deep as his hot release spilled inside her.
In the aftermath, the only sound in the hold was their harsh breathing. Perspiration glued them together and her robe still clung to her back and shoulders. She’d never done anything like this in her assassin’s robe before.
“Did I hurt you?” He lifted his head. His hair was disheveled and his face a little flushed.
She cupped his cheeks. “No. I can take that and a lot more.”
“I didn’t mean to be so rough…or fast—”
“Zayn. I loved it.”
They stared at each other for a long moment before his face finally relaxed.
She stroked the hair from his forehead. “You okay? Do you want to talk about it?” She smiled. “Or we could go for round two.”
She was happy to see his answering smile. “The thought of going back…”
Back to his nightmares. “To where Vik died.”
“To where I killed her.”
“The Guild killed her, Zayn. You saved her. This is your chance to get back at them.” And lay the ghosts to rest.
An alarm rang out through the ship, making them both jolt. BEll’s voice came over the loudspeaker. “Devil’s Nebula is on long-range scanners. Everyone to the cockpit.”
Ria pressed a kiss to Zayn’s lips. “We’ll be down there together. Time to show the Guild they can’t get away with everything.”
He nodded. “Together.”