Authors: Susan Hayes
Or maybe it was time to start using the other gifts she’d been born with…
***
CHAPTER THREE
Alayna set the knife down and then looked up at Colin. She softened her voice slightly and said, “If you give me to the authorities, you know what will happen, don’t you?”
“You’ll go to prison,” Nikolai said, his expression unreadable.
“Eventually. Maybe. Or I might end up raped. I’ve got no status.” She carefully tapped a finger just below the star by her right eye. “I could end up sold to a badlands brothel, or get used and tossed onto a transport for prison after they get bored of me. Who would believe me if I tried to report it?” That part wasn’t a lie. She knew what could happen to an unprotected woman out here, so far from the civilized parts of the planet. She had to hope that these two knew it as well.
“No one is going to rape you.” She caught the note of concern in Colin’s voice and knew she’d struck a chord.
“If you turn me over to the local law, then there’s a good chance that something
will
happen to me. Please, just let me go. I’ll even show you how I got in so you can improve your security. That’s got to be worth something, right?”
“I
do
want to know how you got in,” Nikolai crossed his arms across his massive chest, somehow making himself look even bigger.
“And I want to know what you do for a living besides steal from people. Maybe we can help you find a job.”
Alayna blinked at Colin. Shit. That was hardly what she expected to be asked. Who knew the hottie would have such a soft heart? “Uh, I do whatever needs doing. Cook. Wait tables, pour drinks.” She mentally added, hack security systems, finance the rebels, and steal from military outposts all over the badlands. She was damn sure her actual resume was not something either of these men would be happy to hear about.
“I don’t suppose you have a security clearance?
Griz there could use some help getting caught up on his reports.”
“We are not hiring the little
vorovka
to work at the base.” Nikolai shook his head and shot his sandy haired counterpart an amused look. “What part of your anatomy is doing the thinking right now? She tried to steal from us!”
“And that was clearly a bad idea, because you caught me. How good a thief could I be?”
Nikolai snorted with laughter as he got to his feet. Stars, he was a big man. Standing up, he nearly filled the kitchen with his presence and Alayna felt another traitorous wave of arousal wash over her as she got an eyeful of how well he filled out his uniform. He met Alayna’s gaze as he leaned in and took the knife away from her. “I’m going to clean up and dry off, and I’ll feel better knowing you’re not armed, thank you.”
“You have trust issues,” she shot back and for a moment she thought there was a flicker of approval in the big man’s dark eyes.
“I have good survival instincts.” He turned to Colin. “When I get back downstairs, I don’t want to learn we’ve hired a housekeeper either.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not looking to be anyone’s maid.”
Nikolai turned back to her, his handsome face turned up in wicked smile that made her want to clench her thighs together. “No? Right now you’re the one dripping mud all over the floor. I’m certainly not going to be the one to clean it up.”
She snarled in defiance as he turned his back on her, holding out her knife so she could see it. “And that’s why I’m keeping your knife. Watch yourself, Ghost. I’ll be right
ba—” Nikolai’s instincts kicked in and he turned, catching the little minx in mid-air as she came at him, her hands already curved into claws. He used her own momentum against her, letting it spin them both around so that she wound up slammed against the kitchen wall. He didn’t want to hurt her, but despite trying to slow her impact he heard Alayna’s teeth clack together as her back hit the wall.
Shit.
“Give me back my knife!” Alayna yelled, reaching for the blade despite the fact his reach was far longer than hers.
“Not fucking likely, minx. If I do, you’re going to stab me with it.” As much as he disliked the idea of hurting a woman, he had no intention of getting his ass handed to him by a girl either. And right now she was doing her best to take him on. She was stronger than he’d expected given her lean build, and a hell of a lot fiercer.
She kept struggling with him, her deep green eyes wild and her expression nearly feral. She was close enough he could smell her, a mix of warm woman and rainwater that somehow seemed like the best perfume he’d ever scented. She wrapped her legs around his waist and gripped tight enough Nikolai felt his spine creak in protest. Nails slashed at his cheek and he dropped the knife, freeing his hands to grip her wrists. His face burned where she’d scratched him, adding more fuel to the fire raging in his blood. He pinned her hands to the wall on either side of her shoulders and leaned in, using his body to trap hers and force her to stop fighting him.
Adrenaline surged through him, but coupled with it was a powerful need for the woman currently trying to scratch his eyes out. She was glorious in her fury. Like a goddess of battle from another time. He growled as she writhed against him and she responded in kind, her soft lips parting as she snarled in challenge. Every twist of her body ground her pussy against his cock and dragged the swell of her breasts across his chest. Gazes locked, bodies bucking, what had started as a struggle turned into something just as primal, but far more intimate.
Nikolai dropped his head and kissed her, crushing their mouths together and capturing that first sweet moan against his tongue. He released one of her wrists, using his newly freed hand to cradle the back of her head, cushioning it from the wall behind her. She grabbed the front of his uniform and twisted it in her fist, using it as leverage to lift herself up. Her mouth opened to his, tempting him to savor and taste. Her tongue dueled with his, their kiss evolving into a sexually charged battle for dominance that Nikolai had no intention of losing. He sensed that given an inch, the minx in his arms would take a light year and still not be satisfied. She was all fire and fury, and he wanted to fuck her so badly his dick throbbed in time to his pounding heart.
Thief or not, he wanted her, and he hoped like hell she was going to let him have her. Let
them
have her.
Alayna wasn’t sure when her anger had turned to lust. She wasn’t even sure why she had been so angered by Nikolai’s taunting that she’d gone after him. She only knew that having gotten a taste of what she’d been dreaming about for days, she wanted more. If this was to be her last night of freedom, then there was no reason she shouldn’t take what pleasure she could find. If she found a way to escape, she’d have to disappear. No matter what happened, she’d never see them again.
After a lifetime of dancing too close to the fire, Alayna had more than her share of scars and heartbreak. The one thing she didn’t have many of, was regrets. She nipped at Nikolai’s lip and then pulled back far enough she could meet his gaze. Fire and longing blazed in their dark depths. Longing for her. It was all she needed to know.
“Yes,” she said, giving him the answer to a question that hadn’t been asked yet.
She expected him to kiss her then, or carry her upstairs. Instead he released her other wrist, gave her a cocky grin and inclined his head to one side. She glanced over and saw Colin standing a few feet away, his gray eyes glowing like molten steel as he arched a brow at her.
“Yes?” Colin
asked, his voice husky with desire.
Alayna’s pulse kicked up another notch as she heard the hunger contained in that single word.
Both of them. Stars, what would that be like? Her inner walls pulsed at the idea, and her pussy flooded with fresh cream as her head filled with lurid images. Out in the badlands, trios were still not the norm, and Alayna’s lovers had always been singular. There wasn’t much she hadn’t tried, but two men…that was something she’d never considered. Not until now. She reached for Colin with her newly freed hand. “Hell, yes.”
The moment the words were out of her mouth, Colin moved in, taking her hand and draping her arm around his neck.
“Good answer,” he murmured with a smile. He slanted a sizzling kiss across her lips and Alayna found herself nearly overwhelmed by her senses. The subtle scent of musk and soap teased her nose, and the tingling taste of mint lingered on her tongue. Heat enveloped her as two, large, male bodies pressed against hers. Dark desires, long kept restrained, broke free at last and added more fuel to the fire already raging through her.
She twisted her body toward Colin, her lips parting in invitation to take the kiss deeper. His tongue swept into her mouth and she moaned in delight as Nikolai began drifting a series of tiny kisses along her throat. A warm hand slipped beneath her clothes, stroking up her ribcage and leaving a trail of fire in its wake. Clever fingers swirled around her nipple, drawing it up into a tight, tingling nub.
Colin lifted his head and broke their kiss at last. “You hold, I handle?”
The words didn’t make any sense to Alayna at first, but then Nikolai rumbled his agreement, gave her neck a gentle nip and began backing away from the wall. He released the back of her head and then strong arms wrapped around her hips, holding her up. She let go of Colin, who winked and then moved out of sight behind her. Nikolai had his hands full holding her, so she figured out that it was Colin who had his hand up her shirt.
“Would someone like to tell me what’s going on?” she finally asked as she tried to twist herself around to see where Colin had gone.
“I’d of thought that was obvious, princess.” Colin’s voice was a husky whisper near her ear and his hands were already busy tugging at the wet fabric of her shirt. “You’re about to get royally fucked.”
The moment Alayna had launched herself at Nikolai, Colin started calculating the odds of her survival, and they weren’t good. No one with a hint of self-preservation had ever considered taking on the massive mountain of muscle and temper that was Nikolai Grekov, especially not when he was armed. Colin’s earlier assessment of their thief had been right, she was fucking suicidal. He had risen from his chair, intent on stopping the carnage before it got out of hand, when something happened. Blows turned to caresses and the two lunatics went from snarling at each other to a scene that sent all the blood in Colin’s body straight to his dick. He and Nikolai both liked it when they could get a little rough with their chosen bed partner, but this…
Colin found himself across the room before he even knew he was moving, and when Alayna gave her consent, Colin’s blood boiled in his veins. The look on her face when she had invited
him to join them was nearly feral, her eyes blazed with pure, carnal savagery. As he’d gotten his first taste of her lips it occurred to him that he and Nikolai might have finally met their match.
His last clear thought as he was consumed by the heat of her kiss was that it was a shame she wasn’t a scroll. If she was, he and Nikolai might have finally found the woman they dreamed of claiming. Not a pampered princess or a predator looking for the richest or most powerful match she could make, but a woman who could accept their flaws and share not just their bed, but their life.
***
CHAPTER FOUR
“Arms up,” Colin coaxed and Alayna obeyed. Seconds later, her shirt was tugged over her head and warm hands moved to unhook the clasps of her bra, smoothing the straps down her shoulders so she could shrug it off. While she was doing that, Colin unstrapped her wrist unit and set it aside. Nikolai lifted her higher and dropped his head to nuzzle against her newly freed breasts, while Colin began placing a series of open-mouthed kisses along the bare skin of her back. She felt a tug and then her hair was freed from its braid, Colin’s fingers gently teasing the strands apart so that it fell like a heavy curtain against her skin.
“Your hair is incredible,” he murmured, the words buzzing against her skin as he kissed his way lower, brushing her hair aside as he went.
Nikolai grunted in agreement, as he licked and sucked at one diamond-hard nipple until every touch and tug sent a surge of current right through to her pussy. Her clit was swollen, throbbing with need to be touched and she ground herself against Nikolai’s crotch, trying to gain some small measure of relief. Sensing her need, Nikolai began rocking his hips against her sex, offering the thick ridge of his cock for her to ride. She gripped the broad expanse of his shoulders for leverage and tightened her legs, her nails curling into his flesh as she used his body to pleasure hers.
A hand wrapped around a chunk of her hair, tugging her head back and to one side. She arched backward and smiled as she met Colin’s gaze. He didn’t say a word, just crushed his mouth to hers and kissed her until her lungs burned and the room spun around her. Tongues dancing and mouths mated. He swallowed every one of her moans as Nikolai continued to toy with her breasts and grind her pussy against his cock. Alayna had never been so turned on in her life, and all she wanted was more.
When Nikolai’s mouth left her skin she almost keened in displeasure at the loss, but his words made her toes curl in anticipation. “We’re going upstairs now. And once we’re up there, Colin and I will show you how very happy we are you said yes.”
Laughter bubbled up inside her and she broke her kiss with Colin, throwing back her head as she gave voice to her enjoyment. When she was done she lifted her head and cocked a brow at Nikolai. “Does this mean I’m forgiven for breaking in?”
Colin’s voice was rich with amusement. “Not yet, but I think he’s forgiven you for drawing blood twice.”
“Actually, it’s three times now,” Nikolai glanced down to the scratch marks that now decorated both his shoulders.
“Oops.”
“Remember that payback’s a bitch,” he gave her a slow, sensuous smile that made her insides turn to molten goo.
Nikolai wrapped his arms more securely around Alayna as Colin released her and turned to lead the way upstairs. Right now, the distance between where Nikolai was standing and the bedrooms felt like a hundred miles. The half-naked hell cat in his arms was making it hard to think of anything but what it would feel like when he finally buried himself inside her. He wanted to take her right here in the kitchen, sprawled across the table or on her hands and knees between them on the floor.
Maybe Colin was onto something, thinking about ways to keep her around…
They reached the top of the stairs and Nikolai slowed to ask Colin, “Yours or mine?”
“Yours. Bigger bed,” Colin replied. Alayna’s brow furrowed in confusion at that statement.
“The biggest bed is in the girly bedroom,” she pointed out and Nikolai glowered at her.
“Made yourself right at home, didn’t you? How long were you here?”
“Long enough to see the bedrooms.
You guys are insanely tidy.”
“The
girly
bedroom is for our chosen, when we find her,” Colin said and Nikolai felt Alayna’s body tense in his arms. Yeah, probably not the best idea to bring up their family plans with a woman who could never have one of her own.
Time for a distraction.
“When you spend as much time aboard space vessels as we have, minx, you get used to living light and keeping what you do own stored away.” Her eyes were still missing some of the spark that had been there only a moment before, and he knew he needed to push her a little. “Five years off-planet. We’ve only been back on Earth for six weeks. You sure you’re going to be able to keep up with us tonight?”
That did it.
“Are you looking to get popped in the nose again?” she asked and moved her head closer, so that their lips were a hairsbreadth apart. “After all that time in space, are you sure you know what a real woman needs? Those R&R stations are mostly sex droids and sims, aren’t they?”
“Brave words, princess.”
Colin snagged his fingers in her hair and started heading for Nikolai’s room, using her tresses as a leash as he towed them along behind him.
The fire was back in her eyes now, and Nikolai found himself grinning as she shot him a challenging look. Oh yeah, this night was turning out far better than he’d expected. It wasn’t every day that a beautiful hellcat broke
into his house and jumped him. Who was he kidding? This was a once in a lifetime opportunity.
One he had no intention of letting pass him by.
Alayna found herself the subject of a double seduction that was so efficient it was almost laughable. The moment she was lowered onto the soft, welcoming expanse of Nikolai’s bed, Colin gathered her hands and pinned them lightly over her head, putting her breasts on display. At the same time, Nikolai’s big hands stroked down her stomach until he reached the fastening of her pants. He undid them with a twist of his fingers, tugging them down over her hips while Colin held her in place.
Both men groaned as the fabric slid down over her hips, revealing that she wore nothing underneath.
“This night just keeps getting better,” Nikolai said, his voice a husky rumble that sent a dark shiver down Alayna’s spine. He had her sodden socks and pants off seconds later, and for a time they both stared down at her with matching expressions of lust. It was intoxicating.
“You are fucking gorgeous,” Colin said, sweeping a hand up her ribcage to cup one of her breasts. She’d been hearing men tell her that for years, but there was something in the way he said it that made Alayna’s heart skitter behind her ribs. She had only been in Alliance custody long enough to receive the first array of enhancement drugs given to all fertile women, but it was enough to give a body built for sin.
“You’re not bad either, At least, what little I can see of you.”
“If you want something, minx, all you have to do is ask,” Nik said and she lifted her head to find him kneeling between her bare legs, his hands hovering the barest inch above her thighs, and an impressive bulge straining against the confines of his uniform pants. Just looking at him made her mouth go dry and her pussy grow slicker.
“I tried that earlier, remember? I asked you to let me go.”
“That was then. Things are different now. So, what do you want, Alayna? Tell us.” Nikolai’s fingers traced up her inner thigh and her already swollen clit began to throb in time to her racing pulse.
“Tell us, and we’ll give it to you. Anything you want,” Colin whispered near her ear as he started to rub the pad of his thumb back and forth across her nipple.
She had intended to ask them to let her go, but somehow the words that came out of her mouth were something completely different. “I want you both naked. Now.”
“That, we can do,”
Nik said with a chuckle. His hands left her thighs and Alayna let her head fall back against the mattress, eyes closed as she tried to figure out when she’d lost control of her own body. Then Colin’s lips closed around her earlobe, his breath warming her skin as he began to roll and tease at her nipple with his fingers.
Fuck it.
It had been so long since she’d done anything for herself. Tonight she would indulge in a fantasy. Tomorrow would come soon enough, and with it would return the harsh reality of
who she was, and the trouble she was in.
Nikolai was stripping off his clothes as quickly as he could, but even then he never took his eyes off of Alayna. Colin was whispering something in her ear, and judging by the way Alayna was nibbling on her plump lower lip, Nikolai bet it was something wicked. The first time they’d shared a woman, Nikolai had been floored to discover that his best friend was a dirty talker. It was always the quiet ones you had to look out for…
A soft moan brought his thoughts back to the moment, and he shed the rest of his clothes in haste. The moment he was done he crossed over to the foot of the bed and prowled up the length of her body on his hands and knees until he was directly above her. Despite the fact he was far larger than she was, she never so much as twitched a muscle at his display. When he stopped moving, she slowly reached out to splay her hand across the breadth of his chest, then grinned up at him.
“You’re playing with fire,” Nikolai warned her and then dipped his head to capture her lips in a kiss that cut off whatever smart ass comment she was about to make. Stars, he wanted her. Having her naked body stretched out below his was making it hard to think of anything except burying himself in the soft warmth of her cunt and staying there until morning came.
Right now, that seemed like the best idea he’d ever had, and judging by the look on Colin’s face as he joined them on the bed, he had the same idea.