Authors: Allie Ritch
“Tell me again you don’t want me,” he taunted her.
She felt heat flood her cheeks, and her body tightened. “Why, you overbearing son of a—”
He smashed his mouth into hers again and pressed her back. His growl vibrated into her seconds before he slipped one hand between her legs. The savage didn’t bother with more than a quick flick of her clit before shoving one meaty finger into her sheath.
She yelped in outrage before moaning in surprise. He hadn’t lied about being a quick learner. He found one of her trigger spots with unerring accuracy and rubbed her with delicious pressure.
His breath tickled her cheek as he pulled back and laughed. “What were you saying, princess?”
“You can’t do this to me.” Katra whimpered and wiggled and twisted. She needed that perfect touch, but she was afraid of the intensity of it.
He continued to chuckle. “On the contrary, it looks like I can.”
Krux sped up the finger inside her, perfectly stroking and poking her T-spot despite her squirming. It was enough to catapult her to the pinnacle and force a cry from her lips, but it wasn’t enough to throw her over the edge. Without direct contact on the other spot, she couldn’t come, and he couldn’t caress that area with his finger. He needed to use something longer, and he knew it, damn it.
“Tell me you want me.” He sounded demanding now, all playfulness gone. “Ask me to shove my cock inside you, and I’ll ride you to bliss, Katra.”
Her teeth clenched. It was always about power and control with him, wasn’t it? Well, she wouldn’t give him that pleasure.
“Say it, Katra, or I’ll walk away right now. I’ll leave you like this: throbbing, yearning. And you don’t even have the option of finishing yourself.”
That tore it. How dare he treat her like she was dependent on him? She didn’t care if it killed her, she would not submit to this man, not even in this. Unable to speak without groaning, she stared at him mutinously.
Katra was prepared for his temper. What she wasn’t prepared for was the way he simply pulled his finger out and let her go.
He smiled and landed an insolent smack on her butt as he backed up. “Have it your way. You’re all squeaky clean.”
Then he was gone. He gathered his clothes and walked out the door, taking his impressive erection with him.
It took Katra a moment to overcome the shock, but then she released a torrent of foul names, insulting everything from his parentage to his potency. If she’d had something to throw, she would have hurled it in that moment. Her curses turned into an unintelligible growl when she took a few steps and felt shockwaves rocket through her aching clit. He’d left her in an even more sensitized state than she’d been in before. Her only consolation was the assurance that he’d be suffering just as much. He’d been as hard as titanium, and she knew he’d be too proud to jerk off.
* * * *
As Krux sat with the other students in a small booth at the dumpling restaurant, he had to adjust himself. It felt like hot rebar was trying to punch out of his crotch, and there was no way he could conceal the darkening of his skin. Fortunately, the lighting in this place was dim, creating an atmosphere of shadows broken only by a mellow glow.
When he’d arrived, he’d been surprised to see Whitt had already ducked out early, so it was just Spri, Benni, and Varion at the table. The Multan male looked relaxed, but not like you’d expect from a man who’d just gotten lucky. That fact, along with the realization that none of the male models had been able to satisfy Katra, was the only thing that kept Krux’s sense of possessiveness in check.
Speaking of Katra, he watched as she finally caught up to them and entered the restaurant. Usually he would have waited to walk her here, but he’d needed a little distance to try to calm his arousal. Not that he’d succeeded. His pounding erection was proof of that.
If he hadn’t been looking for it, he never would have seen any sign that she was anything but composed. She walked casually to the table, greeted everyone with a steady voice, and sat down diagonally across from him. Only he saw the high color in her skin, the flash of her eyes, and the tiny strain in her grin. His Duosien was horny and, as usual, furious with him. At least she wasn’t indifferent.
“I took the liberty of ordering for you,” he announced once she’d settled. “Food should be here any second.”
Her gaze narrowed. “I’m perfectly capable of ordering my own food.”
Her haughty tone, and the urge to dominate her that it inspired, made his balls draw up tight. He had to breathe through the sensation even as he schooled his features into an expression of unruffled condescension.
“Of course you can. But they make everything from scratch and to order. There was no sense holding everyone up.”
“He ordered the taster platter,” Benni said. She obviously saw the clenching of Katra’s jaw and was trying to pacify her. “It has a little of everything, so I’m sure there will be something you’ll like.”
“How thoughtful. Thank you, Benni.” Katra said it as if the other woman deserved the credit.
Annoyance spiked, but it couldn’t drown out Krux’s lust. He glanced over and found Varion looking amused. Apparently the Multan thought this exchange was entertaining. Krux wasn’t sure what he might have said to that, but he never got the chance. At that moment, the food arrived, carried out by what appeared to be the daughters of the owners, who were also the chefs.
“Oh, that smells good,” Spri said happily.
“Good timing, too.” Varion rubbed his hands together. “I’m hungry.”
No need to ask what he’d done to work up his appetite.
Krux bit back a snarl and reached for the stainless steel sticks that served as utensils here. Glancing across the table through a cloud of rising steam, he saw Katra leaning down to inhale the aroma. He was instantly arrested by the look on her face. She’d closed her eyes, turning her dark lashes into thin sickles against her golden skin. Her features softened into an expression of sheer bliss as she absorbed the delicious scent. He’d never seen anything so sensual in his life.
In the next moment, she popped her eyes open, and he was lost in their warm brown depths. There was an instant—just an instant—when her pleasure from the food carried over to him, giving him a glimpse of what it would feel like to be savored by this woman. Then it was gone, replaced by suspicion and irritation. He blew out a sigh of frustration and turned his attention to his own platter.
Quiet conversation took over as everyone enjoyed the snack or, in Krux’s case, the late dinner. He participated when required and listened to what was said, but part of his attention remained fixed on his Duosien. Her love of food was obvious, although it was something he’d never noticed about her before. As she lifted each soft, tightly wrapped dumpling to her mouth, parted her lips, and slowly slipped it onto her tongue, he found himself entranced. He imagined her consuming the head of his cock with the same enthusiasm, licking it round and round as she delighted in his juices.
Catching his eye on her, she bit down so sharply her teeth audibly clacked.
Krux hid a wince as his fantasy instantly shattered. With her current attitude, he’d best keep her away from his most sensitive parts. At least she’d eaten what he’d chosen for her.
Popping the last bite in her mouth, she turned to wave down one of the waiters. “Excuse me. That was absolutely delicious. Could you tell me what spices were used?”
Krux raised an eyebrow in surprise. Was she fishing for the recipe? If she’d been any other woman, he would have assumed she wanted to try replicating the dish at home, but he doubted his Duosien princess had ever cooked a day in her life. She’d told him her full name often enough that he’d had no trouble looking it up. He knew what her fortune must be like. Her family owned a sizeable chunk of the intergalactic investment front and had grown to be one of the richest families in Trilanta. Katra was no doubt an heiress and, therefore, independently wealthy. She probably had at least one cook and a whole household of servants to see to her every need.
He watched her listen attentively as the waiter rattled off the basic makeup of several of her favorite dumplings. “Planning to hire them to cater a party?”
Her eyes fairly smoldered. “No party you’d ever be invited to.”
Krux fought not to grumble. If he was going to succeed with her, he needed to conceal just how much she got to him.
Pushing back their seats, they rose to depart, exchanging goodbyes as they headed out into the fresh night air. Although she didn’t glance his way, Krux knew Katra was aware of him at her side.
“Waiting for your precious chariot?” he teased her.
“Yes.”
“Don’t you ever drive yourself?”
He was genuinely curious about that. She was such an independent person in every other way. Why did she insist on using a driver? Was it a status thing? He’d hired drivers on occasion, but only for certain business dealings that called for it. Otherwise, he liked being in control.
“No,” she bit out. “Don’t you have something better to do?”
“I’m keeping you company until your ride arrives.”
Her eyes narrowed to slits. “You’ve already done enough.”
Ah, so his pretty Duosien was as frustrated as he was. Perhaps now was the perfect time to try a little enticement.
He made her face him fully. “What if I promised to do more? Whatever aspersions you’ve cast upon me, I think you know I’m a man of my word. Let me make love to you, and I promise you orgasms beyond your wildest dreams. I’ll satisfy you, Katra.”
Hope blossomed when she remained silent, although she scrutinized him as if looking for a trap.
“My word,” he repeated. “Tomorrow night, our usual class time, I’ll pick you up at your house. If you come out to join me, I’ll take you to dinner anywhere you want, and then I’ll spend the rest of the night making love to you. It’ll be like a do-over of your modeling tonight—a demonstration that will end with the climax you crave.” He drew a deep breath and decided to gamble it all. “If you don’t come out, I’ll never make a pass at you again. Final offer.”
For the first time since he’d known her, she had no snappy comeback or blistering remark. She just studied him like she’d never seen him before. Perhaps she never really had.
Knowing to shut up once he’d made his pitch, Krux simply leaned forward to kiss her good night. Her lips softened and parted beneath the pressure of his, but he kept the caress light before breaking it. At the same moment, her driver pulled up and opened the door for her. With a parting smile, he walked away. Krux knew in that moment that she was going to take the bait.
Chapter Three
A Hard Man to Resist
Late the next afternoon, Katra added the last dash of spice to the measuring bowl and mixed it in. Gathered around her in the food lab of Ti Sala Spices, Inc., the leading brand of packaged spice mixes for the home cook, was the rest of her taster team. They each dipped a tiny tester spoon into her new concoction, gave it a careful sniff to gauge the olfactory appeal, and then tried a concentrated dollop on their tongues. Later, they’d experiment with various meals using the blend, but this was stage one.
“I like it,” one of the men announced. “It’s exotic, but I think it will appeal to a variety of palates.”
The rest of the tasters, Katra’s employees, nodded in agreement and studied her reaction. She’d founded Ti Sala Spices when she was in her mid twenties and had worked hard to build her company into the name brand it was today. Her workers’ opinions mattered a great deal to her, but she ultimately had the last word on any new blend.
Rolling the potent mix on her tongue, she closed her eyes and tried to compare it to the marvelous dumplings she’d had last night. The flavor was close, if not spot on. She couldn’t wait to try it with various meats and vegetables to see how the spices interacted with different pairings.
She returned a satisfied smile. “I like it too. Dumplings are too complicated for the casual cook—too hard to get the right texture—but I’m thinking we should run some trials on the stuffing.”
“With the right thickness, the stuffing could be a topper for bread or pasta,” one of the women chimed in.
“Or it could be a cracker spread!” Another taster clapped her hands excitedly.
Pleased with their zeal, Katra nodded in approval. “Let’s get started on that right away. I’d like to begin a trial production and get this new package on the shelves for our busy season. Legal is already drawing up a contract with the owners of the dumpling restaurant. I’m offering them a percentage of the profits and hope to arrange a cross-promotion effort. They can sell our spices through the restaurant, and in return, their food will tempt those who might not have tried the blend otherwise.”
Everyone looked pleased.
Glancing at the clock, she realized it was just past quitting time. With a shooing motion, she sent her workers on their way before removing her apron and sanitary gloves. She often lost track of time when she was absorbed in the flavor universe, but her mind switched gears quickly as she headed out the door.
Throughout the day, Katra had reversed her decision more than once concerning whether or not she’d go out with Krux. The man was an overbearing, arrogant brute. He was obviously used to commanding others, especially women. She’d never been one to bow to anyone, and she didn’t plan to start now. On the flip side, though, his controlling demeanor and fierce sexuality might make him the perfect lover for a Duosien female, especially one who’d gone as long without release as she had.
A one-night stand. That’s all it would be. She’d scratch an itch and save her sanity from her rioting hormones. And if he couldn’t sate her like he promised? Well, then she’d have the pleasure of teasing him mercilessly about his ineptitude and chipping away at his inflated ego.
Katra greeted her driver and hopped into her vehicle. Once she got home, she’d have just enough time to shower, dress, and do her makeup before her stubborn Brachoi showed up. Although she was half tempted to mock him by wearing sloppy workout wear and a plain face, she decided temptation would give her the upper hand. Besides, he said he’d take her to any restaurant she wanted, and she’d picked the crème de la crème: Li Q’ur ri Franque. She had no intention of appearing anything less than stunning. She also couldn’t wait to see how Krux planned to get them in without a reservation.