Enslaved by a Rebel [Sold! 2] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove) (3 page)

Panic settled into his chest like wet sand that kept getting heavier with each breath. He thought he was going to die below azure-blue waters doing something he loved, but his mind had vomited up this entire bizarre scenario to taunt him with something he’d thought he’d always wanted. Romantic notions died hard, but this was simply cruel. Why would his brain do this to him?

But that was the problem, wasn’t it? How could this be some weird brain fantasy when everything seemed so real? He felt the nasty, sticky carpet below his feet, and he smelled a weird, musty tang in the air. He saw nothing but filth filling a room, and then he heard what could only be the sound of an engine gearing up to take him out into the vast reaches of space. This wasn’t a dream, a fantasy, or a near-death experience. This was real. And it was totally terrifying.

The panic he’d been staving off eventually had its way and infiltrated his every cell. His breathing rate rose so high he had gone beyond panting and he couldn’t get it to slow down. Since he didn’t have a paper bag, he tried breathing into his cupped hands, but that didn’t help. Eventually, he passed out and crumbled to the floor.

* * * *

Jarrett woke up, but he kept his eyes closed. He wasn’t looking forward to having his worst fears realized. Dead, alive, or some strange place in between, he’d rather just lay here and not know for a while. But eventually, curiosity got the better of him, and he opened his eyes.

He wasn’t in the junk room of the spaceship anymore, but he didn’t quite know where he was. Whatever he was lying on was sinfully soft, and the air smelled strangely sweet. Above him there was a roof made of thatch. By turning his head, he saw that there was a sky the color of pink frosting and the clouds were puffy turquoise. Sitting up, he climbed off the lounge and moved to the edge of an open veranda.

“Now this is an alien world.” Everything was pink, blue, or purple. Delicate creatures that looked like jellyfish floated through the air, their stingers dangling. There was a fence around the place where he was, but there was a walkway that would take him down to what looked like a beach with blue sand and purple water.

A gigantic bloom was near enough to the porch that he could almost reach out and touch it. Curious, he stretched out his arm, but it wasn’t quite close enough.

“I wouldn’t do that. It’s probably hungry.”

Jarrett turned and saw a man made of gold. Everything from his feet to the curve of his bald head was shimmering gold. Once he got over his initial surprise, he realized that his features were strong, angular, and very handsome. He seemed to be uncomfortable, which Jarrett thought was curious given that all of this was his idea.

“Who are you?”

“I am Ranic Vaidya.”

“Are you the man who bought me?” He certainly didn’t look like the metal man who had taken him away, but then Jarrett noticed a heap of gleaming silver in the corner of the room. So, he did have a knight in shining armor. He just was a hell of a lot stranger than anything Jarrett had ever dreamed of.

“I am.” He lifted his hand to the room behind and around him. “I hope we’ll be comfortable here.”

Jarrett refrained from commenting on that because as stunning and well appointed as the room seemed to be, there was only one big bed, and the implications of that were pretty clear unless he was supposed to sleep out here on the porch near the hungry flower. Either way, he was certain he wasn’t going to be comfortable with the whole idea of slavery. Even if his owner did turn out to be a total hottie. What really surprised Jarrett was how instant his attraction to this man was. Something about his gleaming appearance and his riveting, laser-blue eyes. He was basically human in shape. The only difference being the color of his skin and his utter lack of hair except for long eyelashes.

“If you require anything, you have but to let me know.”

The structure of his English was strange. “How is it that I can understand you and you can understand me when there’s no way we speak the same language?”

“An implant in your brain. Such is common for slaves.”

“I’m not a slave.” It was then that Jarrett realized his owner was wearing a swath of fabric that covered his hips while the only thing Jarrett wore was his collar.

“You are.” Ranic sighed. “But you don’t have to be one the rest of your life.”

Jarrett sensed a deal was coming, and he had a feeling it wasn’t something he was going to like because if this guy wanted something fun, he wouldn’t have to buy someone to do it for him. Or to let him do it to them. Jarrett remembered the probe sliding up his ass, and he shivered. Anal sex just wasn’t his thing. What irritated him was that he was already considering giving in so that he could be let go. How much, how hard, and how often would he have to take Ranic’s golden cock in order to earn his freedom? The mere thought of that made him feel like some kind of a whore. He shouldn’t have to endure sexual acts to get something back that no one had the right to take away from him in the first place.

“I don’t know what the hell you’re thinking, but I’m not going to spread for you in the hopes of you setting me free.”

Ranic tilted his head, considering Jarrett’s words. He had a feeling the translation device had to work overtime whenever he used any type of slang.

Sighing, Ranic nodded, and then he wrapped one big, beautiful hand around a goblet. With the polished grace of a king, he lifted the cup to his lips, drank, then closed his eyes, savoring the liquid. When he was done, he opened his eyes, pinning Jarrett with the laser-blue orbs. Damn, but he should have been ugly because it would be a lot easier for Jarrett to be all indignant and hold to his freedom-first position if his owner were a hideous blob or something. But no. He had to get a golden-dipped Yul Brynner look-alike complete with the body of an Olympic swimmer.

“I see there is some confusion already about what I want.”

Jarrett waited, wondering if he was supposed to guess.

“I don’t want to fuck you.”

“No?” Jarrett crossed his arms, waiting for the punch line.

“No.” Ranic poured two goblets full of the glittering liquid and brought one over to Jarrett. “I want you to fuck me.”

Ranic was prepared to go through a series of ridiculous machinations to get what he wanted from his slave, but he decided at the last moment to simply make him a trade. When they were done, Ranic wouldn’t be able to keep him anyway, so why not simply offer out his freedom if he performed the services Ranic so desperately wanted?

“You want me to fuck you?” Jarrett accepted the glass of Delutian glimmer wine, but he didn’t drink it. Instead, he washed his gaze all over Ranic’s form, making him acutely aware of how little he was wearing. “Why in the world would a gorgeous man like you have to hire a lover?”

Flattered, Ranic found that the curious tugging toward this man he’d felt in the slave house was returning in greater force now that he was so near. “I would tell you, if you will sit with me.” He nodded to the table and chairs on the covered veranda. When Jarrett turned and walked that way, Ranic found his gaze drawn to his strong hips. Just watching him walk the short distance was almost hypnotic, probably because Ranic imagined that motion in far more vigorous activities.

“Um.” Jarrett looked down at the chair and Ranic understood at once that his nudity presented some issues he hadn’t thought of.

“Here.” From the small amount of goods Ranic had brought with him, he found another loincloth and handed it to Jarrett. Their fingers touched. A flare of attraction flowed up Ranic’s arm and burrowed deep into his brain. How had he been so lucky to find this creature?

“Thank you.” Jarrett slung the cloth around his hips and then sat down. He pointed to his collar. “Can you take this thing off?”

Ranic considered.

“I’m not going to run since I have no idea where we are.” He looked around at the resort and shrugged. “I don’t imagine I’d get far wearing only this cloth around my hips.”

Ranic set his glass on the table then stepped behind Jarrett. The metal of his collar was warmed by contact with his skin. It came off easily since the lock was keyed to Ranic’s touch. Once it was deactivated, he set it aside on the table. And then he did something he’d always longed to do. He lowered his head near to Jarrett and gently kissed his neck. Unsure what his reaction might be, he was pleasantly surprised when Jarrett tilted his head, giving him greater access. His skin was scented with fear and subtle traces of mustiness from the horrible ship Ranic had rented, but none of that mattered, because when his lips touched his flesh, the jolt of joy that slammed into the pleasure center of his brain had him hard in less than a second. His relief was so profound he had to cling to Jarrett’s shoulders so he didn’t fall to his knees.

“Your touch is…different.” Jarrett didn’t sound upset, only mildly speculative. “You’re just a bit cooler, temperature-wise, than I am.”

Ranic pulled away before he lost himself completely. It was unfair for him to place even wordless demands without stating his purpose and assuring himself of Jarrett’s consent. As much as he told himself he would make his slave obey, he found his resolve faltered as soon as he’d seen the kindness in Jarrett’s eyes.

“I apologize. I simply couldn’t resist.” He moved to the other side of the table and sat so that they were facing one another. For some reason, he felt an entire quadrant away when he clearly wasn’t. The all too brief touch they shared made him famished for more.

“It was a far cry from the feeling of you touching me while you were wearing your spacesuit.” Jarrett smiled and then peered into his glass of wine.

“It’s quite safe for you. I had my computer check. I made sure everything here would suit you. If there is danger—like the flowers—I will tell you, but Aeirall is a resort world that is safe for the both of us.” It was also a discreet world where anyone could come and leave no trace of their visit, provided they paid enough money, which Ranic had. “I brought you here so that we wouldn’t have to worry about our surroundings.”

Jarrett nodded and then took a tentative sip of his glimmer wine. Watching him purse his lips made Ranic wonder what they would feel like pressed against his neck, and then he startled when he thought of their lips touching. That forbidden act would just be a prelude to the others he wished to perform. Would they feel as good as he imagined, or was he only attracted to something illicit?

“It’s really good. It’s tart, and kind of chocolaty.”

“I’m glad you like it.” Ranic took another sip of his wine and then set it aside. He needed a little loosening up to talk about what he wanted, but not too much. “My world, Finoc, is very restrictive.”

“You don’t have wine there?”

“No, I mean, yes. We have wine. I’m talking about the rules regarding relations.” Ranic felt a curious embarrassment having to explain about the limiting nature of his people. “My kind is extremely xenophobic.”

“I don’t know what that means.”

“On the surface of our world, we do not allow outsiders. When we are forced to travel to other worlds, we wear the suit that you saw me in yesterday.” Ranic pointed over his shoulder to the corner where he’d left his suit in a heap. “We tell people this is for reasons of gravity differences, but in reality it is because we do not care to be looked at by aliens.”

Jarrett looked up and his expressive eyes widened. “No one knows what your kind looks like?”

“They do not.”

“But you’ve decided to show me.”

“I have.” Ranic grabbed his wineglass and consumed the rest in one gulp. “I could be put to death for what I’ve already done. But it’s only the beginning of the wrongs I wish to commit.” He realized how dreadful that sounded. “Wrongs in the eyes of my people. However, to the bulk of the universe, what I’m hoping to do is rather common.”

Leaning back in his chair, his features somewhat guarded, Jarrett seemed dubious about what Ranic’s ultimate goal might be. Still, his face was open, and his features expressed curiosity. That was good. If he could intrigue him, Ranic might be able to get him to do as he wished without using force of any kind. That was a relief to Ranic. He didn’t think he could put the collar back on this interesting man and punish him with electrical shocks when he didn’t behave.

“There is only the one way on Finoc. Our rulers believe that there is always one best way to do something, and once that way is found, they are extremely resistant to anything different. Because of this, we have lagged behind the galaxy in terms of technological advancement and—” Ranic cut himself off. “None of that matters now. We do trade, but again, there are incredible restrictions.”

“Is that what you do for your people? You trade goods?”

“No. I am an asteroid miner. A blaster, to be specific.” Ranic explained about the huge scoops on the machines that he and his fellow workers fed asteroids into. “Sometimes they are too big, and we blast them apart so that they can be mined for minerals more efficiently. But my point is that my people are harsh to those who don’t follow the one true way.”

“Okay, so, what kind of law breaking do you want to do here?” Jarrett smiled, flashing his very white teeth. He seemed to be enjoying himself immensely and had no fear of committing a grave sin. From what little Ranic had been able to learn about Earth, it wasn’t much wonder. Jarrett’s world was complex, varied, and unlike Finoc, it held more than one race. All who lived there were human, but they could be different in terms of skin color, eye color, height, and especially cultures.