Fallon's Fall (5 page)

W
hen the door
to the quarters opened again, Dora expected to see Fallon. Instead, a beautiful, dark-haired woman sauntered in. Her graceful gait and lithe body brought out immediate envy from Dora. She was many things, but graceful was not one of them and she’d passed lithe several inches of padding ago.

“Who are you?” she asked.

The woman’s sensual lips quirked. “My name is Opal.” She eyed her up and down.

“What do you want?” Dora asked. “If you’re here to talk to me about Fallon, you can save your breath.”

“I’m not,” she said. “I just wanted to see the woman who has Fallon suddenly so distracted.” She ran her hand over his workspace.

The familiarity of the move made Dora uncomfortable. Who was this woman? And what did she mean to Fallon? The thought that she might be his lover tied Dora’s stomach in knots. How could she compete with someone like her?

The thought brought her up short. Dora didn’t need to compete with her. This woman could have him. She’d gotten over Fallon a long time ago…
mostly
.

“How do you know Fallon?” Dora asked, then immediately cursed silently for asking.

Opal’s smile spread. “He’s a
friend
of sorts.”

What did she mean by that? She might be beautiful with her short black hair and lean body, but Dora didn’t like her. The Fallon she used to know wouldn’t have fallen for someone so
flashy
and cold. She pictured the man who’d brought her here. He was nothing like the boy she’d known. Perhaps this woman was exactly his type now. Dora needed to remember that. To forget would be disastrous.

“Did he kidnap you, too?” she asked, dreading her answer, yet hoping it was true. If the woman had been taken against her will, then she’d be more likely to empathize with Dora and perhaps help her escape.

“No.” Opal laughed. “
He
didn’t.”

If she wasn’t kidnapped, then how had she gotten onboard? Was she one of the crew? If so, then that made her dangerous. Or was she here to warm Fallon’s pallet? The thought made Dora nauseous, but it didn’t matter. This was her chance to get help or at least gain an ally.

“I need to get off this ship,” Dora said. “My crew will have reported me missing by now. I don’t want you and your crew to get harmed because of Fallon’s impetuousness.”

“Fallon, impetuous?” Opal snorted. “I’ve never known him to be.” She circled Dora. “What makes you so valuable?”

Was that calculation in her voice? Unease settled in Dora’s gut. Just who was this woman? “I’m a healer. I am
the
chief healer on the
Anemone
.”

The woman blinked. It was the only indication Dora got that the news had surprised her.

“Interesting,” Opal said. “What does Fallon want with you, other than the obvious?”

Dora’s lips thinned. “You’d have to ask him,” she said. “He’s the one who kidnapped me.” The woman stared at her until she fidgeted.

“Perhaps, I will.” Opal walked to the door.

“Wait! Please help me.” Dora tried one last time to build rapport with the woman, though something told her that she was wasting her breath.

Opal paused by the open door. “There are only two ways you’re going to get out of here,” she said. “By sleeping with him or by being sold. Personally, if I were him, I’d sell you, but it’s not my call.”

“Why would sleeping with him get me out of here?” she asked.

“Because it’s easier to manipulate a male after you’ve slept with him,” Opal said.

“Is that what you did?” Dora snapped, liking this female less and less.

“I don’t have to sleep with males to manipulate them,” she said.

The coldness in her voice stole Dora’s breath. Only someone involved with another would be that vicious. “I’m not here to take your lover away,” Dora said through gritted teeth, while trying to ignore the jealousy devouring her.

This time the smile Opal gave her could’ve frosted an entire planet. “That’s good to know.” She held up her hand and claws sprang from her fingertips. “For your sake, it better be true.”

The door closed with a hiss.

Dora pressed a hand to her chest. Just who was this female and how had Fallon met her? She seemed so cold, so utterly devoid of emotion. Fallon had always been so tender and loving. Had he really changed that much? The thought saddened her. It made Dora realize that she’d been clinging to a fantasy. A fantasy that no longer existed.

Opal’s words came back to torture her. There were only two ways off the ship: Sleep with Fallon or be sold. Dora shook her head. There had to be another way. She couldn’t sleep with Fallon.

An image of him naked, standing above her prone, bound form flashed in her mind. Dora’s flushed and traitorous parts of her began to throb. No way. Not going to happen. No matter how tempting it might be. If her ship didn’t reach her in time, she’d figure out a way to escape with or without help. Dora was no one’s slave—especially not Fallon’s.

F
allon stood
on the bridge of the ship, his gaze locked on the detection panel. So far it didn’t look like they’d been followed, but it was still too soon to tell. He heard the door to the transport cylinder open behind him. A second later, he smelled Opal. He ignored her feline scent, choosing to concentrate on Dora’s delicious aroma instead.

Opal came up beside him. “The female you took is a healer.”

“I know.” Fallon wondered what else she’d found out about Dora, but didn’t ask.

“What do you plan to do with her?” Opal asked. “Ransom her?”

He turned away from the panels. “I haven’t decided yet.”

Opal shrugged. “She asked me to help her escape.”

Fallon tensed. If the captain found out that she’d been in his room, blood would spill. Hawk redefined possessive when it came to Opal. “What did you tell her?”

Her lips twitched. “Not much,” she said, while examining her claws. “I didn’t have to. She jumped to a lot of conclusions on her own.”

Fallon didn’t like the sound of that.

“I appreciate you dropping in to check on her, but I’ll deal with Dora from here on out,” he said, hoping Opal would take a hint.

“Why is she in your room?” she asked. “I expected to find her in one of the chambers in the cargo bay.”

She would, since that’s where Hawk had kept her when she first came aboard. But not every woman tried to undermine their own king.

“It’s a better place to keep an eye on her,” Fallon said.

“I’d assumed as much,” Opal said. “The question is why?” Like a damn cat, she just couldn’t stop playing with her food.

Fallon tensed. “I do not need a reason to put a woman in my quarters.” His voice rose as he spoke. “Who I choose to take there is my business, and my business alone.”

A snarl came from behind him, as Hawk entered the bridge. Fallon stiffened and slowly turned to face the captain.

“Do we have a problem?” Hawk asked.

Fallon shook his head. “Not with me.”

Hawk’s gaze slid to Opal and he arched a dark brow.

She crossed her arms and huffed.

“I thought you decided you already had your answers last night,” Hawk said.

Opal sauntered over to him and ran her finger down his chest. “I wanted confirmation.”

Hawk shuddered under her touch. “Did you get it?” He caught her hand and brought her fingers to his lips.

Opal flushed and her breath caught. “Oh yes, I’m absolutely certain now.”

“Good, then you can leave my First alone, so he can get back to work,” Hawk said.

Opal rolled her eyes. “Whatever you say.”

Tension rolled off Fallon. Confirmation of what? What had Opal said to Dora? He knew whatever the feline had done, it wouldn’t be good. She reveled in causing trouble. It’s why she and Hawk were a perfect match. Fallon had planned to talk to Dora again once his shift ended. He’d hoped she’d have time to cool off, but he didn’t think there was a chance of that happening now.

He forced his gaze back to the screen. So far, he hadn’t spotted any other ships. With any luck, that would remain the case. Fallon needed time to seduce Dora. He couldn’t do that with her angry. He glanced over his shoulder. Opal slid onto Hawk’s lap as he took his place in the captain’s seat.

Seeing them together only drove home what he was missing. What he’d been missing for years. The solution to end his misery was located one floor down, sealed inside his chamber. All Fallon had to do now was figure out how to unlock her heart. He snorted. That wouldn’t be easy. Not anymore. Like him, Dora kept hers firmly secured behind thick walls.

F
allon finished
his shift and returned to his quarters. He expected a fight when he walked through the door, instead low lights and an empty pallet greeted him. Where was Dora? Had she managed to escape? He took a step back to examine his security setting. Nothing was amiss. She had to be here somewhere.

His senses heightened as he entered the room and closed the cabin door behind him. Fallon readied for an attack. When it came, he’d have to be careful. He didn’t want Dora to hurt herself in the scuffle.

He scanned the room, but nothing moved. Opal had said that Dora asked for help, but she’d never mentioned whether she had complied to the request. Fear punched him. Fallon staggered back. Could Opal have gotten Dora off the ship undetected?

Fallon frantically searched the room. His foot hit something soft and he jumped back, expecting an ambush. He scanned the darkness to see what he’d bumped into. Dora lay curled into a ball, on the floor at the end of the pallet, shivering. She was still fully dressed, but her clothes weren’t enough protection from the cool metal beneath her.

What was she doing down there? Why wasn’t she in his pallet? Was the thought of sleeping with him so abhorrent that she’d rather take the cold floor and risk illness?

Doubt crept in. This was worse than he’d thought. He’d made a mistake bringing her here. Fallon had thought they could talk. Possibly work things out, but… He scowled at her. Anger at him was one thing, stupidity was another.

“So stubborn,” he muttered.

A shiver worked its way up from her toes. Dora quaked and her teeth chattered. If he didn’t know her so well, Fallon would think she was faking, but sleep was one thing Dora didn’t fake. Even as a kid, she’d always slept like the entombed. Fallon had snuck into her room on a few occasions to leave her surprises. One time he’d covered her in orange and black blooms.

He could still recall the petals’ spicy aroma. He inhaled. Now, like back then, the blooms couldn’t compete with Dora’s sweet scent or the softness of her skin. He ran a finger over her cheek. She didn’t wake, didn’t even stir. Fallon chuckled. He’d always been amazed by her ability to sleep.

“What am I going to do with you?” he murmured.

He couldn’t let her sleep on the floor. Fallon crouched down and gathered Dora in his arms. She snuffled, then burrowed her nose into his chest. He placed her on the pallet and immediately covered her with extra bedding. Fallon couldn’t stand to see her so cold.

He stared at her sleeping form for a few minutes, debating whether to gather his things and move to another room. Just the thought of knowing that Dora was on the ship and he wouldn’t be near her was enough to change his mind. This was his berth. He had every right to sleep here.

Fallon stripped out of his clothes and crawled onto the pallet beside her. He put one hand behind his head and stared at the woman who’d been such a large part of his life. Dora let out a loud snore and turned over. Fallon laughed. Oh how he’d missed this, missed her. They’d never managed to sleep together—though it wasn’t from lack of trying.

The one time they’d nearly succeeded, they’d been caught. Fallon could still see the look of horror on Dora’s face when their fathers had barged into the animal paddock. He’d stood in front of her as she scrambled to get the few clothes they’d managed to remove back on. Fallon had never seen his father so angry or Dora so ashamed.

He had done the only thing he could at the time. Fallon had professed his love for her and asked to take her as his mate, but his words fell on deaf ears and only seemed to make matters worse. After that, he and Dora were never allowed to be alone, which was why they’d hatched a plan to run away. His smile faded as he remembered that dark time.

She let out another snore and cuddled up next to him. He tried to turn her over, but she threw her arm around his waist and pressed her face against his chest. Thoughts of the past scattered and every muscle in his body tensed. Dora sighed and sank even deeper into sleep, while he stared at the top of her dark head and considered how to make it through the night without touching her.

D
ora awoke
next to a heavily aroused male. Without opening her eyes, she smiled and snuggled closer. Having sex was her favorite way to start the day. Her hand glided over the hard ridges of his abdomen, before dipping lower to caress his shaft.

He groaned.

She didn’t remember Cooper being quite this well built, but wasn’t about to complain. Dora rubbed her fingertips over his heated flesh and felt him harden even more. Cooper wasn’t a small man, but had he always been this big?

Dora wrapped her hand around his turgid flesh and gave him a firm squeeze, as she kissed her way down his abdomen. He smelled so good and felt even better. Her body moistened in anticipation.

She stroked him, taking care to brush his heavy sac. The muscles beneath her lips quivered as she ran her tongue over each ridge. “That’s quite an erection you’ve got there,” she murmured. Sleep weighted her voice.

“Thank you,” Fallon rasped. “Glad you like it.”

Dora’s eyes flew open. Her gaze locked on the massive shaft inches away from her face. It was...
mouthwatering
. She wondered what Fallon would taste like. It took serious willpower to get her fingers to release him. Dora had come close to doing something utterly stupid.

“What are you doing here?” she hissed. “I thought I told you—”

“This is my room,” Fallon said, cutting her off. “I have every right to be here.”

“You were taking advantage of me,” she said. “Taking advantage of the fact that I didn’t know who you were.”

“From where I’m lying, it looks like the other way around,” he said. “I never touched you.”

Dora glanced down and realized she was still fully dressed. He was right. He hadn’t touched her. She was
not
disappointed. It was a relief to know that Fallon hadn’t bothered to try anything. Truly. Except it didn’t feel like relief.

Fallon rolled off the pallet. Unconcerned by his nudity, he slowly walked across to the cleanser unit. His right thigh still held the scar he’d gotten from a tibbar bite. Dora recognized the mark instantly. She’d tended the wound herself. Why hadn’t he gotten it removed? It was an easy procedure these days.

Seeing it again brought back the day he’d helped her catch an injured family of tibbars. He’d looked so cute with cuts on his face and hands, his pockets stuffed with wiggling tibbars.

The last time she’d seen his legs, they’d been impressive, but they hadn’t been corded with muscle. As for the rest of him, Dora had only caught a glimpse before their fathers put an end to their interlude. She obviously hadn’t gotten a good look at him because the sight of him now would be forever burned in her mind. She’d never seen such naked beauty.

“W-where are your clothes?” she stuttered.

Fallon glanced back at her and grinned. “I sleep naked.”

Of course he did.

Her gaze dropped of its own volition. He was magnificent. How could she have confused him with Cooper? They were
nothing
alike. Where Cooper was soft from years spent working aboard a ship, every inch of Fallon’s enhanced body was hard. Especially his…

She tore her gaze away, but in her mind Dora still saw him.
Saw every thick inch
.

What would it feel like to have that hard flesh inside her, riding her? Dora squeezed her thighs together, but that only made the ache worse. Goddess help her, she wanted him—if only for a night.

Fallon chuckled. “You don’t look so good,” he said. “Can I get you
anything
?” He gripped his shaft and stroked once.

Her eyes followed his movements. “I’m fine,” Dora croaked, her throat suddenly dry.

Even if Fallon hadn’t caught her leering at his cock, Dora’s flushed cheeks and staggered breathing told him that she was far from fine. Oh, his Dora might claim she didn’t want him, but her hard nipples made her a liar.

Why deny them both?

“I’m going to rinse off,” Fallon said. “You’re welcome to join me and finish what you started. If you ask nicely, I’ll return the favor.” He licked his lips. Just the thought of burying his tongue between her legs left him ravenous.

Dora glared at him. “No thanks!”

“Suit yourself,” he said nonchalantly, feeling anything but. “You know where I’ll be if you change your mind.”

Fallon could still feel her soft kisses on his abdomen and her warm hand wrapped around him. He’d nearly embarrassed himself when she had squeezed. He stepped into the cleanser. Dora turned her back to him, but not before he saw the desire in her stormy eyes.

He wanted her to watch, wanted her to be in as much pain as he was in. Fallon made a lot of noise in a bid to catch her attention. Dora glanced over her shoulder. He took that moment to step under the spray. Fallon tilted his head back, watching from beneath his lashes. From this angle, he could tell that his plan was working. She’d turned to face the cleanser. Her curiosity had always been insatiable.

Fallon bit back a smile and grabbed a handful of cleaning pellets. The balls instantly bubbled when the chemical spray hit them. He rubbed the suds over his body, taking care to linger on his chest and arms. He’d caught her admiring them earlier. His hand dropped lower, skating over his abdomen. Dora’s eyes widen, but she didn’t look away. Instead, she bit her bottom lip.

She was killing him.

He took a deep breath, then grasped himself. The pressure felt amazing, but it was nothing compared to having her hand on him. Dora’s breathing deepened and her gaze jumped to his face. Fallon kept still. He didn’t want to give any indication that he was watching her. He stroked himself again, taking care to linger on the bulbous head of his shaft before reversing direction.

Drawn by the movement, Dora’s gaze dropped and she wet her lips.

Fallon tightened his grip and thrust forward, driving himself through his clenched fist. The added pressure coupled with her undivided attention left him panting, but he couldn’t stop now. He wanted Dora to want him. Wanted her to crave him like he craved her. Fallon rested one hand against the clear wall and picked up speed. His head dropped as fire scorched his insides.

He could see Dora through the wet strands of his lashes. She kept crossing and uncrossing her legs. No doubt trying to ease the ache. All she had to do was ask and he’d ease it for her, but she had always been stubborn. Fallon felt his sac rise. He wouldn’t last much longer—not with her eyes devouring him. He looked up suddenly, trapping Dora’s gaze. The moment of torment stretched between them, then his body erupted.

When he was done spilling his seed, Fallon turned away from her. He could no longer face her. Her heated gaze had sandblasted the layers of time away, leaving him raw and exposed. She’d looked at him like he was the Horned Morean she used to know, not some genetically altered smuggler. The piercing truth he’d seen in her gray gaze left him shaken. It took a few minutes for Fallon to pull himself together and finish cleaning up.

Dora couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. Her lust-filled brain wouldn’t allow anything beyond sensation. She’d always wondered what Fallon would look like without clothes, but seeing him pleasure himself left her shattered and in desperate need. His decisive movements had mesmerized her. At one point, she’d wanted to push his hand aside and drop to her knees in front of him. Dora knew what that velvety flesh felt like. She’d come inches away from tasting it, tasting him.

What would he do if she walked over and sucked him into her mouth?

She swallowed hard and clutched the pallet. It was only way to keep herself from acting upon the thought. Dora had expected Fallon to pressure her, instead he’d settled for sensual torture. And like everything he did, he was good at it.

Between the hard muscles and the wetness, Dora was going up in flames. She’d found Fallon attractive when she was a teen, but now…he was a force to reckon with.

A steady throb emanated from between her thighs. Her fingers itched to touch herself, to ease the constant ache, but Dora knew if she did, Fallon would be on her instantly. And she’d have no strength to turn him away. She wouldn’t want to.

Seeing him like this let her know exactly what she was missing. She stared at the wet wall of green muscle that shifted every time he moved. Dora wanted to lick every inch of it, every inch of him. He’d gotten so much better over time.

Her gaze dropped and a wave of desire struck. Fallon may have just spent himself, but his long, thick shaft still twitched, threatening to rise once more.

You must resist him.

Except resistance seemed to be the last thing on her mind.

He kidnapped you
.

The reminder made some of her lust fade, but not all. Dora continued to stare. She couldn’t tear her gaze away. She’d always had fantasies about this, about him. The reality had crushed them all. How was she going to be able to forget this? Forget him?

Fallon stepped out of the cleanser and grabbed a cloth. He slowly dried the moisture off his skin, but never bothered to cover himself. He must’ve felt her gaze upon him because he glanced up and smiled at her. Dora’s heart kicked, then sped.