“Please,
please
fuck me!” Sue-Eye was practically screaming by now. “Please, Kane!
Please
!”
His laughter was answer enough, but he gave Sue-Eye a slap to the ass and a spoken, “No,” anyway. He took hold of her and tossed her roughly but playfully off onto the floor. He dropped down onto the bed and pulled his pack back onto his lap. He held out his hand with a Caesar’s arrogance, calling, “Get this off me,
ichuta’a
,” and Sue-Eye scrambled to him on her knees, sucking at his fingers as if they were cocks.
Raven tried not to pay too close an eye, but Kane missed nothing. He grinned, sudden and sharklike, and she quickly dropped her gaze to her paper and wrote blindly.
“Oh, get off me!” A slap. “If I want a blowjob, I’ll ask for one. I’m not shy. Don’t!” he snapped, so suddenly that Raven looked around, but Sue-Eye was just crouching there by the bed. Kane was glaring, though, one hand curled into a warning fist. “If I want your pussy touched, I’ll touch it myself or tell you how. You’re all done,
ichuta’a
.”
“B-but—” Sue-Eye’s hands were clenching spastically at either side of her. “Please!”
“No.” Kane slid his finger along the seam of his pack and opened it to his computer. “Sit down. Cool off. Food will be here any minute.”
“Then will you…?”
“Maybe. Raven.”
She didn’t miss the biker’s brief scowl and she didn’t think Kane did, either, but he let it go and crooked a claw to call Raven over. He typed several minutes without giving her any attention whatsoever, but then turned his pack around and pointed at the faintly metallic-looking stripe along the outer edge of the pack’s lid. “Touch there,” he said.
She pressed her fingertip to the strip, her entire body stirring with the same electric lightness that she had felt when he first showed her how to write his alien letters.
“Slowly,” Kane murmured. He took her wrist and guided her down the width of the shiny track. His computer hummed loudly all the while and beeped as soon as she reached the end of it. Kane pushed her hand away, pecked at the keys a little more, and then shut his pack with a snap and gestured to it.
Raven could feel a smile twitching at her lips. She ran her finger down the seam just as he had so often demonstrated, feeling the slow burn of Sue-Eye’s gaze on her back the whole time. The pack opened for her immediately and Raven’s heart leapt with unreasoning pride.
This meant something. He could fuck who he wanted to fuck, but this was the telling thing right here.
“You understand,” he said conversationally as he turned the pack back to face him, “if I ever see you playing in there, I’ll break that finger right off.”
“Got it,” she said happily.
“Go practice your letters.”
As Raven was seating herself, the knock of dinner’s arrival sounded at the door. Sue-Eye received it, paid the extortionist’s fee, and parceled out waffles and fried chicken. As soon as Kane had his, he gave the order for their clothes to come off. Sue-Eye stripped with exuberance, coming to his side without an invitation.
It was a risky move on her part, one that had won her a smack on more than one occasion, but Kane chose to sit her on the bed beside him this time. He even rested a hand on her thigh while he typed and ate, the surest sign of his rare good mood.
And why shouldn’t he be in a good mood? It had been another good hunt, another good idea from own personal yes-girl. The elation at being granted access to Kane’s case quickly faded into dread as she watched Kane lean over and nip at Sue-Eye’s bare shoulder. Raven’s appetite congealed on itself. She stared down at her paper and its lines of alien writing.
I hate that blonde haired bitch
, she wrote, and stared at the letters until they blurred with eyestrain. Sue-Eye was a bitch, too, in the purest possible sense. A whiny, obsequious, tail-wagging, slobbering bitch-dog.
“Can I, Kane? Please?”
“No.”
Raven glanced covertly into the dark mirror of the TV screen and saw Sue-Eye’s hand hovering over Kane’s crotch. He was pretending to ignore her as he tossed his chicken bones to the floor, but pretend was clearly the operative word. He was enjoying himself, enjoying the torture of his
ichuta’a
, and if he knew how much it bothered Raven, he’d be enjoying that, too.
“Please? I want you so bad.”
Kane sniffed at his waffle, and then dropped the Styrofoam box holding the rest of his dinner on the carpet. “Go take a shower,” he ordered, balancing his computer on his thighs. “And I warn you,
ichuta’a
, if you like your hands, you’ll keep them off your cunt. I’ll know if you cum.” He drew in a deep breath pointedly and showed his sharp teeth in a grin. “And I won’t be happy about it.”
Sue-Eye stood up obediently. “Can’t I blow you at least? Please. I need your cock.”
“Maybe later.” He flicked his claws at her, all his attention on his computer. “Now go on. I’m working.”
Raven couldn’t stop herself from looking up as Sue-Eye went by. She was caught, chilled by the gleam of victory carefully hidden in the other woman’s eyes. There was a plan at work here, and it was going in Sue-Eye’s favor.
Raven returned her eyes to her work, but her movements were all by rote. Sue-Eye was making herself noticeable. She was making herself useful. How long before she made herself indispensable?
Kane had said he would take Raven with him when he left Earth. Saying wasn’t the same as promising, but she still believed him. Kane didn’t have to lie, not when he could just give her one to the stomach to shut her up. Raven was by now almost entirely convinced that he would never kill her, not unless she did something dramatic like stab him, but he still had moods and he was still pretty quick about slapping her around. Questioning him about whether or not he really meant it when he said he’d take her with him might just annoy him enough to earn her a few bruises.
God, her DNA was scattered over half a dozen crime scenes by now. She’d rather be killed than be left behind to have to explain everything. At least Kane’s way was quick. Looking at prison, at gang rapes and stabbings and everything that went with it, right up until she was plugged into that last hot wire, Raven felt like throwing up.
It wouldn’t happen. Not now. Not after he finally got her the way he wanted. He wouldn’t throw her away now.
Raven ran a hand up her side, her fingertips lightly brushing over the metal outlining her breasts, the metal stiffening her nipples. Silver and gold. He’d made her his treasure. You didn’t do that to someone you were just going to abandon.
But then again, why not? It wasn’t like he’d paid for any of the jewelry. Raven gripped at her own arm, twisting around to see her new tattoo clearly. E’Var, it said. She could read it now. He’d put his name on her and taught her to read it.
“What are you doing?” Kane. He was smiling at her crookedly, his hands hovering over the keyboard of his computer.
Raven looked at him, but thought of Sue-Eye. Sue-Eye and her games. Sue-Eye, who thought she was winning them. Raven thought so, too, and it was a terrifying thought to have. Hesitantly, unsure of just what she was doing, she said, “My period’s almost over. I think I’ve stopped bleeding, but…you know…I just want to be sure.”
“Mm.” He waited, his body relaxed and his expression lazy and sly-a great golden cat with the bird already under his paws.
Raven made a few scratches with her pen, avoiding his gaze. “I see her with you and I…I’m actually jealous.” The words stung, even in her own mouth, and she hated them for being even a little bit true. She shook her head. “I…miss you. How wrong is that?”
“Very,” he said gravely.
She put her pen down and faced him, her heart hammering. “Can I ask for something?”
Kane’s eyes flicked towards the wall separating them from the bathroom where water from Sue-Eye’s shower drummed endlessly. His smile broadened. “Oh, let me guess.”
“When I
am
done,” Raven interrupted. “My period, I mean. When I’m all the way done, will you let me…let me…” Her nerve was failing. Heat crawled and burned in her cheeks. She didn’t know what she was saying, and he was going to see right through her anyway. But he was gazing at her again, unblinking and horribly aware of her, and she had to say something. “Will you let me do things?” she asked, her voice cracking. “Things that I want?”
His head cocked, his features scored with surprise. She’d caught him off-guard and that had to count for something. Clearly, he’d thought she was going to ask him to get rid of the competition.
Kane stared at her, his thoughts unspooling hidden behind his shark-black eyes. Finally, he folded down the monitor and closed his pack, resting his hands atop it. “Things,” he echoed. “Such as?”
This was dangerous. When he’d thought she’d lied to him about the reason for her bleeding, he’d been ready to kill her. This was worse. If he suspected her of anything at all—
She couldn’t stop now, or he’d know for sure she’d been trying something.
Raven stood up and went to the foot of the bed. “Things,” she said, crawling cautiously onto the mattress.
Kane pushed his pack to one side, freeing the broad field of his chest for her to climb, and she obliged him, touching her lips to his warm flesh as she moved up his body. She could taste him, the clean male sweat of him, and it was not an unpleasant sensation. When she placed her hand over the alien place his heart beat, she realized she really had missed him.
“Things,” she breathed, and let her lips just brush his. “Things that humans do.”
“Be careful,” he warned her, his voice low and amused. “I bite.”
“So do I.” She let her teeth close and pull at his lip, and then she slid her tongue past the double-row of his sharp teeth. He did not respond, but he did not discourage either, and she melted against him, exploring his strange mouth with sensuous abandon.
“Humans are very strange,” Kane said, once she’d drawn away. But he was smiling.
“Will you let me?” she asked, letting her hand caress his face. It was a handsome face, she realized, for all that his eyes were so awful and empty. She kissed him again, and this time, his tongue came to meet hers. Her hand drifted down, across his chest, over his hard stomach, toward the stiffening core of him, but then away and down the inner slope of his thigh.
He chuckled into her mouth and pulled his face away. “You’re teasing me,” he said with gentle menace. “That can be dangerous.”
“Humans do that,” she said, licking at the hollow of his throat. “When they want to take their time.”
“Is that what you want? To take your time?” He twined his hand lazily in her hair, and then pulled her down into his kiss. It was a deep kiss, hungry and unskilled, but kindling real desire in her nonetheless. “To play with me?” he murmured, breathing into her mouth.
“Yes. Will you let me?” she asked again. She began to move her hips in small circles, just brushing against the front of his pants, light as a feather. The sensation was pure silver, tiny strokes of lightning arcing up through her, and she closed her eyes to enjoy it.
“I don’t know.” His hand came up and slipped beneath her skirt, cupping her bare pubis. His thumb pressed against her clit as he stroked up into her folds. She leaned into his touch, wanting him to feel the excitement that pulsed lightly through her womb, but he withdrew and grinned up at her. “Say please.”
“Please.” She tried to slide her hand beneath the waist of his pants, but he caught both her wrists and held her in just one of his hands. She could feel him erect against her belly, but he would not let her touch him.
“Say,
d’shorr
,” he murmured. His eyes were sparkling and his smile, cruel.
“
D’shorr
,” she echoed obediently, and tried unsuccessfully to pull out of his grip.
With his free hand, Kane cupped her breast. He squeezed, just hard enough to send a shiver up her spine. “
D’shorr, Kane
,” he growled, tracing small circles over her nipple. “
Tamya y sa d’shorr
.”
She repeated as best she was able, stumbling over the alien words as she leaned into the rough caress. There was a throb deep inside her, light at first, but growing more insistent as Kane continued to taunt her with his careful touch.
Kane’s claws grazed lightly down the curve of her rubs, and then he slipped between her thighs again. He rubbed his palm back and forth over her aching pussy, grinding against her but fulfilling nothing. “
D’shorr, Kane. D’shorr en chok-sa
. Say it, Raven. Ask me nicely.”
She tried, tumbling brokenly from her mouth as she struggled to find release against his teasing hand. “
D’shorr, Kane. D’shorr en…en…tamya
.” She gasped as he finally parted her, stroking up deep and slow as she shivered and clenched around him. “
Tamya
!”
“That’s terrible.” His hand left her pussy. His fingers invaded her mouth. She reacted unthinkingly, sucking at the salt of her own oils, and struggling to free her wrists from his iron grip. She pushed against his rigid shaft, managing only to sink a greater heat deep into her womb. He bent his head and licked at her breast, tonguing her nipple and tugging carefully at the metal imbedded there. “I don’t think you mean it.”
“
D’shorr…d’shorr
…” She couldn’t remember the rest. Her hips were rocking, sliding along the restrained length of him and driving her further into frustration. She wanted him, for the first time, she really wanted him and he was playing with her. A half-sob escaped her, even as she shivered with desire. “Kane, please, don’t do this to me!”
Suddenly, she was spinning. He flung her down on the mattress, slamming her hands together over her head, and pressed down on her from above. “What have I told you?” he growled, his teeth against the thin hollow of her throat. He thrust his knee between her thighs, parting them without grace and without resistance, and rubbed hard at her in the rhythm of sex. “What have I told you about telling me don’t?”
“Please!” she cried, writhing beneath him. “You said you’d let me!”
“I never said that, Raven,” he told her, almost singing it. His tongue lashed up the side of her neck and plunged into her mouth in a parody of the mating he would not otherwise allow. His free hand moved over her breasts, pinching and caressing, and his knee pumped at her with deliberate slowness as he kissed her. Then he pulled out of reach, nipping once at her jaw, and grinned down at her savagely. “Ask me nicely, Raven.”