Not the Man She Thought (5 page)

“What the hell are you doing here?” he demanded. “I told you
I didn’t want you sneaking around the ship.”

She glared at him.
 
“I wasn’t sneaking around.
 
I went to your ready-room to talk to you and Jorn told me I could find
you down here.”

He clenched his jaw. “Well, you found me. What do you want?”

Laken’s gaze went to where the other men were standing down
in the hold. “I wanted to ask you a favor, but since you’re busy, I’ll come
back later.”

A look of annoyance flashed across his face. “You’re here
now, so ask me.”

She hesitated for a moment, wetting her suddenly dry lips.
“I’d like to send a message to my mother letting her know I’m okay.”

“No.”

Laken blinked, taken aback by his curt answer. “But she’ll
be worried about me.”

He shrugged. “Then you should have thought of that before
you decided to stow away on my ship.”

“But...”

“I said no!”

“Why not?”

He folded his arms across his broad chest. “Because I said
so, that’s why.”

What was he, twelve? “That’s not a reason.”

“Well, it’s the only one you’re going to get.”

She ground her jaw. “You’re a real ass, you know that?”

His mouth quirked. “I’ve been called worse.”

She let out a little snort of laughter. “I’m sure you have.”

Karsten glanced down at the cargo hold where the other men
were watching the exchange with interest, before his gaze locked on her again.
“Can I trust you to go back to your cabin, or do I have to escort you there myself?”

Laken glared up at him, wanting to say something rude, but
then remembered her promise not to lose her temper. Whirling around, she
stormed down the passageway. She knew she should go back to her room, but she
was too wound up. Back on Tellune, she would have worked off the excess energy
by doing laps in the pool or going for a run, but since her choices were more
limited on a spaceship, she would have to settle for taking a walk instead.

The ship was quiet, the only sounds coming from the soft hum
of the engines, and Laken didn’t encounter anyone as she made her way along the
passageways. After a while, she found herself on the walkway above the cargo
hold again. Karsten and the crew had left, and she stopped for a moment by the
railing to gaze down at the crates below.

Remembering how Karsten had brusquely ordered Kamran to
close the box they had been looking in when she had come by earlier, Laken
found herself wondering what it was that the captain didn’t want her to see.
Suddenly curious to know what he was hiding, she looked around to make sure no
one was around, then quietly made her way down the metal steps and into the
cargo hold.

Wondering if she might need something to pry open the box,
Laken was surprised to discover that the lid wasn’t fastened shut. She slowly
slid it to one side, careful not to make any noise. Packing material covered
whatever was inside and she was just reaching out to push it aside when she
heard the tramp of boots coming toward the cargo hold.

Her heart pounding, Laken quickly closed the box and headed
for the steps, only to realized the men were coming down the upper walkway.
Knowing there would be no escape that way, she quickly backpedaled as the
voices came closer. Maybe she could just tell whoever it was that she had been
out for a walk and gotten lost down there. Then she recognized Karsten’s deep
tones and groaned. He would never believe her story. Swearing under her breath,
she looked around wildly as she searched for a place to hide.

Darting across the hold, she ducked behind a stack of crates
just as the men came into view. She’d hoped they would continue on their way,
but no such luck.

“This drop has the potential to go wrong very quickly,” a
man’s voice said from above her, and Laken recognized it as belonging to the
ship’s first officer. “You know that, don’t you, Rade?”

Rade. That was Karsten’s given name? Somehow, it fit him.

“I know,” the captain said in answer to the other man’s
question. “Which is why I’m having Finn and Kamran with me for security.”

The other man sighed. “Good, but even with four of you out
there, you’re certain to be outnumbered if they decide to change the terms of
the contract.”

There was silence for a moment before the captain replied.
“I know. But the money’s too good to pass up.”

Crouched down behind the wooden crate, Laken frowned as she
listened to the men’s exchange. She didn’t understand what they were talking
about, but it definitely didn’t sound like any merchant dealings she’d ever
heard of her father having.

Above her, the sound of footsteps receded along the walkway,
and she breathed a sigh of relief. She waited until they had disappeared
completely before slowly getting to her feet, only to freeze in place when she
realized that the captain was still on the walkway. Though he was gazing down
at the hold, he gave no indication he’d seen her, and she quickly ducked down
behind the crate again. In her haste, she knocked a small box from where it had
been precariously perched on a bigger one, and she cringed as it thumped to the
floor.

Laken held her breath, wondering if the captain had heard
the noise and would decide to come investigate. She got her answer a moment
later when she heard the sound of his boots coming down the steps. If he found
her hiding in the cargo hold after he had accused her earlier of sneaking
around the ship...

She cautiously peered around the crate she was hiding behind
to see the captain coming in her direction. Biting her lip to stifle a cry of
dismay, she jerked back behind the crate. Should she stay where she was, or
move from crate to crate as he searched? Deciding the latter was her best
option, she slowly crawled forward on her hands and knees, only to come face to
face with a pair of brown leather boots.

She jumped to her feet, backpedaling until she had managed
to put the crate between her and a very angry Captain Karsten.

His dark eyes glinted. “I should have known it was you. What
the hell are you doing down here?”

“I...” Laken trailed off, her head spinning as she
desperately tried to come up with a lie. “I...I was missing an earring and
thought I may have dropped it down here, so I came to look for it.”

The captain arched a brow as he looked pointedly at the
expensive platinum earrings dangling from her ears. “You look like you’re
wearing both of them to me.”

She swallowed nervously. “I-I found the one I was missing.”

“You really expect me to believe that?”

“It’s the truth.”

His eyes narrowed. “Obviously you didn’t learn anything from
that spanking I gave you, did you? I guess that means you need another.”

Laken took a step back, holding out her hand to ward him
off. “Stay away from me. I’ll scream. I swear it!”

He shrugged. “I don’t care. If you want the crew to see you
getting spanked, then go ahead.”

Her face went red at the thought. What did he mean, see her
getting spanked? Surely they would stop him, wouldn’t they? Then again, maybe
not. He did seem to run the ship with an iron hand.

Laken tried to dart around the opposite side of the crate,
but he was too fast for her. Grabbing her arm, he spun her around. Desperate to
get away from him, she lifted her hand and slapped him as hard as she could
across the face.

She braced herself, expecting him to hit her back, but to
her surprise, his mouth quirked.

  
“That’s
going to cost you, brat,” he said softly.

Before Laken could wonder what he meant by that, Rade
Karsten sat down on one of the crates and dragged her over his knee.

Even though she had been ready for him this time, getting
flung over his knee still knocked the breath from her and it took a moment for
her to get it back. When she did, she immediately began struggling to free
herself, for all the good it did. Karsten held her in place with an arm wrapped
firmly around her waist, making escape all but impossible. She’d never known a
man so strong.

“Let me up, you bastard!” she shouted at him.

His arm tightened around her. “I warned you about what would
happen if you didn’t behave yourself, and now you’re going to get a very
painful reminder.”

Uncaring that her wiggling was making her short skirt ride
up even higher to expose more of her panty-covered ass than she would have
liked, she continued to squirm against him wildly. “Damn you, let me...Owwwww!”

If Laken thought the spanking he had given her before had
been hard, that was nothing compared to much the one he was giving her now
stung. He peppered her ass with one smack after another until her cheeks felt
like they were on fire. It didn’t help that her skimpy panties offered little
protection. Her bottom might as well have been bare. And if that weren’t
enough, Rade Karsten seemed to be concentrating the smacks right on the tender
area of her sit-spots. Ouch!

The spanks kept coming no matter how much she kicked and
squirmed and protested. The whole crew must have heard the racket she was making,
but she didn’t care. Her ass was stinging so much that she probably would have
agreed to anything Rade Karsten wanted if only he would stop spanking her.

Then, just when she was sure she couldn’t take any more, he
finally did stop. Laken almost sighed with relief when Karsten stood her on her
feet. She would have run from the cargo hold right then, but he held onto her
arm, his gaze as hard as flint as he glowered down at her.

“I don’t want to find you sneaking around my ship again,
especially the cargo hold,” he warned softly. “Or the next time, I’ll have your
panties down around your thighs and you’ll get the spanking on that cute,
little bare ass of yours.”

Laken’s face flamed scarlet. She had no doubt that it was as
red as her bottom must be and the urge to run away from him was stronger than
ever. But Rade kept her standing there by the force of his stare, regardless of
the hand that was still lightly holding her arm.

“Do I make myself clear, Ms. Andara?”

Her stubborn pride wouldn’t let answer and she let silence
meet his words. As it lengthened, Laken realized Karsten wasn’t going to let
her go unless she had acknowledged him. Swallowing hard, she forced herself to
speak.

“Yes,” she said between clenched teeth.

He regarded her in silence and she wondered if he was
dissatisfied with her saucy answer. But to her relief, he finally released her.
Taking that to mean she could leave, Laken whirled around and ran from the
cargo hold. She wanted to maintain her dignity and walk away from him with her head
held high, but her wildly beating heart, not to mention her throbbing ass,
wouldn’t let her.

Chapter Three

Laken ran all the way back to her cabin. Her ass stung so
much she wondered if she would even be able to sit down. Damn that bastard. Where
did he get off thinking he had the right to spank her whenever he felt like it?

Going over to the sink, she lifted her skirt and half turned
so she could see her derriere in the mirror. Her bottom was red and her green
eyes went a little wide when she realized she could actually see the outline of
handprints on her creamy skin. She stood there, staring at them as if
transfixed. Abruptly, a vivid image of being draped over Karsten’s knee came to
mind unbidden and she blushed hotly.

Swearing under her breath, Laken turned away from the mirror
and went back into the bedroom. God, how she couldn’t wait to get off this
ship. She didn’t know how far it was to Marlon Prime, but she hoped it wasn’t
more than a few days. Whatever it was, it couldn’t go fast enough for her. The
sooner she got away from, Rade Karsten, the better.

* * * * *

Laken was still in bed the next morning when she felt the
ship set down on land. Her brow furrowed. She hadn’t realized they’d be getting
to Marlon Prime so soon. Apparently, it was a lot closer to Tellune than it
looked. Not that she was complaining. Swinging her legs out of bed, she slipped
her feet into her shoes, then grabbed her purse and hurried out of the cabin.

While part of her wanted to stop by Karsten’s ready-room so
she could tell him exactly what she thought of him and his ship, the other part
wanted to slip off the ship without running into him again. As she stepped out
onto the walkway above the cargo hold, she groaned when she saw Karsten
standing by the railing with the first officer. Damn. So much for leaving
without him seeing her.

“Hey, we missed you at breakfast.”

At the sound of Dev’s voice, Laken turned to see the other
woman coming toward her. “I...uh..slept late.”