Oath of Challenge Conquering Kate (4 page)

Gage grinned, though his eyes were a little misty. “Of course.”

Tair placed a comforting hand on Kate’s shoulder. She looked up at him in surprise. With clear reluctance he said gently, “Kate, I am sorry. It is time for us to go.”

Sharon and Liken were being led away by the Pactmaker to get their new pledge records done. Sharon broke away from Liken and ran to Kate. Hugging her hard, she said, “I love you, Kate. Have fun. I’ll be there for you when we return.”

Kate was surprised. “You aren’t coming back now?”

Sharon looked briefly guilty. “I need to get the details taken care of here for the move to Shimeria. I may still be here when you get back. There’s so much to do.” With sudden indecision, she asked, “Do you need me to go with you?”

Kate felt a touch of panic. It really was going to be her and Tair on a completely unknown planet. Shrugging the feeling off, she said firmly, “Of course not. I’ll be fine. You did it, didn’t you? And you survived perfectly fine.”

Throwing a look Liken’s way, she said, “Better than fine. Don’t worry about me. I’ll see you soon.”

She hugged Sharon one last time and then stepped back briskly. In a more composed voice, she said, “All this sentimentality is getting maudlin. I could have sworn I had new worlds to conquer. If everyone will quit dawdling I should be able to manage it and be back before dinner.”

Sharon laughed and blew her a kiss as she walked back to Liken. Turning, Kate saw Gage and Tair sporting identical grins. Gage laughed and said, “That’s my Kate, hell-on-wheels.” Planting a kiss on her cheek and with one last lingering look, he turned and walked out of the room.

Kate and Tair were left standing, staring at each other. It was time to go to Shimeria. It was time to begin the Challenge.

Kate said in a brisk voice, “Let’s go.” She was feeling the strain of too many emotional moments and shocks. She wasn’t exactly in the best state to travel to another planet. She was feeling raw and far more vulnerable than she liked. It was out of character and uncomfortable.

Tair nodded and walked toward the door of the Pactroom. Kate started after him with determined steps, refusing to give in to her mounting apprehension. She was made of sterner stuff. A trip to another planet and a few sexual bouts with an alien weren’t going to shake her composure and make her look like a fool.

The two of them were strangely silent as they went down stairs and finally reached a doorway. Following Tair inside, she nearly gasped upon seeing the gigantic portals but managed to keep walking.

They got in line behind others, all waiting to go through customs and enter the portal. Neither broke the other’s silent thoughts, as if reluctant to begin. Kate wondered if maybe
both
of them were struggling with nerves, not just her.

Suddenly, Tair turned and handed Kate a small card. Seeing her name and then words in other languages, she asked, “What’s this? Some kind of ID card?”

“Yes, it is your card,” he said in friendly tones. “I have made all of the arrangements for your arrival on Shimeria. It has a multitude of purposes.”

She arched an eyebrow in silent question.

He continued, “In addition to your identification, it is used to purchase goods. You give your card to a merchant and he uses it to deduct money from our account. We have a computer at home tied into central computers. I will show you how it works.”

“Oh,
we
do?” she said with emphasis. “
We
seem to be good at details. Do
we
know the details of how these portals work?”

Kate had heard of portals but never imagined she would see one, much less go through one. Wishing she had paid more attention in science class, she viewed the large gates with apprehension. With her luck she’d probably need algebra next. She swallowed. Interplanetary travel was starting to feel real.

Tair gave an unconcerned shrug. “I have no idea. I am unfamiliar with the actual process. It has to do with energy transfer, but beyond that I do not know.”

“The other portal to the right,” he gestured to the other identical two-story oval structure around which was built some kind of metallic gate, “is for travelers from Shimeria to Earth.”

Kate watched as people appeared out of the dense blackness at the center of the hole. Many of the men were Shimerian-sized and they seemed to be traveling alone. However, a few of them gathered in twos or threes after passing the customs officer. To Kate, they had the unmistakable air of boys out on the town.

There were some women also who arrived through the portal alone, but most were paired up rather quickly with a male companion. They all appeared unharmed by their trip through the machine, but Kate was not entirely reassured.

As the line moved forward, she studied the large structure in front of her. It looked big, and black, and distinctly forbidding. The customs officer finished looking at Tair’s ID card and turned to her. He said the words in a tired way that suggested he’d spoken them a thousand times. “Ma’am, I need your ID please.”

Looking at the small man, Kate handed him her card and asked suspiciously, “Are there any reported incidents of side effects or statistics available regarding accidents with these portals?”

The man gave her a weary look, “Ma’am, they are perfectly safe.”

Kate bristled. “Yes, but have there been any lawsuits filed or anything to suggest that others may not share your opinion?”

Tair laughed. “Kate, the only common side effects are extreme fatigue and dizziness by humans when transporting to Shimeria for the first time. On a very rare occasion, a human might faint from the shock to her system, and take longer than usual to recover from the fatigue. However, in your case, it is probable that the portal will faint.” His eyes were blatantly teasing.

Kate sniffed. “It was a perfectly legitimate question. I’m merely ascertaining my safety.”

The customs official handed back her card. Kate put it in her purse and stepped forward. They were standing now directly in front of the portal. She eyed it suspiciously for a moment. Then, she shot an indignant look at Tair and pronounced, “And I never faint.”

She was adorable. Tair laughed. ‘I believe you. Really.” He knew his voice said just the opposite. He tried to look properly somber, but it was hard with her fairly bristling and vibrating with nerves and indignation.

He attempted a solemn tone. “You must go through the portal alone to signify your free will. Would you like to go first or should I?”

Kate gave him a fuming glance. “I believe you should go first in case of malfunction. If the machine breaks down and transforms your energy into its natural reptilian state as you die a slow horrible death, I would like to be a live witness.”

Tair threw back his head and laughed, then leaned down and planted a firm kiss on her mouth. With absolute enjoyment, he said, “Kate, I will be there to greet you in Shimeria. You must step through the portal to see my natural state. I will enjoy showing it to you many, many times. ” With another laughing glance, he stepped through the portal.

Kate watched as he disappeared into the blackness and was gone instantly. She stared for a few seconds, and tried to work up her nerve. She would be fine. In spite of his tremendous defects, the intergalactic jerk would never harm her.

The portal was safe. Hell, Sharon and Liken had been through it more than once. Squaring her shoulders, she took a deep breath. Muttering, “My luck I’ll be the first reported death,” she stepped into the blackness.

Immediately, she was surrounded by dense, crushing blackness. Her lungs seized and she couldn’t breath. She lost all orientation. Then, she had a sense of falling and a sudden blinding bright light.

Abruptly Tair’s arms wrapped around her and she stood on Shimeria. She looked up to find Tair regarding her with undisguised concern. She said triumphantly, “I told you that I never faint,” and promptly passed out cold in his arms.

She was lying on something cool and slippery. Kate’s mind began functioning and memory returned. She opened her eyes slowly, and saw a light green ceiling. As she became aware of a large body beside her, she said, “I did
not
faint.”

She was lying in some sort of bed, with dark green, satin-like sheets. In addition, she was suffering from a complete absence of clothing except for said sheet barely covering her upper and lower extremities. She reviewed the known facts. She was here. On another planet. In Bed. Under a sheet. Naked. With an alien. Who was most probably naked, too.

Turning her head slowly to the left, she saw Tair. He was lying on his side, just a little further up in the bed, his head propped in his hand as he watched her. His sculpted, muscular chest was completely bare.

Taking a minute to appreciate the sight, Kate studied the hard contours and the smattering of dark hair. Allowing her gaze to drift downward, she saw that his hips and lower body were covered by the sheet. Barely. She gulped, going cold and then hot. Lifting her eyes to his face, she saw him regarding her with lazy amusement.

Kate closed her eyes and blinked hard, but he was still there. She would not blush. Kate Carson did not blush,
ever
. With studied nonchalance, she grabbed the top of the sheet and pulled it up a little higher and closer to her chest. The movement sent his side of the sheet up a little higher, too. With careful enunciation, she said, “I was suffering from fatigue.”

His grin merely widened. “And you fainted.”

Kate gave an indignant sniff. “I refuse to descend to the level of childish squabbling. It was not a faint. As I said, I was fatigued.”

He laughed and openly teased her. “Of course, how could I assume otherwise? You never faint.”

Kate nodded firmly. “Precisely.”

Tair said mock solemnly, “Until yesterday.”

Kate nearly sat up in surprise and then remembered their nudity. Slumping back down quickly, she exclaimed, “Yesterday? What time is it now?”

Tair reached out slowly and pushed her hair off of her face. “It is evening. You slept all last eve and today. I grew concerned and consulted a healer, but she advised that you would be fine. You merely needed to rest. Earth time and Shimerian time are roughly the same, although you lose a few hours in transition through the portal.”

At his tender touch and caring tone, she froze. Men were not tender with her, or at least no one other than Gage. She was used to hot, sweaty bouts of sex followed by quick departures. Hair sweeping, and cuddling and tender touches were not for her. Feeling uncomfortable, she said, “I need a shower. You have facilities here I presume?”

Tair nodded and said softly, “Down the hallway to your left.” He waited to see what her next move would be.

Kate thought of her options. She could get up and walk out of the room naked. She was a sexually confident woman with a decent body. She might need to lose a pound or two here or there, but there was no reason for embarrassment. Okay, maybe ten or fifteen pounds, but still she was a sophisticated woman of the world. Or rather, woman of two worlds. She could do it.

Then again, she could take the sheet, wrap it around her and leave
him
naked. Now that particular option sounded like a much better plan.

With sudden boldness, she sat up, pulled the sheet briskly to her and scooted to the edge of the bed. She knew she was flashing him her butt, but it couldn’t be helped. Standing up quickly, she wrapped the sheet around her, flinging one end over her shoulder in a particularly stylish move. Holding her head high, she turned around and then stared down at him.

He hadn’t moved a muscle in response. Well, a part of him was moving and growing under her gaze. Like some gorgeous statue or painting he was reclining on the bed at perfect ease. His cock hardened as she watched, growing longer and thicker, reaching upward along the muscles of his abdomen until it was about eight inches long.

She could imagine what it would feel like filling and stroking her. She was wet and swollen within seconds, aching for the sensation. Her mouth went dry. Finally, she tore her gaze away and looked at his face. His eyes were heavy-lidded now, and looked dark with arousal. He was no longer smiling.

In a cool tone at odds with the heat in his eyes, he ordered, “Remove the sheet.”

The muscles in her thighs tightened. She said in the same tone, “Why should I?”

His mouth took on a cruel edge. He said calmly, “I believe the Challenge Oath involves your compliance with whatever sexual acts I choose to impose.”

Kate felt like she was burning up under the heat of his gaze. His eyes were roaming over her with a thoroughness that made the sheet seem superfluous. Her nipples hardened and she knew he could see them pressing outward under the thin confines of the sheet. The satiny material felt cool against her hot skin. The silky feeling against her sensitive nipples was almost too much.

She fought to slow her breathing. An Oath was an Oath. With a calmness she didn’t feel, she said, “Fine.”

Battling twin urges to leave the sheet on and take it off, she gathered her nerve. If he thought he could best her, he was in for a surprise. Taking the end of the sheet off her shoulder, she pulled it down and began to unwind it with sensual precision.

Drawing out the moment, she took great care to make sure it was a very slow, sexy process. Finally, she dropped the sheet to the floor and stood naked in front of him. Raising her arms upward, she moved her hair back over her shoulders until there was absolutely nothing to impede his view. She brought her hands back down to her sides. Then, she stood there silently, waiting.

Tair was dying by inches. With her hair streaming down and her eyes flashing, she looked like an angry angel he’d seen in a hologram of an Earth painting. The resemblance stopped there. Her breasts were full, the nipples tight and pink and distended. Her waist tapered outward to full hips and long, shapely legs.

There was a triangle of blonde curls covering her sex. He wanted to taste every inch of her, starting right there. His cock ached with the need to plunge into her. He ordered roughly, “Come here.”

Kate felt a tremor run through her. He looked so aggressively male, powerful and on the edge of control. She took a few steps forward, very conscious of the sway in her walk as his eyes roamed over her body. Stopping at the edge of the bed, she waited.

Tair smiled, although it looked pained. Sitting up, he scooted his large body to the edge of the bed and put his feet on the floor. They were within inches of each other. Reaching upward, he traced one finger over the upper curve of her breast as he spoke. “When you come, I am going to merge with you. Do you understand what I mean?”

The rough feel of his finger tracing circles on her breast distracted her. Chill bumps followed in its wake. She held her breath, aching for him to touch her nipple. Then, she concentrated hard and reviewed his words. Letting out a breath, she said softly, “We’re not having intercourse.”

His finger circled around her nipple. His other hand came up and he began tracing with that one, too, on her other breast.

He watched with seemingly total absorption as he said, “I meant I will mind merge with you. It will be slightly painful, but if you relax, you will find the rewards are great.”

His fingers moved and she felt twin tugs on her nipples. As he twisted and pulled gently, she stifled a moan. At the muted sound, he looked up. She shook her head no.

His mouth lifted at the corner in a half-smile. “Believe me,
sheka
, you will be willing at the time. I am only telling you now so that you will understand when it happens.”

He cupped one swollen breast in his hand. Leaning forward, he licked around and around her aching nipple. The wet feel of his tongue was exquisite. Then, he opened his mouth and sucked.

She groaned and grabbed his head, holding him in place. As he sucked, she panted, “That feels so good. Don’t stop.”

He obliged her for endless moments before kissing his way over to her other breast. As he licked, nibbled, and sucked, she nearly cried out. Her sex clenched and she ached with a vengeance. She wanted to feel him inside her, pumping in and out. Shutting the temptation out of her mind, she focused on keeping some semblance of control.

He moved one hand down low on her stomach until he reached the top of her curls. Stopping there, he took one nipple in his mouth and bit down with exquisite care. At the tiny pain, Kate’s legs began to shake.

When he pulled back, her hands dropped back to her sides. Her arms felt heavy and useless, as if they didn’t belong to her.

His hand above her curls moved around to her side, and then back to cup one hip. His other hand moved to do the same. He held her gaze as he asked, “Are you wet, Kate?” His tone said he knew she was beyond wet.

Kate complied as he pushed her backward a step and then kneeled on the floor, still holding her hips. Her stomach muscles tightened as he leaned forward. Kate licked her dry lips, and watched as he placed gentle kisses low on her stomach. The hands holding her hips flexed and relaxed in a rhythm that reminded her forcibly of the pleasures of having him inside her, stroking in that same way. Feeling like she was drowning, she gasped out, “You know I am.”

He looked up at her with hungry eyes and muttered, “Not enough” against the top of her curls. Pulling her forward, he moved his head downward and pressed a gentle kiss to her clitoris. Kate froze. For an endless moment he did nothing else.

Then, she felt the moist heat of his tongue as he circled her clit. She moaned and leaned forward, shaking with need. He lapped at her with obvious enjoyment, moving down to her opening and then back up to her clit. As he circled and sucked gently, she shuddered and moaned. Her legs gave out, but she felt him strengthen his hold and take more of her weight to keep her standing.

Suddenly he stopped and stood, abruptly lifting her in his arms. Kate felt her heart skip a beat as he placed her on the bed, then crawled between her legs and pushed them apart with firm hands. When his mouth returned to her aching sex, she fell backward and arched up into his mouth.

Kate shuddered as he responded with firmer pressure and the thrust of one long finger inside of her. She was on the edge of control, but fighting to remain level-headed. They couldn’t have intercourse, no matter how much she wanted him. She was not staying on Shimeria with him, she reminded herself grimly. She had no sooner finished that thought when she felt Tair thrust a second finger inside her and begin moving both fingers in and out. Her mind shut down.

After long moments of delicious torture, she was actively thrusting up against his mouth, only to feel him lift his head. She looked down at him in agonized disbelief.

Maintaining the motions of his fingers, Tair said roughly, “I could put my cock in you now. Imagine how it will feel as I pump into you. Say yes, and let me fill you.”

Kate shook her head from side to side in a motion of denial. Her whole body was flushed and shaking as if she had a fever. She couldn’t form any words of reply.

Tair muttered something that sounded suspiciously like a curse word. In a husky voice, he asked, “Do you want to come?”

Kate found her voice, but it was unsteady. “Yes.” She felt her lower body clench. She had to come soon. The need was killing her.

Tair said bluntly, “We will merge when you come. Do you still want it?”

Kate closed her eyes, in agony. She had never wanted anything more in her life than an orgasm at that moment. Merging was only some mind thing. How bad could it be? With a groan of frustration, she said, “Yes.”

Tair heard the word with a sense of triumph. He sucked on her clit and entered her mind in one strong thrust. He groaned in reaction to the sensation of joining with Kate, of really knowing her, and held onto control with sheer will. He had to be careful not to hurt her too much.

A stabbing pain shot through her head. Kate cried out as tears sprang to her eyes. Her hands moved reflexively to her head. She could feel Tair move through her mind in one long slow wave.

Suddenly, she felt his arousal and pleasure pouring into her. He stabbed at her clit with his tongue, pressing upward in her sex with his fingers as if he knew exactly how it felt. As she moaned and tensed, she was overwhelmed at the pleasure building back and forth between them. The mixture of his pleasure and her own sent her over the edge. Arching, she screamed hoarsely and felt her sex pulse as wave after wave of intense pleasure went through her. She went rigid and then collapsed with relief.

As the waves gradually died, she felt Tair finally lift his head. She was too relaxed to move, so she lay there staring at the ceiling. She would deal with what had happened in a minute or maybe an hour. She would be Killer Kate Carson in a minute. Right now, she was content to be an amoeba.

Tair had found his own release when Kate went over the edge. Their combined pleasure had been too much for his control. He felt as if every drop of energy in his body had been drained. In slow movements, he crawled weakly up beside her. Using his last bit of energy, he turned onto his side and wrapped an arm across her stomach. He waited as they both lay there breathing harshly in the silence of the room.

Kate’s brain re-engaged slowly. It wasn’t easy with her body still flushed and relaxed, but she knew she needed to concentrate. Sex was not supposed to be so powerful and all-consuming. It was supposed to be pleasurably intense, nothing more. This had been beyond her scope of experience.