Oath of Challenge Conquering Kate (7 page)

In the same earnest tone, he said, “Kate, Jadik is completely trustworthy. He would give his life to protect you. I trust him with my life, with both our lives. He will not intrude on your privacy without good reason. He is my best friend. Other than my brother, there is no one I trust more. That trust is very important when it comes to the shielding process.”

He ran his hand through his hair in frustration. “I do not know how to make you understand.”

He reached across the table and gathered one of her hands in his own. “The sexuality of it is completely natural and depends upon the three participants. It will go only as far as the three of us decide it will go. He will need to be there and the less clothing and the more intimacy between the two of you, the easier it is to link. However, it will be done with your full consent. You have nothing to fear.”

Kate swallowed past the huge lump in her throat. He made it all sound so reasonable. In spite of her misgivings she felt a lurking arousal at the thought of a linking ceremony between the three of them. A picture of Jadik flashed into her head, beautiful and dangerous. It scared the hell out of her.

Tair could see the sudden darkening of her eyes and guess at her thoughts. He said softly, “I have been inside your mind. The thought of linking should not be completely abhorrent. You are attracted to Jadik.”

Before she could stop herself, Kate asked, “Doesn’t that bother you?”

Tair looked surprised at the notion. “No. Attraction is a natural thing between two adults. It is not the same as what is between us. You are my pactmate and you will be my pledgemate.”

He could see she did not understand. He tried to think of it in terms of her culture. “In your culture, the sexuality of the linking would be like harmless flirting. It means nothing. Perhaps the equivalent of when various males kiss the bride at her wedding. It is considered fun and harmless, not a threatening or insulting thing.”

A sudden thought occurred to her. “Sharon did this?! I can’t believe it. You’re her link?”

Tair smiled. “Yes, I am her link.”

Kate wasn’t sure how she felt about it. This was all so weird. The thought of Sharon and Tair… She felt a little tug of jealousy. “The three of you…”

Tair raised an eyebrow, although he could not help being pleased at the flash of jealousy that had been obvious. He asked calmly, “Yes?”

Kate knew she shouldn’t ask, but she had to know. “Did you have sex with her?”

Tair asked, “Why should it matter? You and I had taken no oaths with each other at the time.”

Kate felt angry at the evasion. “Just tell me.”

He leaned back in the chair. “What happens at the ceremony is usually kept between the participants. However, I will be honest and tell you that I did not have sex with her. Only kissing and some touching were involved. Beyond that, I will not share details.”

Kate felt a sense of relief. It shouldn’t matter, but it did. She knew how much Liken and Sharon loved each other. It was obvious to her, too, that Tair and Sharon had a warm affection between them, nothing more. Still, she felt better knowing they hadn’t slept together.

Tair broke her thoughts. “Kate, linking is perfectly natural and harmless. It is necessary for protection and it is an important part of our culture. Because it is different from your own culture does not mean it is wrong.”

He made a certain bizarre sense from an intellectual standpoint. It was a cultural difference, but she could understand the reasoning. Unfortunately, she couldn’t shake her discomfort. She and Tair and Jadik… She wasn’t Shimerian and she wasn’t raised to believe this kind of stuff. She felt confused and scared. She hated feeling this way. It really pissed her off.

She said flatly, “I don’t care if you’ve been training to focus and search for a pactmate telepathically your whole life. I don’t believe this idiotic destined mate business. It’s just a way to convince women to stay.”

Tair watched the ice return to Kate’s expression and knew he had pushed her far enough for the moment. She was highly intelligent and would need time to deal with the information. It was time to distract her.

It was time for some fun. Deliberately goading her, he said, “I believe this conversation is over.” His voice was a mocking echo of her usual statement.

When her eyes flashed in response, he smiled. “It is time for us to explore your new home.”

Giving him a lethal look, she said, “This is not my home. This is my temporary housing unit until I return to my home.”

“Not true,
sheka
,” he denied, grinning wider.

He added, “However, because I am such a wonderful louse of an alien I am willing to show you Shimeria. Unless your encounters with the portal and Deva have scared you too much to explore.”

Kate felt her temper boil, and struggled to control it. He was provoking her on purpose. In a tone of pure ice, she said, “In spite of your pathetically obvious attempt to goad me into doing what you want, I would like to see more of your planet than just this house.”

Tair stood up and looked down at her. She raised a resentful eyebrow at his position. His expression changed abruptly to one she recognized instantly. He was about to get sexual and in a big way.

He said in a voice brooking no argument, “I believe it is time for us to establish some rules. When we are alone together in this
temporary housing unit
you will remain nude at all times unless I tell you otherwise. I will touch you with my hands and my mouth any time I desire.”

Kate could feel her blood heating at his words. It was infuriating to know that he could get to her with one simple statement. She took a deep breath and opened her mouth to speak.

Tair held his hand up and watched as her mouth closed in response. Good. She was off-balance already. Smiling coolly, he said calmly, “I know your fantasies, Kate. I know what you want and how you want it. It is my goal to give you exactly those things. In return, you will not argue with every sexual order, especially when you know very well you desire it as much as I. You enjoy it when I talk to you in this way. It arouses you. You will enjoy a great many other things as well.”

She stood up, thinking frantically. Things were moving fast. She should protest at his high-handed orders, but at the same time he was doing it in response to her own fantasies. It was confusing. Then, grimly, she wondered if he was reading her thoughts.

Tair shrugged. “Yes, I am scanning you. In return for your cooperation, I will give you privacy at certain times. I will try to tell you when I block you, although you will probably be able to feel it.”

Searching through her mind, he stopped at one particular idea. With a sudden wide grin, he said, “Kate, how very intriguing. What an interesting fantasy life you have inside that beautiful mind.”

Kate could feel his satisfaction and growing desire. Whatever he had found out, he was feeling enthusiastic. Kate Carson did not blush, not ever. She reminded herself of that fact, even as she felt her face heat. The damn man was so infuriating. Walking past him, she said regally, “If you’re reading my mind, you know damn well how I feel about it.”

She looked over her shoulder and exclaimed, “Are we going or not?”

Tair made a swift decision. They were going, but not quite yet. He said firmly, “Kate.”

She stopped in the archway and turned to face him. With an arched brow and a furious look, she asked, “What now?”

Tair said coolly, “You will precede me to our sleeping chamber. I must retrieve something.”

Her heart began beating faster. The bedroom was dangerous territory. Shrugging and acting nonchalant, she said, “Whatever. Let’s go.” She turned and walked away.

Walking down the hallway, she plotted quickly. She was no coward and she intended to make that point crystal clear. If he wanted to engage in sexual game-playing, she would start the game with a play of her own. Entering the bedroom, she walked straight to the bed and laid down. Rolling until she was on her side facing the doorway, she propped her head in her hand in a familiar pose.

Tair knew what she was doing, but paused in the doorway at the sight of her. She surprised him constantly. There was no one on any planet exactly like Kate. His cock hardened and throbbed with the need to join her on the bed. Feeling his heart rate climb, he worked to appear outwardly composed.

In all his probing of human minds while on vacations on Earth, he had learned an extensive variety and understanding of slang. The expression “hell-on-wheels” had been custom-made for Kate.

Seeing his hardened cock press against the front of his pants, Kate gave him a triumphant smile. In a sultry voice, she challenged, “Well, lover, what exactly did you want to retrieve?”

Tair felt his temperature climb at her husky voice and provocative words. Reminding himself that strategy was important in any challenge, he walked to the wall next to the bed. Pressing a button, he waited as the wall slid open to reveal shelves. Finally, reaching in toward the back, he located what he sought.

Kate watched him in puzzled silence. What was he doing? She hadn’t pressed that particular button this morning because of the proximity to the bed.

Seeing him take out an object wrapped in some kind of plastic-like material, she watched as he unwrapped it. Whatever the thing was, it was obviously brand new. He held the object in one hand and the wrapper in another. Then, he stared in concentration at the wrapper a moment. The wrapping material crumpled into smaller and smaller dust and then disappeared.

Kate choked. “Well, that’s a new way to take out the trash.”

Tair was puzzled for a moment, and then realized what she meant. Smiling, he explained, “The material is made to disintegrate. Anyone with the slightest ability can make it crumble.”

Kate said, “Oookay. Good to know.”

Tair climbed onto the bed and pushed her gently onto her back, still holding the
mityb
in his right hand. Then, he put the
mityb
on the far corner of the bed. Climbing over her, he pushed one leg between her thighs and pushed them apart. He brought his hard cock between into the cradle of her legs and gave a gentle nudge, keeping most of his weight on his arms.

Kate felt him against her sex and bit her lip from the pleasure that burst through her. She was wet from no more than that one gentle push.

Looking up into his face, she worked to hide the effect. There was something about having a man over you, his cock hard against your sex. It produced an almost primal sense of arousal. It was so unfair.

Tair watched as she bit her lip. Leaning down, he licked the tiny hurt away. Pressing his lips against hers, he began nibbling gently. Against her mouth, between kisses, he said, “Put your arms over your head.”

Kate had been on the verge of closing her eyes, but opened them. His lips against hers felt wonderful, although she ached for more. She wanted a deep, hot, wet kiss. Tair’s eyes darkened even further and she realized he was still reading her thoughts. Willing to play, she pulled up her arms until they rested over her head.

Tair gave her a harder kiss in reward. Dipping his tongue just inside her lips, he traced and then drew back and planted more tiny kisses against her mouth. Raising back a little, he ordered, “Keep them there.”

Kate asked defiantly, “And if I don’t?”

Tair said between a new flurry of soft kisses, “You will pay…a penalty. It may not…be something…you would like…to pay at this time.”

Kate arched an eyebrow. The feel of his gentle kisses in contrast to the firmness of his words was strangely arousing. Then Tair began kissing her in earnest. His mouth moved with mobile precision, gentle then demanding, until she felt like she would lose her mind.

With a moan, she opened her mouth and began tracing his mouth with her tongue. Suddenly, he thrust his tongue against hers. The kiss turned into a battle to satisfy their hunger. The velvet feel of his tongue against her own excited her and had her craving the act they were imitating.

Abruptly, he broke the kiss and began placing small kisses along her cheek, over to her ear, and then the side of her neck. Biting and sucking, he made the nerves in her neck come to life. He slid down a little and continued until he reached the neckline of her blouse.

He licked a slow line along the edge. She hadn’t thought it was possible, but her nipples drew even tighter. She wanted his mouth there, soothing that ache. He lifted up suddenly and rocked back onto his knees. She asked in surprise, “What?”

Tair smiled that infuriating half-smile in response. Then he reached down and ripped her blouse open in one quick motion. Kate was stunned. Leaning back down, he began licking her nipple and then sucking it. Kate shut her eyes at the feel of his mouth on her breast, wet heat against aching tightness.

He moved to the other one, laving and sucking until she arched her back in helpless response. At her movement, he continued with renewed fervor, and then moved downward and placed kisses along her stomach until he reached the waistband of the skirt. It was knee-length, but loose.

Kate wondered if he would pull it up or rip it off. In answer, he moved back and then ripped it off. She was left in soaked panties and nothing else. She waited with trembling anticipation for his next move.

Without any warning, Tair leaned down and put his mouth over her mound through the panties. He licked against her clit and then gently sucked. She moaned and tried to lift to get more pressure. She wanted his mouth without anything in the way. He was making her crazy with need.