Oath of Challenge Conquering Kate (8 page)

He moved one big hand and untied her panties on one side. Then, watching silently, he untied the other string. He used one finger to pull the panties down and away. They landed between her legs on the bed. She arched upward again, silently asking for what she wanted.

The heated look he gave her froze her in place. He said in a controlled voice, “You will not move or I will not touch you.”

Kate frowned in response. She was wet and she was aching. He’d better touch her soon. She wanted to fight him, but at the same time she was too aroused to think of a plan at the moment. She could make him pay later.

When she remained silent, he seemed to take it as assent. Still looking into her eyes, he asked roughly, “Do you want my cock? Should I strip off these garments and plunge into you now? I want to feel your wet walls gripping me, Kate. I want to be inside you.”

She shut her eyes at the image his words brought to mind. She opened them again. Gathering her strength, she said shakily, “No.”

He stared hard at her and then asked shortly, “Do you want my mouth?”

Kate shuddered at his words. She wanted to feel him licking her. He knew exactly how to lick and to suck. Her sex clenched in anticipation. She nodded in response.

He took one finger and circled her clit in a teasing motion. In a cool voice, he said, “I am not sure that is really what you need.”

She closed her eyes in frustration and then opened them again. She was beginning to get angry. “Would you just get on with it?”

Tair rocked back onto his knees and turned his head. Kate watched as the strange object he had gotten from the wall earlier floated through the air and came to rest in his hand. With a sense of unreality, she waited to see what would happen next.

Tair leaned forward and thrust two fingers into her tight sheath. Her head went back and she let out a long, low moan. He said, “You are so wet. Feel how my fingers slide in easily and fill you.”

Kate could feel his long fingers thrusting in and out of her swollen sex. She was on fire and heading closer to the edge. She wanted more. Instead of giving it to her, Tair removed his fingers. She bit back an instinctive protest, feeling cheated. Raising her head, she could see him watching her.

He stared into her eyes. Circling one finger around her opening, he murmured huskily, “Imagine how hard my cock would be inside you. How it would feel thrusting into you.” He used both fingers and stabbed deep within her suddenly.

Kate’s head fell back and she moaned loudly. He was tormenting her with sensual skill. She shook her head negatively from side to side, denying his seductive invitation. She was hanging on by a thread, but she refused to give in to intercourse. He pulled out his fingers and she nearly screamed at the frustration of it.

Suddenly, she felt a hard object probing deep within her. Opening her eyes, she raised her head and exclaimed, “What the hell?”

The object was cool and hard and growing inside her. It expanded until she was stretched and full. She bit her lip and took a few gasping breaths. It felt incredible. She looked at Tair and silently asked the question.

Tair smiled, although it looked strained. “It is a
mityb,
a Shimerian sex toy. It is perfectly safe. I will remove it later.”

He sat up and began climbing off the bed. Kate watched in total disbelief. They weren’t finished.

Tair turned back to her and said calmly, “Yes, Kate, for the moment we are finished.”

Kate felt fury battle sharply with her arousal. He had gotten her into this state and then deliberately walked away. It made her want to hit something. She sat up abruptly and took several deep breaths. He was making a fool out of her.

Tair shook his head and said gently, “Kate, you must trust me. You will understand why I stopped later. I promise you. Right now, we have an agreement to explore my world. Remember?”

Kate knew she couldn’t take the damn thing out. It was wedged inside her. It wasn’t uncomfortable, but there was no way she could get it out on her own. And no way was she going to ask the intergalactic asshole either.

Feeling angry and frustrated, she vowed he would pay. He would feel ten times what she was feeling now. She’d make sure of it. She concentrated on regaining her control. Sexual games were not nearly as appealing at the moment as they’d seemed at the Oath ceremony. Climbing off the bed, she said coldly, “If we’re going out, I need to put on another outfit.”

Tair said, “I will be waiting outside.” He turned and left the room. She heard him put on his boots in the living room. The front door opened and then slid shut.

Muttering, “You are going to be
so
sorry for this,” she walked over to the wall and pressed the button for the closet. As it opened, she asked aloud, “What’s the skimpiest thing in here?”

* * * * *

Tair stood outside and took deep gulps of fresh air. He was dying. His cock felt like it would burst out of his pants. It ached intensely, painfully. It had taken every ounce of control he possessed to walk away from her. He wiped the sweat from his brow and tried to relax.

Kate deserved her fantasy. He would not let anything get in the way, including his own desire. Reminding himself that she had only been on Shimeria a short time did not help.

He grimaced. When he finally fucked her, he was not going to stop for two days. With a self-mocking smile, he knew he would be lucky to last two seconds. He wanted her so much he was in complete agony. Kate would be pleased.

Kate was not pleased. The intergalactic idiot had made a fool out of her. She was left frustrated and panting while he walked away coolly. There was no way he could be so unaffected. She had seen that slow “I-have-an-erection-so-hard-and-painful-I-can-barely-move” walk and the lines of strain on his face.

The dark blue halter top and skirt were skimpy enough to make him suffer. If not, he was inhuman. With a grimace at her word choice, she pondered her outfit. The strappy sandals only emphasized the length of her legs. She had even left off her panties.

The hologram had surprised her that morning, but she was beginning to see the benefits as opposed to a mirror. The three-dimensional image in front of her showed a woman who looked highly seductive and extremely dangerous. She took down her hair and watched it fall into soft, tempting waves. Perfect. She turned and left the room.

Her stomach gave a loud rumble just as she walked through the door and outside. Shooting Tair a scathing look, she said, “I suppose your next idea of fun is taking me to a banquet and starving me to death.”

Seeing her step through the doorway in the skimpy outfit hit Tair like a physical punch. She literally took his breath away. Quickly, he worked to hide his reaction. She was determined to make him suffer. Tair smiled wryly. She was going to be difficult to appease. He would have to charm her in a hurry or at least distract her.

Reaching out, he grabbed her hand and began walking. Looking down at her he asked, “What do you think of our home from the outside?”

Kate stopped as she realized she was really standing on another planet. Outside. Looking around, she saw houses in rows like on earth. They were intersected by black walkways. Each house was made of some kind of pink material and had etchings on the front.

The etchings were beautiful. Most were strange landscapes, although she spotted one of an animal in flight further down the street. There was no grass, just a heavy blanketing foliage of thick, white leaves with small pink flowers. It was incredibly beautiful.

The temperature was comfortably warm. She had been to Hawaii once, and it felt lush and beautiful like this place. The colors here seemed even more vibrant, though. It was strange and alien but the beauty of it moved her in some indefinable way.

Tair saw Kate’s eyes widen in wonder and felt something inside melt. She touched him so unexpectedly with her emotional responses. She tried so hard to be cold and unfeeling, but then her eyes would light up or go soft with hurt.

She was complex and surprising. Having been in her mind, he knew the beauty of her spirit and some of the causes of those defenses. He wanted to see her laughing with joy without any concern for restraint or appearances. He wanted to banish the hurt lurking inside her.

With a mental groan, he wondered if he was losing his mind. When she turned suddenly and gave him a blinding smile of pure joy, he could have sworn he heard his heart hit the ground at her feet with a thud.

Throwing up a quick block, he worked at keeping his composure. He was getting overly emotional, he chided inwardly. He was acting like a female or a mooning lovesick boy. It was ridiculous.

He was a Guardian and a warrior, and he did not spend time thinking about feelings. In an abrupt movement, he started walking again, tugging her along.

Kate was busy looking around her and trying to keep up with his long strides. She said with exasperation, “Excuse me, are we in a hurry or something all of a sudden?”

Tair nodded briskly, “Yes, we need to go. You are hungry. We will go to the eatery and get you something to eat. Now. While you are hungry.”

Kate gave him a puzzled frown. He was very withdrawn and distant, even flustered. It was unlike him to repeat himself and he sounded…weird. Realizing she no longer felt him in her head, she said with some surprise, “You’re blocking me.”

Studying her surroundings moments before, she had been wrapped in a feeling of protection and warmth, his feelings soothing her. Then, Tair had some kind of moody moment, but she wasn’t sure what had happened.

It had felt like a storm of emotion, with no one emotion that she could pick clearly. With a shrug, she said, “I don’t know why you jumped back out of my head, but I appreciate it.”

Tair said simply, “You are welcome.” The two of them continued walking. Kate asked questions occasionally, but was met with short, absent-minded replies. Tair was plotting, she felt sure of it. He was acting strangely. With a mental shrug, she fell silent until they reached what was obviously a commercial area.

The buildings were much larger than the private houses. On the outside, there were carvings depicting the activities inside. As they walked toward one of them showing people eating, she asked, “What’s the name of this place?”

Tair focused fully on Kate again. His thoughts had been running in circles. He needed to put them aside. With renewed determination he smiled. “
Yginfa’s
. The food is excellent. It is an entertaining place. I do not think you will be disappointed.”

Kate was ready for lunch. Breakfast had been a kind of hit-and-miss adventure, but the fruit hadn’t lasted long. She was hungry and a little tired from their walk. She realized with some amazement she had nearly forgotten the
mityb
inside her. It was comfortable. It didn’t really impede her in any way. It didn’t slide around or press too hard either. Wondering how the Shimerians had figured that one out was something she filed away for another day.

Tair walked through the archway of the building. Kate stepped through behind him and paused as her eyes adjusted. The place was huge. There were around 75 tables, maybe even more.

The tables were occupied by Shimerian males mostly, although she could see many couples among the crowd. It was rather overwhelming as so many eyes turned to stare at her. She silently cursed the halter and short skirt, although the females were wearing similar outfits.

A waiter came forward. “
Ishaala
da’Kamon, welcome. If you will follow me, please?”

Tair nodded and followed the waiter to a table off to the left. There was a bench along the wall, with the table standing in front of it. Tair motioned for her to sit there and she slid into place. He slid in beside her. There were two chairs in front of the table on the opposite side as well.

The tables were covered with a thick cloth that looked heavier than cotton. They were light blue and went all the way to the floor. The entire inner walls of the building had carvings that looked like a tropical rainforest in full bloom, although a lot of the leaves were a very light blue color. It was gorgeous. Kate studied the walls in silent appreciation.

The waiter smiled and asked politely, “Your order,
Ishaala
?”

As the waiter and Tair began speaking in Shimerian, Kate considered the arrogance of him not consulting her about her preferences. Of course, he knew what she liked. The damnable man had been in her head.

Besides, it wasn’t as if she could read the language if the waiter handed her a menu. Nor did there seem to be a menu. And what food would she pick? She had no idea. It gave her a weird feeling to hear the conversations going on around her in Shimerian. With a strange disorientation, she realized
she
was the real alien here.

The waiter nodded and strolled away to the other side of the room. She presumed he was headed toward the archway on that side. Watching him disappear through it, she looked around at the rest of the restaurant. There was another archway to the far left corner, too. She watched as several couples and small groups of threes walked through it.

Tair said suddenly, “It will not be long. In the meantime, I must apologize for my inattention during our walk.”

Kate turned and looked at him. He looked genuinely sorry. With a shrug, she said calmly, “No problem. You’re entitled to have a weird mood sometimes.”

Tair smiled in relief. Cupping a hand over her cheek, he asked, “Am I so easily forgiven?”

Kate pulled away from the tender touch. With a shrug, she said coolly and with emphasis, “For your inattention during the walk, yes.”

His withdrawal in the bedroom had really injured her, he realized with regret. He wondered if her fantasy would lift that hurt. He hoped fervently that it would. He reached out and wrapped both arms around her, giving her a hard hug. When she remained stiff, he pulled back and said quietly, sincerely, “I am very sorry that I hurt you.”

Kate studied his expression. His sincerity eased some of her hurt. She still smarted at the thought of his withdrawal from their intimacy, but it was more injured pride now than anything else. Whatever his intentions, he had not meant to hurt her or make a fool of her. She nodded slowly, feeling uncomfortably vulnerable.

The waiter returned at that moment, bearing a large tray. He put two dark blue plates on the table along with matching cups. Setting bowls and platters in front of them, he looked at Tair. “Is everything to your satisfaction?”

Tair said, “Thank you, Rijhem. It looks wonderful.” The waiter beamed in response. With a nod to her and then to Tair, he left them and walked back across the room.

Kate picked up her cup and peered at the liquid inside. It was the same color of blue as the cup. Blinking slowly, she said, “I was afraid of that.”

Tair smiled. “
Permu
is quite good, much like one of your fruit punches. I think you will enjoy it.”

Kate lifted the cup to her lips and took a cautious sip. It was slightly sweet and refreshing. She was startled that it fizzed a little in her mouth. Setting it back down, she looked at the unrecognizable things in dishes on the table.

Each dish held a substance formed into small shapes. Some were oval, while others were square. They were oddly colored, too. Some appeared to be meat from the darker color, but there was no way to know. Feeling indecisive, she wondered where to start.

Tair smiled and picked up a square. Handing it to her, he said, “This is
hefdarsa
. I believe you will like it.”

For the next hour she and Tair sampled the various foods. He told her the Shimerian names and answered her questions about the dishes. It was pleasant and relaxing for both of them. The armed atmosphere between the two of them, usually so predominant, disappeared gradually as they talked and laughed.

For Kate, it was a revelation. She had known he could be charming, but she was surprised at how good she felt talking with him. The conversation slipped from food to other interests. In a number of ways, they were amazingly alike.

They both hated the new Earth music, preferring the old classics instead. Both loved museums and were passionate about their work. She knew he was a Guardian, similar to a cop on Earth, but she was impressed with his dedication to the job.

He thought of it as a duty and felt it was important that he use his abilities to make a difference in his world. She felt the same way about her job. He mentioned the need for Earth lawyers at the judicial building created by the mixing of the two cultures. She narrowed her eyes at him, and he quickly changed the subject.

Finally, Kate leaned back against the booth and sighed in contentment. She was feeling so much better. Looking around, she saw that the lunch crowd had thinned. This had been a surprisingly nice meal.

Then, Tair put a casual arm around her shoulders and whispered quietly in her ear, “Kate, I think you should experience that fantasy now.”

Kate turned her head, nearly bumping into him. He drew back a little just in time. She asked, “What fantasy? What do you mean?”

Tair said calmly, “Look straight ahead.”

Kate was totally confused. All she saw were the other diners in the restaurant. Nothing had changed. It was less crowded, but there were still a lot of people. There was nothing to see. She heard Tair whisper in her ear, “We are in a crowded room full of strangers. When you come, remember not to scream.”

Kate’s eyes widened in complete shock. Her throat went dry. Memories of heated fantasies involving the thrill of near discovery flashed through her head. She had one in particular, involving a public place. Surely, he wouldn’t try to do anything here. It was insane.

Tair tightened his arm around her shoulders in a restraining grip. “I am going to talk to you and you are going to nod at me occasionally. Unless you do something to call attention, no one will know.”

The last word was no sooner out of his mouth than the
mityb
inside her started to vibrate. “Oh my God,” she exclaimed, keeping her voice down desperately. “You have got to be kidding.”

The
mityb
vibrated harder against the inner walls of her sex. There was no sound, no buzz. Tiar was using his power to do it. He was controlling it inside her with delicate skill. Feeling shaken to the core, she closed her eyes and said, “I can’t handle this here.”

Tair gave a quiet chuckle. “Yes, Kate, you can and you will.”

The vibration picked up more speed. Kate looked around wildly. No one was paying any attention to them in the least. She felt a growing arousal and fought for control. This was crazy. She might have thought about something like this before, but she had never thought to actually do it. Okay, she had thought about it a lot, but this could not be happening.

Biting her lip, she felt arousal spread through her body like a fever. She was getting hot. Her nipples tightened and she felt the moisture gathering between her legs. Pressing her legs together, she tried to dim the sensation and regain control.