Pirate's Price (5 page)

Despite his casual tone, the comment
rankled. Kashi had made the arrangements and Rana trusted her
handmaiden. That trust had never been tested in such a literal way
before, but Rana had no reason to doubt the other woman.

She removed the pins securing her veil and
dragged it from her head. “If you harm me in any way, you won’t see
one credit of your fee.”

He hesitated as his gaze caressed her face,
his expression grim and assessing. “There are several ways I could
spin this. I could issue ransom demands to both your mother and
your fiancé and see who values you more.”

“My mother is in the middle of a financial
crisis and Vega was reluctant to accept me before this little
adventure. He’s far too proud to burden himself with a tainted
bride.” She wasn’t nearly as sure of the second claim as the first,
but her captor didn’t know that. “Your best bet is me. I’ve offered
more than adequate compensation for the service you’re
providing.”

“I could sell you to one of your mother’s
enemies.” The corners of his mouth curved with the beginning of a
smile. “There are several who would easily double your fee.”

She didn’t reply. The hint of humor in his
eyes assured her he was simply provoking her. But
why
was he
provoking her?

He slipped off his jacket and draped it over
the back of a chair. “Or I could --”

“You’re a businessman, not a pirate.” She
squared her shoulders and looked into his eyes. Showing fear to a
man like this was a serious mistake, yet challenging him would be
even more dangerous. “The most cost-effective course was outlined
in our contract.”

“Take off the gown.”

The softly spoken order sent chills up and
down her spine. His expression remained guarded. This didn’t look
like a man desperate to fuck. So, what was his game? He crossed his
arms over his chest as he waited for her reaction. He seemed more
interested in her response than in the actual command.

She raised her chin and narrowed her gaze.
“I’m comfortable as I am. Thank you, anyway.”

“It wasn’t a request. If you expect me to
remain civil, you will do exactly what I tell you without
argument.”

“Nothing in our arrangement requires me to
disrobe.”

“I disagree.” He took a step forward and
Rana held her ground, refusing to cower before him. “I never repeat
a directive. The faster you figure that out, the better we’ll get
along.”

“You accepted the contract.”

“And I’m attempting to fulfill it. I
personally
see to the satisfaction of each of my
customers.”

She didn’t understand the undercurrents in
his tone. He sounded amused and challenging, and neither reaction
made sense. “There is no justification for this.”

He closed his hands around her upper arms
and pulled her toward him. His warm breath caressed her cheek and
the scent of his cologne teased her nose, faint yet evocative. “The
contract covers your abduction and eventual release. How will you
compensate me for your care and protection during the next six
days?”

She stiffened. This strategy was a little
too familiar. Her mother had used Rana’s carnal appetites to
manipulate her into Vega’s bed and Vega had twisted the concept
even farther. “I don’t barter with my body. Use some of my credits
to buy yourself a whore.”

“You should have explained that to Vega. It
would have saved us both a lot of aggravation.” She gasped and
raised her hand. He easily caught her wrist. “Surely you can be
less predictable than that.”

Before she could continue the argument, he
spun her around and pressed her against the wall. One of her arms
was trapped in front of her. With the other she reached back and
hit and clawed whatever she could reach. “Talk about predictable,”
she snapped. “Is rape the only form of intimidation men know?” Her
voluminous skirts hindered her kicking and his fingers quickly
slipped the fastenings at the back of her gown.

She twisted and wiggled, ignoring the firm
pressure of his body against hers and the damning heat erupting
between her thighs. How could she be aroused by this after what
Vega and Umar had done to her? Dread welled within her. Was she
excited by her captor’s aggression
because
of the other
incident?

The stranger immobilized her left side with
the weight of his body, while he tugged her right arm from the
long, fitted sleeve. “Isn’t this what brides do on their wedding
nights?”

“Not when they’ve paid good money to avoid
the event!” With a sudden jerk, she freed her arm from his grasp
and turned to face him. “Who the hell are you? You’re acting like
this is a personal affront. Why did you agree to help me if my
actions are so offensive?”

He pressed his hands against the wall and
glared at her. She’d never seen eyes such a brilliant shade of
blue. Or had she? The memory surged, returning to the dancing
couple. A dark-haired man guided a stunning blonde across the floor
in an elegant series of turns and promenades. The man smiled and
the corners of his eyes crinkled, the corners of his “brilliant
blue” eyes.

“I don’t generally explain my actions to
anyone, but you are a
princess
after all. I’m going to sell
the gown. It should cover your expenses without revealing your
location.”

She arched her brow. “Why didn’t you just
say so?”

Silence stretched between them, sizzling
with awareness and anticipation. He wasn’t really touching her now,
just surrounding her with masculine power. Heat radiated off his
body. Had their brief tussle made him hard? She’d been edgy ever
since the fiasco with Vega and Umar. They’d rattled her composure
more deeply than she cared to admit and she wasn’t sure what she
needed to reestablish balance in her world.

Lifting her other arm out of the sleeve, she
allowed the bodice to slip to her waist. His gaze descended to the
upper curve of her breasts and her nipples tingled. “Give me
something else to wear and you’re welcome to this.”

“I’m welcome to the dress or what’s
beneath?” There was a sexy growl in his tone and he traced the
scalloped edge of her bra with his index finger.

She held perfectly still, longing for his
touch, needing an outlet for her pent-up emotions. Still, she hated
the weakness revealed by her desire. No one should be able to
control her with the brush of his fingertips.

“I don’t barter with my body.”

“Fair enough.” He moved his hand back to the
wall and shifted his gaze to her face.

She was disappointed by his easy
acquiescence. Perhaps she should rebel again.

“Why did you agree to marry Vega when you
had no intention of going through with the wedding?”

The question confused and annoyed her. “Why
do you care?” She gave a little shimmy and the gown slid past her
hips, pooling around her feet. “Is he a friend of yours?”

“Not hardly.”

Pushing off the wall, he bent and gathered
up the dress. His cheek brushed her thigh as she stepped out of the
gown and her neglected pussy throbbed. She’d had no idea danger
excited her before she came to Peronite. Life on Devaunt had been
dreadfully dull, how could she possibly have guessed how
stimulating she would find these situations?

The floor vibrated and the distant drone of
thrusters announced their departure. “Shouldn’t you be in the
command center?”

“I procured the ship, but I leave its
operation to the crew.”

He was the owner, responsible for, but not
part of, the crew. Like her mother.

This was not a new ship. It was possible
someone had found a way to circumvent the activation protocols.
Speculation buzzed through her mind, fragments of information
fitting into place. Many of Emperor Torral’s supporters had been
exiled after the war. Could her captor be a displaced nobleman? If
Kashi knew who he was, it might explain her easy acceptance of the
situation.

“Am I allowed to know your name?”

“Just call me Pirate.”

Everything about her captor emanated
dominant male. His fierce expressions and strong arms, his careful
aggression when she’d disobeyed. Would he know how to finish what
Vega started? If she offered her surrender would he… What was wrong
with her? She did not want to continue Vega’s twisted game.

She cleared her throat and shook away the
disquieting thoughts. “Well, Pirate, have you ever been to Devaunt?
You seem familiar to me.”

“I’ve been lots of places.” He draped her
gown over the chair, on top of his jacket. “I’m pretty sure I’d
remember if we’d met.”

Even subtle as it was, the compliment warmed
her. “Were you going to get me something else to wear?”

He rapidly unbuttoned his shirt and shrugged
out of the stark white garment. With his neck cloth dangling from
his other hand, he held out his shirt with a wicked grin.

“That wasn’t exactly what I had in mind.”
Unsure how to interpret his mood, she kept her distance.

“You refused to barter with your body.”
After tossing his shirt in the general direction of their other
garments, he pulled the neck cloth through his fingers, the gesture
sensual, yet menacing. “I guess that leaves me no real choice.”

“What are you talking about?”

He stalked toward her. “The wedding night
ravishment will have to be complimentary.”

Rana’s eyes widened with each step he took
and Vihlok nearly laughed. She was utterly adorable in her ice pink
lingerie. A strapless bra hugged her torso and supported her full
breasts. The fabric of her ankle-length slip was filmy, leaving
nothing to the imagination.

Dragging his hungry gaze back to her face,
he searched for the haughtiness of her mother or the brutality of
her father. Instead he saw determination and wary interest. She
couldn’t decide what to make of him and he couldn’t decide what to
do with her -- or more specifically where to start.

Their contract defined his role. He was to
“irreversibly sully her reputation through direct or indirect
means.” The added obligation hadn’t appealed to him until this
moment. “What kind of a ‘pirate’ would I be if I left a bride alone
on her wedding night?”

“The courteous, well paid kind,” she
suggested.

He chuckled. “I’ve never met a courteous
pirate. We are by nature self-serving and rude.”

“But you’re not a pirate. You’re a
businessman.”

“Don’t be fooled by contracts and costumes,
princess. I’m very much a pirate.” He wrapped his arms around her
and pressed her against his bare chest. She remained stiff and
resistant for only a moment then her hands crept up his back.
Anchoring her against him with one arm, he cupped her chin with his
other hand. “If you’re a virgin, I won’t --”

“I’m not a virgin,” she assured him, in a
breathless whisper.

His pulse leapt at her eagerness. He’d
decided to personally oversee her sullying when he learned her
identity. The electric attraction erupting between them was
unexpected and inconvenient. This was Princess Rana Jabulayni. If
she wanted to be compromised, he’d be happy to oblige. However, he
wasn’t prepared to like her.

He’d known she was beautiful. Outward
appearances meant little to Vihlok. But he’d expected her to be
arrogant and ruthless, not witty and compassionate. Her concern for
the ship’s owner had caught him completely off guard. And the
vulnerability he sensed beneath her brave façade captivated
him.

Lowering his face slowly, he brushed his
mouth over hers. Petal soft and slightly parted, her lips welcomed
him. With just a hint of tongue, he deepened the kiss, guiding her,
coaxing and tasting her.

This was supposed to be retribution, a long
awaited reckoning. He would enjoy all the lush pleasures of her
curvaceous body, then reveal his identity. He thrust his tongue
into her mouth, waiting for a startled gasp and sudden tension in
her body. Instead her fingers splayed against the back of his head
and her tongue curled around his.

He swept her up in his arms and carried her
to the sleeping station. Not bothering with the bedding, he laid
her down and stretched out beside her. She kicked off her shoes and
reached for his, without having to be told. This was supposed to be
ravishment, not a lusty romp. She reached for the fastenings at the
front of his pants and a fresh wave of determination washed over
him. If he didn’t control the situation, he might as well lock her
in the cabin and walk away.

Pressing her back into the mattress, he
pulled her arms over her head and held them there with one hand.
“Not yet. Perhaps not tonight. I’ve barely begun to ravish
you.”

Lust burst like wildfire within her gaze and
her slender body shook. The thought of being ravished obviously
agreed with his captive. Why was he surprised? She’d written it
into the contract!

With single-minded determination, he reached
beneath her and unfastened her lacy bra. She made a throaty sound
as he tossed the undergarment to the floor. Her nipples stood tight
and needy, begging for attention. He gazed at her quivering breasts
and felt his purpose crumble.

She was incredibly beautiful, passionate and
responsive. Another layer of separation disintegrated. He didn’t
want to fuck, he wanted to fuck
her
. Despite all the wrongs
he had suffered because of her family, he wanted to pleasure his
enemy.

Frustrated by his weakness, he latched on to
one of her nipples and sucked forcefully. She arched and gasped,
her arms tugging against his hold. His free hand gathered her slip,
drawing it along her legs until his fingers found bare skin. Her
stockings ended at mid-thigh. He enjoyed her softness for a moment,
gradually working his way toward the juncture of her thighs.

“Part your legs. Make room for my hand.”

“I want to touch you too,” she whispered,
but obeyed.