Ride the Stars/once Bitten (7 page)

You will be mine, woman. Are you prepared for that?" His voice had dropped a dangerous octave.

In answer, her hands rose higher, moved insolently over his hips, caressed the creases in front.

His voice was strained as he continued, "You won’t get a second chance to say no." His blood was boiling, and a blue haze of desire was clouding his vision. In a moment he was going to be trembling as badly as she was.

She hesitated, then her hands fluttered down to fumble with her last buttons. Slowly, she pulled the sides of the white shirt open. She was naked underneath.

Breathing hard, she lifted her wide gaze to his. Utterly vulnerable, naked and trembling, she knelt at his feet and begged with her eyes.

It was the most erotically charged moment of his life.

With a growl, he reached for her, pulling her naked body flush with his, gripping the back of her head for the hot claim of his mouth. Her gasp gave him entry, and he reached down and grabbed her naked butt, pulling her forcefully against his erection. She tried to twist out of his grip, probably shocked at the speed of her seduction, but she’d primed him too well. Grinning savagely against her mouth, he raised her higher and slid his fingertip over the slick place between her thighs.

Crying out with alarm, she twisted, only succeeding in impaling herself a little on his invasive finger.

"L-let go!"

Instead he laid her down on the deep couch and spread her out beneath him, savoring the view. Holding her wrists to keep her from trying to cover herself, he blocked her kicking legs with his own, then slowly sank down over her, pinning her with his weight.

"Get off!"

"Moody thing, aren’t you?" he said huskily, then bent his head to gift her nipple with a little lick.

She gasped and jumped under him. "S-stop!" It came out breathy and weak.

"Wasn’t I supposed to touch you? Or did you think you could just flash your body at me and I would be satisfied? How many men have you been with?"

She went still, and he could see the lies forming in her eyes.

"If I’m your first, I will know with a simple touch. Even if I’m not, you can’t tell me you’ve been with many men. Your actions give you away." Never taking his eyes from hers, he slowly took her nipple into his mouth.

She writhed under him and moaned as if in exquisite torture, as if it were her very first time. When he finally let her speak, her voice was strained. "You ... you were supposed to just bite me a-and not...." she gasped at his light, punishing nip.

"You thought I wouldn’t bed you." Her naivety said it all. Icki must have left out the part about male orgasm triggering the adaptogen, knowing it would scare her away from his "cure." True, he could teach her to pleasure him without taking her body, but why would he? This was his wedding night, by Draconian law. She’d been warned and had murmured no objection.

Languid with desire, he drifted down her body, exploring it with his mouth. Her hands were slack on his head until his questing lips drifted into the curls between her legs, then they tightened, trying to stop him, only to close in a death grip as he took the first taste of her sweetness.

Bali wasn’t quiet in love. She screamed, she begged, she bucked, and all the while she grew wetter under the lash of his tongue. When he finally thrust it through the ring of her maidenhead, she screamed in blistering release.

Smiling, he rose up and stripped naked, allowing her a long, educational look.

She looked stunned. "I can’t..."

"You will," he assured her as he covered her with his body, nudging at her slick entrance.

"Oh, no! I can’t ... ohh...." she panted a moment as he paused just inside her, his weight on his elbows.

Her wet tightness made him want to plunge deep, but he knew she couldn’t take him fully this first time.

What she could accept would cause her pain enough.

First, he had to make her acknowledge that she wanted it. Already she was beginning to make tiny thrusts with her hips, squirming when he continued to hold still. He held her gaze until she focused on him.

"Bali?" he said, strained.

"What?" she whispered.

"Tell me you want it, or I won’t move."

Her eyes widened at the threat. "Now? You’re almost finished!"

He laughed. "Hardly, but you seemed unsure earlier. Do you still mean for me to stop?" As she opened her lips, he gave a tiny little surge, making her gasp.

"Don’t stop." Her eyes fluttered closed, as if she were surrendering to the moment.

So he didn’t. Centimeter by centimeter, he conquered her body, invaded what had never been taken.

He gloried in it, knowing she had no thoughts of his bite while she lay there, allowing him to make her his own.

When she could take no more, he began to rock her, mindful of her mixed cries of pain and pleasure, halting for long seconds when she needed to catch her breath, until he could no longer halt the lunging plunge of his hips.

He climaxed and bit her.

Caught in her smaller orgasm, Bali winced as the tiny needles in his hollow fangs pricked her skin, causing a slight sting. Bliss spread like a drug through her system, leaving her senseless as Domino pulled out of her and padded away. She didn’t protest when he returned, using a warm cloth to cleanse away his first climax inside her.

Then he settled behind her and proceeded to do it all over again.

She woke up alone and naked, hugging a pillow in the middle of Domino’s huge bed. He’d carried her there after he’d taken her the second time. First he’d made her want it; then he’d made her beg for it.

Only after she was frantic for it had he mounted her, riding her like a conquering warlord over a battle won queen. He’d humbled and pleasured her all at once, made her long for and dread what only he could give.

He was dangerous, and she had to leave.

Wincing at the soreness, she climbed out of bed and discovered that she could hardly walk. Muttering under her breath, she limped toward the bathroom and made the happy discovery that someone had retrieved her luggage. Sighing with relief, she grabbed some clothes and took them to the bathroom.

Hoping a hot bath would soothe her, she turned on the spigot and locked the door.

It was impossible not to blush as she sat in the water, reliving everything that had happened. Domino had always been so gentle with her. She’d never imagined he’d be so masterful when it came to lovemaking.

In fact, she hadn’t gotten to that imaginary point at all, since she’d been so convinced it would never happen that she hadn’t let herself dwell on it. Now the blindfold was off and she began to see her string of mistakes for what they were.

She’d discovered a new determination to live, and it had spurred her to make Domino bite her any way she could. She’d thought he’d be a gentleman and leave it at that. Had she really been so naïve? Even after he’d warned her, she still hadn’t believed him.

Apparently Domino didn’t make empty promises.

Okay, her mistake. Now it was time to fix it. The moment his back was turned, she’d slip out the door and arrange for a bank draft to his account to cover her and Icki’s medical expenses. He’d probably rip it up if she left one on the table on her way out, with or without a note.

She got out of the tub and dried off, feeling slightly less tender. Once dressed she raised her hairbrush to her hair and froze as the long length tumbled into view. It was turning black.

Horrified that her genes were mutating her into something hideous, she frantically rubbed the fog off the mirror. Two golden eyes stared back.

Domino and Icki broke off their conversation as she burst into Icki’s room.

"What did you do to me?" she demanded of Domino.

His eyes traveled slowly over her body, then lingered on her neck. His smile was pure satisfaction.

"Looks like I left a love mark. Sorry about that."

Icki’s lips twitched suspiciously.

She flushed. He’d left a huge mark on the side of her neck, but he knew that wasn’t what she meant.

She pointed two fingers at her eyes. "My eyes! My hair. What did you do to me?"

He leaned casually on Icki’s footboard. "What did you think the adaptogen would do? It changes our mates to be receptive to our own DNA. It’s a mating adaptation. Every woman experiences it."

Mortified by his casual reference to intimacy, she turned her eyes on Icki. "You knew."

He rubbed his ear. "Well, you weren’t exactly quiet earlier. It was hard not to."

Fury brought heat to her face. "You knew what the adaptogen would do! You knew that..." Shame choked her off.

His face softened. "Yes, I knew. Just as I knew who I would send you to. Left to yourself, you would have let the mutation kill you." At her silence, he said, "I’m well enough to leave this bed. Let’s go find a lab. I’m sure you’re going to be pleasantly surprised by the changes."

As a distraction, it was sublime. As a temptation, it was irresistible. Even the thought of leaving Domino behind couldn’t compare. "Fine. We’ll run a check," she said tersely. "Then I’ll kill you."

It was hard to maintain her ire in the face of Icki’s weakness, though. He insisted on walking to Domino’s private transport, though he leaned against the wall of the elevator on the way down. Once seated in the rear of the anonymous vehicle, he leaned back and closed his eyes, pretending to nap.

Domino slid behind the wheel in front of them and eased them out into the light evening traffic.

Bali eyed him, then looked straight ahead, her lips compressed in a tight line. She was wicked to punish him like this. She could have waited for a diagnosis, or gone to the Draconian doctor who’d worked on them. Icki was the best, however, and he knew her inside and out. If things were changing for the better, she trusted him to see it. If not, she knew he would be honest with her.

Pensively, she raised her hand, stared broodingly at the spread fingers. The tremor was gone. While she didn’t miss it, the absence was unsettling. She thought she’d known where her life was going: straight into the toilet. Instead, an unknown future had opened before her, a life of promise and obligation.

She snorted softly to herself and settled back against the plush synth-leather seat. She didn’t recognize Draconian custom or law, except where it meshed with the laws of her own world. She was no more his wife than Icki was, regardless of any intimacies between them. Should his adaptogen work, she would owe him a debt, one she would repay. Should it not.... Well, it had been honorable of him to try.

Eyes closed, she shunted aside the memories of their mating and concentrated on business. First she would confirm her health status, then she would hire a bodyguard, move out, and move on. Domino would be free of her, and she.... Well, she’d figure out what to do from there. She had the wealth to accomplish whatever she wished and there were still many mutants who needed her help. Perhaps she would hire someone--maybe Icki--to study Draconian adaptogen with the hopes of synthesizing it. Of course, it would leave potential patients with a whole new set of problems, but some might consider it a small price to pay. At least they wouldn’t have to suffer the emotional difficulties she was now experiencing.

They parked at the laboratories Domino had arranged for, then she and Domino flanked Icki, who seemed rather pale.

He slanted Domino a jaded look. "I can’t look that bad."

Domino just raised a weary brow and opened the door for him. "Just try to faint in my direction, if you can. You’ll flatten Bali."

She shot him a look, but couldn’t argue the case.

To her surprise, the Draconian doctor, Skye, was waiting for them in the lab. He glowered at Icki, who immediately dropped into a chair and leaned back, lids drooping. "What is he doing here?"

Domino shrugged. "He would have followed us in a cab and fainted on the way here. He thinks he’s well enough to follow her around."

Startled by the Draconian doctor’s presence, Bali demanded, "What is he doing here?"

Skye ignored her and used his medical scanner on Icki. "Stay in the chair until we’re finished. That bullet nicked your heart, and it’s not appreciating the abuse."

Bali glanced at Icki with concern, then jumped back when Skye pointed the scanner her way. "What are you doing? Icki was going to run the tests." Fear pounded in her chest, both familiar and powerful.

Strange doctors with medical equipment freaked her out. It had taken her long enough to get used to Icki, and he’d been a friend first.

"He’s in no shape to do more than hand holding today, and I’m not going to hurt you." Skye looked at her steadily, then glanced at Domino. "If it helps any, you might want to know that I’m Domino’s brother."

Surprised, Bali glanced between them, distracted enough to let Skye run a quick scan. "I didn’t know."

He set down the scanner and reached for a syringe. "We’re private about family ties. Arm." He reached for hers, and she leapt on top of the table, ready to take his head off if he got any closer. "Stay back!"

Blind panic bolted through her, and she had a flashback to the last time her father had taken a blood sample. She’d been stronger then, more fearful, and he’d had to clean the blood from the table, walls and floor when he’d accidentally torn her vein in the attempt.

Pain. She remembered the pain and her father’s soft, coaxing voice. Coaxing, soothing, then the hard hands grabbing her and strapping her to the table for another swim in the pool of horrors. Green fluid choking her, closing over her eyes, her face....

"Bali." Domino’s snapped command made her look his way. Her gaze landed on Icki’s familiar, strained face before Domino blocked her view.

"Get down, Bali. He’s not going to hurt you." His golden eyes locked with hers and wouldn’t let go. "Get down," he said, softer.

A cold sweat dampened her face, trickled down the side of her face. Every scrap of martial training she possessed ran through her head as she assessed the Draconian’s soft targets. If they rushed her, she’d kick for the throat, then grab the syringe and toss it. A haze clouded her vision, and she shivered. She couldn’t go into the pool again!