Onboard the Zoltarian vessel, Bobone
"They say that all the humanoid races are connected in some way."
The pirate ran the tip of her sharp fingernail down the centerline of Wildcat's bare chest. "Do you believe that's true?"
He tossed his mane of hair back. "What does it matter what I believe?"
"You fascinate me. It has been a long time since anyone has done that."
Is that what Zoltarians called it? He smiled to himself. Well, he didn't want to
fascinate
her too much—he needed to get off this ship!
"What is your name, Captain?" he drawled.
"I am known as Kokol: she who has a swift hand."
She stretched against the bed covers. They were remarkably silky for this kind of a ship.
Apparently some Zoltarian pirates did not like to rough it while they were pillaging.
"Did you say your name is Cold Call?" A line furrowed his brow.
She gave him a look "I doubt it."
"Ah."
She had a sense of humor—which was unusual for a Zoltarian.
Too bad he couldn't trust it. Odd things had been done throughout history with a sense of humor.
He ran his fingers gently through her magenta hair, letting the strands tug softly. She liked it. Kokol closed her eyes and arched her back slightly; almost purring.
He watched her reaction with heavy lids.
Even though he was warming up to her, when push came to shove, she was going to sell him down the proverbial river. It wouldn't be personal. It would be plain ol' economics.
It's what pirates did.
Wildcat rested against the back of the bed and stared up at the ceiling. He was worried about Lucky.
His present predicament made him realize that he should see to her future.
Just in case.
He needed more security measures in place. This latest diversion on Cretion had cost him more than he would ever admit.
"Jack Hammer, you are far away."
Wildcat turned his head and looked at her.
"There is something about you… " Kokol sniffed his face.
Wildcat grinned. Her action was rather cute. "Learn anything I should know about?"
"You are a very physical man…" Kokol licked her lips. "I like that."
"You found that out just from one sniff, hmm?"
"There is a lot a Zoltarian can tell from a simple sniff. You would be surprised."
"No doubt I would." He caught the tip of her nose between his teeth.
She yelped and laughed at the same time. He grabbed her in his arms and rolled across the bed with her while she was still laughing.
He ended up on top. She grinned up at him.
"Tell me, you asked to be put off at our next docking… but is there not somewhere I can take you? This ship is at my disposal. If I am
put
in the right mood, I can take you anywhere you wish to go."
Wildcat was not fooled by the offer.
She had heard about the stolen miadne. She was wondering if he was on the hunt for it—he could see it on her face.
In fact, that might have been the reason she and her co-pirates were on Cretion in the first place; they were looking for information, and criminals almost always had it.
All decent pirates had good contacts in the prisons.
He watched her carefully.
Could he safely use her offer to get back to his ship?
He knew he couldn't trust her, but he still might be able to use her.
In a good way.
Without anyone getting hurt.
Or sold off for parts.
Kokol laughed. "Such a brooder! You think too much. Why so worried? Come, you can tell me—do you have a special place to go?"
"We all have special places to go sooner or later."
Kokol played with a strand of his hair. It was incredibly silky. "Caution is good; but don't squander an opportunity."
He moved off of her onto his side.
Resting his head in his palm, he said, "I'd rather squander an opportunity than be squandered by one, madam."
"I like that."
"What do you like?" He ran his fingertip over her full lips.
"The way your voice changed just then…"
He stilled. "In what way?"
"Your tone became… I'm not sure… more formal, I suppose. Different. I don't know how to describe it."
"I was just teasing you in my way," he responded gently. "That's all."
"What is your real name?"
His lips curved up at the corners. "Didn't fool you with that one, hmmm?"
"I have an excellent translator—the best that I could steal." She gave him a gamine grin. "I even understood the humor, Jack Hammer."
"Serves me right." He tweaked her chin. "It's Wildcat."
"
As in Arrows
? You're that famous tracker!" Her eyes took on an avaricious gleam.
Now he knew positively that she knew about that damn gem.
"Guilty as charged, ma'am."
"My respects. Zoltarians admire the job you performed on Hectorari. That was quite a coup for you."
Great. Now he was admired by Zoltarian pirates. That couldn't be good.
"Like you, we Zoltarians are no friend to the Corporations."
"Not all of them are bad."
"Just most, yes?" She playfully slapped his chest.
"Next you'll be having me sign up to go a-viking with you." His ice blue eyes glinted. He didn't have the heart to tell her he could do her work quite well.
Job security was important to pirate captains.
She snickered and ran the tips of her sharp nails over his muscular arms. "Nice. Are you a fighting man?"
"I'm a lover, madam, not a fighter."
She looked at him askance. The man was a potent package of brains, brawn, and talent. Despite what he said, he was built like a warrior. He would make a glorious Zoltarian! "Of course you are."
"Didn't I prove it yet?" He reached for her.
"You must have been in those orzon mines a long time."
"Too long. Come here, my piratess." He brought her lips down to his.
Kokol had already experienced one of his kisses. It had been strangely devastating…
Just like his lovemaking.
Nevertheless, he intrigued her.
If she wasn't careful, she might succumb to his charms. That was something she could not afford to do.
She placed her palm between them to forestall him. "Have you never had a true affection for anyone?" she asked curiously.
The sky blue eyes instantly clouded over.
"Don't go soft on me, Captain." He intoned the chilly warning in a voice that clearly warned her to back off.
It was an invitation to one such as she.
Kokol roared with laughter. "
Me
? I wouldn't dream of it. One has to have a heart to go soft." She grabbed his hand and placed it over her left breast. "As you can see, Arrows, I have none."
Wildcat arched a brow. "Really." He moved their hands to the other side, just under her right breast. "What's this?"
She wagged her finger at him. "Well, I don't have a heart where it counts to an Earthman."
Wildcat thought that was probably true.
Zoltarians were known for being incredibly mercenary. "You don't have to convert me; I'm already a believer in your wickedness." He brought their joined hands to his lips and kissed hers.
She grinned and pushed him over onto the cushions. "So many similarities… and yet, so many differences."
"Vive la difference."
"Ah, another of your Earth dialects. Interesting how many you know."
He shrugged, noncommittal on that point.
4
Kokol ran her palm along the leather waistband of Wildcat's pants. He had recently donned them along with his moccasin boots because he needed to explore her ship. He was hoping he had tired her out, but she didn't seem very sleepy. In fact, she was getting frisky again.
Wildcat believed in always having a good exit strategy.
Although he was a man who loved women as often and as well as he could—he did not like to be told he
had
to.
He liked Kokol and he was grateful that the Zoltarian captain had taken him onboard her ship. He had almost gotten over that thing they do with their teeth. Almost.
But he could not forget that first and foremost this woman was a pirate. If a more lucrative deal came her way, she would sell him out at the first opportunity.
She would owe it to her crew, if nothing else.
It was time to renegotiate.
He clasped Kokol's wrist to stop her downward spiralling motion. "Kokol, what if instead of continuing with our original bargain… I share with you the coordinates of a Class One Crisyn asset ship? It would be a fair exchange for whatever you went to Cretion for. As you know, Crisyn asset ships run heavy."
"But why would I want to do that?" She ran her open mouth over his jaw line. The points of her teeth scraped lightly along the skin. The action brought with it a vision of that
other
thing they did with their teeth. He tried not to shudder.
"Think of the treasure, Kokol. I'm talking Class One here."
Kokol extended one of her fingernails, instantly turning it into a weapon. "What if you honor our original bargain, Earthman? Then I will think of letting you off at the next stop… or wherever you want to go."
"C'mon now, sugar, there's plenty of treasure to go around for all. No need to get overly greedy."
"Why do you wish to enter into this new bargain? Are you not entranced by me?" She sat up on her elbows and arched her back in a comically sexy pose.
Yeah, he kinda was.
In a friendly way.
Definitely not a romantic way.
Despite being locked up for six months—and certainly overdue for some entrancement—all he could think of was getting back to the Sugarbabe.
He needed to find out if his crew was all right.
Of course, there was no way he was going to tell her that. "I ah, I am very attracted to you." He bent his head to nibble on the side of her breast. The tips of his hair brushed over the pointed pink nipples.
Pointed nails. Pointed teeth. Pointed nipples. She was the pointiest woman he had ever met.
A man could do worse
, he supposed, grinning against her plump breast. He bit her sharply. Just the perfect amount of sting.
She shivered. "You are something delectable, are you not?"
Wildcat shrugged but his azure irises glittered down at her between the black crescents of spiky lashes.
"I could sense that back in the bar, you know. You are, shall we say, a special
treat
."
He continued to watch her through the veil of lashes. "I might be too much of a treat for you."
She threw back her head and laughed. "I will take my chances, tracker."
"Very well. Don't say I didn't warn you."
"Understood."
"Do you mind if I clean up? Nothing like a good scrubbing to make it all new again. No tellin' how good that'll make you feel."
Kokol snickered. "Of course not. Just don't remove too much of your scent. I like it."
"Wouldn't think of it, Captain," he murmured dryly. He rolled off the Zoltarian bed and stood over her. "Where is the whatever you call a shower on board this ship?"
"There is a cleansing station down the corridor. It is located in the first entrance to your left."
"My thanks." He swept her a bow.
She stopped him at the door to her cabin. "Arrows."
"Mmm?"
"I should warn you that you might find the experience less than pleasant. I have heard from several other captives that our chemical cleansing spray was rather harsh to them."
Her use of the word captive did not go unnoticed by him. Wildcat would bet she had no intention of letting him off at the next stop or any other stop. She probably was looking to use him and then sell his body for spare parts.
"Thank you, Captain. I will give your warning the consideration it deserves."
"After you return, you will engage with me. Then you will tell me where this Crisyn asset ship is."
"Changing the terms of the proposal, are we? If I recall, I said I'd tell you where the Crisyn ship is
after
you release me."
"Make me beg first." She whispered teasingly.
He inclined his head in a mock salute before he left.
The lady wasn't all bad.
She was just drawn that way.
He left the room and strolled down the main corridor from her cabin.
That was when it occurred to him that Zoltarians had to be the worst housekeepers in the galaxy. The corridor was filled with junk Old parts. Clothing. Stuff that looked like trash.
Trash that looked like stuff…
You name it, it was tossed along the hallway.
The entire ship was a mobile flea market. Even Mama Bros Not Quite Used Emporium was neater than this—and that was saying something since Mama Bros
was
a junkyard.
Well, a junkyard/tavern/cafe to be exact.
On the way to the cleansing station—and he could hardly wait to see that setup—he passed by several of the crew.
The Dawg Pound all took turns to curl a lip at him.
Ah, to be made welcome.
"Have a nice day!" He blithely waved at a passing scalawag.
The Zoltarian growled and kept walking.
Well, at least they were leaving him alone.
As their captain's new exerciser, he was probably safe for the time being. From the crews response Wildcat gathered that 'playing with supper' was a regularly scheduled event for this captain. The rest of the crew was patiently waiting for him to be converted into an actual treat.
Apparently they had enough fear of her to let him be.
She must be the alpha bitch
.
Which was good or bad, depending.
Note to self: do not underestimate Kokol.
As he moved down the hallway, a dark shadow dogged his steps.
He stopped in front of the first door on the left.
Wildcat entered the room designated as the cleansing chamber. Like everything else on this ship, it looked like it needed cleansing.
He approached the sanitizer on the wall. "Let's see... No instructions but I'm betting this lever here—"
An image of him bent over and gagging as the sanitizer turned on instantly flashed into his head
. He saw himself too dizzy to stand. This so-called chemical shower would react on him like a drug.