Authors: Annabel Wolfe
during my short absence from this ship, Lieutenant?”
“I think that’s the extent of it.” Her gaze flickered over his bare
chest. She added, “Sir.”
“Do you think being worried over another officer’s absence
justifies a breach in regulations?” He took a long slow step toward
her.
“I think every situation is different,” she equivocated, standing her
ground, though her eyes widened as he reached for her.
“In other words, rules are meant to be interpreted?” Kel reached
out and slipped the clip holding her long hair up free. “Come on now,
Peyton, we both know that is not how the military works. It’s very
simple. I give an order, and because I’m your superior officer, you are
supposed to obey it.”
“Yes, but—”
“Please tell me you aren’t arguing with me.”
She would have if he hadn’t bent to capture her mouth in a searing
kiss, he was convinced of it. But she didn’t argue when he made short
work of stripping off her uniform tunic and regulation slacks. Or
when he cupped her breast beneath the thin layer of her
undergarments and made a small sound of pure male satisfaction at
the warm weight cradled in his palm.
Slim arms slipped around his neck as Kel lifted and carried her
into their sleeping chamber. “You’re tired,” Peyton murmured,
kissing his neck. “For the first time since I’ve known you actually
look tired. You need sleep, not sex.”
“I’m doubting I’ll ever be
that
tired when it comes to you,” he
muttered back. Moments later they were both naked and he balanced
himself between her open thighs, nudging wet heat with the swollen
tip of his hungry cock. He commanded, “Tell me again why you
broke the rules.”
She stared up at him, her expression full of confusion. “What?”
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“It’s important.” The admission was unwilling but truthful. “To
me.”
“I was worried.” Her breath came in slight pants and her eyes
were dark with passion.
“About?” He tested the resilience of her slit, opening it, letting his
crest enter her.
“You.” One exploring hand slipped over his chest, her fingers
brushing a nipple, making it pebble.
Kel hissed in a breath.
Just what he wanted—no, needed—to hear. “I don’t remember
ordering you to worry about my welfare, Lieutenant Valmont.”
“I don’t recall asking permission,” she said, lifting her hips in
supplication.
“How like you, disobedient at every turn.”
“And here I thought you liked my independent spirit.” To
punctuate her words she lightly bit into the muscle of his right
shoulder.
The trouble was, she was exactly right. He admired her courage,
her skill as a pilot, and not the least of it, her allure as a female. It
wasn’t just her beauty either, but something intrinsically about her
that was different from anyone he’d ever met. The moment she’d
stepped on his ship, it held him captive and this moment was no
different.
“I do,” he admitted, his voice rough.
“Kel.” Fingertips danced down his spine.
“What do you want from me?” The question was honest, raw.
“Everything,” she whispered.
He had a feeling that was true. With his usual care, he began to
fully penetrate her willing body, her knees lifting to give him
complete access to the ultimate possession, small hands caressing at
the base of his spine. “This kind of everything?” he asked as he
finally rested fully inside her, the hot wet grip of her pussy holding
his cock with perfection.
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“This is nice,” Peyton said, her voice a low purr, “but not quite
enough.”
Kel rocked his hips to apply pressure to her clit, rewarded by a
gasp of pleasure. “I’m not big enough for you?”
He would do anything to get her to say it. Anything.
Maybe even say it himself?
“Hmm…you’re perfect.” Peyton let her eyes drift shut. “But that
isn’t what I meant exactly, though I appreciate the demonstration.”
Kel went still. “Did you mean you’d prefer an emotional bond
between us and not just this.” He slid one hand between their joined
bodies and caressed her.
Her inner muscles contracted as her eyes flew open. “Yes, that’s
what I meant.”
“Don’t you think there is one?”
“I’ve never felt this way before,” she admitted.
That was close, but not perfect. He wanted perfect. “What way?”
“Kel.” Her hips shifted as he continued to stimulate the small
swollen nub between her legs. It wasn’t exactly fair play but he
wasn’t interested in fair. The slight bite of her nails on his shoulders
told him her orgasm hovered.
“Felt what way? Tell me.”
“Is that an order?” Her voice sounded strangled, the fluids of her
arousal coating his fingers and lubricating his cock.
“No. A request.”
Something flickered in her magnificent eyes. “I believe that’s a
first, Commander.”
“In honor of the occasion, can you humor me then?”
“I love you.” She twisted, arched, clung to him. “I love you.”
Joy crashed over him in sync with pleasure as the woman in his
arms began to shudder in erotic release. All control was lost as her
inner muscles tightened and propelled him over the edge into a starlit
vastness of swirling emotion and physical sensation.
It was unique. It was magnificent.
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It was perfection, he thought as he drifted off into a deep,
dreamless sleep.
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Minoa, five weeks later
The experience of appearing before the Universal Council was
one Peyton decided she would just as soon not repeat in the near—or
distant—future. As she was escorted from the huge meeting chamber,
she wiped her damp palms on the fabric of her immaculate uniform.
Three hallways, two different change of guards later to guide her, and
she found herself thankfully in a bay with a waiting transport.
Tara was probably with Will, she thought, as the soldier who’d
brought her that morning expertly guided the machine out into the
traffic flow of Minoa’s famous First City. Given that the son of the
former governor of Epsilon was recovering well, all the hovering care
wasn’t probably necessary, but then again, Tara rarely did anything
halfway. From the way the two of them looked at each other, the
likelihood of future plans seemed to be a certainty.
At least
someone
had future plans. Peyton looked out the window
at the vast cobalt lake that was the center of the city, her stomach in a
dismal knot. Since they arrived on Minoa a few days ago, she’d heard
nothing from Kel. Oh, she realized that he, like her, had a series of
hearings and interviews to attend after the events on both Epsilon and
Anaya Two, but would a message be too much trouble?
Apparently so.
What did she expect? Once her insubordination sentence was
over, Kel had returned to stern commander and even Jake had treated
her once again as if she was nothing but another female officer on the
ship. It was regulation that once she was on duty again they could
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only deal with each other on a professional basis—she understood
that—but it was still hard to handle. To make it all worse, almost
without exception every female officer on board the ship had asked
her either directly or indirectly about her “punishment.” It had been
infuriating to realize most of them would have gladly traded places
with her for the sojourn in the commanding officers’ quarters.
Even Tara had been curious, but luckily, too absorbed in Will
Janssen’s recovery to be too nosy.
Absorbed in her thoughts, Peyton didn’t even realize it at first
when they stopped. Not until the young driver opened the door and
stood there, respectfully impassive. “Here we are, Lieutenant.”
The tall sleek dark building was unfamiliar, but in one of the
city’s more upscale areas. Peyton shook her head. “This is the wrong
destination, Corporal.”
“I have my orders from Commander Gallico, ma’am. I’m to drop
you off here.”
Gallico
. Her heart started a slow steady pound. Peyton slid out of
the vehicle. “I see.”
“Just program in his name on the touchpad.” The young man
nodded and pressed a button to allow her access to the building’s
foyer. It was all glass and obsidian, the smooth polished surfaces
modern. She tapped in Kel’s name and was rewarded by a door to her
right opening. This took her up three stories and the first thing she
noticed as the transfer elevator came to a halt was the familiar scent of
light fruit overlaid with a tangy bite.
Kel’s favorite wine.
He lived here. She’d wondered more than once what someone like
him, so austere in many ways but with hidden facets such as a
weakness for ancient Earth literature, would choose as a place to
relax, but she hadn’t expected the shining rock on the floor of the
hallway, warm rich green on the walls, or the soft sound of music in
the background.
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“Hello,” she ventured, uncertain and off-balance. With each
passing day she’d felt more and more disheartened when not a
whisper of contact had been initiated. The flutter of her pulse now
should annoy her—and it did to a certain extent—but she had no
control over it.
When Kel strolled into sight, two wine glasses cradled in his long
fingers, it only got worse. He was barefoot and wore civilian
clothing—dark pants, a white loose shirt, and his dark hair waved
around his elegant fine-boned face. Those gray eyes, so infamous for
their arctic glare, were the color of molten silver. “How was the
interview with the Council?”
“How did you know?” She took the glass of wine he offered,
hoping he didn’t notice her fingers trembled.
“I was under orders to not contact you. They wanted an impartial
version of the story from both of us.” He sounded very matter of fact.
“Once you talked to them, the ban was lifted. Follow me.”
She did as he asked—no, ordered in his typical way—finding
herself in a room furnished in a minimal style, with streamlined chairs
and a huge glass wall overlooking the city view. In the twilight, the
buildings were iridescent and Minoa’s two moons hung low in the
skyline.
Jake Naiad, sprawled in one of the chairs, got lazily to his feet.
Like Kel, he wore casual clothing and looked different, more male
than ever, if that was even possible. He smiled and said, “Aren’t you
glad all that is over? Have a seat, Peyton.”
Odd, how on the ship, even when they had been large, imposing,
and had complete authority over her, she hadn’t ever felt quite
so…under their command.
On the ship, there had been rules. They were bound by a code of
honor to treat her a certain way, even when she was being punished
for an infraction. Now, with two large, intimidating males lounging in
the same room but under very different circumstances, she felt a
glimmer of trepidation. “Yes, I’m glad it’s over,” she agreed, trying to
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look cool and collected. “They agreed your punishment for the
insubordination charge was sufficient and that they would let it stand
you dropped the appropriation of military property.”
“And then they gave you a commendation, ostensibly only for the
rescue of the colonists on Anaya Two, but we all know it stems from
what you did when you went down to Epsilon against orders.” Kel
looked at her with that unfathomable expression he seemed to
summon at will. “Congratulations. I signed off on it a few days ago
after my initial report was given. This should help in your quest for
promotion.”
Was that still her quest? At the beginning of this past mission her
career had been everything. Now she wasn’t as sure. The problem
was, though Kel had wrested from her a confession of deeper feelings,
he hadn’t offered up any of his own. It shifted the balance of power
definitely to his side.
Damn him.
Peyton took a sip of the cool, clear wine and then inclined her
head. “Thank you.”
“That is what you want, isn’t it? What did you tell me…to make
major in the next five years, correct?” Seemingly relaxed and
nonchalant, he raised his glass to his lips with lazy male grace.
But there was nothing casual about the look in his eyes.
“Y..yes.” The one word answered wobbled as she gave it and
Peyton quickly cleared her throat.
“Maybe you can change her mind.” Jake turned to his friend and
grinned with that typical hint of audacity that was his alone. “I’ll be
happy to help you get her in an agreeable mood. In fact, I’ve been
looking forward to it ever since I mentioned to her once that we often
share females at the same time and I could tell the idea appealed to
the lieutenant’s adventurous spirit.”
Peyton blushed. She couldn’t help it, the wash of heat suffusing
not just her face, but her whole body. One at a time she knew them