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  Tanith gave him an innocent look. “Don’t you like it, Jake? The other clothing was so dull.” Dark eyes flashed mirthfully at him. “Now don’t be angry. I didn’t ignore the regulations entirely.” She twisted her head around. “See, I’m wearing the hair restraint.”

  Tanith rolled over on the bunk. She couldn’t be more bored than she already was. How was she going to put up with six months of this? The gym was less fun these mornings. Although she was permitted to exercise whatever way she chose, the facilities were closed to crew members while she did. They had also restricted the number of visitors to the brig following an undignified brawl in the corridor outside. She hadn’t seen the treacherous human for almost three days. One of her visitors had told her that he was pulling double shifts—probably as a punishment for her little gymnastic display. How could she torture Jake if she couldn’t see him?

  The burning sensation on her back was growing worse. She knew from the mirror in the gym that the Dermatrax was almost fully grown. Last night she had woken in a sweat, crying out Jake’s name. He had done this to her, and if she didn’t get off this ship soon she was in imminent danger of… No. She definitely didn’t want to think about that. The only one who could release her was the captain. She would have to appeal to his better or baser nature, anything to get off this damn ship. Tanith waved at the security camera. “Crewman, send a message to Captain Hallstrom. Ask him if he’d like to invite me to dinner.”

  * * * * *

  The following evening, Tanith prepared carefully for her dinner with the captain. She had one shot at this and she definitely wasn’t wearing the ugly flight suit. The nice female from the changing room had brought her some clothing. The black dress had a deep vee at the back. She would have to wear her hair loose to conceal the Dermatrax. The female officers had sent some other little gifts, including a red lipstick and some perfume. She didn’t need the perfume.

  This morning, the spiraling pattern had reached the top of her spine and already it was emitting a slight hint of pheromones. If she was on Cyraelia, they would have packed her off to a women’s colony and kept her there until a marriage could be arranged for her.

  She hadn’t been sure if the pheromones would work on humans but the ensign who brought her lunch tray had stared at her with a glazed expression that bordered on the catatonic. She had to tell him to get lost twice before he left her alone. If the captain reacted like that, she could twist him around her little finger. There was no way that she wanted to return to Cyraelia, but she could make a fresh start on another planet. At least she would get away from the treacherous human.

  Dinner for two turned out to be dinner for four—the captain, the ship’s doctor and his wife, the ship’s botanist. The captain’s quarters were quietly masculine, but impersonal. No images of absent family adorned the muted walls and the furnishings, though appropriate to his rank, were probably selected by Fleet Command. She had yet to figure Strom out. He was the one who Raoul had been interested in. He had asked her to talk to him on the night that she met Jake. Not spying exactly, just to find out why he was on Cyraelia and for how long. Raoul seemed to know the captain personally, which was very puzzling. He never told her that he had been to Earth but then Raoul hadn’t told her a lot of things.

  The botanist flashed a disapproving look at the captain. “My dear, we didn’t realize that there was a female prisoner on board.” She eyed Tanith’s dress. “Haven’t you been issued with a flight suit?”

  Tanith cast a sidelong glance at Strom. “The fabric in the flight suit irritates my skin. Cyraelian skin is very sensitive.”

  As if to demonstrate, she traced a path slowly along her collarbone with the tip of her finger. When the captain shifted in his chair, she looked innocently at him before turning her attention to the doctor.

  “Now that is most interesting. I received a gift of medical data files from the Council of Cyraelian Scientists just before departure. Unfortunately, I was unable to get any hands-on experience, so to speak, due to cultural restrictions.” The doctor looked hopefully at her, awaiting enlightenment.

  Tanith was tempted to display the cultural restriction, which stretched the length of her spine. It might be fun to see the captain’s face if she did. No, she would save that little treat for when they were alone. Strom was quite handsome, really—very tall and very blond, with dark eyes, the color of aged Cyraelian brandy. None of the females on her planet had captured his attention, although she knew that many had tried.

  “Cyraelian males are protective of their females,” she responded. “Once they are mated, only female medical staff may attend them. But I’d be happy to assist if you find something in the data that requires clarification.”

  The doctor nodded eagerly. “That would be most kind, Tanith, if the captain would permit.”

  Tanith watched as Strom tugged at the edge of his collar. He looked a little uncomfortable, though not as bewildered as the ensign had been earlier. He obviously wasn’t mated or maybe he wasn’t sure if he was. The pheromones worked best on unmated males.

  As befitted a married man, the doctor was properly oblivious to her scent. If tonight didn’t work out, she would have no problem explaining her little difficulty to him and requesting a sedative to help her sleep. It was a pity that medical science didn’t have a cure to stop her loving the treacherous human.

  When the doctor announced that he had some patients to attend to, dinner finished early. Tanith reached for her glass and took another sip of her drink. She wasn’t going anywhere—yet. Strom moved to the couch, trying to get away from her. Poor human, he didn’t have a clue what was wrong with him.

  “I’ll have someone escort you to your quarters, Ms. Jasson.”

  Yes, he was desperate to get rid of her. She smiled sweetly at him. “Not yet, Captain, please. I’ve really enjoyed tonight. Couldn’t we talk for a little while?”

  Tanith thought she heard a low groan, but Strom pulled himself together and assumed his usual urbane demeanor. “Of course, Ms. Jasson, we should have spoken before now. I realize that the past few days have been less than comfortable for you. Unfortunately, I was presented with a fait accompli.”

  Strom was surprised that his voice sounded so normal. Throughout dinner he had felt very strange and he couldn’t fathom his sudden, intensely lustful reaction to her. Setting her glass down, Tanith rose from the table and came to join him. Moving to the couch had been a bad idea. At least he could maintain some distance from her at the table, but now that the others were gone, this evening was turning into a more intimate occasion than he had anticipated. Damn Jake, how could he have put him in this position?

  Strom edged along the couch until he reached the armrest. Tanith appeared to be blissfully unaware of his reaction to her. She sat as close as she could without actually touching him. Her eyes were amazing. It was one of the first things he had noticed about her. Dark, rich chocolate with a hint of gold around the irises, and her skin was soft and creamy, without a hint of a blemish. He found himself desperately wanting to touch it. Dark images flooded his mind, Tanith writhing under him, her legs wrapped around him, crying out his name as he plunged into her.

  Strom dragged himself back to reality when he realized that she had asked him a question. He had no idea what she had just said, and when she stroked his forearm lightly, awaiting his response, her touch felt like electricity.

  “I was just saying that I don’t blame you, Strom. May I call you that?”

  The touching continued, gentle circles this time with her index finger and he bit his lip, trying not to moan out loud. He wanted to move, perhaps offer her another drink, but the words refused to come from his mouth. He sat there, wallowing in the unfamiliar sensation of a female hand. Who would have thought that his forearm could be such a center of eroticism?

  “I know that you’re as trapped in this situation as I am, but I’ve been so lonely in the brig.”

  Her lovely dark eyes filled with tears and Strom’s hand reache
d out of its own accord, brushing a tear away from her eye before moving hesitantly to trace the contours of her mouth. Her lips were incredibly soft. They parted under his touch and her tongue flicked out, brushing against his finger, light as a whisper. This time he did groan, before pulling his hand away as if he had touched a flame.

  “I have this burning sensation on my back,” Tanith continued softly. “I feel so hot, especially during the night, and I don’t know what’s wrong with me. Could you take a look?”

  He must have nodded in agreement. Strom found that he was incapable of processing more than one word in ten that she spoke to him. His brain had gone completely off-line and his body had taken over. Tanith stood up and pulled her long ebony hair over one bare shoulder. She was exquisite. The back of her dress was slashed in a deep vee and along her spine was a shimmering blue-green pattern that seemed to be alive.

  He had never seen anything like it. The mesmerizing organism emitted a strange, intoxicating fragrance that he couldn’t resist. He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her down onto his lap, while his other hand fisted in her hair. Her scent was driving him out of his mind with lust. Bending his head, he pressed his lips ravenously against her skin.

  Chapter Six

  “Take your hands off her.”

  Jake stood in the doorway. She had never seen him so angry. Strom was still out of it, struggling to control his lust-fogged brain. She hadn’t realized how badly the Dermatrax would affect him. She could feel his strong arms tighten involuntarily around her. A low growl of protest came from his chest when Jake entered the cabin. She knew that Jake was different from the Cyraelian men she had known, but two dominant males—that was impossible.

  Jake strode across the room, dragged her off Strom’s knee, pulling her roughly behind him. “If you ever touch her again, I will kill you.”

  Strom looked dazed. He moved his head back and forth, desperately trying to shake off the lustful inertia. Struggling to his feet, he stumbled to the table and downed the contents of the water jug before heading for the door. “I’ll be in sick bay,” he slurred.

  Jake looked as if he wanted to bite her. Grabbing her arm, he dragged Tanith along the empty corridor. When they came to an elevator, he pushed her inside with barely controlled fury. “Don’t say a word, Tanith. Not a single word.”

  Jake touched his com badge. “Ship’s com, this is First Officer Svenson. Elevator seventeen is out of order until further notice.”

  The doors closed and they were plunged into darkness. When his mouth latched hungrily on to hers, she gave as good as she got, biting, nipping, possessing. Tanith felt the dress tear as he ripped it off her, shoving the fabric aside so that he could kiss her breasts, teasing them with merciless skill until she begged him to stop. She heard the erotic whisper of a zipper and the soft thud as he pulled his tunic over his head and tossed it into the far corner of the elevator. Tanith could do nothing but tremble and wait until Jake’s hand grabbed her wrists, holding them above her head with one hand.

  His fingers twisted in the thin strap of her panties and he pulled hard, letting the thin scrap of silky fabric flutter to the floor. He released her hands and grasped her thighs, lifting her against the doors of the elevator. “You make me crazy, Tanith. Don’t you know what you do to me?” Jake’s voice lowered to a hoarse groan. “Who do you want? Tell me.”

  “I want you,” she cried as he moved between her thighs. She squirmed against him, hungry for release.

  “Say it again.”

  “I want you, Jake. I want you.”

  Jake’s engorged shaft plunged inside her, meeting her silky wetness. Her hands threaded through his hair and down his neck, clutching his strong shoulders, raking his back with her nails. When the heel of her shoe grazed his thigh, he moaned his pleasure against her lips.

  The smooth metal door of the elevator rubbed against her back as his mouth fastened on her neck, sucking and biting. He didn’t care that he would mark her skin. He wanted to. Tanith found the idea of it thrilling. To be wanted so much, to be possessed by Jake’s mindless passion, to be stolen from another male and then taken like this, helpless, wet and wanting. Jake forced his tongue into her mouth, mimicking the movement of his hips. Her body shuddered and spent itself in a quivering orgasm that left her breathless.

  Jake growled his approval. “Oh baby, you’re going to pay. You’re going to pay for everything you’ve done to me since you came on board.”

  He was still hard. Jake thrust again, his pace increasing until he was pounding into her. She couldn’t move, pinned helplessly against the door. Jake possessed her mouth again in a savage kiss. His lips trailed down her neck, grazing the sensitive skin with the stubble of his beard. Tanith could feel another orgasm building inside her. She clutched his shoulders as he thrust into her over and over again, until he roared out his release. Pleasure spiraled mindlessly inside her and she came again. They slid to the floor of the elevator, gasping loudly. Jake pulled her into his arms. “Tanith, if you ever so much as look at another man again, I’ll kill him.”

  Tanith lay sprawled against his chest, listening to his heart race. Her human was back and she had missed him so much.

  “Emergency lights on, com.” Jake sat up. His fingers brushed her neck where he had bitten her. “I’m sorry I was rough with you, but when I saw you with Strom, I just lost it…”

  She eyed the scratches on his shoulders and the grazes on his hip and thigh where she had scraped him with the heel of her shoe. “You didn’t hurt me, Human. For what it’s worth, I more than repaid you.”

  Jake reached for her tattered dress. “Sorry, Tanith, I don’t think you’ll be wearing the dress again.” He pulled on his pants and reached for his tunic. “You’ll have to wear this. I just hope we don’t meet any of the crew.”

  Tanith caught a glimpse of her reflection in the metallic wall of the elevator. The sleeves were too long and the tunic only reached mid-thigh. It was quite obvious that she was naked beneath it. Her mouth was red and bruised, her hair was wild. She looked like a woman who had been well and truly loved.

  Jake’s arms crept around her and he pressed a slow kiss against her neck. She could feel the evidence of his arousal against her lower back. “I need you again, Tanith. My cabin’s not far from here.”

  Jake pressed the com badge. “Ship’s com, elevator seventeen is back online. Override all calls and take us direct to deck twelve.”

  The corridor was mercifully empty. Jake picked her up in his arms and ran the length of the deck while she giggled helplessly. They stopped outside his cabin for a lingering, hungry kiss. “Ship’s com, request a do not disturb on cabin 1244. Hold all coms until further notice.”

  Inside the cabin, his eager fingers opened the buttons on her tunic and he dropped it to the floor. “I need a shower.” He grinned. “Do you want to join me?”

  She followed him through the dimly lit cabin, past a large bed and into a bathroom that was bigger than her cell in the brig. Jake dropped his pants and stepped into the shower stall, initiating the sonic showering device. “Aren’t you coming in?”

  “Not yet. I’m just admiring you.” She had forgotten how beautiful he was. Every inch of him was toned and well defined. She could feel the Dermatrax perking up in anticipation. It was insatiable tonight. It couldn’t get enough of Jake and neither could she. Tanith stepped into the shower and shut her eyes. The showering device gently cleansed them both.

  Jake held her close, pressing tender kisses against her face and hair. “Let’s go inside. I want you in my bed.”

  She wriggled on the thick silk quilt. The human was trying to torture her. He had kissed every inch along her legs, paying particular attention to the sensitive area at the back of her knees, before licking and kissing his way slowly up her thighs. She was aching for him, but he wouldn’t let her move. His fingers touched the base of her spine and she jumped. The Dermatrax was sensitive to his every touch. She felt his tender kiss and then his cool breat
h as he blew against her skin. Every nerve ending along her spine felt like it was on fire. Tanith moaned. The kisses continued, light playful nips at first and then his tongue swirled hot against her skin as he moved along the length of her spine. She was filled with mindless pleasure. Her nails clawed the bed. “Please, Jake…”

  She heard his low growl of pleasure as he reached the top of her spine and bit gently on the tender skin between her neck and shoulder. “You smell so good, Tanith. I want you like this. I want to make love to you.”

  He pressed his knee between her thighs and lifted her hips, drawing her against him. Jake entered her slowly. He leaned over her body, caging her as he stroked in and out of her. She could feel the softness of the quilt rubbing against her nipples and the rough texture of his hair as it brushed against the Dermatrax. Jake thrust hard into her, picking up the pace. Along her spine, the Dermatrax undulated with pleasure, sending out tiny darts of fire to her nerve endings. Tanith caught her breath. She had never felt like this before. Jake growled against her neck, sending a delicious shiver down her spine. She could feel the Dermatrax ripple against him. Pleasure spiraled again. She screamed his name and felt him tense and then with a loud groan he came, pumping his seed deep inside her.

  Tanith woke up in his bed. Her body ached, especially the sensitive area between her thighs. They had made love for hours. She had never known Jake to be so insatiable. His lean body was draped across hers like a comforting male blanket. Her skin stung from the raspy stubble of his beard and in a way that was nice too. His dark curls were tousled and even in repose, his mouth held the hint of a smile.

  The dress lay torn on the end of the bed. That damn Dermatrax. She hadn’t expected to react like that with him, to be so out of control. She wanted to trace the contours of his cheekbones, to waken him with a kiss, but despite the blazing attraction between them, he was still the man who had deceived her and killed her brother. She loved Jake, wanted him more than she had ever wanted anyone, but he had kidnapped her and she was still his prisoner. How could she trust him? She needed time to think.