Something Wicked This Way Comes, Volume 2

Chapter One

“Just one more stop and I promise I’ll call it a night.” Sophie looked at Zoe with her puppy dog eyes and Zoe knew she was doomed.

“Auditions start at six a.m. and I should be there before they start. This is the first time I’ve worked with this director and I’ve heard she can be a regular pain in the ass.”

“Unlike you?” Sophie laughed. “I’ll be quick. I promise.” She looped her arm through Zoe’s to ensure her cooperation then hustled along the narrow sidewalk. They were only nine blocks from the Theater District, but the personality of Manhattan’s neighborhoods could change drastically with the turn of a corner. “My mom will only have one fiftieth birthday. I want to find something really special.”

After releasing an exasperated sigh, Zoe relaxed into the rhythm of Sophie’s brisk walk and accepted the inevitable. “Are you sure this place is open?” Did Sophie even know where the hell they were going? It wasn’t unusual for her enthusiasm to get them into trouble.

Sophie was the first person Zoe had met when she came to New York seven years ago and they were still best friends. Zoe’s pragmatic nature was the perfect balance for Sophie’s willingness to try anything.

“There it is!” Sophie rushed them across the car-lined street. A motorist honked as he passed and flipped them the bird. “Oh bite me! You weren’t even close.”

Zoe just shook her head and dragged Sophie up onto the opposite sidewalk, having long since grown accustomed to her friend’s passionate outbursts.

The faint scent of incense tickled Zoe’s nose as they stepped over the threshold and into the cluttered store. Glass cases contained all sorts of jewelry and small curiosities, while the walls were lined with shelves displaying less valuable wares. Zoe could detect no rhyme or reason to the shop, but it certainly offered a large selection. Some of the items looked antique, yet others were obviously modern.

“Are you looking for anything in particular?”

The man’s deep voice startled Zoe and she gasped as she turned around. “I didn’t see you there.”

His lips curved with the hint of a smile. The man wasn’t tall or broad, and with mouse-brown hair and common blue eyes, there was nothing remarkable about him, yet Zoe’s skin prickled and a tingle sped down her spine.

“I’m just waiting for my friend.” She motioned toward Sophie, who was being helped by a woman about the same age as the man.

Not easily dissuaded, he asked, “What interests you?”

“I’m a dancer.” No, that wasn’t accurate anymore. “Actually, I’m a choreographer.” Like so many in her profession, her ambition had held up longer than her body. One nasty ankle break and she was tossed from the footlights and banished to roles behind the scenes. She’d tried every form of rehabilitation Western and Eastern medicine had to offer, with the same result. The doctors swore she was lucky to be walking, but she would never dance professionally again.

“A ballerina?” His gaze narrowed and he shook his head. “No, you strike me as more in tune with modern rhythms. Something sultry and flowing. You want to tell stories through movements.”

She smiled. “You’re very perceptive.”

“And you are totally stuck.” Suddenly his common blue eyes pierced her with laser intensity and his features seemed to sharpen. “You’ve been struggling for months, searching every source you can think of, but nothing interests your muse.”

Zoe swallowed hard, trying to conceal her shock. How the hell had he known…

His shop was spitting distance from Broadway. Who wasn’t hungry for inspiration in this ultra-competitive district? Relaxing her shoulders while maintaining her guard, she looked at the salesman with more respect. Anyone who could read people that easily could be dangerous.

“I have something I think you’ll enjoy.” He turned and wended his way along the uneven aisle.

She glared at his back then glanced at the door, tempted to wait outside for Sophie. But what if he actually had something interesting? She looked around and shook her head. Fat chance of that in a place like this.

In the end, boredom won out and she followed the man to the office tucked away in the back corner of the shop. She stood in the doorway, making sure he couldn’t close her in. His motivation appeared to be financial, not nefarious, but one never knew.

He opened a tall cabinet beside the battered desk and pulled out a garment hanging on a padded hanger. He smoothed down the light brown material then turned it around, so she could see what he held.

The design was…interesting. A short, capped sleeve on one side, bare arm on the other, formfitting bodice with a short, flared skirt. It had either been designed for a child or the fabric was stretchy. From one angle it looked supple, like animal hide, then it caught the light and gleamed with a metallic sheen. How bizarre.

“Where did you get that?” She motioned him closer to the doorway, refusing to step inside.

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

She carefully grasped each side of the narrow bodice and tested her theory. It was soft to the touch and stretchy, but it still looked like animal hide. Until the light made it glow. “It’s obviously a costume. What show is it from?”

“Not a show. More like a program. It’s used to perform the Decadent Dance.”

“The Decadent Dance? Like spinning around a shiny pole with my private parts on display? Not interested.”

He shook his head with an enigmatic smile and handed her the costume. A small drawstring bag was hooked around the hanger and dangled down inside the dress.

“What’s in there?”

He blocked her hand as she reached for the pouch. “That comes with the dress, but you must purchase the garment to learn its secrets.”

“I see.” She had to give him props for creativity. “So that’s your angle.” Even if it was a clever hoax, she had to admit he was entertaining. “Is that cabinet full of these things? I bet you get tons of dancers in here.”

“The dress is the only one of its kind on this planet.”

“‘On this planet’?” She arched her brow at him as a cold shiver raced through her. “Are there dresses like this on Mars?”

He smiled and reached for the dress. She neatly turned away. “Slip of the tongue, my dear. I simply meant it’s one of a kind.”

“What are you asking for it?” It was doubtlessly a novelty, but perhaps the secret of the Decadent Dance would finally kick-start her imagination.

“How much can you afford?” he asked with a triumphant grin.

Vaden stared at the control band on his forearm, too shocked to move a muscle.

It had been four solar cycles since he’d paid for his Decadent Dancer. One by one, all those in his acquaintance who had risked their hard-earned credits on the iffy scheme had been rewarded for their patience. He was the only one remaining whose contract had yet to be fulfilled.

If the blinking light on his control band could be trusted, that was about to change.

He thrust his pulse pistol into the bracket on the thigh plate of his armor and ran from the shooting range. Rather than explain his odd behavior, he held up his arm as he passed the security gate. The sentinel waved him on and wished him luck.

By the time he reached the transport bay, he was out of breath and grinning like a fool.

“Congratulations, Commander Nassar.” Warder returned his smile. “I’ve been expecting you.”

“The signal is real? My dancer has activated her tracker? She’s ready to transport?”

The transport chief shrugged. “I’m not sure any of them are actually ready for what awaits them once they arrive. But her tracker signal is live, so that means she’s ready to make the trip.” Warder finally noticed that Vaden was still fully armored and concern creased his brow. “Shall I wait while you change? You don’t look very welcoming.”

“I’ll explain my appearance once she’s on board. I will not risk losing that signal.”

With a respectful incline of his head, the transport chief turned back to his controls. “Well, put on your best smile, Sir. She’s on her way.”

Zoe flew through the blackness, her screams long since faded to pathetic whimpers. If that stupid chant had been some sort of lethal curse, why was it taking so long for her to die?

The night had started out so well. The costume fit like a glove, the strange, sometimes shiny material surprisingly soft against her skin. Even the cheesy booklet—which told of brave warriors, neglected and forgotten by the ruthless people they protected—had entertained her while she’d soaked her aching feet. Then she’d decided to play along and see if the role sparked her imagination.

So she’d stood in the middle of her living room and recited the ridiculous chant.

Nothing had happened as she struggled through the awkward phrases the first time. But the second time, she paused before each phrase and spoke more carefully…

The sense of motion gradually slowed, which sped Zoe’s already racing heart. A violent rushing, like the roar of a storm, made her wish she could cover her ears. She felt as if she were being sucked through a giant Hoover and was about to hit the vacuum bag.

Light bled through the darkness then individual sounds separated themselves from the din. She tried to scream again, but her raw throat wouldn’t cooperate with the fresh rush of terror. What the hell was happening? She hadn’t eaten or drunk anything in hours. This couldn’t be a wacky reaction or some accidental overdose…

The dress!

Had her pores absorbed some sort of hallucinogenic? Decadent Dance indeed! She hadn’t lost her mind. She’d tumbled down the rabbit hole!

Her feet hit something solid and pain ricocheted up her legs. Her dry throat surrendered a strangled cry then she collapsed onto her hands and knees. Her hair streamed forward, insolating her from her surroundings. Was it better to fight an acid trip or just go with the flow? She wasn’t into recreational drugs. In fact, she felt guilty each time she took an aspirin.

That salesman was in for one hell of a lawsuit. That was for sure.

Beneath her, the floor looked like metal that had been buffed to a satin finish. She listened, trying to decide if she wanted to lift her head or just pray that the hallucination would end. Was anything left of her apartment or was she completely immersed in this drug-induced fantasyland?

A gruff voice spoke words she didn’t understand. That wasn’t good. Was someone in her apartment? He repeated the same phrases, as if speaking louder would help with the translation.

Massive hands wrapped around her upper arms and she screamed.

Okay, that felt way too real!

He dragged her to her feet as she flipped her hair out of her eyes and looked up—way the hell up.

One glance at his face convinced Zoe he was part of the synaptic joyride, so she allowed herself to relax just a bit. But why did he feel so real?

“I don’t understand you.” She felt obligated to respond so he didn’t think she was ignoring him.

His skin was smoke gray and his unusual black lips made her want to trace them with the tip of her finger—or better yet, her tongue. Sculpted armor contoured to his entire body, leaving only his head and hands free. Midnight blue with silver inlay across the shoulders and down each arm, the protective suit was surprisingly beautiful. As was the man wearing the armor.

She’d hoped to kick-start her imagination, but this was ridiculous. Even with his unusual coloring, the man’s features were basically humanoid. His angular cheekbones and sharply defined jawline made him appear harsh and refined at the same time. But his eyes… Distinct silver slashes divided his bright-blue irises into pie-shaped wedges, and even the whites of his eyes were tinged with blue. His jet-black hair had been buzzed in what could only be described as a military style. Too bad. She could imagine it long and flowing, adding to his elfin mystique.

He spoke again, slowly this time, his silver-streaked gaze boring into hers.

She shook her head and twisted out of his grasp. “I don’t speak…alien.”

He looked at a person standing to her left, a person she hadn’t noticed before. Though his coloring was similar to the warrior elf’s, this man was smaller and much less intimidating. She took a step toward him and Warrior Elf’s arm wrapped around her waist, jerking her back against his body.

His harsh words made it obvious he didn’t want her talking to the other man.

“Fine.” She slowly turned around and looked into his strange yet beautiful eyes. “What do you suggest we do?”

If this was all some drug-induced hallucination, why did everything seem so real? Trepidation gripped her belly and rekindled her fear. It had to be the dress. What other explanation could there be? She’d been sucked through a wormhole and—

No. That only worked when someone was already cruising around in a spaceship.

The smaller man said something to the warrior and the warrior replied, but his gaze never left Zoe’s face. The smaller man approached with obvious reluctance, his gaze continually darting toward the man holding her. The smaller man held some sort of instrument, which looked a little too much like a gun for Zoe’s peace of mind.

“Wait a goddamn minute!” She tried to twist away, but the warrior trapped her arms at her sides and held her firmly as the other man went to work. “What are you doing?”

He moved her hair away from her neck and pressed the gun-thing against her skull just behind her ear. She wasn’t sure if she should hold still so he didn’t scramble her brain or fight like hell to prevent the same thing. If she died in a hallucination, would she die in reality?

She heard a snap and a sharp sting made her gasp.

The warrior said something, his tone low and…soothing? Was that possible?

“What was that?” She worked her arm out from under his hand and rubbed the spot where she’d been shot. No gaping hole, not even a speck of blood. All she felt was the long arms supporting her. “You can let go now.” He didn’t budge. “Who are you?”

“Finally.”

Had she actually understood what he just said? She bent back her head until she could see his handsome face. Wow. Her imagination was making up for lost time. “Can you understand me now?”

He stepped back, his hands coming to rest on her shoulders. “I apologize for the confusion.” His lips moved slightly out of sync with the words she was hearing, but that was so much better than not being able to understand him at all. “The translator microbes in the dress must have malfunctioned.”

Translator microbes? Seriously? That’s it. No more sci-fi marathons!

“Where am I?”

His brow creased and the silver slashes in his eyes gleamed. “Was your destination not explained to you?” He eased back far enough to sweep his gaze up and down the length of her body. “You are dressed for the Decadent Dance.”

Shit. She tried to remember all the crap she’d read in the booklet. Apparently her subconscious had been taking notes. “I’m afraid there’s been a misunderstanding.”

“Was the dress forced upon you?”

Was he offering her an out? If she told him she wasn’t a willing participant, would the hallucination fade away? And did she really want it to end? Pathetic as it was, this was the most exciting thing that had happened to her in ages. She looked into his alien eyes and her heart gave a rebellious flutter. “I wasn’t forced, but I didn’t realize—”

“You’re overwhelmed. That’s understandable. Many dancers are skittish for the first couple of days.” He glanced at the other man and said, “Thank you, Warder. This would not have been possible without your skill.”

Before she could figure out exactly what that meant, the warrior took her by the hand and led her into a curved corridor. The same non-reflective metal had been used in the corridor, but the walls and ceiling were seamlessly molded and smooth, like flat-sided tubes.

This was all so strange. Was it transpiring within her mind or was she traipsing about her apartment, lost in a drug-induced haze? No. There was no way her apartment could accommodate their range of movement. She must be absorbed completely in a chemical reality.

A violent shiver nearly shook her hand right out of the warrior’s grasp and his fingers tightened around her wrist. “Where are you taking me?” He ignored her and kept right on walking, so she dug in her heels. “Don’t ignore me. It’s rude.”

“You were obviously upset by your arrival and anything I say is likely to upset you even more. I thought it best to continue to my cabin and—”

“Why are you taking me to your cabin? I’d be more comfortable if you—”

Rather than argue, he bent, shoved his armored shoulder into her belly and lifted her off the floor.

“Are you kidding me?” She gritted her teeth. “You did not just throw me over your shoulder like a sack of potatoes.”

“I didn’t?” He had the audacity to laugh. “Unless the microbe failed again, that’s exactly what I just did.”

Vaden wrapped one arm around his dancer’s legs and explored her delightfully rounded ass with his other hand. She gasped then struggled, shoving against his back and trying in vain to kick her feet. Good. He liked his women spirited. No passive female could survive in the Disputed Territories and it would be many cycles still before this ship would see anything resembling civilization.

“Get your paws off me! I’ll report you to the captain or whoever’s in charge of this… Are we on a spaceship?”

She sounded genuinely confused and her body relaxed against him. “Didn’t your agent go over the details? Did you not read the contract before you signed?”

“Contract? I never signed a contract.”

He didn’t miss the hopeful catch in her voice. Did she honestly believe she could back out so easily? She should have read the fine print. Long-range transportation was especially hard on human physiology. She couldn’t return to her home world for twelve lunar cycles, regardless of her discontent. He set her down beside the door of his cabin as he scanned it open. Then he ushered her inside before she remembered to object.

She came to a sudden stop in the middle of the room and paused to look around. He took advantage of her distraction and unfastened the buckles on his armor as he crossed to the wall locker. He’d left his helmet in the transport bay, but he’d send for it in the morning. He wanted nothing to distract him from his exploration of his Decadent Dancer.

Her gaze was still examining the furnishings as he closed his armor inside the secure compartment. All he wore now was a formfitting pair of black pants and his protective undershirt. What did she find so enthralling about his quarters? Everything was compact and functional, as things must be aboard long-range vessels. She was acting as if she’d never been on a spaceship before.

He remained a step back and studied her as thoroughly as she studied the accommodations. She was younger than he’d expected. Most females this young weren’t desperate enough to accept a position as a Decadent Dancer. Her sleek black hair barely brushed her shoulders, but the style perfectly suited her delicate features. Her cheeks were still flushed from her inverted position. The deep-rose color matched her lush lips. With her face in profile, he could see the long, curved sweep of her lashes.

She completed her assessment of his cabin and turned to look at him. Her dark eyes rounded and she took an automatic step back. “Holy Mother of God.”

Vaden looked down, half expecting to find some gushing wound. “What is the matter with you?”

“I thought it was the armor.” She gestured toward his upper body, but her gaze gravitated lower. “You are…huge.”

She was the strangest woman he’d ever met. Which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Unique was intriguing, and she was definitely unique. “Many of my men are both taller and stronger than me. Have all the men on Earth shriveled?”

“No, but there aren’t many built like you.” She fiddled with the hem of her dress and muttered something about her imagination. “Are we here to do what I think we’re here to do?”

He tensed. He’d heard that some of the dancers tried to renege or escape their responsibilities. Life in the Disputed Territories wasn’t easy. He could see why a female might be intimidated once she was faced with the reality of… But all she’d seen so far was him!

“I will ask again. Did you willingly put on the dress or were you coerced in some way?”

He saw indecision in her eyes and his gut clenched. If she spoke the lie hovering on the tip of her tongue, he would sell her contract to the highest bidder. He could not abide liars, would not tolerate the destruction that inevitably followed in their wake.

“I willingly put on the dress,” she admitted, “but I had no idea what it signified.”

“How can that possibly be true? Where did you get the dress?”

She licked her lips, anxiety evident in every move she made. “I don’t even know your name.”

Was she avoiding the answer so she could construct a feasible story? His temper began to heat. “You agreed to dance with a man without knowing so much as his name?”

“I never agreed to any of this! That’s what I’m trying to explain.” Her tone was sharper now, her eyes beseeching.

“I’m Commander Nassar. Vaden Nassar. You may call me Vaden.”

She nodded, though she didn’t repeat his name. “Zoe.”

“Can we dispense with this nonsense now? I have waited four cycles for my dancer. I have no intention of leaving this room until we dance.”

“Even if I had no idea what would happen when I put on the dress?”

“I don’t believe that’s what happened. I think you took my credits and paid off your debts or spent them on frivolities, and now that it’s time to earn those credits, you’re trying to escape your responsibilities.” He scooped her up and tossed her onto his bed. She landed with a little yelp and tried to crawl off the other side. He was so distracted by the sight of her long, toned legs and her smooth ass cheeks peeking out despite the solid black garment she wore beneath the dress that he nearly forgot to intercept her retreat.

She wiggled and twisted, but soon he had her beneath him, hands pinned above her head. Her legs framed his hips and the dress bunched about her waist. Her large, dark eyes stared up at him, anger and uncertainty obvious in her expressive gaze. “Why would I imagine this? I’m not a…whore.”

Imagine? Had she yet to accept this was real?

Rather than delve into her first question, he dealt with her second point. He shifted her wrists to one hand so he could touch her face. “I know some men share their dancers. Females are extremely rare out here in the Territories. I have no intention of sharing you with anyone.”

“So I’ll only service you?”

Why did she sound so bitter? Were the microbes not accurately translating their words? “It’s been six Earth years since I’ve touched a woman. Four of those years I was waiting for you.”

“No, you were waiting for—”

He silenced her with his mouth. Her strategy was clearly to argue and complain until he lost his erection. Not bloody likely. His cock had stretched to full attention the instant his indicator light started blinking, and he was likely to stay hard until he’d spilled inside her at least three times.

Keeping her wrists firmly pinned with one hand, he reached down with the other and tore away the small black undergarment. The dress was meant to give him easy access to all her soft female parts, but she’d obviously intended to resist him from the beginning. Well, enough of her nonsense.

She was a Decadent Dancer—and he wanted to dance!

A muffled cry escaped her mouth as he covered her mound with his palm. Her heat sank into his skin, promising greater warmth to come. He wanted to soothe her, didn’t want their first time to be quite this adversarial, but she needed to understand their positions were nonnegotiable. She was his dance partner. Her only responsibility was to “service” his body, regardless of how upsetting she found the word.

Then a possibility insinuated itself into his mind and his heart gave a sickening lurch.

Had they sent him a cursed virgin? Was she even younger than she looked? The thought of being a woman’s only dance partner had a strange appeal, but dealing with her fear and the pain he would cause while rending her hymen far outweighed the thrill of exclusivity.

Vaden slowly worked his middle finger into her warm slit, amazed by the heat and softness. Her legs tensed against his sides, but his torso held her thighs apart. He easily found the center of her pussy—and slipped inside.

Thank the heavens. She was not a terrified virgin. Just a stubborn female about to be plowed by a dance-starved man!

Chapter Two

Zoe was utterly helpless, and yet she wasn’t afraid. None of this was real, after all. Vaden was the personification of her darkest fantasies. He had the body of a barbarian warlord and the face of an elfin god. And as if that weren’t enough, he was so desperate for sex that he thought she was perfect. What more could any woman want?

She hadn’t set out to expand her reality through chemistry, but now that she was over the rainbow, she intended to enjoy every minute of this incredible fantasy. Hopefully she’d come down with her mental faculties intact, and then she’d find herself a damn good lawyer.

Vaden’s lips moved over hers, caressing and coaxing until she parted for his tongue. Even then he didn’t thrust inside like some overanxious schoolboy. He used finesse and an experienced man’s patience. It wasn’t surprising that he knew how to kiss. He was a figment of her imagination.

His tongue slowly retreated as he lifted his head. “Are you ready to dance with me now? This will be much better for you if I don’t have to hold you down.”

“What happens if I say no?” She stared into his silver-streaked eyes, pretty sure she wasn’t going to refuse. Some part of her psyche obviously needed this experience or her mind would have explored different images.

“I’ll keep kissing you until you change your mind.”

“Why has it been so long since you—”

He took her hand and pressed it against his erection, his eyes narrowed and bright. “If you want me to be gentle, we need to stop talking.”

“Fair enough.” His hand moved but her fingers lingered, emboldened by his obvious pleasure. Hallucination or alien or dream, he was the most desirable man she’d ever seen. She seemed to be trapped in this alternate reality, so why not enjoy the ride? Her fingers curved over his thickness then skated along his length, the clingy material no real barrier between his hardness and her curiosity.

Should she ask about protection? She shook away the impulse. This wasn’t real!

“I know what you’re thinking,” he said with a sexy smile.

Of course he did. He was an extension of her own mind. “Do tell.”

“We no longer transmit disease through sexual contact and what we’re about to do cannot result in pregnancy. Procreation is more complicated with my species.”

“Which is?”

“Paridagon.” He balanced on his knees as he pulled off his shirt. “My home world is Paridago, though I’ve not been home since I was a child.”

She watched his muscles ripple and a silver pattern on his smoky skin shimmered in the diffused light. Unable to resist the temptation, she sat and raised her hand, tentatively touching his chest. “Are these tattoos?”

“No, the pattern occurs naturally. Each marking is as unique as the loops on your fingertips.”

Like rivulets of liquid silver flowing through fog, the intricate pattern began in the middle of his chest then branched out and expanded over his shoulders. It curved around his upper arms, ran the length of each forearm, then fanned out across the tops of his hands and formed individual strands that ringed his fingers.

“It’s…beautiful.” She settled for the word when more masculine adjectives failed to do the pattern justice. “Is it only on your upper body?”

“You can explore to your heart’s content—after.” He grasped the hem of her dress and whipped it off in one smooth motion then urged her onto her back.

He paused, the hunger in his gaze so painfully obvious it made her ache as well. She wasn’t sure why, but she raised her hands above her head and placed them as they’d been before. Only this time she was a willing prisoner, ready for the Decadent Dance.

His hands glided from her upraised arms to her knees in a never-ending pattern of strokes and squeezes. He leaned down and kissed her mouth for a moment then moved on to her breasts. And not just her nipples. He licked and sucked every curve, swell and hollow. She arched against his lips and clutched the back of his head, no longer able to remain passive as her senses caught fire.

She’d had sexual dreams before, though nothing had come close to matching the sensations zinging through her body. But this wasn’t a dream. She wasn’t awake. Her perceptions were being altered by whatever chemical compound the dress had contained. Right?

Vaden tore his mouth from her breast and frantically unfastened his pants, then his gaze focused on her pussy and he growled. The feral sound sent lustful tingles bouncing through her body.

Slipping off the foot of the bed, he knelt on the floor and dragged her hips to the edge of the mattress. Then he draped her legs over his shoulders and lowered his head between her thighs. Zoe looked down along her naked body and into the shimmering eyes of her alien lover. His gaze narrowed and his tongue slowly pushed between her folds.

Oh yeah! Right there! He knew exactly where to touch and just how hard to press. She moaned helplessly and rocked against his mouth, pushing up into his lurid kiss, never wanting him to stop.

His tongue circled and flicked, teasing her clit until she hovered on the brink of release. Then he shot to his feet and her legs slid to the bends of his elbows. He found the opening to her body and hesitated just long enough to coat himself with her cream.

“Ready?” He sounded so delightfully desperate, she wouldn’t have refused even if she’d been afraid, which she wasn’t.

She pushed to her elbows, needing to see their bodies joining. Her eyes widened then narrowed as a wave of scalding pleasure blurred her vision. Vaden’s shaft shimmered with silver markings as it disappeared into her wet core. His pants bunched around his knees, revealing that the silver pattern was indeed echoed on his lower body.

He drew his hips back and thrust deep and all thoughts of his markings disappeared. Her inner walls stretched tight around his thickness, each forceful thrust filling her right to the point of pain. Tangible, inescapable, real.

Restlessness trickled into her comfortable haze as realizations buzzed through her brain. His rich scent was unlike anything she’d ever smelled before and everything about this felt wondrous and new.

And real!

Each touch, each brush of his fingertips, each thrust of his cock into her core forced her closer to the inevitable conclusion that this was no hallucination. His hips sped and her panic mounted. If this was really happening, where was she and how had she gotten here?

He grasped her hips and cried out his pleasure as he spilled his seed deep inside her. Zoe felt each hot spurt. She fell back to the bed then covered her face with her hands. “I want to wake up now. Please, God, let me wake up.”

Vaden stared down at his dancer’s stricken expression, torn between confusion and horror. His first instinct was to shake and berate her for her foolishness, but he looked closer and reconsidered such a harsh reaction. He hadn’t felt her pussy ripple around his cock, which meant she’d found no pleasure in their dance. Was that all there was to her odd behavior? Did she find his skills lacking?

He carefully separated their bodies and shed his pants. Perhaps if they were both naked she would feel less vulnerable. He moved her to the middle of the bed and lay down beside her. Slipping his forearm under her pillow, he propped himself up so he could see her face.

“It is not unusual for dancer partners not to finish at the same time.”

“I don’t think the word ‘dance’ means the same thing here as it does on Earth, but let’s go back to the beginning. Where am I?” She sat up and scooted as far away from him as she could without leaving the bed.

Rather than review all the reasons she should know her location, Vaden simply supplied the information. “You are on the Bron en Tarr, currently in Sector 219 of the Disputed Territories.”

“You said you’re a commander.” She pulled back the bedding and covered herself with the sheet. “Is this your ship?”

“Yes.” He sighed. “I thought we were beyond all this.”

“I thought…never mind what I thought. How was I brought here? All I remember is a sucking sensation that felt as if it would tear me apart.”

She drew the sheet up to her chin, which helped with his concentration if not his patience. They’d already danced. Why play these games now? “Long-range transportation is especially hard on the human body. Regulations require a minimum of twelve lunar cycles in between voyages. That’s why I can’t send you back, even if I wanted to—which I do not.”

“Twelve ‘lunar cycles’?” She paused as she either sorted it out or her microbes provided the translation. “You mean I’m stuck here for a year?”

What was she hoping to gain by this foolishness? She was naked and in his bed and his seed was already inside her. It made no sense. “I contracted you for five solar cycles, sweetheart. You’re stuck here for five years.”

Everyone had warned him not to contract an Earth woman. Their export regulations were ridiculous and their insistence on discretion convoluted interplanetary protocols. Vaden had no idea why Earth governments were so determined to keep their general populations ignorant of “alien” interaction, and it really wasn’t his concern. Zoe was. Human females could be volatile. They could also be passionate and almost as intelligent as Paridagon females.

Besides, he had debated whether or not to participate in the program for so long, the only contracts left had been for Earth women.

Zoe’s lovely eyes looked into his with such misery he nearly dragged her back into his arms, but then she opened her mouth and began to speak.

“Please, just listen for a minute. I bought the dress from a man in the city where I live. He also gave me a booklet, but I had no reason to think the story was anything other than an amusing tale. And the only thing I signed was a credit card receipt.”

“What was explained in the booklet?” The contract contained a basic history of his people. He now suspected she’d read the contract and didn’t realize what she’d read.

Her eyes widened and she stared past him into nothingness. “Oh my God. I knew I’d heard that name before.” She blinked away the memory and looked at him again. “The booklet was all about the Paridago wars. According to the story, you won glorious battles against the Stagen hordes, a race of beings both cruel and ruthless. After much sacrifice and bloodshed, the war was all but won. All that was left was to negotiate the borders, but the bureaucrats failed, leaving the territories in dispute. So it fell back to the warriors to keep full-scale war from breaking out all over again.”

He snorted. “That about sums it up. We’ve had no choice but to stay and fight while less honorable men returned to their comfortable lives back in the inner systems. Of course, their lives are only comfortable because we’re foolish enough to hold back the enemy.”

She nodded as understanding gradually focused her gaze. “The war has gone on decades longer than anyone imagined, so female companionship has become a real problem.”

“To say the least.”

“When I read the story, it made me think of mail-order brides.” A wistful catch came into her voice as she used the unfamiliar term.

“I don’t understand the reference.”

“At times in human history, females were scarce in certain parts of the planet where I live. Men had no choice but to offer money, or land, to lure women to their remote locations.”

Was that the source of her discontent? She wanted compensation for dancing with him? “A large transfer of funds should have taken place when you agreed to be my dance partner. I didn’t expect you to do this for nothing. If the contract had been executed properly, you would have lived comfortably on Earth for the rest of your life once your obligation was concluded.”

“Then I’m glad I was basically kidnapped. I’m not a whore.” She seemed even more upset than before and he had no idea how to defuse her.

He’d saved and gone without even the most basic luxuries for the better part of two solar cycles so he could purchase her contract. Granted, he now had a dance partner, but it galled him to know he’d been robbed.

No, they’d been robbed. The money was meant for Zoe and if she hadn’t received it, then it stood to reason the man who sold her the dress had. Whether or not she wanted the money, Vaden intended to investigate the crime.

She folded her legs beneath her and tucked the sheet under her arms. The sheet stretched just tight enough that her nipples made tempting shadows beneath the stark white material. Desire sparked within him, reaching for the surface, ready to play. He snapped his gaze back to her face and released another sigh. How could he help her not feel like a whore when her primary purpose for being here was to dance with him?

“Let’s talk basic vocabulary,” she suggested. “What does the word ‘dance’ mean to you?”

He grinned, his gaze drifting back to those shadowy nipples. “How about if I demonstrate?”

“Are there more than one kind of dances? You referred to what we did as a Decadent Dance. What other kinds are there? Better yet, what’s the generic definition for the word ‘dance’?”

If this would settle her down and ease her anxiety, he’d indulge her. To a point. “A dance is any series of movements that has no other purpose but pleasure. Dances can be innocent, or joyous, or celebratory, or downright decadent.”

She nodded then fell silent for a long time. “Are events ever held so that people can dance with each other?”

His cock had already started to rise. He wasn’t sure how long he could indulge her need for chatter. “I think I remember such things from my childhood, but obviously nothing like that takes place on a border ship.”

“What makes this a border ship?”

The question seemed self-evident, but he clarified. “It patrols the borders of the Disputed Territories.”

“How many women are on board this ship?”

“Including you?” She nodded. “Sixteen.”

“And how many men?”

“Three hundred and ninety-two.”

She just stared at him as the color drained from her face.

“Zoe, you are mine.” He let his tone ring with finality then he reached for her, amazed when she didn’t flinch away. “No one will touch you but me. You are safe.” She seemed too stunned to move, so he scooped her up and carried her into the bathroom, enjoying the warmth of her small body as she snuggled against his chest.

He set her down inside the shower stall and activated the spray with a voice command. She didn’t say a word, but those big, dark eyes watched every move he made. When water needed to be rationed, chemical foam replaced the soothing mist, but they’d taken on supplies three days before.

“What’s your fascination with various forms of dance?” he asked as the water saturated her dark hair.

“That’s how I make my living.”

“What?” Her casual admission shouldn’t have bothered him. She was the one who’d balked at being labeled a whore.

She laughed. “Not what you’re thinking. On Earth, people not only enjoy dancing. They enjoy watching others dance.”

“People pay credits to watch you—”

“Not Decadent Dancing, you pervert.” She flung a handful of water toward him. “The other kinds, joyful, playful, even sorrowful dances. We express all sorts of emotions and tell all sorts of stories through movement and music.”

“I have never heard music.”

Zoe looked up at Vaden, her heart just about to break. Chills coated her forearms and made her shiver. “You’ve never heard music? Honestly?”

“Why would I lie?” He turned to face the mist, but Zoe couldn’t tell if he was embarrassed or annoyed. “I know the definition of the word. I simply have no frame of reference for such a thing.”

Oh for an mp3 player or even a windup gramophone. How could she make him understand what music was if he’d never heard anything like it before?

Sensing his emotional retreat, she slipped her arms around his waist and pressed against his back. He tensed for a moment but didn’t push her away. If all he’d wanted was a “dance partner”, he would have left the cabin as soon as his lust was sated. Vaden was obviously lonely. He’d answered her questions and done his best to calm her fears. All of which made him even more attractive than his amazing body and surreal face.

“Music is important to you?” His tone was hushed and tense.

“Very much so.” Was he uncomfortable with the unfamiliar concept or was her casual touch arousing him? She moved her hands to his hips then stepped back, feeling deprived as their bodies separated. “If there’s no Paridagon equivalent of music, you’re going to get really tired of hearing me sing.”

He turned around and looked at her, but his expression was impossible to read. They finished showering in companionable silence, Zoe lost in thought.

Purpose burned away her helplessness and allowed her to think beyond the moment. It was obvious she wasn’t going home anytime soon, so there was no sense making Vaden miserable. He hadn’t done this to her. The jerk who’d sold her the dress was responsible for this debacle, but he was well out of reach for at least twelve “lunar cycles”.

So the question became, what did she want to do with her time while she was stuck in this galaxy? Obviously, she wanted to learn as much about these people as possible, but she also wanted to share a bit of her culture with them.

The performing arts were her life. She’d had her first dance class at age four and performed in high school and community theater productions. Her dream had been to attend Julliard, but she’d landed a role on Broadway at sixteen instead and spared herself the burden of massive student loans.

Now she was faced with the most miraculous opportunity imaginable. An entire population who had never experienced the wonder of music or dance? It was tragic, and yet it fired her up as nothing else could.

Perhaps she’d been brought here for a reason. Artistic Ambassador to Paridago?

Vaden handed her a towel as she stepped out of the shower with a smile. “Thanks.” She could start with her dance partner and see how her efforts were received.

“Have you worked through your confusion? You seem…better now.”

With her new crusade to guide her, she didn’t feel so lost. She suspected her bouts of homesickness and anger were far from over, but she had a clear grasp on what was and what was not within her grasp. “I’m trying not to take this out on you.”

“Then I’ll do the same.” Before she could anticipate his meaning, he was on his knees and his face was pressed into the juncture of her thighs. “Your conflict distracted from your pleasure and you didn’t find release.” He grasped her thighs, urging them apart and bending one knee as her weight shifted to her other foot. “Now you will finish what we started.” She didn’t much care for his bossy tone, but he swiped her cleft with an enthusiastic lick and she forgot to be annoyed. “I’ll never tire of your taste.”

Words any woman was happy to hear. She rested her head against the wall and hooked her leg over his arm, opening herself for his questing mouth. His lips were warm and his tongue felt so perfect against her clit. Within seconds she was trembling with the first spasm of an orgasm.

“Not yet, Z.” He circled her opening with his tongue, drawing the tingles away from her clit. “I want a more leisurely taste.”

“Taste as long as you like.” She laughed. “I love the way you make me feel.”

His tongue traced her slit over and over then he gently sucked on each delicate fold. He slowly circled her opening until she grabbed the back of his head and ground herself against his mouth. His sexy chuckle assured her that he was aware of her need and still he avoided her most sensitive spots, preferring to drive her insane instead.

Finally his lips closed around her clit and carefully pulled.

She arched and shook with the orgasm he’d denied her for so long. Before the last spasm passed, he thrust two fingers into her passage and started the sequence all over again. His fingers slid in and out, his tongue lashed her swollen clit and the pleasure rocketed even higher.

When he finally raised his head, Zoe was dazed and dizzy, her legs so shaky she slid down the wall. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her, his tongue tasting of her pleasure, a fact that sent aftershocks pulsing through her overstimulated core.

“I think you’re trying to kill me,” she whispered against his damp lips.

“No. That’s just a taste of what awaits you when I return.”

“You’re leaving?”

He laughed. “I have a ship to run. I am the commander.”

“I’ll let you go if you show me how to do one thing?”

His ink-black brows arched. “I didn’t realize I needed your permission to leave.”

She pushed to her feet and smiled. “I didn’t mean it like that. I’d like to prepare a surprise for you and I need to be able to record different sounds, preferably overlapping. You turned on the shower with a voice command. Can your ship’s computer make layered audio files?”

“Of course.” He held out his hand.

She quickly wrapped herself in a towel before she took his hand then followed him to the built-in desk in the far corner of the outer room. He demonstrated the basic controls and created a level-one logon, which would allow her access to all non-sensitive computer functions.

“This will allow you to access video files about this galaxy. I know you must be curious about the worlds and peoples you’ll encounter. The majority of my men are Paridagon like me, but there are several other species as well. I’ve highlighted files on the others.”

“Thank you.”

He nodded and went to the closet, where he pulled on a solid black uniform. It seemed a shame to cover up his shimmering markings, but the matte material contoured to his impressive shape and she reconsidered. He looked like an action figure come to life. She pressed her lips together to hide her smile. Damn, the man was fine!

“I’ll have food brought to you if I’m unable to return in a reasonable timeframe, but you must not leave the cabin.” All softness was gone from his voice and expression. He was all commander now. “If I have need of you, I’ll send someone to fetch you.”

She didn’t appreciate his condescending tone, but she nodded.

He had almost reached the door when she said, “Vaden?” He looked back and she dropped the towel. “Do you care if I raid your closet? All my clothes are back on Earth.”

Chapter Three

The little hellion! Vaden stood at the central command station, staring out across his orderly bridge, but all he could see was Zoe’s alabaster skin, her full breasts and supple legs. He wanted her again.

No, he hadn’t stopped wanting her since she’d appeared in the transport bay, disoriented and babbling, dark eyes wide with fear. Her taste still lingered on his tongue and yet he wanted her to sit on his face, shaking with pleasure until her cream flowed into his mouth. He wanted to push his cock inside her so deep and so hard that she would never—

“Commander?” The amusement in Kovar’s voice snapped Vaden back to reality. His second-in-command joined him on the raised dais and asked, “Is there a problem, Sir?”

He scanned the multitude of readings displayed on the console then shook his head. “Everything is fine. I’m just a bit distracted this afternoon.”

Kovar grinned and lowered his voice. “Then the rumors are true? Your dancer finally arrived?”

Vaden sighed. Kovar knew him too well for a brush-off. They’d served together since induction training. “She did, but there are complications.”

“Complications? Was she injured during transportation? Which planet is she from?”

“Earth.”

“Ah. Human females can be crafty.”

Anger surged through Vaden so suddenly his fist was halfway to Kovar’s face before he realized what he was doing. Kovar simply laughed, which only compounded Vaden’s irritation. Zoe was not crafty. She was making the best of a situation she didn’t understand, a situation into which she had been duped.

“And they tend to trigger our primal natures,” Kovar continued. “Guess I don’t have to ask if she’s affected you that way.”

“I need to—”

“Go. And keep your cock inside her until you’re able to concentrate again.”

Kovar wasn’t the only one laughing as Vaden rushed from the command deck, but he didn’t care. Kovar was right. Until he could stop obsessing about his dancer, he was a hindrance, not a help. Too impatient to wait for a lift, he slid down the utility ladder to the accommodations level two decks below.

He scanned his cabin door open—and staggered to a halt as it closed behind him.

What the hell was she doing?

Every object in the room that wasn’t fused to the floor had been piled on the bunk or slid against the wall. She stood in the middle of the room dressed in one of his undershirts, which she had belted with the neck cloth from his dress uniform.

“Oh, I’m not ready for you yet!” Her full lower lip rolled outward, coming precariously close to a pout. “Can you come back in about an hour?”

Not at all the reception he’d expected. He stalked toward her and grabbed her ass with both hands, sliding her up his body. “But I’m ready to come right now.” He barely gave her time to wrap her arms around his neck before his mouth claimed hers.

She made a soft sound in her throat that could have been surprise or fear, so he waited for her lips to part before he plundered the warm interior of her mouth. She wrapped her long legs around his waist, her body settling more comfortably against his.

Wrapping one arm around her hips, he freed his other hand to roam. She wore nothing beneath the shirt and he’d never felt anything as soft as her ass cheeks. “I missed you.” He whispered the words against her lips then kissed her again before she could reply. He didn’t want to hear more excuses for why she didn’t want him. She hadn’t actually refused him, but the only time she’d indicated any interest in dancing was when she’d dropped the towel.

Easing back just far enough to separate their mouths, she whispered, “I sort of trashed the bed. Will the desk take my weight?”

He looked into her eyes, and desire—and something brighter, something almost alien to him—curled through his being. Refusing to analyze the emotions while his body burned, Vaden rushed to the nearest wall and pressed her back firmly against the smooth surface.

“The only thing that needs to take your weight is me, and I’m more than capable.”

To his surprise, she let go of his neck and loosened her legs, trusting him to support her as she reached between their bodies. “Then let’s see what you brought me.”

The seam on his pants parted and her warm fingers closed around his cock. He closed his eyes and groaned at the simple pleasure of being touched by her.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to warm you up first? I wouldn’t mind a closer look at those markings.”

The last thing he needed was “warming up”, but her curiosity was obvious. Unable to resist the sweet temptation, he released her legs and let her slide to the floor. He kept her caged between the wall and his body, enjoying the subtly aggressive pose. She was his, only his, and it appeared as if she was starting to accept the fact.

He moved back, giving her enough room to kneel. Then he put his hands on the wall and let her play.

She opened the front of his pants as far as possible, but that didn’t seem to satisfy her. She tugged the material to his knees then motioned to his boots. “Can I take them off?” His throat was so dry he couldn’t reply, so he shook his head. “You’re returning to work as soon as we’re done?”

The disappointment in her tone pleased him far more than it should have. She’d made amazing progress in a few short hours. He’d be a fool to rush her now. With a challenging smile, he flexed his abs and drew her attention back to her task.

She traced the markings up his thigh and across his hip, but rather than descend as the pattern did, she skimmed her fingers across his lower belly then explored his inner thigh.

Wicked, wicked little dancer. Had she always been a tease or was this payback for the times he’d kept her waiting?

“Is the pattern sensitive?” She leaned in and followed the intricate lines from hipbone to mid-thigh with the tip of her tongue, and his head dropped back on his shoulders. The wet heat sank into his flesh and stoked the fires deep inside him. She had no idea what she was doing or how fast he could lose control if she didn’t stop, but he didn’t have the strength to pull her mouth away.

His cock twitched and his balls tightened—and most shocking of all, his minor penile shaft started to protrude above the other.

How was this possible? Zoe was human. They couldn’t possibly be compatible.

Knowing she would be shocked, perhaps repulsed by the differences in their physiology, he tried to pull her back to her feet.

She shrugged off his hands and gingerly touched the tip of his minor cock. “What is this?” She sounded curious, maybe even fascinated.

“Don’t touch it or I’ll…” He gulped in air, forcing his stubborn body to relax. And still the appendage lengthened and thickened until it was nearly as large as the shaft below. “I’ll completely lose control.”

“Okay, no touching. Is that what it looks like? Are you a buy-one-get-one-free sort of guy?”

He laughed and pulled her to her feet, bringing her hands to his shoulders. “I’m not human. Paridagon males have control over their primary penis. The minor one… It’s highly unusual for it to emerge unless I’m with a Paridagon female.”

“Why?”

“The primary penis is for pleasure. The minor is required for reproduction.”

She nodded, obviously intrigued by the discovery. “This is what you meant when you said you couldn’t get me pregnant before. Do you need to use both for reproduction or just the smaller one?”

“Both.” He really wasn’t in the mood for a lengthy conversation about Paridagon biology.

“Then our species can crossbreed?” She was clearly shocked.

“It takes extensive hormone therapy, which prepares the female’s body to nurture the mixed-blood offspring. There is still no risk that I will impregnate you.”

Her gaze returned to his groin and a bit of the curiosity faded from her eyes. “If you got me pregnant, that would pretty much ensure that I’d stay here with you. Even after the contract lapsed.”

He cupped her chin and raised her face. “I would never do that to you. If I could…”

“If you could what?”

He clenched his jaw and lowered his arms to his sides. Why couldn’t she leave well enough alone? “I almost said if I could send you back, I would. But I despise liars, so I will not lie. I don’t want you to leave. I’m sorry you didn’t choose to be here and I will do everything in my power to make your stay…pleasant. But right now you’re stuck with me.”

“‘Pleasant’?” Her warm smile burned through the tension as her hands slid down his body. “With two cocks, I’m pretty sure you can do better than ‘pleasant’.”

“I should try to retract—” One of her hands closed around each shaft and he groaned. “It’s far more extreme when I use both.” He was panting so hard he could barely form the words. “My body releases hormones that produce a sort of frenzy. I’m not sure you are ready for Paridagon dancing.”

Sinking into a deep knee bend, she spread her legs wide as she smiled into his eyes. “Is it dangerous or just intense?”

If she kept this up she was going to find out!

The shirt barely covered her crotch, but her legs were bare and the position was overtly provocative. She licked the tip of one cock and then the other. His minor shaft was so sensitive, the pleasure blinded him and his heart momentarily lost its rhythm. Then she focused on his major cock, sucking him deep as her hand gently worked his other shaft.

He would not spill in her mouth. He wanted to feel her ass and her cunt clench him together as she came. No other sensation would satisfy; everything else was just dancing.

Pulling her to her feet, he tore the tie from her waist and took off the barrowed shirt. Then he tugged his boots off so violently one went flying across the room. She helped him out of his pants and his uniform top soon joined the other garments strewn about the floor.

They came together skin-to-skin, rubbing and pressing, exploring with eager hands as their mouths fused in a soul-stealing kiss. This was happening so fast. He was staggered by the depths of his desire, but she must be completely overwhelmed.

“Are you sure this is what you want?” He searched her eyes for the answer, not sure he could trust her words. She was utterly dependent upon him and they both knew it. Still, he didn’t want her to offer her body out of a sense of obligation. “We can wait until I’m calmer, more in control.”

“Everything about this is wild and wondrous. Why should this be any different? I didn’t go out looking for an adventure, but here I am. I intend to savor every moment we have together and experience everything this world has to offer.”

The ending insinuated by her words was that she’d return to Earth. He closed his eyes for a moment as disappointment flooded his soul. What had he expected? She hadn’t even come here of her own free will.

He took a deep breath and released the discouragement, replacing it with determination. The soonest she could leave was one solar cycle. That meant he had one Earth year to convince her to stay.

Pushing his hands into her silky hair, he paused for another long, deep kiss. “We can either take time to unload the bed or we can be creative.”

“Creative.” She nipped his lower lip. “I’m tired of waiting.”

Her claim made him smile. He was so hard he could use either of his cocks as a weapon and she was tired of waiting? The desk would probably hold her weight, but it was too narrow for true comfort. Instead, he positioned her in front of it, her forearms resting on the desktop, feet spread apart.

“I should keep you naked, so all I have to do is bend you over the nearest piece of furniture.”

She laughed and wiggled her butt. “Isn’t that what you’ve done?”

He pushed his hand between her thighs and groaned as her wet folds closed around his fingers. “I think you missed me too.”

She rocked her hips, lightly riding his hand. “I think you’re right.”

If he hoped to be gentle at all, he couldn’t postpone this any longer. He squeezed the base of his minor cock and moisture beaded all over his shaft. “Have you ever taken a man in your ass before?”

She shivered and her pussy tightened around his finger. Obviously, she was excited by the thought. “Only once, but I have a toy I really like that goes…back there.”

“Let’s see how this compares to your toy.” He withdrew his fingers and positioned himself at both her entrances. Possessive heat spiraled through his torso and set his balls on fire. No human could give her what he could give. No one else would ever—

He cut himself off. One step at a time.

Zoe held perfectly still, naked and trembling. She was on a starship in a distant galaxy, about to surrender her body completely to the most captivating male she’d ever encountered. How had this happened? She’d gone from denial, to dread, to fury, to a sort of fragile acceptance all in the course of a day.

Was she still in shock? Was that why everything felt right when Vaden touched her?

He bent his knees and eased one of his cocks just inside her pussy.

One of his cocks! Could anything be more alien? Or feel more amazing?

His other cock pressed against her anus. He’d called this his “minor penis”. It was thinner than the other, which made it perfect for where it was going. He wrapped his arms around her, one hand cupping her breast while the other covered her mound. His middle finger sank between her folds and circled her clit.

“Do you accept me, Zoe? Will you take all I have to give?”

“Yes.” The word sent a thrill ricocheting through her body and her clit twitched beneath his finger. She pushed back slowly, driving her body onto his slick shafts. He was hard, but smooth and slippery and her body opened to accommodate him. She’d expected burning, maybe a little pain, but all she felt was blessed fullness. “Wow.”

Unable to fight the instinct, she squeezed him as hard as she could and sensation radiated through her abdomen.

“Don’t stop.” His finger flicked across her clit, encouraging the spontaneous clenches. “Do it again.”

He was plastered to her back, his cocks completely engulfed within her body. She squeezed and squeezed, the back of her head pressing into his shoulder. Her pulse raced and her skin tingled, her muscles on the verge of cramping. “I feel strange, sort of edgy.”

“I warned you.”

“I think I need you to move.”

Not needing any more encouragement, he pulled back then thrust hard. The motion accented the sensations and added to her restlessness. She slammed her hips back, doubling the impact of his next stroke, and pleasure detonated deep inside her.

She screamed as her inner muscles contracted in rippling waves, but he didn’t stop. Each long, steady stroke created a new spasm, pushing the pleasure to a higher peak. Lights danced before her eyes and still he fucked her, filling her body with forceful command.

He slowed for a time, waiting as she floated back down. Then he moved both hands to her hips and pounded into her even harder than before. Zoe had never understood how anyone could enjoy rough sex, but her body craved every aggressive drive, needing his frenzy.

She lost count of her orgasms, couldn’t believe that he was still on his feet.

Then he pulled her up and wrapped his arms around her, crossing them over her chest. He stilled and she thought something was wrong. Then his cocks swelled, stretching her tighter than she dreamed possible. He shuddered against her back, groaning with each distinct spasm. He came and came, his climaxes slow and rhythmic.

“I never dreamed…”

His voice was so thick with emotion, she turned her head and looked up at him. “What?”

“When I contracted a dancer, I knew I would enjoy physical pleasure, perhaps even companionship. I never dreamed she would be capable of providing me with a true Paridagon joining. I am humbled and I am thrilled.”

She wasn’t sure how to respond to his mood so she just smiled at him. He carefully separated their bodies then swept her into his arms. Without a word, he carried her into the bathroom and into the shower. His hands glided over her body with something frighteningly close to reverence.

When he reached between her legs, she grabbed his wrist. “I can do that.”

“It’s tradition. Don’t deny me or I’ll be insulted.”

She had no idea if it were true or if he just wanted to play with her pussy, but a few seconds later she didn’t care. Rather than arousing, his touch was gentle and soothing and she was a bit disappointed when he told the water to turn off and led her back into the main room of the cabin.

He dried her with a towel and handed her the shirt she’d borrowed that morning. She pulled it on and found the red sash she’d been using as a belt. By the time she’d completed her ensemble, he was dressed again in his severe black uniform.

“I need to return to work. I’ve neglected my duties long enough.” He sounded genuinely reluctant. “Before I go, would you like to explain why you rearranged the furniture?”

“I wasn’t finished, but I’ll show you what I have so far.” She looked around the disorganized room and pointed to the desk they’d utilized so recently. “Please stand over there.”

His gaze narrowed, but he ambled to the desk then leaned against the edge and crossed his arms over his chest. “Carry on.”

The tender lover who’d insisted on washing her so intimately was once again buried inside the autocratic commander. She’d seen the transition often enough now to find it amusing. Well, he’d allowed her to take a virtual tour of his world. It was time for him to see a glimpse of hers.

“Computer, loop playback, file name ‘It’s Just the Rain’.” She’d just started to work out the choreography when he’d returned to the cabin. She’d have to let the music flow through her and express herself as best she could. Unfortunately, the music was several layers of her own voice, which she found more than a little distracting. But she loved the song and she loved to dance.

She closed her eyes and listened, concentrating on the lyrics instead of the delivery. Then she raised her arms and opened her eyes and told the story with her body. She spun and arched, stretched and leapt, carefully centering her weight each time her damaged ankle came into play.

Loss and longing swept through her as the melancholy song began again. She allowed the emotions to flow, guiding her steps and shaping her movements. She thought of her friends and family, the home she might never see again. Sophie’s image drove the pain deeper and Zoe’s body expressed her grief. She had to let go of the world she’d known and focus on the future. This was strange and unexpected, an opportunity beyond her wildest dreams.

Her gaze collided with Vaden’s and a new wave of feelings inundated her mind. Hope swelled, pushing out her sadness and lightening her steps. She spun faster as she thought of the pleasure they’d shared and the mysteries she’d yet to uncover. This was far more than an incendiary love affair. Her warrior elf had given her an entire galaxy to explore!

Excited and energized, she reached the end of the song and halted the playback. She kept her face averted for a moment, afraid to look at Vaden, unsure of his reaction to something so…alien.

He moved away from the desk, stepping into her line of vision, so she turned her head and looked at him. “That voice was yours?” Unable to speak past the lump in her throat, she nodded. “And these movements are what humans call dancing?”

Again all she could do was nod. This was what she did, who she was. If he rejected her art…

There could be no future for them? Had she really allowed herself to open that door? “I know it’s strange. I just wanted you to—”

He placed his fingers against her lips, his gaze more silver than blue. “I have never seen anything so beautiful or heard a more poignant sound. I can’t decide if I should lock you away so no one else will realize what a treasure I’ve found, or…”

“Or?” Her heart was pounding so hard she could barely contain her happy tears.

“Even I understand such beauty is meant to be shared.” A tear escaped the corner of her eye and slid down her cheek. “Why are you crying?” He caught the tear with his knuckle then wiped her cheek with the pad of his thumb.

“Earlier, I was ready to kill the man who sold me that ridiculous dress, now I feel like I owe him everything.”

He smiled. “Do you think you can be content in a world without music?”

“Obviously, I’ll simply make my own.”

He brushed his mouth over hers then pulled back and asked, “Can others be taught to make those sounds?”

“It’s called singing, and many can, others cannot.”

“Would you be willing to try?”

“What did you have in mind?”

“Many of the other dancers have complained that they have nothing to occupy their time while their men are working. Would you be willing to teach them how to move as you move and sing?”

“Teaching others how to dance—as I was just dancing, not as you like to dance—was my occupation on Earth. If the other women are interested, I would enjoy teaching them.” She looked around and laughed. “We’ll have to find a better place for the lessons. This room is really not big enough.”

“I’ll find somewhere for you, perhaps one of the smaller cargo bays.” He kissed her on the forehead and heaved a heavy sigh. “I really need to go, but I really don’t want to.”

“Go on.” She slapped him on the ass, feeling wonderfully empowered. “We have the rest of our lives to play house.”

His gaze brightened and he echoed, “The rest of our lives?”

She wasn’t about to make it that easy for him. “I’m stuck here for at least a year. We’ll see what happens after that.”

He swept her into his arms and kissed her with slow, tender insistency. “Until tonight.”

She waited until he’d gone to let out a joyful shout. Her life had gone from mediocre to miraculous in the span of a day—and she was never going back!