Crusader (Battle Born Book 1) Read online

  “First thing in the morning. Like it or not, Ashley needs rest. She’s still recovering from regeneration.”

  “I’ll tell Pator and two others to be ready at first light.”

  Ashley motioned toward Irron’s device. “You said I could use your phone.”

  “She can use mine.” Bandar quickly ushered Irron out the door.

  “Enjoy your evening,” Irron called as the door slid shut behind him.

  Bandar leaned back against the door and folded his arms over his chest. “Now, where were we?”

  Chapter Eight

  “You were about to let me use your phone.”

  The stubborn tilt of Ashley’s chin warned Bandar that he had his work cut out for him. “It’s still Friday and Friday is your day off. There will be plenty of time tomorrow to pacify your customers. Road trips are tedious.”

  Her forehead scrunched up and she placed her hands on her hips. “Road trips are awesome and I don’t want to wait.”

  “Neither do I.” Before she guessed his purpose, he rushed forward and scooped her up in his arms. She felt so damn good there. He didn’t want to put her down. “If this isn’t what you want, tell me now. But I’m through with excuses and delays. We are meant to be together. Unless you look into my eyes and tell me you don’t want me, our union starts right now.”

  She looked into his eyes, then slowly licked her lips. “I shouldn’t, but I do.”

  “You do what?”

  “I want this. I want you.”

  Joy rushed through his spirit, stealing his breath as it set him in motion. He crossed to the bed and lowered her to the neatly made spread. He wanted her naked and trembling with anticipation, but he wasn’t sure he could wait long enough to fully undress her. After quickly tugging off his boots, he joined her on the bed.

  “This is so—”

  Seeing the uncertainty gathering in her gaze, he silenced her with his mouth. If he let her, she’d rationalize her way out of needing him. And this wasn’t about logic or reason. It was elemental, a soul-deep hunger for the one person who could make him complete. She felt it too. He was certain she did.

  Her lips softened and then parted. Her tongue greeted the bold thrust of his. He slipped one arm under her neck and went to work on the buttons of the lab coat. The garment was loose enough, he might be able to pull it off over her head, but that would require releasing her mouth.

  She arched and moaned, burying her fingers in his hair. Her mouth was warm and moist, but he needed more than just intoxicating kisses. He couldn’t wait to feel her inner heat ripple around his cock as he gave her orgasm after orgasm.

  Suddenly impatient, she sat up and pulled her arms out of the sleeves, baring her body to the waist. He pushed up, locking his elbow and cupping her breast with his free hand. “You are amazing. So lush and soft.”

  She glanced back at him with a hesitant smile. “I’m glad you think so. I’ve always thought I’d look better with a lot less padding.”

  “What?” He sat as well, pressing his chest to her back as he cupped both breasts. “You’re soft and round, very feminine. Why would you want to change?”

  “The human standard of beauty is leaner, less…wiggly.”

  “Whoever established that standard is deluded. Men are meant to be hard, women soft. It’s as simple as that.” She seemed relieved by his attitude, so he turned her toward him, bowing his head so he could tease her nipples with his mouth. The first bud tightened, the color immediately darkening. “So responsive.” He repeated the caress on the other side.

  “Only with you.”

  Possessive desire surged through his body, sending scalding blood straight to his groin. His cock twitched inside his pants, desperate to be inside her. In a flurry of motion, he guided her back to the bed and attacked the front of her jeans. He yanked the snug fabric to just below her knees, but lost patience with the barrier and pushed her legs toward her chest instead.

  She gasped at his sudden aggression, but crossed her ankles and shifted her knees so her thighs parted. He held the back of her legs and lowered his face toward her flushed slit. Her scent hit him first, sultry and evocative. Then he traced her slowly from back to front, watching in wonder as her creamy folds parted for his fingers.

  “Is this what you meant by tasting you?” He whispered the question against her slick flesh.

  “Yes.” She shivered, moving her thighs even farther apart. “Please.”

  “Please what?” He loved the husky purr in her voice and needed to hear her admit that she wanted all of the things he intended to do with and for her.

  “Please, put your tongue…where your finger is.”

  He grinned without lifting his head. “Here?” He traced her crease, passing over her opening without pushing his tongue inside. “Or here?” He lightly circled her clit.

  “Both, but manly there.”

  “Say it, angel. Say, Bandar, please lick my clit.”

  After a moment’s hesitation, she whispered, “Bandar, please lick my clit now.”

  He grinned at the urgency in the plea, but gave her what he wanted, what they both wanted. He rubbed and flicked the sensitive little bud until she was wild beneath him. He used two fingers from time to time, urging her even higher. He didn’t want to stop, wanted to drown in her taste and use his fingers and mouth to keep her cream flowing, but his aching chock wouldn’t be denied.

  Carefully parting her folds with his thumbs, he closed his lips around her clit and sucked on the bundle of nerves. It only took a few seconds and she arched nearly off the bed, pulsing beneath his lips as pleasure claimed her.

  “Oh! Oh God.” She shivered then shivered again, lost in release.

  Their telepathic connection expanded, allowing emotions to pass along the link. He hadn’t consciously commanded his nanites to construct another layer to the bond, but they’d obviously anticipated his need. Her pleasure swirled through his mind as he prolonged her ripples with his mouth.

  He wanted this to go on forever and yet he could wait no longer to be inside her. He frantically unfastened his pants. His cock sprang free, more than ready to facilitate their joining. He didn’t want to take her in a tangle of clothes, but he simply couldn’t wait.

  Positioning himself at her entrance, he shifted her legs to one side so he could look into her eyes. “This isn’t just sex.” He wasn’t sure why he felt the need to clarify, but the words demanded he speak them. “It will never be just sex with us.” She didn’t argue, so he pushed inside her, filling her in one long, continuous stroke.

  Her eyes widened then closed as her body stretched around him. He clenched his teeth, panting with the effort it took not to pound into her. Instead he pulled back just as slowly, caressing her inside and out. He moaned, unashamed of the pleasure he found in her snug heat. “You feel so good, too damn good.”

  Having regained enough control to think again, he pushed deep then paused. He wanted her legs wrapped around his hips and her nipples rubbing his chest, which meant they were wearing too many clothes. He yanked her jeans the rest of the way off and tugged his shirt over his head, carelessly tossing the garments aside. Taking off his pants would require separation and there was no way he was pulling out now.

  She lowered her legs to a more natural position as he began to move in earnest. “Next time will be slow and sweet, I promise.” That was all the warning she got before he unleashed his passion.

  Balancing on his knees, he grasped her hips and filled her over and over. There was nothing in his past or even his fantasies that compared with the pleasure bombarding his body and mind. She felt perfect, as if she’d been intentionally sculpted to fit him like a glove. He pumped faster, lost in the wonder of loving his mate.

  There was no denying that was what she was. Ashley was his mate, the female destined to complete him. He rocked forward, catching his weight on his forearms as he rubbed against her breasts. She’d witnessed some of the most devastating points in his history and she hadn’t
turned away. Despite her understandable fear, she trusted him enough to want him in her life, and in her body.

  She drew her legs up along his sides, taking him even deeper. Her gaze met his, hot and hungry, eager for him. And if the physical clues weren’t enough, her emotions blasted across their link, easily as demanding as his. Overwhelmed by the undeniable proof of her affection, he threw back his head with a savage cry. His desire had been smoldering ever since they left the Relentless. Truth be told, it had begun before that. He’d wanted her when he first saw her naked in the regenerator and the need had built and built, making it impossible to deny. Knowing she wanted him just as badly shattered his control.

  He moved his hands lower, grasping her nicely rounded ass with both hands as his strokes grew faster, more urgent. She rose into each thrust, but her face was still too composed. He needed to fire her up or they wouldn’t come together. Slipping his hand between their bodies, he found her clit with his thumb and pared each forceful drive with a circular caress.

  She gasped. Her inner muscles clenching around him. “Are you close?” She sounded dazed and breathless. “If you keep doing that, I’m not going to last much longer.”

  “Don’t hold back,” he urged. “Come for me. Come with me.”

  Her orgasm rippled along his length, driving him over the edge. He arched his back and drove his entire length deep inside her. His thumb kept her spasms going as he releases in rhythmic jets. Aftershocks were still making her inner muscles twinge when he lowered his head and kissed her.

  The kiss was slow and tender, all the more intimate because their bodies were joined. Propping himself on his elbows and knees, he took his weight from her without separating their bodies. “Let’s take a shower and then we’ll do this right.”

  She smiled against his lips. “Did we just do it wrong?”

  He pushed back far enough so he could look into her eyes. “I wanted our first time to be perfect. This was over much too fast.”

  With mischief sparkling in her eyes, she reared up and nipped his bottom lip. “It might have been fast and…energetic, but it was also perfect. However, if you’re determined to try again, we have all night.”

  Ashley groaned as he rocked back onto his knees, separating their bodies in the process. He paused to remove his pants and she took full advantage of the opportunity to gawk at his incredible body. She hadn’t really seen him before he pushed inside her and he was every bit as impressive as he’d felt. She shivered, remembering the way she’d stretched to take him. With his muscles rippling beneath her fingers and his hard chest teasing her breasts, he’d filled her more completely than she’d ever dreamed possible.

  “Do I pass inspection?” His sensual mouth curved with male pride as he noticed the direction of her stare.

  “And then some.” Heat suffused her face and spread onto the upper curve of her breasts. His entire body fell into the “and then some” category.

  He took her by the hand and led her into the bathroom, far more comfortable walking around naked than she was. The lights came on automatically and she glanced in the mirror hanging over the sink. He stood beside her, tall and strong, body sculpted by decades of activity and discipline. When compared to his physical perfection, she looked even more pale and portly than usual.

  He moved behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. “You are so beautiful. Why can’t you see it?” Their gazes connected in the mirror and held.

  “You make me feel beautiful, but I still see myself through society’s eyes. I’m overweight and—”

  “You are prefect.” He cupped both her breasts, his gaze suddenly fierce. “And you will always be perfect regardless of the changes time makes to your outward appearance. I find your body pleasing, very pleasing right now, but you are so much more than your body.”

  Tears blurred her vision and she turned around, wrapping her arms tightly around his body. “Are you sure you’re not a figment of my imagination? No one can be this wonderful.”

  He picked her up and wrapped her legs around his waist as his mouth claimed hers in a passionate kiss. His hands moved over her back, her hips and her butt, still managing to keep her pressed against him. Without breaking the kiss, he walked into the shower and turned on the water. The spray hit his back primarily, but enough of the cool water found her bare skin to make her gasp then laugh.

  “That’s cold.”

  “I noticed.” He tried to recapture her mouth, but she unwrapped her legs and wiggled until he set her on her feet. “Did you turn on the hot water as well?”

  “It should default to an appropriate temperature.”

  As if to prove his point, the spray warmed without her adjusting the controls. “Much better.” She looked around for a bar of soap or a bottle of shampoo, then noticed the built-in dispenser. There were three pump nozzles but the labels were in Rodyte. “Which one is which?”

  “Soap, shampoo, this one is a combination deodorant and skin conditioner.” He pointed to the corresponding nozzles.

  “I see.” She pumped some soap into her hand and rubbed it between her palms. “Where shall I start?” She looked him up and down with obvious anticipation.

  “Anywhere you like.” He held his arms out to his sides a wicked grin parting his lips. “As long as I get my turn next.”

  She took her time, starting with his shoulders and working her way down. “Are all Rodytes this tall?”

  “I’m about average for a battle born male.”

  “Why do you make the distinction? Are the battle born different than other Rodyte males?”

  “We undergo gene therapies that make us larger and stronger. Most of us also have integrated technology of one sort or another.”

  She ran her hands down one arm and then the other, fascinated by the contrast between his smooth skin and rock-hard muscles. “You’ve mentioned your nanites. Do you have other integrated technologies?”

  “Of course. I have communication implants and munitions relays that allow me to control various external weapon systems. The nanites are new. They’re gradually replacing many larger, more intrusive implants.”

  It was hard to concentrate on what he was saying while she washed his remarkable body. She caressed his chest and abdomen, then went back for more soap before moving on to his legs. She bypassed his groin, intending to return to the area after she’d fully explored the rest of him.

  Her hands glided along his thighs and she bent from the waist so she could reach lower. Apparently her position was too much of a temptation to ignore because his hand stroked over her hip and squeezed one of her ass cheeks. She flipped her hair out of her face and smiled at him without changing position.

  His fingers eased over the curve of her butt and lower, just skimming across her folds before she laughed and twisted away. “It’s still my turn.”

  “You better hurry.” He reached for her breast and she moved behind him.

  She massaged his shoulders with soap-slicked fingers and he rewarded her with a throaty moan. Making him wait was just as much fun as memorizing his anatomy. Every single inch of him was lean, ripped muscle. He had very little body hair and his skin had a rich golden cast that many humans spent cancer-inducing hours in a tanning bed to achieve.

  He held perfectly still as she washed his tightly rounded behind. “You have a really nice ass,” she whispered as she squeezed one firm cheek. “Has anyone ever told you that?”

  He laughed and shifted away from her eager fingers. “If anyone else in my acquaintance told me that, I would have punched them in the face.”

  Her touch had aroused him and she hadn’t even washed that part of him yet. She licked her lips as she reached for his long, thick shaft. “You know my taste? Do I get to return the favor?”

  “Not until I’ve washed you.”

  She groaned at the thought then slid her fist up and down the length of his cock, eager for it to be deep inside her again.

  His groan echoed hers then he pushed her hand away. “
Enough.” His tone growled with impatience. “You no longer have permission to touch me.”

  A shivery thrill passed along her spine and reawakened the ache between her thighs. “Do I need permission?”

  His gaze locked with hers, his eyes slightly narrowed. “Rodyte males are naturally dominant. We can accept no other role. Is that a problem for you?”

  “No.” She dragged her gaze away, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

  He lightly caught her chin and drew her face back around. “I’m aware of the rules some humans utilize to enhance their pleasure. Would you feel more secure within such a structure?”

  “No.” She took a deep breath and stopped fidgeting. “It’s always been the forbidden nature of BDSM that I find titillating and I think we’ve got that covered already.” It was a bit of an exaggeration. She was also turned on by the thought of a sexually aggressive man who knew exactly what she needed and wasn’t afraid to give it to her, but Bandar appeared to have that covered as well. “I’d rather keep things fluid.”

  “As would I.” He spun her around and pulled her back against his chest. His hands were already soapy and he went right to work, matching her exploration caress for caress “I will never tire of touching you.” His erection pressed into her back a constant reminder of where this was leading. “I’m so tempted to bend you over and take you right here, but I promised you tender and slow.”

  She splayed her fingers against the wall and rocked onto the balls of her feet. “I don’t mind waiting a little while longer.”

  With a sudden growl, he lifted her off her feet and pressed his shaft lengthwise into the crack of her behind. “No.” His voice was so tight he likely had his teeth clenched. “I will not allow you to rush me again.”

  “Again?” She laughed rolling her hips suggestively. “Did I rush you last time?”

  “You made me wait so long I lost control. I will not do so again.”