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  Though softly spoken, it was still a directive. His manner tended to be easygoing, agreeable. She’d seen flashes of the predator, hints of his Rodyte nature, but he typically kept it well controlled. His features seemed to harden right along with his cock, and there was no mistaking the longing in his eyes. He was all Rodyte male, ready to claim his mate.

  She slowly raised her hands to her shirt. She could blame a kiss on him, swear she was overwhelmed and hadn’t known what she was doing. This was intentional, interactive. He wanted her to open her top and offer her breasts to him. Desire thrummed through her blood, making her core throb and her nipples tingle. She wanted this, needed to watch heat and appreciation light his gaze. She wanted to feel desirable again, to feel anything.

  Her hands trembled as she parted the sides, gradually revealing her unbound breasts. She held her breath, terrified of his reaction. She was a mature woman. She’d nursed two children and her body reflected the fact. Uncertain and ashamed, she reached for the sides of her top, but he cupped one breast, gently squeezing the soft mound.

  “You’re beautiful,” he whispered.

  She stared into his eyes, searching for any hint of insincerity, but his gaze was hot and hungry. He honestly looked as if he liked what he saw. Feeling awkward yet no longer ashamed, she said, “You should have seen them when I was eighteen.”

  He pressed his hand against the side of her face, thumb gently stroking her lower lip. “I don’t want a child. I want a woman. And you are perfect just the way you are.”

  She’d heard the phrase in everything from song lyrics to television commercials, but no one had ever said it to her before. Even her husband. He’d never been the sentimental type. He was an amazing provider, dependable and loyal, but— It didn’t matter! That was the past. And this was the first time she’d allowed herself to even think about the future.

  Rex stroked her nipple with his thumb, making the already hard flesh bead even tighter. She inhaled, pushing her breast against his hand. He steadied her back with his free hand as he bent and caught the pebbled tip between his lips. Warm and wet, his tongue circled, making her wiggle and moan. Each touch sent waves of sensation rippling through her body. She wanted more. She wanted everything and she wanted it now.

  Emboldened by his obvious enjoyment, she tugged his shirt free of his braided pants. He released her nipple just long enough to pull the garment off and toss it aside. Then he caught her under the arms and lifted her until her breasts were on a level with his face. She buried her hands in his hair as he adored her with soft kisses and demanding suction.

  She explored his naked torso, thrilled by the freedom and the blatant masculinity in his form. Each muscle was highly defined and hard as stone, yet his skin was velvety and warm. She’d known he was well built. His clingy shirt accented rather than concealed the shape of his upper body. Still, touching him, knowing she had the right to hug him and run her hands all over his amazing body intensified the ache between her thighs. She wanted him over her, rubbing against her as he filled her emptiness. Unable to stay her wandering hand, she descended along his washboard abs until her palm covered the considerable bulge in the front of his pants.

  He wrapped his fingers around her wrist and guided her hand back to his chest. “You’re not ready for that.”

  She closed her eyes, knowing he was right, but aching to be filled. “But I need it,” she whispered. “I need you.”

  “You need an orgasm, or two. You’re not ready for more.”

  Frustrated, yet thrilled by his selflessness, she slowly opened her eyes. “That’s not fair to you. I don’t want to use you like that.”

  He chuckled and grabbed her hips, easily supporting her weight as he pushed to his feet and headed toward the bed. “Then let’s use each other. We’ll take turns coming until we’re both too weak to move.”

  Desire, hot and consuming, burst within Thea and all she could do was moan.

  Chapter Four

  Rex set Thea down beside the bed and her legs shook so badly she could barely stand. He bent and tugged off his boots, then loosened the laces at the front of his braided pants. Instead of taking them off, however, he paused and looked at her.

  “Maybe it’s better if I leave them on. Will it make you feel safer?”

  What frightened her most was that she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from encouraging, hell, begging, him to take this much farther than they intended to go. Her body might be ready to ignite, but her emotions were still too volatile even to consider moving too fast. She nodded, trying but failing to smile. “But I reserve the right to change my mind.”

  He smiled, clearly pleased by the answer.

  She kicked off her ugly slip-on shoes. They perfectly matched the ugly uniform all the Outcasts and their captive brides were expected to wear. Well, if she was honest, the solidly built males were impressive enough to pull off the boring khaki outfits. Most of the women, however, looked odd and out of place.

  Her hands shook as she fumbled for the seam release in the uniform bottom. Rex brushed her hands aside and pressed the trigger himself. Then he framed her face with his hands and kissed her, a slow, deep exchange that helped her relax and center her racing mind in the moment.

  “You say stop, for any reason, and we stop. No questions asked. No regrets.” His gaze searched hers, compassion and tenderness clearly written on his handsome features. “Promise you’ll end this if things grow too intense?”

  She licked her lips, warmed by his concern and willingness to deprive himself of the promised pleasure. “I will.” The vow sent tingles down her spine and an odd warmth spread through her chest. No one had ever been so utterly focused on her. The intensity both thrilled and frightened her.

  Easing his hands inside her uniform bottoms, he pushed the garment past her hips. The Outcasts didn’t have a molecular pattern for female underwear, and didn’t seem motivated to program one, so the captives had to do without. Some of the larger breasted women had found the stretchy undershirt the males wore when they worked out provided enough support to keep from—

  He lightly pinched her nipple and she gasped. “What was that for?”

  “You keep drifting away. Your gaze clouds and it’s obvious your mind goes somewhere else. I was just helping you focus.”

  She wrapped her arms around him and pressed her breasts against his chest. “I’m sorry. My mind fills with trivial thoughts whenever I’m...”

  Lightly cupping her chin, he tilted her head back until she looked at him. “Whenever you what? Finish the sentence.”

  “Whenever I’m nervous, or afraid,” she admitted.

  “Are you afraid of me?” He sounded disappointed by the possibility.

  “No. I’m intimidated.” She averted her eyes as she added, “I’ve never been with anyone other than my husband.”

  He wrapped both arms around her and stroked the back of her hair. “If this turns out the way I’m praying it will, that statement will still be true.”

  It took her desire-fogged mind a moment to realize what he meant. The only human equivalent of a bonded couple was husband and wife. This might be about sexual frustration for her, but Rex was courting his potential mate. He wanted to claim her, join with her body, mind and spirit for the rest of his life.

  Rather than reassuring, she felt panic surge through her being. Her eyes widened and her breasts quivered as her pulse and respiration took off. “I don’t... I’m not...”

  He placed his hands on her shoulders and squeezed just hard enough to refocus her mind. “I have no intention of claiming you until you want it as badly as I do.” He went to the bank of inset drawers and pulled out a large T-shirt. “Slip this on and go to bed. I’ll sleep on the floor by the sofa. If you can’t sleep, we’ll watch an entertainment vid.”

  She took the shirt from him, but held it in front of her rather than putting it on. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to lead you on.”

  “You didn’t.” He stroked her cheek with the
back of his fingers. “We just met. I should have realized it was too soon for any of this.”

  She started to argue, but he was right. Less than twenty-four hours ago, she’d been convinced she would never have a romantic feeling about anyone ever again. It was best if they waited, let her mind process the changes her body was demanding.

  “Thank you for understanding.” Embarrassed by her wanton behavior, she turned her back to him and quickly pulled on the T-shirt.

  He carefully pulled her hair out from under the shirt, then wrapped his arm around her waist. “I’m willing to go as slowly as you need me to go. I was told by numerous geneticists that I would never have a mate. For me, finding you was like winning Earth’s lottery.”

  She snuggled back into the warmth of his body. “If I promise to keep my hands to myself, can we share the bed? I don’t want you to sleep on the floor because I’m an emotional wreck.”

  “I’m not sure that will be less challenging than sleeping on the floor, but we’ll give it a go.” He motioned toward the bed and she slipped beneath the covers. He dimmed the lights with a verbal command, then crawled onto the bed beside her. Wisely, he kept his pants on and stayed on the outside of the bedding.

  Saddened by the barrier, she hesitated to touch him. They were both sexually active adults. It felt almost foolish to need these precautions. But then, he didn’t want sex. He wanted to claim her, would never be satisfied with a casual affair.

  Would you? Her inner voice mocked.

  Having sex without a deep, emotional connection had never appealed to Thea. On Earth that sort of connection took weeks, sometimes months to form. This was different. Already she felt linked to Rex. Knowing he wanted to mate with her, not just “share pleasure” made him seem familiar. If he wasn’t serious about developing a lasting relationship with her, she’d know it soon enough. Because of the empathic link, mates couldn’t lie to or hide things from each other. The thought was comforting.

  “Come here.” His voice was low, more growl than request.

  She scooted closer and he slipped his arm under her neck, pulling her tight against his side. She rested her head on his shoulder and placed her hand on his chest. Touching him felt right, but she didn’t want to tease him, so she kept her hand still.

  “This is better,” he muttered, then she felt him relax. “Get some sleep. We have a lot to accomplish tomorrow.”

  Soothed by his nearness, she nodded her head and closed her eyes.

  A COOL NIGHT BREEZE caressed Isolaund Farr’s cheeks and rippled through her knee-length hair. She stood at the edge of a large clearing created by the hostile invaders. These brutal creatures—these Outcasts—had appeared over a moon cycle ago and began cutting down trees and digging up the ground with ruthless indifference. They landed their monstrous ships beside the mighty Rulon River, and destroyed the forest they intended to inhabit. How ignorant did these fools have to be to defile the very resources needed to sustain them? It was beyond comprehension.

  The Outcasts were not the first to mistakenly believe Sarronti Prime uninhabited. Abundant water, lush vegetation, fruit trees and massive herds of game were often too large a temptation to ignore. But the planet already had an apex species, the Sarronti, Isolaund’s species. They just lived beneath the fertile ground rather than upon it.

  It hadn’t always been that way. Many millennia ago, the Sarronti were light dwellers. Then a devastating virus swept across their world. Millions died with the onset illness and those that survived were irreversibly changed. The virus was so aggressive, so consuming that it inserted itself into the genome of each victim, not only altering their physiology, but that of their offspring as well. Ultraviolet light become toxic, forcing the Sarronti to retreat from the daylight or join their brethren in death. The Sarronti chose life, a darker, colder existence, but life.

  Now the Sarronti were forced to defend their precious planet against invasion after invasion. Some visitors had been harmless and they were ignored or tolerated. Others, like the Outcasts, were an overt threat. They were warlike and aggressive, focused on their needs, their desires, with no thought or care about anyone else. Like the Roritons and the Lynerians, the Outcasts must be driven off or destroyed. There was no other way.

  Sensing her mistress’s agitation, Certice rubbed against Isolaund’s thigh, the feline’s distressed rumble disturbing the silent forest. Isolaund reached down and petted the coarse fur surrounding the karron’s broad face. Immediately, the battle cat stilled, relaxing while remaining watchful. The other karrons followed Certice’s example, forming a half circle around their mistress as they patiently waited for her next command.

  Isolaund slipped an omni-sensor from the utility belt circling her hips and activated the device. She’d scanned their encampment several times before, searching for any sort of weakness that could be exploited to her advantage. Their ships were less sophisticated than Sarronti technology. Still, each of their ships was protected by an energy barrier that would be hard to penetrate.

  “Is glaring at them every night going to make them disappear?”

  She jerked around to face the speaker, hair whipping out behind her. The karrons lunged aggressively, armored bodies crouched low, teeth bared as they growled their warnings.

  “They love me. I can tell,” Toxyn Jow muttered with a sardonic smile. He wisely kept his distance.

  Pausing to put away the scanner, and slow her thudding heart, she was perfectly composed when she finally looked at him. “You shouldn’t sneak up on me unless you want Certice’s teeth embedded in your leg.”

  “My leg?” he scoffed. “More like my throat. That creature is vicious.”

  “Not to me.” Isolaund smiled indulgently, then gave the command that instantly relaxed her cats. This was the third time Toxyn had shadowed her through the forest. The first two times she’d sensed him, but hadn’t confronted him. Apparently, he was ready for the confrontation. Well, she was happy to oblige. “What do you want?”

  “I’m protecting you from your obsession.” He slowly moved closer, towering over her petite form. Like all Sarronti warriors, he was long and lean, muscular yet not bulgy, like those brutish Outcasts. He’d cut his teal hair short on the sides and in back while leaving the top longer. His features were angular, regal, masculine yet graceful. “This is the third time this week I’ve found you out here spying on the Outcasts.”

  “Do you believe they’re a threat to our people?” She let challenge harden her tone.

  “Absolutely,” he said without hesitation.

  She thought she’d have to work harder for his support. “Well, the Guiding Council doesn’t see it that way. They want to ignore them if we can, but negotiate if staying hidden isn’t an option.” She tossed her head and began to pace, too wound-up to remain still. “They expect us to hide on our own planet! We are not the invaders. Why should we be the ones to sneak around and remain out of sight?”

  “I agree with you. The Guiding Council is a failed experiment that needs to be discontinued. I know of many who are ready to end their reign and go back to the way things have always been.”

  “Your words are music to my ears, but nothing is ever that simple. The lower designations have become hopelessly attached to that ridiculous panel. If we discontinue it without their agreement, there will be another uprising.” She sighed. She’d lost her precious father in the last uprising, the bloody civil war that resulted in the Guiding Council.

  “What are the alternatives?” He crossed his arms over his chest, drawing her attention to his muscular shape. She was seldom impressed by outward appearance. Toxyn just happened to be more esthetically pleasing than most.

  She’d known Toxyn her entire life, so it was hard not to think of him as the skinny lad who liked to tug on her braids. Was it possible he had a sophisticated mind to go along with the brawn and perfect features? Hope made her pulse tick up a notch and flooded her core with heat. It had been many season cycles since she’d interact with him. Could he
have matured into her intellectual equal?

  Halting her anxious steps, she faced him and chose her words carefully. “It would only take three votes to shift the balance of power and take control. However, it would take the efforts of someone on the inside. The committee members have become so arrogant that they only listen to each other. Anyone else is unworthy of consideration.”

  “Your brother is the obvious choice.”

  “He should be. Unfortunately, Indrex is a coward, unworthy of our designation.” They were Ayrontu caste, the highest echelon of Sarronti society. So was Toxyn, at least on his mother’s side. His father was Prokt, a ruthless warrior. “If someone took his place, someone strong and forward-thinking, others would doubtlessly fall in line.”

  “You want to usurp your brother?” he sounded almost amused.

  “Not me.” She waved away the possibility. “If I moved against him directly, no one would ever trust me again. Besides, females aren’t taken seriously on the committee. The few who have served were demoralized by the council’s misogynistic attitudes.”

  He took another step toward her and Certice growled another warning. “What did you have in mind?”

  “I’m still working out the details.” She turned back to the clearing, mostly to hide her smug expression. This had been much too easy. “The first step is securing your support. Do I have it?”

  “That depends.” He paused, waiting until she looked at him. “If I’m to have a direct role in this insurrection, I would need a show of dedication on your part.”

  She tensed. Her eyes narrowed as she looked back at him. “Meaning?”

  He boldly swept his gaze the length of her body. “You’ve grown into a very beautiful woman, Isolaund. Can’t you guess what I want?”

  Males were so predictable. She rolled her eyes and turned back around. “How original.”

  “Do we have a deal?” he persisted, excitement rippling through his tone.