Defender (Battle Born Book 4) Read online

  “Are you sure?” Indigo tempted him with a friendly smile, clearly in on the mischief.

  “The meeting took much longer than we anticipated. I really need to catch up on my reports.”

  “But we found a pattern for popcorn. Have you ever had popcorn? It’s delicious.”

  He smiled. Indigo’s enthusiasm was infectious, but this was the perfect opportunity for him to avoid another awkward situation with Chandar. “Another time.”

  Before she could argue, he turned and headed across the courtyard.

  “Raylon.” Chandar called to him half a second before he disappeared into his suite.

  He tensed, inhaled sharply, then turned around. Simulated starlight combined with the glow from the dining room, casting her features in high relief. Her figure, however, was clearly displayed by the sleeveless dress. His fingers curled into fists and he felt his gaze descend of its own volition. High, round breasts gave way to a narrow waist and gently flaring hips. Ridiculously high heels set off her shapely legs, which were bare to mid-thigh. His cock hardened and it was all he could do not to drag her into his suite and strip her naked. Why was she dressed so provocatively? The only males she interacted with were Zilor and Danvier. One had a mate and the other was a blood relative.

  What about you, asshole? His inner voice was particularly feisty whenever Chandar was around.

  “If you want to stay, I’ll go to my suite. It’s obvious you’re trying to avoid me.”

  The hurt in her eyes made him feel like a heartless jerk. “I’m not trying to avoid you.” Yet that was exactly why he’d refused to stay.

  “Really?” She walked toward him, hips gently rolling, gaze filled with challenge. “Doesn’t look that way to me.”

  His wayward eyes dipped to the subtle jiggle of her breasts and lingered. She wasn’t even wearing a bra! The outfit begged for the kind of attention he was aching to give her. “That’s quite a dress.”

  “Indigo let me borrow it.” She kept right on coming until she stood right in front of him. “Do you like it?”

  “Why’d you wear it?” He dragged his gaze back to her face as he waited for her answer. Could she see the ridge in the front of his pants? Would she remember what it meant?

  “I’m not a little girl, Raylon.”

  “I can see that.”

  “If last night made you uncomfortable, I’m sorry.”

  Provoked beyond his good intentions, he scanned open his door and pulled her inside his suite. A second after the door slid closed behind them, he backed her into the nearest wall. “Make damn sure this is what you want. Once I touch you, I’m not sure I’ll be able to stop.”

  Her confidence deflated as suddenly as it had appeared. She lowered her gaze and nervously licked her lips. “Am I the only one who wants this?”

  Rather than reassure her with words, he took Garin’s advice and let go of all the reasons he’d used to keep from touching her. He was intense and demanding. If she wasn’t ready for that sort of lover, she wasn’t ready for him.

  He leaned in, pressing his body against hers. His cock was so hard, she had to feel it against her belly. “Did you have lovers before?” What was wrong with him? Why even bring it up?

  She nodded. “I know what I’m asking for.”

  “No you don’t or you wouldn’t be here.” He curved his fingers around the back of her neck, his heart beating so fast his fingers tingled. Or maybe it was just touching her that electrified his skin. He bent his head and brushed his lips against her temple.

  She sucked in a breath and slowly raised her hands to his chest. He feathered kisses along the side of her face until he reached the corner of her mouth. Despite the desire pounding through his body, he couldn’t frighten her, couldn’t unleash his demanding need and devour her.

  He touched his lips to hers, the contact so light it could barely be termed a kiss. Her lips trembled then parted, sweetly surrendered, and his control snapped. He tilted his head and fit his mouth over hers, filling his lungs with her breath. Both his hands came up to frame her face and angle her head so their mouths perfectly aligned.

  His tongue teased her lips, announcing his intention before he eased inside. He slid against her tongue, barely able to breathe as he waited for her to react. For an endless moment, she remained still, not resisting, yet unresponsive as well. Then her hands encircled his neck and she pressed her breasts to his chest as her tongue came to life. She echoed his caresses and curled around him in a sensual dance of lips and tongues.

  Her taste filled his mouth, instantly imprinting on his brain. He took the kiss deeper, burying one hand in her hair as the other explored. He stroked down her neck and across her shoulder, his fingertips easing just inside the dipping neckline of her borrowed dress. She tensed, her breath shuddering out. His protective instincts engaged. Her desire for him could no longer be denied, but she wasn’t as ready as she believed.

  He moved his hand back to her neck, tracing her throbbing pulse with his thumb. She continued to kiss him, yet tension crept over her body. She’d been supple and clingy a moment before. Now it felt as if she were bracing for his attack.

  Gently separating their mouths, he waited until she looked at him to speak. Her lashes fluttered then her lids lifted and she stared up at him. Her phitons shimmered and a telling flush now stained her cheeks. But deep in the endless blue of her eyes he saw fear and uncertainty. He ran his knuckles along the side of her face then reluctantly released her.

  “You want this as much as I do. Message received. But I won’t claim you until you’re ready.”

  “I’m ready now.” She raised her hand toward his face.

  He caught her wrist and shook his head. “You’re not. Obviously, your sessions with Indigo are working. I’m thrilled. Keep working. I’m not going anywhere.” To illustrate his point, he bent and kissed her again. “This can’t be rushed, love. It’s too important.”

  She released a frustrated sigh then nodded. “I’m sorry if—”

  He silenced her with a deep, aggressive kiss. They were both panting by the time he raised his head. “You have no reason to apologize.”

  “This isn’t fair to you.” She looked at him then away, conflict clear in her luminous gaze. “You deserve someone less broken, but I can’t make myself let go.”

  “I don’t want you to let go. I want you to focus on your recovery. Nothing else matters right now. I’ll support you in any way I can, but the rest needs to wait.”

  After hesitating a moment longer, she released a long, ragged sigh. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  She made it to the door before he stopped her. “Angel.” She looked over her shoulder though she didn’t turn around. “You look amazing in that dress, but it wasn’t necessary. I’ve wanted you since I first saw you. Never doubt it again.”

  Chapter Five

  With an infuriated hiss, Pyre Sterling tossed her datapad onto her dresser and turned to face her companion. The fair-haired youth sat on the edge of her opulent bed, wearing only a pair of black pants. His silver-ringed blue eyes watched every move she made, while uncertainty and fascination fought over his expression. The message indicator on the datapad had interrupted her seduction of the young man and now he looked even more uncomfortable than he had when he’d entered her private chambers a short time before.

  She couldn’t really blame him. No doubt he was still the victim of culture shock. Three days before, one of Pyre’s talent scouts had spotted the youth in one of the outlaying provinces. How he’d made it through puberty without anyone reporting him to the Harbinger Guild, she had no idea. His muscular body was a testament to the primitive life he’d led. Doubtlessly, he’d worked from dawn until dusk, doing whatever farm people did. Now he sat in the lavish private apartment of the Harbinger Guild Mistress, surrounded by luxuries the likes of which he’d never imagined. He’d been bathed and groomed, like one of his father’s prized stallions. Then he’d been told his first, and most important, task as a member
of the Harbinger Guild was to do whatever Mistress Pyre required of him.

  “Javin refused to see me again,” she muttered, more to herself than her companion. “Something is seriously wrong over there. I don’t care what anyone says.”

  “Who’s Javin?”

  Pyre closed her eyes, trying not to let her exasperation show. She’d expected some level of ignorance given his upbringing, but this male was utterly clueless. She summoned each organic male of breeding age to her bed, hoping to find one with whom she was genetically compatible. But year after torturous year passed and she never felt the mating pull. Organic harbingers were nearly extinct. Infertility had always been a challenge for harbingers, but a rapidly shrinking gene pool had made genetic compatibility all but impossible.

  Using the condescending tone she reserved for slow-minded children, Pyre answered his question. “Javin Aidentar is Integration Guild Master. You have heard of the Integration Guild, haven’t you?”

  The inductee rolled his eyes, an impulse that would earn corporal punishment if he continued to indulge it. “Everyone’s heard of the Integration Guild. They control technology and Rodytes depend on technology for everything. The Integration Guild is even more powerful than Crown Stirate Quinton.”

  “Very good.” Her smile was nearly as patronizing as her tone, but the fool didn’t seem to notice. “Javin and I are good friends, so why would he refuse to see me?”

  “Did you do something to make him angry?”

  “No.” She returned to the bed and sat down beside him. He was nicely shaped, both tall and muscular, but all she had to do was look into his guileless eyes and she felt her lust cool. “I haven’t even seen him in nearly a year. Try again.”

  “Maybe someone told him something about you that isn’t true.”

  It really was like talking to a child. “It’s possible, but Javin has never shied away from confrontation in the past. If he was angry with me, he’d tell me.” When the inductee just stared back at her silently, she went on, “I’ll tell you a secret. Javin and I used to be very close for a very long time. Then he met this pretty little girl and she stole him away from me.”

  Haven Tandori. Even whispered in Pyre’s mind the name sent resentment surging through her being. Haven walked into the yearly Mid-Winter Celebration and Javin couldn’t resist her innocent charms. She hadn’t even used the power of her family to seduce him. Oh no, she’d assumed an identity of no consequence, an identity that prevented anyone from guessing her true purpose for returning to Rodymia. Despite all that, Javin fell fast and hard for the skinny, Earth-raised whore and Pyre would never forgive either of them.

  For reasons Pyre couldn’t fathom, Haven insisted on keeping her relationship with Javin secret, so most presumed Pyre and Javin were still lovers. Pyre saw no reason to correct the misconception. Being Master Javin’s lover had provided Pyre with a level of respect she wasn’t anxious to relinquish.

  “It must be this other woman.” He nodded happily, pleased with his conclusion. “She told him never to see you again.”

  “Not a bad guess, but Javin isn’t the type of man to be commanded by any woman. I’m afraid it’s something worse, something beyond his control.”

  “Like an illness or injury?”

  She nodded. “Or worse. I think something bad has happened to him and the other leaders of the Integration Guild don’t want anyone to know.”

  “Losing Master Javin would be bad for the Integration Guild?” Again a childish quality crept into his tone.

  “It would be very bad.”

  “How can you find out for sure?”

  “I need to think about it.” She sighed and stood up. “In fact, I’m no longer in the mood for what I had planned. Return to the dormitory.”

  Relief made him look even younger as he gathered up his scattered clothes. But he paused by the door, clothing pressed against his impressive chest. “Have I displeased you, mistress?”

  “No. The message upset me. It had nothing to do with you.”

  He licked his lips and looked at the bed. “Will you summon me again?”

  Surprised by the hope in his voice, she smiled. “Very likely. Rest well.”

  The door had barely closed behind the inductee when a visitor chime sounded. She knew who it was, so she didn’t bother asking. “Visitor approved.” The door parted and Arrix, the head of her security team, strolled into her bedroom.

  “That was fast.” His gaze was bold and knowing as he looked around the room, noticing the still made bed.

  “My mood is too dark for someone so inexperienced.”

  Lust ignited in his gaze as he stalked toward her. “I enjoy your dark moods. The darker the better.”

  She held him off with an upraised hand, still too agitated for physical pleasures. “If Javin is incapacitated, or worse, this might be the opportunity I’ve been waiting for.” She didn’t need to explain the rest to Arrix. Eavesdropping was part of his job.

  Effortlessly switching roles was one of Arrix’s talents. He released a deep breath and became her trusted advisor. “I know you’ve been planning to expand your influence over the other guilds, but—if I may be so bold—this is the Integration Guild. How can anyone hope to control a group of technomages?”

  “Don’t be fooled by their tricks. Behind the smoke and mirrors, they’re businessmen, greedy, power-hungry businessmen.”

  “Did that answer my question?” He smiled, the expression making him appear younger and less ferocious. Problem was, she liked his ferocity better.

  “It’s really quite simple. The IG’s new leader will agree to co-sponsor anything I propose to the steering committee or I’ll unleash chaos like they’ve never seen. My harbingers will look into the future and sabotage every deal they make. Their ventures will fail and their new technologies will find their way into the hands of off-world competitors. Research and development is expensive. And without new technologies, the IG is just a bunch of men playing dress up.”

  “If I’m not mistaken,” he spoke with infinite care, having learned long ago how quickly her mood could change. “The only harbinger with that sort of range is no longer in residence.”

  She glared at him. His brutal honesty was a necessary irritant. He was the only person in her inner circle that didn’t just tell her what she wanted to hear. Right now, however, the trait was particularly annoying. “Chandar’s absence is temporary. Now, I’m tired of talking.”

  In an instant, he was behind her, fingers tangled in her long hair. “Will you give or receive?”

  Excitement tingled down her spine. They both enjoyed being in control and yet they both enjoyed surrendering control to another, which made them ideal sexual partners. If Arrix were organic, their relationship might have become more than physical. Unfortunately, he wasn’t even a harbinger. His bloodline was pure and elite, but all his abilities were courtesy of integrated technology.

  “Give,” she decided and he immediately released her hair and sank to his knees.

  He really was an impressive example of Rodyte masculinity. His thick dark hair fell past his shoulders in gleaming waves and his features were rugged while still retaining a certain grace. Her skin looked particularly pale next to his bronzed flesh. And she frequently found herself lost in his ink-black eyes.

  “Undress,” she directed.

  He remained on his knees, which made the process awkward. She watched him in silent approval, amused by his struggle.

  “May I speak, mistress?”

  “As if I could stop you.” She shook her head. “That’s the one aspect of your role that you’ve never quit mastered.”

  His grin was unapologetic. “My sister is still a member of Javin’s household staff. Shall I make inquiries on your behalf?”

  She’d forgotten about his sister, seldom bothered with the personal lives of her subordinates. “Make inquiries, but not on my behalf. I don’t want those arrogant bastards to know I give a damn.”

  “Understood.”

/>   He was naked now and she was fully dressed. The contrast made her feel powerful.

  “May I ask a question?”

  Irritation surged at his persistence. She wanted him quiet and still, submissively waiting for whatever she chose to do with him. “Does it relate to Javin?”

  “No, mistress. Completely different subject.”

  “Fine.” She harrumphed.

  “How is Chandar progressing?”

  She tensed. Questions about her children were guaranteed to darken her mood and her mood was plenty dark already. “My daughter’s wellbeing is none of your business.”

  “I only ask because you’ve been so distracted by her situation.”

  Wanting the conversation over, so they could move on to more interesting pursuits, she gave in and updated him. “Chandar’s mental health is still fragile, but the hybrid healer seems to be a legitimate benefit. I’ve felt ripples of Chandar’s power and both my agents at Lunar Nine advice patience. I’m inclined to agree.”

  He nodded and dared to glance at her. “How much longer will you wait to go get her? I know you’ve missed her terribly.”

  “Soon. Her power needs to be a bit stronger before she’s ready for my return.” She put her hands on her hips and glared at him. “Now are you ready to submit or should we move this into the playroom?”

  After indulging in a sexy smile, he raised his brawny arms and interlaced his fingers behind his head. He moved his legs farther apart, drawing her attention to his massive erection. “Forgive me, mistress. I await your command.”

  * * * * *

  Chandar awoke the following morning feeling refreshed and relaxed for the first time since her rescue. Her conversation with Raylon hadn’t ended the way she’d wanted it to, but they’d made progress, significant progress. The memory of their kisses had followed her into sleep, filling her dreams with sensual possibilities.