3013: GENESIS (3013: The Series Book 11) (8 page)

When
her brother and friends had been on the planet Tartarus visiting Skylar’s
father, Mya convinced them to bring her some of the
korogati
leather
that the Tarins made most of their clothes from. The
korogati
was
similar to a cow, however, the animal was able to camouflage itself by changing
its skin to adapt to its surroundings.

After
some experimenting, Mya discovered that she could treat the leather with heat
and dye in order to bring forth an interesting effect to the material that made
it look like it was constantly changing color.

Using
the room link, Mya called down to the VIP concierge in order to see if there
was a quiet space where she could work that she’d have access to a large sink
and counter space. The helpful female immediately told her she could use the private
laundry area on the second level that was located a few doors down from the lounge.

After
thanking her, Mya collected the things she needed and put them in a large bag
with wheels to take with her. She knocked on her guards’ door, and after a
brief conversation with them, Mya headed to the laundry room by herself.

The
laundry area was large, and exactly what she needed. She laid out all her supplies
and got straight to work after she programmed her wrist unit to start playing
her favorite music playlist. Despite using gloves, the dyes she used were very
strong and stung her hands a little when she was working with the heat element
since she also had to massage the ink into the leather to make the color
mixture come out properly. Her hands were usually slightly red and a little
itchy for a few hours after she finished working. It was irritating, but didn’t
hurt much.

Mya
was just finishing up with the second garment when she saw someone in the
doorway. When she glanced over, her heart stuttered as Maddox walked in. She
thought he looked good, and seeing him again made her remember the kiss they’d
shared. But he’d walked away and hadn’t really spoken to her since, hadn’t he?
And now he stood there looking annoyed with her? Turning back to her work, she
tried to pretend he wasn’t there so she wouldn’t start rambling like some
lovesick idiot.

Right.
She had as much chance of ignoring him as she did taking a ride on a comet.

“What
are you doing in here?”

Not
answering would be childish, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t be a little
caustic. “What does it look like I’m doing?”

Mya
felt a healthy dose of satisfaction when she could all but feel his irritation.
A few seconds later, she was immediately hit with a wave of guilt. It wasn’t
his fault he didn’t want her. Besides, she had commandeered a room on his
vessel for her own use. Perhaps he was there to complain about that. With that
in mind, she removed her gloves and turned off her music.

“Sorry,”
she said, turning around to face him. “I asked the concierge if I could use
this room. I can be out of here in—”

“What
in hellfire have you done to your hands, woman?”

His
voice thundered out in a loud boom. His anger surprised her enough to have her
blinking at him. She looked down and saw how red her hands were, but she wasn’t
shocked by it. Raising them up in front of her, she said, “Oh, this? It’s just
the side effect of the dye I use. It will—”

Her
words trailed off into a loud squeak as he scooped her up in his arms. She lost
her breath as he started running. He carried her as if she weighed nothing. She
put her arm around his neck in defense of the jarring motion as he sprinted
down the hallway, and simply enjoyed the ride.

“Voice
override, Adaro-alpha-one. Open elevator doors!” Like magic, the doors to the
elevator immediately slide opened upon his command. He bounded inside, then
barked out, “Activate horizontal shift. Priority level, red. Medical unit one.
Now!”

“Maddox,
this isn’t necessary. Really,” Mya tried to explain as she felt the elevator
car moving. “I’m not really hurt. I—”

“Quiet,”
he ordered.

She
was about to protest again, but the doors of the elevator slid open, directly
into a medical unit. Two human men wearing white shirts and pants ran over to
meet them.

“We
heard the alarm code. What’s her status?”

“She
injured her hands. Fix her,” Maddox demanded.

“I’m
fine,” Mya said. He was so sweet to worry about her, but she was embarrassed
that she’d caused him the hassle of taking her to the med-center. “This always
happens when I—”

“Fix
her now,” Maddox growled out again, sounding even more furious.

“Yes,
Alpha Maddox!”

He
obviously terrified the med-techs since they immediately jumped into action to
do his bidding. Maddox followed one of the men who led them to a med-bed sectioned
off from the rest of the room as the other man ran to get a tray of instruments
ready. Mya sighed as Maddox sat her down on the bed. He hovered over her like a
dark cloud, his expression grim as he folded his arms across his broad chest.

Mya
gave into the urge to roll her eyes as Maddox growled when one of the male med-techs
reached for her hands to check them. “You told him to fix me, remember?”

“I
changed my mind. Where is Dr. Deveaux?”

“Right
here,” a stunning redhead said as she walked over to join them. One brow rose
as she met Maddox’s glare. “Scaring my staff again, Alpha?”

Maddox
just grunted, then he jerked his head in Mya’s direction. “Heal her.”

Dr.
Deveaux turned away from him and smiled at Mya. “Hi. I’m Dr. Devin Deveaux. Can
you tell me what happened, then we’ll see about treating your injuries.”

The
doctor was warm and friendly, and she listened patiently as Mya explained what
had happened. Maddox grew even angrier after hearing her explanation, and Mya
was shocked when the doctor ordered Maddox out of the treatment area and he
actually left. She could see him pacing the floor just beyond the screen, but
appreciated being able to speak to the doctor without him hovering over them.

 “I
really am fine,” Mya said quietly. “In a few hours, I’ll totally be back to
normal.”

Dr.
Deveaux nodded thoughtfully. “That may be, but I have a salve that I can put on
your hands that will cut that down to a half an hour or so.” She lowered her
voice. “Let’s get this taken care of so the big guy out there stops freaking
out.”

“I
heard that!” Maddox yelled.

Mya
bit her lip to hold in her laughter as Devin rolled her eyes, and the two women
shared a grin. Feeling slightly silly, she sat quietly as the doctor coated her
hands with a pale green gel. Instantly, the thick gel soothed the irritating
sting on her hands and left them feeling tingly and cool.

“This
salve is made of minerals from Avox, along with aloe and some other excellent
healing aids. I suggest you leave it on for about a half an hour. After that,
you should be good as new. Actually, your skin will be softer than ever. Some
people use this on a regular basis as part of their beauty regiment,” Dr.
Deveaux said as she finished wrapping bandages around Mya’s hands.

Mya
thanked the doctor for treating her injury and for the jar of the salve she was
given to take with her. Before she could get down from the med-bed, Maddox was
there, lifting her back into his arms. She thought about protesting, but liked
him carrying her too much to bother.

Once
they were back in the elevator, Mya sighed as she wrapped her arm around his
neck and leaned her head down on his shoulder. They rode back to the second
level in silence, but she didn’t mind it. She felt cared for as he cradled her
in his strong arms, and was surprised how relaxed she was. Expecting him to put
her down when they arrived at the door of her suite, she said, “Thank you,
Maddox.”

Her
head lifted as he gave the voice command to unlock her door and walked inside
as soon as it opened. Carrying her, he strode into the living room area, over to
the large sofa. The room was decorated with a combination of pale-gold and rich
cream, as most of the VIP suites were. He sat down, holding her firmly when she
would have moved off his lap.

“How
are you feeling?”

“Fine,”
she said softly. “I’m fine.” She finally looked up at him and saw him staring
at her with an intense expression that made her pulse speed up. Remembering the
aftermath of the last time they’d kissed made her want to move away from him,
but her desire for him was stronger than self-preservation.

Titling
her head back, he met her halfway so their lips touched. It was a soft kiss,
sweet and simple. He brushed his lips against hers, once, twice, then took it
deeper with a low growl of hunger. She opened for him, parting her lips to
welcome his tongue inside to duel with hers.

Wanting
to run her hands through his hair, she raised her arms, but the stupid bandages
wrapped around her hands made that impossible. Before she knew what was happening,
Maddox picked her up and set her aside on the couch. She looked up and saw that
he was already on his feet, ready to bolt from the room.

Mya
sighed.

Stars,
it was happening all over again.

He
was going to leave her, and this time, she might just kill him.

***

CHAPTER
EIGHT

“Did
I do something wrong?”

“No,”
Maddox said tightly.

That
made Mya’s shoulders slump. He was sure acting like she had. Giving up, she
said, “Go ahead and run. I know you want to.”

Maddox
scowled down at her. “I don’t run from anything.”

Her
laugh sounded bitter. “You did last time you kissed me, and you look ready to
do it again right now.”

“You’re
injured, I should let you rest,” Maddox stated, though, even he could admit
that the excuse sounded weak.

She
leaned back against the pillows and waved him away with her bandaged hands.
“Yeah, whatever. I’ll rest. Just go. I just wished I knew what I’m doing to
make you Adaro males run.” She shook her head and smiled wryly. “Oh, right. You
don’t run. You just walk away…very quickly. If you dislike kissing me so much
then why did you do it again?”

Maddox
stared down at Mya in disbelief. Not like kissing her? Was she crazy? She did
look tired, and her hands were wrapped in bandages, but that wasn’t the real
reason he needed to get the hell away from her. Every time he touched her, his
body responded with a vengeance. He was hot, hard and aching. He’d been seconds
away from ripping her clothes off so he could take her right there on the
couch, but that wasn’t what she needed right now.

He
didn’t seem to have any control when it came to Mya, and that was something he
wasn’t used to. Instead of giving into his desire, he’d wanted to leave before
he scared the hell out of her. Maddox could tell Mya wasn’t very experienced,
and he didn’t want to rush her into anything even though staying away from her
was becoming impossible.

Maddox
sat down on the couch again, but made sure he wasn’t touching her. “I want you,
Mya. Make no mistake about that.”

“So,
you kiss me, then leave because you want me?” She sighed. “I don’t understand
you at all.”

He
wanted to laugh at the baffled confusion on her face. “Mya, I’m trying not to
rush things. We’ve been…courting you.”

Her
eyes widened. “Courting me? We? You mean…why haven’t any of you said anything?
I thought you didn’t like kissing me…and when Daimon and Tavius…I’ve been
feeling so damn guilty!”

“What
in all the worlds would you feel guilty about? Most of your elites are paired
with more than one male. A multiple relationship shouldn’t be shocking to you.”

“Yes,
but the men make it clear that they are interested in pursuing a relationship
together with a woman. You, Daimon and Tavius are never together.”

Maddox
saw the error in what they’d been doing then. They’d each wanted to allow her
to get comfortable around them in their own way. Daimon wanted to be useful by helping
her with her shop since that was one of his talents. Tavius had been flirting
with her, keeping her slightly off balance as he enjoyed his game of seduction.

And
Maddox…well, he’d taken a more straightforward approached. Or at least he
thought he had. They’d been careful not to be around her at the same time, but
he’d never considered that she would have felt as if she would have to chose
between them.

“We’ve
obviously been going about this all wrong,” he admitted.

“I
don’t know what to think. After you and Daimon kissed me, I—”

“Daimon
kissed you?” Maddox smiled. He thought Tavius would have been the one to kiss
her first, since he had already made his intentions clear. Daimon usually took
longer to express his interest in a female, but there was something about Mya
that had captivated all three of them. He knew neither of his brothers would
claim her before he did, but it warmed his heart to know that Daimon wanted her
just as much as he did.

Mya
blushed. “He did yesterday.” Then she frowned. “Don’t you three talk?”

“We
do, but we’ve all been so busy with work, we haven’t seen each other much over
the last few days. That’s partly why we have been taking turns being with you
during the day.”

“I
don’t understand.”

“New
Vega is a large vessel, and we each have many duties to see to every day.
Daimon wanted to spend time with you, but he is most pleased when he feels
useful, so he has been helping you around your store. When he leaves to see to
other duties, Tavius came by to see if you needed anything.”

“And
what about you, Maddox?” she asked softly.

He
hesitated for a second, then decided to tell her the truth. “You might not have
seen me, but I’ve been around, watching over you.”

“That’s…kind
of creepy. So, you were stalking me on the security feed instead of just coming
to see me in person?”

“I
wasn’t stalking you. I was making sure you were safe while I took care of other
work. It’s called multi-tasking.”

Mya
thought that was just semantics, but she didn’t say it. Anyone else would have been
pissed about what he’d done, but Mya was used to being watched over. Actually,
she thought what he’d done was a little sweet even if it was sort of strange.

Maddox
sighed. “You confuse me, Mya. I shouldn’t want you this way so soon. I thought
to give you time to decide how you feel about us, but I can’t be around you and
not touch you. I leave because if I stay, I’m going to take you and make you
mine.”

There
was a heartbeat of silence before Mya whispered, “But what if that’s what I
want, too?”

His
chest tightened with some foreign emotion. He could see that she was nervous as
she waited for his reaction, and he felt the imaginary tethers holding his control
in place snap. Jerking her to him, he slammed his mouth down on hers, taking
her lips with a brutality that stunned him.

Maddox
wanted to devour her, consume her. He was drowning with the desperate need to
have her, and he wanted to take her deep into the dark depths so she would
never be free of him. He stood, never taking his mouth from hers as he carried
her into the bedroom. Laying her down on the bed, he covered her smaller body
with his. Aware of his strength, he made sure not to press his full weight on
her.

She
pulled her mouth away from his, panting as she said, “We have to take these
bandages off.”

“No.
You still need to heal.”

“I’m
fine,” she argued. “I want to touch you.”

“Consider
this your punishment for injuring yourself.” It made him angry again just
thinking about it. “You will not do anything so foolish in the future.”

Mya
stared up at him incredulously. “Seriously? You want to fight about this now?”

“We
aren’t fighting. I’m telling you that you won’t do anything to injure
yourself,” he growled. “I won’t have it.”

“You
have got to be kidding me,” she muttered, then glared at him. Her hands had
stopped stinging and knew she was completely healed. “My hands are fine. I have
to use that dye to—”

“Those
gloves you wear are complete crap. We will find something else to wear so you
won’t hurt your hands anymore.”

“Fine.
Can we get back to kissing now?”

Mya’s
heart fluttered as he leaned down and kissed her again. It felt so good kissing
him she could barely think of anything else. She wanted to touch, to taste, to
feel every inch of him, but she didn’t know what to do so she was content to
follow his lead…for now. Her head swam as the passion built inside of her, and
she thought that if this was a dream, she never wanted to wake.

No,
she wanted to live in this moment forever.

Maddox
wanted her, and so did his brothers. That was something she would have to worry
about later. Right now, she was solely focused on the massive male doing his
best to kiss her breathless. She moaned as her body heated, and the sound of
his answering groan made her giddy with feminine power.

One
of her shoes fell to the floor, so she kicked the other one off and heard it
land on the ground with a
thunk.
Wrapping her legs around his, she
arched up against him, feeling the steel-hard spike of his desire press against
her core. Anticipation tingled along her skin like an electrical current as she
thought about what it would be like to have him inside her. He felt so big, she
worried she wouldn’t be able to take his full length into her body, but she was
determined to try.

Maddox
pulled away from her lips, his hot mouth trailing down to her neck. A whimper
of need escaped her parted lips as he nipped at her earlobe with his fangs. He
was so pleased by the sound, he immediately repeated the action. She tried to
grab onto him, but her bandaged hands slid off his shoulders. He sucked and
nipped at her neck, hard enough to sting, but not enough to break the skin with
his fangs. When she reached for him again, he grabbed both of her hands in one
of his and raised them over her head.

“You’re
driving me crazy! I want to touch you,” she pleaded.

“Not
yet. Keep them here,” he demanded.

Maddox
was determined to make Mya his. To seal her to him with passion and pleasure so
thoughts of any males in her past were wiped away. Thinking about that, he plastered
his body against hers again. Slamming his lips down on hers again, he ravaged
her mouth. He kept kissing her until he couldn’t hold back any longer.

He
needed to claim her now.

Unable
to bear anything between them any longer, he rolled off of her to jerk his
boots from his feet. They needed to get naked. He would drive them both to a
quick, hard climax, then he would take his time getting to know every inch of
her body after he’d taken the edge off his lust for her.

Mya
had a few seconds to collect herself while he was in the process of removing
his shirt. She was momentarily distracted by the sight of his muscular chest.
Massively built with thick, corded muscles, he was damn impressive.
“Umm…Maddox?”

The
anxiety in her tone must have signaled that something was wrong, because he
paused while reaching for the waistband of his pants.

“Maybe
this would be a good time to tell you that I haven’t done this before.”

His
eyes went wide. “You’re a…?”

Uh
oh. That wasn’t a good sign if he couldn’t even say the word. Sitting up, she
hurried to explain. “I just didn’t want you to expect, well, you know. I don’t
know if I’m any good at all of this. And if I did something wrong or you
wanted…crap, I’m saying this all wrong. I just thought I’d tell you, because I
figured you might notice when—”

“Oh,
yeah. I think I’d notice.”

His
dry tone made her blush, despite telling herself she had absolutely nothing to
be embarrassed about. Still, he was sitting next to her, staring at her like
she was some alien creature he’d never seen before. Flattering, it was not. She
looked down and began to trace the subtle pattern on the pale-gold bedspread
with her finger.

Maddox
gently cupped her face, and his thumbs rubbed her cheeks slowly. He could see
the worry in her beautiful gray eyes as she watched him. She bit at her lower
lip in a nervous gesture, and his gaze dropped down, mesmerized by the sight.
He wanted to bite that lush lip, then soothe the sting away with his tongue,
but he held back.

 “Why
have you never been with a male before?”

She
shrugged. “With my family watching over me, it wasn’t really possible.”

He
frowned at that. “You want to have sex because you have freedom now?”

“No!
I mean…yes and no. I’ve just I never found a man I was interested in enough to…to
pursue that kind of relationship with. Until I met you and your brothers, I
never wanted someone that way. I’ve been waiting to feel the zing people always
talk about, and you make me… ”

“Feel
a zing?”

Mya
wondered if she should be offended by the amusement in his tone, but his slow,
sexy smile distracted her. “I’m very particular about my shoes, why wouldn’t I
be about this?” she asked defensively as she waved her hand to encompass the
bed. “Stars, do we have to discuss this now? Can’t we just get on with it?”

“It?”

Was
he trying to be obtuse? “You know, the sex. If we keep talking about this, I’m
going to get more nervous, then I might freak out, and trust me, we don’t want
that to happen. It could get ugly.”

“No,
we don’t. Let’s focus on that zing I make you feel instead.”

Maddox
was overcome by a surge of possessiveness. He would be her first. No other male
had touched her. And no one would, besides his brothers. Ever. He imagined how
beautiful she would be held between the three of them, but that would come
later. Right now, he’d be the one to introduce her to lovemaking, and he’d
enjoy every minute of it. Quickly rethinking his plan, he pulled her close enough
to brush his lips against hers.

She
blinked up at him. “Does that mean you still want to do it?”

He
couldn’t help but laugh. “Yes, I do.”

“Good.
That’s good. I was worried you wouldn’t. You know, with me being a…”