Creed of Pleasure; the Space Miner's Concubine (The LodeStar Series) (30 page)

“Too good at it?” she protested. “At using your strength to do what’s right? At protecting the weak? How can you get too good at that?”

He smiled slightly. “I meant, good at shutting everything out. Shutting other people out. I came from chaos, from a nightmare. From lack of control over my fate, my … body. Logan and Joran saved me, gave me a safe place to grow up.
 

“Then, when I hit manhood, seemed like chaos again. Had urges, had a lot of rage. Didn’t know what do with any of it. Except use it to hurt or even kill. I latched onto the Zhen teachings. I felt safer when I
didn’t
feel, so I managed to stop. My teacher warned me, said I was gonna become a droid if I wasn’t careful. He encouraged me to leave the order, come back out into the world, back to my brothers. See what else life held for me.”

“And you did. Then you found iridium,” she realized. “And opened the mine.”

He nodded. “Guess you were right. It fascinated me because it was impenetrable, like I wanted to be.”

“No,” she burst out. “Oh, Creed. I’m sorry I said that. I hurt you, didn’t I?”

He tugged on her hand, pulling her closer. “Caramel girl, I fired first and hurt you worse. You gave me a few truths, is all. I was trained to be a protector, but I failed you when you needed it most.”

“How do you figure that?” He was right in a way, but wrong in others. He’d treated her with respect and tenderness, in his actions if not in words

“I sent you away. Should have—I don’t know, let you know I’d help you, even though you didn’t stay.”

She hissed her displeasure. “No, what you should have done was not push me away when I wanted to stay and—and get to know each other better.”

She tightened her grip on his hands. “Creed, I don’t need you to save me. That’s what started all this trouble in the first place—Stark trying to save you, me trying to save Daanel, all without asking if that was what the other person wanted. Talking, that’s what I need from you. Talking things out.”

“We’re talking,” he said instantly, but his gaze was on her mouth, a familiar heat brewing.

She looked at his mouth, and put out her tongue to moisten her lower lip. “And maybe … a kiss or two.”

The words were scarcely out of her mouth before she found herself crushed against his chest, his mouth on hers in a powerful, searching, desperate kiss. That was fine with her, she was feeling desperate herself. Her senses full of his taste, his scent, his heat, she clung to his shoulders and kissed him back until she was dizzy and breathless.

He lifted his head at last, just far enough to speak. “Stay with me tonight.”

She gathered her wits, which seemed to have evaporated. His arms around her felt like coming home. “Why, Creed?”
 

“Because I want you more than my next breath,” he said. Oh, that was so sweet. She melted even further, smiling up at him. He leaned closer, his gaze hot, his hand sliding down to her ass to press her close to him. Ooh, she could feel a long, hard shape against her belly.

“I came here to get you, not for this celebration,” he added.

Celebration. Taara straightened, the word slicing through her haze of lust. “Celebration. The ball. I have to go back downstairs soon.”

“Why?” He scowled.

She touched his cheek regretfully. “Advertising. I designed this gown and Daanel put it together. We’re starting our business here.”

He looked down at her breasts. “You look … starry. Although the top half is a little skimpy. Did you run short on fabric?”

She wrinkled her nose at him. “You didn’t mind my skimpy clothing at LodeStone.”

“Only men there were either married, old or teens. Saw the way the men were looking at you here tonight. Don’t like it.”

He was jealous. She smiled beguilingly. “But I’ll be with you this time. We don’t even have to dance, if you don’t want to.”

“I can dance.”

“Could have fooled me,” she said. “I saw you watching me, but you didn’t ask me. This is a Harvest Ball, not a—a guy get-together and drink, looking all starry and moody in our best suits.”

He smiled at her, and her irritation slid away. That smile, so seldom seen, and thus so powerful, could drag a woman in if she wasn’t careful, could get her to agree to going back with him without setting some very important boundaries.

“Starry and moody?” he repeated.

“Pretty much describes you,” she said.
 

“That mean you don’t wanna come back to LodeStone with me?”

She looked up at him uncertainly. “Are you asking me to?”

“Of course I am. You think anything less would make me get dressed up in this?” He peered down at his fitted suit with displeasure.

“Whatever. I’m not going anywhere with you, Creed Forth, unless we get a few things straight.”

His gaze locked with hers again. “But you’d come back with me? You wouldn’t miss the city?”

“I’d want to visit, probably a lot,” she said, diverted. “It’s a short flight in a fast cruiser. And I like to shop, and go out to lunch. And Daanel and Kiri are here. But that’s not what I meant.”

“What did you mean?” He was leaning closer, too close. She tore her gaze from his beautiful mouth. She wanted to kiss him again, but she had to know first.

“I mean, where do we stand? What would my role be? You’ve made it pretty clear you don’t want a courtesan any more, and anyway I wouldn’t go back to that—ever. Despite what you must think, I do have some pride.”

“What I must think?” His eyes narrowed. “Why would you not have pride?”

“Because you were right. I was acting as your wh—”

He lifted his hand, his fingers over her mouth, pressing hard enough to shut her up. “No,” he growled. “I do not ever want to hear that word from your mouth again, you get me? I should
never
have said it, it was a filthy thing to say. I’m ashamed that I did, and to you of all the women in the galaxy.”

Her eyes widened, brightened. “Of all the women in the galaxy?” she repeated through his fingers.
 

He nodded, pulling her closer, her breasts against his chest, her skirts foaming around his legs. “The one woman I let in, the one I want in. The one I’ll never get out of my system,” he murmured. “The woman I don’t think I can live without.”

“Oh,” she murmured, melting against him. “Oh, Creed. I don’t think I can live without you, either. I mean I probably can, because all you need is air and food and drink, the things they’re celebrating here, but it doesn’t feel like that’s enough anymore.”

He tipped his forehead against hers. “Think I could do without those, if I have you. Only thing I want to harvest is you. Want to mine you, too. Go deep.”

She giggled through her tears. “Oh, Creed.”

Then she shut up, because he was kissing her.
 

* * *

After a time Creed lifted his head, just enough to mutter, “You think I can fuck you with this gown on, because I wanna take you dancing, but I don’t think I can wait—”

“Yes,” she said breathlessly. “Yes, yes, Creed. We can, um—you know, from behind.” She blushed, but pulled far enough back to gesture at the sofa. “I can lean over the back.”

Unable to speak coherently, he nodded. Then he watched, working his pants open to release his eager, straining cock as his dream woman turned her back on him, gave a few graceful wriggles and worked her fluttering skirts up over her bare legs, and bared her sweet, round ass to him. She leaned over the back of the sofa so that he could now see her pussy, wet and ready for him, then gave him a look over her shoulder, her green eyes full of enticement. “I’m all yours. Beast style.”

“You’re not wearing anything under there,” he said wonderingly, palming his cock. “I’d known that, I would’ve had you in the elevator—any style we could manage.”

She whimpered as he cupped his free hand over her, then speared two fingers carefully into her heat, opening her to his cock. She was so wet and soft, and he could smell her pussy, mingling with her unique flowery perfume. “Ev-everyone w-would have seen us.”

He watched raptly as his cock, engorged with desire, so big and blunt against her pale, lush curves, forged inside. “Don’t care. Want everyone to know—you’re
mine
.”

With the words, he drove home, balls deep into heaven, and then bent over her, caging her in his arms, her ass against his groin, breasts in his hands. “
Taara.
Caramel girl, so fuckin’ sweet and hot. Not gonna last.”

She wriggled against him and worked one hand between her thighs. “Creed Forth, shut up and fuck me.”

He hadn’t known it was possible to laugh while he was holding a woman in his hands, legs braced behind hers, fucking her for all he was worth, so that the sofa rocked beneath them and the heat of the fire coalesced in his loins, burning him up from the inside out. Now he did, and it felt wonderful. He put his hand over hers and took over, working her clitoris as he fucked her.

“I’ll fuck you,” he groaned. “Never wanna … stop. Fuck you forever.” Except that having her in his arms again, her slick heat caressing him in secret, her soft cries urging him onward, drove him all too swiftly up the mountainside of pleasure and flung him, soaring over the top.

Luckily she was with him, crying out his name and convulsing around him as she came.

He held himself up, hands braced on the sofa back, breathing as if he’d been sparring, feeling sweat trickle down his back and chest under the suit. Happier than he’d been in a long time as he slowly pulled out of his woman, hearing her soft sound of disappointment at losing him.

He patted her bottom, and then fumbled in his pocket for the snowy handkerchief that had come with the suit, tucking it between her thighs.
 

She straightened and let her skirts fall to her knees, then gave him a look over her shoulder, her cheeks pink, green eyes heavy and sweet with repletion.

“I’ll go clean up. Be right back. Don’t—don’t go anywhere.”

She was honestly afraid he’d walk away after that? Not until he stopped breathing. He shook his head, his gaze never leaving hers. “Swear it, caramel girl. Not letting you go again.”

She was smiling as she walked away. He’d do anything to keep that look on her face, as if he’d just handed her the moons and stars.

Creed waited until she was out of sight before he forced his feet to move. He used the other lav, straightened his clothing, and washed his hands. He stared at himself in the mirror, something he did not spend time doing.
 

“You are one lucky miner,” he muttered. “Luckiest man on the planet, with the best treasure you could hope to find.”

And that was a truth a man could hold onto.

* * *

As they entered the ballroom again, they paused just inside to look around. Taara smiled at the dancers swirling past to a sprightly waltz. The scene now seemed rich with color, beauty and fun—all the things it had lacked before. Because of the man at her side.

She tightened her grip on his arm and moved a little closer to him.

Creed looked down at her, but with the hint of a frown in his blue eyes.
 

“What?” she asked tenderly. Whatever it was, she would reassure him. There was no problem they couldn’t solve, together.

“You sure you can leave all this, to come and live at LodeStone?” he asked, his gesture encompassing the party and music and lights.

Taara stared at his handsome, brave, intelligent, clueless face for a sec, then burst out laughing. She leaned her forehead on his shoulder until she could get herself under control. Then she looked up at him again, still giggling.
 

“Oh, Creed. Do you imagine my life is like
this
? Sweetheart, this is the first ball I’ve been to in my entire life. My life is my work and being with the people I care about, the people I love.” She looked down shyly, lifting her hand to trace the edge of his lapel. “And now that’s you.”

His arm bunched in her grip, and he groaned under his breath. “Ah, caramel girl. You had to wait until
now
, when we’re surrounded by all these—these city people to say that?”

He moved then, swiftly and with decision, whisking her back out the doors and along the hallway, and out onto a shadowed balcony, the moonlight shining down on them. There he turned her into his arms, and bent his head to her for a deep, hot kiss.
 

“You’re the people I care about too,” he said. “I mean the
one
—the one I love. Never knew I could feel this crazy, like I could fly without my cruiser one minute, then like I’m at the bottom of the mine the next. Hope to hells it calms down after a while, or don’t think I’ll survive the ride.”

“Oh, Creed,” she breathed. “You love me?”

“I do. But I guess I thought I was riding in here like some kind of hero, to rescue you from a bad life. Looks to me like you saved yourself, and you could do all right without me.”

She tiptoed up to kiss him. “Yes,” she said. “I could. I’d be fine—if that means plenty to eat and a place to live. But I would be so lonely. I’d be missing you every day and night. And I’d be frightened of spending the rest of my life alone. And I don’t want that. I want
you
, and your mountain valley and your house—although it could use a little more color—and swimming in the pool with you—”