The Covenant (7 page)

more than a little educational but it appeared that now that her body

understood the pleasure of sexual interaction, it wasn’t interested in her

dignity in the least.

“I am not one of those females who bed every man they meet,” she said

stiffly.

“I know.” To his credit, York didn’t laugh at her. “I was there for your

first time, remember?”

She did remember. He’d been the first male to touch her intimately and

he’d audaciously used his mouth.

How many females had looked into those crystalline blue eyes and felt

him hold them in the way he held her now? It went against every promise

she’d ever made to herself to not have sexual relations with any male, much

less a slightly arrogant—if undeniably attractive—military pilot, unless a

deeper feeling was involved than simple physical attraction. “I think you

should let me go.”

“Why? I like it like this. Trust me, I’ll be hard again in a minute.” One

eyelid dropped in an impudent wink. “We could stay here all day. What else

is there to do?”

God, he had fabulous eyelashes. Thick and dark to match that tousled

black hair and he felt so solid, all honed muscle.

Her pussy throbbed, filled and possessed by his girth. She’d always

heard how gratified human females were by S-species men. Apparently her

half-blood heritage betrayed her.

“I am not staying all day in bed,” she declared and attempted to pull

away.

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Annabel Wolfe

Strong arms tightened just enough to keep her firmly in place, which

was currently right up against his hard body. His gaze fastened on her

mouth. “I barely kissed you the first time. Can I make up for that? You have

most delicious mouth, Lieutenant, so soft and warm. Let’s not forget I didn’t

even touch those gorgeous tits and I’m going to guess they feel neglected.”

What was wrong with her? One tender, slow kiss later as his hands

played over her breasts and she experienced that same rush of need. She

could feel how wet she was as he began to move again, the glorious rush as

he withdrew and sank his hard cock back into her yielding body, saturated

with his semen, panting and willing beneath him.

She actually was little tender from the night before, but the discomfort

was overridden by this out of control need.

And it really was apparently. Out of control. She slid her fingers through

the softness of his hair, such a contrast to the corded hardness of his neck,

kissed him back with unrestrained fervor, and climaxed twice before he

finally shuddered and spilled against her womb in a hot, frenzied rush.

Maybe she
could
stay in bed all day, she thought in languorous

contentment afterwards, damp and sated, a little stunned at her

uncharacteristic behavior but not enough to keep her from drifting off to

sleep.

The Covenant: The Starlight Chronicles 2

41

Chapter 4

Ran stared at the message, thinking through his options. He hadn’t been

surprised necessarily to get a communication from the governor of Rapt

One. Right now everyone who knew about the attempted biological attack

watched the planet, not to mention their own point of entry ports, but despite

the official insignia, the words had not been written by Halden.

Larik Armada was the author, no doubt about it. He’d made it cryptic

enough if one of the undersecretaries had stumbled across it they wouldn’t

know what it meant, but Ran knew Larik and the way he worked. Of course,

there was a disadvantage to being that brilliant. Sometimes you don’t realize

everyone doesn’t operate on your level.

Rubbing his fingers at his temples, Ran read it again, trying to make

sense of it.

De te fabula

Only in this case, me. More as things progress. Help would be

appreciated in the cause of liberation.

The first part was in a language he knew had been dead even on earth

for so long he barely remembered what it was called, but a flash of

inspiration hit him and he swiftly pressed a button.

The familiar voice never failed to make him smile, even now, even with

possible terrorists trying to infect entire colonies. “Hello, love.”

“Hello, Governor.” His wife’s tone held a teasing note. “To what do I

owe this honor in the middle of the day?”

“I need your help.” He hadn’t told her about the attack. He hadn’t

wanted to panic her over the possibility of a similar threat to Minoa, not so

soon after she’d given birth to their second child.

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Annabel Wolfe

“Of course.” She sounded puzzled.

“What do you know of the old earth Latin?”

“The language? I suppose some. There are phrases that survived and

became part of everyday speech.”

He repeated the beginning of the message.

“I have no idea just like that, Ran. Why don’t you have one of your

assistants research for you?”

“Because if I did, I might clue them in that Larik has gotten illegally

into the communications systems and is sending out messages under the

guise of an important official.” Leave it to Armada to infiltrate any type of

device, any blocked structure as if all the technology poured into security

was worthless.

“Oh.” That single word spelled out her understanding of the seriousness

of the situation. “May I ask why he would risk doing such a thing?”

“You may ask, but I wish you wouldn’t.”

“I hate it when you are cryptic. It usually means something is wrong.”

Well, she might be exactly right. Only Armada would actually know an

archaic phrase from a dead language on a distant planet and use it to try to

get some oblique point across. “You’re constantly reading earth books,

Jerra. Can you try and see if you can figure it out for me?”

“You know I will.”

“Thanks. I’ll be home late.”

“Darling, you always are.”

He ended the communication with a small sigh. She was right about that

too. Minoa demanded a lot of his time.

Help would be appreciated in the cause of liberation.

That part wasn’t hard to understand. Armada wanted out of quarantine.

As governor of the most powerful of the colonies, Ran wasn’t sure he could

manage that, even for an old friend. He wasn’t sure he
should
manage it.

Well hell, he thought morosely and began a scan for the file again on the

Rapt One incident that had the colony in current lock down. Maybe looking

over the report would help him figure out what to do.

* * * *

The Covenant: The Starlight Chronicles 2

43

The faint frown between his opponent’s arched brows was a little

amusing, and Larik had a feeling it would turn into a full-fledged scowl the

minute she realized she was about to lose.

One slender hand hovered, descended, and she made her move.

He countered with lethal swiftness and the game ended in a victory.

Violet eyes sent him an accusing glare. “How do you do that?”

He gave Aspen an ingenuous look. “Do what?”

“She means you don’t even have to think about it,” Trey said, coming

over to sit down at the small table, lounging in the chair with careless grace.

“It’s irritating as hell.”

Larik grinned. “Sorry.”

“Yeah, I can tell.” Aspen sighed and waved her hand over the sensor,

the game board disappearing from the surface in front of them all. “We’ve

been here two weeks and I haven’t won once.”

“Let me make it up to you.” He was honestly surprised he did win every

time because she was so damned distracting. Something was going on

because he couldn’t ever remember being so horny on a constant basis, even

though like all S-species males he had a strong sex drive. He gazed at her

and said softly, “I promise in a few minutes losing a game will mean

absolutely nothing.”

There was a flare of response in those gorgeous eyes, just as he’d known

there would be. As eager as he and Trey were for sex, except for that first

time, she’d been every bit as willing and even initiated it now and then.

“There’s no need,’ she said coolly.

But she didn’t mean it. They were all starting to know each other very

well for the obvious reason they were stuck together—not to mention

lovers—and he could tell by the nuance in her voice she was doing her best

to be the old frosty Lieutenant Thorne.

“But I insist.” He stood and offered his hand.

It took about thirty seconds before she accepted it and let him pull her to

her feet.

Fucking hell, I want her.

Now.

There in the common room, where at any given time they could be

watched, he pulled off her shirt, exposing those perfect tits. She gave a small

gasp and he wasn’t sure if it was over the impetuousness of how urgent he

44

Annabel Wolfe

felt or the possible exposure, but when he bent and began to suckle one very

delicious nipple, she clasped his shoulders and swayed.

So warm, so soft…he licked and tasted, one hand kneading pliant flesh,

the other holding her upright as he sucked her nipples to erect points.

Two weeks into their imposed stay, he knew she’d be wet fast. A body

like hers was made for male enjoyment and he certainly had no complaints

in that department. Larik caught her up in a swift sweep, carried her into the

sleeping quarters and set her on the bed.

Don’t pounce on her, he chided himself in ironic amusement, jerking

down his pants as she wiggled free of hers. He climbed on top of her, used

his knees to part her legs, and impatiently entered her.

Not slowly enough. She made a sound, and he froze, reminding himself

she was half-human and therefore small, but when she arched, trying to take

more of his length, he relaxed and eased all the way in, stretching her to

accommodate his penetration.

It was embarrassingly fast, exquisitely pleasurable, and his climax

shattering.

But she was left unsatisfied, he knew it, her lush body trembling beneath

him.

“I’ll take care of you,” he whispered, still a little stunned by how she

affected him. He didn’t withdraw but reached between their joined bodies

and began to slowly massage her clit, watching her flushed face. She made

no secret that she liked it, rotating her hips, clinging to him.

When her orgasm came she cried out, her face pressed against his

shoulder, her slender form shaking in his arms. In the aftermath they both

lay quietly, the sound of their hard breathing filling the chamber. Though it

wasn’t his intention to be so candid, Larik said abruptly, “I’m not used to

this.”

Sprawled under him, the faint tint of sexual release still under her skin,

Aspen murmured languidly, “Used to what?”

“Wanting one female so much. It’s…” he searched for the right word

and found it, finishing with, “powerful. I usually try and have a least a little

foreplay.”

She laughed, an unusual reaction for her. He found the sound stimulated

him, or maybe it was just his cock deep inside her luscious pussy. No blood

The Covenant: The Starlight Chronicles 2

45

left in his brain—that must be it, because the word love came to mind, and

he wasn’t accustomed to that idea.

Maybe not love. No, that was stupid, idiotic, adolescent. Maybe

possessive fit better, though he didn’t mind she fucked Trey, because he

knew she liked doing it. Better yet, he had a feeling that Trey might be even

more involved than he was. The two of them argued on a regular basis, and

she could pull off the ice queen look with York more than she did with him,

but undeniable chemistry existed there. It might be the military thing, for

females who advanced in the ranks had to learn early on to keep males like

Trey in their place, but perhaps it was just fate.

“Obviously,
I’m
not used to it.” She turned her face away, just a

fraction, her profile as flawless as the rest of her. “I waited so long to have a

sexual relationship because I wanted more…and…well…here I am. With

you. With him.”

Larik kissed her, very softly, as gentle as he had been frantic when he

took her the first time. He whispered against her mouth, “More what?”

“Don’t ask.”

The order was tempting since he wasn’t sure he was all that comfortable

with the subject himself. But still, they were together, and he knew firsthand

how much control it took for Trey not to come into the room. He

appreciated that they’d come to an understanding that while they shared a

lover, private time was important, but still he wanted to talk about the

situation with her. “Aspen, come on. More means what?”

As usual, when faced with direct challenge, she didn’t avoid it. Her

eyes, that luminous purple shade he found so remarkable, stared up at him.

“I thought I’d fall in love,” she admitted. “First. It’s why I waited.”

Oh fuck, she’d said the word.

Larik hesitated and then admitted wryly, “It’s not a concept I’m very

familiar with to be honest. I saw it happen between Ran Kartel and the

human who is now his wife, but it has never happened to me.” He traced the

delicate curve of her collarbone with the tip of his finger, marveling over