Tiger of Talmare (7 page)

She looked skeptical. "You mean you didn't kill anyone?"

He felt a flicker of irritation. "I know it doesn't fit in with your cozy plans to hand me over to Pieter, but no, I didn't kill anyone. Well, not then, anyway. And before you ask, I did not, and never have, eaten human flesh."

He couldn't tell whether she believed him or not.

"Okay," she said, "so he breeds telepaths. And then what?"

"I told you, he can use them to stop the space liner traffic. And probably run his own fleet."

"But what is it he wants?"

"Who knows? Best case scenario—he wants money, and it's a simple blackmail job. But I don't think so. There's too much time and too much planning gone into this. I think he's after power."

"Power to do what?"

"Whoever controls interstellar travel controls everything. They can hold the universe to ransom. Look, even if you do hand me over, you can still take this information and warn the Agency."

"The Agency will never listen to someone like me."

"No, probably not, but you might worry them enough to at least keep an eye on Sanderson."

"I'll think about it," she said. "So, how do they stop the liners?"

"The pilots are vulnerable when they're flying. Their minds wide open to attack. Another telepath can get in there and cause irreparable damage."

"Anything like the liner we were on? The one that crashed?"

He frowned at the question, but nodded. "Exactly like that, I suppose. I never did find out what caused that crash, but it would be similar."

"Oh." She was quiet for a moment. She turned, and he realized, with a start, that she was leaving again. She couldn't go now; he needed more time to implement the plan. But it was more than that. With a stab of surprise, he recognized that he wanted her to stay. He wanted to kiss her again, wanted to feel those long legs wrapped around him, his cock inside her and just lose himself. Forget Pieter, forget the plan, forget everything for a while. He rolled onto his feet. "Hey, wait!"

****

Mel needed to get away, to think about what he had told her, to decide whether to tell Leila, that in all likelihood, she was responsible for the crash of an entire space liner. The thing was, with Leila, would she even be upset? Tickled pink, more likely. Still, Mel wasn't looking forward to the meeting.

Zach called out, and she looked back.

He was standing by the cot. "What?" she asked.

"Before you go, there's something that's been bothering me about you."

"Really?"

"Hmm, I've seen your records. You were sentenced to life in the asteroid mines for that murder, so what were you doing on that space liner three years later?"

She shrugged. Why not tell him, it was no secret, and she certainly wasn't ashamed of something she'd had no control over. "I never got to the mines. I was sold to one of the space brothels."

"Brothels are illegal."

"Wow, you don't say. Then I guess there are some unscrupulous people about. Besides, don't tell me you've never paid for it."

"I've never paid for it." He grinned. "Never had to."

No, the smooth bastard probably didn't need to. She'd bet he had women falling over themselves to get a piece.

"So what happened?" he asked.

"To what?"

"To you? How did you end up on the liner?"

"Oh. Well, I think they decided I was more trouble than I was worth."

"That figures."

She ignored the comment. "I spent three years chained up like an animal while any man who had the money to pay could have me. I was kept drugged most of the time, after all, I was a convicted murderer. But they got careless one day, the drugs wore off, and I killed one of their best customers." She smiled. "So you see, that woman wasn't the only innocent I've murdered."

"I hardly think innocent is the word to describe them." He thought for a moment. "What about your friend Leila?"

"She was fifteen when she was sold to the brothel. She doesn't like men."

"No, I guess it could do that to you. Did she kill off the customers as well?"

Mel grinned. "No, but she did have a way of making them uncomfortable."

"I bet she did." He looked at her, his eyes assessing. "So, do you like men?"

"Let's just say, ten years ago, I was of the opinion that if I ever saw another dick again, I'd slice it off."

He winced. "That was ten years ago. What about now?"

"The memory's faded somewhat. All the same, I still might find myself tempted if there was something sharp to hand." She let her gaze roam down over the front of his pants, lingering on the bulge she could see there. "Why? You want to risk it?"

She found herself holding her breath as she waited for his answer. What was going on here, was he flirting with her? Was she flirting back?

"You're taking me to Pieter," he said. "He's going to kill me. You know that. But probably only after a few very long and painful conversations."

"You think he plans to torture you?"

"I know he's going to torture me. The only reason I can come up with why he wanted me alive is he thinks I might have passed on the information I have on him. And he wants to know who I've told. He's not going to let me die without finding that out."

Mel frowned. "You've told me."

"Well, I'll try to keep that from him, but I have to warn you, I've heard Pieter can be very creative where torturing a man is concerned. So, if I were you, I'd get away from that rendezvous point fast. If he lets you leave at all."

"You're just trying to scare me into not going."

"No. I'm giving you a warning."

"Why? And why are you telling me this?"

"I'm just pointing out that the risk of you cutting off my dick doesn't rate too high on my worry scale right now. And a man condemned to die has to get his fun where he can. So yeah, I'm willing to risk it. Are you?"

For a long time even the thought of a man had caused Mel to shudder with revulsion. But she didn't feel that way about Zach. Maybe it was because he was her prisoner, at her mercy. She almost smiled at the thought. Or maybe it was because she knew she could put a stop to it at any time. She fingered the activator in her pocket, and his eyes followed the movement.

But feeling no revulsion was hardly a reason to have sex with a man. On the other hand, she wasn't walking out of here so there must be something else. She looked at him. He was big, and he was beautiful.

The short hair emphasized his high cheekbones and the slant of his eyes. Today they were more green than gold. His bare chest was broad, the muscles well-defined. One thumb was hooked casually in his waistband, and the pants hung low on his hips, showing off his lean belly with its light covering of creamy blond fur. It looked soft and silky, and she had a sudden urge to run her fingers through it. Her eyes moved lower, and she licked her lips.

"You want to see what you do to me?" he murmured.

She started in shock at his words. She didn't think, just nodded, and watched as he pushed the pants down over his hips and stepped out of them.

Her mouth went dry, and the air was sucked from her lungs. He'd appeared huge when she had seen him the day he awoke. Now, semi-aroused, he was even bigger. Thick and long, his cock pulsed under her gaze, growing before her eyes.

While she watched, he slowly wrapped his hand around himself and squeezed.

Heat flooded her belly, and she suddenly knew what he'd been doing when she came in. It made her hot and shivery all at the same time.

He seemed to know what she was thinking. "I was lying there, imagining fucking you." Then he shrugged. "Actually, that's a lie, you were sucking me off. But you were enjoying yourself. We both were."

She couldn't seem to take her eyes from his cock, fully erect now. What would it taste like? What would it feel like inside her? She was hot and swollen between her thighs, her body readying itself for him. The sensation was new, but then she'd never met a man she wanted.

Before now.

And with that thought, she finally acknowledged that she did want him. But how could she let a man make love to her then calmly hand him over to someone who would undoubtedly torture and kill him? It didn't seem right.

"You're thinking too much," he said. "Forget Pieter."

When she still didn't move, he took a step toward her. "Come on, sweetheart, give us what we both want. Let the condemned man have one final fuck."

She nodded. Just once, but it was enough.

"Thank God." He let go of himself and took another step forward. Then he paused. "Would you mind taking your hand out of your pocket?"

She frowned. "What?"

"It makes me feel a little vulnerable, knowing your finger is on the button, as it were. I can't promise my best performance if I think you're going to zap me with that thing at any moment."

She smiled at the thought but withdrew her hand, and he took the last step toward her, close enough to touch. It occurred to her that she was the vulnerable one. He could easily overpower her. But strangely enough, she trusted him.

He reached out a hand. Mel held her breath as he plucked open the top button of her shirt.

"It seems a little unfair, me naked, you fully dressed," he said as he opened the second button.

A minute later, the shirt was unfastened, and he parted the sides to stare at her. Her breasts were small, but his eyes feasted on them, and her nipples engorged under his heated gaze. He reached out with a finger, the claw extended, and gently scraped over one swollen tip. She felt the touch as a spasm in her belly, and she swayed toward him.

"You are so beautiful, small and perfect," he murmured, cupping both breasts in his large hands, rasping the pad of his thumbs against her nipples over and over again. His head bent to her, and he licked first one then the next until they glistened with moisture and were so sensitive she thought she would explode.

It was the most wonderful sensation she had ever experienced, and liquid heat welled up between her thighs. She clenched them tight together.

She almost protested as his hands left her to move down between their bodies. He took hold of one of hers where it lay clenched at her side and gently prized open her fingers, pressing her open palm over his belly. The fur was as soft as she had imagined, and she curled her fingers into it. But he didn't allow her to linger, gently nudging her downwards. She knew what he wanted, and her hand wrapped around his erection. It was hot, and hard. She squeezed it ever so gently and he moaned low down in his throat.

****

Oh God, Zach couldn't believe this was really happening. It had been a long time since he'd been with a woman, and it felt so goddamned good.

Just let him have this one thing, he prayed, and he would accept whatever shit the Universe threw at him next.

He closed his eyes as her slender fingers fluttered up the length of his cock, and he throbbed and jerked against her hand as she gently explored the swollen head.