Battling Rapture (8 page)

“No,” he said firmly.

Her face showed the shock he could feel coursing through
her. She was a beautiful woman, but he had no desire to actually touch her.
Looking was fine. Niki’s full, light brown, bountiful breasts flashed through
his mind. He shifted uncomfortably.

He noticed Gunter allowed the tittie rub to go on a while
longer before pushing the woman away with a sigh. Rhine held in a smile.

The dancing continued for a long time. Rhine opened all his
senses despite the overload and strain it put on him. This was just the type of
situation where distraction could lead to death. He heard the door open and
turned to watch Bute Chaeen and what must have been one of his personal guard
enter the room. The dictator looked irritated to have the focus on his entrance
and not the distraction he’d laid out for them.

Bute Chaeen clapped his hands, and the music ceased. The
women bowed to the dictator and each found a spot reclining on pillows
throughout the room. Rhine kept them in his peripheral vision. The women in his
life had taught him it could be dangerous to underestimate the weaker sex.

“How did you like the entertainment?” Bute Chaeen asked. He
settled behind an ornate desk. He looked rather silly in a loincloth sitting on
a finely upholstered chair.

“Fascinating, yet I am sure it is not as fascinating as the
reason you have…requested…our presence here.” Rhine wanted Bute Chaeen’s games
to stop. The man made him angry and anger could lead to deadly mistakes.

“I see you have no patience, Sir Rhine. I offer you the best
of my slaves. I have been extremely hospitable and yet all you can think of is
business. Very well. Your family has something I want.”

Maybe now they could get somewhere. “What would that be?” He
managed to keep irritation from his voice. He was the Huntu’s ambassador, after
all.

Bute Chaeen smiled and Rhine took stock of the man with all
his senses. The dictator’s heart rate was elevated and he reeked of smugness.

“My assistant spoke to you many weeks ago about the new
mineral for space transport.” Bute Chaeen’s gaze was intent on Rhine’s face.

Rhine remembered he’d turned down the Contu sent to purchase
rights to the mineral. “I remember.”

“Well, surely now we can come to an agreement.” The dictator
leaned back in his chair.

“I rarely change my mind once I’ve gotten final say from
Lord Huntu.” Rhine was pretty sure he understood what Bute Chaeen would use as
his bargaining chip.

“Which do you think Lord Huntu values more, the edela or the
trilliu
?”

He couldn’t believe the little bastard was so incredibly
stupid. “Are you threatening Lord Huntu’s only sister.”

“Threatening? No, why would you say that, Sir Rhine? I’m
simply offering her the opportunity to enjoy my hospitality for a while longer.
I am surprised she was allowed off world. Usually edelas are guarded more
closely.”

He was correct. She was here because of Bronwyn’s desire to
see the universe combined with Camryn’s softhearted influence. He blamed
himself. He’d allowed the desire to make both women happy to override his good
judgment. The worst part was he hadn’t advised Venn to the best of his
abilities and now Bronwyn and Niki were both in danger.

“How do you think Lord Huntu is going to react to you
extending such abundant and extended hospitality?” He knew how Venn would
react. Bute Chaeen could expect war at his door soon.

The dictator had forgotten Venn was an
oonatookreegay
or what Camryn often referred to fearfully as a berserker.
Oonatookreegay
didn’t turn off their violent tendencies simply because they weren’t in the
midst of a killing rage.
Oonatookreegay
were killers every moment. This
wouldn’t be something his cousin would let go. Usually Camryn could calm him,
but…she could also be quite bloodthirsty. Bute Chaeen had captured her family,
including her precious sister. Rhine couldn’t see her preaching mercy.

“Eventually you will see things my way. Before you leave,
you can explain all the benefits of the arrangement to him.”

Bute Chaeen was either delusional or crazy. Rhine was going
to enjoy putting him down like the rabid
hundrivarg
he was. Rhine peeled
his fingers slowly from the arms of the chair. He could already feel Bute
Chaeen’s throat under his hands.

Gunter cleared his throat and Rhine remembered his role. He
took a deep breath. They would have the long-range communicator up by morning.
He wouldn’t have the satisfaction of killing the beast shifter right away, but
he would return once the women were safe.

“Bring me a communicator and I will explain your position to
him now,” Rhine said.

“No, return to your suite. Enjoy our hospitality for a few
more days. We will speak more on this matter in the days to come.” The dictator
stood. “Your honor guard is waiting to show you the way.”

They exited the room and Rhine kept his senses open. It
would be easy for someone to attack them here. He was anxious to return to the
suite. The beast shifter’s threats weighed heavily on his mind.

When they walked through the door, his eyes were drawn
immediately to Niki. She stood, clutching cards in her hands. Her eyes devoured
him briefly before her expression cleared and she sat back down and resumed the
game she’d been playing with Bronwyn. He locked the door and set the alarm.

Gunter stood behind Bronwyn and looked at the cards in her
hands.

“How did it go?” Bronwyn asked.

“As expected,” Gunter replied.

Rhine moved closer. He was drawn to Niki’s side. He had an
overwhelming urge to touch her. He figured he should take advantage while she
still belonged to him. He sat on the arm of her chair and smoothed her soft
hair from her face. It fascinated him how it simply sprang back perfectly. He
was surprised she allowed the touch without protest. He was even more surprised
when she leaned toward him, grabbed his jacket and sniffed.

“What is that smell?” she demanded. He watched her toss her
cards down on the table. She glared up at him, and for a moment, he foolishly
admired the fire in her brown eyes.

“I don’t know what you mean,” he said slowly. He looked at
Gunter, who shook his head at him furiously. Obviously he knew what was wrong.

She hopped from the chair and turned to face him. Her chest
heaved and he found himself distracted by the movement of her breasts with
every inhalation.

“Look at my eyes, darn you!”

He did. “Why are you angry?”

“I’m angry because while I was sitting here concerned that
you and your cousin were being tortured, you were chasing tail.” She moved
farther away.

“What is chasing tail?” He wished she would just say why she
was angry.

“Ugh. Did Bute Chaeen invite you to another orgy and you
joined right in?” Her fists were clenched and he watched her body language. If
she was going to come at him, he needed to be ready.

“Of course not. I haven’t been with another woman.”

“You lie. Unless you and Gunter were having some quality
time spraying each other with cheap perfume.” She picked up one of the
artificial lanterns. “And really, your first instinct when you walked in was to
touch me. Shouldn’t you be tired?”

Then the crazy woman threw the lamp at him. She had good aim
too. If he hadn’t ducked, she would have gotten him in the head. From the
corner of his eye, he watched Gunter move a fascinated Bronwyn out of the line
of fire.

“We haven’t been with any women, Niki,” Gunter said calmly.

She turned her blazing eyes on him and he shrugged. “It’s
true. There were dancers—”

“You’re an idiot too,” she said.

She stomped to their bedroom door, opened it, went inside
and slammed the door behind her. He looked around and was surprised to notice
that he hadn’t seen Tor and Olaf come out. They stood there with tools in their
hands.

“What did you do to make her mad now?” Tor asked.

“I didn’t do anything. Bute Chaeen’s dancer rubbed against
me. I set her away. I didn’t realize Earth women had such sensitive noses.”
Rhine didn’t have a clue what he was supposed to do now.

“Go apologize,” Bronwyn said.

“I didn’t do anything.” Why should he have to apologize?

“She doesn’t know that. All she can smell is another woman
on you. She can’t tell the difference between a touch scent and a mating scent.
She was hurt. She was worried when you left.” Bronwyn smiled at him.

“How do you know what she was feeling?” he asked.

Bronwyn actually blushed. “I can sense a little if the
emotion is strong enough.”

He would have to let Venn know. They could work with her to
strengthen her gift.

He eyed Gunter. “You just had to tell her there were
dancers.”

Gunter shrugged. “How was I to know she would be possessive?
She never seemed to like you before.”

Rhine eyed the bedroom door with wonder. His cousin was
correct. Her strange reaction suggested she didn’t want another woman to have
his body. He walked to the door. He would be patient with the little lunatic.
He would seduce her and reassure her that she could have his body all to
herself until they returned home. Maybe he would allow her to use his body even
after they reached Ordan. At the moment, he couldn’t imagine wanting another
woman.

She sat on the bed cross-legged. She’d taken off her
leggings. Her bare knees peeked through the slits in her bisected skirt. She
glared at him as he closed the door, then looked away. She didn’t pout exactly.
Niki wasn’t the type. She did look pissed as hell and he scanned the room for
anything she could use as a projectile.

He shed his clothes quickly. He reached for the mini-jammer.
She stiffened, but continued to sit there, pretending to ignore him. He also
noted she was hurt. He’d missed it as she yelled and hurled the lantern in the
other room, but he could feel it now. Somehow, it changed how he wanted to
approach her.

“Niki, I’ve taken off my clothes. If you smell me again, you
will see I told the truth. I haven’t lain with another woman.”

She didn’t say anything, so he moved closer and sat on the
bed beside her. He pulled her to his chest, making sure to keep her arms pinned
beneath his. She lay stiffly at first. Gradually, she relaxed.

She tried to pull away and he let her. She slid her body
over on the bed.

“This doesn’t mean I’m going to have sex with you again,”
she said.

Her manner irritated him. “Of course you are. You’re mine
and you want me. Why do you fight it?”

“I am not yours and I don’t want you. Whoever told you that
was a liar.” She went to her hands and knees and attempted to crawl to the
other side of the large bed.

He caught her legs and pulled her back. She lay on her
stomach. Her constant denial of her attraction to him annoyed him. She didn’t
realize the challenge she presented every time her words didn’t match what his
senses told him. He could smell her arousal. It never abated. If he touched
her, it was stronger. Forcing him to chase her brought out the primitive in
him.

Hypersensitives were all pretty in tune with their animal
natures. Every time she fought or tried to escape him, it excited him. He
pushed her dress up, straddled her legs and began to undo the fastener in the
back.

“Get off me, you oaf.” She pushed up onto her hands, which
allowed him to work the dress up under her armpits.

He breathed out slowly to center himself. Her movements
caused her firm rounded ass to undulate against his cock. He moved down
slightly and pulled her torso up so she knelt on the bed between his legs. He
pulled the dress over her head while she was disoriented. He flung the garment
away and reached for her breasts with both hands.

He’d never been so excited about a pair of breasts in his
life. They filled his large hands with a slight overflow. Her skin was the
smoothest he’d ever felt and simply holding their weight in his hands made him
happy. He molded them gently and pinched her nipples between his pointer and
middle fingers. She shuddered and he let her erratic breathing tell him whether
she liked his attentions or not.

She shook her head suddenly, as if trying to clear it, and
then began pulling on his arms. She twisted against him in an effort to get
away and he wanted to howl in protest. He released her suddenly and she fell
forward. He caught the hands that she had planned to use to break her fall and
eased her to the bed himself. He held her down with his weight and reached for
one of the pillows. He pulled the case from the pillow and began to tear the
case into strips.

“What are you doing?” she asked. She tried to sit up, but
his weight was too much for her.

“You don’t seem to want to take the pleasure I offer you.
Judging from the way you responded earlier, you will only surrender when you
have no choice,” he said.

“You’re not going to force me.” She said it as a statement
and not a question.

“Your pussy is wet enough that I don’t think force would be
necessary. But no, you’re going to ask me to fuck you.”

“I suppose you want me to say please too.” Her tone was
sardonic.

“Only if you feel you must.” He tied her wrists again. He
took extra time to make certain she would not be hurt.

He wasn’t out of control tonight, so hopefully he would pay
attention to any pain signals she displayed.

He readjusted her body so she lay correctly on the bed on
her back, and then used another strip of the pillowcase to attach her ties to
the headboard. He moved away briefly to allow her to tug on the binding. He let
her determine for herself that they were secure.

“You’re a kinky bastard,” she muttered.

He grinned at her. “Earlier we fought. I won, I might add.”
He paused while she made a rude noise. “Now we’ll see how long you can last
before you ask me to slide into your tight, wet, warm pussy. I’ll even take a
command, though you’ll get better results being nice.” He grinned at her.