The Price of Pleasure (8 page)

“Yes,” Devora gasped. “Please, come into me. I want you, Seth, I need you right now.”

With a cry of triumph, Seth surged into her, slamming his entire length into her waiting channel.

The movement was so hard it felt as if he might come right up through her throat.

Calla screamed as sensation surged through her, orgasming wildly around him. Her legs gripped his waist with all her strength, and she held tightly to his massive frame as he pounded into her.

Seth’s movements gained speed as he approached his own pleasure. He captured her mouth with his, plundering her depths with his tongue even as he thrust, as he forced her to feel another orgasm building. He shifted his weight slightly, allowing his penis to scrape along her clit more fully each time he came into her. He could feel her entire body jerk in response.

The sensation was unbearable. For one horrible minute she thought she’d die from the pressure. Then she exploded again, and he came with her. Locked together in each other’s arms, they shared their pleasure, hearts pounding.

After several minutes, Seth rolled to his back, carrying her with him. They were still joined, although he had softened somewhat. With a sigh, she nestled her head against his neck. One of his hands cradled her, fingers running through her hair, and Calla slept.

Twice more in the night he awakened her, each time already hard within her channel. Barely moving, they made love sleepily. By the second time, neither of them came. Instead, they cuddled together while joined at the sex, and kissed languidly.

The sensation of his hands massaging her back gently eventually lulled Calla back to sleep, where she dreamt of being safe and warm for the first time in her life.

* * * * *

Seth awoke well-rested.

A movement against his side startled him, and for a moment he tensed, automatically preparing himself for battle. Then memory came back. Devora was with him in bed, the woman he’d hired to travel with him. A brief flash of anger threatened his composure as he wondered how many other men she’d traveled with, but he tamped it back down. It wasn’t as if she’d lied to him about her profession, and he certainly hadn’t come into their contract a virgin. He needed to focus on enjoying her, he told himself firmly.

And he
was
enjoying her. She was nestled trustingly into the crook of his arm, exhausted from their workout. Seth smiled at the memory–by their final encounter both had been too exhausted to orgasm, something he’d never experienced before. Instead he’d simply held her in his arms for hours, content to luxuriate in the bond that seemed to be between them. She felt so
right
in his arms…

That bond puzzled Seth, though. He’d never felt as close to a woman as Devora.

He’d certainly never had such amazing sex, but it was more than that. With a sense of disbelief, he acknowledged to himself that she seemed to fill the hunger within him that was always present; the same hunger that had driven him from his Saurellian homeworld.

Like every young man of his people, he’d searched for his life mate back home.

Once it became clear he wasn’t one of the lucky few to have one, he’d left. It was too painful to watch other men with their women, their families. He hadn’t even been able to stand his own brother’s company, although he enjoyed the pictures the family sent him.

Nothing had been able to touch the ache inside of him until Devora, he realized. For one second his heart leapt in hope–could she be his lifemate? Was she actually Saurellian?

Seth turned her head to his, studying her features carefully. His heart fell, and a small, mocking part of his brain chided him for his foolishness. Devora couldn’t be Saurellian. No Saurellian woman had ever been as short as she was, let alone freckled with brown hair. The women of his race were tall, with translucent skin and dark hair.

They bred true, generation after generation, sharing common features and an uncanny ability to communicate with the Goddess. Legend held that they had been created in Her form to serve as Her priestesses.

No, he thought sadly, his relationship with little Devora couldn’t last. The troubling image of the slave, Calla, rose again in his head. She had made him feel this way, too.

When he’d heard that her tracer had been found in the recycling pit, he’d felt a sadness that went beyond compassion for the death of a young woman. Two women had touched him within a span of weeks. Perhaps he was losing his mind, he mused.

Devora snuggled more closely against him, snuffling softly in her sleep and interrupting his thoughts. He loved the feeling of her lying there, he realized. It felt right to hold her in his arms–almost as if he was complete. She assuaged his gnawing, restless hunger.

Devora opened her eyes, lifting her head to gaze at him. Giving him a sleepy smile, she said, “Hmmmm… maybe you could set the autopilot so the trip takes more than three days? I think I could get used to this.”

“Sounds good to me,” he said, chuckling at her. Her brown hair hung around her face in un-kept curls. Her almond-shaped eyes laughed back at him, and on an impulse he pulled her up onto his chest for a kiss. Their lips met for a long moment, and then she started rubbing herself sensuously against his morning erection. It was enough to make him gasp.

Allowing her knees to drop to either side of him, Calla reached down with one hand to guide his penis to her opening, sliding slowly down on him.

They kissed again, and his hands rose to her hips to guide her motions. The warm, slippery feel of her cunt enveloping his cock made him groan with pleasure. He couldn’t get enough of her.

“I’ll definitely have to reprogram our course,” he said, grunting in time with her movements. “I think we should try to focus on doing this for a while. The miners can wait.”

Part II: The Rock

Four Months Later

Chapter Six

There were butterflies all around her.

Calla lay in a field of green grass, warm and content. The sky above her was filled with bright, yellow sunlight, and in the distance she could hear the tinkling of a stream.

Birds were singing and the butterflies seemed to dance in time to their song. Then birdsong gave way to the soft hum of the ship. Something delicate touched her–a butterfly? No, a finger traced her spine sensuously, and a voice spoke in her ear...

“Wake up, sleepy,” the voice said. It was Seth whispering to her, his voice cool and dark. Calla stretched, enjoying the feel of his fingers running across her body. “Wake up, Devora. We’ll be arriving soon.”

Realizing the field was only a dream, Calla opened her eyes reluctantly. Seth was right, it was time to wake up. But her dream had been so pleasant–were planets really as beautiful as she imagined? Perhaps she would find out some day, she thought with a smile.

“What are you smiling about?” Seth asked huskily. He was lying beside her, running his hand up and down her back.

“I was having a lovely dream,” Calla whispered, turning her face toward his.

“Mmmmm?” Seth replied, dropping little kisses along her shoulder.

“I was in a field, on a planet, and there were birds and butterflies all around,” she explained. “In fact, when you first touched me, I thought you were a butterfly.”

Seth gave her an indignant look.

“I was a butterfly?” he asked. “I don’t think so.”

“Oh, but you were,” Calla replied, grinning at him wickedly. “Your fingers felt just like butterflies. Or at least they felt like I imagine butterflies would feel. I don’t know that I’ve ever actually seen one in real life.”

“I have,” Seth said with amusement. “And I assure you, nothing about me could ever be mistaken for a butterfly. They’re small, weak things. If you even touch their wings, they can’t fly any more. I’d say you’re more like a butterfly than I am,” he added thoughtfully, eyeing her delicate bone structure in the cabin’s dim light.

“Oh, really?” Calla replied with spirit. “I think you might be surprised by how strong I can be.”

“I doubt it,” Seth said, a grin playing around the corners of his mouth.

“Is that a challenge?” Calla asked.

“Maybe,” Seth replied. “What are you suggesting?”

“Well, perhaps we should have a contest,” she said. “A contest of strength and weakness…Winner takes all!”

Seth looked at her askance.

“Are you sure you want to do that?” he asked. “I hate to sound too confident, but I’m pretty sure I can beat you in a contest of strength.”

“Not that kind of strength,” Calla replied smartly. “I was thinking more about strength of will.”

Seth cocked an eyebrow at her questioningly.

“And just how do you propose this contest of wills should take place?”

“Well,” Calla said with a giggle. “I was thinking that maybe we could take turns tempting each other. Whoever gives in to temptation first wins.”

“And you think you’ll win this little game of temptation?” Seth asked, laughing back at her. “I’ll have you know I’m a Saurellian warrior, not some sex-starved boy.

You’ll be begging me for release by the time I’m done.”

“Will I?” Calla asked archly. “We’ll just have to see. I’ll start. Sit back on the bed and watch.”

Seth followed her instructions, leaning back against the head-board. He had a smug look on his face, and for a moment Calla questioned whether her challenge had been a good idea. He had been acting so cocky she hadn’t been able to resist, though. Taking a deep breath, she stood up and looked him in the eyes.

While he was fully clothed, she had been sleeping in the nude which proved a distinct disadvantage. It would be nice to start with a strip-tease, but that wouldn’t be possible. She’d have to bring out the heavy artillery right away...

“Computer, turn the lights up by 50 percent,” she said softly. “And soft music, something classical.”

Gazing at him with all the longing she felt in his presence, she slowly lifted her hands and ran them loosely, through her hair. The curly locks fell around her body, partially obscuring her breasts. Then she stretched in slow pleasure, allowing herself to revel in the sensation of every muscle pulling and relaxing. Seth continued to watch her with amusement, although she detected a slight tightening of his features...

Turning away from him, Calla faced the mirror on the bedroom wall. He was clearly visible in it, just as her reflection was visible to him. Perfect, she thought. Reaching both hands up to her breasts, she started to massage them slowly, paying special attention to the stiffening peaks. She knew how much he loved the sight of her breasts, loved the feeling of those tight nubs against his chest. Now he could see them in the mirror, but just barely. Her hair provided a protective veil, and she shivered as a strand of hair grazed her nipple.

In the background, Seth shifted, raising one knee. Calla fought to hide her smile, then leaned her head back and shook out her hair. The reflection of her aroused breasts was now fully visible to him. She stretched once again, both arms over her head. Her breasts quivered at the movement. Still stretching, she leaned to one side and then the other, before allowing her body to drape forward from the waist. Resting both hands flat on the floor, she spread her legs slightly. The movement opened them to Seth’s gaze, and she thought she heard his breath catch. She could feel his gaze on her exposed cunt.

“I find that stretching is important before any physical exertion,” she said. “What do you think?”

“You’re right,” Seth said in a strained voice. “Stretching is important.”

“I’m so glad we can agree,” she replied. Then she moved one hand from its position on the floor and ran it up the inside of her leg experimentally. “That feels good,” she whispered. “Does it look good, too?”

Seth didn’t answer, so she ran the other hand up her leg, allowing her fingers to drift delicately over her flesh. A tingle of sensation followed each finger, and little trails of sparkling desire ran through her. Moisture gathered between her legs.

“This feels so good, I could just do it forever,” she finally said. “But I think you probably need more of a show than that.”

Seth watched with gritted teeth as Devora stood up, turning to face him. He was rock-hard in the flimsy jumpsuit he wore, although he had raised one knee to hide the evidence. Despite his confident words, he wanted her so badly that it took every ounce of strength to keep from grabbing her and rolling her body under his. Just the thought of thrusting into her hot, wet flesh made his cock leap, and he bit down a moan. Against his will, one hand drifted between his legs, grasping his hard length. It was exquisite, but nowhere near as good as Devora’s flesh would feel.

She smiled broadly at him, then gently rested a finger on her mouth. Her lips were closed, but the finger pressed against them and after a second disappeared into the warm, wet opening. She drew it out again slowly, then opened her mouth and ran her tongue around the finger.

The night before she had done the same thing to his cock, licking and sucking at it like it was candy until he’d exploded like a rocket. His fingers squeezed his hard length restlessly in memory. Nothing was as hot as Devora’s mouth, unless it was her cunt...

She seemed to read his mind, because her other hand dropped to the moist spot between her legs. One finger rubbed gently against her clit, and she shivered.

Continuing to suck her finger, she pulled it deeply into her mouth, then allowed her cheeks to hollow with the suction as she slowly pulled it out again. All the while she worked her clit, shivering as the delicate skin swelled under her fingers, gazing deeply into his eyes.

His pulse pounded in his ears, and he could feel blood rushing to his face. He felt hot, and he knew he had to have her.

She suddenly dropped her hands and smiled at him.

“So, how are you feeling, Seth?” she asked sweetly, innocence written all over her face. “Feel like doing anything? Or are you too much of a warrior to give in to your desire? I’m willing to be a gracious winner.”

“Fuck,” Seth said, dropping his head back against the wall. She had him by the balls.

His cock was poised to go off in his pants like a boy’s, yet she stood before him with laughter in her eyes. It was time for payback.

“Sit down, it’s my turn,” he said darkly, rolling to his feet.

Calla forced her expression to remain nonchalant, and sat down on the bed. It had taken every ounce of self control to keep herself from jumping on him, yet she’d be damned if she would let him win that easily. If he had any idea how hungry she was for his touch...

Seth stood before her, one hand wrapped around the long, hard bulge at his groin.

He was heavily aroused, yet he massaged himself almost absently.

If she hadn’t seen the glint of desire in his eyes, she would never have guessed how much he wanted her. His eyes, though, were hard with a need that couldn’t be denied.

He grasped the zipper of his coverall, pulling it down slowly to his waist.

The beauty of his dark chest, sprinkled with hair, made her breath catch. He was the most magnificent man she’d ever seen. A twist of desire caught her off-guard, and she moaned. She watched his face light up in triumph, and she scowled in response. He was so sure of himself, it wasn’t fair, she thought to herself.

He shrugged one shoulder out of the suit, exposing his muscular arm and shoulder.

Those arms had held her so many times, imprisoning her as he pleasured her, cradling her as she returned the favor. She felt so safe when they held her close, like nothing could ever hurt her. She caught herself leaning toward him, ready to accept his embrace.

He raised one finger and twitched it in reproof.

“Ready to give in so soon, Devora?” he asked in a silky voice. “I know I’ll win, but I thought you’d last a little longer than this...”

Calla scowled at him, disgusted at her own weakness. It was time to fight fire with fire, she decided. Scooting down the bed, she stretched out comfortably, head propped up on a pillow so she could continue to watch him easily. Then she started massaging her clit with one hand, legs spread wide open.

“Oh, I’m not ready to give in,” she said huskily. “I’m just settling in to enjoy the show.”

She noted with satisfaction that the sight made him gulp, but he quickly shrugged off his suit, exposing the proud jut of his cock. Then it was her turn to gulp.

He was long and hard, and the smooth, helmet-like head flushed red with arousal.

One hand continued to stroke slowly up and down, and he flinched slightly as he grazed the sensitive notch on the under-side.

Calla closed her eyes, it was too much.

“Oh, no you don’t,” Seth said huskily. “You watch me every second, just like I had to watch you.”

Calla forced her eyes open, and another shock of arousal struck her at the sight of him standing there, a drop of pearly moisture hanging on the end of his proud length.

Her body convulsed in response and her fingers moved more frantically between her legs, the familiar pressure building.

“Ah...” Seth said, continuing his own long, slow strokes. His face was tight and his breathing harsh, but every movement was tightly controlled. “If you come, first, that means I win. Are you ready to give up?”

Calla shook her head furiously, but her hand refused to stop moving. Seth moved closer to the bed, standing over her as he worked his own sensitive flesh. The veins on his neck stood out with tension.

“When I do this,” Seth whispered. “I’m thinking about what it would be like to thrust into you. I’m thinking about how hot and tight you are, about shooting into you and exploding over and over until neither of us can move. That’s what I want to do to you right now.”

“I’m thinking about it, too,” Calla said, mesmerized. She couldn’t quite remember why they weren’t already doing that... What was she trying to prove anyway?

Seth seemed to read her thoughts, because his eyes lit with triumph.

“Tell me to come to you, Devora,” he said. His soft, smooth request wove through her consciousness, and he watched with anticipation as she twisted in desire. “Tell me you want me inside of you. Tell me there aren’t any others who can fill you like I do.”

“Oh, Seth,” she moaned. “Oh, Goddess, I’m so close.”

“That’s good enough for me,” Seth muttered. He fell on her like a man starved, his mouth crushing against hers. One strong arm was braced above her head, and the other worked its way underneath her body. Then he was pulling her to him and thrusting into her flesh.

The shock of contact swept through her, and she came in a burst of pleasure so intense she screamed against his mouth.

As Devora convulsed around his taut flesh, Seth surged forward in search of his own pleasure. The feel of her tight body gloving his was like hot silk, and every stroke brought him closer to the ecstasy he knew was waiting for him. Then he pressed home one last time and orgasm ripped through him. He cried out, then collapsed against her.

She held him tightly, wrapping his body with her arms and legs.

After a minute, she asked him quietly, “So, who won the contest?”

Seth laughed, amazed at the feeling of contentment and joy that filled him.

“I think we both won,” he said finally, kissing her soft, swollen lips gently. “Or at the very least, we both got the prize.”

* * * * *

Later that day, as she was preparing their evening meal, Calla reflected on how much her life had changed since she’d joined Seth. Four months had passed since they’d left the mining station. They were the best months of Calla’s life, so pleasant that she felt guilty at times. Jess’ survival was hanging in the balance and what was she doing?

Falling in love. And it was love–she had resigned herself to it by now.

Travelling with Seth from outpost to outpost might have seemed tedious to a more experienced woman, but to Calla each day was a new adventure. They’d visited twelve groups of miners so far, their homes ranging from one-man operations to a corporate mine employing more than 100 managers and a thousand slaves.