He and Petre talked about other things going on around the warship before the lift slowed. Petre walked off first. He fell back against Jai as a striped creature with a hairy limbed creature on its back trotted by with a pale, red-haired female running beside it. Petre’s eyes widened as he looked at the long bare legs of the female and her pert little grin as she waved. With a muttered oath, he turned to follow her but was distracted when Kev called out to him.
“I want that female!” Petre muttered, glancing at her retreating figure before turning with a sigh of resignation toward Kev who was waiting for him. “See if you can find out where she is going,” he asked Jai as he walked away.
Jai had been so lost in his own thoughts that he had followed Petre without thinking when he stepped off the lift. It took a moment for him to realize he was on the wrong level. With a curse, his eyes flashed in annoyance to the second set of strange creatures running through the corridor.
The set of animals that ran by him this time were smaller and came in all different sizes, shapes, and colors. His eyes swiveled to the figure following them. Heat filled him, immediately wiping away the fatigue and irritation. A small female with lush curves ran by him. His eyes locked with hers for the briefest moment before she pulled hers away. A heated blush turned her smooth, dark complexion a light shade of rose. Her skin was darker than Lady Jo, more of a creamy mocha. Her hair was a dark brown and cut short. She had it spiked with the tips touched with different colors that showed off her creamy skin. Her eyes were a soft dark brown that made him want to drown in their rich depths.
Jai watched as she raced past him, her rounded ass encased in a pair of dark blue leggings that emphasized her figure. She wore a blue top as well but it did nothing to hide her generous breasts. The thought of tasting her rosy tips jerked him out of his stunned reverie. He had never had such an intense reaction to any female before, including those who sought to entice him into spending his credits on them.
He jerked forward in a panic at the idea of losing sight of her. Fear washed through him at the thought of another warrior seeing the female and claiming her before he had a chance to. He rounded the corner and muttered a silent curse when he bumped into his commander.
“Excuse me, my lord,” Jai muttered, looking behind Manota in an effort to catch a glimpse of the female.
He wasted precious moments answering questions and asking Manota if he had seen which way the female had turned. He had been nervous Manota would rebuke him for asking and order him to stay away from the female. He knew deep down he would end up being seriously disciplined for disobeying a direct order because he knew he would have ignored any command to leave the female alone.
A grin spread across his face as Manota explained his female had taken a right. Relief and amusement burned through him at the slight look of resignation on his commanding officer’s face. It was obvious Manota understood the impact the human females had on a warrior. With a quick ‘thank you’, Jai raced down the corridor and turned at the intersection leading away from the direction he had originally intended to go.
*.*.*
He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the unusual female kneeling by one of the creatures she cared for. He slowed his step, not wanting to startle her. She was the most beautiful, exotic female he had ever seen.
A small smile curved his lips when he saw the shock in her eyes at the sight of him standing over her. She was even lovelier the closer he got. Blood rushed to his cock as her lips formed a small ‘O’ of surprise. His eyes moved to her lips and he wondered what she would taste like. Just the thought of them against his had him taking another step forward.
“Hello, female,” Jai said, stepping closer.
His gaze followed her as she nervously stood up and slipped her hands into the back pockets of her blue leggings. The movement pulled her baggy blue T-shirt snugly against her full breasts, showing the rounded pebbles of her nipples that swelled even as he gazed at her.
“Hi,” Mattie replied with more than a touch of nervousness at the huge man standing just a foot or two from her.
She had to tilt her head back to look him in the eye. He was tall like all the other alien males and the fact that she was barely five feet four inches wearing her shoes only emphasized that. He wore his hair in a short military style. His skin was a dark tan, slightly lighter than her own.
Mattie received her coloring from a combination of her mom who was from South Africa and her dad who was Caucasian. Her parents had met at Columbia State University but their marriage hadn’t lasted more than four years.
She took a step back when the male took another step bringing him even closer. She could actually feel the heat from his body and catch his scent… Mattie briefly closed her eyes and inhaled. His scent was causing her body to do things she didn’t even know was possible. She had read books that spoke of a woman’s body turning to liquid but this was ridiculous!
How could the smell of someone turn you on? She silently wondered.
“What are you called?” Jai asked in a soft, deep voice that caused goose bumps to pop up on her arms.
Mattie shook her head in an effort to get herself back under control. She tilted her head to the side and scowled up when the man took another step closer. He was practically in her face now! She refused to move back, even though that was what she wanted to do.
Who did he think he was! She had every right to be here. She glanced up at the male again. He was intimidating in his uniform. The black leather vest, black pants, and mid-calf boots made him look even bigger and more dangerous in her opinion.
Maybe it would have been better to have just jogged around the storage bay, she thought as she suddenly realized just how alone they were. She wondered if anyone would hear her if she screamed.
“Mattie,” she responded as she gave in to her sense of self-preservation and took a tiny step backwards. “What’s your name?” She asked, nervously biting her lower lip. She froze when he reached out and gently touched her lower lip with his thumb.
“Jai,” he replied huskily. “What are you doing out of your area?”
Jai studied the small female that barely came to his chest. He liked that. He also liked her soft rounded figure. It made him want to scoop her up and press her against his body.
Mattie shifted uncomfortably. “No one said we couldn’t explore,” she retorted. “The dogs and I needed some exercise. Why? It isn’t like it’s dangerous or anything to walk the hallways or anything, is it?”
“It can be,” Jai replied with a devilish grin.
He thought of how much he wanted her. The primitive urge to chase her, capture her, and claim her flooded him the moment she ran past him. Now, standing closer to her and seeing how delicate and feminine she was only made it worse. The thought of someone else finding her first drove him the final step closer. He had to mark her as his.
Mattie gasped and took another half step back, almost tripping over Peewee who was lying by her feet. She started to protest but the words died on her lips as Jai reached out and grabbed her arms, pulling her closer to his body. She trembled and pressed her hands against his chest as he pulled her closer.
“You are invading my personal space, you know,” she whispered nervously. “I… You… can let me go.”
“I don’t think so,” Jai said as he wrapped his arms around her. “I am claiming you as mine, female.”
“Claiming…” Mattie’s startled response was cut short as Jai bent his head, claiming her lips in a heated kiss.
Mattie’s protest was smothered as his lips brushed against hers before he deepened the kiss. She felt her feet lifting off the ground as he wrapped one arm under her butt and pulled her against him. She gasped when she felt his hard length pressing into her stomach. He took advantage of her gasp of surprise, sweeping his tongue inside her mouth to explore her taste. If anything, she was even sweeter than he expected.
A low groan escaped from him as he finally pulled back. “You taste even better
than I thought you would. I want you,” he breathed as he brushed kisses along her jaw and down along her neck. “You are mine, Mattie.”
Mattie jerked as she felt his lips lock on to her neck, pulling at the tender flesh. The sharp nip caused her to arc into him. He tasted her pulse as it fluttered rapidly under the onslaught of his lips. Her responsiveness to him ignited his blood until he felt like he was about to explode. Never had he had such a reaction to a female. Never had he wanted someone so badly that he could think of nothing else but taking her, claiming her, loving her.
“What… are you doing?” Mattie moaned as her head fell back.
“Making sure everyone else knows you are taken,” he growled out as he pushed against her.
Panic built as fear overwhelmed her. She didn’t know this man. He could just be playing with her. He probably thought she was easy with the way she had been responding to him. She pushed against his shoulders as he continued to try to kiss her. Finally, she cried out a sharp command in German to Poppers, the Standard Poodle.
“Poppers, beißen seine Hose!” Poppers, bite his pants! Mattie cried out.
Poppers rose immediately and grabbed the back of Jai’s pants. The huge warrior let out a sharp yell as the poodle grabbed a little flesh with it. Poppers growled menacingly, refusing to let go.
Jai cursed and released Mattie, carefully sliding her down his body even as he gritted his teeth against the pain of having his ass pinched by the sharp teeth of the dog. He glared over his shoulder at the poodle that just growled deeper and jerked her head, causing another curse to escape from his clenched jaw. He turned to look at Mattie who was pressing her back against the wall even as she scooted further away from him.
“Poppers, release,” Mattie whispered out, never taking her eyes from Jai’s furious face. “I have to go. “Nach Hause gehen, guys.” Go home, guys, Mattie ordered as she turned back the way she came and started running.
Jai watched as Mattie and her shaggy companions disappeared around the corner, almost knocking Petre down as he came walking around it. He waited until he could no longer see her before he reached a hand out and rubbed his offended butt cheek. A small chuckle escaped him as he thought that he was going to be carrying her mark for a few days, on his ass. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the mark he was hoping for.
“What are you laughing about?” Petre said glumly. “I couldn’t find the female I was looking for and yours looked like she had a dozen Killian mercenaries on her ass.”
“Mine just had one of her creatures bite me in the ass to get away from me,” Jai said with a grin.
“And you think that is funny why?” Petre asked confused.
Jai looked over at his friend. “Because I left my mark on her neck. She is mine, Petre. Let’s go get a drink. You look like you could use one,” Jai said suddenly feeling much better.
At least the pain in his ass was making him forget the one in his head. A few stiff drinks and neither one would matter. He needed to talk with his friend anyway. He had noticed one of the warriors in engineering that he hadn’t seen before. He wanted to find out if Petre knew anything about him. He had a funny feeling about the male called Mullox. He had found him opening the coolant panel for the engines yesterday when that was not his assigned area. He knew Petre helped with the assignments and wanted to check if Mullox had been reassigned without Banner, the Chief of Engineering, knowing or letting him know as he was second in charge of that area.
Chapter 4
Mattie giggled as Peewee reached up and sniffed at Bandit, her ferret, who was exploring on one of the tables near the viewport. She had brought Peewee and Bandit out with her. She had given the others a bath earlier and didn’t want them out where they could get chilled. Peewee and Bandit had their bath the day before.
She had stayed hidden in the storage bay for the past three weeks and was about to go crazy. She and her critters had explored every inch of both storage bays. She had even developed a few new routines with them. She walked over to scratch Peewee’s head as she stared out into space. She had heard Ricki and Nema talking earlier. They were saying they should be on Kassis in another week.
She reached down and picked Bandit up, cuddling the soft body against her own. She couldn’t stop thinking of the huge male called Jai. At night, she dreamed of being in his arms again, his lips on hers, his body pressed against her.
“What is wrong with me?” She turned and looked down at Peewee with an accusing expression. “Why can’t I stop thinking about him? What did he do to make me ache the way I do? Hell, even where he bit me the mark is still there! I thought hickeys were supposed to disappear after a few days,” she muttered.
“Arh-whoo,” Peewee answered in his grumpy, growling voice.
“You were no help either, you know,” Mattie continued. “You just laid there while he kissed me! You could have at least pretended like you were going to stop him.”
“Grr-ruh,” Peewee answered before he sneezed loudly.
“I know,” Mattie said stroking Bandit who was trying to climb up so she could curl around Mattie’s neck. “I know. I should have at least talked to him when he came by to see me,” she said grumpily. “I will if he comes again. I promise.”
Peewee sneezed again and looked like he was happy with the way their conversation was going. Mattie felt guilty now. Jai had come by every day to see her, often bringing small gifts that he left on the step of her camper.
She thumbed the braided bracelet and sighed. He came even though she hid in her camper. He knew she was there. He would sit on the step and just talk. Sometimes he talked about how his work was going, other times he talked about his family. He asked her questions but she never responded. She just sat on the other side of the door hoping he would just keep talking. She loved listening to his husky voice. She could picture the large farm where his family lived and worked. When he said goodbye, she would place her hand on the door, willing herself to open it and beg him to come in. Last night, she had but he had already left.
“I’m not going to wait for him,” Mattie said suddenly in determination. “I’m going to go find him. Tell him I want him… Well, ask him to dinner,” she whispered. “I’ll ask him to dinner. That would be a good start, wouldn’t it?” She asked Bandit who was curled around her. “You are no help either, you know.”
Peewee stood up and wagged his massive tail. “Let’s go find him, Peewee,” Mattie said excitedly.
They were almost to the door when she was thrown sideways into the back of a chair near it. She gripped it tightly, one hand going to Bandit who woke up and jumped down onto the cushion. She tried to grab her pet but the ship rocked again and she found herself falling onto the floor on her knees. Peewee crawled over to her, whining pitifully.
“It’s okay,” Mattie assured her huge companion. “Bandit, come on, sweetheart. Come to momma.”
Bandit refused, instead the little ferret rushed for a low vent and disappearing into it. Mattie cursed as she crawled over to the large vent cover and tried to pull it off. It was no use. The slats were just the perfect distance apart for her skinny furry pet to squeeze through. There were metal clamps holding it closed and Mattie couldn’t turn them, no matter how hard she tried.
“Bandit! Please baby, come to momma,” Mattie pleaded. She could see Bandit’s eyes glittering in the narrow duct. “Come on, sweetheart.”
Mattie knew she was going to have to go get some of Bandit’s favorite snacks if she was going to get her out. The ferret was one of her newest acquisitions and still frightened easily. Mattie knew her little friend wouldn’t go very far from the opening.
“I’ll be right back, honey,” Mattie promised, scooting back up onto her knees. “Peewee, stay.” She ordered hoping Bandit would stay near Peewee’s big shape.
Mattie climbed to her feet and hurried out of the exit. She ran into several warriors. She heard the word explosives and engineering. Her eyes widened when she realized someone had set off an explosive in the engineering lev
el.
The level where Jai worked, she thought in horror.
“What if there are more?” She whispered as she ran. “What if one goes off and he gets hurt or killed and I could have stopped it from happening?”
Mattie ran through the open doors of the storage bay heading as fast as she could to her camper. She grabbed the handgrip by the door and swung up onto the step. Pulling the door open, she called for the other dogs.
She jumped down off the step as they came barreling out of the camper. She whistled and took off for the engineering level with the dogs in tow. She skidded into the lift just as alarms started to sound. Giving the command for the Engineering Level. She watched as the lights flashed up two levels to Level 6. She and the dogs poured out of the lift as soon as the doors opened. She looked wildly around before looking down at her dogs.
“Sniff Sprengstoff,” Sniff explosives, Mattie ordered in German and gave them the hand gesture to send them out.
The dogs took off in different directions, each with their noses down. Each had a unique bark. She would know which one found something by the sound of their barking. She followed Polly, her golden retriever. Nothing got by Polly, her oldest and best trained sniffer.
Mattie glanced as several warriors ran by her. She stepped around several large banks of panels. Polly was moving rapidly, as if she was scenting something. She was able to move through the maze of tubing, pipes, and conduits faster than Mattie could. Polly let out a sharp bark and headed toward a male who was heading into another section marked by strange symbols that Mattie couldn’t read. He turned his head at the same time as Polly froze, growling.
“Stop!” Mattie called out. “Help! He has a bomb!”
The male turned toward the door. He dropped something on the floor as he turned, half in and half out of the doorway to the next room. A look of horror flashed across his face before a huge explosion knocked Mattie backwards onto her back. She cried out and covered her head as she rolled closer to a panel, seeking cover.