Born of Ice

  Dammit, he was always so careful about that. But had he fucked up?

  He was sure he had. The only question was, who had heard it and had they recorded it?

  Your luck... you know they did.

  I am such an idiot.

  He knew it was always a possibility and yet... in the comfort of his own ship, it was easy to forget that anyone could theoretically access their audio. Because of the complexities of it, most people didn't.

  But they could...

  Disgusted with his carelessness, he found Sway on the bridge, sexing with his wife over the audio. Great. Everyone was having sex tonight but him.

  Well, if anyone was listening in on their equipment, Sway's foreplay should screw with their heads. He cleared his throat just as Claria verbally licked a part of Sway's anatomy that Devyn didn't even want to think about.

  Sway sat up straight and threw the mute on. "What the hell are you doing here?"

  "My ship, and last time I checked, I was captain. Sorry for the coitus interruptus. While I'm glad you two have made up, we have a situation. I need you to say good-bye to the wife, throw on the autopilot, grab Vik and Nero, and meet me in the command room." Without waiting for confirmation, he reversed direction and went to find Alix and Omari.

  They were in the galley, talking with the door open. He paused as he heard his name.

  "I think your father's wonderful, but I'm not stupid, Omari. I know what happens to slaves like me. All I want is to save my sister and my mother if possible. What happens to me isn't important. I just don't want Tempest to get hurt any worse."

  "We're not going to let you get hurt, either."

  "I know you have the best intentions. But I don't believe in dreams. Only reality, and it's a very harsh thing."

  Manashe stuck his head up as he finally caught a whiff of Devyn. Sitting up, he wagged his tail, alerting Omari that they weren't alone.

  Devyn walked forward to pet the dog's head. He motioned for them to remain quiet before he led them to the conference room. The others were already there and seated.

  Vik scowled. "What's going on?"

  Devyn didn't answer as he picked the loudest, most offensive music he had to blast over the intercom.

  Alix and Nero flinched and covered their ears.

  "What the hell is this shit?" Nero growled.

  Devyn picked up the pad from the table and disconnected it from the computer so that his words wouldn't enter their possibly compromised network. He wrote on it.

  Taryn has been arrested. Starla is being detained. We have reason to believe we're being spied on. Everything we say is compromised.

  He passed the pad around the group, one by one, so that they could read it.

  Sway switched to military sign language, but Devyn stopped him. He motioned to the vidcams.

  Vik rolled his eyes before he plugged into the network slot in the wall. "For shit's sake... there." The music stopped instantly. "I have the room secured."

  Devyn looked at him skeptically. "Are you sure?"

  "Absolutely."

  "Could my father access us?"

  "Probably."

  Devyn held up his pad. "Then we use this... Just in case."

  That paranoid or that bad? Nero's voice exploded in his head.

  He looked at Nero and shot his thoughts back at him. That bad.

  Nero nodded. Anything I can do?

  Get out of my head and let me think while I write.

  Nero held his hands up in surrender before he crossed his arms and waited for Devyn to write out what was going on. Once he was finished, he passed the pad around for everyone.

  I know we're heading into a trap. I want Omari off the ship immediately. Nero, can you launch an escape pod and take him?

  "Oh, hell no!" Omari snarled as soon as he saw it. "Forget it."

  "Don't you dare argue with me. I'm your father."

  "And I'm your son. A grown man. It's time you realized I can pull my own boots on, you know? I don't need you to wipe the drool off my chin anymore. If this was Grandpa who was in danger, would you walk away and leave him?"

  Devyn ground his teeth as his anger warred with his common sense. But in the end, he knew Omari was right.

  All the way around. He wouldn't be able to walk away and leave his father in danger, and Omari, in spite of Devyn's denial, was a man. At his age, he'd been in the middle of his medical residency with "All right, Vik." Sway used that same choppy speech. "See everyone in the morning."

  Alix didn't move as the room cleared. Her thoughts were on her family.

  Without thinking, she reached for Devyn as he walked past her. "I'm so sorry," she said, her voice tight. "I wish I could go back and--"

  "And do what? What could you do differently? Besides, had it not been you they sent for me, it'd have been someone else."

  She looked around the room nervously while the warmth of his hand seeped into her skin. "You think he can hear us?"

  "Probably."

  "Do you think we stand a chance?"

  "There's always a chance. In this case, not a good one. But there's always something."

  Alix sighed. She'd really screwed up this time. The phrase No good deed goes unpunished rang through her mind. All she'd wanted to do was give her family a chance. A better life than what she'd had.

  A taste of freedom.

  And now she'd risked causing everyone aboard this ship the chance of losing their own lives.

  How could she have been so selfish? Looking into Devyn's eyes cut her to the core. He was the only man who had ever treated her decent, and because of that, his entire crew and ship were in grave danger.

  He couldn't die.

  Not because of her.

  Not because of the lies she'd told to help her family.

  A whirl of emotions played through her. How did this get so complicated? "I'm sorry." She peered up at him, hoping he didn't hate her.

  He should hate her. He should detest being in the very room with her. Like her father always had. But the way he looked at her.

  Devyn growled inwardly as her gaze met his. He could almost believe she actually was sorry. The softness of her face, the way she was so tough yet feminine. She'd done so much to endanger them, and yet .

  He couldn't hate her.

  Alix laced her fingers through his. Dainty long fingers intertwined with his, and the sight of them made him possessive. He wanted her. He wanted her with everything inside him.

  Right here.

  Right now.

  Pulling her to him, he melded her body to his.

  "I'm sorry," she repeated, the words so sincere he almost believed her. A tear welled in the corner of her eye and it damn near tore through him. What had she been through?

  Well, she was worth something. She was worth more than she could ever imagine, and he was about to show her just what she meant to him.

  He lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her slowly. Tiny moans escaped her as their lips met with a passion that almost brought him to his knees.

  Alix truly was sorry, but with Devyn's mouth on hers the only thing she was sorry for at the moment was that he wasn't inside her.

  Imminent danger radiated through her. It haunted every member of the crew. They could all be dead in a matter of minutes, and the only thing she could think about was Devyn and the way he made her feel.

  Special.

  Wanted.

  Important.

  In his arms, she wasn't a convenient body to ease an itch he had. She was a human being with feelings that seemed to matter to him.

  God, she didn't deserve his attention, yet she had it. The hardness of his chest pressed against hers as his lips commanded hers. The tip of his tongue tangled with hers and all she could do was revel in the taste of him.

  Devyn moaned into her mouth as Alix's hands moved over his chest and down. If the ship was in danger and it was the end, he'd have one last pleasure.

  Alix.

  He groaned as she pressed her thighs cl
oser. Damn, he was so hard, he could burst. Sucking in air, Devyn ground his teeth at the feel of her hips brushing against his cock. He fingered her long, soft hair, drawing her face closer to his, tasting her.

  Sampling her.

  Alix groaned deep in her throat. The feel of Devyn's erection against her body reminded her of what pleasure was. He was the only man to ever give her an orgasm, and the reminder of it played heavy in her mind with the feel of him brushing against her.

  The man was pure heaven. Maybe not a piece of it she could claim forever, but didn't she deserve one tiny morsel?

  All while kissing her senseless, Devyn slid his strong hands down her body to pause at the heat between her legs. She was wet instantly. He rubbed lightly--just enough to make her body ache for more. She sighed into his mouth as his kisses grew more possessive. In all her years, she'd never dreamed it could be this way.

  What had she done? What was she doing now? Maybe her father was right after all. She was just a stain on humanity. Not worthy of anyone's love. With all she'd done to Devyn, with the danger she'd put him and his family in, he still touched her as if she were royalty.

  The weight of her guilt was too much.

  Pulling back from his touch, "I-I can't."

  Devyn scowled at her. "Why not?" He appeared insulted as she pulled away from him. "Did I do something wrong?"

  She could weep. After all she'd done, he was worried he'd done something to offend her.

  "No, it's not you." Alix stepped back from him. It was too hard to think when he was so close. Whenever Devyn was near, she wanted him to be on top of her, inside her.

  She moved to the table, sitting on the edge. She had to get her composure if she was going to get through this.

  "What is it, then?"

  "How can you bear to look at me?"

  Devyn was puzzled. "What do you mean?"

  "I... This is all my fault. All of it."

  "I won't argue with that."

  Alix sighed. "We could all die any second. For all I know, they're listening to us right now."

  "Yeah."

  She wanted to punch him for taking this so well. He should be throwing insults at her, making her feel like the scum she was. Instead, he was agreeing with her?

  She sank down, resting her hands on the table and feeling like total crap.

  "I don't deserve your kindness. None of it." The truth was harder to admit than she'd realized. It was certainly stinging as it came out.

  Devyn deserved someone to love him and his son. He was such a good man.

  The kind of good man who could blast someone into smithereens if they looked at him wrong, but nevertheless--a thoroughly good guy.

  And good guys didn't want filth like her.

  He walked over to her, feathering a single finger down her cheek. "Baby, deserving has nothing to do with it." With the most delicate of lips, Devyn dipped down and kissed her with such tenderness she wanted to weep. Warmth splayed over her entire body, and at that moment, she became putty in his hands.

  Devyn couldn't believe how little she thought of herself. She was the most amazing woman he'd ever met and then some. She deserved more than she could ever imagine. She deserved to be loved for who and what she was--amazing.

  Slowly, Devyn undid the buttons on her shirt and slid it from her shoulders. The sight of her standing vulnerable in front of him caused a protectiveness to build in him so strong, it was scary. No one would ever hurt her again.

  Not while he drew a single breath.

  Alix couldn't believe the intensity with which Devyn looked at her. His lips captured hers again before trailing to her neck. He took her nipple in between his fingers and toyed with it. She threw her head back and closed her eyes, enjoying the way his hands felt on her body. She sucked in a sharp breath as he moved from one breast to the other.

  With his other hand on the small of her back, he laid her back onto the table, all the while kissing and fondling her.

  His cock, hard through his pants, teased her as he rested it between her thighs. The material separating them was driving her insane.

  Devyn hissed as Alix grabbed his cock through his pants. How it ached to be free and in between her warm, welcoming embrace, but this wasn't about him. This was about making sure she felt what it was like to be cared for. For once in her life--and if this really was their last moment, he wanted to make sure she experienced love. It was the least he could do.

  He continued rubbing her until she made tiny moans into his mouth. He pulled back from her for only a short time--just long enough to free himself and her from the material separating them.

  Once he did, he allowed his gaze to trail over her body.

  Delicious.

  Never had he seen such a beautiful sight.

  He claimed his position on top of her and prayed they lived to make it through this moment. Everything else be damned, he would have it.

  Alix reveled in the way Devyn looked at her. Maybe he did care for her more than she'd thought. Maybe he didn't hate her for what she'd done.

  Dare she even hope for that?

  He reached down to her sides and took both of her hands into his. Once on top of her, he moved both hands above her head and entered her.

  She gasped at the way he filled her, perfectly, completely. He was so hard she feared she might break in two. The pleasure from it overshadowed the thought. Stroke by stroke, he slid himself deep inside her until she writhed in pleasure.

  He nibbled her ear, whispering into it with each stroke. "You're amazing. So beautiful."

  Alix closed her eyes and prayed this wasn't a dream. His body worshiped hers. There wasn't another word to describe the way he touched her. She wanted to free her hands and pleasure him. She could've if she'd wanted to, but he held them there with just enough strength.

  She tugged once.

  "No," he breathed, shaking his head. "This is for you."

  Those words made her want him all the more. She spread her legs further as he dove deeper inside her. Pressure built with each caress. He trailed kisses down her neck, over her mouth, each time murmuring sweet things to her.

  If she was going to die, let it be now. Let it be while she was dreaming and loved. For once. Was it too much to ask that this be real?

  Then, when she could stand it no longer, she splintered around him, screaming out his name.

  Devyn smiled in satisfaction as his name rolled from her lips. He wanted to join her, but not yet. Not until she came over and over again. This would be her moment. He wasn't some selfish bastard who only took and never gave in return.

  He rolled them over until he was on his back and let her take the reins.

  Alix just looked at him, bewildered. She'd never been on top of a man and wasn't sure she knew what to do. All the selfish assholes on her father's ship had never let her be in control.

  "Are you okay?"

  Still trying to catch her breath, Alix nodded. She just hoped she didn't disappoint him.

  Noting her hesitation, Devyn reached up and grabbed her hips, guiding her down on top of him. As she descended, he groaned. She was still so pliant, so wet on top of him, and the way she rolled her eyes back almost made him come right then and there.

  Alix bit her lips. Within a few strokes, she began to enjoy riding him. She could take him in fully and the crazy thing was he watched her each time. His heavy-lidded eyes let her know she was doing everything just right.

  Reaching up to her, Devyn cupped her neck and moved her hair from her face before pulling her down for another kiss. His other hand reached around to take her nipple between his fingers again.

  It was all too much. Within seconds, pressure built and she screamed out his name.

  Again.

  Devyn soon joined her and she collapsed on top of him.

  She lay quiet in his arms, wanting it to last forever. And he held her as if it could...

  But that was what happened to other people.

  Not slaves.

&nbs
p; And definitely not her.

  That choice had never been given to her, and it was something she'd just have to accept. At the end of all of this, if they lived, she'd have to leave him.

  The mere thought of being separated from him ripped through her like nothing ever had.

  This is all we have. This one moment.

  Hang on to it.

  But it wasn't enough. He made her selfish and she wanted to live this dream forever.

  Devyn wanted to savor the look of her lying on top of him forever. No woman had ever felt better in his arms. And the greatest pleasure had been watching her explode as she looked down at him.

  He wanted to see it again.

  With that thought in mind, he withdrew from her to dress. He handed her her clothes and savored the sight of her dressing next to him.

  Once they finished, he lifted her up in his arms as if she were a bride.

  Alix scowled at him as he made her feel tiny and petite. Weightless.

  Most of all, he made her feel treasured.

  "Where are you taking me?"

  He grinned at her. "You read my mind, love. Next I'm taking you on my bed. Then probably the floor and bathroom. And wherever else meets my fancy."

  "Fancy?" What a strange word for him to use. It was so out of character.

  "My Aunt Tessa's favorite word. I don't use it much, but it seemed to fit."

  They made their way to his room, where he immediately placed her on the bed and removed her clothes so fast it was like they teleported off.

  Even after having had two orgasms, Alix still had a hungry look in her eyes. "Come here," she commanded.

  "I think I've created a monster." But he was loving every minute of it.

  "Where you're concerned, Captain, I don't think I can ever get enough."

  That admission made him instantly hard again. What is wrong with me? I'm becoming hopelessly addicted.

  The sad thing was, he didn't want a cure. Especially not if it meant giving her up.

  Alix loved being in his bed. The scent of him, masculine and powerful, lingered on his sheets. She wanted to bury her nose in it and inhale the warm delightful smell for days. The silky softness of the sheets moved over her naked body and made her feel feminine.

  Desired.

  Things only Devyn had ever made her feel. And there in his bed, he made love to her until she was breathless and spent.

  When she was sure her body would never work again, he pulled back to look down at her. "All this has made me need a shower." He smiled, then got up and walked into the bathroom.