CHAPTER ELEVEN
Van rose, recalling his manners only with difficulty. "Despite Reva's argument, I still say I should go through first."
Lacey shook her head gravely. "Van, I'm sorry. That won't be possible. If this is to work, we must act quickly during the darkness of the eclipse. You and Reva must travel together."
"I see." He glared at the shadowed hallway through which Reva had disappeared.
"We'll just leave you two to sort things out," Lacey murmured. "I must try once more to reach the Director."
"We will return in one and a half hours, Earth time," Frost added. "Be ready, commander."
"Oh, we will be," Van promised. Then he stalked after his rebellious woman, whom he was going to clue in on a thing or two about inserting herself into his mission and then refusing to obey his orders. Couldn't she see it was his job to keep her safe? To protect her?
He flung the bedroom door open, then closed it behind him, in case the humans were tardy in their departure.
"That is the last time you will countermand my orders," he said, striding to the bed and grasping Reva's arm to pull her around.
She came around swinging, her free hand flattened, driving up toward his chin. It was a classic distraction move, but Van jerked his head to one side so instead of snapping his chin up her palm swept past his ear, and she landed against him. He clapped his arm around her waist, and stepped forward, trapping her lower legs between his and the bed, still mussed from her night there.
"Let me go!" she gritted, struggling in his grasp. Her face was flushed, her eyes full of fire, and her soft mouth rebellious. She looked prettier than ever, and all he wanted to do was whatever would be the fastest route to her pliant and willing in his arms, and ready to accept his mouth, hands and his cock.
But the wrong words came out of his mouth. "Reva, this is a military operation, and I'm in charge. That means you do what I say."
Her glare deepened. "I'm not under anyone's command but my own." She braced her free hand on his shoulder and shoved, using her lower body as leverage. "Especially not yours, T'Van A'Ralle!"
When her groin pressed against his, she blinked, then glowered at him. "Ooh, you're disgusting. Get that thing away from me."
"What, this thing?" Van couldn't help it, he pressed harder against her, rubbing the stiff length of his cock into the vee of her thighs. With only a few layers of thin, slick fabric between them, she felt like everything he wanted, needed, ready to be unwrapped and plundered. "My cock? Can't help it."
"Yes, you can." She was blushing now, her pretty cheekbones dusky pink, her gaze still fiery but her pupils dilating.
Despite her anger, despite the peril they would go into in only a few hours, he laughed. "No, I really can't. Not with you in my arms."
"Then let me go." But her voice had softened, and didn’t match her words.
Thus, Van dared to bend his head closer, their noses brushing, her warm, soft lips only a nudge away.
Then he kissed her, softly at first, holding himself back rigidly as he sipped at her lips, and touched the tip of his tongue to hers. She was sweet-salty, tinged with coffee, and wholly woman... utterly delicious.
"Kiss me back, Reva," he whispered, spearing his fingers into her silky hair to cradle her head in his hand. "Kiss me."
With a sigh, she kissed him back, her tongue tangling hesitantly with his, her lips sweet and damp. Her breasts were like pillows of fire against his chest, and her ass was lush in his hand as he palmed her, pressing deeper with his tongue to get more of her taste, of her intoxicating response.
Somehow, within moments, they'd again removed each others' clothing, and Van was lowering her to the wide, comfortable bed.
"Reva," he groaned, his big calloused hands everywhere as he cupped her breasts and fondled them, palmed her ass and then slid his fingers farther between her thighs, finding the place where she was hot and soft, quaking and needy.
She whimpered his name, and he came up over her, sliding between her legs to press himself against the furrow of her sex. He kissed her as he slid against her, her arousal sleeking them both until the head of his cock found her labia, and prodded inside.
This time, he showed her how to lift her long legs and curl them around him, her heels locked behind his ass as he drove home, deep inside her where she was so soft, so hot and sleek.
Everything he craved, everything he needed.
"My Reva," he crooned between kisses.
"Van!" she cried, digging her nails into his back as he thrust inside her. "Don't let me go."
"I won't," he promised, and kissed her again.
He felt her orgasm begin, and she pulled him up and over the brink with her, out and down into hot, dark bliss.
Afterward, Van felt recharged, rejuvenated. Ready to take on the next jump and win. Emerge on the mysterious new planet, and plant the banner he carried in his duffel, claiming a new territory for Aurellon, with his woman at his side.
There was just one problem.
He hadn't yet told Reva that was where they were bound.
He lifted up on an elbow. "Reva?"
She opened her beautiful eyes and smiled at him. His heart contracted. He wanted to see that look on her face for the rest of his life—sleepy with satisfaction that he'd given her, and completely open to him. Trusting.
His scalp tightened. He hoped that look didn't disappear when he told her where he had to do.
A frown drew her brows together. "Van? What is it?"
He cupped the side of her face with his hand, and drew his thumb over her lower lip. "I have something to tell you. About the mission I'm on."
She nodded. "Yes?"
"Uh... it's a bit out of the way. Out of this galaxy, as a matter of fact. I'm to lead my team to the Paragon galaxy, where D'Arek has already gone. Where Octiron's space race reality show is taking place." When she said nothing, merely listened, he went on. "There is a planet called Altaria. It's beautiful, temperate, and lush. But unclaimed. My team and I intend to establish an outpost there."
Reva regarded him for a long moment. Then she shrugged, a slight motion of her shoulders that made her breasts jiggle distractingly. Van couldn't help but glance down, then back up, to find her raising one brow at him. She looked as regal as a general's wife.
Then she spoke, and shocked him completely. "I figured as much."
Van stared, then frowned suspiciously. "How? How did you know?"
She gave him a look that said he was something of an idiot. "Van, why else would the top wings send a team out in secret, and use the jump pod? A baby could figure out they wouldn't send you to guard a diplomat. You're about as diplomatic as a Tyger in shift."
His cheeks heated, and he glowered at her. "So tell me why we're going, Ms Clever."
"To set up assistance for D'Arek and his team, I think." She cocked her head, giving him a searching look. Then her eyes widened, and her mouth rounded into a perfect 'o'. "You're joking me! You're going for more than that... you're going to try and claim the new planet for us."
She shot up onto her elbows and flung her leg over his, rolling him to his back. She sat up on him and cupped his face in her hands, gazing into his eyes. "Van, I want to go with you. I am going with you!"
Triumph fired in his chest, but he gave her a cool look. "Really? And why would I allow a civilian along on a critical military mission?"
She leaned closer, her hair falling around their faces in a silken curtain, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "I don't know, but... I can help. I can do something!"
"Well..." he said slowly, as if considering her offer. "I suppose we could use a quarter-master at the outpost."
"Yes!" she shrieked. She flung herself at him, and pressed swift kisses all over his face. "I can do that!"
She straightened, and flung up her arms over her head, hands fisted like a warrior queen. "I'm going to the Paragon Galaxy!"
He couldn't help it, he burst out laughing. When he knifed up and put his arms around her, he shook his head at her, but he did it grinning. "I thought you'd be angry with me for not telling you the truth."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "Oh, I am that too, Commander. And one of these days, or nights, when you least expect it, I will get even with you for being so secretive."
"I live in fear of your vengeance." And he was only half-joking. She’d shown she had a fiery spirit, his sweet woman. And after all, she'd learned about pranking from experts—warriors stuck on a small outpost with little else to do in their free time. “And I plan to give you plenty of opportunity to get even with me.”
She gave him a strange look. “What does that mean?”
He grinned. “I mean that we’ll be together, of course.”
Van didn’t know what he expected, but it wasn’t for Reva’s expression to close up, her gaze wary. He tightened his hold on her bare thighs. “Hey. What’s that look for?”
“Nothing, I just—assumed you’d want to keep our, uh, interlude quiet. In front of your team, I mean.”
Foreboding tightened in his chest. “No... why would I want to do that?”
She pushed his hands away and moved off of him, one foot already on the floor. “Maybe because when we’re around them, you avoid me every chance you get,” she said, frowning at him. “I know what this is, Van. And what it isn’t.”
He knifed up and vaulted off the bed, following her into the lav. “Oh, really? Well, maybe you want to enlighten me, because I thought we were starting something here.”
Reva’s head was bent, her back to him as she grabbed one of the fluffy towels from the rack and clutched it to her. All he could see in the mirror was her hair swinging forward to hide her face. “Van, don’t lie to me. I heard you. I know what you really think of me. We can—we can be friends, we can work together. We can even have the sex sometimes, but don’t lie to me.”
The top of his head was going to explode. He swung her around to face him, lifting her chin with one hand, and pushing her hair back with the other. Her face was flushed, stormy, and she avoided his gaze.
“What d’you mean, you heard me?” he demanded.
Finally she looked up at him. “I mean on the base—on Hamor. You told Nola and Dalle that I was—that I am like a pesky mawwr, always following you, hoping for attention.”
“Oh, shit,” he muttered. Guilt smacked him in the gut. Eyes closed, he bent his head, letting his forehead rest against hers. “Reva, sweet. That was just... garbage talk. I was nervous as hells, jumpy as a catamount, ready to head out on a mission that I was fairly certain was gonna get me killed. And to be honest? When they mentioned you, all I could think of was that if you were there, you’d look at me with your big, green eyes and smile, and just like that, give me courage. Make me feel better.”
She eyed him dubiously, and he nodded wryly. “I know. I was busy trying to convince both you and me that there was nothing between us. Didn’t work for me. You’ve been a bright spot in my life since I met you. Time I admitted it to both of us, and ask you to give me a chance to show you.”
He brushed her hair back from her face and kissed her, trying his best to put everything he felt into it.
“Last night, Reva—I meant every word I said to you.”
When she pulled away, he scowled. “What? You don’t believe me?”
She shook her head. "No, it’s not that. I hear a ground vehicle."
"Good, Lacey and Frost are back," he said. He patted her bare ass. "Time to get dressed, and get out of here."