Chapter Two
Eva had few options except to comply with his guiding hand as he tilted her face up to his. Nearly twice her size and many times more her strength, which alone was enough to make her quail in fear, she tried desperately to hide it. He towered over her, as did the other males, most standing as tall as seven feet. She felt petite in his presence—something she rarely experienced at half an inch shy of six feet herself. Seated before him, she felt utterly intimidated.
He and his companions were giants, and not only their imposing height. They were also broad shouldered with massive arms and thickly muscled chests. Despite having very little body hair, most had dark beards, and the hair on their heads was thick and glossy. The color ranged from brown to black, with not a single fair blond or redhead to be seen. Some left it loose to fall freely down their back, while most had it tied at their nape. Still, others tamed it into black, satiny braids, but they all wore it long.
And every one of them was jaw-droppingly gorgeous.
Except for mid-calf boots molded to their muscular calves, and a loincloth consisting of no more than a flap of leather hanging down in front and back, they wore nothing else. The meager covering exposed a disturbing amount of darkly tanned skin and bulging muscles. Each one was so toned and fit, they had eight packs rather than merely six, and could have been athletes, bodybuilders, or basketball players back on Earth.
Their language was deeply melodic, unlike anything she’d ever heard. If she hadn’t been scared witless and didn’t think they were talking about having them all for lunch, she could sit and listen to it all day.
Amid all this male gorgeousness, one of their most striking features was their eyes, the irises in vivid hues of lavender, teal, and gold. The man staring down at her had a dark golden gaze, flecked with a mix of amber and browns. It reminded her of the sun setting over the Pacific in northern California where she’d grown up.
Her heart twisted painfully at the thought of never seeing a sunset again, not to mention Earth itself. And there was an excellent chance she’d never see her crewmates again either. The Odyssey had undoubtedly left orbit when the designated departure time had come and gone.
Distracted momentarily by her dismal thoughts, she jumped, when she glanced up and saw his handsome face directly in front of her. He was so tall even on his knees; his eyes were still higher than hers. Speaking quietly, she found his low murmur far less frightening than the harsh, barked commands he’d used with her in the jungle.
She hadn’t failed to notice how others deferred to him and jumped at what sounded to her like orders. Or that when he touched her, bound her, and, yes, spanked her as though he had the right, no one opposed him. Having watched how several of the other men had bowed to him, it was apparent he ranked above them, a leader of some sort. She wished fervently she could understand what he was saying and that he understood. If so, she’d ask what he intended to do with her and the others, beyond the here and now. She wasn’t so naïve she didn’t understand the intent of the wine and the bed, nor did she miss the light of desire in his lustrous gold eyes.
He certainly had the bearing of the one in control, and she wasn’t immune to his power in every sense. While gazing upon the unusual beauty of the perfect male in front of her, she didn’t notice he'd picked up her wrist until he wrapped a padded cuff around it, snapping it into place. Before she had time to protest, he’d restrained her other wrist and bound them together.
“What are you doing?” She tried to jerk her hands away, but his fingers gripped the short chain linking the cuffs, holding her fast. “No,” she pleaded. “Don’t do this, please.”
He paid her no mind as he eased her back on the bed, attaching her bound wrists to the top of the bed frame. Though she knew it was foolish, she kicked at him with her one remaining free limb. She couldn’t just give up, laying back and accepting whatever he planned without a fight. When he rose and she saw the enormous bulge behind his loincloth, those plans became abundantly clear
Tears flooded her eyes. He was huge and primitive, like the barbarians she’d read about in her history books—and she was his prisoner. She’d always had a thing for stories about Vikings and conquerors in the dark ages, thickly muscled warriors who fought for power, land, and castles, claiming the fair maidens by tossing them over their shoulders and carting them off to tents and having their way with them.
That was romantic fiction, however. This was twisted, messed-up reality.
He moved around the bed and caught her flailing ankle, tying it to the corner at the foot of the bed. Trembling with fear, she had no choice except to await what came next. While she thought about how much she was like a maiden being taken by a barbarian without a say like spoils from a battle, Eva realized she hadn’t sympathized with the heroines in those stories as much as she should have.
One lone tear escaped. Never a crier, she wanted to wipe it away but, bound hand and foot, had to suffer the humiliation of the searing drop rolling unchecked down her cheek, further proof she was weak and utterly helpless. Doing the only thing left to her, she closed her eyes and willed them away.
The bed shifted right before a warm hand brushed her cheek, his touch surprisingly gentle. Peeking up at him between her lashes, she saw a frown marring his handsome face. Was it out of concern or possibly regret? Either way, it didn’t deter his exploration as he touched her, the rough pads of his fingers stroking over her cheekbones, along the length her jaw to her chin, and up to her mouth. He lingered there, lightly touching the fullness of her lower lip before moving down to her throat.
After trailing along the collar of her flight suit, his hand moved to the upper swells of her breasts. Her nipples, pressing hard against the smooth, clingy material, betrayed her body’s response. His gaze lowered, observing the firm peaks as he circled one slowly, before rubbing back and forth over it, finally rolling, and squeezing it between his finger and thumb. When she squeaked, the sound a mixture of distress and—much to her dismay—arousal, his eyes shot to her face. He watched her for a moment as he continued to play, pinching more firmly, though not painfully so, and giving it a small tug. Her lips parted as her breath came faster, hitching as she inhaled shakily.
He released her, and she exhaled in relief. It was short-lived, however, as an instant later, his fingers found her zipper and slowly pulled it down. He bared the inner curves of breasts, down to her navel, and exposed the little pooch on her lower belly that never would go away, despite gazillions of crunches.
Why she cared what he thought disturbed her even more.
“Please,” she whispered, as she tugged against her restraints, but he didn’t stop. Instead, she felt his fingers spreading the zipper wide, the warmth of the air in the tent, and the flick of something hot and wet brushed her nipple.
His tongue!
Her eyes flew open and zeroed in on his tongue licking the tight bud. Slightly rough, it slid across the sensitive peak then circled it slowly, until it glistened. His mouth closed around it next, sucking, and bringing her back off the bed. An uncontrollable moan replaced her squeals of protest. As if he’d been waiting for such a response, he released her, the broken suction making a small popping noise.
His mouth curved in a devastating grin as his gold eyes met hers, all while moving to her other breast and taking its equally hard nipple between his lips.
As he aroused her captive body, seemingly without effort, she had to wonder if the drink had contained an aphrodisiac. How else could she explain her body’s response to this stranger, this alien? His intense looks further stoked the heat building within her, and his resonant voice, with his unintelligible words, sent quivers through her body, connecting her many arousable parts with a touch of his hand, fingers, lips, and tongue.
He lifted his head and stared down at the hard, shimmering peaks his mouth had created. Both horrified by her reaction as well as mesmerized by him, she watched as he pursed his lips and blew against each taut nipple in turn.
When his molten gaze returned to hers, his eyes glowed with liquid heat. She wiggled restlessly beneath his regard as he moved, easing down her body, his mouth gliding between the open edges of her zipper
As his head traversed her belly, she heard a ripping sound as he tore open the seams of her flight suit and stripped it away. His warm breath teased her newly exposed skin. When he dipped lower, it brushed hotly over the damp, most vulnerable part of her body. Deeply conflicted, she knew if he stopped now, it would be as much torture as if he continued.
“Please…” she whispered.
The word was unconvincing though, sounding to her more like a plea for him to take rather than cease. Her belly quivered when his lips gently kissed her inner thighs, and, unable to keep from it, her hips moved restively beneath him.
Without breaking the connection of his lips with her skin, he glanced up, stunning her as he winked. Then, the long, midnight black lashes any woman would envy lowered and lay like a dark, silken fan against his cheeks as his mouth disappeared between her spread thighs.
The heat of his breath against her damp skin came first, then the searing wet path of his tongue as he licked over her slit without penetrating. She groaned, her hips lifting spontaneously, inviting him to take more. With the next pass, the tip of his tongue grazed her clit lightly. Her cries rose in the dense air and seemed to linger, as though taunting her for being so accommodating and letting this alien have it so easy. She twisted, feeling the pull of her restraints, reminding her she wasn’t as compliant as all that.
Her body warred with her brain. In a flood of wetness, her pussy screamed she wanted him. Yes. It’s been three long, lonely years.
At the same time, her mind argued back. Even so, do you have arch into him like a slut, begging for it?
As if sensing her internal struggle, he redoubled his seductive efforts. Sweeping his tongue in for a more thorough caress, he swirled around her aching clit before latching on and sucking, while continually lashing the firm nub from the inside.
“Oh, my freakin’ god, yes!” she groaned, giving into the sensation. He added his fingers, pulling her lips apart, giving him access to every square inch of intimate flesh. As he opened his mouth and hungrily took more, he slid a long, broad finger inside her. She was so very wet she heard when he began gliding in and out. Unsure how much more she could take, Eva knew she hovered on the precipice of something incredible.
Before she could reach it, he withdrew, leaving a yearning emptiness she didn’t want to admit yet couldn’t deny. His fingers returned, gently spreading her lips again. Her eyes flew open the next instant when rather than the hot tongue she expected, she felt something cool and solid graze her instead. Her head came up, and she saw he held a wand in his hand, not unlike the ultrasound probe they’d used at her last gynecological exam.
She’d had to sign a consent form for that. This man hadn’t given her any such courtesy or warning. She tried to pull away, but the restraints held her firm, as did the forearm across her hips.
Murmuring something low and gentling, which sounded like a strange cooing shushing sound, he met her eyes.
She shook her head.
His brows drew together, and his golden eyes darkened. He answered to the contrary, with a deliberate nod, something universal she couldn’t misconstrue. He was determined to go through with what he had planned, despite her objections. Turning his head, he laid gentle kisses along her inner thigh, whispering incomprehensibly between each one.
His hot tongue forged a burning trail of heat along the crease where her leg and body met, and then moved up to her mound. At the top of her slit, he dipped the tip between her folds and homed in on her clit. The contact shot a current of electric desire from the sensitized bundle of nerves to the rest of her body. Her pussy flooded with moisture and her nipples reacted by contracting tightly.
Afraid of her inexplicable response to his touch, her voice sounded close to a whimper as she tried to get through to him again. “I don’t understand any of this. Please, can’t you let me go?”
He didn’t, gripping her hips more firmly as his tongue began to circle and lick around and over her clit while he gently slid the wand over her lips. Eva bucked off the bed in protest, or as much as his arm would allow. Taking him by surprise, it was enough for him to lose contact.
With a short command, his head came up, but she didn’t comply with what she instinctively knew was an order to be still. She went right on twisting and pulling at her restraints.
He issued another order of some kind, firmly and with resonating authority. She ignored this one, too, resolved to avoid being subjected to an alien probe.
Good heavens, her body was on fire, and she desperately wanted to come, but to allow this and willingly participate in it seemed wrong. And what if he did the test and didn’t get the result he wanted? Or, worse, what if he did?
“Let me go,” she shouted, her voice raw, unquenched desire and fear.
At last, she got through.
He grumbled and rose to his knees, clearly irritated. He twisted, reaching behind him, and, suddenly, her ankles were set free. Thankfully, he’d changed his mind. This notion had no sooner settled into her brain before her feet were lifted clear over her head, his large hand spanning the backs of her legs, right above her knees, holding them in place. A resounding crack echoed through the tent at the same time searing heat spread across one upraised bottom cheek.
She froze, too shocked to process this sudden turn of events before she saw his hand rise and fall as it connected sharply with her other cheek. Another crack reported through the air like an ancient rifle shot, and it repeated twice more before she found her voice.
“How dare you,” she shrieked. “You big bulging boneheaded brute!” That he had the nerve to spank her at all was unreal, but to do so after she’d been chased, captured, restrained to his bed, not allowed to come, and soon to be violated by some strange alien wand thingy. No. In fact, hell, no! It was simply too much.
She kicked and bucked to get free, more enraged than in any sort of pain. In doing so, she clipped his jaw with her heel. His teeth snapped together with a loud click. And while his head whipped around, he grunted. Rather than focusing on what more he could do to her, she instead gleaned a tiny bit of satisfaction from her small victory.
It didn’t last long and didn’t deter him from his purpose.
With golden eyes glowing with surprise and a good dose of anger, he had an answer to her flailing legs and thrashing feet. Collecting both ankles in one big hand with embarrassingly little effort, he pushed them up against one shoulder. The position forced her to lay nearly folded in half, immobilized, with her ass lifted clear off the bed. He scarcely missed a beat before his hand began falling once more upon her vulnerable backside.
As the swats fell, he growled, the tone and cadence reminding her of the few times her father had spanked her for misbehavior. Then it became clear he was lecturing her. Normally, she would have laughed, her lack of understanding rendering his words a waste of effort and breath. She didn’t dare this time while his palm painted her ass with a fiery heat.
At least two dozen fell before she started yelping with each stinging slap. When she howled at a particularly smarting blow, tears burned her eyes. He stopped and leaned over her, sternly lecturing while nose to nose. She didn’t need an interpreter for his meaning to take shape in her mind: behave, or there’s more where that came from.
What choice did she have against his superior strength? Cooperate and be given a pelvic exam, or fight and receive more searing swats and still get an unwanted probing.
A lose-lose for her, either way.
She chose compliance—and less spanking—indicating her submission with a slight dip of her chin.
He gave her a warning glance but gently patted her stinging behind as he did so, going further by rubbing when she remained still. The slow and thorough caress dissipated the burn.
Eva closed her eyes in embarrassment feeling the tingle resurge between her thighs. Just when the fire started to fade and she had relaxed ever so slightly under his hand, he adjusted her legs again, handling her as if she were no more than a rag doll.
This time, he used his upper body across her hips to pin her in position, and he turned so his back prevented her from seeing what he did. With her hands tied above her head and his bulk holding her down, he had her completely immobilized.
When she felt the probe at her pussy once more, she closed her eyes, hoping, and praying whatever alien test he was conducting would be over with quickly.
Slick from desire, it slipped in easily. Just like the one at the doctor's office, much of the wand was handle, the portion sliding inside not nearly as enormous as she’d first believed. The instrument was slightly flexible, though, like her annual checkup, still damn cold. As he inserted it, he crooned in the same quiet voice. Although she tensed, it didn’t hurt, so she tried to relax and not fight the inevitable.
She found out soon enough this wasn’t the same as an ultrasound probe at all. It had other features. She heard the click of a switch and felt the wand begin to expand inside her, growing wider and longer. It continued until she felt near to bursting, the pressure so intense she moaned. His hand gently patted her hip, and he cast a concerned look over his shoulder. Then it stopped, leaving her filled and stretched to the maximum.
He said something else, which was followed by another set of clicks. She yelped in surprise when she felt a pulsation and little tingling fingers of sensation connected with every nerve ending from her entrance to her cervix. Even her New Generation Personal Stimulator, which she kept stashed in her under-bed storage back on the ship, never put out such intense vibrations.
A rush of wetness flooded her sex and, soon, leaked in a trickle down her cleft. If it hadn’t felt so amazing, she would have cried at the shame of being tied to a bed by an alien—gorgeous or not—examined inside and out, and made to feel something she shouldn’t. Instead, a low moan escaped her lips.
A series of beeps sounded, much like a food prep unit did when it had come to the end of a warming cycle. Then to her relief—or perhaps dismay—the pulsations stopped, and the wand began to deflate. Having come close to climax twice and left hanging, half of her wanted to beg him to continue and let her come. The other half, the rational part, would rather die first. Since she had no say either way, she bit her lip and endured silently.
Once he removed it, leaving her pussy a quivering, clenching void of need, he held the probe up and eyed the display on the handle. Turning to her, he said something as a slow grin lit his face. His reaction made clear the results, whatever they meant, greatly pleased him.
“Evidently, I’ve passed,” she snapped, irritated from being left on the brink of orgasm again. “Or perhaps it’s a fail, depending on your perspective.”
He laughed as if he understood. Setting the device aside, he eased her legs onto the bed and moved on top of her. Propping some of his weight on his elbows, he cupped her face in his hands, and, for the first time since this whole weird alien seduction/medical exam started, he kissed her.
She tasted herself on his lips an instant before they opened and sealed over her mouth. His tongue swooping inside sent her a passionate message.
Filled with demanding mastery and unequivocal possession, she’d been wrong. This wasn’t a kiss but a claiming.
Panting for air with shivers of desire pulsing through, she wanted to scream when he raised his head, leaving her mouth and body burning. But he didn’t move away or leave her hanging; instead, he stared down at her, and, in words enunciated as though it would help her understand, he murmured. “Maes eternium.”
She frowned up at him in frustration, both her body and mind on edge and needing resolution. “Bellow it from the mountaintops, big guy, but it won’t make a difference. I don’t understand what you’re saying,”
He hushed her, stroking the backs of his fingers along her cheek, then inverted his hand and threaded his fingers through her hair. Holding her still as he eased back a bit, the movement allowed his cock to slide between her thighs.
Stunned, she blinked, at what point had he stripped off his loincloth? As the hard length of him moved over her damp skin and nudged her aching clit, she sucked in a breath. His eyes blazed into hers as he lined up the broad, smooth head with her entrance, then he stopped there, going no further, tilting his head at the same time. Was he waiting for her permission?
The internal argument started up again. No, her mind demurred, while her body cried, yes, needing relief. She gave voice to her answer instinctively. “Take me,” she breathed, then resigned to having no control whatsoever, added, “I’m so damn turned on I could scream.”
Still, he paused, his dark brows arched over eyes staring unwaveringly into her own.
“Damn this communication gap,” she grumbled, nodded her head, and, after wrapping on leg around his thighs, lifted her hips in what could only be a universal “fuck me” sign.
His head dipped, and she caught a glimpse of his grin reemerging. His lips reclaimed hers in a hungry kiss, and, in one long, steady thrust, he filled her. He was big, but the path had been made ready by his touch, his lips on her clit, and the damned vaginal probe. Or maybe it was his overpowering presence. She didn’t know why, nor did she care, as she relaxed beneath him and opened to take the length and breadth of him.
After a few firm thrusts, he sank in balls deep. If she thought she’d been stretched to near bursting before, she was dead wrong—again. She longed for a name to call this alien male—both captor and seducer—who could bypass her internal compass of right and wrong and drive her body to the pinnacle of desire.
Her hands buried in the thickness of his silky hair, holding on tightly as he moved within her. Something in her brain clicked, and, on a quick intake of breath, she stared up at him, caught off guard at being free. She tried to read the meaning behind her unexpected release, kindness, trust, or a simple confidence on his part that he could readily subdue her, but she lost track of her thoughts as he began moving over her.
He seemed to know what she needed and gave it to her. Falling into the perfect rhythm, he hit all the best spots, his hand moved between her thighs and, with his stroking thumb, set up a cadence on her clit which would assuredly turn her into a mindless puddle of goo on the sheets. And she loved every minute of it.
In minutes, he had her at a peak again, his mouth, hands, and body driving her relentlessly over the edge. A long time in coming, her orgasm was powerful and very loud, her cries of ecstasy rising in the humid air and surrounding them. He found his pleasure, his growly, throaty, rumbling groan telling her he’d found joy in her body, as much as she did his.