JakesPrisoner (6 page)

He had never seen anything like it. The mesmerizing organism
emitted a strange, intoxicating fragrance that he couldn’t resist. He wrapped
his arm around her waist, pulling her down onto his lap, while his other hand
fisted in her hair. Her scent was driving him out of his mind with lust.
Bending his head, he pressed his lips ravenously against her skin.

“Take your hands off her.”

Jake stood in the doorway. She had never seen him so angry.
Strom was still out of it, struggling to control his lust-fogged brain. She
hadn’t realized how badly the
Dermatrax
would affect him. She could feel
his strong arms tighten involuntarily around her. A low growl of protest came
from his chest when Jake entered the cabin. She knew that Jake was different
from the Cyraelian men she had known, but two dominant males—that was
impossible.

Jake strode across the room, dragged her off Strom’s knee,
pulling her roughly behind him. “If you ever touch her again, I will kill you.”

Strom looked dazed. He moved his head back and forth, desperately
trying to shake off the lustful inertia. Struggling to his feet, he stumbled to
the table and downed the contents of the water jug before heading for the door.
“I’ll be in sick bay,” he slurred.

Jake looked as if he wanted to bite her. Grabbing her arm,
he dragged Tanith along the empty corridor. When they came to an elevator, he
pushed her inside with barely controlled fury. “Don’t say a word, Tanith. Not a
single word.”

Jake touched his com badge. “Ship’s com, this is First
Officer Svenson. Elevator seventeen is out of order until further notice.”

The doors closed and they were plunged into darkness. When
his mouth latched hungrily on to hers, she gave as good as she got, biting,
nipping, possessing. Tanith felt the dress tear as he ripped it off her,
shoving the fabric aside so that he could kiss her breasts, teasing them with
merciless skill until she begged him to stop. She heard the erotic whisper of a
zipper and the soft thud as he pulled his tunic over his head and tossed it
into the far corner of the elevator. Tanith could do nothing but tremble and
wait until Jake’s hand grabbed her wrists, holding them above her head with one
hand.

His fingers twisted in the thin strap of her panties and he
pulled hard, letting the thin scrap of silky fabric flutter to the floor. He
released her hands and grasped her thighs, lifting her against the doors of the
elevator. “You make me crazy, Tanith. Don’t you know what you do to me?” Jake’s
voice lowered to a hoarse groan. “Who do you want? Tell me.”

“I want you,” she cried as he moved between her thighs. She
squirmed against him, hungry for release.

“Say it again.”

“I want you, Jake. I want you.”

Jake’s engorged shaft plunged inside her, meeting her silky
wetness. Her hands threaded through his hair and down his neck, clutching his
strong shoulders, raking his back with her nails. When the heel of her shoe
grazed his thigh, he moaned his pleasure against her lips.

The smooth metal door of the elevator rubbed against her
back as his mouth fastened on her neck, sucking and biting. He didn’t care that
he would mark her skin. He wanted to. Tanith found the idea of it thrilling. To
be wanted so much, to be possessed by Jake’s mindless passion, to be stolen
from another male and then taken like this, helpless, wet and wanting. Jake
forced his tongue into her mouth, mimicking the movement of his hips. Her body
shuddered and spent itself in a quivering orgasm that left her breathless.

Jake growled his approval. “Oh baby, you’re going to pay.
You’re going to pay for everything you’ve done to me since you came on board.”

He was still hard. Jake thrust again, his pace increasing
until he was pounding into her. She couldn’t move, pinned helplessly against
the door. Jake possessed her mouth again in a savage kiss. His lips trailed
down her neck, grazing the sensitive skin with the stubble of his beard. Tanith
could feel another orgasm building inside her. She clutched his shoulders as he
thrust into her over and over again, until he roared out his release. Pleasure
spiraled mindlessly inside her and she came again. They slid to the floor of
the elevator, gasping loudly. Jake pulled her into his arms. “Tanith, if you
ever so much as look at another man again, I’ll kill him.”

Tanith lay sprawled against his chest, listening to his
heart race. Her human was back and she had missed him so much.

“Emergency lights on, com.” Jake sat up. His fingers brushed
her neck where he had bitten her. “I’m sorry I was rough with you, but when I
saw you with Strom, I just lost it…”

She eyed the scratches on his shoulders and the grazes on
his hip and thigh where she had scraped him with the heel of her shoe. “You
didn’t hurt me, Human. For what it’s worth, I more than repaid you.”

Jake reached for her tattered dress. “Sorry, Tanith, I don’t
think you’ll be wearing the dress again.” He pulled on his pants and reached
for his tunic. “You’ll have to wear this. I just hope we don’t meet any of the
crew.”

Tanith caught a glimpse of her reflection in the metallic
wall of the elevator. The sleeves were too long and the tunic only reached
mid-thigh. It was quite obvious that she was naked beneath it. Her mouth was
red and bruised, her hair was wild. She looked like a woman who had been well
and truly loved.

Jake’s arms crept around her and he pressed a slow kiss
against her neck. She could feel the evidence of his arousal against her lower
back. “I need you again, Tanith. My cabin’s not far from here.”

Jake pressed the com badge. “Ship’s com, elevator seventeen
is back online. Override all calls and take us direct to deck twelve.”

The corridor was mercifully empty. Jake picked her up in his
arms and ran the length of the deck while she giggled helplessly. They stopped
outside his cabin for a lingering, hungry kiss. “Ship’s com, request a do not
disturb on cabin 1244. Hold all coms until further notice.”

Inside the cabin, his eager fingers opened the buttons on
her tunic and he dropped it to the floor. “I need a shower.” He grinned. “Do
you want to join me?”

She followed him through the dimly lit cabin, past a large
bed and into a bathroom that was bigger than her cell in the brig. Jake dropped
his pants and stepped into the shower stall, initiating the sonic showering
device. “Aren’t you coming in?”

“Not yet. I’m just admiring you.” She had forgotten how
beautiful he was. Every inch of him was toned and well defined. She could feel
the
Dermatrax
perking up in anticipation. It was insatiable tonight. It
couldn’t get enough of Jake and neither could she. Tanith stepped into the
shower and shut her eyes. The showering device gently cleansed them both.

Jake held her close, pressing tender kisses against her face
and hair. “Let’s go inside. I want you in my bed.”

She wriggled on the thick silk quilt. The human was trying
to torture her. He had kissed every inch along her legs, paying particular
attention to the sensitive area at the back of her knees, before licking and
kissing his way slowly up her thighs. She was aching for him, but he wouldn’t
let her move. His fingers touched the base of her spine and she jumped. The
Dermatrax
was sensitive to his every touch. She felt his tender kiss and then his cool
breath as he blew against her skin. Every nerve ending along her spine felt
like it was on fire. Tanith moaned. The kisses continued, light playful nips at
first and then his tongue swirled hot against her skin as he moved along the
length of her spine. She was filled with mindless pleasure. Her nails clawed
the bed. “Please, Jake…”

She heard his low growl of pleasure as he reached the top of
her spine and bit gently on the tender skin between her neck and shoulder. “You
smell so good, Tanith. I want you like this. I want to make love to you.”

He pressed his knee between her thighs and lifted her hips,
drawing her against him. Jake entered her slowly. He leaned over her body,
caging her as he stroked in and out of her. She could feel the softness of the
quilt rubbing against her nipples and the rough texture of his hair as it
brushed against the
Dermatrax
. Jake thrust hard into her, picking up the
pace. Along her spine, the
Dermatrax
undulated with pleasure, sending
out tiny darts of fire to her nerve endings. Tanith caught her breath. She had
never felt like this before. Jake growled against her neck, sending a delicious
shiver down her spine. She could feel the
Dermatrax
ripple against him.
Pleasure spiraled again. She screamed his name and felt him tense and then with
a loud groan he came, pumping his seed deep inside her.

Tanith woke up in his bed. Her body ached, especially the
sensitive area between her thighs. They had made love for hours. She had never
known Jake to be so insatiable. His lean body was draped across hers like a
comforting male blanket. Her skin stung from the raspy stubble of his beard and
in a way that was nice too. His dark curls were tousled and even in repose, his
mouth held the hint of a smile.

The dress lay torn on the end of the bed. That damn
Dermatrax
.
She hadn’t expected to react like that with him, to be so out of control. She
wanted to trace the contours of his cheekbones, to waken him with a kiss, but
despite the blazing attraction between them, he was still the man who had
deceived her and killed her brother. She loved Jake, wanted him more than she
had ever wanted anyone, but he had kidnapped her and she was still his
prisoner. How could she trust him? She needed time to think.

Tanith slid out from under him, ignoring the sleepy rumble
of disapproval, and picked up the tunic he had discarded the previous night.
Stepping out into the corridor, she startled a female crew member with the demand
that she be taken to the brig.

* * * * *

Pete nudged Jake. “The big guy looks fairly shook. I heard
he was confined to sick bay last night. What the hell happened?”

Jake didn’t have the heart to tell him. Pete would find out
soon enough. When he woke up this morning and found Tanith gone, his heart had
flipped. Her side of the bed was cold and empty and he missed her like crazy.
Of all the sexual encounters he’d ever had, last night’s was the most intensely
erotic he had ever known.

He had seldom experienced such a rage as he felt when he saw
Tanith in Strom’s arms. Although Strom was his best friend, he had an
overwhelming urge to kill him. He couldn’t figure it out. It was completely out
of character for the big guy to make a play for someone else’s woman. In fact,
Strom hadn’t looked at a woman since Ingrid. Poor bastard—imagine falling in
love with someone from another time and having to leave her behind when the
mission was over.

“Gentlemen, please be seated.” The doc was joining them
today, which was unusual. Although he was a member of Strom’s senior team, his
presence was seldom required at meetings.

“Doctor, if you would like to begin.”

“Thank you, Captain. We have a rather delicate, if serious,
situation on board. Ms. Jasson kindly presented herself for examination in sick
bay this morning and the organic samples taken would appear to support my
theory. I believe that the Lissa flower on Tyrmania Four has a similar, if
limited, effect on some species of insect. But to see such an intense pheromonal
effect on a humanoid is quite breathtaking.”

Pete raised his hand. “Hold on, Doc. You’ve lost me
already.”

The doctor glanced around the table. “You haven’t been in
communication about this matter?”

Jake stared stonily at him. Although Strom was pale, he maintained
his usual impassive expression. Pete was utterly bewildered.

“Very well, I will start at the beginning. Through a series
of genetic mutations, Cyraelian males have evolved as sexually passive, while
the females are sexually dominant. In fact, there have been some documented
instances of female hypersexuality, which—”

Pete guffawed with laughter. “You mean Jake’s girlfriend is
from Planet Nympho?”

“That is a crude summary of the facts and not necessarily
pertaining to Ms. Jasson.”

Jake glared at him. If Pete didn’t shut up, he was going to
punch him.

The doctor continued his report. “Ms. Jasson has a series of
markings on her spine, denoting sexual maturity, called a
Dermatrax
.
Unfortunately, perhaps due to a series of emotionally traumatic events recently,
the process has been accelerated.”

“And the problem with that is?” Pete prompted.

“The
Dermatrax
is emitting a pheromone-like
substance, which can prove irresistible to an unmated male. Cyraelian
scientists have been working on the problem for centuries.”

“Okay, she’s a honeypot, Doc. But I don’t see why we’re
having a doom and gloom session about it.”

“Chief Engineer Olafson,” a brief hint of annoyance crept
into the doctor’s tone, and Strom flashed Pete a warning glance.

“Data supplied by the Cyraelian Council of Scientists
indicates that their females are potentially the dominant sex, although
culturally they have been denied this position. If Ms. Jasson were to be
allowed to move unfettered throughout the ship, her influence would be such that
I estimate that she could seize control of this vessel within a week.”

“Now you are joking, Doc.”

“Believe me, Engineer Olafson, I do not joke. Ms. Jasson
simply needs to exert control over a few key officers on board this vessel, and
that is well within her capabilities.”

“So keep her locked up.” Pete shrugged. “Sorry, Jake, but it
seems to be the only solution.”

Strom sat back in his chair. “You seem to forget, Pete. Ms.
Jasson has been in custody for the past week. During that time, she has
hijacked a shuttlecraft, put one of my crew in sick bay with a concussion,
caused a near riot outside the brig, attempted to seduce me and, if I am
correct in my assumption, succeeded in seducing my first officer.”

Jake flushed. Put like that, it was pretty damning and after
last night’s little escapade, Strom was embarrassed and seriously angry.

“Jake, will you please drop those ridiculous charges against
her so that we can take her to the nearest spaceport and send her home.”