No Mercy Page 3

  Slowly she turned to him. “And if I don’t you’re going to shoot me?”

  No, Zan thought even as he nodded. “That’s right.”

  Her gaze flicked from her weapon and back to him. Hurt contorted her face and he felt as though he’d been gut punched. “If that’s how you want to be about it. I don’t even know why you spoke to me, seduced me. Other than because you thought I was safe.”

  Damn. He didn’t want her to think he’d only wanted her because of her shield. He’d been lost from the moment he’d laid eyes on her, but the shield had made fulfilling those desires possible. Her honey still coated his tongue, so much more decadent and rich than that swill in the glass. He craved another hit even as his cock pressed against his leathers. “Sweetheart, there ain’t nothing safe about you.”

  She didn’t respond. The blue black of twilight gave way to the burn of the atmosphere as the stinger ascended into outer space. Though Zan was fairly certain he could have navigated the ship on his own, he felt sure he couldn’t manage it with half the grace and economy Gia did. Plus, flying the ship let her feel some measure of control, and as long as she didn’t try anything stupid—

  The ship lurched violently to one side as they broke atmo. Because he’d unfastened his harness, his ass met the deck hard. He kept hold of the laser pistol in case Gia made a grab for it, but she didn’t leave her seat. She cussed as her fingers flew over the control panels. “Both my stabilizers just went out.”

  Another jarring pitch, and this time his teeth clenched together so hard his vision faded. “Nothing you own works the way it’s supposed to.”

  She laughed without humor. “You’re really stupid enough to blame me because this ship wasn’t prepared to go into a zero atmo flight? Your living ride might be able to transition from one to the other seamlessly, but a stinger needs preparation, both inside and out.”

  Zan regained his balance and threw his ass back into the seat. As he struggled with the harness he asked, “Why didn’t you say something sooner?”

  Her eyes narrowed. “I was trained not to argue with people holding weapons on me.”

  The shaking increased, and Zan tucked the pistol inside his vest in favor of helping steady the ship. “Is this gonna smooth out on its own?”

  She shot him a dirty look. “Before or after we lose the respiration system?”

  Enough of this playing by chance. He scanned the controls until he found what he thought for sure was the communications array. Tapping in the secured frequency his ship used he said, “Duffy, you hearing this?”

  His first officer replied immediately. “I hear ya, Cap’n. What’s shaking?”

  “We are, and will to pieces if somethin’ ain’t done about it. See if you can nudge the ship closer and evacuate the cargo bay. I’m bringing the stinger commander in for a visit.”

  “I’m losing engine stability,” Gia reported. “I need to power down or we’ll vibrate until the inside of the ship reaches pressure balance with the outside of it.”

  Which would leave them sucking vacuum. “You copy, Duffy?”

  “Roger that. Feed me your coordinates.”

  Zan did and then nodded to Gia to power the stinger down. Better to float adrift for a spell and let his crew come to them.

  Gia deactivated the engines, and with one final shudder the ship seemed to drift into a peaceful slumber. She turned to him, her eyes narrowed in disgust. “I hope you’re happy with yourself. It’ll take me weeks to fix this kind of damage.”

  He unfastened his harness and unbuckled hers as well before yanking her to her feet. Blood roared in his ears and his cock pressed against his leathers, desperate to release the adrenaline the last few minutes had wrought. “If you’d told me that you needed time to configure the ship, I would have had you set down somewhere and do it! You’re the one who put our lives at risk!”

  She broke his hold with a violent move. “Excuse the shit out of me for not knowing how to react in a kidnapping situation! While you might be an old hand at it, it’s my first time. I did what you told me to do and was fully prepared to die before I let you take me hostage!”

  Green eyes blazed, burning with fury. Her lips were parted as she tried to catch her breath. Because he was a merciless bastard, he took advantage of her high passion and backed her into the bulkhead, trapping her with his hands on either side of her head and his knee between her legs. “I want to fuck you again.” His lips found the tendon at the base of her neck and he bit down lightly. Beneath his mouth, her pulse rate jumped.

  She sucked in a breath and he watched her nipples go hard against the thin material of her jumpsuit. “My shield still isn’t working.”

  Nuzzling along the side of her face, he breathed in her scent and whispered, “I don’t care about your shield. I want to fuck you, not your shield.”

  Her palms landed on his chest, but she didn’t push him away. “You kidnapped me.”

  “No denying.” Sucking her earlobe between his teeth, he pressed more of his body against her so she could feel his erection. “If you wanna make me pay for that, now’s your chance.”

  Gia couldn’t believe she was so torn. But the proof of his desire was right there pressed against her stomach. He was huge, and she yearned to feel him stretching her feminine walls again, to feel the spurt of his seed as he ejaculated within her.

  The jury was back. She wasn’t just a slut, she was a stupid slut. But God help her, he was so tempting, and that laser pistol wasn’t half the weapon her traitorous body proved to be.

  “What about your ship?” And why did that question have to come out in such a breathy whisper?

  Rocking his hips against her, he reasoned, “It’ll take them a while to rendezvous with us. And even when they do, no one will come knocking.”

  He pulled back and fixed his gaze on her. “Tell me no if you don’t want this as much as I do.” Another pivot of those sinful hips and his shaft rubbed over her swollen clit, pressing the fabric of her jumpsuit into her wet flesh. She couldn’t help but imagine how good it would feel without the material between them.

  Was this why Gen had abandoned her principles and fallen into bed with him? Even imagining him doing these sinful things to her friend didn’t cool her runaway libido. Gen had Rhys fulfilling her every wanton desire, and Gia had gone so long without.

  But look what happened last time, a little voice whispered, dragging her mind off of the fantasy express tearing through her mind. Last time he held you at gunpoint and hijacked your ship. Do you really want to see what comes next?

  “Where’s your bed?” he breathed in her ear.

  “Don’t have one. I sleep in the pilot’s chair.”

  “Then we’ll just have to make do until I can invite you into mine.” His lips seared a trail down her neck. “I’ve had eighty-five years to figure out where the clit is, and baby, I ain’t afraid to use it.” He ground against her, illustrating his point.

  Damn, he was a fine lay. But such a bastard, and she couldn’t forget it.

  “N-n-n-n . . . no,” she stammered, still at war with herself but unwilling to cede even another inch of ground to him.

  Zan groaned and thudded his forehead against the bulkhead behind her. One arm fell away and she slipped around him, wrapping her arms around herself. That had been close, too close. She sucked in a deep breath, but it exploded out of her lungs at the creak of leather.

  “What are you doing?” She gasped when she saw him gripping his erect shaft in one hand, fully exposed, those golden eyes fixed on her.

  “Getting a little relief. You won’t help me, so I have to help myself.”

  He was completely shameless, totally unapologetic. She couldn’t help but admire his brutal honesty. Gia stared, transfixed at the way he stroked his thick cock in slow, smooth pulls. His eyes settled on her lips, and precum beaded the tip. Dipping his thumb over the small slit, he used it to ease his way. “Wanna know what I’m thinking about?”

  Yes, Gia thought. “No,”
Gia said.

  Golden eyes glittered. “Too bad. I like to fantasize out loud while I jerk off. So unless you want to tear your eyes away from my cock and shut yourself in the sanitary facilities, you’re gonna get a show.”

  She barely stopped herself from licking her lips. She probably should lock herself in the bathroom, stuff her fingers in her ears, and sing so she couldn’t hear him. Yet her feet stayed planted right where they were.

  “I’m thinking about how hard your nipples were under my tongue. Like they are right now. I can see them through your top, hard as diamonds, pink as ripe berries. I loved the sound you made when I scraped my teeth over them, halfway between a gasp and a groan.”

  The sound he mentioned escaped, and her nipples throbbed as though straining for the treatment he promised. Her fingernails sank into the flesh of her arms, yet the small bite of pain only awakening her senses further.

  “Next,” the evil bastard continued, “I’d lick my way down your body. I can smell your sweet lube from here, calling for me, tempting me to take you in my mouth again, until I devour it all. I’d go slowly, exploring every fold, finding all of your secrets and making them mine, one lick at a time.” His tongue darted out in a gesture that was positively obscene. Gia had to clamp her thighs together as her inner muscles spasmed, on the verge of release.

  She saw satisfaction in his gaze as his strokes grew bolder. “And then, just as you were coming down from one high, I’d flip you over and sink into that pretty pink pussy from behind so I could see your sweet little ass while I fucked you. I’d drive my cock deep inside you, over and over, harder and faster, while you begged me never to stop. And right when you started to come, I’d finger your ass, getting ready to take you there too. I’d fuck you until you couldn’t walk, until you couldn’t even remember your own name.”

  Gia couldn’t take any more. His shameless fantasy narration got her hotter than even the best sex of her life. She needed to shut him up, and there was only one surefire way to do it without completely giving in and letting him have his wicked way with her. She sank to her knees in front of him and took his shaft into her mouth.

  His hands cradled her head, fingers spearing through her hair as his giant cock slid in and out of her wet depths. She was more turned on than she’d ever been, though it wasn’t the desperate need she’d felt before. Earlier the urge to come had driven her actions, while licking and sucking his throbbing staff was about reclaiming her power.

  “Look at me, Gia,” he rasped, tugging her hair lightly.

  She pulled back. “You want me to stop?”

  “Hell, no.”

  “Then stop ordering me around.” She returned to trace the thick vein that pumped blood into his massive erection.

  “I want to see your eyes,” he whispered. “To know that it’s you sucking me off.”

  His words lured her, and she held his gaze as she took him inside again. Cupping his balls, she massaged lightly over the sensitive skin even as she swirled her tongue around his rigid flesh.

  She saw it all there, in his eyes, as she pleasured him. His building need, ready to spill over, and the question of whether or not she’d accept all of him. He’d never ask, never let her know, but she knew what he wanted her to do. Her index finger found the spot behind his sac and she applied gentle pressure to help push him over the edge.

  With a guttural shout he came, hot jets of his seed hitting the back of her throat. Though she hadn’t planned to, Gia took him all, swallowing everything his body yielded, until the last spurt. Surprise flared in his golden eyes before he broke contact, his eyelids drifting down even as he continued to caress her face.

  His musky scent enveloped her, and she was tempted to nuzzle his exposed flesh. Given her druthers she’d just keep licking him like a lollipop until he grew hard again and took her the ways he’d described. Her sex was drenched with need, and a few accurately placed caresses would send her flying.

  But that wasn’t what this was about. She pulled free of Zan’s grasp and got to her feet.

  “Give me a minute and I’ll return the favor,” he murmured.

  She opened her mouth to respond, but the proximity claxon blared.

  Zan was right beside her, having tucked himself back into his pants. She could still taste him on her tongue. Her training kicked in, and she dismissed him and his power plays as she leaped for the pilot’s chair.

  “What is it?” he asked as she strapped herself in. “Is it my ship?”

  Gia gaped as the starfield was slowly replaced by the burn of atmosphere. “This can’t be right! We were well outside the planet’s gravity field.”

  “Do we have enough juice in the engines to get us into orbit?” Zan asked, consumed by the task at hand.

  Gia tapped in a few commands and brought up the engine readings. “The hull’s too distressed. Too much change in too little time. She’ll come apart if I try to take her back up.”

  Zan cursed. “Duffy? Duffy, do you read me?”

  “Not possible.” Gia didn’t mean to say it out loud, but as she fought to bring the engine online her gaze took stock of the nav stats.

  “What’s it telling you?” Zan glanced from the display to her and back again.

  Apprehension twined with a real shot of fear. “Don’t worry about that. Do you think you can take the helm while I try to jump-start the engine?”

  Zan nodded. “Show me what to do.”

  She greatly appreciated that he didn’t use the words crash course as she pointed out the critical operations system. “My command codes are already input, so as long as you tell the stinger where to go, she’ll get us there smoothly.”

  Flinging herself from the seat, Gia fought against the force propelling her toward the nose and instead gripped the cargo netting to yank herself back to the access panel over the engine compartment.

  The panel came up easily, and she let it slide down toward the front of the ship. Flames shot up and she fell back, cursing, gripping the netting so she didn’t go sprawling.

  “Gia!” Zan shouted.

  He turned to face her, and Gia gaped at the landscape behind him. Snowcapped peaks grew larger and larger as they spiraled downward.

  “We’re going to crash,” she whispered.

  4

  “Not if I can help it.” Zan fought the controls, tugging back on the nav wheel, struggling to keep the stinger’s nose up. “How’s that engine coming?”

  A chemical tang filled the small space as Gia sprayed emergency dampening foam on the flaming engine. Tossing a glance over his shoulder he saw her swipe the foam aside and reach for the engine. “Come on, baby, don’t quit on me now.”

  Those bloody frozen peaks waited as they hurtled ever closer. Clouds shrouded the sharp precipices, blocking his view from the world below. The engine sputtered to life—not the reassuring roar he was hoping for, but better to have thrusters than nothing at all. Taking a chance, he steered the stinger to a lower altitude. “Let’s see what’s under your fluffy skirt.”

  Clouds parted, and Zan kept a tight grip, in case a smaller monolith appeared. Some crumb of luck must still have been with him because between the peaks there was a long, narrow, frost-covered meadow a skilled pilot could set down in.

  Zan hated to admit it, but his skill with a ship that couldn’t think for itself might not be enough to see them through. Survival instinct warred with his need to control the situation, but in the end, his desire to live won. Through gritted teeth he ordered, “Gia, take the controls.”

  She didn’t wait for him to vacate the pilot’s chair. She plopped herself in his lap. “Finally you say something sensible. Let’s hope it isn’t too late.”

  He grinned because she couldn’t see his face. Her fire and determination to not just survive but come out on top in the face of insane odds was familiar. Adrenaline combined with her soft, feminine form pressed against him made his cock throb. “Try to set down in that meadow.”

  She pulled back on the throttle ha
rd, but the planet’s gravity wouldn’t be denied. “What meadow?”

  “Starboard side, between the peaks.” Though her back blocked his view, he recalled the exact look of their saving grace.

  Gia leaned forward, her heart-shaped ass in his face. “That’s an arctic lake. The stabilizers will burn through the ice and we’ll crash through in minutes.”

  Fuck. “What other options do we have?”

  “None.” She took a deep breath and calmly went through the landing procedures. “I’m going to stagger the stabilizers as long as possible to buy us a little more time. If the ice is good and thick, it might be enough.”

  Their choices were down to crash landing the stinger or drowning in a frozen lake. Somehow he’d expected the end to be a little more glorious. “What can I do?”

  “Grab two of the survival kits from the hatch beneath my storage locker and then come right back. When they fire I want you ready to pull the eject lever beneath the seat.”

  Zan slithered out from under her, located the packs, and strapped one around her torso. A wall of white bore down on them, the storm’s intensity increasing this close to the planet’s surface. How the hell could she see anything?

  Heart pounding in his chest, he slid back under her and reached to locate the lever. “Okay to go.”

  Gia didn’t respond, her back rigid and tense, her attention fixated on her stinger. The woman knew how to handle her ship. Even without the stabilizers the descent was calm, almost peaceful.

  Until the engine wheezed its last. The silence in the small ship was deafening. He could smell her fear, or maybe it was his own. The descent was too steep, and without the engines the stabilizers wouldn’t fire at all. They wouldn’t burn through the ice; they were going to crash through it.

  They both cursed at the same time, not strong and full of fight, but quiet, defeated. His arm wrapped around her waist. “Pull the nose up as best you can and we’ll eject.”