Page 7 of Protected By the Alien Mercenary

I didn’t have to ask him what was going to happen soon because he knew how excited my body had gotten from just the idea of being on a soft surface with him. He could taste that victory, that promise of my body, willing and wet for him. He wasn’t wrong. I’d gone from worriedly dreading that he’d claim me to dying to find out what it would be like when he did.

He leaned on his fist next to my hip, his body hovering over mine. I was waiting for him to kiss me, but he was just staring at my face, taking me in. I tilted my chin toward him, trying to tell him that he should close that final distance, but he pulled back instead.

Reaching for his bag to pull out more supplies, he grunted with annoyance when his tail stayed firmly clasped around my ankle. He wanted to move away, but that just made him yank my leg up into the air. I laughed, far too enamored because his tail kept wanting to cling to me. With a sardonic tilt to his lips, he said, “You know, Kertinal don’t really believe in fated mates, but meeting you is making me wonder…”

This time it was my heart that swooped in my chest. Was he saying what I thought he was saying? Of course he was! He felt the same incredible attraction that I was feeling. If the way his tail behaved was any indication, he might just be right. Except that the existence of fated mates was this fantastical notion that nobody on Earth really believed in.

When I said as much, he laughed, “Plenty of species in the Zeta Quadrant consider it very real. The Kertinal are just too practical for it.” He’d set up a lantern on the ground at this point and some kind of portable heater thing that was quickly making the cool temperatures in here rise to something far more comfortable. There were more gadgets and things in his bag that made no sense to me at all, but there was a comfy sleeping bag that was added to the mattress I was perched on.

Then I spotted something that looked like a first aid kit to me. The upper part of the case was transparent and even though what was in it didn’t look quite the same, I recognized a roll of bandages. “Let me look at your arm now, please.”

Chapter 8

Thar’oc

I sat down on the mattress next to Rikki and placed the medkit in her lap with an amused smile. The burn did ache a little, but it was just a graze. It would heal. I doubted it would leave so much as a mark; Kertinal skin was extremely tough as long as we ate right. On the Varakartoom, the Captain always made sure each of his crew members got exactly what they needed to function at optimal conditions.

She didn’t really know what to do with any of the things inside it, so I carefully explained it all, showing her how the handheld scanner worked, then teaching her what to apply. It was excellent knowledge to have. When my graze had been covered up with a thin layer of plasfilm to keep it clean, it did feel better and I chuckled at how she complained under her breath that I should wear sleeves, even if my biceps were sexy. My tail squeezed a little around her ankle at the last word and I caught her blush. I wasn’t supposed to have heard that little rant.

“Now it’s time for me to look at your feet. Don’t deny it, I saw your gait change the longer we walked. You need to tell me when something is wrong.” She did try to deny it, but as soon as I stripped her new shoes from her tiny little feet, I knew what was wrong. The hint of blood filled the air with its metallic scent. Large blisters had formed on the side of her biggest toe and the curve of her Achilles. Her shoes were too big, and they’d damaged her fragile skin.

There was a stubborn look on her face when I glared at those marks on her body. “What? I’m not going to complain about every little thing. You’re already doing so much for me.” It was on my lips to say that I’d readily do more, but I held those words back at the last moment. My tail twitched against her ankle, curling a little up around her shapely calf.

Healing those superficial injuries was but the work of a moment. The tissue regenerator made quick work of the little abrasions. Then I pulled out a ration bar and stuffed it in her hands, “Eat, healing takes energy.” She rolled her eyes, reached out, and grabbed another bar to push into my own hands, and I grinned. She was taking care of me in return. I liked that very much.

Soon we were both sitting in silence and that silence felt laden and awkward. I couldn’t help it. Sitting still was not my strong suit; my leg started jiggling against the floor, then bouncing up and down as more restlessness coursed through me. Normally, my tail would get in on that action too, but this time, it remained stubbornly curled around her leg. That sneaky thing had slid even higher. It was almost past her knee. I wondered if she knew that, and I wondered if I could control myself enough not to reach even further, to where I really wanted to touch her.

“Hey, Thar’oc, will you tell me about yourself?” she asked quietly, her hand reaching out to press against my bouncing knee. Warmth immediately seeped through my armor and into my skin; my leg stilled.

“What do you want to know?” I asked. That was enough to launch her into rapid conversation. She bombarded me with a million questions about my species and my work, while my tail kept clinging to her. It was on her thigh by now, and she definitely knew. I could scent her arousal in the air, a rich perfume that made my mouth water and my cock grow hard inside the tight confines of my armor.

I tried to answer her as much as I could. Yes, I was a mercenary, a sharpshooter. I’d served in the Kertinillian army before that for the five required years, just like every other Kertinal. I was between jobs and supposed to hang out for a while with my friend Ru’ol on Strewn. Of course, that made her demand to know all about the famous shipyard, and I regaled her with stories about that place for a while.

“And you?” I asked when she finally paused for air instead of launching into another barrage of questions. She fell silent immediately and her hand flew to her chest, a sadness spreading over her face.

“I’m from Earth. And I was told that they stole me from my home several hundred years ago… The auctioneer said I could forget about going back, he said he stole my pod from this guy Drameil and it was time to put me on the market and earn him some good money.” A growl rattled from my chest at the mention of the name of a famous Crimelord who had perished not that long ago. No wonder the auctioneer thought it was a good time to offload her.

“You’re safe, Rikki. I will protect you. Always.” The words flew from my mouth unchecked. They were too much, too strong. They admitted a truth I wasn’t sure she was ready for, something I had tried to hint at but hadn’t wanted to push. I thought I had lost her for a moment; her eyes went wide and oddly blank, and her mouth dropped open in this sexy circle that sent my wayward thoughts spinning.

Then she recovered, and a smile flirted at her lips. “You know, I think I’m starting to believe it too,” she said, shifting to her knees and pulling my sneaky tail with her. That thing was almost at the crease of her hip now, so close to the core of her that my blood heated in my veins at the sight.

That tail movement hadn’t gone unnoticed, either. She reached down to curl her fingers around a section; the part leading away from her thigh to me. The brush of those fingers felt like a lightning strike, pleasure skating along my spine. “Believe what?” I asked her, my voice a raw, husky whisper; I was completely under her spell.

“That fated mate thing…”

Chapter 9

Rikki

I couldn’t believe I’d said that, but I was crazy if I didn’t give voice to at least some of the swirling feelings inside of me. It felt really strange to be impulsive about something this huge, but when in Rome? Or outer space, as the case was.

His surprised expression certainly made me feel good, as did the heat that swirled in his azure eyes. I loved that gaze; it made everything in me tingle. I no longer felt conflicted about being with him, about this attraction between us, either. He was such a good guy. Okay, maybe not really that good a guy, but he was so good to me. Out here, I was pretty sure that was the only thing that really mattered.

I rose on my knees, slid my hand along his naughty tail, and grinned when that made him shudder. My intention was to reach up to him so I could kiss him, but I never got that far. The room spun around me as he threw me back onto the mattress and caged me against the soft surface with his arms and his chest. That tail reached its final destination, pushing against my folds and sending a sharp lance of pleasure through me.

The moan that rose from my throat never got far; his mouth claimed mine in a fierce kiss. It was possessive, a claim, and it shivered through me when a deep sound rumbled from his chest at the same time. I was almost positive that he was purring.

Not one to stay passive for long; I spread my thighs and eagerly curled them around his hips. My fingers dug into his black and blue hair, tunneling through the silky strands until they brushed against his horns. That made him growl against my mouth and I twisted my wrists so I could curl my fists around them.