Alien Commander's Mate Read online

  But none of that held her attention. That was all reserved for the man standing butt-naked in the corner, water cascading over his bare skin. There was no shower cubicle, the whole room appearing to be a wet room. Fenriis stood with his back to her, his hands braced over the hexagonal tiles with his head under the water.

  She bit back a little moan as her gaze wandered down his body. From the hair plastered to his skull, down the back of his strong neck to wide shoulders. His back was covered in muscle, sharply carved, and she knew enough about bodybuilding from an old boyfriend way back to know that kind of muscle took a lot of hard work to build. A lot. Biting her lip, she let her attention slide further down to a narrow waist and lean hips. But his ass… oh god, she pressed her thighs together. His ass was eminently grabbable, just begging to be gripped as he powered into her.

  For god’s sake, girl, get it together, she told herself firmly. Anyone would think you hadn’t had it for years, instead of practically being engaged to Roger.

  Thoughts of her wishy-washy, momma’s boy ex faded from her mind as she looked upon the virile Latharian warrior. Something told her that sex with him would never be forgettable. Possibly might even be scream-worthy and she was so not a screamer.

  He turned just as she was admiring his muscly legs and she bit her lip again. Hard.

  Fucking hell, the view from the front was even better. Like she’d suspected, he was just as heavily muscled as any of the others, with a wide chest and washboard abs in danger of making her drool right there and then. But when her gaze wandered down, and she caught sight of the massive cock he had in his hand, her brain simply stopped working.

  His hand moved and her eyes widened. He wasn’t…

  Oh fuck. He was!

  4

  His little female was watching him.

  Fenriis shouldn’t show off. He knew he shouldn’t but knowing Amanda was watching him was just too much temptation.

  He’d known the instant she’d woken, his keen hearing easily picking up her delightfully sleepy murmurs. He hadn’t expected her to be awake this soon. Isan had said she’d sleep for hours with what he’d given her, and that it was for the best. She desperately needed that sleep for her body to start to heal itself.

  At that thought, that she needed to heal, his heart clenched. Isan had clued him in after the meeting with the humans just how sick she’d been… just how inept the Earth healers were. The very real possibility that she might have died before he’d ever found her scared him on levels he’d never realized existed.

  The sound of her sliding from the embrace of the bedclothes to pad to the door got all his attention, though. And her little intake of breath when she reached it. Saw him. Fuck… if he hadn’t already been hard at the thought of her in his bed, he would have been at that little sound. Wholly feminine and full of awe, it fed his male ego like nothing he’d felt before.

  He’d already washed the sweat from his workout away, so he’d stayed still for a while. Let her look her fill as the water cascaded over his body. He liked her looking at him, his body alive as though she were actually touching him and not just with her gaze.

  He hadn’t been able to resist the temptation to turn around and lean back against the tiles, cock in hand as water played over his body. He was fit, well-muscled and virile… a male in the prime of his life.

  He kept his eyes closed, biting back a satisfied smile as she gave another of those little gasps he was quickly coming to love, and stroked along his rigid length. A rough growl rose from his throat as he imagined it was her delicate little hand around him. Gripping him. Stroking him.

  Pleasure arched through him, instant and nearly all-consuming. He wanted that. Wanted her hand on him… more than that. He wanted her to want him. Wanted her to want to come to his bed, and not just because they’d made a deal. He wanted her to want to be there because of her own desire. And by the gods, he’d make it happen.

  So he stroked, imagining her touch, greedily listening to the little gasps she tried to smother. What would she do if he opened his eyes? Run away? Hide and pretend she hadn’t seen him pleasuring himself? Or would she stand her ground, watching him boldly…

  Would she… would she even walk over and touch him herself?

  The thought almost brought him to his knees, a harsh cry in the back of his throat as his hand moved faster on his cock. It wasn’t about her watching anymore, although that turned him on more than he could ever have imagined. It was about the fantasies running through his head. The idea that he would finally have a female of his own to love and cherish… to protect and care for. To touch and make love to…

  The image of her spread over his bed, naked, with a welcoming smile on her face filled his mind. He hadn’t undressed her, even though he’d wanted to… desperately wanted to, so he had no idea what she looked like under the ugly earther clothes. But she was curvy and soft and he had a damn good imagination.

  She’d be all soft, creamy skin, he decided, and would shiver as he ran combat-callused hands over her. She’d smell enticing and feminine, of flowers he couldn’t hope to name and that unique, delicate scent that was solely hers. She’d gasp and bite her lower lip as he pulled her beneath him, her creamy thighs parting as he settled between them.

  He couldn’t help opening his eyes as pleasure rushed up, locking gazes with her as he came hard and fast. His fist moved rapidly, the head of his cock flashing her between the fast strokes. It jerked and pulsed with his ejaculation, splattering his abs with his seed a second before it was washed away by the warm water. Even the spray against his sensitive flesh was erotic torture while she was watching him. Especially while she was watching him.

  But she didn’t disappear as he’d expected. To her credit, she stood her ground, lifting her chin and looking him in the eye even when he came all over his own hand.

  “Do you like what you see?” he asked when he got it together enough to speak, his voice emerging lower and rougher than normal. “Do you just like to watch or do you like to join in as well?”

  Her cheeks flushed but she held her ground when he walked toward her, stopping to whisper in her ear. “Because one day, you’ll be doing more than watching. I’ll take you and make you mine up against those tiles.”

  Before she could say anything in response, he walked past her into the bedroom.

  * * *

  Oh my, that really had just happened.

  Amanda stood in the doorway, Fenriis’ words ringing in her ears as she tried to think of something to say. But she couldn’t. Her lips were parted but no sound came out as she turned, watching him get dressed and gaping like a damn fish. He’d just brought himself off right there in front of her, practically dared her to touch him herself. Men who looked like him just did not do that in front of women like her…

  Yeah, skirting around the subject here aren’t we? The nasty little voice in her head said. Women old enough to be his mother you mean? He’s gotta be what? In his twenties?

  His lips quirked up as he noticed her attention, obviously not bothered at all by his nakedness—not that he had anything to be embarrassed about. Shit, a horse wouldn’t have been embarrassed by what he was packing between his legs.

  “Careful, little female. Or I might start thinking you do like what you see,” he rumbled as he pulled leather pants on, sliding them up over heavy horseman’s thighs before buttoning them up. She could see the outline of his cock, still semi-hard through the soft leather.

  “And what if I do?” she asked, lifting her chin in challenge. “I’m a grown woman—” More than grown. “There’s nothing wrong with me appreciating how a man is built. And don’t call me little female. It’s not nice.”

  His eyes flashed dangerously as he stalked toward her. “As long as I’m the only male whose ‘build’ you’re appreciating, we’re all good.”

  He stopped right in front of her, so close she could reach out and touch that hard chest filled with carved, solid muscle. “And why not?” he reached past her
, leaning down to whisper the words in her ear. “You’re female and smaller than I am… it’s entirely accurate.”

  She bit back her shiver, half expecting him to try and kiss her, but he didn’t. Instead, he lifted a jacket from the hooks by the door and slid it on, his movements a symphony of satin skin over heavy muscles.

  “And I like that you are both,” he said roughly, looking down at her. “But I’d rather just call you mine.”

  She tilted her head back, had to in order to meet his eyes. “I thought that was the point of all this?” She gestured between the two of them. God knew why he’d wanted her, but he appeared to. “A business deal. You get me to my daughters in exchange for me being your mate.”

  His nostrils flared, heat in his dark eyes.

  “No. Not a business deal, but an agreement all the same.” His statement was blunt and honest. “You’re mine already. But, given you’re not used to my species, I expected you to need a little time to get used to the idea.”

  His insight and consideration took her aback for a moment. The media had portrayed the Lathar as space-age Neanderthals, carrying off women by their hair to their caves to mate with them, but nothing could be further from the truth.

  Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Okay. You lot aren’t into any kind of kinky sex are you? No tentacle dicks I should know about or anything?”

  “Tentacle dicks?” He blinked, surprise in his eyes. Then, of all things, he laughed. The deep sound of his amusement rolled around the room. “No, you’ve seen everything I’ve got. But you’re more than welcome to inspect more… closely if you wish?”

  She pressed her lips together. “I’m good for now, thanks.”

  “For now, huh?” He smiled, a very smug male smile. “I can look forward to that pleasure in the future then?”

  He seemed to be thoroughly enjoying their light banter. She folded her arms and eyed him suspiciously.

  “Maybe. You didn’t answer my questions on kinky sex—”

  She’d barely gotten to the end of her sentence when he slammed his hands into the wall either side of her head, making her jump. The look in his dark eyes made her shiver and want to press her thighs together.

  “I’ve seen what your species considers… arousing,” his words were whispered right by her ear. “The ‘porn’ videos streamed on your entertainment channels. If that’s what you want… I can be as kinky as you like, with one exception. I will never share you with another.”

  She nodded, her breathing all but stopped. Somehow she managed to squeeze some words out. “Porn is what men watch,” she whispered. “And some of it’s sick. Really sick. I don’t watch that stuff. But some of it’s okay… I’m not a prude. I like sex.”

  He nodded, whispering his lips over the side of her neck in what felt like a soft caress that nearly took her knees out from under her. She got ahold of herself, forcing steel into her spine to remain rigid under his touch. God, she was as bad as a young girl with her first crush.

  “Good. I like sex as well. And I know I’ll like it with you,” he rumbled, stepping back as what sounded like an alarm went off in the room. “Draanth… typical bloody timing. You have an appointment with Isan soon. There’s just enough time for you to use the facilities if you wish.” He motioned toward the bathroom with a cocked eyebrow. “Then I’ll take you along to the medbay.”

  5

  As it turned out, she had time to grab a shower and change of clothes before they left Fenriis’ quarters.

  “I’m guessing you have no women at all on the ship, then?”

  She tugged at the rolled up cuff of the ship-suit he’d laid out on the bed for her as she joined him in the corridor outside. For all his bluster and the reputation of his species, she was quickly realizing that when he said he would give her time, he’d meant it. There was no perving on her in the shower as she had him, and he’d made sure she had privacy to get changed in.

  “What makes you say that?” He arched his eyebrow as he offered her his arm.

  She had to admit, out of the combat armor and in what seemed to pass for a uniform among the Latharian warriors, he was panty-wettingly gorgeous. She hadn’t paid much attention to the news reports, or the few clips the Earth authorities had of the alien warriors, but now she’d seen them she could understand why there were "abduction parties" back on Earth, filled with women just hoping for a horde of Lathar to come and kidnap them.

  But not Fenriis, the little voice in the back of her head growled. He's all mine!

  She forced the little voice down, just in case the Lathar were telepathic. She didn’t think so, but it paid to be careful, especially when dealing with the unknown. And she was so far into the unknown she might as well have been an early colonial explorer.

  “Well, I’ve not seen any yet, and for spare clothes you’ve offered me one of your own ship-suits,” she explained, gesturing toward her arms and legs.

  To get the suit to fit her, she’d had to roll up the cuffs until they were thick wads of fabric while the leather belt from her own slacks kept the material nipped in around her waist.

  He inclined his head and she knew she was right. “We don’t have any females aboard. Not even the oonat… our servant race,” he explained quickly. “Placid prey type race. Not highly intelligent. We use them to tend to our needs…“ he trailed off quickly, a look of discomfort and possibly disgust on his face. “Some of the men use them for pleasure but I don’t. And I don’t allow it on my ship.”

  She just nodded, not knowing enough about the Lathar or the oonat to comment. Whatever, it seemed he had principles. That was a good sign.

  They passed other Lathar in the corridor as they made their way toward the medbay. Most of them offered Fenriis a greeting or some kind of salute, and some of them even offered her a small smile as well, looking away quickly. Even though they were all a lot bigger than she was, she didn’t feel threatened by any of them.

  Until they turned a corner and a small group of warriors passed by. All of them saluted Fenriis, but the one at the back caught her gaze and held it. She shivered, not liking the look in his eyes as he walked by, and moved closer to Fenriis. He looked down at her, a pleased smile on his lips as he obviously interpreted the move as her wanting to be closer to him. Which was fine. She’d stay plastered to his side if she didn’t have to see that other warrior ever again.

  The double doors of the medical bay loomed ahead and she looked about with interest as they walked in. The last time she’d been brought in here she’d been having a coughing fit that left her barely able to breathe, much less actually take any notice of where she was. So this time she was all eyes, looking around and trying to note everything. Apparently her daughter, Jess, had mated a healer and she wanted to know more about them.

  “My lord,” a healer appeared from one of the alcoves as if by magic. “Healer Isan is busy at present with a bad training injury, so he bids you wait for him in bay seven.”

  “Of course.” Fenriis inclined his head and motioned her forward to a bay with a bed in it. She assumed it was number seven since there was nothing on it that would indicate a number that she could see.

  “What’s with all the scars?” she murmured quietly to him as the healer took his leave. Like Isan yesterday, he was covered in horrendous scars. She’d assumed that the other healer had just been in a bad accident but now, looking out into the medical bay while it was busy, she realized all the medical staff were scarred in a similar way. Some only had light scars but here and there she could see men with more extensive ones.

  “Surely with your advanced medicine you can get rid of them?” She hoped so. She had a scar on her ankle from a car crash in her teens she’d give anything to get rid of. Purely through vanity of course. It was old and didn’t impact her movements, but she’d still like to get rid of it.

  Fenriis spared the men outside their bay a quick glance as she boosted herself up to sit on the bed. Seriously, did they not have normal sized furniture? She felt like a damn k
id all the time.

  He shrugged. “We could, but the point is for them to be seen. Their scars are from their healer's trials…” he paused as if casting about for a word. “Like tests they take to become healers? The more scars they have means the more experience and better trained they are. Isan is one of the best. Only Lord Healer Laarn has more.”

  She nodded, her eyes wide. “Those tests must be utterly brutal to damage them so much.”

  “Uh-huh.” His voice was close, and she turned to find him right next to her, intent in his dark eyes. Her eyes widened, and her breathing almost stalled as he reached out a big hand slowly. It slid between her ship-suited knees, nudging them apart and his lips parted on a small sigh as he inserted his hips between them.

  His hand had carried on up her thigh, sliding around the back of her hips to ease her into his embrace.

  Lord, he was so big and warm. Her feminine instincts all clamored at once as she froze, gaze locked on his lips as he looked at her.

  “You’re so tiny and beautiful,” he murmured. “Forgive me…”

  She frowned, not sure what he was on about. “For what?”

  “For this.” He bent his head and claimed her lips.

  She jumped at the unexpected contact, her hands on his heavily muscled upper arms, but then her gasp became a soft moan as he plundered her lips. It wasn’t a soft and gentle kiss. Instead, it was a sensual assault on her senses.

  Covering her lips with his, he pried them apart and groaned as he drove inward. His lips were warm and firm, the hot brush of his tongue electric. She murmured in the back of her throat as he found her tongue, sliding his along it. He teased and tormented her with the erotic slip slide as his hand on the back of her hips drew her closer to him. So close that she felt the hard bar of his cock pressed between her pussy lips. She hissed at the heat rolling off him, even with their clothes between them.