Destined for Two (4 page)

* * * * *

Rhia paced the small confines of the room, running her fingers absently along the cold steel wall. She hated deep space travel. It had always felt so confining; it grated on her nerves. Even the air smelled stale. She knew it was all in her mind. Ships like this had the best in air purification, and that air was probably better than the air on the surface of her home world. Unfortunately, knowing that didn’t help. She’d spent the better part of the last hour searching the room for a way out, but so far hadn’t found any. Instead, she found a sword she hoped to use as a weapon. Hoped to, that is, since it wasn’t actually used as a weapon but as a decorative piece that adorned the wall. But it should be heavy enough to at least give her some sort of head start to the docking bay. A 22

ship of this size had to have a docking bay. And if there was a docking bay, then there were deep space shuttles she could pilot back to her planet.

With a sigh, she turned to glance around the room they’d locked her in. So this was how the Argonians treated their queens? Like prisoners. Seemed fitting. After all, they were considered to be a barbarian race, despite the fact they had space travel.

Why would her father have given her to them? If the man in the picture was her father. God, she didn’t know what to believe and what not to. Part of her desperately wanted to have a family -- to finally know who they were and where she came from. But a queen?

Hell, that was just too ridiculous.

The door beside her opened with a soft swoosh and she pressed her back to the wall, her fingers tightening their grip on the sword. Jorel stepped through, his gaze scanning the room. She knew it was him by the softer lines of his face, his more relaxed stance. But that soon changed as his body tensed when he didn’t see her right away.

Lifting the heavy piece of metal, she stepped forward and swung wide just as he turned around to face her. The metal caught him midtorso, temporarily knocking the wind from his chest. He doubled over with a grunt and she kicked at his hip, knocking him to his back on the floor.

Without looking behind her, Rhia dropped the sword and took off running down the long narrow corridor in what she hoped was the direction of the docking bay.

* * * * *

Keenas stared out at the stars, his mind lost in thought about Rhianna. Had they done the right thing? She was theirs, and by Argonian law they had the right to take her, by force if necessary. But he had to admit, force didn’t sit well with him. She was beautiful, stunning actually, and she’d affected him more in the five minutes he’d spent with her than any of his previous courtesans. She had the most amazing eyes --

sultry, expressive -- everything she felt could be seen within their icy depths. He had no doubt she would make an excellent queen. She would need training -- lots of it on traditions, regulations, and of course, her duties as his and Jorel’s wife.

Just thinking about sharing her with his brother made his balls tighten within the confines of his leather pants. At the insistence of their father, they’d learned to share women -- to put them at ease as they both took them, sinking their cocks into their willing bodies. They’d learned to work together as one and watch for the other’s subtle signals so they could bring the woman they were with to heights of great pleasure.

Keenas had hoped her nanny would have trained her, educated her in the pleasuring of two men, but since her nanny died when she was four, it was doubtful Rhia had learned any of that.

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The beep of his communicator startled him from his thoughts and he absently raised his hand to hit the device attached to his tunic. “Yes,” he sighed.

“She’s making a run for it,” Jorel said, then groaned.

Keenas frowned at the groan. “What the hell is the matter with you? And besides, we’re in space. Where do you think she’s going to go?”

“The docking bay?” Jorel replied with sarcasm and Keenas’s heart began to pound furiously in his chest.

“She can’t fly a deep space shuttle,” Keenas argued, his anger building.

“You want to keep telling yourself that or are you going to go stop her?” Jorel snapped.

“You’re closer than me. Watch your back, Keenas. She’s a clever one. I think she broke one of my fucking ribs.”

“With what?” Keenas snapped as he headed out the door and into the brightly lit corridor.

“Your sword.”

Amusement filled Jorel’s voice and Keenas had to grit his teeth to keep from saying something smart. How the hell did she get that off the wall? His pace increased as he realized he knew nothing about her. For all he knew, she did know how to navigate through deep space. It would be easy enough to use the tractor beam to pull her back in, but she could hurt herself trying to get away.

As he rounded the corner to the docking bay that held his and Jorel’s personal ships as well as four other shuttles, he spotted the open wires hanging from the control panel to the right of the door. With a sigh, he lifted one of the wires. He was impressed, although at the same time loath to admit it.

She’d unlocked the door by bypassing the central control mechanism. Basically, she’d hot-wired the damn thing. Armande had apparently trained her well. Pinching the two wires together, he waited for the door to slide open, and then stepped through. He quickly scanned the bay, looking for any sign of her. A movement behind one of the shuttles caught his attention and he slid behind the one closest to him.

As quietly as possible, he made his way around the bay, hiding behind boxes and various pieces of equipment stored along the far wall. He could see her ahead of him, peeking around the corner of the shuttle. His gaze wandered down her trim waist and firm ass. It stuck out slightly as she bent over to peer around the corner. Her red hair fell down her back in soft curls and he allowed himself to imagine how soft those curls would be as they wrapped around his wrists.

He shook his head and told himself it wasn’t the time. Slowly, he crept toward her. Just as he was about to reach her, she spun around and swung a pipe toward his head. He ducked and felt the breeze from the pipe as it whizzed past, missing his head by mere inches. Damn, he should have been more observant, looking at her hands instead of her ass.

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Anger raced through him and he lunged forward, grabbing her wrists with a punishing grip. She squealed, fighting his hold. Her free hand swung, landing against his cheek with a stinging slap, just as the toe of her shoe smashed into his shin. He grunted and grabbed her free hand. With a hard tug, he pulled her flush against him, pinning her hands behind her back.

Anger blazed in her eyes as she struggled for freedom, curses spewing from her lush lips that would make his father roll over in his grave.

“Enough, Rhianna,” he growled and slid his thigh between hers to make kicking him more difficult.

She gasped, immediately stilling as his leg pressed upward, putting pressure on her pussy, forcing her to her toes. Her heat seeped through their clothes, searing his flesh, and he glanced down at her, just as startled. Her eyes were wide, her kissable lips slightly parted, and her cheeks red from her angry exertion. In a word, she was stunning, the most stunning woman he’d ever seen, and for several seconds he could only stare at her.

“Let me go,” she snarled, breaking his sudden trance.

He released his hold on her wrists, allowing her to step back. Instantly, he realized his mistake and raised his hand to catch her wrist right before her palm made contact with his face again.

“Damn it, woman,” he snapped, and then bent at the waist, throwing her over his shoulder.

She wiggled and kicked; her fists pounded at his back as he made his way down the corridor and back to his suite.

“Who taught you about wiring, Rhianna?” he demanded.

Rhianna only growled, “Fuck you.”

His palm slapped against her ass, making her gasp. “I said watch your language, woman.”

In a move that shocked him, Rhianna slapped his ass with her palm -- hard. “I’ll talk any way I damn well please, you jerk.”

“Did you just slap my ass?” he asked, still surprised over her retaliation.

“Take me home!” she screamed.

“I am taking you home!”

“My home!”

With a sigh, Keenas stepped through the door of his suite and threw her on the bed.

She landed with a grunt, but before she could get up, he threw himself on top of her, pressing her into the mattress beneath him. Her startled gaze met his, then narrowed in fury as he pinned her wrists above her head.

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It was a stupid move. He realized it the second he felt her firm breasts flattened against his chest. His cock hardened and he pressed it into the soft flesh of her stomach. Instantly, she paled, her body becoming rigid and tense as she met his gaze with unflinching bravery.

She impressed him. As well as infuriated him.

“It appears you will make quite a queen, Rhianna, despite your lack of training.” She spit in his face, startling him, and he reached up to wipe her spittle from his cheek with his free hand. His nostrils flared as he glared down at her. Ice blue eyes flashed fire and sent blood pounding through his veins. Damn, he wanted her.

“I’ve about reached the end of my patience, Rhianna,” he growled.

She bucked beneath him and his hips shifted, landing right between her thighs. The heat of her pussy pressed into his cock and he groaned, closing his eyes for a moment to catch his breath. She’d quieted as well, her startled gaze watching him with trepidation.

“I guess you’ll learn to be still,” Keenas growled, then pressed his cock into her mound.

Her lips parted as she drew in a sharp breath of air, but her body remained motionless.

“If you plan on raping me…get it over with,” she snarled.

Keenas chuckled. The flare of heat in her eyes gave her away. She was just as aroused as he, whether she would admit it or not. “I can assure you, my queen. When Jorel and I take you, it will not be rape. You’re just as aroused as I am by our predicament.”

“I am not!” she shouted. “You’re an arrogant ass.”

“And you’re a delectable little wildcat,” he whispered, his lips closer to hers.

She smelled of jasmine and spice. A heady combination for a woman, and he inhaled her scent deep into his lungs. Grinding his hips, he put more pressure against her mound and the heat in her gaze intensified. Her chest rose and fell with her shallow breaths, pressing her breasts harder against his chest.

“Get off me, Keenas,” she gasped softly.

He pulled away and stared at her in surprise. “You know I’m Keenas? How?”

“Does it matter?” she asked, her voice soft and raspy with desire.

“How, Rhianna?” he asked again, not used to people refusing his requests.

With a sigh, she glanced away, turning her face toward the window. “Jorel has a softer face. Yours is harder and your eyes are more intense.”

“Interesting,” he murmured. “Usually people cannot tell us apart. Even those who have known us for years.”

She shrugged. “It’s just something a woman would notice.” Her face turned back toward his. “Now please get off me.”

“Starting without me?” Jorel asked with amusement from the doorway and Keenas glanced at him for a second before turning back to Rhianna. She kept her gaze on his, her eyes wary and watchful, the dull glow of desire simmering just below the surface.

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“Had she broken your ribs?” Keenas asked, his gaze still on Rhianna’s beautiful face.

Her eyes widened slightly as she turned to stare at Jorel.

“Yes. Two of them. You have quite a swing, little one,” Jorel replied with a slight grin.

“Doc fixed them up, though.” He slapped his hand against his ribs. “See, just like new. Gotta love technology. Were you worried?”

“I can assure you, I wasn’t,” she snarled, making Keenas grin and Jorel chuckle.

Jorel moved to stand next to them. Gently he drew his fingers down her cheek, making her stiffen beneath Keenas. He really should get up. Otherwise, it could turn into a very uncomfortable situation. She wasn’t ready for this. Hell, she didn’t even believe them.

“Having you as a queen will be quite interesting,” Jorel whispered, tracing the line of her jaw with his finger.

She scowled, crinkling her nose adorably. “Even if I was your queen, after this do you really think I would stick around?”

“You’re not giving us a chance, Rhianna. We told you we could prove it medically, but we have to get you home first.”

“How do I know you didn’t rig it?” she cried in exasperation.

“Rhianna.” Keenas sighed. “You’re making this much more difficult than it has to be.” Jorel’s finger moved lower to circle her taut nipple through the material of her top. A blush moved up her cheeks, and fire blazed from her eyes as she glared up at his brother.

“We should just show her how good we are in bed. Maybe if she’s mindless from multiple orgasms, she’ll be easier to handle,” Jorel said thoughtfully, and Rhianna growled deep in her chest.

“Try it,” she snarled.

Jorel grinned, and then tugged at the hem of his shirt, pulling it over his head.

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