Moonbeams and magic (17 page)

"The usual, nothing, very little."

"Life on Tochara is boring?" he asked as he replaced the bottle.

She laughed and nodded. "There aren't many diversions here."

He joined her. "Not the kind you're accustomed to?"

"Thank you," she said as she accepted the proffered glass. "True, but I can manage for a while longer."

"How much time is that?" he asked, and sipped his drink.

"I don't know; things that affect me are happening very slowly."

You re a talented beguiler, whoever you are. I want to know why your fingerprints were surgically or chemically eradicated and why there's no record of you or your voice pattern. It's strange that both you and Starla have no fin-

gerprints on your lovely hands, but at least there's a file on her, and thankfully it's a nonpriority one. The whorls, arches, and loops on his own fingers had been obliterated to protect his many identities; and that was often the case with villites. Perhaps Starla's had been removed to conceal past crimes which were more hazardous than he realized, but he hoped not. "You still don't want to discuss your problems with me?"

"No, not yet, but I hope that situation will change soon."

"So do I; mysteries can be as frustrating as they are intriguing." He chuckled and grinned to disarm her. Yet, a strange feeling assailed him. His body was becoming hot and eager for mating, and his mind told him she was within reach and enticing him. Control yourself, Curran, and see what you can learn.

Yana saw his cheeks flush and his eyes brighten. He was trying to appear calm, but she sensed his tension. She watched him lick his lips, shift his position, and twist the glass in his grasp. She knew her ploy was working on him. "Did you have a successftil trek? Was it dangerous?"

Right to the point of your motive for coming? Though his race had lost the ability to exude at will their ancient mating pheromone and his nostrils didn't detect any odor other than her heady fragrance, it was as if her skin had been bathed in that titillating chemical, as if the air and his lungs were filled with it, as if that stimulus was gushing through his pulsing body. His erotic need was making it difficult to concentrate on his goal of unmasking her and her ruse. He was troubled by his inability to ignore those irresistible sensations. He wanted to remove her temptation, but couldn't allow himself to be thwarted and overpowered by carnal urgings. He finally summoned his wits to answer, "Both."

"I'm happy you survived whatever perils you confronted. What do you do when you're away from the settlement, if that isn't a secret?"

"Sorry, but it is. Maybe I can tell you about it some deega."

"I doubt we will see each other again after I depart."

Dagan watched her tease soft fingertips over his arm as he battled her potent allure. It was as if every hapax of him craved to undress and seduce her. He scolded himself for not casting aside such an absurd weakness. "That means you won't be returning to Tochara after matters are settled?" he asked, trying not to stumble over his words.

"This will be my one and only visit." She put aside her glass.

"Do you have a lover or mate waiting for you somewhere in Asisa?"

Yana placed a hand on his taut thigh and pretended to absently stroke it. "No. Do you have someone special in your life?"

"Not yet, but perhaps I will in the distant ftiture." If Starla doesn't get herself killed, exterminated, or incarcerated on a penal colony. That's it, Curran, think about Starla so you can disregard Yana s eerie magic.

Yana fastened her gaze to his muscled thigh as she drew finger circles on it. "Do you ever get lonely or dissatisfied with your existence?"

Dagan set his empty glass on a side table. "Do you?"

Yana lifted her hand and moved aside a strayed lock of black hair from his cheek, brushing a finger against his flesh as she did so. "Yes, but you're making my time here pass swifter and easier."

You re one talented temptress, Yana, but two can play at your little game. Let's see how far you re willing to take it to charm me over to your side. He grasped her hand and stroked her thumb with his. "But not enough to entice you to stay longer than planned?"

"This isn't the kind of life I want for myself. What about you?"

Dagan noticed that her chest seemed to rise and fall at

a swifter pace and her breathing pattern altered. Her cheeks flushed and she began to fidget on the seat, seemingly unaware of responding to his trick. Taut points stood out on her breasts, the thin material unable to restrain them. Her fingers tightened around his hand. Her gaze filled with readable desire and glued to his captivating one. So, he mused, she was susceptible to him; it wasn't just an act. "Presently, I'm right where I want and need to be."

Enchanted by the virile and handsome Kalfan, she couldn't help but ask, "What do you want and need most at this preon?"

He realized he was snared by his own verbal trap. "I'm not sure," he murmured.

Yana noted his husky tone and the hunger gnawing in his eyes, the same ravenous one which chewed at her wits and will. She—Bree Kayah Saar, Star Fleet officer. Elite Squad member, agent on a crucial mission—^wanted this perilous and forbidden prize with every fiber of her being. "You want and need me, isn't that true?"

"Are you sure this is what you want?" Please say no and leave fast!

She slipped one leg over his hips and sat across his lap, their bodies touching through the materials of their garments. Her hands cupped his strong jawline and she fused her gaze to his. "Yes," she murmured before she meshed her mouth with his, knowing the scent on her face would fill his nostrils and remove any lingering self-control.

Dagan's senses whirled rapidly and wildly as if he were caught in a spinning vortex. His arms banded her waist and pressed her against him. He spread kisses over her face and the soft column of her throat. As she rubbed herself against his throbbing groin, he lost the battle to resist. His hands grasped the hem of her flowing garment, lifted it over her head, and cast it to the floor. His deft fingers quivered as they released the lacy band around her ftiU breasts before he nestled his face between them. His mouth wandered over

each luscious mound and his lips teased at both pinnacles in turn as his hands caressed her sleek back. He had no choice except to possess her or surely he would zone out forever.

Dagan was creating blissful sensations within Yana and exhilarating her with his actions. Her fingers roamed his broad shoulders; they played in his dark mane; they drew his head closer to her taut peaks, encouraging him to ravish them. She moaned and writhed in his lap, aware of the hardness straining against his jumpsuit and pulsing against her private domain. She had planned to ensnare him and loosen his lips with Yana's surrender;-but now, only thoughts of seizing great pleasure for herself filled her mind.

They stood in unison and together they peeled off her panties, then his boots, jumpsuit, and briefs in a feverish rush. They kissed and caressed, naked and enflamed. Soon, they sidled as if one entity to his sleeper and fell upon it with Dagan atop her, rubbing their ignited bodies together.

He fondled and kissed her in an almost mindless frenzy, results, she knew, of the potent pheromone and her brazen enticements.

So enthralled and tantalized was he, that Dagan could not stop himself from entering her immediately. He sank deep into the core of her until his hardness was surrounded by her delicate folds and soft triangle of bluish-blond hair. He explored that exciting terrain as his hips undulated with haste and greed. Though skilled at giving sensual delights, he could not help but seek his own satisfaction, dazed beyond thinking about sating hers.

It was unnecessary for Dagan to guide Yana to her pinnacle because she was so stimulated that her body responded to his of its own volition. Her eager and supple limbs imprisoned him. Sweet ecstasy coiled steadily within her pleading loins and prepared itself to unwind when she could endure the glorious torment no longer. She matched

each thrust he sent into her receptive body and coaxed him with murmurings and movements to continue his pace.

She had just enough presence of mind to reahze this experience was nothing hke the one she had shared with An-tarus yings ago. While both were weakened in body and wits and believed death was imminent, she had allowed An-tarus to take her so he could die happy. His kisses and caresses had not evoked the potent effect Dagan's did. She had not craved or responded to Antarus in a wild and eager way, nor to any other male. She was glad she didn't have to worry about complications, as Maffeian females were given a time-releasing chemical upon reaching puberty to halt the release of ovums; that measure required the infusion of another chemical after she was bonded to a lifelong mate for restoring reproductive ability or at a selected period when she was ready for children. That action wasn't taken to promote or condone promiscuity, but to prevent unwanted pregnancies either from carelessness or a tragic criminal attack.

Both soon reached the brink of release. They labored as one until they were rewarded with rapturous climaxes. Yana gasped and arched her back as she clung to him. Dagan rode her with fervor until gratification was complete, his enormous craving slaked. For a few preons, their mouths and flesh remained united as their senses and bodies returned to normal.

Fulfilled at last, Dagan was astonished and dismayed by his crazed behavior. This wasn't the woman he wanted lying beneath him, not the woman he wanted to share such moments and feelings. He dreaded to imagine the damage this carnal episode could do to his budding relationship with Starla Vedris, if she discovered it. Yet, how could he conceal it from her and others, if Yana started to cling to him in a possessive and intimate manner? On the other hand, how could he learn Yana's secrets if he sent the Asisan on her way? He berated himself for falling into such a perilous

and costly trap. If he didn't know better, he would believe his immunities to all known drugs and tricks had failed him. Whatever Yana's allure was, it was potent, and he cautioned himself to be on alert against it in the future.

"You're too quiet and distant, Dagan," Yana observed. "Is something wrong? Did I fail to please you? Do you think badly of me for succumbing to your charms?"

The I-GAF officer realized he had no choice now except to take advantage of the unwanted predicament. "I'm just relaxed. You were more than satisfying, Yana, and my opinion of you hasn't changed."

She noted that he didn't relate what that "opinion" was, and sensed he was being careful with his words, perhaps deceitful. "I'm glad, because I want to remain close to you while I'm here, if that's agreeable. But we must be careful about being seen together too often or appearing to be too close."

"Why is that?" he asked, then wished he had agreed immediately.

"If the other men learn we've shared a sleeper, they might become sexually overt with me. I also think some might become jealous and angry that you succeeded with me where they failed; that could cause some nasty situations."

"I understand and concur with your logic and precautions. In public, we'll act like nothing more than friends. As to sharing moments like this one, we should wait a while before doing so again. I don't think it's a good idea for either of us to be seen coming and going from private dwellings."

Yana pressed a kiss to his bare shoulder. "Thank you for being understanding. A woman cannot be too careful in a place like Tochara where most men seek only the pleasures of the present. Now, tell me: How long do you plan to remain in the colony and work for Tochar? Where will you go and what will you do after you leave them?"

Hadn't they, he mused, covered those areas before?

Maybe she was making small talk to get past an unsettling moment. Yet, he believed she had enjoyed their sexual encounter, perhaps too much and unexpectedly to suit her. "I'll stay until I get bored and restless," he responded, "or earn enough to replace the ship I lost, whichever comes first, I suppose."

"What if living and working here remains exciting and rewarding, even after you buy your own ship?"

"Tochara will have to improve greatly to keep me here longer than necessary to accomplish my goals."

She continued her probe. "What if Tochar doesn't want you to leave his employ, ever?"

"That isn't his decision."

"What if he made it his decision? I've never heard of any man leaving his force, alive anyway. Wouldn't he fear you revealing the secrets you learn about him? And wouldn't he attempt to prevent you from becoming stiff competition by using his secrets for your own gains?"

"Do you really believe he's that dangerous and unpredictable?" Dagan asked.

"I overhear alarming things on occasion. I don't want you to get hurt."

"I doubt Tochar will live here permanently unless he can make it a nicer settlement. Rich and powerful men prefer better living conditions."

"If he resettled elsewhere, would you go with him?"

"I don't like to deal in unknowns, so I can't say."

"Perhaps if you decide to leave Noy at the same time I do, you can deliver me to my destination. Traveling together would be fun."

"Perhaps, when the time comes for you to leave, if I'm available."

"I hope you're gone by then."

"Why?"

"Because Tochar is gathering many enemies from both

sides of the law. I wouldn't want you caught up in a fierce rivalry or attack."

Who was she thinking of? "Do you have a particular rival in mind?"

"No, but a man like him must be craved by the authorities and men like him must envy his position and possessions."

"That's logical, but it's unlikely anybody will challenge him."

"Why? Because of those weapons he has to guard himself and Tochara?"

"What do you know about his Destructoids? "

"I've been here long enough to witoess their power several times. It's frightening to realize what he could do with them if he used them elsewhere, such as in my world. Doesn't it worry you to be connected to such a man, a destroyer, an enslaver?"