CollectiveMemory (20 page)

Cayl flicked his thumb across the bottom of the controller.
The light and what remained of Harken’s body vanished into the tiny black box.
Everything that was Harken was gone.

“What the fuck was that?” Mace demanded when his voice
returned.

“It is a device that eliminates waste,” Cayl replied, his
voice once again cool and clinical.

The truth drilled into Mace’s brain like a corkscrew, slow
twisting images becoming real. Cayl really was an alien. And Harken really had
just vanished in front of his eyes.

He looked up and met Devin’s stare. Only she wasn’t really
looking at him, there was no explanation or comfort in her eyes. She stared
back but there was a blankness, a distance in her eyes that tugged Mace’s
heart.

God, what had she gone through before they’d gotten there.
He glanced at the space that had recently held Harken’s body and growled. He
wanted Harken to return if for no other reason than he could beat the hell out
of the guy. A fury he hadn’t expected shot through him.

“We must destroy the workspace,” Cayl announced.

Devin nodded but didn’t move.

“Uh, Cayl, maybe you could lend her your coat?”

Cayl’s head popped up and he looked at Devin as if seeing
her for the first time. Devin’s hands fluttered at her side as if she wanted to
cover herself but knew it was silly. They’d both seen her naked. Still, Cayl
stripped off his jacket and offered it to Devin.

She dragged it on over her shoulders. It covered her but the
hints of skin revealed as she moved teased Mace.

“Let’s get this done.” The hesitant look in her eyes belied
the brisk tone of her voice.

She and Cayl moved to the wall of strange boxes and
electronics. Cayl murmured about compositors and fluxers. Devin nodded but her
movements were still sluggish, as if her mind wasn’t able to direct her muscles
to move. He decided to keep a close watch on her.

Mace didn’t understand most of what Cayl said but he looked
around to see what he could do to help. His gaze landed on the light saber.
That was definitely something that didn’t need to be found lying around. He
picked it up and turned it over his hand. Three buttons lined the side. Holding
it away, he pressed each of the buttons in sequence. Nothing happened.

“That’s about it,” Cayl announced. Mace spun around and
shoved the light saber in his pocket. He’d ask Cayl about it later.

He looked at the other side of the room. Wires lay in
twisted bundles. Burn marks surrounded holes in panels. Cayl had done a good
job of stripping the equipment.

Cayl pointed his black box toward one final piece of
equipment and it crumpled into the dust. “That’s the last.”

Devin blinked, but the light in her eyes was dull. She
wrapped her arms around her waist and dropped her gaze to the concrete floor.
She looked alone and strangely lost.

Need swelled in his chest—the need to fix it, to take away
the pain.

Mace stalked across the tiny space, stopping in front of
Devin. She jumped and looked up as if she hadn’t seen him move.

“Are you all right?” he asked. The growl in his voice made
him almost inaudible. Devin didn’t seem to hear him.

Even knowing Harken was dissolved into particles the size of
dust didn’t ease Mace’s memory of Devin leaping onto Harken’s back, protecting
him. Damn, she’d been the one being rescued. She should have stayed on the
sidelines and let them rescue her.

Devin finally reacted. She nodded, slow, precise movements.
“I’m fine.”

A minute tremble whispered beneath her words and caught
Mace’s attention. Yes, he was furious that she’d thrown herself into the fight
once they’d freed her but the quaver in her voice pulled him back. He needed to
help her. Focus her. She was probably breaking apart inside.

“There is little else we can do here,” Cayl announced. “I
have destroyed the technology that didn’t previously exist on Earth. The only
option left for a clean departure is for us to set fire to the building which
Agent Denning will not allow me to do.”

“No. Nothing draws attention like a fire,” Devin said. The
words sounded a little more stable but her eyes didn’t land on anything longer
than a heartbeat. “Uhm, we should go. Get this reported and uh, get Cayl back
to his world.”

Cayl straightened. “There is no need to rush. I have
summoned the transport for the morning hours. We should return to Mace’s house
and proceed with our plans.”

Plans? It took Mace a moment to catch up with Cayl’s suggestion.
Then he remembered. They were going to fuck, the three of them…

Denial reared up in his soul. They’d just vaporized an
alien. Devin had been kidnapped and abused. He shuddered. The sight of her
splayed out, naked, screaming in true pain would remain with him forever. What
she needed was peace and calm. He looked at Devin and the sight stalled his
thoughts.

Cayl’s jacket hung like a tent around her shoulders. Her
arms hugged her waist like she was trying to keep her body together. But her
spirit was panicking. She needed something. Something intense and strong.
Life-giving instead of terrifying. Something that might give her focus and let
her release some of the excess energy skimming beneath the surface of her skin.

“I think that’s a good idea.” He wrapped his arm around
Devin’s back and slid his hands beneath her knees. Her soft cry and the
desperate way she grabbed his shoulders told him she was more out of balance
than he’d believed. “Let’s get you home.”

“I shall drive.” Cayl’s announcement drew a garbled protest
from Devin but Mace only sighed and sent a baleful glare at the alien. “I have
learned my lesson. I will keep my attention forward despite the most intriguing
distraction of her naked form.” Cayl protested and defended at the same time.
“And you must comfort Agent Denning.”

That was the one bit of logic that worked. Mace sighed and
moved around to the passenger side of the car. Cayl opened the door and Mace
sat down in the front seat, still holding Devin.

“I’m fine,” she said weakly, attempting to sit up.

“Just stay still. Cayl’s going to get us home safely.” He
raised his voice to make sure Cayl heard him. Cayl grunted in response and
started the car. Her skin felt cool to his touch. “Cuddle up, baby, let me get
you warm.”

She moved into him, dropping her head on his shoulder. The
jacket floated open and she turned, pressing her bare skin against him. He
couldn’t have stopped his hands if he’d wanted to.

Heat would help, a little quiet would help, but then she was
going to need something to release the horrible strain in her muscles. With no
goal in mind, he let his hands wander over her body, up her sides, stopping to
cup her breast, feeling the nipple respond to his touch, then moving on, the
outsides of her thighs, her knees. Nothing particularly sexual but leaving no
part of her untouched.

She squirmed within his hold, her hip rubbing against his
cock. It wasn’t intentionally sexual but there was no way he could glide his
hands across Devin’s naked body and not get hard. Just wasn’t happening. She
drew her knees up and snuggled deeper, sighing. Knowing where he was leading
her, where he wanted her to go, he couldn’t resist the opportunity. He slipped
his hand beneath her hip and ran his finger along the length of her slit.

A jolt ran through her body but she didn’t pull away or
lower her legs. He took that as an invitation and repeated the motion. The soft
flesh was a little hotter, a little wetter this time. He lingered, letting his
fingertips dip between her pussy lips. Fuck, it was all he could do not sink
his finger into her cunt. She wasn’t ready for that but she would be. She
wiggled, coming out of her fog just a little.

“That’s it, baby. We’re going to take you home…” He paused,
giving her a chance to focus on his words. “And fuck you.”

She gasped but didn’t retreat, instead pushing against his
touch. Slick liquid teased his fingers and he knew he had her, or had her body.
Her mind was still a little distant but he would fix that.

The drive home went faster than he expected. He didn’t know
if it was because Cayl drove like a bat out of hell or because he was wrapped
up in soothing Devin but it seemed moments after they left the warehouse, they
arrived at Mace’s house.

Devin tried to sit up when the arrived but Mace held her in
place. Keeping her in his arms, he opened the door and lifted her up, carrying
her toward the door.

“I can walk. Now.”

“Be still.” He gave her ass a quick tap, a little warning of
what was to come. She squeaked and he saw the last little bits of her tension
easing. She was focused on him.

Cayl went ahead of them, opened the door and stepped to the
side as they entered.

“It is most intriguing,” he said. “The way my jacket
flutters around her ass. It teases me to see more.”

Mace chuckled. “Why do you think lingerie is so popular?”
Mace replied. Reality struck him again. All of Cayl’s comments, that Mace had
thought were merely odd, were actually Cayl, learning about this world. It gave
everything he’d said and everything they’d done a different meaning. Damn, he
really had been the first to give the guy a blowjob and get one in return.
Between him and Devin, they’d been Cayl’s first everything.

Well, he hadn’t been Cayl’s first fuck—yet.

Mace carried her up the stairs, yelling to Cayl to close the
front door when it became obvious the alien was just going to leave it open. He
moved right into his bedroom.

Hoping that they’d end up back here tonight, he’d made a bit
of preparation, clean sheets, a supply of condoms, lube—just in case—and even a
soft flogger. Nothing too painful but just something that would make her skin
tingle, give her something to think about. He hadn’t planned on chasing down a
real alien before they made it to his bedroom but everything would still work
for the purpose of healing Devin.

He placed her feet on the floor and waited for her to
straighten. She scooped her tumbled hair out of the way and pulled her
shoulders back. The starch had returned to her spine. Mace couldn’t stop his
smile. This was the woman who had laughed at him when he’d asked her out. The
tiniest bit of fear lingered in her stare and he was going to take care of
that.

“Take off the jacket.” He filled his voice with every bit of
command he could find.

Devin blinked and shook her head as if she was preparing a
protest but even as she did, her fingers gripped the jacket lapels and pulled
them back, dragging the material back over her shoulders, leaving her body
deliciously bare.

“I’m not sure this is a good idea,” she murmured, her voice
low and a little forced as if she felt like she should protest but didn’t
really want to. He listened to the desire beneath her words, the vibrating
hunger that told him she needed this.

“It’s a very good idea.”

“And you did promise,” Cayl added from the doorway. He
stepped through the opening and walked directly to Devin. His eyes wandered up
and down her body. After a few minutes of that intense perusal, she started to
squirm, her arms fluttering at her side as if she wanted to cover herself.

“Staring is rude,” Devin said, the tone was weak and held
little of the prim, proper tone that usually filled her voice.

Cayl shook his head. “You are stunning. You should be naked
for all to see.” A pretty pink tinged Devin’s cheeks. “And I was looking to
assure myself that Harken did not harm you.”

Mace didn’t see any marks on her but that didn’t mean Harken
hadn’t hurt her. He’d frightened her, made her vulnerable. Mace needed her to
know she was safe with them.

“Are we going to fuck her now?” Cayl asked, glancing at Mace
but quickly returning his gaze to Devin’s breasts. For an alien, he’d quickly
become obsessed.

Devin opened her mouth—as if she had some way to stop
them—but Mace jumped in.

“I think before we have her, she needs to be punished.”

Chapter Eleven

“Punished?” The word squeaked out of her throat. “For what?”
That was stronger. “I was the one who got kidnapped.”

“Yes, and when we came to rescue you, you refused to stay on
the side and let us handle it.”

She shook her head and crossed her arms under her breasts,
plumping them just that extra little bit. Damn it was hard not to stare but he
kept his gaze locked on her eyes.

“I’m a trained agent. It’s my job to project my charges.”

“We did not need your protection. You were wounded and
should have relinquished the battle.” Cayl gave on sharp nod. “I agree with
Mace on this. You should be punished.” He looked up at Mace and the lust
flowing from Cayl’s stare almost knocked him back. “Will we spank her as we did
before? She looked most intriguing bent over. It would be even better if we
could fuck her afterward.”

Devin released a few garbled squeaks he assumed were
protests but she made no move toward the door. Her breath got deeper and her
cheeks a little pinker. She might deny it but she liked the idea.

“I think spanking her ass will be the perfect punishment.”

“I shouldn’t be punished,” she said again. “I did what I was
trained to do.”

“But when a crazed alien is running about trying to kill us,
you stay out of the way. I almost had a heart attack when you jumped on him.”

Her chin went up. “What? I’m being punished because you got
scared? That hardly seems fair.”

The edge of his mouth pulled up in a half smile. “No one
said life is fair. Bend over.”

“But—”

Cayl put his hands on her hips and turned her around so she
faced the end of the bed. “It will be more comfortable if you place your hands
here.”

He nudged her forward until her hands hit the crossbar at
the bottom of Mace’s bed. Devin grabbed the rod and braced herself. She
hesitated for just a moment then her body seemed to take control and she moved into
position—pushing her ass out, spreading her legs.