Frost Station Alpha 1-6: The Complete Series (28 page)

“All right, I’m getting cold over here,” Tamryn said, her voice playful, but probably truthful, as well. She’d only had that T-shirt on underneath the armor.

Makkon only had to take a step to join her, and his lips found hers in the dark again, easily, as if they had come together countless times and he knew her exact height, how she would rise up on her tiptoes slightly to meet him. Already hard from their earlier kissing, he had to resist the urge to press her up against the wall and go right to vigorous rubbing. After all, he had promised to keep her warm, and the wall would be cold.

As they kissed, he pulled her close, molding his body into hers, his hardness against her softness. It felt perfect. He would have told her so, but he was too busy with the kiss. He rubbed his hands along her arms, using his heat to warm her chilled skin. His own skin wasn’t chilled in the least. Whether it had to do with being adapted for a cold climate or simply that his body was charged with heat because of her touch, he didn’t know. And he didn’t care. From her arms, he took his hands to her back, sliding them up under her shirt. He stroked her, her skin soft and smooth under his touch. He let one hand stray to the front, brushing her breast through her bra. She pressed into him, a pleased sigh of contentment escaping her lips. He intended to make her do much more than sigh.

He unfastened the bra, then pushed it and her shirt off. Before she could object to the chill, he brought his hands back to her skin, rubbing her arms and back and sides as he lowered his mouth. He kissed his way down her throat to her collarbone and then further. He lamented that they were in the dark, because he had not yet seen her naked, and he very much wanted to gaze upon her breasts—upon
all
of her. But his other senses were keenly aware of and aroused by her. Her taste teased his tongue, making him want more, and the scent of her body filled his awareness; he didn’t miss that she was aroused, too, and had been since he first kissed her. He had the urge to dip lower, to remove her belt and trousers so he could taste the rest of her.
That
would warm her up. But he didn’t want to rush; in case this was the only chance they got, he wanted her to remember him. Always.

His roaming lips reached her nipple, and he took her in his mouth, licking her, teasing her. She squirmed, her hips arching toward him even as she gripped the back of his head with both hands.

“Warming up yet?” he whispered, sliding the bottom of his tongue across her erect peak.

“Makkon,” she whispered back. It was almost a groan.

Hearing her pleasure made him harder, but he forced himself to take it slow, keeping her exposed skin warm with his hands as he kissed his way to her other breast. “You taste so good,” he murmured, taking her in his mouth. “I’ve wanted this... since you first ran... since before I even knew you...” He laved her nipple in between words, sucking and nibbling. The nibbling, his teeth grazing her lightly, made her gasp and thrust toward him. Having her bucking against his aching crotch almost made him forget all thoughts of taking it slow, not to mention that he could smell the heady moisture of her desire. He already knew she was wet and ready for him. His hands slid down to her waist, finding her belt and fastener.

“You get horny when women run away from you?” she asked, digging her fingers into his scalp, pressing her breast toward his mouth even as her loins ground into his.

He kissed his way down her stomach, enjoying the slight quiver of anticipation that went through her flesh at his touch. “The hunt excites me,” he said, rubbing his chin in her tightly curled hair as he slid her trousers off her hips. As he reached up again to fondle her breasts with his hands, keeping them warm and eager, he inhaled her scent, and his body pulsed with unspent energy needing a release. “Chasing worthy prey.”

She might have had a response to that, but he dipped his tongue into her moist heat, licking her long and slow with the flat of his tongue; whatever she’d meant to say became garbled by a hard groan. Before, she’d been quiet with her whispers, her moans, as if she worried someone would hear them through that thick door, but she had lost that restraint. She pressed against him, pleading as he nuzzled and licked, enjoying the exploration. He wanted nothing more than to thrust into her, fill her with his hard shaft, but he wanted to bring her over the edge first.
She
would not be left with nothing but a towel to satisfy herself, no matter how much restraint he had to exercise. And it was a great deal. Even as the taste and scent of her made him ache with want, her groans and gyrations excited him further. More, he knew her responsiveness, her naked desire, was real this time. They were both prisoners now. She had nothing to gain by sleeping with him.

Her entire body quivered beneath his hands, beneath his lips, and she was panting, her fingers twined in his hair, as if she had to hang on. Knowing she was close, he focused on her clitoris, brushing sensitive skin with his tongue. Then, he drew her in, sucking gently as he tweaked her nipple with his hand. She mashed against him, her body trembling like a bowstring about to snap. After one last suck, she cried out and nearly collapsed onto him.

He rose, gathering her in his arms, and rubbing her, not wanting her to get cold. Nor did he want to stop touching her. He left one hand between her legs, stroking the less sensitive areas, hoping she would soon tell him she wanted him in her. He kissed her as she recovered her breath, her fingers now kneading his scalp, and he forced himself to keep those kisses gentle, though his own body ached for release. He knew she knew that, but he couldn’t help but lean in close to her ear, nuzzling her and whispering how much he wanted her.

“Excited by the thought of conquering your prey?” she asked, her breasts still rising and falling in deep breaths against his chest. It sounded more like teasing than anything, but he realized his honesty earlier might have been misinterpreted.

“Excited that my prey became the best hunting partner I’ve had.” His voice was husky with need. He hardly cared. He grazed her inner thigh with his knuckles, then slid up to her moist core again, wanting nothing more than for her to proclaim she was ready for him, all of him. “It’s totally inappropriate, and I know nothing can ever come of it, but I’m falling in love with you, woman.”

As soon as the words escaped, he wondered if he should have kept them in, if she would push him away, alarmed by the intensity—the naked honesty. Who admitted to falling in love with an enemy? Only a fool, that was for sure. But he couldn’t keep from stroking her, adoring her, wanting to bury himself in her.

“Makk,” she whispered, turning to kiss him hard. “Are you going to thrust your cock into me, or am I going to have to throw you to the floor and climb on top of you?”

He almost laughed—it wasn’t exactly a response, or even an acknowledgment of his feelings, but she wasn’t rejecting him. She wanted him. “Actually, that’s what I had in mind. The floor is cold. I promised to keep you warm.”

“You’re doing a good job of it.” She kissed him, hard and demanding, and dropped her hand to his belt. “Though it is upsetting that you’re wearing all of these clothes, and I’m not.”

“We can fix—”

A distant wailing echoed out in the corridor. Makkon groaned. The station alarm
again
? It couldn’t be more pirates, could it?

“Ignore it,” Tamryn said, grasping the sides of his face and kissing him again. “Take me. I need you.”

Like a hound unleashed and set free on the trail, he tore his trousers off, giddiness and passion raging through him.

But a clang sounded out in the corridor.

Despite her words of need, that got through Tamryn’s passion. She released him and scurried back so quickly, she fell against the wall. He growled deep in his throat. Even though he understood that she wouldn’t want to be caught naked with him, he wanted nothing more than to spring after her, to catch her and pin her to the wall, to take her before—

Another clang sounded, then the beep-beep-beep of an electronic lock code being punched in.

“Shit,” she whispered. “Get dressed. Please.” Clothing rustled as she yanked her shirt on. “I’m sorry. Damn it, I’m always sorry with you.”

As he pulled his trousers up and buckled his belt, he took some consolation in the fact that she sounded almost as frustrated as he felt. Small consolation.

The door swung open, and light slashed into the vault. Tamryn had dressed in impressive time, though her shirt wasn’t tucked in, and her hair hung tousled around her face. She looked amazing, and he hoped the door shut quickly so they could return to what they had been doing, but her captain might notice that she appeared nothing like the armored soldier she had been when first stuck in the room. And to his keen senses, the air smelled strongly of their sex. Maybe whoever was checking in on them wouldn’t notice. He hardly cared if they knew he was a randy bastard, but he didn’t want her career to be destroyed because of him.

Captain Porter stood out there, still in the red suit but sans the helmet, a pinched expression on her face, her eyes tight with... fear? If it was fear, it was from more than opening his vault door and risking a confrontation with him. She had six of her scientists lined up in the hall with her, all pointing rifles at him. Considering the confines of the space, he doubted he could dodge all of their shots. Even if they weren’t soldiers, he had to assume that they could hit a target from five feet away. Besides, he wanted to know what was happening more than he wanted to break out, at least at the moment. If he saw an opening later, he wouldn’t fail to take it.

“What is it?” Tamryn stepped forward, pointing toward the ceiling in the corridor, in the direction of the speakers blaring the alarm. She had to raise her voice to be heard.

Makkon didn’t miss that her seemingly curious step placed her between the rifles and him. Though he would never like the idea of avoiding his fate by hiding behind someone else, his heart swelled with this reminder that she cared. She might never be able to see him as anything but an enemy, but she cared anyway. He wished he could hug her.

“You were right about the pirates,” Porter said. “My team caught sight of them, but our lasers were useless against the combat armor. They could have turned and mowed us down, but they were running toward the lift for some reason. We didn’t try to chase them down at that point. We were making sure we could gather up the rest of the Glacians while they were still unconscious.” She glanced at Makkon, her lips flattening. “We figured they were more dangerous, and as you well know, we’re not elite soldiers here.”

The men and women frowned and shuffled, but they did not deny the statement. Makkon assumed the gas had dissipated, since nobody wore a helmet anymore, so the alarm couldn’t have anything to do with that. So far, it had only blared when ships had been closing on the station, or when the defenses had been breached.

“The pirates did something?” Tamryn guessed.

“We don’t know for sure what yet, but that’s a hazard alarm.” Porter licked her lips and pushed a hand through her short hair. “I think they may have broken something in one of the labs. Maybe even in
my
lab.”

Makkon thought of the artifacts that Brax had ordered her to leave out of that vault. Most hadn’t looked like they could be hazards—they had seemed more like tools—but what about that ceramic vase? She had mentioned X-raying the contents but not opening it. Because she had known something dangerous lay within?

“Your lab would have likely been their target,” Tamryn said slowly. “If they came for the alien artifacts.”

“I don’t know how they would have known where my lab was, but I agree.”

“They’ve been wandering long enough that they could have found it. What’s the plan? Have you checked your lab yet?”

“No. If they’re in combat armor, and we show up like this...” Porter waved toward her comrades. “These suits are designed to retard fire, smoke, and all manner of toxins, but as you pointed out, laser fire and grenades are another story.”

“So you need someone to clear out the pirates before you can go in and check?” Tamryn glanced toward her pile of armor in the corner.

“I’m sorry to ask, especially after we dumped you in there—” Porter jerked her chin toward the vault, “—but we have a very small number of people experienced with fighting in the combat armor. Cox is strong enough to join a team, but with Powell’s arm gone... I hate to send him. And I haven’t worn any of that stuff since my academy days almost twenty years ago. I’ll be more comfortable in this.” She touched the chest of her red suit. “And I have a feeling I’m going to need to be as comfortable as possible.”

“You think that pot broke?” Tamryn asked. She’d clearly been remembering those artifacts left on the table too. She gave Makkon a long look over her shoulder.

It wasn’t an accusing look, but he grimaced, anyway, knowing that there wouldn’t be a problem now if Brax hadn’t ordered those items left out. Their team hadn’t even had a chance to examine them yet, to truly consider if that FTL information might be something they could use.

“That’s my fear,” Porter said. “And if it did... I’ll have no idea what we’re dealing with until I take a look, but a race more advanced than ours locked it up tight and wrote warning words all over the container.”

“If they were so advanced, why didn’t they use a container that wouldn’t break easily?” Makkon asked.

Porter spread her arms. “I have guesses but won’t know for sure until we get down there.”

“Take me too,” Makkon said.

Porter snorted. “Sure thing. We’ll trust you and let you out because you’re such a nice fellow.”

“I’m not nice, but you need me. Your injured soldier and lieutenant—” he just managed to keep from using her first name, “—against a minimum of three pirates in armor. If you’ll be busy with the contaminant, that doesn’t sound like a good match.”

Tamryn had already started putting on her armor, but she paused to glare over at him. No doubt, she thought she was a match for some scruffy pirates. Makkon didn’t acknowledge the silent argument. He wanted to be invited along, both so he could make sure some evil mega-virus didn’t take over the station and also so he could use this opportunity to escape and free his people. The scientists might think they had won, but they should still have a day or two before reinforcements arrived. Plenty of time for the game to change.