No Mercy (26 page)

Zan cringed at the tactlessness of his comment. “Duffy—”

Setting the glass down Duffy stood up. “Save it.”

Zan watched his first stride out into the corridor and shook his head. Why was he always hurting the people he cared about most, and more importantly, how could he make it up to them?

G
ia itched for freedom. A week after her release from the hospital and she was stuck aboard the living ship, having mostly recovered from the blood poisoning. She spent hours every day working out in the cargo bay/gym, but even the physical exercise didn't exhaust her restlessness. Zan had steered clear of her completely. If not for having Gen to talk to, she would have lost her mind.

“So, how's the communication translator coming?” Gia asked as she and Gen sat in the empty mess hall. Gen had been hard at work helping the pirates build a two-way communicator to allow them to have an open discussion with their ship.

“Slow, but I think we're going to have it figured out by the time we reach the empath home world. I swear I'm doing nothing for a week except lying naked on the beach while Rhys feeds me fruit dipped in chocolate.”

Rolling her water glass between her palms Gia asked, “So, you're not going back to Earth, then? Even with the pardon?”

Gen shrugged. “Honestly, it doesn't even appeal to me. I have my man and my family. Speaking of which, I heard you and your mom called a truce.”

“Yeah, we're supposed to rendezvous on the Mars station next month. If nothing else came from this at least we're back on speaking terms.”

“Did nothing else come from this?” Gen raised an eyebrow.

“Don't look at me that way. And by the by, I know you slept with him too. Why didn't you tell me?”

“It's kind of a touchy subject. And Rhys was there, so he knows about it.”

Gia grinned. “So I heard, you naughty minx. It's always the quiet ones with the biggest skeletons in their closets.”

Gen swatted at her. “Not like you're thinking, pervo. It was more like Zan needed someone. I got the impression he was really lonely.”

Gia thought about the dreams of him at that farmhouse on Earth, the aching void left in the wake of Isabella's death. Afraid to go home lest his father would kill him, unable to connect on a deeper level with anyone. “He is.”

The door swished open and the three Illustra executives moved into view.

Gen cast them a glare. “I can't believe Zan's taking them to the Infinity Pool after all they did to Rhys, hiring that assassin to take you out. It's not right.”

“I have no idea what he's thinking.”

“Gen, we need you on the bridge.” Rhys's voice chirped through the comm.

Gen rolled her eyes. “I'm just a hot commodity around here. See you later, okay?”

Unwilling to stay in a room alone with three people who'd ordered her death Gia headed back to her quarters. Maybe she'd get a workout in followed by a long hot shower.

Her plans came to a screeching halt when she found Zan sitting on her bed. “Hi,” she said lamely.

“How are you feeling?” Zan stayed where he was.

“Shipshape.” She didn't know what to do, where to go, the space seeming a little too small all of a sudden.

He nodded. “I miss you. I miss you so fucking much it hurts, Gia.”

“Zan,” she began, but he held up a hand.

“No, hear me out. I'm here offering to submit my rank to you.”

What? “Zan, I don't know what that means.”

He rose and began tugging off his boots. “It means my body is yours to do with whatever you want. I won't fight you on anything you want to do to me and will gladly take part in anything you want me to do to you. Forever.”

His leather vest dropped to the floor, followed by his leather pants. He climbed onto the bed, onto all fours and bowed his head. “I await your pleasure.”

Though the sight of her magnificent space pirate naked and waiting for her got her juices flowing, Gia felt as though she was missing a deeper significance. “What does this entail, other than your sexual submission?”

His jaw clenched and golden eyes flashed as he looked over at her. “You get my ship. You're the captain. And the ruler of Hosta too, although it doesn't seem as though the people there want a ruler anymore.”

Her eyes widened in surprise. “Wow.”

“Also, because I'm submitting to you of my own volition, it means I'm yours for life. I cannot make a move without your express permission.”

Gia sat down hard on the side of the bed. “Anything else?” she asked faintly.

“If you accept, I have to stay by your side forever so you can command me. All my possessions are yours, but my welfare is also your responsibility from now until I die.”

“And there's the rub. You're trying to trick me into staying with you.”

“Give me some credit, angel. If I was trying to trick you I wouldn't have been upfront with you about the conditions. I want you to bathe in the waters of the Infinity Pool, to become immortal with me, but it's your choice.” He stroked his knuckles across her cheek. “Always your choice, Gia.”

All her anxiety evaporated as she looked at the man she loved, saw his utter vulnerability that she knew he wouldn't show anyone else. He may not have trusted her with his memories, but he trusted her with his future. Eternity was a long time to love someone, but in that instant Gia recognized it might not be long enough for her and Zan.

“You sure about this? You don't have to—”

He cut her off with a soul-searing kiss. “I want to.”

“I accept your rank along with all the privileges and obligations it entails.”

Their lips met again and fused, and Gia lost herself in the sweep of his tongue in her mouth, the slide of her hands across his toned flesh, rippling with muscles. She wanted to give him everything, to blow his mind the way he'd done for her until he was lost in pure ecstasy.

Breaking the kiss Gia moved away, testing him. When Zan didn't come after her she smiled and reached for her comm unit. “Since I'm in charge I've decided I want a substitute to rank you properly.”

Zan's mouth fell open. “You don't mean—”

Gia winked and placed the call. “Duffy, would you come to my quarters? I need your help with something.”

 

“You want me to what?”

Zan's face flushed as he looked pleadingly over to where Gia—the sadistic little angel—perched on her desk having just told Duffy what she wanted him to do. He'd thought she'd just use a strap-on on him again. Never in a million years would he have believed she'd ask Duffy to fuck him.

Duffy's face was pale as he met Zan's eyes. “Cap'n—”

“She's your captain now,” he ground out. “You can say no.”

Gia laid a hand on the other man's arm. “Duffy, if you really don't want to, you don't have to. But I thought you might like the chance for some closure. Both of you.”

Zan's heart was beating double time, although he couldn't tell if he feared Duffy would refuse or accept.

“Tell him, Zan. Tell him you want him,” Gia ordered.

His mouth went dry and he croaked. “I want you, Duffy.”

“He's just saying that because you made him.” Duffy cast him a black look.

“No, I'm not.” Suddenly Zan was desperate for him to understand. “You've always been too good for me, Duff. Too high outta my reach. Your motives were pure and you were always honest. After we were together that time, I felt like I . . . I don't know, ruined you. Being with you makes me feel bad about me, because in comparison you're the better man.”

Duffy's mouth dropped open. “You mean that?”

Zan nodded, then looked to Gia. “She makes me better, though, which is why I'm giving her command. If she says we need this, then I trust her judgment. Touch me, Duffy. I want to feel you.”

“This don't change anything. I'm still leaving,” Duffy told him, told them.

“Understood.” Gia nodded crisply. “Better make it a night to remember.”

He saw the moment Duffy gave in. Zan watched Gia, who stared right back at him, a small smile on her lips. The tips of her breasts pushed against the thin cotton of her flight suit, and she licked her luscious lips.

Duffy moved into his line of sight, blocking his view of her. Tilting Zan's chin up, he forcing their eyes to meet. Zan let go of all his reservations and let his desire shine through. Duffy would make this good for him, he had no doubt.

Then the other man pressed his lips to Zan's. He'd never kissed a man before, never felt the desire to experience this. The melding of their mouths was sweet, almost chaste at first, but then Duffy took control, sucking on his lips, thrusting his tongue against the barrier of Zan's teeth until he allowed him access.

A calloused hand circled his cock, and Duffy tugged firmly with the exact right amount of pressure so the top of Zan's head nearly came off.

“You want to help me prep him, Cap'n?” Duffy glanced over his shoulder at Gia while he continued to jerk Zan's shaft.

Gia shifted in her seat. “Are you sure?”

Duffy nodded. “I'm thinking he'd like you beneath him taking his cock whilst I take his ass.”

Zan groaned at the words, at the image it evoked in his mind.
Both of them, at once.

“I'll be sure not to let him come too soon and spoil all of our fun,” Gia purred.

Duffy moved back so Zan had an unobstructed view of her unzipping her flight suit. Beside her, Duffy was also ditching his clothes. His hands fumbled with his belt and his cock sprang free.

“Touch him,” Gia urged, even as her hands went to Zan's hair. For once he didn't tense up at the thought of having someone pull his hair or penetrate his ass. He trusted the two of them to deliver pleasure the likes of which he'd never known.

Zan stood up and reached for Duffy's shaft. Gia dropped to her knees, blowing a cool stream of air over his cock and balls, her cool fingers circled his ridged flesh even as his explored the girth of Duffy's. The other man's lids lowered in bliss.

Duffy stepped back away from him as Gia's lips closed over the ridge of Zan's dick. His hands went to her head and hers snaked up behind him, spreading his cheeks for Duffy. Then he felt it, the wet rasp of a tongue over his hidden pucker, swirling around, encouraging his body to open.

Sensation upon sensation bombarded him as Gia's teeth scraped oh so lightly over his turgid rod and Duffy rimmed his ass. His balls lifted, ready to come, but Gia drew back, her angel eyes glinting mischief. “Not yet,” she purred.

Groaning, he bucked his hips but she moved one hand to the base of his shaft, holding him in a viselike grip, ruining his orgasm.

“Tell me how it feels,” she commanded, even as she kept him clutched in her fist. “Do you like having Duffy lick your ass?”

“Yes,” Zan hissed as the other man probed deeper, using his thumb to press against the tight ring of muscles. “It's so hot, he makes my balls ache.”

“Are you ready for him to fuck you?” she asked, nuzzling his shaft.

Wordlessly, Zan nodded.

“Tell him,” she ordered.

“I'm ready for you to fuck me.” He gasped as the thumb prevailed, pushing inside his passage.

Duffy licked and fingered him wide open even as he stared down at Gia, holding his staff in her hot little hand. The other trailed down her belly to her sex and disappeared into the triangle of blond curls.

“Are you wet?” Though she was in charge, Zan needed to ask, to know this was turning her on.

Instead of voicing her answer Gia held up two slick fingers for his inspection. “You do this to me, Zan.”

“I want to lick you.”

Reclining back on the bed, she spread her legs wide. “Sounds like a plan.”

Zan bent at the waist. Though his cock ached for attention, he ignored it as he moved into the cradle of her luscious thighs.

Instead of starting at the top of her sex, he drove his tongue right into her core, lapping up her slick desire, enjoying the way her body parted for him, the gasps coming from her graceful throat.

Duffy urged him to widen his stance, and he arched into the slippery oil the other man was using on his backside. Rocking his hips back, he allowed Duffy greater access as two fingers stretched and explored him. Though they rubbed against his prostate, he didn't get enough friction to send him over the edge.

“So damn tight,” Duffy said as he spread his fingers wider. “I can't wait to get inside this hot little hole.”

More wetness coated his face as Gia gushed at the other man's words. Duffy prepared his body for fucking while Zan ratcheted up her desire until she was moaning for release.

Too bad he wasn't gonna let her come before he did. Almost as though they choreographed it, Zan and Duffy straightened. Her feet were planted on the bed, legs opened wide in invitation. Zan moved closer between Gia's spread thighs, aligning his shaft with her drenched opening.

Green eyes peered up at him. “Come inside me now.”

Zan pushed himself home and they gasped together. It had been too long, and the pleasure had him right on the brink.

Again, Gia reached behind him, spreading him for Duffy. “Are you ready for him?”

Zan swallowed, closed his eyes.

“Look at me,” Gia commanded.

He did.

“Tell us you want this, you want to feel Duffy inside you.”

Slowly, Zan repeated the words and waited, holding his breath.

It exploded from his lungs as Duffy pushed the tip of his shaft into the tiny opening, stretching it wider than it had ever been stretched before.

“Breathe,” Gia told him, her pussy clamping down on him. “It gets easier after the head.”

Zan nodded as Duffy pushed on, past the tight ring. He gasped as the other man sank farther inside, deeper than he ever believed possible, and kept going.