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Authors: Trista Ann Michaels

Star Crossed (7 page)

BOOK: Star Crossed
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Stefan groaned and slanted his lips across hers. She delighted at the sound. She loved the fact she had just as strong an effect on him as he had on her. Reaching up, he undid the buttons of her shirt as his lips trailed a path down her neck. She sighed as his thumbs brushed across her hardened nipples through the lace of her bra.

Gently his fingers traced the edging before sliding it aside, freeing her breast. He captured the hard peak in his mouth, his tongue stroking and teasing. Krista buried her hands in his hair and tugged him closer, encouraging him to take more of her. With a gasp, she ground her aching pussy against his hard shaft, the material of his slacks creating a friction that drove her crazy.

She wanted to touch all of him with an urgency that defied understanding. Pulling at the buttons of his shirt, she opened it and slipped her hands inside, running her fingers along the smooth expanse of warm skin and hard muscle. She marveled at his strength and smiled when she felt the muscles twitch beneath her exploring fingers.

Stefan hit a switch on the side of the seat and it reclined slightly. With a soft squeal she lost her balance and fell onto his chest, causing them both to laugh. Framing her face with his hands, he brought her mouth back to his for a deep kiss, silencing her giggles.

He slid his palms up the outside her thighs, pushing her skirt even higher. She shivered at the feel of his fingers against her heated skin.

Stefan whispered against her lips, “Cold?”

“No,” she sighed.

He smiled slightly as he sucked her bottom lip into his mouth. “If you are, I can warm you.” His hands cupped her bottom and brought her more firmly against his thick cock.

She could hardly breathe. Never in her life had she been so caught up in something like this, so completely out of control. She moaned as his mouth devoured hers and his hands kneaded her behind, moving her in a slow rhythm against him that drove her crazy.

Sliding one hand between them to her stomach, he let his fingers trail along the top edge of her panties. Krista held her breath as he moved lower and traced the edge along the inside of her thigh. She wanted to groan in frustration, for he hadn’t touched her yet. He seemed content to just tease.

His teeth nibbled her neck while he slid the crotch of her underwear aside and separated the lips of her wet sex with his finger. Gently he sucked on the spot where he could feel her pulse pounding.

Stefan wanted to rip her panties off and lose himself in her, bury every inch of his throbbing cock inside her, but he also didn’t want it over yet. He was enjoying himself way too much.

Bringing his mouth back to hers, his tongue traced her lips at the same time his finger traced her clit. He smiled as she arched against his hand, her head thrown back, her eyes closed. She was so beautiful she took his breath away. “Like that, baby?” At her deep groan, he had to swallow hard to keep from driving into her with the force of a madman. Sliding one finger into her depths, he sighed against her lips. She was so tight and wet, so ready for him. “Oh God, you’re going to feel good.”

“Stefan.” She closed her eyes and moaned as he leaned forward and captured her nipple in his mouth—his tongue stroking, his teeth softly biting. She moved her hips against his hand and he groaned, taking more of her breast into his mouth.

He slowly slid his finger in and out, stretching her as he went. His thumb circled her nub, prolonging her torture on purpose. He smiled against her lips, enjoying what he was doing to her—what she was doing to him.

A second finger slid into her and she sighed as the first ripples of her climax fluttered through her. God, she wanted him, but she also didn’t want him to stop. She was so close she could taste it, could feel her muscles tighten and grip around his fingers. His thumb brushed across her swollen wet nub and her whole body jerked.

Rippling sensations shot through her limbs as he did it again, lingering a little longer this time, using a little more pressure on just the right spot. Suddenly her release gripped her and she screamed, her nails digging into his shoulder leaving half-moons on his skin.

“Oh, God,” she sighed as her head fell forward onto his chest.

Her hands fumbled with his zipper until he brushed them aside with his own. “I want you, Kris,” he hissed against her lips.

His cock sprang free from his pants and she swallowed a gasp at his size. He was perfect and her pussy clenched at the thought of him being buried deep inside her. She didn’t have the opportunity to play as she’d wished. Stefan grabbed her hips and lifted her onto his thick shaft. The head of his cock teased her opening before slowly thrusting deeper. Her eyes closed as he stretched and filled her and she braced her hands on his shoulders. With a pleasure-filled groan she pushed down, taking his cock deeper, sheathing him balls-deep.

“Fuck,” Stefan growled as he grabbed her hips, holding her still. “God, Kris. You’re tight.”

“It’s been a while.” She moaned against his neck, her tongue flicking out to lick his skin.

Slowly they began to move, her sighs becoming lost in his kisses. It felt as though his cock was splitting her in two, but at the same time it felt so good. Lifting her hips until just the head of his shaft remained, she slowly slid back down his length.

Stefan growled and settled his palms against her ribs, lifting her. “Again,” he said and she obliged.

Shots of liquid fire passed through Stefan. Damn, she felt good. Hot and tight, like liquid lava encasing his cock. They fit together so perfectly. She was meant for him. He knew it deep in his soul. Leaning forward, he pressed her perfect breasts together and suckled both of them. Anything to keep his mind off losing control. He wanted her to come again. He wanted to feel her pussy clench his cock like it had his fingers. Sliding his palm up the inside of her thigh, he found her swollen clit and brushed his thumb across it. She shuddered in his arms just as the walls of her pussy shuddered along his cock.

“Mmmm,” he moaned. “I like that.”

He brushed his thumb across her again, applying just a little more pressure, and captured her gasp with his kiss. The muscles on the inside of her thighs began to tremble as he continued with his teasing strokes against her clit.

“Stefan,” she groaned against his lips, the movement of her hips becoming more frantic.

“Come for me, baby.” He applied stronger pressure to her clit, massaged it in tiny circles, honing in on the one spot he knew would send over the edge. She gasped and threw her head back. Her breasts thrust forward and he licked at one engorged nipple, reveling in the shudder that passed through her. “That’s it, baby. Squeeze my cock with your pussy.”

She screamed as her release slammed through her and Stefan grit his teeth, trying to hold his at bay. Her walls pulsed around him, milking his climax from him, and he lost it, spilling his seed deep inside her. She collapsed against him and he held her tight.

“Oh, God. What the hell did we just do?” she sighed.

“Something we should have done a year ago.”

Suddenly the warning bell on the panel went off and she jumped, her eyes widening in surprise. They both stared at the computer screen on the dash. The shrill beep had stopped but the warning light still flashed. The sound of their harsh breaths echoed through the quiet of the cockpit.

“What the hell?” Stefan scowled.

“What is it?” she asked, trying to fix her clothes and pull herself together. She couldn’t believe she’d let it get that far.

Stefan put his hands at her waist and settled her back into her seat. “Put on the harness.”

With shaky hands, she snapped the harness together and then frowned at him. “Are you going to tell me what’s wrong?”

“We’ve got company,” he said as he fastened his pants back and scanned the controls.

“Is that bad?”

Suddenly the ship shook and sparks flew from the side console, making Krista squeal in surprise.

“It’s bad.”

Krista scowled at him. “Care to explain why?”

“Not at the moment.”

The ship lifted from where they’d parked and Stefan began to make his way through the multitude of rocks surrounding the planet. Once again the ship was hit with fire, causing it to shake uncontrollably.

“Stefan, what’s going on?”

He kept his eyes straight ahead. “I’ll explain later. Right now I’ve got to get us out of this. Computer, engage cloak.”

The computer’s voice loomed through the small ship. “Cloak inactive, shields at forty-five percent.”

“Damn it.” Stefan spun the ship and missed colliding with a rock by what seemed like inches, only to be hit by yet another blast. The ship lurched, and Krista grabbed hold of the dash in front of her. Even with the harness on she felt as though she was being thrown from her chair.

“Can’t you fire back at him?” she asked.

“This ship isn’t equipped with weapons,” he snapped.

She kept her mouth shut as Stefan flew clear of the rings’ debris and headed out into open space, the ship attacking them directly on their heels. Her heart raced as they dodged one blast after another. The knuckles of her fingers began to ache from gripping the arm of the seat. She tried her best to remain silent, at least until she noticed Stefan hit a button to open the transport gate. “What are you doing?”

“We can’t outrun him, so we’re going to have to hide from him.”

“We’re going through the gate?”

“I can enter the gate and then close it. He’ll have no way of knowing where we went.”

“But what if he enters with us?” she asked, panic quickly rising in her chest.

“He can’t, not unless I program it that way.”

She swallowed her nervousness as the gate opened with a flash of blue light and they entered into the dark, dead silence of the wormhole. Turning toward Stefan, she scowled. “Want to explain to me what that was all about?” He sighed, his brow drawn together in thought.

“Well?” she snapped.

“There’s an assassin after me.”

Her mouth dropped open and she stared at him in disbelief. “Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.”

“No, afraid not.”

“You took me up in space knowing there was someone out there trying to kill you?” Her hands fisted against the desire to wring his neck. He should have told her.

He should never have taken her up there.

“Damn it, Krista. I didn’t know he would be up there waiting for us.” He scowled back at her, his eyes a deep black, but his temper didn’t scare her.

“So now what?”

“Well, we can’t go back to Daego,” he sighed.

“What?” Surely she hadn’t heard him correctly. “Maybe you can’t but I certainly can.”

“No.”

“What the hell do you mean, no? It’s you he’s after, not me.”

“And what if he catches us again when I try to take you back?” he yelled. “I refuse to endanger Sidious and Mikayla and I really don’t think you want to either.” That thought hadn’t crossed her mind. She sat back in the chair and stared out at the empty space before them. They still hadn’t exited the gate, and she wondered where he was taking them. “Where are we going?”

“The old rebel camp. It should still be intact, although it might be a little messy.” A blue flash of light preceded the exit and she sighed in relief. She hated going through that gate. A thought suddenly occurred to her, and she turned toward him.

“All my stuff is still back on Daego.”

“We’ll swing by the Klindorah Space Station and pick up some things. I don’t have anything, either.” He turned troubled eyes on her and she felt bad for yelling at him.

He’d just saved both of them, after all. “I’m sorry, Kris. Looks like you and I will be on our own for a while.”

She swallowed the lump that rose in her throat at the thought of being alone with him. Especially after what just happened.

* * * * *

Carlone growled loudly as he watched the small runner enter the transport gate. He had no way of knowing where Stefan went. He’d forgotten how good a pilot Stefan was. Next time, he’d try something else.

As soon as Stefan emerged from the gate, the tracer he had hidden in Stefan’s ship would send a signal. How quickly he would get the signal would depend on how far away he was. Sooner or later the senator’s whereabouts would be known and he’d get the chance to get even—to finally get his revenge on the meddling count.

 

Chapter Six

Mikayla stood inside her husband’s study door and watched the worry lines deepen around his eyes. Something was going on, something he wasn’t telling her, and it was high time he spilled the beans.

“Sidious,” she said. His eyes left the computer screen and locked with hers in surprise.

“Hey, baby. I didn’t see you standing there.”

“Obviously.” She took a few steps closer, coming to a stop next to his chair. “Is there something that you want to tell me?”

“Why do you ask?”

Reaching out, he took her hand in his and pulled her onto his lap. Her arms wrapped around his neck, her fingers sliding through his thick platinum hair. She’d always loved his hair. “You looked as though something was bothering you. Not to mention the fact that Taron has been in and out of here more in the last couple of weeks than the last year, and of course there’s Damon, who won’t let any of us out of his sight.”

“Okay,” Sidious sighed. With a slight smile, he kissed her forehead. “Sometimes I think you know me too well.”

“Well, are you going to tell me?”

Whatever he was about to say was cut off when Taron burst into his office. “I need to talk to you.”

“Now?” Sidious asked.

“Now.”

Sidious turned to look at Mikayla, and she shook her head. “No. I’m tired of being left in the dark. I’ll hear it as well.”

Sidious nodded as she stood from his lap. “What is it, Taron?” he asked.

“I was on my way back from Veenori when the alarm went off for the
Negash
. It’s gone, and so are Stefan and Krista. The hanger bay personnel said they left in it earlier this evening.”

Mikayla shrugged. “Maybe they just went for a short trip.”

“If they did, something happened. The alarm was deliberately engaged with Stefan’s code. Stefan must have turned it on to send a signal to the tracker on the
Vultair
. According to the tracker, he activated the gate and is docked at the Klindorah Space Station.” Taron took a deep breath and continued. “Daego Security said there was a skirmish within the rings earlier. One of the ships was the
Negash
. The other was unknown.”

“A skirmish?” Mikayla asked, her heart racing. Why would Stefan be involved in a skirmish, especially if he had Krista with him?

Sidious mumbled a few Tilarian curses and stood. “Can you contact Stefan?”

“I tried.” Taron’s eyes shot to Mikayla then back to Sidious. “Apparently communications are out on the
Negash
, and without the ship’s booster I can’t raise Stefan on his communicator. He’s too far away. Should I head that way?”

“No. He’ll contact us. If the ship is docked at the station we at least know he’s made it that far. If what I think happened, Stefan will ditch the
Negash
and get another ship.

Coming back here will be out of the question.”

“I agree. We also have another problem.” Taron handed Sidious a photo.

Sidious raised an eyebrow and took what Taron handed him. After a long silence, he sighed and tossed the photo on the table.

“Devlin was able to retrieve that from a security camera. The former dictator’s right-hand man seems to have survived the destruction of the
Destroyer
. My guess is he’s our assassin.”

Sidious nodded, his brows drawn together in a frown. “He must have attacked Stefan in the rings. But the question is was he trying to kill him or just playing with him?”

“Okay, now you want to tell me what’s going on?” Mikayla snapped. With her hands on her hips, she gave her husband what she hoped was her most forceful scowl.

“Especially since my best friend is apparently involved?” Taron grimaced and turned to leave the room. “I think I’ll leave the two of you to your chat.”

“Chicken,” Sidious growled.

* * * * *

“What are we doing here?” Krista asked as Stefan docked the
Negash
on the Klindorah Space Station and helped her to exit the ship.

The station was several miles long, with horizontal shoots that wove through the center like a subway. People of all races bustled throughout the busy docking bay, and she stayed as close to Stefan as she could. At one point he turned and took her hand in his, making sure they remained together.

“I want to ditch the
Negash
,” he said while they stood waiting for the next shoot to come by. “There’s always someone here selling runners, we’ll just buy another one.

There are also some clothing shops up on the promenade. Might be a little different than what you’re used to though.”

“I’ll adapt.”

Stefan grinned and gave her hand a squeeze. “I know you will.” Krista bit her lower lip as they climbed onboard the shoot and took their seats. The force of the start threw her back and she grabbed Stefan’s leg in reflex. His hand

covered hers and warmth seeped into her skin, making her whole arm tingle. Looking down at his long thick fingers, she remembered what he’d done earlier and the heat of a blush crept up her cheeks.

Turning to the side, she watched outside the glass walls as the shoot sped by, and closed her eyes against the nausea that threatened. She had to get her mind off her upset stomach and the movement of the shoot before she actually lost her dinner.

“Stefan?” she asked and opened her eyes to look at him.

“Yes?” He turned to look at her, his gray eyes seeming to devour every facet of her face.

She cleared her throat before continuing. “Do you know who this guy is that’s after you?”

“No. But I believe he’s the same man that killed the other senators.”

“How long do you think we’ll have to stay hidden?” The shoot came to a stop and she looked to see where they were. “Do we get off here?” she asked. It looked like another docking bay.

“No. We need the third stop. There are two docking bays on each side. The promenade is in the center. And as for hiding, I’m not sure. I’ll let Taron know where we’re going and he’ll meet us there. We’ll decide what to do then. But I don’t want to go back to Daego yet and risk everyone else. It’s bad enough you’re in this.” He smiled down at her, his eyes dancing with mischief. “Not afraid to be alone with me, are you?”

“Of course not,” she lied. Oh boy, did she lie. She was terrified to be alone with him, for she knew exactly what would happen.

They finally reached their stop and stepped off, heading toward the flights of stairs that would take them to the promenade. As they topped the second flight, she stared in awe at her surroundings. It was like a tiny city. Restaurants, shops and bars lined both sides of the station. The ceiling was glass, giving the patrons a perfect view of the stars and two blue moons right outside.

Dim streetlights lit the walkways and the aroma of spicy food filled the air. She inhaled a deep breath and her stomach growled in response.

Stefan grinned. “Are you hungry? We just had dinner.”

“A little,” she said with a blush. “And dinner was several hours ago.” He chuckled. “True. We can get something.” He looked around until he spotted what he was looking for, and pointed to a small place just down the corridor. “They have good food, we’ll go there.”

With a nod, she followed him.

* * * * *

Buy whatever you want
.

Krista scrunched up her face as his words echoed in her ears. Dinner had been great—the food here was incredible. The clothes were another matter. With a sigh, she slowly looked through the selection of monk-like dresses and baggy harem pants. She didn’t see a thing here that fit Stefan’s description of comfortable outdoor clothing.

He’d remained outside to talk with a man about buying his runner and sent her in the shop alone with his currency chip.
Big mistake, rich boy
. She considered a pair of leather pants with a grin. Shaking her head, she replaced them on the rack. She wanted comfortable, not a chafed behind.

After going through what seemed like hundreds of outfits, she finally found something she thought might work. The pants were cut similar to jeans, but were made out of a heavier material. She lifted them and ran her hand across the soft, suede-like material. He did say it would be cool where they were going, so this should work perfectly.

She grabbed three pairs and four shirts, as well as shoes. As she made her way to the counter a satin tunic caught her eye. It was beautiful. On impulse, she decided to try it on and quickly headed to the dressing rooms.

Stepping out of the stall, she studied herself in the three-way mirror. The tunic was perfect. The way it felt against her skin and clung to every curve of her body. Even she had to admit she looked good in it. With a naughty grin, she wondered what Stefan would think if he saw it.

The lace hem rested about mid-thigh while the slit went all the way to her waist on both sides. Underwires pulled her breasts together, making it appear she had much more cleavage than she really did. It was definitely an outfit to tempt.

A movement in the mirror caught her attention and she looked up. Her eyes locked with those of a grinning Stefan, walking up behind her.

“What are you doing in here?” she asked, her voice a little more breathless than she would have liked.

“I was looking for you.” His eyes traveled down her legs and then moved back up, locking with hers in the reflection.

They had darkened to a deep gray, and she licked her lips nervously. She knew that look. He’d had the same expression, the same passionate hungry gaze, when they were in the ship earlier. His fingers lightly touched her shoulder then slid down her arm.

Goose bumps rose along her flesh, making her shiver despite the heat of the shop.

“If you don’t buy this, I will,” he whispered.

“You shouldn’t be in here.” She struggled to keep her composure. All she could think about was earlier. How wild and incredible it had been. How much she wanted him. Again.

“Afraid we’ll get caught?” His hand parted the side slit and moved to her stomach.

The messaging motion of his fingers as they worked their way lower made her breath catch. He could take her right here without a word of protest. The man hadn’t even really touched her yet and already she could feel the wetness forming between her thighs. Her heart pounded and for a second she forgot to breathe as his lips softly kissed the side of her neck. Finally she came to her senses and moved away from him.

“Stop. I have to change.” She stormed past him into the dressing stall. She had to get away from him before she was all over him again.

“Need any help?” he asked, his voice full of amusement.

“No,” she snapped.
Do I need any help? Of all the arrogant, conceited
… With a sigh, she tossed the tunic onto the bench. She could hear his chuckle as he walked away and she ground her teeth in frustration. The man was going to drive her to violence.

“Hurry up, Kris. I want to get out of here.” His words reminded her they were running and the sooner they left the better.

“I’ll be right there.” Without another thought, she quickly dressed and met Stefan at the counter.

* * * * *

Krista awoke to the feel of Stefan’s fingers on her cheek, his voice next to her ear.

She sighed and leaned closer as he placed a kiss on her temple. Butterflies immediately came alive in her stomach, dancing and jumping like mad.

“Wake up, sweetheart. We’re here.”

Opening her eyes, she took a look out the window of the ship. She sat up straighter in surprise at the enormous rock wall directly in front of them. Turning her gaze out the side window, she saw nothing but rock there as well.

“We’re in a cave?”

The cavern was huge. Or maybe it just looked huge because the ship they’d purchased was the only one in it. He opened the door and reached in, offering a hand to help her out.

“Where are we?” she asked as her eyes traveled around them in wonder.

“We used to call it Shlintori.”

“Used to?” Krista stopped studying the cavern and eyed him.

Stefan grinned. “Well. Actually still do. Its official name is Glindogah, but when the rebels used it as a hideout we renamed it Shlintori. That way, no one but us would know what we were talking about.”

“I take it we’re inside it?” she asked as she began to once again look around.

“Yes. This cavern was here originally, we just improved upon it.”

“I’ll say.”

In the ceiling of the cavern she noticed the huge opening in the rock, enabling her to see a large portion of the night sky beyond it. Apparently that’s how the ships got in and out. “How do they keep from seeing in here?”

“You can’t see in from the outside. There’s a holographic image that simulates the rockface.” Stefan shrugged. “Just looks like a regular mountain.” He looked up at the entrance. “You can tell it’s on because the stars look blurred.”

“That’s amazing.” She looked at him and smiled. “So what else is here?” He pointed toward a long hallway beginning at the far end of the hangar. “Down that hall are quarters, each with their own bath, as well as what we called a great room and a training facility. Kept the guys from getting too bored when they were here.” She began to make her way toward the hall while Stefan pulled their bags from the ship. “What’s in the great room?”

“It’s sort of like a rec room. There are games, replicators for meals, that sort of thing.”

She turned to face him, wrapping her arms around her more tightly. The cavern was chilly. She hoped the rest of the place wasn’t this bad. If it were she would freeze.

The clothes she’d bought wouldn’t be near warm enough.

“So we can’t actually cook?”

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