The Portal (Novella) (3 page)

His mouth deepened at the corners into a positively sinful quirk as he stepped a pace back and took a long, thorough look from the top of her tousled head to the tips of her dusty boots. The glint in his eyes had her thinking all kinds of naughty thoughts; ones that involved peeling that armour off him and exploring every inch of his muscular body.

Wooah! What am I thinking?
Janni jerked her head to the side and crossed the room. Her movements feeling jerky and stiff like an uncontrolled puppet. Tension drained away the closer she came and as soon as she reached the edge, she dropped into a crouch to trail her fingers through the water. The pool was the size of a ten-person spa, its waters crystal clear, the ripples formed by her hand glittering like diamonds reflected by the light from the pure white tiles which formed the pool’s skin.

She sensed the presence of the patroller beside her and glanced over. The same yearning she felt was etched in the awed expression on his face, the faint wistful curve of his exquisitely cut lips. When he turned and met her eyes, his mouth widened into a mischievous grin, the faint lines about the corners of his eyes crinkling.

“Flaviani water slides like the smoothest of fabrics against the body,” he murmured, his voice rich with temptation.

God, how long had it been since she had experienced real water splashing over her skin? Too long
. She sucked in her lower lip and half closed her eyes, as she swished her hand back and forth.

“Are you telling me, we have the place to ourselves?” she asked.

“Affirmative.”

Obviously a man of few words, decided Janni. She rose to her feet and watched him straighten to his full height, a full head higher than her.

“Let us not waste the time we have,” he said.

Hell no
. Janni nodded. She reefed off her boots, tossing them well away from the pool’s edge, flinging the remainder of her clothes after them until she stood clad in her paper-thin camisole and undies. The splash of water alerted her and she looked up to find her buck-naked companion ducking his head beneath the water. He emerged, eyes closed, head flung back, his black hair streaming down like watered silk over his wide shoulders.

He groaned.

She needed no further invitation. Crouching onto her bottom, she swung her legs over the side and slipped into the pool.

Heaven
.

Cool, delicious, fragrant with the faintest hint of some flowery scent, the water slid over her sticky, grimy body. She followed his example and popped her head under. It was like a baptism, her skin felt cleansed and soothed at the same time and all her worries and pain ebbed like a gentle tide flowing onto the shore.

“This is wonderful.” Janni smiled and looked at the soldier. That odd pull of attraction slammed into her again, as she stared into his intent face.

He waded towards her, reached out his hands and closed them over her shoulders. There was a question in his eyes that blazed like tongues of fire against a backdrop of inky night sky. Warmth spread from where his fingers curled over her skin, the heat scorching tiny paths that tingled through her body.

The hunger for human contact, for the reassurance of being enfolded in another’s embrace had her raising her hand to finger the contours of his cheekbone, his brow bone and down the side of his face. One, two heavy heartbeats passed before she was flitting her fingertip across his lips. This could well prove to be another bad decision, like all the others she had made, but she needed this, needed this moment of escape from a life fraught with danger and the perils of the unknown.

“You are beautiful,” he said in such a husky voice, her toes curled against the tiles beneath her feet.

She wasn’t, but who was she to disabuse him of his fantasy? He was the one who was gorgeous. Smooth caramel-dark skin, those amazing eyes that spoke a language her soul appeared to recognise. The finely cut bones of his facial structure were all so totally drool-worthy.

Janni closed her mind to the outside world. Standing on tiptoe, she pressed her lips against his.

He made a noise, needy and dark, from the back of his throat and angled his head a tad, taking possession of her lips, sucking and licking before thrusting his tongue into her mouth. His hands slid down her back, one wrapped around her waist, the other lower to cup the left cheek of her backside, pushing her up against him. The stiff ridge of his erection surged against the softness of her belly and Janni’s knees buckled under the onslaught of lust that sizzled through her bones. She wrapped her arms around his neck and clung, kissing him back with a desperate urgency as if fearing at any moment he would be snatched from her.

Her eyes closed and with every panting breath she took, she inhaled his spicy male scent, filling her lungs until her head whirled as if intoxicated. She slid her body against his, relishing the contact of her softness against his hardness and the sweet glide of water between. The possessive feel of his hands holding her so firmly filled her heart with a sense of safety. She made a tiny whimper of protest when his lips left hers, only to gasp as he sucked his way down her neck.

The next moment he lifted her higher in his arms, raising her above the water. He lowered his head and closed his mouth over one peaked nipple, drawing it deep into his mouth, his cheeks working as he sucked with furious precision.

Her head fell back and she moaned, digging her fingers into the back of his neck. Need flooded her. All she could feel was him, his heat surrounded her, raising her temperature, making her head swim. She was drowning in a sea of sensation.

Her breasts ached for his touch and as if he sensed her wants, he raised his head, turning his attention to her mouth while his right hand slipped between their heaving chests to mould and knead first one breast and then the other. Her hands gripped his shoulders and she wound her legs around his backside, locking her knees in place. Sliding, wriggling, pressing her groin against his, she sought the relief she knew he could give her.

And he gave it to her.

Her frantic movements must have snapped the hold he had over his passion, for his kisses changed, harder, faster, more demanding. His hands roamed over her body, as if he wanted to touch all of her at the same time. Janni met him kiss for kiss, followed his lead, let her hands touch everything she had ever wanted to touch. When her fingers closed over the head of his rigid cock, he squeezed his eyes shut and groaned. Emboldened, she fondled his shape, exploring his length before snagging the top of her panties and dragging them down. A quick slid up then down and she had him where she wanted him. His cock trapped within her panties, her legs locked about his taut backside.

“You are very bold,” he grated.

Did he mean he found her actions off-putting in some way?
She leant back, averted her eyes, about to push out of his arms but he added, “Forgive me, my words were clumsy.”

Janni paused then bit her lip. Their eyes met and the serious intensity of his expression dissolved a little more of her loneliness.

“I like it.” He smiled.

Laughter bubbled inside and she grinned. “You haven’t seen anything yet.”

The patroller quirked an eyebrow and growled, “Do not keep me waiting, little thief, for my patience is thin and my hunger for the feel of your body impaled on my sex must be fed. Now.”

On Board
The Freedom
: Present Time

“We are not alone.” His words rattled around her dumbfounded mind for a long sixty seconds, before lodging like a slimy outpost meal in the pit of her stomach. She had to swallow hard to stop from retching onto the floor.

“We checked and double checked. All our stats said the ship was void of life.” Her eyes burned as she stared, probing the black depths shrouding the room.

“Define life.”

“Oh.” Janni gulped.

“Here, little thief, grab my belt and stay close to me. Whatever you do, do not let go.”

This was not the time to argue. Whatever was on this ship, it sure had this Darkon patroller spooked. If somebody as big as him could be intimidated then she sure as hell did not intend to go it alone.

A beam of light suddenly illuminated their path when the patroller activated the magfen lamp on his suit. Impenetrable darkness surrounded the wavering light; darkness that reeked of malevolence.

The skin on her back tightened. Sweat dried cold beneath her hair. Any minute now she expected to feel the cold slice of death in her back by a plitza shot but they made it to the door unscathed and hurried through the opening.

The sudden shriek of an enraged beast pierced down the dark corridors.

The patroller halted in his tracks and she pressed against him, her body shaking as lurid images of monsters flashed across her brain. All wielding various types of weapons guaranteed to make her trip into the next life extremely painful.

“This way and hurry.”

“Hey, you don’t have to tell me twice!”

The Darkon sprinted down the long snaking corridors.

She stuck to him like a leech, her fingers wrapped so tightly around his belt, cramps coursed through the muscles of her hand. But she kept her hold. She wondered where he was going, though she had no spare breath to ask.

The ship shook violently as if it was trying to throw them through its damaged frame into the void of outer space. In the distance Janni heard the piercing wail of alarm systems.

Her heart thundered. Her lungs worked like manic pistons. Her lonely inner child screamed inside her mind.

When she thought she could bear it no more, the Darkon stopped and she smacked into his back. Within the pool of light from the magfen lamp, she recognised the insignia inset in the wall in front of them, he was taking her to the Commander’s Quarters.

The patroller worked with frantic haste, punching in his code over and over—the door remained shut. Janni huddled against him, terrified to turn her head and look into the blackness behind.

He swore fluently.

“Let’s go!” If she had to, she’d go down on her knees and beg.

“No. I must check this room.”

“For goodness sake! What could be more important than our lives?”

He punched his fist against the panel.

“Wow, like that’s going to help.” Janni rolled her eyes.

He whirled around.

She squinted and averted her head when the light shone directly towards her. He changed the lamp’s angle and cupped her chin with his hand tilting her face to meet the gravity of his gaze. In the dimmed light, his features were all hard mysterious planes of light and shadow.

Janni trembled and tried to squash the quivery flutters of desire curling in her belly.
Hell, a patroller had no right to look this hot!

“Do you have a better idea? I must get into this room.”

“Fine then. Out of the way.” She squirmed out of his hold and pushed past him. From the pocket of her flight pants she pulled out two narrow metal pins. With a careful touch she prised open the panel, then snapped through the joining wires, pushing them out of the way. Deftly she inserted the metal pins, and located the intel chip. One quick zap, a tiny puff of smoke and the door slid open.

“Stand back.” Before she could step forward, the patroller swept her behind him well clear of whatever lurked beyond. Satisfied the room held no danger he turned and pulled her into his arms. She tried to wriggle away but his grip tightened. His breath stirred wisps of her hair and a sensation like the brush of feathers drifted down her spine.

“Clever.” Admiration tinged his voice.

For a number of long seconds, she remained where she was, enfolded within his embrace, stupid tears pricking behind her eyelids as she soaked up the unique sensation of being protected.

Then he straightened, took her hand and they crossed the threshold.

To Janni’s eyes the room looked like a typical commander’s quarters. She followed the beam of the magfen lamp and frowned.
How strange
. Nowhere could she see any personal effects. “Whoever he was, he must have been alive when he left the ship.”

“The Commander was my older brother. The ship carried our family and many women and children far from the war when communication was lost some eight cycles ago. I was a soldier but volunteered for patrol duties,” pausing he continued, “I hoped I would find them.”

Silenced, she watched him systematically search the room.

All the while the ship lurched from side to side and alarms screamed.

Janni, her stomach heaving in tune with the roll of the ship, tottered over to a chair and sat. It collapsed and the next moment she lay sprawled on the floor amidst pieces of shattered plastic. The Darkon tutted irritably as he crossed the room, she battered his hands away and reached for a cube, which had fallen from inside the hollow leg of the chair.

“Look what I’ve found. A data block.” She tossed the cube to him.

A few deft twists and he had it activated.

“This is Commander Waylem of The Voyager Freedom. I no longer have control of the ship. My crew are dying …”

Janni listened as the Commander’s flat tones detailed the sequence of events that had led to the destruction of his ship. Words like
‘asteroid belt’, ‘organic life form,’ ‘equipment failure’, ‘loss of control of compu’, ‘being hunted through the corridors’, ‘screaming’
, whirled about her head while she sat on the hard metal floor, using her arms and legs to brace against the ship’s shuddering heaves.

Beside her the patroller clapped a hand over his ear and she surmised he now listened to his implanted comm device. He detailed orders into his comm, then crossed to her side and lifted her onto her feet.

In his dark eyes she read sorrow, loss and loneliness. The same emotions that had dwelled in her heart ever since she’d been wrenched from her parents’ side and sold by devious traders many years ago. The traders had promised a new life on an earth-like planet far from the chaos of Earth where war raged on every border and nature seemingly had turned against all human life. Instead the traders had bartered the would-be colonists like cattle and her life had been a battle to survive ever since.