Virgin (11 page)

Dax spun around so quickly that Ava slammed right into him. He caught her in his arms and took a deep breath. Her intoxicating scent raced to his groin at the speed of light.

“Sorry,” she gasped, backing away from his embrace. “I was just going to my quarters to…”

“Lie down for a while?” Waroun finished for her. “You
do
look tired. Busy day so far?”

“No, I just—”

“Didn’t sleep well last night?” Waroun suggested.

“Uh, yeah, that’s it,” she said with a nod. “Too excited about the trip, I suppose.”

“That’ll do it,” Waroun agreed. “You go right ahead and take a nice, long nap. I’ll wake you in time for dinner.”

Dax wasn’t very good at reading women’s faces, but if that quiver of her upper lip was any indication, Ava found this idea repugnant.

“Kots will do that,” he said.

She looked relieved but only said, “Thank you,” and slipped past him.

Waroun’s eyes followed her. “You were headed that way too,” he said as Ava’s door closed behind her. “An assignation, perhaps?”

“A what?”

“An assignation,” Waroun repeated. “You know… a lover’s rendezvous?”

While this idea was appealing, Dax had actually been on his way to change his trousers. “Do you
ever
think about anything besides sex?”

“Rarely.” Waroun stuck a thoughtful finger onto his chin. “There’s nothing wrong with that. I only ask because I heard you purring and saw the look you were giving Ava at lunch. If the two of you had been alone and you hadn’t received that hail, you would have nailed her right there on the table.” Waroun’s unblinking gaze cut right through him. “Wouldn’t you?”

Dax didn’t want to answer that—mainly because it was true.

“You might try talking to her first, or even kissing her,” Waroun went on. “Just grabbing a woman and fucking the snot out of her isn’t a good idea.”

“I wouldn’t do that.”

“Ava is a very delicate creature,” Waroun said. “She must be treated gently.”

“Tell Lars that,” Dax said with a snort. “Any woman who would hit a man over the head with a skillet—”

“—is a woman to be handled with care. Don’t make the same mistake that Lars did.”

“I would never hit a woman!”

“No, but rough sex can be just as damaging. You can hurt them if you aren’t careful. You need to take it slowly.”

“Like you ever take it slow!” Dax scoffed.

Waroun grinned. “True, but I’m not a Zetithian with a dick the size of yours.”

Dax glared at him. “How the hell would you know how big my dick is?”

Waroun rolled his eyes. “It’s no secret why Zetith was blown to bits—common knowledge, in fact. You need to learn how to—” Waroun halted abruptly, his eyes sharp with suspicion. “Wait a minute. That’s why we’re picking up Threldy, isn’t it?”

“What?”

“You sent out a hail to him, didn’t you? What’s the matter—isn’t my advice good enough?”

“Waroun, I never said—”

“Go on, be that way,” Waroun grumbled. Waving Dax aside, he headed off toward the bridge. “See if I try to help you anymore,” he said over his shoulder. “You’ll bungle it, and then when Threldy gets here, he’ll pick up the pieces and snatch Ava right out from under your nose. You
know
he will.”

“No, he won’t,” Dax said. “He—he wouldn’t do that.”

Waroun stopped. Turning to face him, he demanded, “Have you
ever
seen a woman turn him down?”

“Well, no, but—”

“Or a woman he didn’t consider a potential conquest?”

“No, but I—”

“It’s a competition with him, my friend, and your score is a big, fat zero.”

“Only because I never wanted any of the others,” Dax shot back. “I can be just as charming as he is.”

“Oh, please,” Waroun groaned. “Don’t make me laugh. You couldn’t charm the skirt off a Davordian hooker if you weren’t a Zetithian. Face it, Dax, when it comes to charm, you simply haven’t got any.” He continued on down the passageway, popping his fingertips off the top of his head.

“But I can purr,” Dax called after him. “Threld can’t do that, and—and women love it when we purr!”

“Maybe. But that doesn’t necessarily mean they love
you
.”

***

Once inside his quarters, Dax looked down and saw something he hoped Ava—and Waroun—hadn’t noticed. Not only was there a wet spot in the front of his pants, but a huge bulge as well.
So much for being subtle or charming.
He knew Waroun was right, though it pained him to admit it, even to himself. Ava might have responded to him on a sexual level, but there was more to it than that.

Which was why he needed help. If Dax had only been interested in seduction, feeding Ava more Sholerian cream and purring might have done the trick—in fact, it nearly had—but the Zetithian in him wanted more. When there had been little or no hope of ever finding a compatible mate, it hadn’t mattered. Things were different now.

Skimming off his wet garments, he glanced down again. His penis wasn’t quite as hard as it had been a few moments ago, but it was still erect and didn’t seem to belong to him. He wasn’t used to seeing it in that state, but he knew exactly what he wanted to do with it. Waroun had been right: He wanted to grab Ava and not make love to her, but plunge in and fuck her until she screamed in ecstasy.

Just because she makes your cock hard doesn’t mean she loves you—nor does it mean that you love her. It only means that sex is possible, and sex isn’t love.

Dax blinked. Where had those words of wisdom come from? Was it something Jack had said or something he’d heard in school? He couldn’t recall, but whatever the source, it was buried deep.

Tracing the edge of the serrated corona with a fingertip, Dax finally understood why the males of other species liked sex so much. It felt good to have an erection, but at the same time, it made you want more. The slick fluid had all but stopped flowing from the points of the scalloped head, but there was still enough that he could grasp his cock and slide his fist to the base. Yes, it felt
very
good. Somehow, he knew that a woman’s hands would feel even better. A woman who would caress him and then let him inside her where it was warm and wet and felt like nothing else ever could.

He was losing it; his cock was shrinking in size, no matter how hard he tried to stop it. He fought to bring back the memory of her scent, but it was no use. There was only one way to get it back, but even though she was in the next room, she might as well have been a million star systems away for all the good it did him. He understood now why men chased after women and broke down doors and, yes, withstood being hit over the head with skillets in order to get to the source of that need—and hold on to it forever.

Desire, lust, passion. A deep, aching want for something he couldn’t have—at least, not yet. How could he possibly focus on being charming with this feeling inside him? If he was going to do it with words, he’d have to do it from across the room where he couldn’t smell her or see her incredible eyes. Threldigan could help him with that, for, despite Waroun’s warnings, he’d been a good friend in many ways. If Dax had ever truly wanted a woman, he was sure Threld would have helped.

Unfortunately, it would be a while before they reached Rhylos. What should he do in the meantime? Avoid her? Or see if his bumbling efforts would be adequate? If his previous attempts were any indication, they probably wouldn’t be. He needed information, and he needed it now.

He changed into dry clothes and sat down at the desk, accessing the computer from there.

“I need mating behavior guidelines,” he said aloud. “But for—humans, I guess.” Muttering to himself, he scanned dozens of different topics from “How to find a mate” to “One hundred clues to sexual interest.” The most promising was titled:
“She wants you. You want her. What now?”

The list of dos and don’ts was endless. Make her laugh. Open doors for her. Smile. Brush your teeth. Take a shower. Don’t buy her expensive gifts because she’ll misinterpret your intentions. Don’t be dominant—unless she wants you to be. Don’t be rough—unless she’s okay with it. Lean toward her, but don’t invade her space. Take charge, but don’t overdo it.

By the time Dax finally gave up and went to bed, his erection was a distant memory, and he’d concluded that his best bet was to tell Kots to keep Ava on a strict diet consisting of nothing but Sholerian cream and delete her wardrobe entirely. Then, and only then, would he stand a chance.

***

She might have only taken a taste of it, but what the Sholerian cream had done to Ava’s libido was shocking. For one brief moment there in the passageway, she had been about to rip Dax’s pants off, and if Waroun hadn’t been there, she was afraid she would have.

For now, she knew the best course of action was to remain in her room until she felt normal again, but it certainly wasn’t what she wanted to do. No, stripping Dax to his skin would have been her first choice, followed by engaging him in every sexual act she could think of. She wanted to suck his dick so badly she could almost taste it, and given that he was Zetithian, it was sure to be extra thick and juicy and delicious; she nearly had an orgasm just from thinking about it. Self-pleasuring was an option, though it wasn’t sexual release she was craving, but sexual adventure—with one particular person. There was an ache deep inside her that she was sure only Dax could remedy. She’d never heard of an aphrodisiac that was quite so specific; even if Russ had been standing right there in front of her, she wouldn’t have given him more than a passing thought.

It was frightening but simultaneously intriguing. She wanted the urges to pass, but at the same time, she was considering asking Kots for more of the stuff just so she’d maintain the single-minded courage to go through with it—
any
of it. Then she recalled, too late, that Kots was probably already on his way to her quarters with another dish of the stuff.

“No, Kots,” she said aloud. “I didn’t really mean that.”

But she did. There was no arguing the point. Anything that would get her into Dax’s arms was worth the effort.

No, she told herself, it’s something I ate. When it wears off, I won’t feel this way. Sure, he’s a hunk, but he’s not romantic or charming or any of those things I’d like in a man. I may never have to hit him over the head with a skillet, but he’s still one of those bad boys I should avoid at all cost.

Russ. Good, safe, solid Russ. He was waiting for her. She would spend the rest of her life with him. Have his children. Grow old with him.

She closed her eyes and tried to picture him. His hair was… red. He had freckles and a nice smile. Yeah, that was him. She could see him now. His eyes were… what? Green? Blue? She couldn’t remember.

Her eyes flew open as Dax’s compelling hazel eyes seemed to gaze at her from the depths of her soul.

“No,” she said through clenched teeth. “You won’t get to me like that. I will
not
let you do it.”

But she strongly suspected he already had.

***

Morning came and with it another day in the journey taking her back to Rutara, but Ava had no idea how far they’d come. That was the trouble with space travel; there were no landmarks along the way. One star looked very much like another, and the vast expanse of space didn’t have road signs to tell you that Rutara was now fifty million light years away as opposed to sixty. In fact, aboard the
Valorcry
, there was almost no sensation of movement at all. For all Ava could tell, they might have been perfectly stationary.

She lay awake in her bed wondering whether Kots would come and get her if she didn’t bother to get up. Would he come in and bodily dress her and push her out the door?

Doubtful. He was too much a servant to do that, but there was a bit of the autocrat in him just the same.

Sighing, she rolled out of bed. What did one wear when there was an incredibly hot hunk of a captain aboard and you really didn’t want him to notice you, but you’d be pissed if he didn’t? As she opened the wardrobe, it became apparent that she didn’t have to spend a moment’s thought on what to wear; Kots had already made that decision for her. All she found was a simple kaftan in a soft swirling pattern of yellow and aqua. Ava chuckled as she realized that though she’d never in her entire life dressed to match her eyes, she now had very little choice but to do so.

She hadn’t thought a kaftan would be revealing—until she put it on and discovered that the fabric had a will of its own, molding itself to her shape so precisely that every curve and contour of her body was accentuated. The depth of the neckline made her wish Kots had given her a scarf to cover the vast expanse of exposed skin, but he obviously didn’t think that was necessary. However, she still had her pendant, which, given its size, would make her feel a little less naked and would look absolutely fabulous with this dress.