Marie Harte: The Perfect Creation

Arousal built as she rocked against him, and Rafe felt the pitch of her desire nearing its end. “Now rub that clit hard, Erin. Get yourself all wet. And come…right now.” He bit her ear lobe, pleased when her body tensed and she cried out against him.

Breathing hard, she fitted her head next to his, their cheeks touching.

Rafe’s hard-on returned with a vengeance, surprising him with the suddenness of his arousal. But it was the improbable affection crowding his lust that worried him. Not only was the sensation unwelcome, it was also puzzling. Erin didn’t appear to be from Mardu, so the natural chemistry couldn’t be explained by planetary impulse. And though he’d before been the recipient of sexual pheromones, namely at the hands of several professionally skilled pleasurers, he’d never felt such tenderness for a partner.

“I had no idea,” she murmured and pulled back to stare at him with an incredulous look in her eyes. She blushed and withdrew her hand from between them, refastening her trousers.

“Give me your finger,” Rafe growled, needing more.

She immediately complied and sucked in a breath when he took her finger deep into his mouth. Like a drug, her taste packed a wallop, and Rafe had to force himself to let go.

“The deal’s sealed,” he rasped, content when she nodded shakily and removed his cuffs without another word. She slid off his lap and sat quietly next to him in the driver’s seat, her gaze focused on her hands, and more specifically on her fingers.

He turned to face her, massaging his wrists. To his satisfaction, she didn’t tense or look wary when he touched her shoulder, but met his gaze straight on. “Now let’s talk about you and who told you to come looking for me.”

She blinked up into his smile, but instead of smiling back, she frowned. Rafe wanted to groan. No doubt about it, this case was going to suck, and unfortunately, not in a good way.

Erin didn’t know what to think, say or feel. She’d come so far from the obedient drone Canunn had initially created. Yet a few sexually charged minutes with Cheltam and she’d turned into a quivering mass of “Yes, Sir.” She clenched her jaw, unnerved and angry that a criminal of Cheltam’s class had gotten to her. And after giving her mindless pleasure.

Who would have thought she could gain such incredible bliss from her own fingers?

Sure, she’d touched herself before, curious, but the pleasant hum of release had been nothing like what she’d just experienced. Unlike Anin’s descriptions of Synster’s frenzied copulation, Cheltam’s movements had been smooth, his commands purely carnal and surprisingly centred on her gratification.

Staring at the face that puzzled her, she wondered at the man so infamous for taking on System law and winning. What motivated a man like him? Obviously sex, but what else?

And why was his intense scrutiny making her womb tighten with need yet again?

“So what’s the plan?” he asked, his voice deep with satisfaction. “This close to the Eron Forest, I’m assuming you want to hide out in the wild?”

“Actually, I had planned to trek past the forest and the Fields of Flor to the Anate Jungle.”

He said nothing, just stared at her. “What then?”

“I thought I’d give you enough time to, ah, think the matter over. And once you agreed to help me, we’d find a fifth class cruiser outfitted with munitions, have your techie steal the files I need, then blast Blue Rim into nothingness. End of story.”

“Not quite.” He smiled, but his grin didn’t hold any humour. “You’re a pretty popular woman right now with the law, I take it?” She frowned, and he hurriedly continued. “You’d have to be to think up a plan this insane. Look, Erin, totally leaving Tekar puts me at a disadvantage. Most of my contacts are up north and in the east. Granted, I know a lot of people not limited to just this planet, but venturing into the jungle makes no sense.”

“It makes perfect sense if you want to remain free,” she mumbled, not happy with this turn of events. Already he was trying to take over. “Look, I need you to get me equipment.

And I’m paying you to do so.” She stared at his groin in reminder, but he didn’t so much as flinch. “Now follow my lead.”

“I don’t think so, precious.”

“Precious?” She flushed, remembering what she’d said to persuade him to help her. I’ll offer you something so rare and precious you’ll be begging to give me anything I need. Now she felt not only irritated, but foolish as well.

“I can hide us until we need to leave. I have contacts with several peacekeepers I trust, not to mention a few luxury suites to stay in until we have everything you want.” He grimaced at the forest around them. “I’m not one for roughing it.”

“Why am I not surprised?” She clearly recalled his house in Tekar. “The thing is, I don’t entirely trust you.”

“Smart girl.”

“Exactly. Out here, it’s a lot easier to spot an incoming threat, as opposed to relaxing in a luxury suite where you’ll set me up to get my ass carted right back to Eyra. I don’t think so.”

Cheltam frowned. “But Erin—”

“No.” Without missing a beat, she pulled a flat disc from a hidden trouser pocket and aimed at him. “With this I can slice you open from top to bottom. The laser is Eyran in design. Deadly.” Just like me. “Now get out of the rover and do what I tell you.”

“Erin, you’re making a mistake.”

“Well, it won’t be the first. Now we’re going to get some supplies, and then we’re disappearing into the forest for a while. We move when I say move, then stop when I say stop. And Cheltam? I’ve had it with your attempts to tell me what to do. We made a deal, and you will stick to it.”

His nostrils flared and his eyes seemed to glow, a preternatural shine of golden fire blazing in the depths of his gaze. For the life of her, Erin didn’t understand why his anger excited her.

“You threatening me, Erin?” He leaned closer, his stare unswerving. Faster than she could blink, he disarmed her.

Astonished at his speed but not wanting to show it, she pulled him close and glared at him, deliberately pulling the collar of his shirt tight around his neck, making it hard for him to breathe. “No, I’m not threatening you, Cheltam. I’m promising you. Keep screwing with me and I won’t put a hole in you with a laser, but with my bare hand.” He didn’t blink, almost daring her to choke him. But Erin needed him willing and walking on his own. She especially didn’t want to call undue attention to them from the provincial inhabitants this far away from the cities, where anyone unusual stood out. So as much as she didn’t want to, she let him go.

Cheltam, however, scooted even closer, clouded rage darkening his gaze. “Killing me won’t get you what you want.” He yanked her hard into him, and to her surprise, the rock solid feel of his chest under her palms made her want to forego their escape and return to the sexual play she couldn’t forget. “We sealed the deal and on that my word is good,” he emphasised, glaring at her.

“I know your word is good.” Cheltam’s reputation was legendary when it came to finishing the job. The hard part lay in convincing the criminal to take the job. “But I’m in charge, so get it through that thick skull to follow my lead. I’ll tell you everything you want to know once we’re away from this vehicle. Trust me, we need to move. It never takes them long to find me, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re on their way here right now.” She pulled back, and to her surprise, he let her go. Yet his predatory gaze followed every movement she made.