More important matters called to him, such as getting Megan to the medical unit as quickly as possible. He laid her on the table with care, stripping her bloodied garments, a strange moisture in his eyes as he visually catalogued her external hurts. A low moan emerged from him when he read the list of internal injuries she'd suffered because he'd failed her in the first place. In that moment, he vowed to never let her down again. To never allow another to hurt her.
And I'm never letting you go.
Megan's eyes fluttered open and, worried about what she saw, she shut them quickly.
Oh no, I died.
She tried to calm her breathing, which quickened as she took stock of her situation. The last thing she remembered was collapsing in Tren's arms as he rescued her, the screaming pain of her body making her faint. That agony seemed gone, which given Tren's alien technology seemed possible. But the soft surface she found herself on, a fluffy cloud for sure, and the frescoed ceiling above her certainly didn't resemble either his ship or anything else she'd ever encountered in her life.
Hence, she must have died and gone to some alien heaven.
That sucked. I'll miss my damned pirate.
A tear leaked from the corner of her eye … and was wiped by a calloused finger.
Her eyes flew open and she let out a watery laugh as a familiar purple visage came into view. "I'm not dead," she exclaimed.
"Of course not," he retorted.
She grinned at his matter of fact statement. "Well, excuse me for doubting you. The last thing I remembered was passing out."
"A weak female constitution is no excuse for doubting my abilities."
Megan snorted. "I'd like to see you act so tough if you were tied up and beaten."
"Is this another one of your round about ways of asking for kinky sex?" He leered at her and Megan laughed.
It felt good to be alive.
"So how long was I out? And where are we?" she asked, sitting up and only realizing as the sheet pooled around her waist, she wore not a stitch of clothing.
To his credit-or not-he didn't let his gaze stray to her exposed breasts. "Your injuries required several galactic cycles to mend. As to our location, I've brought us to a secure location so that I can have repairs done to the ship."
"Oops, another delay on my path to auction," she joked, although her heart wasn't truly into it. The thought of being sold didn't irritate her, frighten her yes, but the ache came more from the knowledge that her eventual sale meant she wouldn't enjoy Tren's company-or body-any longer.
"Never fear, you'll get what's coming to you," he announced cryptically dropping a light kiss on her lips. "Now, are you hungry?"
Megan nodded and watched him saunter out of the room with a spring in his step. She wondered what made him so freaking happy. The knowledge that as soon as the ship got repaired, he could finally get rid of her bothersome ass?
Megan scowled. Stupid, rotten jerk. He doesn't give a damn that soon I'll belong to someone else. The realization crushed her. It also destroyed her last wall of denial and forced her to examine the truth of her feelings for him.
Ah, shit. I love him.
How and when had it happened? She didn't like him. He intended to sell her, and yet he roused a passion in her body like no other. He intentionally goaded her until she attacked him, but at the same time he stimulated her mind and put up with her attitude. Hell, he encouraged it. And she'd fallen hard for him; a useless emotion that now guaranteed he'd break her heart because she didn't suffer under the delusion he felt the same way. Why would he when he could have his pick of women, well, alien females anyways? Why would he want her argumentative barbaric ass when he could hook up with a docile, dainty bitch?
Megan growled as she thrust the sheets back and swung her legs out of the bed. Standing, she stretched, naked and uncaring. In a mood, she stalked to a brightly lit opening covered with filmy curtains. She stepped through and saw paradise, or something closely resembling it.
Two suns shone in the sky, one much fatter than the other. They made the rolling waves of a large body of water, a sea of the deepest teals, dance and glint with light. Moist, warm air caressed her bare skin. The balcony leaned out over a stone cliff of black rock, but when she looked to the side, she saw a beach stretching in the distance, its white sand sparkling.
She didn't hear Tren join her, but felt him at her back, his body brushing up against hers. His arms laced around her torso loosely as he rested his chin on her head.
"How do you like the view?" He asked the question with a lazy casualness she didn't trust.
"It's nice."
"Only nice?" He spun her in his arms and she peered up at him to see him frowning slightly. "This location is not to your liking? Do you not like warm weather and living along the beach?"
"I love tropical climates. And the place appears gorgeous, but there's not much point in getting too attached." She shrugged. "I mean, this is temporary right?"
"What if it weren't? Would you mind living long term in a location such as this?" His gaze bored into hers intently.
She scrunched her nose up at his questions. "What's with the twenty questions?"
"Just curiosity. For the auction, of course. Your new owner will want to know." His lips curved into a smile when he said this and mirth danced in his eyes.
"You're a jerk," she replied with none of her usual heat. His words depressed her instead of riling her like they usually did.
"I know. Now get your buttocks inside and eat something so I can show you around."
She wanted to ask why he bothered, but he'd already gone through the curtains. Casting a look out over paradise, she could admit-at least to herself-that if she could have a say in her future, she wouldn't mind a place like this.
Megan went back into the room and saw Tren already lounging on the bed, eating off a laden tray. Hunger of a different sort filled her and she undulated her hips as she crossed the room toward him. His eyes lit with a glow she recognized, but he didn't move to act upon it. Annoyed, Megan sat cross legged on the bed to eat, still naked and displaying her pussy, not that he paid her any mind.
She didn't say much as she chewed and watched him as he explained that other than the staff, they were alone, the guards for his compound housed in a barracks area a short distance away. However, as he continued to elucidate, it didn't mean she shouldn't exercise caution. Megan listened to him and wondered why he bothered with such a long speech extolling the place's virtues. Weren't they leaving as soon as the ship got fixed?
Not that she was that eager to depart. Truthfully, whether she separated from him today or tomorrow, with her heart invested, it would hurt no matter what. So she had a choice: mope about something she couldn't change, or enjoy herself while she could.
She'd always hated whiny bitches and refused to turn into one. Once she finished eating, she set the tray aside and crooked a finger at him.
Tren stopped midsentence and a lusty expression came over his face. "Are you sure? You just woke from a healing sleep. Perhaps you'd like some more fresh air or-"
She sighed. "For a pirate, you're really sucking at the plundering aspect. I mean, what's a captive got to do to get ravaged around here?"
She squealed as he pounced on her, a sound cut short by his lips covering hers in a scorching embrace that stole her breath.
Unlike some of their previous frantic couplings, he took his time with her, caressing her with a gentleness that made her gasp. He explored her mouth thoroughly, his tongue meshing wetly with hers. Megan clung to him tightly, her arms wrapped around his neck, enjoying the feel of his heavier body on hers. He left off her mouth and moved to her neck, licking and nipping at her soft skin. The sharp edge of his teeth scraping at her flesh made her tremble.
"I missed you while you rested in your healing sleep," he whispered as he kissed his way down between her breasts.
"What? You did?" She raised her head to peer down at him incredulously. He gazed back at her, his mien completely serious.
"I did. It's probably a sign of impending mental illness, but I am quite happy you've woken." His lips curved into a crooked smile.
Megan couldn't help her lips from curling into a soft smile of pleasure. "I'm glad you came for me."
"Never doubt me," he growled, his eyes turning dark. He clenched her nipple with his teeth and bit down.
Megan gasped, her body arching under his as his gentle bite sent a jolt straight to her pussy. A chuckle vibrated against her breast before he swirled his tongue around her throbbing tip. Sucking it into his mouth, he sent a never ending stream of electric zings down to her already damp cleft. He switched breasts, paying equal torturous attention to the other.
When he stopped, she mewled in loss, but he seemed determined to torture her. He moved down her body slowly, his lips caressing her skin softly, driving her crazy with need. He nuzzled the apex of her thighs and she parted them, her chest heaving as she fought to capture her breath. She lost it in a whoosh as his tongue jabbed at her damp core. Her fingers found his hair and hung on tight as he ate her, his tongue and mouth alternating between nibbling and flicking her clit then delving into her sex. He inserted two fingers into her channel, pumping her with his digits as his tongue skimmed over her sensitive nub. Her pelvic muscles clenched his fingers tight, her hips rocking in cadence to his thrusts.