“That’s it, fuck me. Give yourself to me.” Ash delivered a sharp slap to her ass, and she whimpered and writhed back against him.
The need to slam into her cunt brought Ash to the brink. The mindless seduction of her body, the way she made him feel—strong, hard, masculine—swirled around within him until he fucked into her body, teeth bared. He watched as Brandt devoured her mouth, alternating that with the sight of his cock disappearing into her.
A cocktail of pleasure so intense he was nearly blinded with it.
His fingers dug into the muscles of those high, firm ass cheeks, leaving white impressions there against the fading pink. He leaned down over her body, still pistoning his cock, and kissed up the line of her spine. Kissed until he met the tangle of her mouth and Brandt’s. Their kiss became something more, of connection and desperation, of pleasure and contentment, heat and comfort, movement and sighs.
And just like that, he lost it and began to come, unexpected but in a rush that left him blind and numb on the soles of his feet. It seemed to go on and on as she took him in, the only person who ever made him feel safe and welcomed within the shelter of their body, and he knew he was home forever.
Sera was wrung out. Tingly, sweaty, wet, sore, tired, invigorated, and completely overwhelmed.
Even so, after Ash came, he turned her gently, and his mouth found her again as Brandt’s skimmed to her nipples. Both men gently drew her pleasure out, so sweet and sharp she came in a series of tremors that left her unable to do more than sigh.
She kept her eyes closed. Something had happened. The price of her love was too high; she couldn’t pay it. But it was too late. Too late because she did love them both so much it changed her irreparably. If they had to marry wives of their class, she’d face the pain then.
She wouldn’t think on it for the time being. She loved them both, achingly, deeply, and totally. The wondrous part was that she loved them both in completely different ways, and yet between them, they occupied the space inside her mind, inside her heart and soul.
“You’re not a very good sub,” she mumbled as she turned in Ash’s arms. Brandt had come back to bed with a wet cloth and cleaned her up gently.
Brandt laughed and slid in behind her, fitting against her like he was meant to. “He isn’t. Neither one of us really is. I’d love to punish him for breaking loose, but I guess we won’t be topping anyone but you in the future.”
Ash snorted. “I think not. It was fine as a mind fuck and some rough play before. But with this precious thing we have nestled here between us, there’s no need to. Although I will get even with you for making me watch you fuck her so beautifully. Bastard.”
“I’ll have you know my parents were married when I was conceived.”
They bickered effortlessly around her, and she smiled as she slipped into sleep.
Sera needed the workout, so she woke up and headed to the gym nestled in the aft section of the transport. It’d been some time since she’d been able to work openly, so she relished the long, slow warm-up.
Her hair was bound up in a tight braid, but she missed the freedom of her shorter curls that never got in her face. Missed wearing pants with many pockets. Missed carrying a weapon. Hells, she missed being Sera Ayers. Who’d have thought? She’d trade in the life of a pampered plaything for her battle-hardened existence any day.
She fell into a rhythm as she moved through her martial arts workout, losing her mind and letting her body take over, letting her muscles do what they needed to. She lost herself in her work, as she had time and again, which had been the reason she’d come to love martial arts in the very beginning.
There was nothing but the reign of her muscles and the flow of her energy. It wasn’t until much later she came back to herself and felt the burn of use, the soreness that came with hard work. It felt good.
When she came out of the shower, she saw Brandt working at the bag, boxing. His body gleamed with a fine sheen of sweat. Her gut clenched at his raw beauty.
She left him to his workout and headed to the electronics center on the transport, a place she hadn’t been able to use on the trip to Nondal because of the representatives.
She sent a coded message to her brother. She had a feeling his connections could prove helpful as she tried to find answers. The encryption on that data was beyond her skills, so she knew he’d be a big help with that, too.
She needed to get back to Borran, to her own sources and her own life, so she could dig in the best way possible. At that point, there were no cameras on them, but the threat of being listened to still existed.
Ash wandered in and put a cup of kava at her elbow. “Have you eaten anything?”
She stood, stretching, before turning and straddling his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. His surprised smile of pleasure warmed her, and she kissed his forehead.
“Hi, there. Thank you for the kava. I slept longer than normal, but that’ll warm me and wake me up.”
His skull felt solid against her palms as he skimmed his lips down her neck, and she held on, arching back to give him access.
“There are better ways to wake up.” His clever hands had worked their way beneath her shirt, and his thumbs slid back and forth over her nipples.
“Mmmm. That may be, but my ass still hurts, and I’m barely able to walk this morning from the workout you two gave me last night.”
He laughed softly. “You haven’t eaten, or you would have said so.” He stood, holding her around him with a hand cradling her butt. “Come on. You need to eat.”
She rained kisses over his face as they walked down the corridor, and he grinned. “I’ve missed you. Not a moment has passed in the last ten years when I haven’t ached for you. To have you here wrapped around me, loving me freely, is such a gift, Sera. Thank you.”
“I love you,” she said softly, knowing she shouldn’t but wanting to free the words she’d held in her head.
He hugged her tight to himself as they entered the dining room. “I love you as well, Freka,” he said against her hair.
“Here I thought I’d just get breakfast, and you walk in with something sweet to snack on.”
Ash dropped her carefully, and she turned to kiss Brandt. “Good morning. You looked very fierce and handsome earlier when you were in the gym.”
His hands on her were gentle but possessive, protective. She curled into him, and he kissed the top of her head.
“Enough of that. Apparently she’s a bit sore from last night. Eat, Freka.” Ash sounded gruff, but he wore a smile, and she got up to fill a plate.
Each day for the rest of the trip they worked and played. Their bond grew stronger, and despite her streak of hard common sense, a tiny spark of hope grew that they might be able to salvage something to stay together, even as she knew in her brain their world was set up in such a way that Brandt would have to marry at some point. He couldn’t stay single with a whatever she was in reality, not forever.
The ruse of their original cover began to wear off, but still they didn’t speak quite openly of their mission. Over the link they discussed some of the issues they needed to look into.
Ash had received a coded file detailing the attack on the relay station. It had clearly been an inside job, as the bombs had been placed in the deepest, most secure part of the settlement. The explosives used were of the type traded along the outer Edge, precisely what a man like Alder helped put in place. It appeared some electronics were missing, but they couldn’t say for certain just what, because the damage was so extensive.
Some chatter had been intercepted after the fact, and it had come from the quadrant of the ’Verse where Nondal was located.
Sera’s sinking feeling got worse as they investigated. It was clear from the evidence Owen Alder was involved and a given Giles Stander was, too. They’d uncovered evidence of his visits to the Edge, visits with Alder, credits flowing into his accounts, and then attacks on their stations. Perry’s involvement also became more and more clear, but the information path she’d been researching was still partially encrypted. It boiled down to the trips and the flow of credits.
She needed to push some sources about breaking into the Stander Family’s personal communication system. She hadn’t had the chance to pursue it before they’d left Borran, not through gray channels. She added it to her list of things to do when they returned.
Chapter 22
Brandt stepped off the transport, Sera, regal and beautiful, on his arm, wearing a smirk. She should, he’d just fucked her like there was no tomorrow against the bulkhead no more than moments before they’d been given permission to leave.
Ash had come upon them just as they finished and snorted. “I can’t leave you two alone.”
“I can’t leave her alone.” Brandt grinned, and Sera had simply rolled her eyes.
They walked through the spaceport until they’d reached their private vehicle and took off. Once they’d cleared the gates, their cover slipped away, and all three of them stepped back into their roles nearly immediately. Their driver took them to a hangar where they’d changed clothes and taken a small helicopter back to their compound.
The freedom to let go of his cover and speak without concern for being overheard again warred against his worry. Brandt dreaded his sister was involved in something horrible and unforgivable, and he’d have to be the one to take her down. How could she not know her husband was doing all he was? She was with him on many of those trips he took to meet Stander and Alder. If she was guilty, she’d be executed. Traitors weren’t tolerated, especially not in this time of heightened tension between the Federation and the Imperialists.