Ava didn't know what had happened. She was just about to push the
engagement button on the alien ship when a large male hand came out
of nowhere and clamped itself about her neck. Shocked, she stiffened
in the seat as the man gripping her reached forward to disengage the
engines. The next thing she knew, she was being carted off across the
airstrip by a giant of a man, almost as large and as handsome as the alien
commander. She struggled, but it hadn't taken her long to realize that
the man was incredibly strong and as solid as any brick wall.
He brought her inside one of the hangars, where she was forced to
endure the curious stares of a bare-chested group of males who stopped
what they were doing to observe them. But her captor snapped an
order that immediately sent them scurrying back into work mode.
Moving past them, the alien, apparently in charge, dragged her into an
office area and thrust her into a metal chair. He turned back to the door
and bellowed another order, which drew forth two more hulks of
incredible proportion. They came into the room, secured the door, then
made to stand on either side of her. Gulping at the overwhelming
nature of her situation, Ava cringed in discouragement, realizing that
this might have been her last chance to escape the planet. These men
clearly meant business if it took three men to keep her seated in the
chair. She was surprised they hadn't brought out some shackles to make
sure she didn't try to flee even then.
She focused on the man standing behind an oversized desk, who was
speaking into a strange wrist device, in some weird alien dialect. When
the conversation ended, the man snorted as if amused, then seated
himself in a large chair behind the desk. Relaxing, he merely sat looking
at her, rocking back and forth in the wheeled chair and tapping his
fingers on the desktop. A slight smile curled his lips as he watched her,
but he made no conversation. He seemed only to be waiting for
something.Ava ducked her head, defeated and wishing she had stayed in her room
after all. At least there she would have felt safe. And Mrovia would
have given her something to eat. When the idea to escape had
prompted her to escape the garden, she hadn't once considered her
hunger pangs until now. Her stomach was growling so loud, she was
certain everyone could hear.
An estimated twenty minutes after her capture, she discovered what
the men had been waiting for. When the door opened, her head lifted.
Her jaw sagged at the unexpected sight of the alien commander. Bare-
chested, he wore tight black breeches, a pair of knee-high black boots,
and a gold medallion about his neck. His long hair was loose, hanging
freely about his broad shoulders. To her, he looked like some sort of
super hero, what with his broad frame and muscular physique. Anyone
with any sense could tell how he easily dwarfed the others in the room,
by mere composition alone.
That the atmosphere in the room changed as soon as he appeared cast
Ava into a whirlwind of confused emotions as she gaped at him.
Embarrassed that he should be the one to have been called in to punish
her, she dropped her gaze. She remained stiffly planted in the seat,
hands on her knees, as cold chills of apprehension washed over her.
"I believe this belongs to you," she heard the man at the desk say, in
English this time. Curious, she lifted her head to find him casually
pointing in her direction. She felt the commander's eyes on her as he
peered over at her and grew nervous at his silence. When he walked
toward her, she dropped her gaze and closed her eyes, bracing herself
for the worst. Instead, he surprised her by laying a gentle hand on her
bent shoulders.
"Come with me," he said kindly. Then, "Thank you, Jeiel, for your help."Looking up, Ava saw the man at the desk nodding, this time with a
broader grin on his face. But whatever he was secretly amused by, she
wasn't certain. She merely felt relieved the commander hadn't blasted
her in front of the three men. Her self-esteem was so fragile just then,
she didn't know if she could handle any more.
He allowed her first through the door. But he made no effort to touch
her, obviously trusting her not to run away from him.
"This way," he directed, leading her from the hangar to the great beast
standing just outside the hangar door. At sight of the magnificent,
horse-like creature, Ava's jaw slackened as she peered up at it and
stepped back. Frightened, she turned to the alien.
"Surely you're not expecting me to get on that thing?" Despite her
recent behavior, the nasty attitude toward the commander was still
there.
But he ignored her question. With the ease of any award-winning
equestrian, he took the reins and deftly leaped into the saddle as if it
was the most natural thing in the world. Awed by this, Ava took a step
back, watching him in secret admiration.
Then, before she could react, she saw him squeeze his legs against the
beast, leveraging himself, shortly before he leaned down to grab her by
the scruff of her neck, much the same way Jeiel had done earlier. Lifting
her with ease, he flung her belly-down across the animal's neck. Then
he kicked it into a flying gallop across the airstrip, ignoring her grunt of
pain. Too scared to do or say anything, she clutched at whatever part
of the beast she could, just to maintain her position.
The thought had occurred to her to jump backward off the thundering
beast, but the man's hand on her back kept her firmly in place. Although
the pounding beneath her was bruising her belly as the thing barreledacross the strip to who-knows-where, she kept further comments and
groaning to herself.
A long while later, after they had traveled some distance past the
airstrip, across the flatlands and down a grassy mountain path, along a
thickly forested area, they finally arrived at a small glade. There, Ava
felt a hand on her arm as the commander lifted her off the animal and
set her back on her feet. Disgruntled and sore, she stumbled away from
him, intent on running farther into the wooded area behind her. But
just as she turned to make a break for it, the rider swung himself out of
the saddle and caught her arm before she could flee. Gripping it firmly,
he then steered her across the glade, releasing her into the center of it.
He crossed his arms, staring down at her as if waiting for her to dash
away again.
Upset by another thwarted escape attempt, she frowned up at him,
wondering what he was thinking as she rubbed her sore belly. She
wasn't really comfortable with the way he was looking at her just then.
Her insides started churning, and she could feel an uncommon heat
rising from her nether regions, all the way to her flaming cheeks, at his
daring.
For several long moments, he just stood staring at her. And she was
surprised to see no condemnation or anger in his expression. She had
really thought he'd be furious at what she had tried to do.
"Well? Did you drag me all the way out here just to stare at me?" she
snarled, unable to bear the silence and intensity of his gaze. "Don't you
have anything to s--"
But before she could finish, she found herself suddenly caught up
against him as his lips came crashing down on hers. Shocked, for she
had never had a man kiss her before, she began to struggle, barelyaware of the moan that accidentally sprang forth when his alien flesh
touched hers. A moan of pure pleasure that shocked them both.
Pummeling him with her fists, she attempted to free herself from his
iron-like hold on her. But he was so strong, so solidly muscled, that it
was an impossible feat. His height gave him an added advantage. He
had practically lifted her off the ground, which made her struggling even
more pointless.
When he loosed her unexpectedly, she stumbled backwards, almost
falling. Straightening, a look of fury crossed her face. She glared at him,
aware that he was intently studying her reaction to his kiss.
But she would have none of it. With frustrated tears in her eyes, her
hand launched up to slap him as hard as she could. But she found it
instantly caught by his as he snatched her tighter against him, obviously
having anticipated her reaction. Only inches from his gorgeous face, she
paled at being in such close proximity with the alien. He smelled so good
she nearly melted under his overwhelming sex appeal.
"Tell me you didn't like that, and I will call you a liar," he said, a
dangerous element to his tone.
"Well, I...I...."
"That's what I thought," he said, his voice now as calm as ocean waters.
He set her away, and she watched as he calmly moved to hoist himself
back onto his animal. She waited, feeling his eyes on her as she
wondered whether or not he would extend a hand to help her up.
Perhaps he expected her to find her own way back to the palace, as
punishment for her earlier actions.
"That's it?" she spat at him, fully recovered now. "You brought me all
the way out here just for that?"A smile touched his finely-formed lips, but he refrained from answering.
She didn't know what else to do. She felt foolish, just standing there
ogling his well-muscled alien form. Only when she took an uncertain
move toward him did he finally extend his hand to her. She put a shy
hand in his and allowed him to pull her up behind him. At least this time
she didn't have to lay across the animal's huge neck. That had been as
uncomfortable as it was humiliating.
She had no choice but to put her hands on him then. Hesitantly, she
placed a hand to his broad back, secretly awed by the feel of those
amazing muscles rippling beneath his cinnamon-colored skin. It excited
her and made her tremble all at the same time.
"Tighter," he growled. "I don't want to have to stop and pick you up."
As he spoke, he kicked the huge furry beast into motion. As he had
warned, she would have been bounced right off had she not instinctively
thrown her arms about him, clutching him even tighter than she wanted
to. Unable to help herself, she lay her cheek against him, practically
snuggling with the insufferable lout. She wasn't certain, but she thought
she sensed him laughing at her as the wind blew past her ears.
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