Chapter Three

Abjon stared at Seriana without blinking, drinking in her presence like the finest of wines as the small watercraft sped over the rose-coloured waves of the Phaernean Sea.

For two of the longest weeks of his life, he’d watched and waited, baiting his trap for the woman who still tied him in knots just by breathing. He didn’t know what had been worse, not knowing where she was, or knowing and being unable to touch her for fear of spooking her into escape before he was ready.

His cock twitched as the breeze lifted her dress to reveal one long, creamy thigh. Lean yet supple, her legs had always drawn him with their deceptive strength. So smooth, they conjured images of honeyed delight, and he could all too easily imagine those limbs locked around his head as he lapped her sweet cream, the way Morey had.

If he hadn’t been so pleased with Morey’s handling, he never would have let the man touch Seriana. But Morey had found Seriana, and his first mate had kept tabs on the woman and kept her safe from the blasted bounty hunters her idiot father had hired to bring her back.

It had been all he could do not to say to hell with everything and fuck her until neither could walk. But their quick climaxes would have to do. Sex would rein in his stubborn beauty, but he knew he was far from winning her heart. And that was unacceptable. 

Abjon breathed deeply, keeping his eyes on his quarry while drawing on the discipline that stood him true these many years. He’d been through hostile revolutions, peacekeeper takedowns, and many a crew coup—enough experience to make him the most powerful pirate in the Vrail System. But by Vas’s Dagger, steeling himself against Seriana’s powerful allure literally hurt. His cock throbbed and his heart beat painfully in anticipation of what was to come.

For two weeks he’d watched, anger and admiration warring within him. He still had trouble believing how incredibly deceptive Rover’s ‘charming if a bit naïve daughter’ had been. But seeing her disguise and how cleverly she adapted to her environment gave him an odd sense of pride.

He’d chosen well in his mate, as he’d known those many years ago. If only he’d been sharper in his pursuit, truer to his instincts, none of this would have happened. He should have cemented their bond years ago, his illegal pirating bedamned.

She finally glanced at him with those cool, violet eyes, no longer defiant but strangely contemplative. Her gaze lingered on his face, in particular his lips, before travelling down his frame. She said nothing and gave him no clue as to what she was thinking.

He watched her with satisfaction, remembrances of her heated cries, of her explosive orgasm softening him. He’d known she’d be perfect, but the experience far surpassed his expectation. When she’d closed her mouth over his cock, he thought he’d found the ever after. But when her tight pussy had gloved him oh, so tight… He couldn’t wait to come inside her again. 

Her pink, ripe lips pursed as his stare intensified, and she looked away with a frown.

He should have fucked her the first time she’d flashed those innocent eyes at him and saw him as a man, as more than her father’s Second. In time, he’d stepped out from Rover’s shadow into his own light. But somewhere along the way he’d lost control over Seriana, as had her father.

For eleven long, hard years Abjon had worked to build his empire and stretch his reach across the System. Only the strongest, the deadliest, held on to what they cherished most. He’d thought himself powerful, deadly, nearly invincible. And then a twenty-five year old woman with no warrior skills to speak of had disappeared from right under his nose.

Feeling like a fool all over again for losing his intended, his tolerant mood abruptly vanished.

He turned his attention from her when the craft met Fidei’s docks. A private island only the richest could afford, Fidei boasted the most stunning tropics in Aflera. Natural flora dotted every nook and cranny of the island. Soft pink, royal purple, and beckoning blue petals littered the path leading to the main house. Despite the beauty of the scene, the flowers held a far greater value than merely the aesthetic. Muted scents of honeyed flin and sultry rinka permeated the thick air, a heady aphrodisiac to the unwary.  Morey hurried ahead, and Abjon focused on his woman.

He noted Seriana’s flushed face, the way she avoided eye contact. Good. She definitely felt it. Much as he wanted to fuck her right now where they stood, he’d do better to prolong the chase. No need to let her see how deeply she affected him. Instead, he’d let her know what she’d been missing all these years. He would seduce her, push beyond her endurance, and force her to accept him as her lover and lifemate.

They reached the home’s main entrance, a set of steps leading to a monstrosity of wealth and hidden pleasures. Seriana’s hands clenched and her body tensed ever so slightly—a sign he’d come to recognise. She might have avoided all the others seeking Rover’s wayward daughter, but no one knew her as well as Abjon did.

He locked his hand around her arm to prevent her sudden flight. Subtlety with this woman had not worked in the past. The time had come for blatant intention. He would strike at her resistance lick by lick and bite by bite, until he had her begging for mercy.

“You’re so predictable,” he murmured, pleased when she stiffened and shot him a glare. “There is no escape from me, Seriana. The time has come for a reckoning long overdue.”

She paused at the top of the landing in front of the entrance. Cured Afleran blue-glass clouded the view into the home, but from what he’d already seen, Abjon knew Seriana would be reluctantly impressed.

“Reckoning?” she asked heatedly.

He nodded, unable to resist sparking her temper. The one woman in the System who’d never backed down from him. And then she’d fucking run. “Yes, a reckoning. But after a meal. I’ve other hungers to sate before the sun sets.” He licked his lips, and she stared at him, unaware of her equally ravenous gaze.

She shook her head, seemingly susceptible to more than just the exotic scents around them. His cock swelled, all too ready to enter her tight sheath again and fill her right up. But he needed her off balance. He wanted to lull her into a false sense of complacency. Seriana needed to relax, making his claiming be all the more powerful when it happened.

Pleased with his strategy thus far, Abjon nodded her towards the entrance and waited while she pulled on the door cord. Morey appeared to welcome them inside. With a nod to Abjon, he closed the doors behind them and left them alone.

“Dinner awaits.” Abjon once again grabbed her by the arm, this time rubbing the pads of his fingers over her silken flesh, more than satisfied with her sensual shiver.

They passed antiques from the arneo-classic period worth as much as his first ship, and he saw grudging admiration for the home reflected in Seriana’s wide, violet gaze.

“Stars! You must have stolen from half the System’s quadrants to afford this place.”

What little she knew of his business pursuits. He ignored her poor opinion of him and guided her into a seat at a long, wide table. “I trust I won’t have to tie you down to prevent further escape?”

She sat mutinously silent.

“Seriana.” He sat next to her at the large dining table. Abjon truly enjoyed having her at his mercy. Just knowing she was here, that she was his, made his blood hum. “Running again wouldn’t be the smartest thing to do. And though your father thinks you beyond intelligent, I’d have to disagree with him.”

Her eyes flashed. “Don’t talk about my father to me. If Rover Blue truly cared about me he wouldn’t have thrown me at you. How can he be so blind?”

“Your father loves you, and he’s one of the strongest men I know,” he said with quiet deliberation. “He has an open mind. He isn’t so childish as to run from passion when it presents itself.”

“Childish? You think it’s childish that I want to live my own life? That I want more than stealing and killing and running from System law, always looking over my shoulder?”

He’d promised himself he’d maintain control. He refused to let her goad him and redirect the situation. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to answer evenly. “I was ever willing to discuss your needs and your wants, Seriana. Yet in all the years we’ve known each other, this is the first you’ve shared them with me.”

“You wouldn’t understand,” she muttered and looked away.

“Why? Because I’m a man? Or because I’m Ragga?” He couldn’t help the frustration lining his words. “Just because I can take by force doesn’t mean I always will.”

Her eyes shifted to his so fast he thought she’d give herself a headache.

He amended, “Unless of course, I’m pushed to violence by a very stubborn, wilful fire maiden.”

She frowned. “My life is not your concern.”

“Of course it is. I promised your father I would always look out for you.”

“Oh, so it’s my father you’re trying to impress by hunting me down like a skipped bounty? Did my father tell you to fuck me, too?”

She wasn’t ready to hear the truth, so he pressed the controller in his pocket and food suddenly appeared on the table before them. Deliberately changing the subject, he said matter-of-factly, “You must be hungry. I know you haven’t been eating well.” He peered at her, seeing the defined cheeks and thinner waist that only emphasised her curves, making her look all the more luscious.

“I don’t need food.” She pushed her plate aside and gazed at him with a sober look on her face. “I’m sorry you’re taking this the wrong way, Abjon. But we’re not meant to be together. I wish you would understand that.”

He waited, wondering where she thought to go with this new tactic. Anger hadn’t worked, so what now, passive persuasion?

“Make me understand,” he murmured, envisioning her in a lavender silk shift he’d brought from home. Then he imagined pushing her belly over the table, pushing up the dress to bare her ass, then sliding his cock between those delectable cheeks.

“You’re a man used to taking charge, to getting what he wants. But I’m a simple woman.” He wanted to scoff. “I don’t need riches and perfection. I don’t need a man to make my life complete. I only need myself, to be true to a life of peace and understanding with the System.”

Did she really believe the Xen tripe she was spouting? He knew she’d spent time on planet Jaron, but she quoted their mantra almost verbatim. “Understanding with the System” my ass. He watched her carefully, reluctantly impressed at her ability to appear so earnest when he could feel the static of bullshit in the air.  

He nodded, feigning sympathy, and decided to alter his grandiose plans for making her see reason. With Seriana, action meant more than words. He chose his words carefully.

“It really is about what you need.” He saw her eyes narrow at his tone, and he could see her weighing the decision to believe his sincerity. “I’m sorry, Seriana. I should have considered this before.”

He stood up and helped her to her feet, then cleared a place on the table and gently sat her where her plate had been. Stepping between her thighs, he took her face in his hands. He allowed a show of remorse on his face, a look he’d been practicing to appear authentic, and surprised her into silence.

“I’ve been selfish, placing my wants above your own.”

She nodded.

“My hungers.” He looked to the food around them.

She nodded again, as if in a daze.

“When all along I should have been considering your needs.”

He kissed her softly on the forehead and swore he heard her sigh of relief. “I’m not so big a man I can’t change.”

“I’m so glad to hear that.” She graced him with a smile.

He smiled back and could see that the tightness of his expression alarmed her.

“Since it’s your needs we’re discussing, let’s lay it out on the table, so to speak.” He glanced at her position on said table and grinned.

“Abjon?”

“What you need, Seriana, is a good fuck.”

He swallowed her cry of indignation, conscious of the sultry taste and feel of her. Silken limbs pushed at him, her mouth fought to be free, then she sighed, leaning into him. Like magic, their sensual magnetism flared to life, capturing them both within its web.

Abjon needed her like he needed breath. He wanted to brand himself on her, to make her realise she should never run again. Hardening his resolve to do it right, he willed himself to be strong. If this didn’t cement the foundation for their future, he didn’t know what would.