Nothing like a big bad male tied to a chair to cheer you up, she thought, hysterical laughter bubbling inside her.

  She needed to get out of here. Shivering, she walked back to the controls where the emergency stats were displayed. Gravity fields were obviously working. Thank you for small miracles. Three days’ supply of air, and equally stocked on rations. Now she just needed to land somewhere and get the hell away from him.

  Kara shivered again, and looked back when she heard movement behind her. Did the controls short out? Was he up? She froze mid-stride, staring hard at his struggling body. Breathed a sigh of relief.

  Duke was still there, muscles straining against the metal bonds. Big, buff and pissed.

  Confidence growing, she walked back to him. “Revenge is everything they say it is.” She rubbed her arms against the chill. The desire for him hit her full force, pooling in her belly, aching in her cunt.

  “I swear I’m going to beat you.”

  “You already said that.” She came closer, just a step away from him. Now that her eyes had adjusted, Kara could see his jaw was clenched, his muscles working against the restraints. He was radiating heat like a fucking sun. She wanted a piece of it.

  Experimentally, she ran her hand over the smooth material of his pants, found the lightZip. Rubbing her palm up and down over it, she then curled her fingers around the growing bulge.

  “What the fuck are you doing?” Duke’s voice, raw, hoarse, made her pussy quiver.

  “Relax, darling.” She kept her voice smooth, resisting the urge to rip, tear and feast. “Just having a little fun.”

  “You overestimate your appeal.”

  “Really?” She laughed, then drunk on power, swung her leg over him and straddled his lap, purring as she rubbed her crotch against his hardness. “Let me try again.”

  She gyrated her hips, slid over him, ground into him. She nipped at his lower lip, and when he hissed and tried to turn away, Kara caught his head in both hands and kept it steady. “Payback’s a bitch,” she whispered, and slid her mouth over his.

  She feasted. Devoured. Drove him crazy with the little moans that ripped out of her throat as he parted his lips and he let her take more.

  Duke fought against the restraints, cursed himself three times an idiot. Didn’t think about the small nipping bites along his jaw, his neck. Fingers parted his bodyShirt, impatient lips trailing heat on his chest. He hated the pleasure coursing through him as much as he wanted it.

  When Kara slid down to free his cock, he snapped his teeth together to control a groan.

  “Still not in the mood to play?” she whispered, curling her hand around his pulsing erection, pumping slowly, silkily.

  “You fucking bitch.”

  She chuckled and he swore revenge with every ragged breath.

  “I guess I am.”

  She leaned in, coated him with her mouth. Then the warmth of her left him and before he could protest he heard a swift rustle, felt the smooth skin of her leg over him and then he slid home into the silky, wet sheath of her pussy. He fought the pleasure of being inside that hot cunt, fought it with each smooth roll that gripped him, milked him.

  Pumping him, she plastered her lips over his, silk thighs rubbing against his legs, her mouth hot, her pussy scorching. Duke felt his balls tighten, fought the need to come, fought it with all he had but then that clever mouth closed over a cord in his neck and he arched up, groaned and surged into her.

  When sanity returned he realized Kara had stopped moving. He could see her eyes, carefully blank, guarded. He knew, right at that moment he knew, that this was all she needed from him, his orgasm, his cum. Nothing beyond it. She wasn’t going to let herself climax, and the thought of that infuriated him for no reason he cared to examine.

  He clenched his hands, tried to rotate them as she silently got off him and with calm, impersonal movements put his dick inside his pants. He resisted the urge to curse her out again as she slid the lightZip back up, and walked away, sitting down on the pilotChair.

  Duke glared at her -- couldn’t do much else. The restraints had him, were digging into his wrists as he worked them. She was going to pay, he promised himself. Fuck, was she going to pay.

  Determined to ignore him, Kara studied the console. The chill had gone now, and with it that slight muscle ache that accompanied it. Fucking blood transfer -- the sheer volume was enough to addict her for a long time. As it was, every few hours she needed a sex fix. Not just sex. More. She wanted what they started on Orpheus.

  Hopefully it was the addiction talking. Although it made sense why Duke hadn’t choked on his own swelling tongue on Davidia -- she must have infused him with her own DNA back on Orpheus. Which led back to Verkov.

  Maybe she could make him understand now…

  He was willing to fuck her -- she hadn’t given him much choice -- but he despised her along with it. Who could blame him? She hadn’t held back intel, couldn’t, not through all that pain. Thinking of it, her knees ached, as if remembering.

  Maybe she could tell him now. Kara turned to him, considering.

  “Don’t even think about it.” His voice whipped over her.

  “Relax, hotshot.” She faked the mocking laughter because of a sudden and urgent need to just crawl into his lap and cry. She was nothing but a guilt-ridden idiot. “I’m not after stud services.”

  “I’m relieved to hear that.” She couldn’t see the sneer on Duke’s face, but she heard it.

  “It’s not like you’re that good.” She curled her lip as she made her way toward him. “I just need your body fluids.”

  “Didn’t seem like that when you were begging for it.”

  Kara could see the outline of his face in the green emLights, the clenched jaw, the tightly pressed mouth. Just for the hell of it she leaned in and nipped at that lower lip. The promise of revenge glittered in his eyes.

  “I faked it.” She shrugged. “You always had this thing about ladies first. I needed you to hurry, so --” She shrugged again. “Don’t worry.” She trailed a finger over his lips. “It won’t happen again.”

  “Imagine my relief.”

  “Don’t get me wrong.” Unable to resist, she straddled him. “I’ll continue to fuck you until you’re out of my system. Since I don’t need to come, there won’t be a need for me to fake it.”

  “I’m so glad.”

  The dry sarcasm made her laugh softly. She twined her arms around his neck, rubbed her cheek against his. “You’ll get used to it.”

  Duke made a strangled sound in the back of his throat. Before he could speak she took his mouth.

  The shuttle dipped a bit, made a strange metallic groan, but as she lifted her head, his mouth sought hers, hard, desperate. “Kiss me, damn you,” he rasped, and Kara lost herself in the sensation, wrapping her legs around him to get closer, whimpering.

  The lights flooding her eyes to blindness were a shock. In defense she closed them, buried her face in the curve of his neck.

  “Get this bitch off me.” Duke’s voice, raspy with passion only seconds ago, was ice. Blinking against the light, stunned, reeling from lust he seemed to turn off like a switch, Kara twisted to see figures, felt hands wrap around her arms and lift her. Her wrists were forced behind her. Supple metal closed around them.

  “Her feet too,” Duke said, as another figure moved closer to him, and Kara felt weight around her ankles. Through eyes tearing from the blinding lights, she saw his gaze settle on her -- frosty, accusing.

  A hiss, a pop, and he was up. Fear stabbed her. She shrunk back against the man behind her as Duke advanced, rubbing his wrists.

  “Hold it, lover boy.” The voice was smooth, amused and female. Kara blinked fiercely at the owner, barely able to make out a tall blonde in a shimmering bioSuit.

  “You’re not contaminating the rest of the ship.” She handed him a small device. “Last one. You’ll have to share.”

  Duke curled a lip in that same cruel smile she was starting to hate. “We’ve gotten close.” Kara would have stepped back farther, but as it was, she pressed against the man behind her.

  “Careful, sweetheart.” In a swift, startling motion Duke hoisted her up over his shoulder, placing a large palm on her upturned ass. “Dinah won’t like you touching him. And she’s meaner than I am.”

  A soft click and she felt something crawling along her skin. The bioSuit was over them both.

  “MediLab?” he asked.

  “Lil would have a fit.” This was from the man who put the restraints on her. The blonde woman -- Lil? -- snorted.

  “Your quarters.”

  Kara thought they would pile out after him, but Duke strode away alone, his shoulder digging uncomfortably into her belly.

  Chapter Five

  Back in his quarters, Duke dropped her. Simply dumped her onto her knees, getting some grim satisfaction watching Kara struggle to stay upright.

  Payback was a bitch.

  Incoming beeped. Shooting her a smirk, he turned his back to her, and walked to the comm center. “Yeah.”

  Lil’s face filled the main screen. “We got your quarters sealed off. I also put a forceShield in the shuttle dock until I am satisfied we aren’t blowing up.”

  “Busy little bee,” he muttered. He could feel Kara’s eyes boring into his back. It surprised him she wasn’t screaming curses at him or trying to fast-talk someone into a pity party.

  “You’ll have to share quarters for the next few days. I’ll need you to scan blood samples.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He faked a salute.

  “Cut the shit, Halloway.”

  “Fine.” He barked out a laugh. Lil was the only one who got away with calling him that.

  “I left sealVials on your console. If you could get samples daily, I would appreciate it.”

  “Yeah. Okay, great.”

  Lil ended transmission before he could ask why Kara didn’t seem to be addicted to renewing that toxin in her blood. Or if it was possible that he was starting to get addicted to her -- aching for her, his balls tightening just by looking at her.

  He heard Kara shuffle behind him, and willed himself not to look back. Let her suffer. Just a bit, let her suffer for everything she’d fucking done to him.

  Duke checked his inbox, sent out a few replies. Rolled his shoulders back. The mundane task of admin work was irritating.

  He needed to deal with her.

  Grabbing a sealVial with its inserter, he walked back to her, frowning as she shrank back, trying to shove away.

  Without a word he held her still by grabbing a fistful of curls at the back of her neck. He forced her head up and to the side, pressed the seal against her skin, watching Kara’s chest rise and fall rapidly as he held her motionless. Her lips were moist, parted, her breathing ragged. Was she getting off on this? Grimly he smiled. He was happy to oblige.

  He took his own sample, set it to scan. Which reminded him of the vial of blood she’d pulled out of her suit before killing the shuttle.

  Duke turned back to look at her. She knelt, shoulders forced back by the cuffs on her wrists. Breasts pushed out. Head bent. Like a slave.

  “You will be naked until you leave.” He schooled his features to be stone cold even as his cock started twitching to life. “Up. I will remove your suit.”

  She remained still, as if not hearing him.

  “You look good on your knees. But later. Up.”

  No answer.

  He strode toward her, roughly shook her shoulder. “Resistance is considered an invitation.” He heard a shuddering breath.

  “I can’t,” she muttered.

  “Excuse me?” He kept his voice mocking.

  “I can’t,” she whispered. “I can’t.”

  “Why the hell not? Lust for me keeping your knees weak?”

  “My knees are weak.” Again that soft voice. It grated on his nerves. Was she playing the submissive routine?

  “What was that?”

  Kara struggled onto her feet with obvious effort, her face twisted in pain and… something else. “My knees are weak. You fucker!” She screamed at him now. “They were shattered when they interrogated me -- the night before you left for Kremlin!”

  Duke felt the blood drain away from his face. Lie. Another lie.

  “They who?” He fought to keep his voice mildly interested. His insides were clenching.

  “If I knew, you think I’d be here?” There was bitterness in her tone.

  No way in hell it was the truth. “So let me see if I understand it correctly. You were… interrogated?” He paused deliberately. “For information on me. Which somehow you had access to.”

  “You gave it to me.” Her voice was hoarse now.

  “I gave you what exactly?” Yeah, fucking right.

  “The keySeq to your dataUnit. You gave it to me when the power was out at the dataCenter and you needed access.”

  “Bullshit.” His insides were shuddering. Just lies. “So you were interrogated and valiantly you tried to protect me?” He cupped her cheek in his palm in a mock gesture of affection.

  “I don’t remember much of it. I just…” When she looked up at him with dark pleading eyes, it infuriated him further.

  “Your knees were shattered?” Like hell. “Do you know what real interrogation is like?” Duke shoved his face inches away from hers, fighting to keep his voice deadly calm. “They strip away every dignity you have. Every cell in your body hurts. The drugs keep you conscious while your brain burns.” He let out a bitter laugh. “Shattered bones would be evidence, sweetheart. Besides, a tasty dish like you would be much more fun with other methods of interrogation.” He pushed that particular thought away. It hadn’t happened. It wouldn’t have happened. “You should’ve come up with a better lie.”

  Kara’s eyes shone with guilt and fury; in contrast her voice was soft. “I have no other proof.”

  His gut clenched.

  He paced, just paced back and forth, appalled at the part of himself that wanted to believe her.

  Idiot. She is playing you just like she did then. At least now he had a way to control her. It had been a few hours. She probably needed him again.

  He stopped in front of her. “You will be naked until you leave.”

  When Kara looked up at him, Duke felt relief set in. It was all a lie. She was pissed because he hadn’t fallen for it. “I’m not exactly in a position to strip,” she bit out between clenched teeth.

  “Absolutely right,” he drawled. “Allow me to assist.”

  He dug a small laserScalpel out of his pocket, watching for signs of fear. He got none. Excellent. He didn’t want her fearing him. He wanted her to loathe him. “Hold still. I don’t want to cut a strip of this lovely skin.”

  Carefully he worked on her suit, cutting it off her. When it slithered to the floor he kicked it aside, making a mental note to check the pockets. A quick tug and dark curls tumbled over smooth dusky flesh.

  “Very nice.” His cock pressed painfully against his lightZip.

  There were goose bumps on her skin. And heat in her eyes.

  Duke circled around her, noting the sexy way her bound hands teased him with glimpses of the crease between her curved buttocks. In the shuttle, he’d been so hot to have her he hadn’t paid due attention to the firm round breasts that filled his hands to overflowing, the smooth slope of her belly, the hot triangle of black curls above the smooth pink lips of her pussy.

  He itched to wrap his hand in the soft, curling mass of her hair. To taste the pretty berries of her nipples and dip lower. To worship that soft tight pussy and hear her moan for him. Later, he promised himself. First, establish control.

  Standing in front of her, he inhaled, smelled her arousal. Kara’s nipples were hard, the dark pink tips stabbing toward him. Real or not, she wanted him.

  “You are still beautiful. Even with shattered knees.”

  “Asshole,” she hissed at him.

  He chuckled and reached around to slap lightly at her naked butt. “Rules. Any name-calling will be punished. Any resistance will be punished. Any thought or move toward escape will be punished.”

  “And this is what?” she spat out. “Foreplay?”

  Watching her breasts heave, Duke thought it was just that. He clenched his fists against the urge to just drag her on the bed and fuck her brainless.

  “Punishment is a long overdue ass fucking.” One thing they had never done. He heard a drawn in breath and smiled. Good. “You want me again.” He stood in front of her, and when Kara wouldn’t meet his eyes, he tipped a finger under her jaw to lift her face. “Admit it.”

  She shook her head. “No.”

  He chuckled. “We’ll have to fix that.”

  Telling himself it was only to establish control, he gave in to the urge to touch her and ran his hands over the smooth skin of her arms, her shoulders. Drew her closer to slide his palms over her back. Her buttocks. Her pointed nipples stabbed into his chest.

  Her indrawn breath had him smiling even though his own arousal was starting to get painful. “You like that?”

  “Tied up and felt up? Every woman’s fantasy,” she replied hotly.

  “Was that sarcasm?” Just in case, Duke smacked her ass again. Rubbed away the sting. Watched her face to see her eyes cloud, her lips part.

  She hated it. And was aroused by it.

  “I bet it is your fantasy.” He continued to rub her buttocks, just stood in front of her and caressed her. Her cuffed wrists pulled her shoulders back. Her breasts -- high, pert and pink-tipped -- were thrust forward in invitation. “You always liked it when I held you down during sex. Or did you fake that too?”

  “Bastard,” she spat out.

  He grinned, smacked her ass once more. Then squeezed the round cheeks in his palm, forcing her closer. Slid his mouth onto hers.

  The warm ache gathering in Kara’s belly fought for space with curling strings of shame. She got off on this shit? Fucking stupid pathetic idiot.

  Duke kissed her, his lips skillfully sliding over hers, his hands kneading her butt. Then lower, parting the folds of her cunt, teasing the pulsing clit with the gentlest of caresses. She wasn’t sure when she started kissing him back. Then he pulled away.