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  He untied the other side and the gold fabric fell into the water. “I want to watch you take me.”

  She made a soft moan and arched her ass into the air, the water lapping around her thighs. “I’m so ready for you.”

  Dorn tugged his tight black suit down, letting his cock spring free. He dragged it through her hot, wet folds; pushing her head down with one hand and nudging her legs open wider. Seeing her spread for him was almost more than he could take, but he buried his cock inside her slowly, watching her stretch to take his girth as he pushed deep, savoring the feel of her tight heat and her desperate, keening sounds. Hands clasped on her hips, he thrust into her again, this time urgently.

  “You like watching, don’t you, Dorn?” she asked, her voice teasing. “You like seeing your big cock split me.”

  He could barely grunt out an answer as she rocked back into him, meeting him thrust for thrust. “You’re so tight for me.”

  Mandy craned her neck so that her gaze met his. “Harder, Dorn.”

  Her command sent fire pounding through his veins, and he lost all ability for rational thought, pistoning into her as she cried out. He felt her as she splintered apart, her body tensing and convulsing moments before his own release blinded him. With a primal scream, he emptied into her. Breathing as if he’d run a race, Dorn braced himself against the deck so he wouldn’t collapse on top of her.

  The water slapped at the backs of his shaking legs as he wrapped one arm gently around her belly. “You sure it wasn’t too hard?”

  Mandy’s face was flushed pink as she turned and gave him a drowsy smile. “I’m sure.” She scooped up the bikini bottom floating near one of the steps and shifted so she was facing up. She gave him a long, soft kiss. “Now I really do need to run. This Christmas party isn’t going to plan itself.”

  Dorn watched her walk bare-assed into their fantasy suite, admiring the view. He pulled his own suit back up and flopped back into the water, letting himself float faceup as he caught his breath.

  A lot had happened since he’d first arrived on the Boat, reluctant and angry and not at all eager to take a mate. He grinned as he listened to Mandy sing in the distance. He wouldn’t change a thing.

  Chapter Three

  Bridget stretched and rolled over on the faux-fur rug in front of the crackling fire. The warmth on her face made her smile as she blinked a few times and tugged the soft blanket over one bare shoulder.

  “You aren’t trying to get up, are you?” Her mate, Kax, looped an arm around her waist and tugged her close to him. His voice sounded sleepy as he nuzzled his face in her neck, kissing her drowsily.

  “I can’t believe we fell asleep in front of the fireplace again.”

  “Good thing it’s only a holographic fire.” Kax continued planting featherlight kisses along her throat, causing Bridget to shiver with pleasure.

  She glanced up at the wooden beams of the peaked ceiling and over to one of the large windows looking out onto a perfect ski slope. Snow fell softly outside—as it always did—but they were toasty-warm inside, the scent of the burning logs making it hard to believe the entire thing was a holographic projection.

  For someone who’d lived in Florida for years and sweated her way through brutal summers, the alpine ski chalet was a heavenly escape, and one she’d only dreamt about before she’d been abducted by the Drexians and brought to their high-tech, holographically tricked-out space station.

  She’d never have imagined her life would have taken such a turn. From washed-out ballet dancer to tribute bride for an alien warrior. She wiggled closer to Kax. A really hot alien warrior.

  “We should probably start using the bed,” she said, laughing as she glanced over at the mahogany sleigh bed covered with luxurious linens.

  “Probably,” Kax murmured in her ear, nipping at the lobe and sending a jolt of pleasure through her. “But aren’t bear skin rugs in front of fireplaces meant for lying on? Don’t you humans have many movies where couples sleep on fur?”

  “Yes,” Bridget admitted, “but not many people sleep on them all the time.”

  “I see.” Kax did not sound concerned. “We can certainly move to the bed, although I enjoy sitting with you in front of the fire.”

  Bridget loved it, too. They’d developed a routine since getting married. They would sit together in front of the fireplace at the end of the day and talk while they ate dinner and had a few glasses of Palaxian wine. The talk and the wine usually led to more, and they almost always ended up naked and rolling around on the fluffy white rug. To be honest, the rug was so soft and plush she didn’t miss the bed, and you couldn’t beat waking up in front of a crackling fire.

  Since Kax occasionally left the station for classified missions with military intelligence, Bridget cherished mornings when they woke up together. There was nothing she loved more than the feel of his big arms around her, and the muscular curves of his chest pressing against her back.

  “I can’t sleep in today,” she said, hating to break the spell as his lips tickled her ears. “I promised I’d meet Mandy to work on the Christmas party.”

  Kax brushed her dark hair off her shoulder before kissing it, too. “Right. Christmas. I take it this is an important holiday on Earth.”

  Bridget laughed. “Yeah, it’s pretty big. Not everyone celebrates it religiously, but it’s also a time for exchanging presents and doing nice things for other people. It used to be my favorite holiday. There’s nothing quite like the excitement of Santa leaving presents for you when you’re young.”

  Kax paused. “Used to be?”

  She should have known he’d pick up on that. Kax was nothing if not attentive. Bridget pulled the blanket higher, as she felt a chill that had nothing to do with the perfectly moderated temperature in the chalet. “Christmas in the foster system wasn’t always so great.”

  She’d told Kax about her childhood after her parents and then her grandmother had died, but she didn’t like to talk too much about her saddest memories. She felt lucky to have been found by someone who adored her as much as Kax did, and it helped push those memories to the back of her mind, where they belonged.

  “I am sorry.” He buried his face in her neck from behind, squeezing her tight. “We will have to make sure this is the best Christmas you’ve ever had.”

  She nodded, not able to speak because of the lump that had formed in her throat. Of course, Kax would want to do everything he could to make her happy, even if he had no idea about Christmas or why it was so important to her and the other humans on the station.

  “What would you think about playing Santa?” she asked, when she’d cleared her throat.

  “Santa?”

  Bridget rolled onto her back so she could look up at him. “He’s the guy who gives out all the presents.”

  Kax grinned, the corners of his intense, green eyes crinkling. “I think I would like that.”

  She rubbed a hand across the stubble covering his cheeks. “You’d probably look pretty sexy in a white beard and red hat.”

  His eyebrows went up. “White beard? Is this Santa like a Merutog?”

  Bridget cocked her head at him. “A Merutog?”

  “A species noted for their long, white facial hair.”

  “The entire species? Even the females?”

  Kax nodded. “The Merutog have three genders, but, yes, all of them have white beards.”

  Bridget laughed. She was still getting used to the concept of aliens, not to mention so many alien species she never could have imagined. “Santa isn’t a Merutog, but he is old. He lives at the North Pole, which is cold and probably looks a lot like it does outside here. He flies around on a sleigh pulled by reindeer, and can deliver presents to millions of children in one night.”

  “So he’s magic.” Kax kissed her lightly on the nose. “I like the sound of this Santa.”

  “Then that’s settled. You’ll be Santa at the Christmas party. Now I just have to get the wedding-dress designers to whip up a Santa suit f
or you.”

  “Randi and Monti?” Kax asked, obviously remembering the colorful duo of dress designers.

  “I know this isn’t a glamorous wedding gown, but I think they may enjoy the challenge,” Bridget said. “At least, I hope they will.”

  “You’re a tribute bride,” Kax reminded her. “You might be already mated to me, but everyone on the Boat still wants to make you happy. Not as much as I do, of course.”

  Bridget giggled as he shifted himself so he was on top of her. “You know Mandy’s going to be here any second, right?”

  “Dorn told me she was giving him another swimming lesson this morning,” Kax said. “Knowing how difficult my brother is, she may have her hands full. I would not count on her being on time.”

  He lowered his mouth to hers, kissing her softly, his tongue teasing the tip of hers. Desire buzzed through her body, and she felt her own body’s traitorous response, as her skin warmed and her nipples hardened. Despite her best intentions, she arched into him.

  “I can never get enough of you.” He pulled away, and his eyes were molten as he gazed down at her.

  “I hope not, because you’re stuck with me for life, tough guy.” Bridget ran one hand through his short, honey-brown hair, pulling his face to hers again.

  He moaned as he lowered his mouth to hers. Her other hand found the nodes along his spine, caressing them as his noises of arousal grew louder. She loved feeling the bumps harden and heat under her touch, and his groans made her stroke them even faster.

  A loud beeping from the door jerked her from the haze of desire. Kax lifted himself off of her, his breath jagged. Bridget wiggled out from under him and hopped up.

  “You have to go?” Kax stared at her as he flopped onto his back, his enormous cock tenting the blanket. “Now?”

  Bridget eyed his massive erection and fought the urge to tell Mandy to take a hike. “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”

  Kax sighed as he watched her walk naked toward the bathroom for a robe. “It would be impossible for me to be any fonder of you.”

  Bridget’s cheeks warmed, and it had nothing to do with desire. She grabbed two robes off hooks inside the bathroom, tossing one to her mate. “I feel the exact same way, my sexy Santa.”

  Chapter Four

  Katie rolled over and felt the other side of the bed where Zayn’s warm body should have been. Nothing. Pushing herself up and swiping her mass of strawberry-blonde curls out of her face, she peered out to the balcony and saw his massive silhouette leaning against the teakwood railing. He wore nothing but soft, drawstring pants that hung low on his waist, and her eyes were drawn to the nodes running down his spine—bumps that heated and hardened when he was aroused. Seeing him like this, taking in the morning view from their suite, made her wish she were an early riser.

  She yawned and stretched, trying not to make noise. She didn’t want to ruin the magical moment, although she knew it was all holographically created. The sunrise was still breathtaking—slats of sun peeking from over flat-topped trees in the horizon, sending golden rays across the tall grasses of the savannah; a cluster of antelope lazily walking by and birds flitting through the sky, one occasionally cawing in the distance; the scent of impending rain that rarely came. Katie knew all the holographic fantasy suites created for the tribute brides and their mates were beautiful, but she felt none could be as jaw-dropping as this.

  As if he sensed her swinging her legs over the side of the bed, Zayn turned around. “You’re up.”

  “Don’t let me spoil the sunrise,” she said, padding across the polished-teak floors to join him on the veranda that stretched around two sides of their high-tented suite.

  Her mate grinned as he pulled her close to him, wrapping his big arms around her waist. “You could never ruin anything. You only make things better.”

  Katie’s cheeks warmed, even though she should be used to his compliments by now. They’d been married for a couple of months already, and were still fully ensconced in the honeymoon phase, not that that was difficult, since they lived in a setting so luxurious and romantic most couples could only dream of visiting for a honeymoon. She pressed her cheek against his bare chest muscle, and traced a finger down one arm, bumping over the scars that crossed his forearms—a reminder of his time being held captive by the Kronock.

  “You still can’t sleep well?” she asked without looking up.

  Since she’d known him, Zayn had suffered from nightmares and flashbacks having to do with the mission that had gone sideways and ended with his entire platoon being slaughtered by the Kronock and him being taken captive. Even though he didn’t talk about it often, she knew the guilt still gnawed at him.

  “I just enjoy mornings out here.” He kissed the top of her head. “And I enjoy watching you sleep and listening to the little noises you make.”

  She swatted his chest. “I do not make noises when I sleep.”

  He laughed. “You do, and they’re so soft and sweet it takes all my self-control not to crawl on top of you and give you a reason to make more noise.”

  Katie let her hand drift down to the taut ridges of his stomach. “You should wake me up.”

  He leaned back and looked down at her, his cerulean-blue eyes intense as he tangled a hand in her curls and pulled her into a deep kiss. Letting herself sink into it, she lifted her hands to loop around his neck. The warmth of his lips sent pleasure coursing through her body and had her arching into him, eager to feel his rigid length as it pressed against her hip.

  “Well, we’re both up now,” she said when they separated, her voice nearly a purr.

  He emitted a noise in the back of his throat that was part groan and part growl. “And I have to leave.”

  Katie jerked back. “Leave? Now? It’s the crack of dawn.”

  Zayn grinned. “Actually, it’s later than you think. I adjusted our holographic settings for later sunrises, since you enjoy sleeping late, but I am due on the bridge very shortly.”

  She was about to scold him for tricking her with the settings—although she appreciated the extra sleep—but then she felt a pang of guilt that she’d forgotten about today. His first day back as a fully commissioned Drexian warrior, and his first day working on the space station’s command deck.

  She knew how important it was to him to work again. After escaping from the Kronock, his adjustment back into Drexian life hadn’t been smooth, and at one point he’d even been suspected of sabotage. Even though his name was cleared and he’d finally been given the go-ahead by the medical team to return to duty, it had taken a while for the Drexian leadership to decide where to put him. This appointment to the bridge was a big deal, and one that he fully deserved.

  “That’s right. I’m so sorry I forgot.” She glanced back into the room. “Should I call for breakfast?”

  He shook his head. “I’ll grab something on the promenade. One of those stimulants you love so much.”

  Katie let out a breath. “Okay, as long as you understand that it’s not real coffee.”

  “Understood.” Zayn laughed, as he stepped out of his pants and walked toward the bathroom, leaving Katie to ogle his naked ass.

  That view never gets old, she thought, as she watched him disappear into the bathroom and heard the shower turn on. He was so hot and built and just all-around gorgeous that she still felt like shaking herself sometimes. Zayn was a far cry from her loser boyfriends on Earth. Actually, everything on the Boat was a far cry from her life back in L.A.

  There, she’d been broke with pathetic job prospects, and law enforcement convinced she’d had something to do with the socialite Mandy Talbot’s disappearance. Turns out, Mandy hadn’t disappeared. She’d been abducted by aliens. She almost laughed as she thought about the gossip rags she’d worked for as a paparazzo. She didn’t regret abandoning her plan to reveal the existence of the Drexian’s space station, and their decades-long program of taking women from Earth, but she would love to see the looks on the slimeball editors’ faces if the
y knew the truth. Especially that lowlife from the Enquirer.

  She’d given that up, along with any hope of returning to Earth, when she’d decided to marry Zayn. A decision she’d never regretted for a moment.

  “You okay?” Zayn asked, walking out of the bathroom with a beige towel wrapped around his waist, and droplets of water dripping off his short, dark hair.

  Katie looked up, his voice snapping her out of her thoughts.

  “What is that expression Serge used the other day?” Zayn pulled off his towel and rubbed it over his wet hair, crossing to the tall, wooden dresser and opening drawers. “A penny for your thinking?”

  “Penny for your thoughts,” Katie corrected him. “Serge may be an expert on weddings, but he’s not the last word on Earth expressions.”

  Even though she’d seen her husband naked plenty, the sight of him never failed to impress her. He pulled on tight, black boxer-briefs, and her mouth went dry when she saw how well he filled them out. She flopped back on the bed, draping her arms over her head and letting her short, silk nightie ride up. “You sure you have to leave?”

  Glancing back over his shoulder, Zayn bit his bottom lip. He pulled on dark uniform pants and a tight T-shirt, then took a couple of long strides to the bed, bracing his arms on either side of her and leaning down. He nipped her neck. “Positive, but I’ll be back tonight.”

  Katie sighed, his warm breath sending shivers down her spine. “I’m counting on it.”

  He kissed her neck, inhaling deeply before standing back up. “Don’t you have something to do with the other tributes today, anyway?”

  Rolling over, Katie let out a huff of breath. “That. Yeah, I guess I do.”

  He chuckled as he returned to the dresser and pulled out a starched uniform jacket. “You don’t sound excited. Mandy made me think this was something fun.”

  Katie knew that Zayn saw Mandy, one of the other tribute brides—and the woman she’d been suspected of kidnapping on Earth—when he went to the medical bay for periodic follow-ups from his surgery. Her fellow tribute bride worked there, and was training to be a medic. Even though Mandy was the reason she’d been abducted from Earth, Katie had made peace with the woman, and the two had even become good friends. That didn’t mean she was on board for Mandy’s latest idea.