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  She wished desperately that she hadn’t allowed herself to be separated from Serge. The Gatazoid might be overly dramatic at times, but she knew he would give his life to keep her safe, although she didn’t know what the alien could do against someone as big as this guy. He wasn’t Drexian-sized, but he had at least fifty pounds on her. Not that it was hard, considering she was only a couple of inches over five feet tall.

  Madeleine took a moment to focus her mind. Being petite had never stopped her from doing anything before. She’d gone toe-to-toe with male paramedics and had kicked plenty of ass on the Muay Thai mats.

  His hand moved from where it circled her waist up to her breasts, and he cupped one, squeezing it. “Just enjoy it. Life is meant to be enjoyed.”

  More of this crap, she thought. From her experience, life was hard, and bad shit happened. Which was why she hadn’t been shocked when she’d been abducted by the Drexians and then again by the space pirates. Disaster was always there waiting for her, which was why she liked to meet it head-on. It couldn’t take you by surprise and level you if you were expecting it.

  But she also knew how to be smart, and how clueless guys—any guys—could be.

  “Maybe you’re right,” she cooed, arching into him. “You do feel good.”

  He rolled her nipple between his fingers, and she gritted her teeth. She was going to enjoy kicking this prince’s precious balls. Turning slowly, she lifted her arms to wrap them around his neck.

  He leered down at her, his blond hair damp and falling forward around his face. “You’re about to feel even better.”

  “Too bad you’re not.” She smiled at him as she brought her knee up fast to connect squarely with his groin.

  His eyes widened, then rolled back in his head as his hands went to his crotch.

  Madeleine spun around and ran as quickly through the water as she could, making it halfway up the steps before her ankle was snapped back. Bracing her arms to catch her fall, she landed on the stairs and pain shot through one leg.

  “Not so fast,” he growled from behind her, his body covering hers as she tried to pull herself out of the pool entirely.

  Fuck, he was heavy. She tried to twist around, but his weight kept her pinned down.

  He took her wrists and anchored them both over her head. “I don’t think you were honest with us.”

  She let out a choked laugh as she struggled against him. “What was I dishonest about?”

  He pressed his lips to her ear. “You didn’t take your pill.”

  “What pi—?” Suddenly she remembered the blue pill Serge had been so eager to take and she’d spit out. The pills that were supposed to prevent radiation poisoning. “You tried to drug me?”

  He laughed. “Don’t think you’re special, female. Every Spartosian takes them. Our water contains the same compounds, but the pill provides a daily dose in case a resident isn’t exposed to the water enough.”

  She heaved in a breath beneath his heavy body. “The drinking water is drugged too?”

  “Drinking water?” Another chuckle. “All water on Spartos contains special properties that release inhibitions. The ruling class just decided to give it a little helping hand.”

  A planet covered in water that made you feel all loopy and loose. Just perfect.

  “Not to worry.” He held her wrists down with one hand while the other hand fiddled with a large ring on his finger. The top of the domed ring popped open to reveal one of the blue pills she’d refused earlier.

  Before she could clamp her mouth closed, he’d plucked out the pill and shoved it into her mouth, pressing his mouth firmly to hers as she tried not to swallow. Her attempts to spit it out or bite him were fruitless, and after a minute, she felt the pill dissolving on her tongue.

  No, no, no, no, no, no. If she’d gotten all doped up just from breathing in the water’s steam, what the hell would she feel like after ingesting the pill?

  She bucked against him, but her movements were sluggish. Wait, why was she fighting against him? His hard body was warm against her back, and her skin felt tingly where he rubbed against it. She sagged against the floor, and he loosened his grip on her wrists.

  “Now you’ll understand what it’s like to experience life as a Spartosian,” he murmured into her ear as he rolled her over.

  Looking up at him, she tried to remember why she didn’t want this, but her thoughts were fuzzy. Why wouldn’t she want to feel good? It wasn’t like she hadn’t had her share of boyfriends, although she’d never fucked someone she didn’t know. But, why hadn’t she? Her heart beat faster as she felt something hard press against her legs. Why shouldn’t she do what felt good?

  Something niggled at the back of her brain, but she couldn’t bring it into focus. If it felt good it had to be okay, right? And right now, Madeleine felt good. She gazed up at the male hovering over her, his eyes hungry. Then his face went slack and he slumped on top of her, his dead weight almost knocking the wind out of her.

  Before she could push him off her, his body was lifted and dropped to one side with a loud thump. She sat up, swiveling her head around the empty room. What the hell had happened?

  Something gripped her hand and yanked her up. “Come on, Madeleine. We need to go.”

  Chapter Eight

  Brok pulled her forward, glancing furtively around the room. At least the Spartosian male on the floor wasn’t getting up. Then again, he’d thumped him on the head pretty hard. Not that the grekking bastard hadn’t deserved it.

  Rage pounded through him as he replayed the scene he’d walked in on. Madeleine naked and splayed out underneath the alien—clearly out of it—and the male getting ready to take her. The Spartosian had been lucky he hadn’t snapped his neck. He tugged at her hand once more, needing to get her out of there.

  Madeleine leaned back, swatting at his hand even though she clearly couldn’t see him. “What’s going on? Who’s there?”

  Brok steadied his breath, reminding himself that being grabbed by an invisible force must be pretty disconcerting. He pressed a button on the device on his waist, waiting a moment until the cloaking disengaged and he appeared in front of her. “I’m Captain Brok of Inferno Force. I’m here to rescue you.”

  The human gaped at him, her mouth dangling open as she looked him up and down. “How did you do that?”

  “Drexian technology.”

  She thought about that for a moment before tilting her head at him. “And why are you only wearing underwear?”

  He cocked an eyebrow at her, his gaze cutting to her naked body.

  She seemed to instantly realized she wasn’t dressed, her cheeks flooding with color, as she moved her free arm to cover her breasts. “Fair enough.”

  He saw a pile of clothing on the floor and picked it up, holding it out to her. “Is this what you were wearing before?”

  She nodded, taking the flimsy fabric and pulling it on in a rush, the fabric clinging to her wet skin. Stealing a glance over her shoulder at the crumpled body, she giggled then clamped a hand over her mouth.

  Shaking her head as if she was attempting to loosen something, she squinted at the body. “Is he dead?”

  Brok watched the rise and fall of the Spartosian male’s chest. “Unfortunately, not.”

  She swung her head back to him, blinking her wide eyes hard. “What do you mean unfortunately?”

  Brok leaned closer and saw how dilated her pupils were. “Have you been drinking?”

  She bit her lower lip, bobbing her head up and down. “I tried not to swallow the pill, but he made me.”

  Fury surged through Brok. “That is another reason I wish he was dead.”

  The human tried to glare at him, but her gaze wandered. “If he dies, who do you think these aliens are going to blame?”

  She had a point, although his own heart still pounded as a result of the fury he’d felt when he’d seen the male about to take advantage of her. It had been clear to Brok that she’d been out of it, and the naked Spartosian see
med to have no problem with fucking a female who wasn’t able to give consent. But maybe he’d misread the situation. Had she wanted that yellow-haired creature?

  “You wish I had not stopped him?”

  Madeleine shook her head. “I’m not saying that.” She rubbed her temples and flinched, the sudden head movement clearly painful.

  He touched a hand to her face. “Are you in pain?”

  She peered up at him, smiling vacantly. “I’m fine, but my head is still messed up from that pill.” Her gaze wandered down his body. “Speaking of fine…”

  The rumors hadn’t mentioned pills that made you act goofy, although he supposed a hedonistic society would want to have inhibitions as low as possible. From what he’d seen on the boat and out in the city, the pills worked all too well.

  “Let’s hope it wears off soon,” he said, shifting under her blatant gaze.

  “You said you’re with Inferno Force?” She returned her gaze to his face. “Is that connected to the Drexians?”

  “Yes. Inferno Force is the elite fighting division of the Drexian military.”

  She looked him up and down again. “So, they sent the tough guys to get me?”

  “I am usually more formally attired.” He cleared his throat. “Unfortunately, I took a swim in the ocean before coming here and had to leave my clothes back with the shuttle.”

  “That’s okay. You look good in your tight underwear.” She slapped a hand over her mouth the second the words left her lips.

  He held in a laugh, giving her a brief nod instead. “Thank you.”

  “I don’t know why I said that,” she whispered. “I think that pill loosened my tongue, which is not a good thing.”

  “No?” He allowed himself a grin at her obvious embarrassment, but was pleased at her compliment.

  She folded her arms over her chest and managed to give him a severe look. “You’re here to rescue me?”

  He remembered why he’d been so eager to get her out and reached for her hand again. “We need to get out of here before the Spartosian wakes up and alerts everyone.”

  She stopped him when he reached the door. “Wait. We can’t go out like this. At least, you can’t.”

  Brok glanced down at his mostly bare body, tattoos covering one side of his chest and half of one arm.

  “You don’t blend,” Madeleine said. “Can you do that disappearing thing again?”

  “Yes, but you’ll still be visible.”

  “But I’m an honored guest. And I’m dressed like the rest of them. You’re way too big to be from Spartos, plus you’re not blond, and I get the sense they aren’t bringing hot alien guys to their planet to spice things up.”

  Brok’s face warmed at being called a hot alien, and he quickly pressed his device, grateful when he vanished, and she could no longer see how her words had affected him.

  She’s not yours, he reminded himself. You’re only here to rescue her.

  Even if she had called him hot, it didn’t mean anything. He did have an impressive physique, after all, even if his face had been ruined. He let out a breath to steady himself, telling himself again that her words meant nothing.

  “Ready?” she whispered, glancing at the space where he’d been.

  He pushed open the door and peered out. No guards. There had been none when he’d located the room, and he was pleased to see that hadn’t changed.

  “This way.” He took her hand and pulled her behind him as he moved down the wide stone corridor away from the palace.

  “Is this the way to Serge?”

  Brok almost cursed when he remembered that the female wasn’t the only target of his mission. He took his other device off his belt and saw the second blinking red dot. The Gatazoid was somewhere in the basement of the palace, several levels down from where they were. He groaned. The chance of getting her down all those floors and back out again without being stopped was almost nonexistent.

  “I need to get you out first,” he said. “Then I’ll come back for the Gatazoid.”

  Madeleine wrenched her hand from his and put her hands on her hips. “No way. I’m not leaving without Serge.”

  He admired her loyalty, but he also knew it was more dangerous for the human female to be in Spartos than it was for the Gatazoid.

  “I promise we are not leaving him behind. But I need to get you to the shuttle first.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “Listen, that little Gatazoid has been my only friend throughout this entire crazy mess. He may be the strangest wedding planner I’ve ever laid eyes on, but he’s been right by my side from day one. You don’t know me, but I don’t leave a man behind. No way am I running off to safety and abandoning him, so you’re going to have to figure out a way to get both of us to the shuttle.”

  Grek. This was not going as well as he’d hoped. Before he could explain just how difficult retrieving Serge was going to be, footsteps echoed off the walls. Footsteps that were getting closer to them.

  Brok scanned the hallway but there was nowhere to hide, and they certainly couldn’t go back in the room. Not if that was where the approaching footsteps were heading. No, Madeleine needed to be far away when they found the injured Spartosian or when he came to on his own.

  “Shit,” Madeleine whispered, her eyes flicking to the door of the room they’d left. “This is not good.”

  Brok saw long shadows appear from around the corner, and knew it was only moments before Madeleine would be seen. Without thinking, he backed her against the wall, pressing his body as close to hers as possible and bending his head low to cover hers. She opened her mouth to make a noise of protest, but he silenced her with a hard kiss.

  He was vaguely aware of the footfall passing them, as her lips opened to him. He hadn’t planned to do more than stifle her yelp, but he found himself sinking into the warmth of her mouth. His tongue stroked hers as he kissed her more deeply, pressing her harder against the wall. All the desire that had been building up within him stormed through his body, and the only thing he could hear was the thumping of his heart, and all he could feel was the warmth of her mouth and the softness of her skin as his hands moved to her hips.

  What surprised him most was her reaction to him. Instead of pushing him away, she’d melted into the kiss, and even responded to his urgency with intensity of her own. After a moment, he pulled away and took a step back, the reality of where they were and what he’d done slamming into him. He was aware that his cock was hard and that it had been pressing into her hip.

  Madeleine looked stunned, as she heaved in a breath. Instead of slapping him or asking him why he’d kissed her, she swept her gaze down the hall to where the footfall had disappeared. “They didn’t see me.”

  He took a step closer, and when his body was flush with hers, she appeared to vanish. Stepping back again, he cleared his throat. “If I am close enough to you, the cloaking will cover you, as well.”

  Her eyes moved over him, but he knew she saw only empty space. She reached out a hand until her fingers bumped his bare chest. “Good to know.”

  Chapter Nine

  Madeleine pushed her damp locks off her forehead. If the shock of being rescued by an invisible Drexian hadn’t woken her from her stupor, the kiss certainly would have. Her lips still buzzed from it, and her pulse skittered wildly.

  She couldn’t see him now, but she’d gotten a good look at him when he’d disengaged the cloaking device. He was tall and broad—like all the Drexians she’d seen—but unlike the warriors she’d encountered on the Boat with starched uniforms and sharp salutes, this guy looked like he’d be at home in a biker bar on Earth. Not only was he tattooed, he had a scar running down one side of his face. The scar didn’t make him look any less gorgeous, though, or distract her from his startling aquamarine eyes. In fact, she liked his long, wild hair and dangerous appearance.

  She was drawn to bad boys—or the appearance of them—and Captain Brok of Inferno Force, with his ripped physique and blue eyes that flashed intensely, looked
like a Grade-A bad boy. And that kiss had proven it. There had been nothing tentative about the way he pressed her up against the wall. No, he’d kissed her like a man who was used to taking what he wanted, and it sent a shiver of unwanted pleasure down her spine.

  “I think they’re gone,” she said, when she realized he wasn’t moving.

  “Right.” He cleared his throat. “I was taking you to the shuttle.”

  “Nice try.” She twisted her hand out of his grasp. “We were going to find Serge.”

  Brok sighed, and she didn’t need to see him to know the exasperated expression on his face. She also didn’t need to see him to know how close he was to her. She could feel the body heat rolling off him.

  “You are not making this easy, Madeleine.”

  She liked the way he pronounced her name, drawing out each syllable so that it sounded more exotic. “Call me Maddie. And I didn’t know Inferno Force needed things to be easy.”

  A low rumble from him echoed off the stone walls. “I am only trying to keep you safe.” He paused. “Is Madeleine not your name?”

  “No, it is.” Since her parents had died, almost no one called her by her full name. It was quicker to shout for ‘Maddie’ when she was on an emergency call, and the nickname seemed to better suit her than the more elegant Madeleine. “Maddie is shorter, though, so most people end up calling me that.”

  “If you do not mind, I prefer to call you Madeleine.”

  She felt a rush hearing him say her name in his husky voice, so she shrugged. “Suit yourself, but it doesn’t change the fact that I’m going to get Serge—with or without you.”

  Another huff of breath. “If you were on my ship, you would be put in the brig for disobeying orders.”

  “Good thing we’re not on your ship, then.” She smiled sweetly at the empty space where she assumed he was standing. “And I’m not a Drexian warrior, or part of Inferno Force, so technically I don’t have to follow your orders.”

  He muttered several words she couldn’t understand, but she guessed they weren’t flattering. “Listen,” she said. “I’m not trying to be a pain in the ass, but I can’t ditch my only friend here to save my own neck. If we’re leaving, we’re doing it with Serge. Once we get him, I’ll gladly follow any order you give me.”