Favored by Felix Read online

  “Take off the nightgown.” He left no room for doubt. This was an order, meant to be obeyed.

  “I…” Casey paused, traces of uncertainty unfurling inside her mind. Had she pushed him too far?

  His hand flashed out and he grasped the neckline of her nightgown. She froze, her gaze snapping to his stormy one.

  “Not fast enough,” he purred, and gave a mighty tug.

  The rent of the fabric filled the hut as he tore her nightgown from bodice to hem, and shocked, she just blinked.

  The tiny matching panties drew his gaze. “Off,” he said.

  Casey remained rigid with shock. She hadn’t thought…hadn’t expected this level of reality with her fantasy.

  Felix gave a half grin and grasped her panties before she could move. He tugged them down her legs in one smooth yank and deposited them on the floor. He lifted a light and held it over her nude body.

  “You’ve hurt yourself.”

  Casey gave her body a quick visual sweep and prodded a bright-red spot. “Just a bruise.”

  “You’ve cut your feet. They’ll need treating. Wounds go septic quickly in this heat.”

  Casey stared at him, now totally confused. Then her mind cleared. Of course. It wouldn’t look good for the resort if the guests were injured.

  Felix picked up an urn of water and pulled a basin from beneath the sleep-bed. He reached under again and came up with a small med-box.

  “Sit on the edge of the bed.”

  When she followed his order, he didn’t peruse her naked breasts or ogle the rest of her body, and a trace of pique filled her. Instead, Felix pushed the basin closer and half filled it with water. She studied his face as he tended to the cuts and nicks one foot at a time. He produced a towel and dried her feet before spraying on anti-germ. The serum stung, and she bit her bottom lip because the way he showed such concern made her want to bawl.

  Soldiers don’t cry. Soldiers don’t cry.

  The stern words she’d heard since childhood echoed through her brain.

  Soldiers also followed orders—and she hadn’t. Unknowingly, she might have sabotaged the general’s plans, because she hadn’t liked the taste of the new vitamins or the weird way they made her feel. Right now, Casey wasn’t sure if that was a lucky break or not.

  Regardless, if the general got his way, it likely wouldn’t make a phrullin’ difference.

  Gods, she was losing her mind. A male showed her a bit of kindness and it turned her inside out.

  “Okay?”

  Casey swallowed, nodded, not wanting to risk speech because those tears were hovering like that big bird, waiting for an opportunity to swoop.

  “Good.” Felix tidied up and set the basin of water aside. Then he turned to her and roared, “What the fuck did you think you were doing? It’s dangerous out there! You can’t just wander around on your own.”

  Casey blinked, shock keeping her quiet. No one ever worried about her safety. No one showed concern. No one did anything except give orders and expect her to complete missions. “Ah…sorry?” she said, a faint query in her voice.

  “You’re sorry?” he snapped. “Gods, if anything had happened to you—” He broke off and dropped onto the edge of the sleep-bed. “Come here.”

  Puzzlement drew her brows together, and she knew he saw her confusion.

  “I don’t ever want to go through that again,” he said, his voice soft yet more powerful for the leashed emotions.

  She eyed him warily as he patted his knee.

  “You didn’t think I’d let you get away with scaring me half to death, not without punishment.”

  Again the soft voice, the scary tone that made her hesitate.

  “Casey.” He patted his knee again, and this time it was very clear what he expected.

  Casey vacillated a fraction longer before edging closer.

  “That’s right, sweetheart. Drape yourself over my knee.”

  When she faltered again, he pounced, grasping her upper arms and dragging her over his knee. One second she was staring into his jade eyes and the next, she stared at the dirt floor.

  Her legs scissored, arms flailing in an attempt to get free. Felix held her in place without difficulty, his hand a heavy weight in the middle of her back. Finally she subsided, lying quietly over his knee, her heart pumping anxiety through her body.

  The crack of his hand against her bottom dragged a pained cry from deep in her throat. She squirmed and wriggled, kicked her legs once more, but he controlled her struggles and smacked her again. Hot, angry heat reverberated across her skin. Pain pushed at her stupid tear ducts again and this time a tear rolled down her cheek.

  “You will not.” Smack. “Do anything.” Smack. “So foolhardy again.” Smack. Smack. Smack.

  Another tear plopped to the ground. Her flesh burned where he struck, and each smack landed in a different place, agitating a different part of her bottom.

  “Do you hear me, Casey?” This in a silky tone, one she hadn’t heard before. “Casey?” His hand roughly caressed her burning buttocks and she winced. “Are you going to answer me?”

  “I hear you.”

  “Good girl.” He lifted his hand and smacked her again.

  She cried out, her shout cutting off abruptly when this time his hand settled on her buttocks and stroked, rather than punished. A heat of a different kind blossomed between her legs. Her breath caught while her pulse raced.

  “But to make sure you think hard before disobeying me again, I’m going to give you two more blows. That will be ten in total. Do you agree with your punishment?”

  “No.”

  He chuckled, a rich sound that intrigued her. Unwillingly. The man was a bossy brute.

  “Too bad,” he purred. “Because I rather like the look of my marks on your pert ass. I like the fiery color on your cheeks.” His fingers stroked and delved, made a foray between her legs. “And I think secretly, you might like it too.” Smack.

  No doubt about it. This time the heat had a decided sexual edge and desire directed her blood downward to pulse in her pussy.

  “Do you agree?”

  “No.”

  “Liar,” he purred, and as if to prove his words, he struck another blow, the angle different. Lower.

  A lick of heat roared through her, and this time she felt her arousal fully, heard the sound of her excitement when he slid his finger along her folds. He skimmed with skill and purpose, teasing her clit while holding her in place.

  “Imagine my cock filling you,” he said. “Sliding inside your moist cunt until I’m balls-deep. Can you imagine that?”

  A shudder went through Casey as his words seemed to crawl inside her and take root. Gods, she wanted a man that way. A real man, not one of those pleasure droids she had to make do with whenever her squad had leave. She wanted—no, craved—a real flesh-and-blood man like Felix.

  His finger moved, lightly massaged, and a thrill of pleasure streaked from his touch. The movement of his digit came to a stop, and she felt the pulse of her clit, the way it swelled at his touch.

  “Imagine me sucking your nipples until they change color from light pink to cherry red. Each time I suck, you feel it down here.” He pressed her clit and it jumped beneath his touch. “Then think about me fucking you hard, cramming inside your pussy so deep we’ll feel as one. We’ll both come and once we’ve taken everything each of us has to give, we’ll smell like each other. Any other male will know you belong to me.”

  Her heart jumped at his words, even though she knew he didn’t mean them. This was a game. Pure fantasy. But oh, she liked the sound of it—the raunchy fun. The sense of knowing he wanted to mark her with his scent. So primitive and thrilling.

  “No comment?” His finger moved again, a sensual slip and slide. Then he thrust a finger inside her, grunting with satisfaction.

  She cried out in protest when he withdrew his finger, her hips jerking as she tried to drive him deeper. The hot skin of her backside pulled, the streak of pain combining
with the erotic teasing of his finger to make something better.

  “It’s all right, sweetheart,” he crooned, and drove three fingers into her needy flesh.

  Casey gasped at the intrusion. It wasn’t painful. In fact it was just what she wanted, and she made a hum of pleasure when he set up a quick rhythm. On each withdrawal he twisted his fingers, catching a sensitive spot deep inside her. A groan sounded and his laugh told her the throaty cry had spilled from her mouth. Gods, that felt good.

  “Do you like the feel of my fingers, Casey?”

  “Y-yes.” Her body shuddered when he hit the special place again.

  “Can you imagine my cock? Can you imagine my body draped over yours as I slam into you from behind?”

  “Yes.” Gods, she wanted that so much.

  His fingers thrust, pulled out, thrust, pulled out. She quivered, her hips rising and falling on his lap as she strained to reach the climax hovering on her horizon.

  His fingers danced over her delicate flesh. They teased, and Casey squeezed her eyes shut. Her heart was hammering so hard she wondered if it might climb up her throat and burst from her mouth. Felix moved his fingers, stroked, and she came so hard she saw stars. Her channel pulsed around his digits, clutching and releasing for long moments until the spasms tailed off.

  “Good girl,” he whispered, and pulled his fingers from her body.

  He lifted her off his knee and placed her facedown on the bed. “Stay,” he said when she attempted to roll over. “Let me put something on your backside to take away the heat.”

  Too bemused by his actions and wrung out from the orgasm, she gave up the idea of disobeying because it seemed like too much effort to fight.

  “This will feel cool,” he warned. “But it’ll take some of the residual sting away.”

  She started, despite his warning, the cold salve a shock against her hot skin. And he was right—the ointment did take away the heat.

  He shifted off the sleep-bed and she turned her head, curious as to what he was doing now.

  Stripping.

  His boots thudded onto the dirt floor then he started working on his shirt. One fastening at a time popped open. Her breath caught upon seeing his bare chest, the bulge of muscles as he shrugged off his shirt. Muscles more spectacular than anything she’d imagined when they were together on the resort beach. The corners of his eyes crinkled, and she felt an answering grin knock against her lips, ready to come out to play. He knew she was interested. Scurvy sky pirates, she was more than interested. Man-deprived soldier that she was.

  His hands dropped to the fastening of his trews. She watched, enthralled, as he revealed more of his body. His hips, his muscular thighs and long legs, and when he straightened, she got her first glimpse of his cock.

  His erect cock.

  “Like what you see?”

  Her tongue swiped across her bottom lip, and her gaze skipped up to his face to find him grinning.

  “Casey? Are you going to answer?”

  “Yes. I haven’t had sex for so long. Don’t tease me.”

  Interest glinted in his eyes. “How long?”

  “Whenever we have furlough, we stop at one of the pleasure planets. Only droids available there. No men.”

  “So you haven’t had sex with a real man for how long?”

  “I can’t remember.” And she never would if the general had anything to do with it.

  “What about the men on your squad?”

  “It creates problems within the squad. Discipline. Jealousy. Envy. Problems with the chain of command. Sex screws everything up.”

  Felix nodded and cupped his cock. “Understandable.” He stroked himself, his gaze on her the entire time.

  Casey licked her lips again, and he gave a soft groan.

  “I’m not going to go easy on you this first time, Casey.”

  “That’s okay.” The truth was, even though she’d come and climaxed hard already, she ached to feel his cock stretching her. And even more, she craved the feel of him wrapped around her…because no one touched her anymore. “You won’t hurt me.”

  Weirdly, she truly believed he wouldn’t hurt her. She didn’t know why—it was a gut instinct, and in her line of work, that aptitude was part of the skill set.

  Felix released his cock and crawled onto the sleep-bed. He pulled her into his arms, and she shivered at the avalanche of emotions that struck her with brute force. Foremost was the sense of connection, and tears—those wretched tears—stung her eyes again.

  Why? Why did she have to find this man now when it was too late and everything was about to change?

  Chapter Three

  Felix stilled at the sudden tension in her body. “Have you changed your mind?”

  “No!” She gripped his shoulders with talon-like fingers. “No, I want this. You.”

  Instead of answering, Felix pushed her flat on the mattress and rose over her. With his thigh, he wedged her legs farther apart and settled into the space he’d created. Her arms wound around his neck, and she gave a sigh—a happy one, he hoped. Something he’d said or done had tripped her buttons and caused the unhappiness to cloud her whiskey-brown eyes.

  Felix lowered his head and pressed a kiss to her temple. Her hair was prickly beneath his exploring fingers. So short. He usually liked his women with long hair.

  “Why do you keep your hair so short?”

  “So I blend. It’s important to fit in with the military style of life.” She sounded as if she was regurgitating an oft-repeated lesson, her tone rigid like the volcanic stones littering the compound.

  “It feels spiky yet soft. Smells good too. I bet the other soldiers don’t smell like you.”

  Her nose wrinkled, and some of the murkiness disappeared from her eyes. “No. Some consider it a point of honor to shun the sanitary unit whenever possible.”

  “I bet they spruce up before they hit the pleasure planets.”

  Casey made a scoffing sound. “Of course they do. They want to get lucky with the real thing, if possible. Too much talking,” she muttered and drew his head down to crush their mouths together.

  Since she was heading in the direction he wanted, Felix allowed the distraction. But the important thing was he knew she’d used sex to change the subject, and his gut told him it was something in her military life causing her heartache. He could be patient. He had days to exert his fortitude.

  Felix settled in to erase her problems—for a time, at least.

  He took the kiss deeper, made it slower, more suggestive, until his balls burned with the need for release. His hands plucked at her breasts, tugged on the pink nipples until the color deepened to a pleasing rose.

  She was with him every second of the way, her hands roaming his back, his buttocks, meeting every kiss with urgency. Her soft cries pushed at his feline. Felix gritted his teeth, astonished when he felt his canines lengthening.

  Crap! He’d never faced this problem before. Double crap! His claws were starting to protrude from above his fingernails.

  Faster. He needed to stop with the lazy exploration and getting-to-know-her stuff. “Close your eyes,” he ordered. “Tell me everything you’re feeling.”

  “I feel wonderful,” she said with a happy sigh. “My breasts are tingling, and I can feel myself getting wetter and wetter. Ready for your cock.”

  “Pleased to hear it.” God, his voice. It sounded as if his throat were full of gravel. Time to get moving with this fucking. The last thing he wanted right now was to show her his dual nature. Bad enough that he intended to keep her possibly against her will. One shock at a time would work best.

  Felix ran a careful finger down her slit and found she hadn’t exaggerated her readiness.

  “Ooh,” she said and shivered.

  That did it. Felix guided his cock to her opening and slammed home with one seamless thrust. Balls-deep, he panted, trying to get a firmer grip on his feline.

  “Move,” Casey ordered.

  Felix chuckled and obeyed her bossy
tone. He withdrew and thrust back hard. She winced and he froze. “Am I hurting you?”

  “My butt’s sore,” she whispered, and a delicate pink flooded her cheeks.

  “I didn’t know soldiers blushed.”

  “I don’t. We don’t.” At the mention of the military, she went wooden beneath him, and he silently cursed.

  “The sore bottom will help remind you that misbehaving won’t go unpunished.” Unable to stop himself, he pulled back and plunged into her moist heat. Her sheath clenched around his cock, gripping his dick in a loving embrace. Fuck that felt good, made him wonder why he’d waited so long to have a woman.

  “Faster, Felix.”

  “Whatever the lady wants.” He set up a fast pace of thrust and withdraw, his balls screaming at him to release, but he gritted his teeth, foolishly wanting to come with his new mate. He wanted perfect for their first time. He squeezed his fingers between their bodies and stroked her clit. The tiny bundle of nerves was swollen, much to his great relief. He gave her a couple more rubs and when he felt the ripple of her channel, he pulled back and let himself go. One stroke. Two. Three.

  She groaned, and the spasms around his cock became more regular. He stroked into her one more time and his orgasm exploded like a volcano. Sensations tore up his dick, streaked through his body until he felt as if he were imploding. The contractions of his cock went on for long moments before tailing off and ceasing.

  “Wow,” Casey said. “That was worth waiting for.”

  Hell yeah, Felix thought. He shifted his weight so he wouldn’t crush her but remained inside her body, liking the physical contact. At least neither of them needed to worry about producing offspring from their mating. Saber had insisted his brothers get control inoculations, and women visiting the resort had to consent to receiving a similar common shot upon arrival. No messy slipups for Middlemarch Resort. The control inoculations made things simple and spontaneity would never hit them over the head with consequences.

  His feline had settled, but Felix felt him beneath his skin, the contented purring. They were both in agreement.

  Casey Seonaid was the one for them. She would become their mate.