Not the Man She Thought Read online

  But when they lifted off and flew out of the ship, it was to find themselves in the middle of a skirmish between the Federation cruiser and several other smaller spacecrafts. Laser fire flew back and forth all around them as dozens of Federation fighters zipped all over the place. Laken’s stomach clenched. There was no way they were going to escape now. The Federation fighters would shoot them down, and if they didn’t, one of the other ships would surely get them.

  “Rade...?” she began, but her voice trailed off as he pulled the shuttle to the right to avoid a cluster of fighters heading their way.

  Laken grabbed the edge of the seat, her heart hammering in her chest. At first, she’d thought the Federation ships were the only ones shooting at them, but as Rade maneuvered the tiny shuttle in and out of danger, she realized the resistance vessels were shooting at them, too.

  Suddenly, the shuttle shuddered violently.

  “Shit!” Rade swore.

  She turned wide eyes on him. “What is it?”

  “We’ve been hit.”

  “What are we going to do?” she asked even as the shuttle started to buck and make alarming noises.

  “Land.”

  Laken stared at him in disbelief. “Where?”

  “Marlon Prime,” he told her. “It’s closest.”

  Laken said nothing. She didn’t care how close Marlon Prime was, there was no way they were going make it, she was sure of it. Not with the way the shuttle was acting. In fact, she didn’t think it was going to hold together for another minute.

  But to her amazement, Rade somehow managed to get them safely down to Marlon Prime. It wasn’t the smoothest landing she’d ever seen, but they were alive and that was all that mattered.

  “Are you all right?” Rade asked.

  She nodded, turning to look at him in concern. “What about you?”

  “All in one piece.” He leaned forward in his seat to look outside at their surroundings. Though night had already fallen, there was sufficient light coming from Marlon Prime’s moons to see well enough, and what he saw made him frown. “We need to get out of here.”

  She automatically got to her feet when he did. “Why? What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. But we’ve made a mess out of this field.” He moved to unlatch the shuttle door. “Come morning, someone is bound to want to investigate, and I don’t want us to be here when they do.”

  Though she could see his point, her brow still furrowed as he pushed open the door. “Where are we going to go?”

  He stepped outside, then turned to offer her his hand. “Somewhere we can hide out until I can figure out how to get in touch with my ship.”

  Taking his hand, Laken stepped out of the shuttle and looked around. They had landed in what she’d first thought was a simple clearing, but after taking in the organized rows of plants, she realized it was some sort of farmer’s field.

  “Will the Federation come after us?” she asked, quickening her step to match his as they walked along the neatly planted rows.

  Rade gave her a sidelong glance. “Since they’re under attack, it’ll take them a while to figure out we’ve escaped, but once they do, then yes.”

  She gave a little shiver at that. “What if we can’t contact your ship? I mean, what if your crew thought we were dead? Wouldn’t they leave the Tobagee System?”

  In the darkness, she saw the corner of his mouth edge up. “They won’t give up on us that easily. Right now, they’re doing everything they can to find us.”

  Laken couldn’t help but smile at that; he was probably right. “How much farther until we get to a town, do you think?”

  “We can’t go into a town,” Rade said. “Not with me wearing this uniform. The Federation isn’t too popular among the locals.”

  She hadn’t thought about that. “How are we going to get in touch with your ship then?”

  “I’m not really sure about that myself right now. I’m just hoping an opportunity presents itself...” he stopped in his tracks, his voice trailing off. “But until then, this will work just fine.”

  Laken stopped, too. “What is it?”

  Rade jerked his head toward a shape in the darkness. “A barn. We can hide out there until morning. Come on.”

  Taking her hand, he led her through the field toward the building.

  Having lived in the city all of her life, Laken had never been in a barn before, but it was a lot like she’d imagined one would be. It was a just a big square building with a loft, stalls and a lot of big farm animals. It was roomier than she’d thought one would be, though, and it smelled, too. It wasn’t an altogether unpleasant odor, she supposed, just one she wasn’t used to. But it was the horses that fascinated her. She had seen them on holo-vids, but never in person, and she had to admit they were beautiful animals. Unable to resist, she walked over to one of the stalls and gently caressed the nose of a big bay. At her touch, he snorted and leaned into her hand.

  “Do you ride?” Rade asked.

  She shook her head. “No. Do you?”

  His eyes clouded for a moment before he looked away. “When I was younger.”

  Before the Federation murdered his family. She longed to tell him how sorry she was for what had happened, but she didn’t want to bring up any more painful memories. Deciding to change the subject instead, she gave the horse’s nose another pat, then walked across the barn to where Rade stood.

  She hugged herself. “Do you think we’ll be safe here?”

  “For tonight, at least.” He reached out to gently cup her cheek. “I’ll keep you safe, Laken. I promise.”

  Laken’s breath caught at the tenderness in his voice. “I know.”

  She expected Rade to pull away, to drop his hand and say something about finding them a place to sleep for the night, but he didn’t. Instead, he stood gazing down at her with those soulful, dark eyes of his. He’d had that same look the other night. Her pulse quickened even as her lips parted in invitation.

  Very slowly, Rade bent his head and kissed her. His mouth was gentle, but deliciously demanding at the same time, and she melted against him with a little sigh. At her surrender, Rade deepened the kiss, his tongue claiming hers as its willing captive. Breathless, Laken clutched at his shoulders, afraid if she didn’t she would slide right down to the floor.

  There was no chance of that, of course, not when Rade’s arm went around her to pull her close. A moment later, she felt the fingers of his other hand taking the pins from hair. Free from its confines, it tumbled down her back, and she moaned against his mouth as he slid his hair in the long tresses.

  Dragging his mouth away from hers, Rade took both of her hands in his and walking backward, led her into one of the unoccupied stalls. Without a word, he pulled her close and kissed her again.

  This time, his hands went to the buttons of her shirt. He fumbled with them for a moment before finally managing to get them undone. Once he did, he pushed the garment off her shoulders and down her arms. As it fell to the floor, he took a step back to look at her.

  Laken felt herself blush under the heat of his gaze as Rade slowly caressed her with his eyes. Without a word, he reached out to run a finger along the edge of her lacy bra. Her skin tingled where he touched her, and she inhaled sharply as his thumb teased her nipple through the silky material. She couldn’t believe the way he could make her feel with just a single touch. The bud immediately hardened beneath his touch, and she closed her eyes as Rade’s hands went to the clasp of her bra. It came away easily, her breasts spilling eagerly into his hands, and she arched against him as he gave her nipples a gentle squeeze.

  “Do you like that?” he asked softly.

  “Mmm,” she breathed.

  Chuckling, Rade lowered his head and closed his lips over one of her nipples. Laken gasped, her hands automatically gripping the front of his shirt to steady herself as he slowly suckled on first one nipple, then the other. She could have him do that all night.

  Rade must have had other plans because lifte
d his head. She started to protest, but the word came out as a moan when she realized he was undoing the buttons on her breeches. Her pussy tingled with anticipation. Obviously that part of her body wanted some attention, too.

  Hooking his thumbs in the waistband her breeches, Rade slowly pushed them down over her hips. A moment later, she was standing before him naked except for a skimpy pair of panties.

  “God, you’re beautiful,” he breathed.

  Laken blushed as he reached out to take her hand. Instead of pulling her into his arms like she’d expected him to do, though, Rade surprised her by leading her over to the stack of hay bales along the back wall. He picked up the blanket that was there and tossed it on the floor. Brow furrowing, she gave him a curious look as he sat down on the bale, only to blink in surprise when he gently guided her over his knee. Too startled to resist, she went willingly, but once draped over his knee, she automatically tried to push herself upright. A firm hand on the small of her back held her in place.

  She craned her neck to look over her shoulder at him. “What are you doing?”

  The corner of his mouth edged up. “Giving you that spanking you agreed to.”

  Laken blinked, confused. “Spanking? What spanking?”

  “You told me that if I got us away from the Federation, then you would let me spank you.”

  Had she really said that? Laken thought a moment, trying to remember. Maybe she had. “Do you have to do it now?”

  Rade gave her a shrug. “Why not? I can’t think of a better time or place to warm your bottom.”

  She blushed at his words. “But someone could hear.”

  He chuckled. “I don’t plan on spanking you that hard. In fact, I think you might actually enjoy this one.”

  Enjoy getting spanked? Not likely. But any further protest disappeared on her lips as Rade gently began to caress her panty-covered bottom. Almost against her will, Laken felt herself relax. Well, maybe this part was okay, she admitted grudgingly. Actually, she decided as he gave her cheeks a gentle squeeze, it was more than okay. It was delicious. Soon enough, however, her bottom would feel like it was on fire, she was sure.

  To her surprise, though, when the first smack came, it was barely more than a love pat. Laken held her breath as she waited for the next smack, but it wasn’t any harder than the first. Rather than follow with another, Rade stopped to caress her bottom again.

  Laken let out a little sigh, only to gasp when Rade suddenly gave her right cheek a firm smack. It was quickly followed by several more, each a little harder than the one before. But though she let out tiny yelps of protest after each and every smack as he worked back and forth from one cheek to the other, she had to admit this spanking wasn’t nearly as hard as the others he’d given her. He’d certainly never stopped to rub her stinging ass cheeks, either. She moaned softly as he gave them a gentle squeeze.

  Between her thighs, her pussy purred. Embarrassed and more than a little shocked that she might be enjoying having her ass reddened, she squirmed on Rade’s lap, and was surprised when she felt his hard cock press against her hip. He was as turned on as she was by the spanking. Had he gotten aroused all the other times he’d spanked her? The thought made her blush, and she was glad he couldn’t see her face.

  But then Rade was sliding her panties down, and Laken forgot all about her embarrassment as he caressed her bare bottom. She closed her eyes and let out another little moan. The sound quickly turned into a startled yelp, however, as he brought his had it down with a resounding smack on her upturned cheeks. Another quickly followed, then another and another until her entire ass was stinging.

  Then abruptly, Rade stopped to give her throbbing ass cheeks a squeeze. Laken gasped, but it quickly turned into a sigh of pleasure as he slipped his hand between her legs to finger her pussy. He ran his finger along her slick folds, then slowly slid it deep inside her wetness. “Do you know how wet you are?” he asked huskily.

  Laken could only moan in reply and wiggle against him.

  All at once, Rade slid his finger out of her pussy. In one smooth motion, he picked her up in his arms and gently set her down on the blanket he had tossed on the floor earlier. Laken gasped as her freshly spanked bottom came into contact with the rough material, but the sting was quickly forgotten as Rade stripped off his clothes. God, he was gorgeous.

  Tossing his breeches onto the floor, Rade joined her on the blanket. Bracing himself with an arm on either side of her head, he settled himself between her legs. She slid her hands up the muscles of his chest, eager to have him inside her, but he surprised her by rubbing the head of his cock up and down her folds.

  Laken bit her lip, stifling a groan of frustration. “No more teasing. I need you inside me. Please.”

  At her words, Rade immediately stopped what he was doing to position himself at the opening of her pussy. Then he entered her very, very slowly.

  Laken wrapped her legs around him, pulling him in as deep. He felt so good that she almost thought she could come just from the feel of him inside her.

  Leaning forward, Rade took possession of her mouth, taking her breath away with the passion in his kiss. Laken slid her hands into his hair, her tongue finding his to do an erotic dance.

  Rade pumped his hips slowly, his thrusts made her still-tingling ass grind against the rough material of the horse blanket, and she moaned against his mouth. The two sensations almost drove her out of her mind with how incredible they felt. If Rade could guarantee it would always be this good, she would let him spank her any time he wanted.

  Laken wrapped her legs around him more tightly and lifted her hips to meet his thrusts, matching his rhythm. Rade quickened his pace, driving his cock deep into her over and over until ecstasy surged through her. She cried out, not caring if anyone heard.

  Groaning with his own pleasure, Rade buried his face in the curve of her neck as he exploded inside her. The feeling of his hot cum filling her pussy sent Laken spiraling out of control and she came even harder.

  Laken curled up in his arms, her head pillowed on his chest. The first time she and Rade had made love, she had been afraid of what she’d felt afterward, but this time, there was no such fear. She loved him, and she wasn’t going to deny it any more.

  Chapter Ten

  It was still dark when Laken awoke the next morning. Sometime before she and Rade had fallen asleep the night before, he had covered them both with a blanket, and she snuggled closer to him beneath it now.

  “Are you cold?” Rade’s voice was soft in the darkness.

  “A little,” Laken admitted.

  Rade wrapped the blanket it more tightly around her, holding her close. “Better?”

  “Much,” she said. “I didn’t know you were awake.”

  “I’ve been up for a while.”

  “What time is it, do you think?”

  “A little before sunrise.”

  Somewhere in the barn, one of the horses snorted and Laken was reminded of the conversation she and Rade had had the previous evening. She hadn’t wanted to push then, but the desire to know more about him was too strong to ignore. “Last night, you said that you used to ride when you were younger. Did you grow up on a farm?”

  Rade was silent for so long that she didn’t think he was going to answer, but then he spoke. “Yes.”

  In the darkness, Laken idly ran her finger up and down his bare chest. “Dev told me about what happened to your family.”

  Rade stiffened at her words. “Dev talks too much,” he growled, his voice a low rumble beneath her ear.

  Laken caught her lower lip between her teeth. “Please don’t be angry with her. Dev only told me because she wanted me to understand why you do what you do.”

  “Why I’m a pirate, you mean?” he said, his words bitter in the dark.

  Laken pushed herself up an elbow to look down at him. Outside the sun was just starting to come up and she could see the tight set of his jaw in the dim light.

  “No, that’s not what I meant, Rad
e. You’re not a pirate, so don’t call yourself one.”

  His lip curled. “Why not? That’s what you called me.”

  “That was before I...”

  When her voice trailed off, he lifted a brow. “Before you what?”

  Before I saw the man you really are. And before I fell in love with you. Laken bit her lip, her face coloring as she realized what she’d almost said. “Before I found out that you put yourself at risk to save innocent people from the Federation.”

  An emotion she couldn’t quite name flickered across his handsome face for a moment, but then it was gone. He sat up beside her to stare out into the darkened barn. “You make me sound like I’m some kind of hero, Laken. I’m not.”