Chapter 9

Kurlack could feel her eyes on him. This woman who'd been married to the man's body he now inhabited kept sneaking peeks at him. He'd gone with his instincts with her and had told her about his mission. I can only pray my trust has not been misplaced. Samantha is a beautiful woman and very loyal to her daughter but can she understand why I'm killing the chherti? He still winced with the remembered pain he'd awoken to the night after he'd forced Samantha to acknowledge his dominance over her. The Queen bitch on Sarkin was reminding him of his duty. He'd packed a bag and was preparing to leave when Samantha had set her own bag down next to his. When he'd stared at her, she shrugged her shoulders.

"If you think I'm letting you go after Jagati and Bas without me, you're sadly mistaken, Kurlack. You can dominate me as much as you want in bed but out of it is another matter."

After judging her seriousness plus knowledge of his mission, he'd nodded and took her along with him.

Feeling her gaze once more, he turned to look at her.

"How much farther?"

Blushing at being caught staring, she glanced at the map folded across her lap. "It looks like only another couple of miles. According to my directions, we need to exit at Newton."

"Good."

"Kurlack?"

"What?"

"Promise me you won't hurt my daughter?"

"Samantha. My mission is the chherti. Your daughter is safe as long as she doesn't try to protect him."

"And if she does?" She seemed to be holding her breath.

"If I were you, Samantha, I would make sure she doesn't."

Fuming, Jagati glared at her protector. She was curled on her side flipping pages in a magazine, which he'd bought for her the last time he'd gone for food. Bas was lying on the other bed, cradling the remote against his flat stomach, watching cartoons of all things. Rolling onto her back, she winced. Her last attempt at escape had not gone well. Once Bas had freed himself from the bathroom, he'd found her quickly. He'd taken his displeasure out on her backside. She still couldn't believe he'd bent her over his knee and severely paddled her ass. Even more unbelievable was the dampness in her panties said spanking had caused. Get a grip, Jagati. Sooner or later he'll drop his guard.

"I wouldn't count on it." Bas spoke as if he'd heard her thoughts.

I didn't say that out did I?

"No." He didn't even bother to look at her.

"I can't believe this. There's no way you could've read my thoughts."

"I wouldn't say that, Jagati."

"Are you saying you can read my thoughts?"

"If I answer you, it'll only freak you out." The only part on him that moved was his head as he locked eyes with her.

"Really? It's so unlike you to keep secrets from me." She meant her voice to be sarcastic but the sarcasm seemed to be lost on him.

He swung his legs over the bed and sat up. "Any secrets I've kept from you were for your own good."

"Like the time that Sebastian Kurdos came to pick me up for a date and you wouldn't allow him access to the house?"

"You didn't hear him talking on his cell to his friends about how he'd planned on sharing you with them once he 'popped your cherry.'"

Jagati's cheeks flushed. "How did you hear that!"

"It was easy. He was waiting at the front gate. Tell me, Jagati, how much respect did he have for you if he was bragging about passing you around like a 'party favor' mere feet from your home where anyone could overhear? He wasn't good enough for you."

"And you think you are?" She surged off the bed, then headed into the bathroom, dismayed with his revelations. I can't believe we're arguing about something that happened so long ago ... it's been years.

"I know I am." His hands shot out and caught her as she tried to move past him. She landed against his wide chest. "You're mine, Jagati and the sooner you accept it, the easier this joining and our future will go."

"I don't belong to you, Bas. I never have. I was a directive given to a very sophisticated piece of machinery. Your primary directive was to take care of me. Nothing more." She tried to move out of his arms.

"I don't think so." He rolled with her and dragged her under his heavy body. Threading his fingers through her hair, he held her still. Staring into her eyes, it seemed he was content to do nothing more when he lowered his mouth to within an inch of hers. "Everything in me calls out for you. No one can take you away from me now. I won't let you go again. You're the other half of my soul." Sealing his mouth over hers, he captured her moan of protest.

Easing his tongue into her mouth, he savored the tartness of her. He'd been fighting his mind and body's demands that he complete the second tier of their joining. The need had been riding him hard for the past several days. He'd almost given in the day that she'd locked him into the bathroom; especially when he'd draped her across his knees and sharply paddled her ass. With his enhanced senses he could smell her arousal at the spanking. His little chherti had hidden depths. He'd resisted because he knew if he gave into his urges, the mating that would've followed would've been too violent. He didn't want her memory of losing her virginity to be one of pain or roughness instead of tenderness and shared passion.

I can't resist any longer. I've got to complete the second tier before we leave here to head back to Nepal but I won't take the decision from her.

He lifted his head and stared down at her passion-flushed face. "Jagati, chhetri, you've got to listen to me. I can't put this off any longer. You're going to have to make your decision."

"Decision? Bas I need you." Her dazed eyes tried to focus on him.

Damn it, she's already entered the second tier. Now I've got to complete it.

"Shh, I'll take care of you." He thumbed her nipple through her t-shirt. Her answering moan reverberated along the slender threads of their joining. Inhaling sharply, he fought the need to claim her without any preliminaries. No, I won't do it. She deserves more! With trembling hands, he pulled her shirt over her head. Dipping his head, he captured one stiff nipple between his teeth. Her slight pain flowed through him followed by her pleasure. Lifting himself completely off her body, he stood up and grabbed the waistband of her pants.

"Lift."

She obeyed and kicked her legs to assist his sliding her pants off. Bas's breath caught in his throat as he stared at the curly, dark pelt of hair between them. Unable to resist, he slid his fingers through it. Jagati arched towards his cupping hand and moaned.

"So soft." Parting her folds, he couldn't resist pressing his fingers into her moist entrance. His breath hissed out of his throat when he encountered the fragile barrier of her innocence. A rumble left his throat while a surge of possessiveness shook him. "Mine! My mate!"

"Bas! Ohhhhh!" Her hips arched off bed.

Bas fumbled with the fastenings on his jeans, his need for caution drowned out by the overwhelming need to claim his mate. When the damp head of his cock pressed against her wet opening, her fingers dug into his shoulders through his shirt. Growling deep in his throat, he flexed his hips and buried about half of his cock in her. Her resulting cry shook him. Trying to focus on her needs, he froze. Her brief agony was changing through their linked bonds into the realms of pleasure but there was still more to be obtained. Their joining was not yet complete.

"Jagati, chhetri?"

"Move!" Her desperation pushed him over the edge and he did as she commanded. Surging in and out of her he was bombarded by the growing ecstasy of their joining through the fragile mutual bonds. He could feel each stroke and her ardent responses strengthening the threads that linked them together.