HostileIntent Read online

  Hostile Intent

  Chandra Ryan

  Universal Defiance, Book Four

  A few hours of passionate, meaningless sex is all Renee needs to take the edge off before her next reconnaissance mission. And the dangerously handsome stranger she meets on the space station docks is more than happy to give it to her.

  But her quickie turns out to be a Coalition soldier who’s been ordered to kidnap her. Adam has no idea how tempting his new mission will be or how quickly his intended victim will work her way under his skin. And when someone tries to kill her, he must decide where his loyalties lie.

  If they’re going to survive, they’ll need help from Renee’s longtime lover. As an investigative reporter, Michael has the contacts and access to information they need. He also has a raw sexual chemistry with women and men alike, and Adam can’t resist.

  Inside Scoop: This ménage features some scorching male-male action.

  A Romantica® sci-fi erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

  Hostile Intent

  Chandra Ryan

  Chapter One

  “Strip.”

  Captain Renee Holt stared at the man sitting on the edge of the bed in the cheap space station motel and bit her tongue against the flippant remark that begged to be spoken. She was the one who gave the orders. Always.

  But he didn’t know that. How could he? He didn’t even know her name. And she didn’t know his. Anonymity was exactly what she needed. It was the way her family name and officer’s rank demanded this encounter be.

  The truth softened her desire to voice a witty comeback. This was what she wanted—what she’d gone searching for, she reminded herself patiently.

  “I said strip,” he repeated calmly.

  Except he was a little bossier than she liked, she corrected.

  If it hadn’t been three months since her last shore leave and if she didn’t find shaved heads, taut bodies and bad-boy charm so damn attractive, she’d walk away right now. But it had and she did, so there was nothing that could drag her away from this room. Not even a bossy bedmate. Not until she’d gotten what she’d come for, at least.

  She smiled at the evil little thought as she slowly undid the first button on her red silk blouse.

  “That’s more like it,” he said with a wicked smile of his own.

  He leaned back against the headboard and waited expectantly. He appeared more than comfortable calling the shots. Not that that should’ve surprised her. It’d been his quiet confidence that’d drawn her to him in the first place.

  That and the network of scars that raced from his forehead to his chin on the left side of his face. God, she had a weakness for scars. Always had.

  Scars built character.

  Or maybe it was the surviving of them.

  She’d never quite figured it out but the semantics really didn’t really matter much. He’d been tested and he’d passed. That was hot.

  It was also something they had in common. He’d never know, but as the captain for a covert ops team, she’d earned countless scars herself. Hers, however, she wore on her soul. And that, no one ever got to see.

  The second button slid through its hole, bringing the tops of her breasts into view. By the way his smile widened and changed to one of hunger, she guessed he liked what he saw.

  There wasn’t any music playing in the room but the bass from a nearby party rippled through the air and she couldn’t help rolling her hips in time with it as she undid the third button to expose the first glimpse of black satin.

  The matching bra and thong weren’t exactly military regulation but she always made a point of wearing sexy things when she wasn’t on duty. Femininity wasn’t encouraged in her profession so she relished moments like this, where she got to embrace her sexuality.

  When she looked down she realized she was already at the fifth button. Just two to go. She turned her back to him playfully as she finished unbuttoning the shirt and then looked over her shoulder as she let the article of clothing slip from her body to land in a gentle billow on the floor around her feet.

  She kept her back turned but continued to stare at him as she undid the single button on her black pencil skirt and then slowly slid the zipper down over her hip. The cool air of the room caressed her skin as she went and made her break out in goose bumps. Still, when she got to the black lace of her panties she paused to tease him with a glimpse before allowing the skirt to puddle on top of the discarded shirt.

  The intensity in his gaze made her stomach knot with need and her nipples harden in anticipation. Yeah, this was going to be good. It’d damn well better be.

  Unhooking her bra, she threw it to the floor and cupped her now-naked breasts in the palms of her hands before turning back to face him.

  “Was that what you had in mind?” she asked, taking a step toward him.

  “Definitely a start.” He looked down her body with appreciation glowing bright in his green eyes. As well it should. She was a perfectionist and insisted on being the best—at everything. That included working out. “I like that you left the panties and heels on. Nice touch.”

  She took another step, which brought her just out of his reach, before she started to gently caress her breasts with her hands. “And this?” She pinched one of her nipples between her thumb and finger. “Would you consider this a nice touch?”

  He chuckled gently as he watched her. “Damned if you don’t already have me figured out.”

  “Men aren’t all that mysterious. Some things are universal,” she teased.

  “Good to know.” His voice deepened as he stared at her playing with her nipples.

  The raw desire that sparkled in his eyes made her movements more brazen. Rolling one nipple between her thumb and finger, she moaned and threw her head back at the overwhelming heat that raced through her. But the covers rustling on the bed brought her attention immediately back to him.

  “Undress me,” he challenged as he stood in front of her.

  The thought of it made her smile. Maybe playing submissive wasn’t as bad as she originally believed. Just this once.

  He was a big guy. At five foot eight she was not petite but even in heels he was still several inches taller than her. And running one of her palms over his chest, she confirmed what she already suspected. His body was that of a fighter—all muscle and brawn.

  Wanting to feel his naked skin against hers, craving his warmth wrapped around and thrusting in her, she didn’t take nearly as long getting him out of his clothes as she’d taken with hers. When he was standing in only boxers in front of her, she took a step back so she could appreciate his well-muscled torso that V-ed into lean hips.

  Lovely.

  She sank her teeth into her bottom lip as she thought about those powerful thighs straddled under hers.

  “Like what you see?” His voice held a bitter edge she hadn’t expected. If she cared about his feelings she’d almost worry she’d insulted him in some way. But she didn’t care. She wasn’t here to psychoanalyze him.

  She hummed softly as her gaze made its way back up his impressive body. The scarring continued down to his left thigh and she found herself entranced by the intricate pattern of it as it branched out across his chest. Whatever caused it must have been painful. “Wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.”

  He laughed openly at her comment. “That’s what they all say.”

  Confused by the sarcastic tone the conversation was taking, she focused on his face once more. “Don’t know about the other girls you fuck, but I don’t lie.”

  He pulled her to him, her breasts brushing against his muscled torso. “Is that a fact?”

  “It is.” She pulled in a choppy breath as he caught one of her nipples between his thumb and forefinger. As he rolled it between th
e two fingers, she let out a breathy moan.

  God, she needed this. Rough, meaningless sex. It was the one thing she could never seem to get enough of. And since having casual affairs with her crew was frowned upon, it was something she had to live without far too often for her comfort.

  “You are very convincing, I’ll give you that.” His voice was gravelly as he pulled her even closer to him and began grinding his erection against her pelvis. Her silky panties slid against the cotton of his boxers and her body reacted to the slight friction. She was already slick, ready for him.

  “I could say the same about you,” she said as she rocked against him.

  “With you? Honey I don’t think there’s a living, breathing male who wouldn’t be hard right about now.”

  She groaned again as he pulled teasingly on her still-captive nipple. “You’d be surprised.” Her uniform scared off more men than it ever impressed. Part of the reason she always left it, and that life, behind when she came to this side of the station.

  He didn’t seem to notice her comment though. His attention appeared to be focused on the fingertip he was running under the waistband of her panties to caress the sensitive skin of her lower abdomen. She shivered with desire as his hand slipped lower in the garment and she licked the side of his neck with the tip of her tongue.

  His tug on the flimsy satin ripped the garment away from her body, leaving her completely naked in front of him at last. “I’ll pay for them.”

  “Not overly concerned about that right now.” She didn’t care about anything but getting him inside her. She needed him to fill the aching void gnawing at her.

  “On the bed, on all fours.”

  Irritation at the command cooled her slightly but it wasn’t enough to silence the hum of the desire curling through her body. She would do what he wanted but at her own pace.

  She made her way to the bed slowly and rolled her hips enticingly before climbing on top of the covers. When she was in the requested position she looked over her shoulder at him and asked, “Condom?”

  He was already opening the small foil package. “Of course.”

  As he slid it over his cock, she reached between her thighs to caress her clit. A husky moan escaped her as her fingers slid through the moisture gathered there. He’d barely touched her but she was already close to coming.

  “Another universal truth?” His surprised tone made her chuckle.

  “That men have a thing with watching? It certainly couldn’t be considered a secret.” Her heart beat harder at the thought of him watching her as she continued to slide her finger along the sensitive bundle of nerves hidden in the valley of her thighs. “If you don’t hurry, you might get to witness the next truth.”

  “Which would be?” He stroked the length of his erection as she slid a finger into her core.

  “That, as much as I’d love for this to be you, I’m pretty self-reliant.”

  “Hmmm…watching would be fun.” The bed sank as he kneeled behind her. “But I’ve always been more of a participant.”

  She put her hand back on the bedspread to support her weight as the tip of his cock pushed against her. “Your way is more fun,” she admitted as she rocked back to take him deeper inside her.

  “Impatient?”

  Her eyes closed with momentary relief as he thrust the rest of the way into her. “Always.” She moaned as he pulled almost all the way out just to thrust into her depths again.

  She had exactly eight hours of shore leave. Two of which had been taken up by the necessary, yet bureaucratic, paperwork. Another hour to shower, change and get to the red district. And after the hour it took to find her partner, she could hear her remaining minutes of freedom ticking away in the back of her head.

  “Familiar with the saying, ‘All good things come to those who wait’?”

  She flexed her inner muscles around his erection as she ground her teeth in frustration. “Just because I’ve heard it doesn’t mean I have to hold to it.”

  He chuckled softly but the conversation was thankfully over as he started fucking her in earnest. Every muscle in her body was tense, screaming for release, and her breath was coming in harsh gasps as he began thrusting harder, deeper. Rocking back against him, she took him into her gladly. She needed the release he would give her.

  She balled the blanket in her hand as time stretched around them. Nothing existed outside the rhythmic meeting of their bodies and the occasional moan. This, right here, right now, was everything.

  Then, just as all thought was chased out of her head by the animalistic need consuming her, he found her clit with the tip of a work-calloused finger and began stroking it in time with his thrusts. And the world shattered blessedly around her.

  She’d barely stopped shaking under him when he pulled out and flipped her so her back rested against the mattress. Some of her surprise must have shown on her face as he asked, “You don’t think we’re done, do you?” Her whole body shivered as he ran a finger over her still-beaded nipple. “I’m just getting started.” He lifted her hands to rest above her head and then pinned her wrists there. “Unless you’d like to stop?” Smiling, he leaned down to take the nipple into his mouth.

  Unable to come up with anything witty, she moaned and arched her back to help bring her breast closer to his mouth.

  “Didn’t think so.”

  And he was inside her again.

  She pulled against the hand holding her wrists captive but he only tightened his grip. “Won’t last if you touch me.” His words were strained, as if he was already losing the fight.

  She forced her arms to relax, choosing instead to wrap her legs around his waist and tilt her hips so he could penetrate her deeper and at the exact spot she wanted. When he hit it, she pushed her head back against the mattress and moaned deeply in her throat.

  “Fuck,” he whispered harshly.

  “Harder,” she growled back.

  He was able to keep his strokes steady for a couple minutes longer before his control began to crack. Letting go of her hands, he held on to her hips and shifted his weight to his knees so he could drive into her with a fierce need she delighted in. The passion and raw desire were enough to send her spiraling toward her second climax of the night. And when his mouth descended on hers in a hungry, soul-searching kiss, the world dissolved in a flash of white.

  The room around her came back into focus slowly, as did the man above her. This was what she needed to calm the anxiety that always gnawed at her before a mission.

  Kissing him deeply, she swallowed his groan of bliss and opened her hips wider to welcome his erratic thrusts as he fell into his own chasm of climax. Her body delighted in his tremors of release as she caressed his back down to the firm curve of his ass.

  “You’re right,” he said after his body had finally stilled inside hers. “Patience is an overrated virtue.” His smile hinted at arrogance but a playful wink set her at ease.

  “I like a man who can admit he’s wrong,” she teased.

  “Don’t get too used to it.”

  “Not big on owning your mistakes?”

  “No, I always own them. I just seldom make them.”

  “That makes two of us.”

  He laughed as he lay down next to her on the bed and wrapped an arm protectively around her waist.

  She wasn’t exactly the cuddling type but, her muscles wonderfully aching and her bones still slightly wobbly, she decided it’d be okay to allow it. As her gaze went to the clock on the nightstand, though, his arm stiffened around her and brought the feelings of warm comfort to an end.

  “Got someplace you’d rather be?”

  “Some things aren’t a matter of preference. My job pretty much keeps me a slave to the clock.”

  He glanced over to the clock before returning his head to the pillow next to her. “So how long until your master is calling?” He nuzzled her earlobe as he asked the question, sending a fresh shiver of desire through her still-sedate body.

  She rolled
over and groaned as she did the math in her head. “Three hours.” That’d give her just enough time to shower and get changed back into her uniform before having to be back on the bridge.

  “And how much rest do you need?” His hand cupped her breast, awakening every nerve in her body.

  “Only as much as you do.”

  Cold air rushed over her as he rolled to the other side of the bed to dispose of the used condom. “That’s good,” he said, pulling her close to him again. “‘Cause I’ve only got three hours to have you in as many positions as possible. Which means we should get busy.”

  Her stomach jumped with anticipation as possibilities sprang into her mind. “What would you like to do next?”

  “Shower?”

  The thought of the water warming and slicking her skin as his hands explored her body made her mouth dry and her heart race. “Showers are nice.”

  He swatted her on her ass as he got out of the bed. “They are the way I take them.”

  She jumped out of bed to follow him at the promise. This had the potential to be one of her best hook-ups ever and she didn’t feel like wasting even a second of it.

  Three hours later, when she finally managed to get dressed again, there wasn’t a single muscle left in her body that wasn’t singing with the ache of complete satiation. This had been a one-time-only deal, which was exactly what she’d wanted, but she was still tempted to get his name and number. Not with the hopes of building a relationship. Her failed attempts had proven she didn’t have the time for that.

  Unprepared for the truth, it hit her so hard it felt like a punch in the gut.

  One-night stands and friends with benefits is what she’d allowed her love life to be reduced to. Yes, it was a necessity. She’d learned quickly that relationships were one of the many sacrifices her superiors had alluded to when they gave her a ship of her own. But had she so completely accepted her fate that she’d given up on even the fantasy of a relationship someday?

  If she were honest with herself, she’d admit it unflinchingly. That, like many of her male counterparts, she’d grown jaded and had started seeing commitment as an entanglement instead of an act of affection and companionship. But she didn’t particularly feel like being honest today.