Between Venus & Mars (The Soul Mate Tree Book 3) Read online

  She’d never be able to get enough of Kyle.

  He dropped his pants. His erection, bold and pulsing, held her gaze.

  She sidled over, patting the bedding. “Get over here.”

  While she admired the view, she’d rather touch, feel, taste.

  He slid in beside her, his cock prodding her leg and hip as his large hand cupped her breast. Deft fingers tweaked her nipple and it pebbled hard under his ministrations.

  Warm, wet lips drew in the other nipple, his tongue laving the bud and sending sparks flying through her stomach. “Oh, gods, yes.”

  She wrapped her fingers around his shaft. Pulsing with hot tension, his cock grew even larger in her hand. Squeezing gently, she ran her fist up and down its length.

  His groan vibrated through her breast, causing her to clench in desire. “Gods, Kyle, I need you so bad.”

  His hand left her breast to cup where she ached for his touch the most. She sighed in pleasure. His thumb dragged over the stiff bud, causing a wave of ecstasy to flood her core. His fingers plunged into her damp reaches.

  “Yes, yes, yes. I’m ready. I need you.”

  He relinquished her breast, rising up over her and positioning himself between her legs. “I need you too.”

  He snatched a condom from the nightstand and tore open the foil.

  “Let me.” She snagged the rubbery ring from his fingers.

  His cock pulsed strongly as she rolled the sheath down his hard shaft. He gasped and gritted his teeth. “So good.”

  Positioning himself at her entrance, he ran the head of his cock along her folds, then pushed in.

  Satisfaction tingled throughout her core as he slid into her depths, filling her so completely. This feeling, so unimaginable just days ago, swept her into an erotic overload of emotion and sensation.

  “So sweet, my starshine. So beautiful.” Kyle puffed as he pistoned in and out. “I can’t . . .”

  He didn’t have to. Orgasmic waves crashed over her, her body tightening around him. Kyle joined her, emptying himself into her.

  Zana gasped for breath, trying to find her center as her body trembled in climax. Kyle collapsed, his breath hot against her neck.

  His heart beat strong against her breasts. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t—”

  “What the fuck are you sorry about? That was amazing.”

  “I should have been able to hold out longer. I just got so—”

  Zana rolled her eyes. “Well, we have all night for you to get it right.” She planted a kiss on the tip of his nose. “I’m sure you’ll do better the next time.”

  Kyle’s eyes went wide, then a laugh erupted from his lips. “You are something else.”

  He scooped her into his arms and rolled so she ended up on top.

  She ran her finger down the side of his face, then coiled it around a strand of his hair. “What am I?”

  The corner of his mouth lifted into a half-smile. “Smart, sexy, courageous, amazing . . .”

  She raised an eyebrow. “All that?”

  His palm cupped her cheek. “All that and so much more. It’s no wonder I’m falling in love with you.”

  Love?

  Were they there yet? Was she?

  Sex she got. Or at least she was getting. The man was desire on a stick. The feelings, emotions, the raw passion. It made her head reel in such an orgasmically wonderful way.

  Even the whole soul mates thing, she got. They’d certainly had some kind of connection right from the start. She had deep feelings for him. Was that love?

  She needed a distraction, something to give her time to think about this love thing.

  His brows furrowed. “What?”

  She climbed off him, sitting on her knees beside him on the bed. “Roll over. I need to see your butt.”

  The right side of his mouth lifted. “Okay.” He turned onto his stomach. “That was not at all what I expected to hear.”

  “I just . . .” Gods, he had a gorgeous butt. A complete distraction. She ran her hand over the round, firm mounds. The three-dimensional tattoo on his right cheek drew her gaze, and she traced the eye-shaped symbol with her fingertip.

  It winked at her.

  “What is this?”

  Kyle’s chuckle shook the bed. “A reminder of one of the stupidest nights of my life. Some friends and I . . . it’s supposed to mean I’m watching your ass. It made sense at the time. We were very drunk.”

  The twin hemispheres were mesmerizing. She caressed, squeezed, pinched.

  He craned his neck around to look at her. “Are you quite through?”

  Gods, no. She could never be through with something so amazing, though she couldn’t put into words what made it so incredible. It just . . . was. “I think I’m falling in love with your butt.”

  He twisted, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her close. “Now I’m jealous.”

  His serious expression held for only moments before his face cracked and laughter bubbled up. “I’m jealous of my own butt.”

  Gods, he always made her laugh. She couldn’t remember laughing so much. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she collapsed onto him in a fit of giggles.

  Minutes that felt like hours later, they both gasped for breath, more exhausted than after an hour of sex. Occasional grunts from one or the other caused additional laughter.

  Finally getting control once again, she planted a quick kiss on his cheek.

  His broad smile accented the twinkle in his eyes.

  And she knew, deep in the core of her being.

  She sighed. “I do love you, Kyle Kepler. Even more than your butt.”

  Laughter exploded once again.

  Kyle’s heart warmed. Nothing in the Core Worlds came close to matching the raw passion he experienced when he held Zana in his arms. He had to accept, had to believe, the tree was truly magical. Only magic could account for the cosmic miracle of their meeting.

  Soul mates. His one true love, calling him from across the stars. Him, out of the galaxy’s billions of people.

  Impossible.

  And yet, it felt so right. He’d never connected with anyone so quickly, enjoyed someone’s company more. He couldn’t leave her, had no desire to return to his old life. Every day with Zana was an adventure.

  As for safeguarding the galaxy, and his commitment to the Galactic Marshals, no population he’d ever found seemed to need his protection more than the tribe on Konga 10. He’d be their champion, their Marshal, even if they never knew it.

  Zana was who he wanted, and this was where he wanted to stay. Forever.

  He held her close, gazed into the deep pools of her eyes, and fell in love all over again. “Marry me.”

  Zana burrowed into his warmth, hugging him with everything she had.

  Yes, she’d only known him a few short days. It seemed impossible to know so clearly he was the one for her.

  But she did. She knew it deep in her soul and with every fiber of her being.

  Warmth infused her gut. “You know, on Konga 10, we don’t have any formal wedding traditions, right? The man asks. The woman says yes. It’s done. Sealed.”

  He pulled back, ran fingers down the side of her face, capturing her gaze once again. That wonderful smile played across his face. “Then fucking say yes.”

  She stifled a chuckle. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you swear before.”

  He’d prided himself on his control. Others swore. He didn’t.

  Yet, with Zana he didn’t want control. He wanted the wild abandon and earthy wonderfulness they found together. If that caused him to lose control, all the better.

  “I blame you. You’re such a bad influence on me.” He drew her in and kissed her senseless. His tongue invaded, tangled, an
d conquered.

  Hell yes.

  Warmth infused her gut. Fireworks flared in her core. She’d never tire of this, never get enough.

  She broke the kiss, pulling back only far enough to capture his gaze. “If I’m such a bad influence on you, why do you want to marry me?”

  “Because you’re a very good bad influence on me.” His fingers trailed down the side of her neck and chest, gliding over the peak of one breast before rolling the tender bud between thumb and forefinger. “So?”

  Her mind whirled. Desire boiled in her core. “So . . . what?”

  She could barely think.

  “Are you going to fucking say yes?”

  Gods. Married. To Kyle.

  This could be forever.

  “Yes.”

  Chapter 12

  Bright light suddenly illuminated the bedroom through the windows. A low thrumming filled the air.

  Kyle released Zana, reluctantly leaving the comfort of her arms to race to the window.

  Starships filled the skies above. A bulk freighter and half dozen one-man fighters.

  “Not again.” Fear drenched Zana’s tone as she came up beside him at the window. “It’s the Halocyne Clan. We just got the animals back. How the hell could they even know?”

  The clan marking on the ships all matched. All except one. Attached to the bulk freighter was a Cantonian cruiser, its guns and engines shattered pieces. The pirate ship he’d blasted and left behind to be picked up by the Galactic Marshals. They must have marked the TRS-90 and followed him and Zana back to Konga 10.

  “They aren’t here to steal your livestock.” Kyle picked up his pants and shoved his legs in, then slammed his feet into his boots. “This is going to get ugly. Run. Get out of here. Get your people as far away from here as you can.”

  Konga 10 had no weapons. Zana’s blaster had been found in the shipwreck.

  He picked up the sidearm, set it to the kill setting, and handed it to Zana. “Take this. Use it on any of them that come anywhere close.”

  He prayed he could distract these marauders long enough for Zana to escape. There’d be no leniency from this crowd. Thank goodness he’d left the ship powered up so it would be ready for tomorrow’s mission. A mission that would never happen now.

  “What are you going to do?”

  Determination hardened his heart. “Kill as many of these bastards as I can before they take me out.”

  He knew his odds, but he was determined to do what he could to protect Konga 10. If he crippled them enough, maybe they’d pull back for a time, give help a chance to arrive.

  “Kyle?”

  She’d thrown on her clothes, held the blaster at the ready.

  He drew her in for one last kiss. Something to take with him to the other side. Then he pulled her out the front door, and pushed her toward the nearest house just down the pasture fencing. “I love you. Now run.”

  She sprinted off as he bolted toward the ship.

  Throwing himself into the command seat, he activated the thrusters to begin the take-off sequence. The last thing he wanted was to be caught on the ground. Next he hit the emergency claxon, sending a distress signal over Galaxynet to any law enforcement in the area.

  Please let there be someone. He couldn’t do this alone.

  The targeting computer’s suggestions highlighted on the display. He shut the damn thing off. He’d found over the years his instincts had a higher success rate, and if he was going out, he preferred to go out on his own terms.

  Zana puffed toward the Hakslin homestead. Mave and Vin Hakslin had young children. They’d need her help.

  One of the smaller ships broke from the fleet toward her. It fired a blast toward the house, setting the roof on fire.

  The bastards hadn’t even sent a warning, or any demands. This was bad.

  She raised the gun, firing toward the small, one-man flyer. Her hope was to draw its fire, give the Hakslins a chance to get out before it fired again.

  Luck or divine intervention must have guided her shot, because a small explosion erupted at the impact sight and the ship spun out of control to hit the ground in a ball of flame.

  By the time she reached the homestead, Mave was loading her children into a wagon as Vin attached it to his tractor. It would be faster than walking, especially with the little ones.

  “What’s happening?” Vin shouted at her.

  “Pirates. Get to the wilderness and keep your lights off.” Heading to the city center would be of no benefit against an armed insurgency. Why did they not have weapons?

  But she knew.

  Konga 10 had nothing anyone wanted to steal. A peaceful people that just wanted to be left alone. If they hadn’t lost their livestock, the planet would have remained isolated, out of the notice of anyone. Even so, if she hadn’t antagonized those pirates, they’d have still been safe.

  This was all her fault.

  Kyle diverted more power to his shields. It meant his phase cannons wouldn’t hit as hard. He’d need to be even more precise in his targeting.

  He wove a path through the center of the attacking ships, always aiming at the thickest clustering, to keep them all tight. Any of their shots that missed him had a good chance of hitting one of their own.

  In this way he’d taken out three of the small pursuit fighters. Smoke also poured out of one shattered porthole on the freighter.

  He was down to one thruster, and one cannon. Bixby beeped and booped behind him working to repair damage, but he had little hope of a successful outcome.

  “Sorry, Bixby. You’ve been a good friend.”

  Time to consider how he could use his ship to do the most damage. Crashing into the photon array on the port side of the freighter offered an explosive ending. And a quick one.

  Surprisingly, his biggest regret was not kissing Zana more, making love to her sooner and more often. Whatever the galactic gods had waiting for him in the Vestal Heavens couldn’t possibly be as sweet as her in his arms.

  His love, his everything.

  His wife.

  A supersonic boom echoed above, the vibration throwing Zana to the ground.

  A huge starcraft appeared out of nowhere above the battling ships. Instantly a flash lit the skies. A sphere of energy coalesced in the center of the battle, expanding out with a dull thud to encompass every ship.

  Weapons stopped firing, the ships’ velocity slowed. Within seconds, retros on all the vessels fired, and they began to sink toward the pastureland.

  “Galactic Marshals. You are all under arrest.” The message echoed across the land.

  The big ship landed to the side of the other vehicles, and armed, uniformed officers streamed out to surround the other ships.

  Zana holstered her sidearm. She made her way toward the confusion, looking for Kyle.

  Shackled prisoners were herded toward the big starship by the armed men. From time to time, blaster fire erupted from one of the other ships. It would settle down and more people would be taken toward the Marshal’s craft, some in cuffs, some on hovering stretchers.

  She spotted Kyle, head down, hands cuffed behind his back, between two burly officers.

  “Kyle.” She rushed toward him. At least he was alive.

  He didn’t turn. Probably couldn’t hear her over the commotion.

  One of the officers on the perimeter looked her way, then stepped toward her, his hand extended. “Stay back ma’am. We’ll take care of this.”

  “But you’ve got one of ours. He’s innocent. He was trying to protect us.” She stepped forward.

  The man held his ground. “If he’s innocent, the Blarmling judge will know, and let him go. We’ll bring him back.”

  “He’s my husband. He’s right there. I’ll show you.” S
he needed Kyle so much. And she needed to help him. He wasn’t one of these criminals. They shouldn’t treat him like one.

  “I can’t do that, ma’am. Please, back off.” He pointed his sidearm at her.

  To his credit, the man did add, “I’m sorry.”

  After she took a step back, the officer turned away and joined the other officers heading toward the large starship.

  After all had boarded, the big door closed and the ship lifted off. It hovered briefly above the field, then with a whoosh of engines, it was gone.

  And Kyle with it.

  “I’m a Galactic Marshal. I’m one of you.” Kyle paced his cell. “I sent the signal that brought you.”

  “Sorry, sir. I don’t see a badge or a uniform. We’ve been tracking the Halocyne Clan for days. We did receive an emergency claxon bringing us here, but I see no evidence you’re the one who sent it.” The young interrogator stood outside the force bars making notes on his data pad. “Until we can verify your chip readings, you’re just one of the others.”

  Kyle gritted his teeth and grunted.

  The interrogator raised his eyes. “And if you were a Galactic Marshal, you’d know that.”

  The worst part was, he did. He’d been on the other side numerous times, doubting the suspect’s story, dutifully taking notes.

  His frustration was only tempered by the fact Konga 10 had been spared the invasion. Pirates on a vengeance mission rarely left survivors behind. He’d been able to protect Zana and her people.

  He sighed and plunked down on the cell’s bunk.

  Adjust. Adapt. Accept.

  How could he turn these events to his advantage?

  They’d be moving him to one of the Core Worlds for processing. A Blarmling judge would release him. The furry mind-readers would see the whole story in his mind. Probably wouldn’t even mention he’d been to Old Earth, considering the circumstances, so he’d never have to implicate Zana in that little adventure.

  As long as he’d be halfway home, it would be worth his time to go all the way back, pack up his things and resign his job. He could be back on Konga 10 in less than a week.