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  Then he stepped closer.

  * * * * *

  “I’m sorry, sir. But this doesn’t make any sense.” The secretary conferred on the vid phone with someone at shipping central—Romy, who’d patched into her call—as his brother did more to confuse her, stalling for time. Val sensed Rowe’s satisfaction and contented himself to wait. It was killing him to let her in there without protection. From all he’d learned, her cousin was a powerful Otra with more psychei than seemed healthy. He ruled by fear, not respect, and didn’t make friends so much as servants of those who worked for him.

  Quinn remained seated in the waiting area behind him. Val didn’t like her with her cousin by herself, but they’d expected it. She’d demanded to be in charge of this, and he knew he couldn’t stop her, not if he wanted a future with her by his side.

  Rowe needed to know he believed in her, that he respected her ability to take care of herself. She had to know he loved her—

  A rush of power surged through the office, taking everyone to their knees. Val held his head, aware of the throbbing, the fear, the inability to function. And he knew Rowe needed him. Now.

  Buoyed by the sense something had gone wrong, he crawled to Keilor’s door and tried to open it. When his body started to shut down, he mentally reached out for Rowe, searching for her psychei and found it buried in Keilor’s unnatural grip.

  Quinn, help me, he yelled. Let me use your mind, your power. We have to get to Rowe.

  Immediate energy filled him, an unhesitating sharing that added to Val’s building strength. He used his mind to shove Keilor’s door open.

  The slamming of the door against the wall broke the sudden stillness. For just a moment, Keilor’s concentration lapsed. But a moment was apparently all Rowe needed. Val stared in shock as his petite iriu yanked his and Quinn’s power, added it to her own, and slammed into Keilor with it.

  Her cousin stammered as she advanced on him, his exposed cock no longer a threat, but a joke. Rowe yanked him down by his collar and whispered something in his ear, then stepped back with a cruel smile on her face.

  Whatever she said did the trick, because Keilor shrieked and backpedaled like a scared little boy. His erection died, leaving him limp, embarrassed and unimpressive.

  “No. You can’t do this to me,” he cried.

  Rowe nodded. “Can and did, asshole.” She strode to his desk and pressed a buzzer. “Security. I need you in here now.” She glanced over at Val, finally, and he swore she sighed a breath of release. But she didn’t show a thing on her face. Not even when Quinn stumbled into the room looking pale.

  “Where the hell have you been?” she asked him. “Get this criminal out of here. I want his confession broadcast to every member of Chartrell Shipping. And I want Otra law called in for the debriefing as well. He and good old Uncle Fulton are done here.”

  Keilor didn’t just look defeated, he looked hunted. Val rose to his feet, still unsteady, and wondered what the hell his mate had done to the monster who’d caused such damage just a few minutes earlier.

  He didn’t say a word, though. He waited for her outside in the waiting area, content that she was safe, healthy and humming with victory. When we get home…

  I’ll tell you all about it, mate, she answered. Thanks for not taking over.

  I would have if you’d let me. But no way in hell do I want you threatening me with whatever you did to your cousin. Man looks bone-deep terrified. You sure are mean, veyu. I like that. A lot.

  He could feel her blush and rested back against the chair where he sat, satisfied all was as it should be. Finally. But his iriu owed him for causing such worry. He could have lost her, for all that she’d saved herself. He had a right to some payback. And he knew exactly how to exact his revenge.

  * * * * *

  Hours later, back in Rowe’s apartment, Val palmed her ass, relishing the sight of his iriu on her hands and knees, bound and helpless before him.

  “Honey, we’ve barely begun and you’re begging. Have a little dignity.”

  She glared at him over her shoulder, her eyes promising retribution. But the love burning in her psychei glowed like the sun.

  “That’s right, sweetheart,” he crooned as he thrust inside her, gratified by her long, drawn-out moan. “That’s just how I like you, quiet and obedient.”

  “You son of a—”

  “Now, now. Naughty behavior, Rowe.” He pulled out and spanked her hard, leaving a red mark on her ass. She cried out her indignation, but said nothing more. “That’s right. You earned this when you put yourself in harm’s way. I told you I didn’t want you in danger.” He rubbed the sting of his slap away and noted how she leaned in to his touch.

  He used his psychei to rub her clit and was rewarded with a roll of her hips and the cream that flowed over his fingers. Wet and more than ready, she’d been primed and teased for the past hour. He’d brought her close but not all the way to climax, wanting her to feel desperate—a subtle punishment for scaring him so badly when she’d fought Keilor.

  But now Val needed to end her discipline. He wanted to see her come, to feel it rush through him as they shared climax.

  He pulled out of her and tossed her onto her back, delighting in the bonds holding her wrists apart. The ties were long enough to allow him play, but not too long to let her escape the bed.

  She regarded him with Otra-bright eyes striated with green, and the love that shone for him and him alone made everything in the world right. He knelt between her legs, delighted in her shaking limbs. “I’m going to eat you, veyu. I want you to come over my mouth, so I can taste how sweet you are. My lovely little Rowe.” He tilted her hips and stared at her soft pink folds. Beautiful.

  Val, please.

  He loved when she spoke to him on their private pathway. Their psychei merged, entwined. One bond, two souls. He plunged two fingers inside her as he sucked her clit, aroused anew by her scent. He could spend a lifetime licking her and never get through.

  “So good,” she rasped. She was so open, so receptive to everything he did and wanted to do to her.

  “But it’s going to be better.” He shared an image of him jetting deep inside her, and she spasmed around his fingers, coming hard.

  He licked her up, devouring her pleasure. That’s it, take it, sweetheart. Oh yeah.

  She continued to shiver, her body drawing his fingers deeper, needing more. Needing him.

  Hard and aching, Val covered her and spread her thighs wide. He angled himself for penetration and shoved deep inside her. The slick passage welcomed him, her gloving heat too much to ignore. He pumped three times and came, his orgasm so powerful his brain seized as he filled her, mind, body and soul.

  So fucking good. His orgasm felt excessive, even to him, and he wondered at the fury of it. As if his body knew, he sensed her fertility. A ripe womb, ready and willing to be filled with life. At the thought, he recognized a sense of anticipation, of the future. His love by his side.

  “I can’t wait either,” she murmured. “But I’d like to remember making a baby without my wrists tied to the bed.”

  He laughed and hugged her, then withdrew from her and removed her restraints. “But, sweetheart, what’s a little lovemaking without your hands tied?”

  She crawled into his arms. “Hmm. I’ll have to think about that. I have a recurring fantasy in which I tie you up and watch Quinn have his way with you in my new office.”

  “The one in New Hattan, or on Werfal 7?” He’d contacted his family after they’d returned to her home. “My parents can’t wait to meet you. Unfortunately, I have a feeling my brothers can’t wait to throw a few I-told-you-so’s my way.”

  “Well, I look forward to meeting your family. Especially Adri.”

  Val blinked down at her. He felt the jealousy she hurried to suppress. “Rowe, you shouldn’t be worried about Adri. I mean, yeah, we were intimate. But my brother was there the whole time. It was so much more than sex. Like with Quinn.”

  At mention
of the giant, Val felt a question in his brain.

  Rowe lowered her shields. “I can’t help it. I’m trying to be better about it, but dammit. You’re mine now. Feeling for Quinn the way I do, I see a whole new side to Selection and The Testing. I just need to adjust to the fact that Adri’s so pretty.”

  “But you’re prettier than she is.” He let her see the truth he felt. “Better now?”

  She laughed. “Am I petty if I say yes?”

  “Not at all. I can still tolerate Quinn, but only because you obviously prefer stamina and finesse to brawn.” He liked the guy a lot more than he’d ever thought he would. Quinn had courage, and he’d had Rowe’s back. Val would always call the man friend.

  “I heard that.”

  Val hadn’t sensed the Otra’s approach. He scowled at his half-dressed eda entering the bedroom, and his libido woke once more. “What the hell are you doing here?”

  “You’re welcome for saving your ass earlier.” Quinn huffed as he dropped his trousers and stood before them without a stitch of clothing, and with a huge hard-on.

  “Thanks.” Val did his best not to smile. He had a feeling he knew what all the whispering between his mate and Quinn had been about before. “Now what’s this?”

  Rowe captured him with her psychei, because he hadn’t been prepared to defend himself.

  “Just relax, sweetheart. Don’t move a muscle.” She teased him with kisses down his body and Quinn joined them in bed.

  “Shit.”

  She chuckled. “You know I love you. But it’s my turn to play. Quinn thinks you’ll like what he has planned. And I know I want to see it.”

  He groaned. “Getting me back, eh?”

  “Actually, I’m planning on getting you back,” Quinn said. “And trust me, you’re gonna come like a rocket.”

  Rowe laughed as Quinn rolled Val onto his side and moved behind him on the bed. She sat up and stared down at them.

  Val could feel Quinn’s thick cock pressed against the seam of his ass. And Stars, but he wanted to feel more. Wanted to feel breached as he came deep in his iriu. Loving her while getting taken. Sounded good to him, though he wasn’t sure he wanted to admit it. Then he didn’t have to, because he knew she’d read him.

  Her eyes sparkled with joy. “Thanks for this, Quinn. It’s been haunting me that I missed you two together. You’re both the stars of my new fantasies.”

  Val flushed and hoped he didn’t come in two seconds like he had last time. Oh shit. Would Quinn really fuck him? Would he like it? More, would Rowe?

  Rowe gripped his erection. Quinn reached around him and put his hand over hers, squeezing another moan out of him.

  “Relax, iriu. My love is unconditional. And, well, I want to see you two go at it. I missed that before.” Rowe kissed him again, this time with a gentleness that made his heart turn over in his chest. “Loving you, Val, makes me whole.”

  “Yeah.” Female satisfaction, lust and love conquered his heart, and though he couldn’t move from Quinn’s embrace, he caressed her with his energy. “Snaring you was the smartest thing I’ve ever done. I guess I finally realized who’s in charge around here.”

  Quinn chuckled and ground against him. “Rowe is.”

  “You got that right.” Val smiled. The happiness in her heart brought tears to his eyes. He tried in vain to blink them away.

  Answering tears made Rowe’s eyes glassy.

  Surrounded by his iriu and eda, Val couldn’t have been more pleased. “Don’t think these tears are for you, Quinn. I’m crying because I’m afraid of what my mate has in store for me. Rumor has it she’s got a mean streak.”

  She brushed the moisture from his cheek while Quinn’s mouth trailed down his neck.

  He sucked in a breath when Quinn nipped him, then tucked the head of his cock into Val’s anus. Rowe kissed him hard, and Quinn teased him, not penetrating, but hinting at more with slow jabs.

  “Christ. You two are killing me.” But I’ll never love you more, he sent her.

  “Wimp.” Rowe kissed his throat and pinched his nipples.

  “Bully.”

  I love you.

  About the Author

  Marie Harte is a professed bibliophile with an addiction to romance. She’s fond of things that go bump in the night, especially if they happen to be tall, dark and handsome. Life has given her some interesting insights into the male mind. After majoring in English, she spent several years in the Marine Corps, followed by stints in information technology, logistics and the transportation fields. And yes, herding cats is easier then trying to manage truck drivers.

  Now a wife, writer and crazy woman with children, she spends most of her time bugging her kids to do their homework while typing with a mad zeal to make deadlines. She’s a multi-published and bestselling author of erotic romance who’s obsessed with email, so feel free to drop her a line.

  Marie welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email address on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.

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  Also by Marie Harte

  Kate Undone

  Namesake

  Talson Temptations 1: Talson’s Wait

  Talson Temptations 2: Talson’s Test

  Print books by Marie Harte

  Namesake

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