Fortunes Fool Read online

  "That's it, sweetheart. Just a bit more and then I'm going to fuck you so good, you'll be ruined for any other man."

  She chuckled at that, her eyes misty with arousal. "I think I already am."

  He took that as a challenge. "You ain't seen nothing yet, Adele." He maneuvered her into a prone position. "Lie back, sweetheart. The first time's gonna be quick and simple, but we've got a few hours 'til the gas vents. We can go slow next time." He shucked his clothes, throwing them across the compartment. "Woman, you set me on fire. I want to fuck you twenty different ways, but I think we'll have time for three. Maybe four."

  Her mouth opened in shock and gave him ideas for next time. What he wouldn't give to slide his cock between those perfect lips. "That many? I thought men had to, um, recover a bit in between." "You've never been with a soldier though, have you? And you definitely have never been with me." He grinned at her as he knelt between her legs. Her eyes went immediately to his cock, making it even harder, if that were possible. The innocent, yet sultry way she watched him made him want to fuck her so bad, he doubted he could wait a moment longer.

  Good thing he didn't have to. She was ready, he just wanted to bring her a little higher before he took the plunge because once he was inside her, he doubted he'd have enough control this first time to be certain of her pleasure.

  It was a humbling thought. He'd never been so overcome by a woman before in his life. But Adele was special.

  He spread her legs wide, one falling off the side of the bench as he settled between them. She had a pretty, pink, incredibly wet pussy. Leaning down, he couldn't resist a little taste.

  She jumped when he licked her clit, but he held her steady, one hand on her small tummy. She was round and womanly, soft in all the right places and delicious. He licked her some more, sucking her clit into his mouth for a little tongue action. Like a shot, she came, harder this time, crying out as her abdomen rippled under his hand. It was time. Rising over her, he settled his cock between her luscious thighs as she continued to shudder beneath him. She was on a high and he aimed to keep her there. He hadn't been kidding. This first fuck was going to be fast and furious. He'd never been so hard or hot for a woman in his entire life. Just sinking into Adele was better than the best orgasm he'd ever had. Chances were, when he blew, he'd fly into orbit and might never return. But what a way to go.

  He eased his way inside her tight hole with little pumps of his hips. He was careful not to hurt her, but she seemed oblivious. Her heels dug into his ass, pulling him deeper. He liked that. "David!" "Ssh, sweetheart. I don't want to hurt you." "You're not hurting me! David, I want you now. Hard and fast!" He swore and pushed home, loving the tight, hot depth of her. She

  cried out. "Damn, woman, are you all right?" "I'm fine, but if you don't start moving your ass right this minute,

  I'm going to kill you." He leaned down to kiss her, grinning like a fool. "Your wish is my command, darlin'." He stroked deep, relishing the feel of her. Like warm, soft velvet against his most sensitive skin, she gloved him, giving him the ride of his life. Hard and fast, she'd said, and he took her at her word. He settled lower, stretching her thighs around him, seeking to bury his cock as deep as he could go into her heat.

  Speeding his strokes, he neared the point of no return, but knew Adele was with him. Her keening cries were music to his ears as he jumped over the cliff with her, freefalling for a long time as his body jerked, his cum shooting into her womb with powerful force. "David!" He shouted her name at the last. Something he'd never done before. Nothing about this encounter had been familiar. It all felt fresh and new, and damn near mind-bending.

  Could it be the woman who made the experience so special? He didn't know and frankly, didn't have the energy to analyze it as his body blew apart and reassembled into a satisfied, happy mass.

  He'd rest a bit, then he'd fuck her again. And again. In as many varied ways as he could manage before reality intruded on their little hideaway.

  Chapter Eight

  Adele stretched like a kitten as she woke from a light doze some time later. Dave watched her with an indulgent grin. The woman just made him happy in a way no woman ever had before.

  He leaned down and kissed her, enjoying her startled response that settled into warm encouragement within seconds. She was so responsive to him. It was a marvel.

  "Mmm. What a nice way to wake up." She smiled as he pulled back. He loved the light in her eyes, the simple joy in her expression. She truly wanted to be there, in that dusty little compartment, with him. He could read it on her beautiful face.

  No woman had ever wanted so badly to be with him that it showed plainly in her eyes. He wanted to see that expression again. And again. Perhaps for the rest of his life. Whoa. That thought gave him pause. It hit him like a punch to the gut, robbing him of air and making him wonder if he wasn't just a little crazy for even considering it. No way would a beautiful, cultured, educated and intelligent woman like this want to settle down with a rough soldier. She could have anyone. Why in the world would she settle for him? * * * * A ring away, in the other hidden compartment, Alex kept his eyes on Della. She fascinated him. She'd done so since the moment she'd walked into his bar a few weeks ago. He'd never been so instantly attracted to a woman, but this woman was off limits.

  Oh, he'd vowed to protect her with his last breath, and he flirted—as was his nature—but he'd never let it go any further. He'd wanted to pursue her when he'd first seen her, but then she'd stumbled into his arms, in the grip of a strong prophetic vision. When she recovered, she'd come clean with him about her psychic abilities, and that clinched it. She was way too special for the likes of him on a personal level, though he would take advantage of any precognitive words of wisdom she might want to share. He was a spy, after all.

  "How much longer, do you think?" She sat next to him along one wall. The other men were cleaning their gear or servicing their weapons as they waited quietly for the gas to clear.

  "A few hours." Alex watched her quiet nod. She hadn't even batted an eyelash when he'd uncovered the secret passageway. Most civilians would have been surprised, but Della took it all in stride. The idea unnerved him…and made him suspicious. "Why were you in my bar, Del?"

  She turned her gorgeous, spooky eyes on him and he had to fight not to look away first. She saw too deeply with those almost mystical orbs.

  "It was where I needed to be." She pulled that ancient, pictorial deck out of her pocket and fingered the card he'd seen before—the King of Cups. "I followed destiny to you, Alexander." "I don't believe in fate. You'll have to do better than that." "Oh, but it was fate. And I'll admit there was some practicality in there as well." She leaned close, and for a moment he thought she was going to kiss him, but she placed her soft lips on his ear instead, shocking him. "General Tierney sent me."

  Alex felt a moment of shock, but recovered quickly. She'd spoken so softly even the Enhanced soldiers around them couldn't have heard. Still, Alex cast his eye over the group. A few were smiling and shaking their heads, probably believing Alex had made another conquest—as Della had probably intended. Oh, she was good. He turned his lips into her neck. "Code?" "Whiskey Delta Bravo." She'd given him the right code and the right name. Damn him. Della was in the game, too, only she had an edge. There was no way she was faking those visions unless her niece was part of some much more elaborate scheme than Alex could credit. No, Della had true powers of prophecy. He'd seen it over the past weeks. That she was also a highlevel spy made her actions of the past hours much more understandable.

  Della patted his chest as she sat back, staring into his eyes. "I could see the questions in your eyes." Her fingers pressed a subtle message into his chest. "But I don't see anything of the immediate future right now. When I do, you'll be the first to know."

  She moved away and Alex knew her last words were for benefit of the watching men. The rest was a subtle message to him alone. She wanted him to know she was on the right side of this conflict and the code she'd
supplied had gone a long way toward answering his most immediate questions about her. The rest could wait until after they took back the station. He tugged on her hand as she moved away. "Thank you, Della."

  * * * * Adele felt fantastic. After the best sex of her life with an incredible man, she had no cause to complain. Except maybe for the fact the station was probably still under control of the enemy. The thought made her frown as she sat up, clutching the shirt David had covered her with.

  "Do you think the corridors are clear yet? Have you heard any news on the comm?"

  Dave started, clearly distracted. "Yeah, the tubes should be clear in another standard or so. I wouldn't want to chance it just yet, which means the jits probably won't be down this way looking for stragglers, either. But even if they were able to maneuver in the access tubes with full breathing gear, I'd be shocked if they could find their way into this compartment. It's fully shielded and hidden so well, even I had a hard time spotting it—and I knew what to look for."

  Reassured, Adele began to shrug into her clothes. "So what do we have planned?"

  "We?" Dave laughed once, and Adele knew immediately they were in for their first argument. "We don't have anything planned. I," he emphasized the word, "intend to go out as soon as the gas clears, rendezvous with Alex and company, then take back the station."

  "And what have you," she sounded annoyed even to her own ears, "planned to do with me during all this?"

  "Look, honey, I don't want to have to worry about you getting caught or killed by the jits." Apparently he realized he'd stepped in it, but he wasn't backing down, though he moderated his tone. "I…uh…care…about you." He seemed afraid to admit to any affection— perhaps afraid of her rejection. His hesitant words softened her anger. "I care too much to put you in danger. I'm trained for this kind of thing and have been dealing with situations like this most of my life. You're a civilian. I don't want you to get hurt."

  She tugged on her boot and stood to face him. "I may be a civilian," she strode forward, standing toe to toe with the big man, not giving an inch, though her tone was gentle, "but up until a month ago, I was the Executive Officer of Lothlorien Station. I know my way around this station—hell, any civ station—probably better than you, Colonel. I've also had training. I'll admit, not as much as you, and I've never used it in a combat situation, but judging by the odds we're up against here, I'd say every body that can tote a rifle counts. I won't be left behind." "Adele—" His tone held anguish, but she wouldn't be swayed. "Let me help, David. I don't like seeing you in danger, either, but it can't be avoided. I can get us into the command center of this station faster than anybody. Let me help you."

  "Damn." David's breath came out in a rush as he pulled her into his arms and just hugged her close. "I don't like this one bit. And why didn't you tell me you outranked me?"

  She chuckled and sank into his muscular embrace. "Technically, my Civilian Station Service rank is colonel, just like you." "Yeah, but you're command staff, not a field operative." Adele shrugged. "I was command rank, but I got passed over for promotion, so I'm taking some time to figure out where my career—and my life—are going. I'm officially on extended leave, but all my codes are still active." She pulled back to look into his eyes. "I can get you anywhere you want to go on this station, David.

  "Hell." He sighed hard, then bent to kiss her. She felt both regret and fear in the slight tremble of his warm lips against hers. He pulled back when she would have taken the kiss deeper. "I don't want you in any danger, but I could use CSS help on this. Military stations use different protocols and the intel I have on CSS codes is probably a bit out of date."

  "I swore an oath, not unlike yours I suspect, to serve and protect the people who trust CSS to keep their stations safe and functioning. I can't abandon that. And I know I can help you." * * * * One standard later, Dave led Adele on a quick journey down one access tube and toward another. They'd eventually connect with the network of corridors leading to the command areas of the station. He didn't like having her in harm's way, but he couldn't deny her skill at navigating the crowded conduits and she'd already gotten them into two override-protected areas faster than he could have. She had current codes and since they were part of the CSS framework, they wouldn't alert any of the unfriendlies on the station.

  What he'd been able to monitor on the public comms gave him pause. There were way more jit'suku than he expected crawling all over the station. They must've emptied the ship they'd docked at the biosphere hatch. Either that, or they had another ship attached somewhere else, though he couldn't find any mention of a second ship.

  An audacious Plan B was forming in his mind, but he'd hold it in reserve until he was sure Plan A wasn't going to work. As it was, Plan A involved getting into the command section and regaining control of the station from there. If there really were as many jits as he feared, they'd learn soon enough if that plan was actually viable.

  The compartment they'd holed up in hadn't had any comm gear. Dave hated that he didn't know what Alex and the men were up to, but if he had to guess, he'd lay odds they were in the thick of things. As soon as he could find a secure headset or some other means to contact them, he would. A coordinated attack would work better than a couple of groups acting on their own.

  Rounding a curve in the access tube, Dave saw the flare of light ahead, and it didn't look friendly. He shot backward, looking for the access panel they'd just passed. There might just be enough room for both of them behind it, if they squeezed in really close.

  Wordlessly, Adele followed his lead, not objecting when he stuffed her behind the thin panel first. It didn't shut completely, but he held it with one finger, hoping the jits—if that's who was coming down the tube—wouldn't notice. With one eye, he could just see through the sliver of space left by the open panel.

  Sure enough, a few minutes later, a group of jits sauntered past, talking loud enough they couldn't hear Adele's ragged breathing or smell her fear, even with their superior senses. This particular group of pirates was rather disorderly, but they were only foot soldiers. Dave bet their commanders had a bit more on the ball if they'd been able to pull off a complete takeover of a well-protected civ station so quickly. After the patrol passed, they continued up the access tube, but Dave's recon of the control section showed way too many jits for them to get past. Time for Plan B. He headed into the main transport tube. It was back up and running, which meant coasting through the zero G barrel would be downright dangerous. If a pod came careening down the tube at them, they could be crushed against the walls. But Dave was counting on the jits limiting access to the transport system to their own people. After all, there weren't that many of them and the transport tube system was as vast as the station itself. The odds were good they could coast in the tube for the short distance they needed to go without getting hit by anything.

  "Are you with me?" Dave saw Adele's raised eyebrows as he prepared to enter. She nodded. He loved the confidence he saw shining out of her eyes, even as she

  worried. In short, he loved her. The thought startled him, but it felt warm and comfortable at the same time. His spirit soared and his heart expanded as he looked down at her. He bent and placed a quick kiss on her lips, wishing he had time to tell her how he felt, time to show her how much her faith in him meant.

  Instead, he pushed off into zero G with her cocooned against him, just like before. They went the short distance to a biosphere side-portal and entered cautiously. Just as he suspected, the guards were minimal and they were able to use the cover of the shrubs, plants and trees in the biosphere to make their way to the chute that would take them to the jit ship.

  He wasn't surprised to see the outline of the ship through the biosphere dome was of human design. The jits would never have made it this close to a civ station in one of their own ships. That would work in his favor.

  "We're going to take the ship," Dave said quietly, pausing some distance from the jit guards. "You've got brass ones, Colonel." He heard the
approval in her tone. "And when we're done, you can

  show me how much you like them again." She surprised him by trailing one small hand down to this groin and cupping him through the thin material of his flight suit. "Anytime, Colonel."

  He dipped to kiss her head. "Hold that thought, sweetheart. We've got some jits to down before I can show my…appreciation for your enthusiasm."

  She gave him a final squeeze and stepped back. "Let's do it, then, so I can get you back in bed."

  "In bed," he mused quietly as he began to move toward the ship's dock, "against a bulkhead, on the bridge, anywhere, any time, sweetheart. You make me so hard, I hurt."

  "Glad to know it's not just me." Her sexy little chuckle almost did him in. He had to do something before he dragged her to the floor and fucked her right here, right now, in front of the jits.

  "Stay back here behind the tree. I'm going to take out the guards. When I give you the signal, join me on the ramp and we'll go in together."

  "Yessir," she gave him a jaunty little salute and a grin. "And sir," she reached up and cupped his cheek, "be careful." He turned his head and kissed her palm. "Always."

  Chapter Nine

  Adele watched through the foliage—or tried to. David was nearly invisible to the human eye and when he downed the guards, he moved faster than she could follow. His motion was smooth and soundless, poetry in motion, and she truly appreciated for the first time how skilled this man—this soldier—was.

  As beautiful as his soul was inside, that's how deadly he was on the outside. It was a paradox she would enjoy studying. For the rest of her days, if he'd let her, but that was thinking too far ahead. For right now, she had to focus on the job at hand. Thousands of innocent lives were depending on them.

  David disappeared up the ramp. Just when she was beginning to worry, he reappeared, armed now with several rifles and other weapons, wearing a grin. He signaled her over and covered her path while she moved as swiftly and silently as she could. Of course, it was nothing like the swift silence David had managed.