Claiming Derryn Read online

  Claiming Derryn

  Vivian Arend

  How many layers of deception are there in space?

  When a trade negotiation goes wrong, Melina Davenport is sure she’ll end up either a casualty of war or a sex slave. Discovering one of her missing partners, Trev, is the new leader of the rebels who have captured her adds insult to injury. And what the hell does he think he’s doing, ripping her clothes away and touching her in front of the Derryn rebels? She is so going to kick his ass.

  But when her former lover whisks her away to a reunion with their third, Davis—now captain of the notorious outlaw vessel Nottingham—she has to decide if she wants to join her two lovers in their important but less-than-legal activities. Time is running out. The authorities are hunting them, the rebels are bomb crazy and the local fauna is reproducing at an astonishing rate aboard their vessel.

  If they don’t find a solution soon, they can kiss the universe goodbye.

  An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication

  www.ellorascave.com

  Claiming Derryn

  ISBN 9781419927003

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  Claiming Derryn Copyright © 2010 Vivian Arend

  Edited by Mary Moran

  Cover art by Dar Albert

  Electronic book publication February 2010

  The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing.

  With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502.

  Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

  CLAIMING DERRYN

  Vivian Arend

  Dedication

  To the men and women, like STSC Denzil (Denny) Lynch, who are at work on land and sea, protecting and guarding. And for their loved ones, like Zina, who stay at home and safeguard the heart of the nation—our children. Now, or in the future, we do it all for love. Vivian Arend

  Chapter One

  So, that’s where the bastard had gone.

  The stretch of granite floor between them was littered with the unwashed bodies of a motley crew scattered like asteroid crumble. Two hard-faced men stood on either side of an obsessively ornate chair, the chiseled muscles of their bare torsos glistening with moisture from the hot air billowing into the room. The blond on the right eyed her as if she were naked on the auction block at Ransel Four instead of a sanctioned representative from the Corporation’s Trade Embassy. Melina ignored him, barely keeping her lips from curling in disgust. None of the underlings worried her as much as the hunk of male who, by some mysterious circumstance, occupied the key position amidst the rebels. She didn’t know what to expect after so long.

  Trev.

  His striking features remained unreadable, his amber eyes locked on hers. He stroked one of the furred lizard creatures she’d seen in abundance swarming the passages and caverns on her way to this audience. Trev’s long fingers soothed the sharysa and it quivered in his lap. A shiver raced over Melina’s skin at the memory of those same fingers stroking her, bringing her pleasure. What the hell was he doing in the rebel camp?

  The two team members accompanying her shifted uneasily on their feet. Her second-in-command slid closer, his folded hands belying the fear pouring off him.

  Warning signals flashed in her brain.

  The low-tech lighting limited her vision, eerie shadows filling the distant cervices of the hall. A hiss of steam entering the room from the massive cracks on the far wall created a soundtrack morbid enough for a horror-vid. Her breathing sounded obscenely loud. Why didn’t Trev acknowledge her? He had to recognize her.

  She debated for a moment, and then raised her hand to greet him discreetly with one of the codes they’d learned at the Institute. Sharp clicks echoed around her as the bodies sprawled on the floor leapt to attention at her slight movement.

  A dozen knife blades thrust in her direction.

  Trev stood abruptly, the light vest covering his torso flashing open to reveal the hint of a new tattoo on the skin above his waistline. The image distracted Melina, her gaze trailing over his body as he marched down the dais toward her committee. The ridges of his abdomen haunted her with the urge to touch him again. If anything, he had grown harder, stronger since she last saw him.

  The sharysa now clung to his neck, its fur standing upright, a long white tail dangling down Trev’s back. The creature blinked blue eyes at her, its head tilting as if measuring her by some alien mammalian standard. Suddenly it leapt across the distance between them to land on her shoulder.

  Melina stood stock-still, holding her face blank. The expressions on the guards around Trev warned her this was some kind of test, and she’d be damned if a fur ball would make her cringe before their sneering gazes. Its sniffing nose trailed past her ear, moisture touching her neckline. She stared straight at Trev, willing him to give her a signal of how to proceed. The whole situation screamed danger. Something had gone wrong between the time the rebels agreed to the meeting and the negotiation team’s arrival, and now she was deep in their midst with no weapons available except her hand-to-hand combat skills.

  Crap, she hated low-tech worlds. She hated being off ship, and she hated her job. If she never got another landing assignment she’d be elated.

  The weight of the creature as it explored felt strangely comforting. It curled around her neck and gave her cheek a light touch with its tongue. The goons on either side of Trev rocked at the sight, the blond going white with surprise.

  Only a slight flicker in Trev’s eyes warned her. As the men accompanying her fell to the floor, Trev yanked her forward. He twirled her, the sharysa leaping away with a squeal and Melina found herself held tight against his muscular frame, his cheek pressing into hers as he locked her in place.

  It would only take a second to break his grasp, but she froze as his fingers tapped on her waist, the message hidden from the view of the rest of the rebels. Danger. Trust. As if she had a choice right now. The bastard had more than a little explaining to do when they got out of this mess.

  Her gaze slid to the men who had accompanied her to the surface of Derryn, now lying in boneless heaps on the floor. Shallow movements of their chests reassured her they still breathed, but what had taken them down so quickly? One of the rebels stepped forward and pulled long, narrow darts from where they stuck out from her team members’ torsos.

  Perhaps she should be thankful Derryn was a low-tech world where poison instead of a stunner did the trick.

  “What kind of craft did they arrive in?” Trev’s voice was deeper, harsher than she remembered. Lower even than when they used to lie together after lovemaking, physically sated but unwilling to leave each other’s heat. What kind of mess had she gotten into?

  “A Mari 14,” a rebel standing by the door growled. “It’s still in good shape too. They managed to land it in one piece.
”

  Trev was silent for a moment.

  “There are two-man escape pods on those. That will work nicely.” He nudged the nearest body on the floor with his toe. “Take these two negotiation members and strap them into the pod. Add the package we’ve prepared with our list of demands. If you install a couple new energy crystals there will enough power to launch the pod on autopilot. Let’s hope their mother ship is alert enough to discover them before life support fails. The rest of you can salvage the Mari 14 for parts.”

  The blond stepped forward into Melina’s line of vision. “That wasn’t the plan,” he complained.

  Trev backhanded him, never once losing his grip on her body. “I changed my mind. Go with the men to make sure the pod gets away safely.” He chuckled, a harsh, cruel sound. “Unless you’re thinking about challenging me. You really think you’re ready, Dax?” The knife in Trev’s hand appeared out of nowhere.

  Dax swore and backed away, hands held before him in protest. “Easy, boss, I’ll escort them. If you’re sure.” His gaze dragged over Melina, the hunger in his eyes rising to the surface. “What about the woman?”

  Trev growled and the knife disappeared. He shifted behind her, one leg pinning her close while his hands clasped the front of her robe. With a sharp jerk, he shredded the material, turning her body to face the men in the room.

  Trust him? Holy hell. She squirmed and struggled to get away, stomping her foot in an attempt to gain an inch of space between them to free her own hidden weapon. The lust on the faces of the rabble watching was palpable, and for one of the first times in her career, true fear tingled its way up her spine. One of her, lots of them, Trev gone insane. The odds weren’t good. Trev clasped her chin tightly, his fingers digging into her skin when she tried to shake free. His other hand held her arms clamped behind her, too tight to move. Again he tapped in the Institute code, telling her to trust him and follow his lead.

  “The woman is mine. I claim her.”

  Melina jerked, this time more for show than to break his hold. So, the asshole did have a plan. Just wait until she got him alone, she’d tell him a thing or two about timing and where he could stick his claiming. Now with her life on the line, complaining didn’t seem appropriate.

  A laugh rumbled through the room and the men eased back their stances, squatting on the floor or leaning indolently against the wall. Melina sucked in a breath as Trev slid his grasp from her chin to fondle her breast. His body hardened behind her, the length of his cock pressing into her hip like an overheated weapon. When he tucked his fingers into the thin fabric covering her breasts and ripped it aside, the men’s stares grew more intense, eyes fixated on her torso, and suddenly Melina knew.

  They were going to watch him take her like an animal in rut.

  She twisted frantically, struggling for freedom, but she could have been tied with metal bands for all the distance Trev allowed her to move.

  “You want your companions to live? Don’t deny me,” he snarled.

  The fabric of her robe yanked up in the back before he pressed their bodies together until no one could see anything. He pinched the side of her breast surreptitiously and she cried in surprise. At the same moment, he slammed their hips together and the men’s raunchy laugher rang higher.

  Trev thrust again, but when his erection slid between her thighs instead of entering her body, she finally understood. It was all a show. She continued to put up a token resistance but now she aided him. She leaned back to help keep their balance, raising her torso to keep the watching eyes fixated on her breasts rather than on what was happening lower. Or not happening. The loud grunts issuing from his lips were deliberately rude and eons away from the loving memories she had of their previous life together. The sticky heat of the planet’s air combined with the harsh breathing of the audience, turning the setting into an erotic nightmare.

  The scent of Trev’s skin rose, his hand brushed her breast and a shot of lust hit her hard. Melina gritted her teeth together to stop from moaning. Fuck, she was a total freak. This was not supposed to happen, not in front of a group of rebel killers. Unbidden, his touch turned her on, moisture gathering in the folds of her crotch. There was barely time to be embarrassed by her inappropriate and uncontrollable response to Trev before he cried out. He spun her, forced her to her knees and let his seed spurt in opaque ribbons on the bare skin of her torso.

  His climax complete, he hauled her against him again and dragged her to the chair where he’d been seated at the start of this encounter. He resumed his seat and positioned her astride him, forcing her to lean back with her body still exposed, trails of semen trickling down her skin. The only sign anything unusual had taken place was his ragged breathing, now fading to a controlled pace.

  “Take them away.” Trev flicked his hand at Dax who nodded jerkily and barked orders to a group of the observers. Melina’s companions were half dragged, half carried from the room. Dax’s final glance warned he still questioned Trev’s actions.

  A gentle touch on her hip alerted her to a silent message.

  Danger. Sorry.

  She snorted. She bet he was sorry. He was going to be a whole lot sorrier when she got through with him.

  ———

  Trev waited for the men in the room to turn their attention elsewhere. Of all the people to arrive in the delegation, the last person he’d expected was Melina. The Trade Embassy? When did she join those bloodsucking parasites? Not that he held any strong opinions on the matter. Before he’d shipped out on this covert operation to join the rebels, she was firmly ensconced on her grandpa’s cruiser, working nice, safe agricultural jobs. The crew of his ship had already made plans to go and fetch her from the Space Institute Corporation once this job was done. Davis was going to freak.

  The warmth of her body in his lap sidetracked him, the swells of her breasts shifting with each breath she took. Her dark nipples, as tempting as he remembered, had his cock filling again. Distraction was an unaffordable luxury.

  One more day. The irony was if the SIC negotiation party had waited one more day, none of this would have been necessary. He’d gathered what he needed and arranged his escape from the planet with enough information to stop the rebels before their next attack. Now he’d have to juggle staying alive and keeping Melina under his control. As if being controlled had ever been a possibility with her. Stubborn, bullheaded, psychotic wench.

  He’d missed her.

  A harsh pinch to his thigh brought his attention back to the present. Pretending to recline docilely against his torso, she’d wormed one hand between them and now tapped message after message in the old Institute code. Hell if he understood half of what she said. The key words for danger and attack he recognized, and the swear words sprinkled plentifully amidst her communication, but he’d never given a shit about learning the rest. He reached to cup her breast and the hand on his thigh froze. The steam and the sticky moisture of his semen smeared together like an exotic cream as he brushed her nipple with a thumb. He chuckled when the tip beaded tight at his slight caress.

  He’d missed her a lot.

  It was lucky she’d been the woman in the negotiating party, because there was no way he would have been able to make a public spectacle of himself without her sweet scent driving him. As it stood, Dax remained suspicious of the fact no blood had been shed.

  When he judged enough time had passed for them to leave safely, he stood and gestured to his remaining guard. The man escorted them down a side passage to the private quarters Trev had assumed with the leadership of the rebels. Killing someone to get better sleeping arrangements was an age-old custom honored throughout the universe, and Trev was grateful for the previous owner’s lavish tastes. The bathing pool alone might get him a little grace for the crap he’d just pulled to save Melina’s life. At least he hoped she would see it that way.

  One of the sharysa appeared at their feet, running beside them, cutting across their path until they stopped. It wandered around Melina’s feet, sni
ffing enthusiastically then leapt into his arms to chatter with excitement.

  Once again, foggy images filled his brain. The creatures tried to communicate but rarely did more than random emotions and pictures come through. It was as bad as the academy codes—he knew something was being said, but not the true message. Licking his cheek, it jumped to Melina, kissed her as well, then raced down the corridor, squealing with delight.

  The door to his quarters closed with a solid clang behind them and Melina whirled to face him, the darkness in her eyes blacker than any starless sky. She stepped closer, grabbed him by the front of his vest and hauled their bodies together.

  Hell yeah.

  Instantly hard, instantly ready, he swallowed her kisses, ate greedily at her mouth, their tongues tangling for domination. Over a year wasted since they’d last touched, but it was like coming home, familiar and exciting all at the same time. He guided them blindly toward the bed with his body as he stripped off his vest and tore open his pants while she shrugged out of the tatters of her light robe. He refused to let their mouths part, growling with the base need to get closer, to consume her. Her taste exploded through his system, the sweet, spicy flavor of her lips, her skin, her being—sliding back through him like high-test shots.

  Oh shit, he’d missed her a fucking lot.

  He dropped to his knees and filled his hands with her breasts, lapping at her dark nipples. She locked her fingers in his hair, directing him to suck one and then the other into his mouth until the moans of delight from her lips pushed him too far to wait any longer. Clasping her around the waist, he rose and tossed her on the bed, crawling after her to drop his now-naked body onto her eager embrace.

  Body against body, slick with sweat, they made love. The room pulsed with the never-ending beat of water rushing through the caverns beneath the rock floors, heated bubbles popping in the far bathing room, steam hissing through small cracks. But over the noises of the planet were the sounds he’d longed for, her throaty groans as he tweaked her nipples. Her hiss of pleasure as he lapped his way down her torso with his tongue. The long, drawn-out mewl she released as he separated her damp curls and slid in a finger. She was as wet inside as out and her hips thrust involuntarily. His cock longed to tunnel into her passage, envying his fingers the squeeze they experienced as she panted on the cusp of her release.