Duke (Moon Hunter's Inc. Book 8) Read online

  Opening the door and slipping out, Duke closed it quietly. His Clancy needed rest. Now, he would look for Razar. Checking in the office first, it was empty. He sat at the desk and used the desktop com. Razar’s number was the first one. He pushed the button and waited for Razar to pick up.

  Chapter 5

  He’s Mine

  Clancy woke, alone. Maybe having Duke in bed with her had just been a sweet dream. If that was true, why did her bed have that spicy male scent that always made her think of him? She was still tired, but she knew there was no way she’d get back to sleep.

  Getting up, she put on some shoes and slipped out the door. It looked to be supper time and she realized she was famished. All these new words she was learning came in handy. Heading to the cafeteria, she saw everyone was eating supper. She grabbed a tray and got everything she needed so she could eat.

  Sharon was there so she sat next to her. “I’m surprised you’re up and about already.” Sharon looked over at her. “Oh, Clancy. I’m glad to see you. I heard about what you did. It was brave but you shouldn’t have.”

  “Getting you back was too important.”

  “Risking your own freedom wasn’t worth the risk.”

  Clancy grinned mischievously. “Apparently, it was. It worked.”

  Sharon shook her head. “I can’t deny I’m glad to be back.”

  “We’re glad to have you back. I was worried.”

  “They only kept me sedated. The mercenaries never touched me.”

  “We’ll all have to be careful. I don’t think they are done with us.”

  They finished eating and the cafeteria emptied out. Clancy and Sharon were two of the last to leave. They put up their trays and left. Clancy knew it was time to sleep. She’d napped but she still felt tired so it made her hesitant to try to sleep yet. She pulled out her electronic clipboard and read a little of her romance. It was a habit she worried about forming since the more she read, the more she wanted to read.

  One night, she had been up until dawn reading to the end. She had just had to know how it would all end. The next day, she had been tired and a little grumpy. It was the price she paid for not enough sleep. There was a knock on her door and she sighed deeply before setting her clip board to the side. Pulling the door open, she was stunned to see Duke.

  “I just wanted to check on you before bed time,” He admitted.

  “That is thoughtful of you. I’m alright.”

  She moved back to sit on the bed and motioned for him to sit wherever he wanted. He chose the bed right next to her and took her hand in his. His thumb traced up and down her wrist and it felt naughty but comforting.

  “I miss you when you’re not with me,” Duke whispered. He moved his hand to her chin and tilted it up and his lips softly claimed hers. It was sweet and warm, not a claiming type of kiss. It told her he was here and he cared. His eyes, however told a different story. His passion was tightly leashed.

  “Lay down with me? It helped me sleep last time,” She admitted. Not that sleep was what was on her mind right now. Duke nodded and he stood. He pulled off his shirt and tossed it on the chair and she stared at his firm muscled chest.

  Clancy felt daring and she started to strip. She saw Duke staring at her and she felt a little self-conscious, but she got naked anyway. Duke licked his lips and she turned pink all over. That was one of the problems with pale skin.

  “Cl-clancy? What are you doing,” He asked uncertainly.

  “Getting ready for bed,” she said so softly she wasn’t sure he heard her. Jumping into her bed, she covered up and she was so nervous she was shaking.

  It sucked not having any experience at anything. Would Duke understand what she meant? She wanted him and she was tired of waiting. Did he want her too? At least soon she would know. Clancy had pulled all her courage together to take one shot at this. Yes or no, what would it be?

  Duke left his underwear on, but otherwise he was naked. “I didn’t know you usually slept in the nude.”

  “Not usually, it something new I’m trying,” Clancy admitted. Was this his way of letting her down easy?

  He approached the bed and settled next to her. “Is there an extra blanket?”

  “We can share,” she said and she wondered if he would get under her blanket with her.

  Her belly did flip flops when he did. He wrapped himself around her and she felt safe, warm, protected, but also a buzz in her belly that made her aware of him. His spicy scent, his body heat, the beat of his heart, and firm muscles under the silky skin she could feel touching her.

  Would he take the next step? Should she? “This is hard on me,” Duke admitted.

  “What is,” she asked.

  “Holding you like this. You are so beautiful and it feels good to hold you, but I want more,” Duke explained.

  “I want more too,” Clancy admitted and she turned pink. Now, she felt hot all over and her eyes no longer met his. Her body ached for him and she wasn’t sure if he truly wanted her. This could turn out to be awkward and embarrassing.

  He moved his hand to her chin and pushed it up so her eyes met his.

  “Never think I don’t want you, Clancy. I just don’t want to take advantage before you have a chance to get used to the way things are for most people. You could have any male in the world, I just want to make sure you understand that and don’t just settle for me.”

  “What? How could you ever believe that you would be settling? You are so handsome, strong, and wonderful. Duke, you are everything I ever wanted and more.”

  “Wow, no one has ever described me that way. Especially not a beautiful woman.”

  Clancy felt warm inside at the compliment. Her only thought now was to push him to join with her. The thought of rejection scared her witless, but the fear of losing him scared her more. What should she do now? A nervous shudder rolled over her. It was time to stop thinking and act.

  She slid up a bit and she laid her lips on his. First, she licked his bottom lip then she nibbled on it. Clancy wanted in and the second his lips parted, her tongue darted in. Lista had discussed kisses with her and she had read descriptions of hot kisses in her romance books. Her tongue began to explore and his spicy taste turned her on. She moaned and shivered with need.

  Duke was up against her and they were skin to skin except for the parts covered in his underwear. She slid her tongue along his tongue and he dueled with her using his tongue like a sword. “Damn woman. I hope you know what you’re doing.”

  She felt his arousal slapping against her. It was huge almost to the point of being scary. Lista had said it would fit perfect regardless of size and not to worry about that. So far, Lista hadn’t steered her wrong. Clancy would follow her advice and do as she had suggested. Pressing harder against him, she took a deep breath and relaxed as much as she could. Admittedly, she was nervous as hell to be having her first time with an experienced man. What if he wasn’t pleased with her? He might leave her.

  Clancy dreamed about this man and saw her whole future laid out in front of her with him at her side. Losing him would kill her. She could lose him no matter what she did so she wanted to discover the pleasures between males and females. Instinctively, she knew Duke would give her more pleasure than anyone else could.

  Her hand moved lower until it rested on his bulged and he jerked. “Are you certain,” he asked and she knew this was her last chance to back out. She nodded and continued to stroke him.

  His cock was rock hard but the skin that covered it was silky smooth. Clancy could pet him for hours and not get tired of it. Her hand moved over the end and she felt something sticky. Moving her hand to her mouth, she tasted it.

  “Mm. I like that,” she admitted.

  Duke rolled on his back and pulled her on top of him. “You’re so perfect. I want you so much.”

  “Then take me,” She offered.

  Suddenly, she was on her back with Duke on top. Kissing her sweetly, he then began to work his way down to her breasts. They wer
en’t large, but they were a handful and pert. The nipples were small, but they were already hard and she wanted him to touch them.

  He did exactly what she wanted by cupping them lovingly in both hands. His mouth dropped to one and he sucked it in and tugged it into his mouth until it grew red and sensitive before he switched to the other one. Clancy whimpered and writhed beneath him.

  Once both her breasts were red and sensitive, he began his descent. He licked, nipped, and worked his way lower. Clancy was shaking with anticipation. She thought she knew what he was going to do. He paused at her belly button, laving it gently before continuing on. Her channel clenched in need as his hot breath hit her lower belly and then blew across her thighs.

  She broke out in goosebumps. His hands parted her thighs and his hot breath now hit her wet lips. Since he’d started touching her, she hadn’t stopped shivering. Now her belly clasped with need. When his tongue finally licked her from gate to clit, she almost jumped out of her skin.

  “Mm, you taste wonderful. Calm down, Baby. I won’t do anything you won’t enjoy,” Duke said with a chuckle. One of his fingers slid into her channel and it clenched around it holding it tight. “Gods, you’re tight.”

  His tongue swirled around her little bundle of nerves and her channel relaxed. He moved his finger in and out a few times before adding another finger. Clancy arched up to meet him. His mouth and hands were driving her crazy and she felt an ache she’d never felt before. She needed more. Duke added another finger and his mouth and tongue moved faster.

  He was licking and nipping at her while his fingers completely filled her. Harder and faster, she needed more and she intended to have it. She was reaching toward some new unknown thing and she had to get there.

  “More,” Clancy demanded and suddenly she was on fire just before her whole world exploded. Her eyes were closed, but she could see flashes of color in her mind. She screamed and her body went wild. What was happening to her? This was something new and exciting. As she began to calm, she knew she wanted to do that again.

  Duke shifted and slid up her body and she felt something larger than a finger nudging at her entrance. Her knees were on either side of his body and she felt him slowly slide in. It made her feel full. He inched in a little at a time and she was glad he did because there was so much of him.

  When he was finally in, they both relaxed a little. She suspected even he had doubted it would all fit inside her. There was no doubt now since that’s where he was. He began to move, slowly at first, then faster. Her legs wrapped around his hips because she needed something to hold onto.

  Duke was moving fast now, driving in deep and hard and she felt something building. It was a feeling of need again, but slightly different from the last one. He was pounding into her and she raised to meet him. It felt marvelous as they slapped together and the sound echoed around the room. She was delirious and the need grew until it burst and pleasure rained all around her.

  Duke screamed her name and she whispered his, lost in delight. No words could describe the pleasure he had just given her and she hoped later they would do it again, but for now, she was tired. She kissed him and saw he looked tired too. Sleep claimed her as she lay blissed out in his arms.

  Later when they woke, it was morning. It was the best night’s sleep she had had in as long as she could remember, possibly ever. She could feel the heat of her lover next to her and she just wanted to curl up next to him and go back to sleep. If she did, Duke might be upset at not being woke and she wouldn’t get her school work done for the day. Sometimes being responsible just sucked.

  “Duke,” she whispered and shook him lightly.

  “Hm,” he murmured.

  “It’s morning.”

  “Aw, hell,” he said and rolled over pulling the pillow over his head.

  Clancy was sure he’d get up now so she went and pulled out her clothing for the day and headed into the shower. Once she was clean, dry, and dressed, she went back into her bedroom. The bed was empty and Duke was nowhere to be seen. She’d hoped he would stay long enough to greet her, but it hadn’t worked out that way. Hopefully, he wouldn’t avoid her or act embarrassed around her like she’d heard some males did.

  She was just learning her way around social conventions and expectations and she wanted this relationship to work out. Clancy felt like Duke was hers, it was the only way to describe what she felt. Now that he’d left without a goodbye, she was feeling uncertain. It made her wonder how he’d act when she saw him again.

  Heading to the cafeteria, she grabbed her tray and got her food. She sat next to Sharon who was just starting her meal. “Are you okay? You look a little flushed,” Sharon observed.

  “I’m fine. How are you this morning?”

  “I’m back to my old self, now that I’m back. It was awful being away from my people. The mercenaries weren’t mean, I just didn’t want to be there.”

  “If we’re careful, I hope no one else gets taken.”

  “Duke will help prevent that. I’m so grateful that he saved us.”

  Jealousy shot through Clancy, even though her friend hadn’t said anything about wanting Duke. She’d never been jealous of anything in her life. What was wrong with her? Wild obsessive emotions swirled over her at the thought of anyone getting near him. Maybe sleeping with Duke had been a mistake.

  “Clancy?”

  “What?”

  “I asked if you’d seen Duke this morning.”

  “Yes, just briefly,” Clancy said and she blushed.

  “I heard they tightened security and they were trying to figure out who let the mercenaries in through security. Apparently, someone had to give them permission and an excuse to get through. It’s like some of those exciting books I’ve been reading about spies and stuff,” Sharon admitted.

  “I hadn’t heard,” Clancy offered. No, she’d been too busy in bed with Duke. She concentrated on her breakfast until her plate was empty. “I guess I’d best get on my school work.”

  “As hard as you work, you’ll be done years ahead of the rest of us,” Sharon said. She was finishing up and Clancy was sure she’d come to class after her.

  Entering the room, there were a few people milling around and the teacher was getting her desk straightened out. Mrs. Jatson was from Space Station Alpha and the Mazlans had lured her here with good pay and fair treatment. That was something no one ever got on any of the space stations. The teacher was single and probably hoped to find a mate here.

  Clancy settled down at her desk and immediately began her work. She was a self-starter and didn’t have to be put on task. Most of the others waited until the teacher told them to start. That wasn’t Clancy’s way, she had no time to waste. Enough time had been stolen from her already. She was already several days ahead. By the end of the week, she hoped to be weeks ahead. Maybe she was uneducated and untrained, but she wasn’t stupid.

  She knew what she wanted and she would work for it. It might be true that she was behind others her age, but she could catch up. Right now, she had the tools she needed to meet her goals and no one could hold her back unless she did it herself.

  Clancy worked through a unit in each subject before first break. By lunch, she’d completed another set of units. Each set of units was considered a day’s worth of work. There was a self-test at the end of each section and she would have a test at the end of every six weeks’ worth of units. Her dedication to her work would pay off. By lunch, she had done another set of units and started a third.

  As she worked through the day, she found learning easier. It was like her brain warmed up at the start of the day and worked more efficiently as the day progressed. By the time the day was over, she was at her best. Sometimes, she would stay late to take advantage of it.

  Today when the day was done, she had mixed feelings. She wanted to find Duke so she could see him but she was afraid to see him because he might not feel the same way she did. It worried her that he’d not met her for lunch or made any effort to see her
at all. Usually the first time you had sex with someone meant something if you cared about them. Did that mean he didn’t care?

  She moved out of the class and looked down the empty hall. There was no way she would hunt him down. He knew where she was. Clancy moved to her room crashing in the only chair and she just relaxed as well as she could. There was little to do and no where she could go. It could be worse, at least it was just boring right now. It wasn’t like her life had been before where someone was always trying to hurt her.

  Too bored to handle it, she got up and went to the library down the hall. Few people hung out here, but she liked to read. For a small building, the library was large and filled with a variety of books. Because she studied so hard, she only read fiction when she wasn’t studying. It was her way to balance fun and learning.

  “Clancy, did you hear,” Sharon yelled as she came in to the library.

  “Hear what?”

  “Some guys tried to attack our building and Duke intercepted them. He captured them, but he was wounded. He’s in medical giving the healers a hard time. I heard he asked for you and they told him you were in class.”

  “What,” Clancy squeaked. She ran past Sharon and headed right to medical. She was barely aware of Sharon following behind her.

  “Duke,” She yelled and threw herself into his arms.

  “Clancy. It’s alright, Sweetheart.” He held her and petted her. His soft touches calmed her.

  “What happened,” She asked.

  “Some guys tried to force their way in here. I stopped them. Razar has them in lockup, but I think they’re just some drunk locals.”

  “Why would they want in here,” Clancy asked.

  “The planet has a shortage of females and they probably heard about all the lovely unmated ones staying here.”

  “So, at least it wasn’t more mercenaries,” Sharon observed.