Ellora's Cavemen: Jewels of the Nile II Read online

  He frowned as he studied the boxes. “No, that shouldn’t have anything perishable. It should be plates and utensils. As to the power I don’t know. This isn’t a planned downtime. I’m afraid until it comes back on, we’re stuck in this section. Come on out into the dining room.”

  “I have to stay with the boxes until the kitchen staff claims it.” She was more than tempted to just leave the boxes and join him but she focused on her duty and her goals. If she wanted to advance, she couldn’t make any stupid mistakes. She had to stand out in dedication and performance. Especially with her history being what it was.

  He looked at her, his head tilted to the side as he considered her. She knew he was thinking of ways to change her mind. She didn’t try to tell him he wouldn’t succeed. A man didn’t get to his rank without a certain arrogance. Besides, she enjoyed hearing that deep voice and the company even though his size made the room seem even smaller.

  He strolled over to her, unhurried and confident. Stopping right in front of her, he was close enough to touch—and too tempting. His musky essence teased her nostrils. She tensed her muscles to keep her hands at her side. She kept reminding herself that he was her commanding officer. He was off-limits.

  His hand lifted and trailed over her cheek. Her breath locked in her throat. Her surprise kept her totally frozen. She’d never expected him to touch her. This close, she could see the heat in his green eyes. She couldn’t mistake his interest. She gulped and just stopped herself from shaking her head.

  His finger traced over her lips. “Are you sure you want to stay in here?”

  She managed to nod.

  Commander Tarn smiled and turned to the door. As he went through it, she sighed. She hadn’t really wanted him to leave, but she couldn’t expect him to stay in the kitchen.

  After the commander left Kyna wanted to rush after him, but she stayed where she was. Knowing that he was just in the other room sent her thoughts along impossible paths. He and the other commander would be in charge of this base for at least two years. Getting involved with either of them wouldn’t help her achieve her goals.

  Movement again drew her eyes to the door. This time she saw the other Calazi commander, Drace Amon, step into the open doorway. His face was leaner and more angular than Commander Tarn’s and he also had a tattoo at his left temple. For a moment, she enjoyed his watching his toned, athletic body. His golden skin enhanced the bright silver of his eyes. She thought she saw a hint of irritation there. Somehow the idea of annoying him sparked a perverse sense of amusement in her.

  “Finn tells me you want to stand sentry over boxes of dishes. While I find your adherence to the letter of your orders admirable, in this case it’s ridiculous. We’re the only people in this section. No one’s going to take the plates. Get out here and sit down in a comfortable chair. That’s an order.” Commander Amon leveled a hard look at her and stood, waiting, staring at her.

  Kyna dropped her gaze before he did. This base was a joint effort by the Calazi and her people, the Laurati. As the first commanders of the base, Amon and Tarn were her superior officers. She took a deep breath, looked once at the pile of boxes and took a step toward Commander Amon. She just hoped none of those plates went missing while she was gone. The last thing she needed was any hint of theft on her record.

  The commander watched as she paced around him and followed her out into the large dining room. By the padded chairs and large tables she knew this was the officers’ dining area. Lower-ranking soldiers wouldn’t have this space and luxury. The general dining quarters were likely furnished with long tables and hard chairs—the kind of furniture that didn’t invite lingering over a meal. The exact opposite of this room.

  “Sit and we’ll talk while they get the power up. It shouldn’t take them long.” Commander Tarn gestured to a black chair he had pulled out from a nearby table.

  She glanced at the cushioned chair and took a seat. Even as she sank into its softness, she wondered what they’d talk about. It really wasn’t likely that she’d have much in common with two Calazi commanders.

  She watched as they drew two chairs closer to her. When they sat they were within easy reach. She looked from the angular features of Commander Amon to the square features of Commander Tarn. “Commander Amon,” she said, “if you have any questions about me or my record, I’ll be happy to answer them.” She bit her lip for a moment before she forced her face into a relaxed mask. A performance review was the only reason she could think of for them to want to talk to her.

  The commander smiled. “My name is Drace. There’s no reason for you to be so formal.” His hand settled on her thigh just above her knee.

  Kyna couldn’t misinterpret that move and she certainly couldn’t miss the heat in both men’s eyes. She licked her lips nervously. She wanted to put her palm over his and slide his hand higher. That was something she couldn’t deny. But she couldn’t forget they were both her superiors within this complex. Getting involved with either of them was a very bad idea.

  “There’s every reason to be formal. You’re one of the commanding officers of this facility and I’ve been assigned here.” She crossed her arms over her chest and sat stiffly in her chair, but she couldn’t make herself push his hand off her leg. Frustrated at the conflict inside her, she wondered if this was all because she’d been nearly a year without sex. Did the warmth and weight of his hand feel so good because she needed a good fuck or was the genuine attraction really that strong?

  “I’m your commanding officer, but we won’t be so formal here. We’re setting up an outpost that will eventually be a colony for both our worlds.” Commander Amon patted her hand gently but then withdrew. “I think you’ll see more than a few of the normal rules get tossed away and forgotten.”

  The lights flickered again and faded. Kyna drew in a sharp breath and her heart kicked into a faster pace. What now?

  “Puran!” The growled curse word came from her left, so she guessed Commander Amon had said it.

  “So I guess this means the main power will not be coming on again soon?” Kyna asked.

  “It’s not good. I’m going to see if I can find my way back into the kitchen. There should be an emergency kit with a light in there.” Drace’s hand again settled briefly on her knee. “Finn will be with you.”

  She swallowed heavily and nodded, not even realizing he couldn’t see her until he’d moved away. As the sounds of his steps faded, she stared into the inky blackness around her feeling utterly alone. Logically, she knew Commander Tarn was within reach, but the lack of any light seemed so isolating.

  Hands touched her thighs and slid up to her hips. She tensed and yelped as she was lifted out of her chair. Strong hands held her as she was lowered onto a strong thigh, but he wasn’t in the chair he’d been sitting in before the lights had faded. The hands smoothly drew her even lower—she realized he must have left his chair and sat on the floor.

  “I like this better than sitting all alone in the dark.” His arms tightened around her.

  She did too, but didn’t know how to say it without admitting just how much the total darkness bothered her. His arms felt so good around her, she wanted nothing more than to cuddle into them and forget everything else. She just couldn’t get past the fact that he was the commanding officer of the base.

  “If you don’t like being held, if you really want to sit on your own, I’ll put you beside me.” His hand brushed lightly over her arm.

  That gentle touch nearly had her leaning into him and putting her arms around him. For some reason, she had the almost undeniable urge to reassure him. That was probably the last thing he needed. A man didn’t get to his position without a huge amount of confidence. Still, she wouldn’t lie.

  “It’s not that. It’s just not professional for me to be in your arms.” She lifted her hand and her fingers bumped against his before she managed to put her hand over his.

  He remained silent for a long moment. She started to wonder if he was having second thoughts.<
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  “We’re trapped in this section,” Commander Tarn said gently. “We might be able to get a few of the other doors open, but the door to the main hall is too heavy and has an auto-lock. While we’re locked in here, we have no ranks, no hierarchy. All right?”

  Kyna swallowed heavily. Once he said it she couldn’t stop her mind from expanding on his idea. With no rank between them, there was nothing to stop her from kissing him—if not more. Even with the rank and duty as a block, she couldn’t deny how attractive she found both of these men.

  She gnawed on her lip and exhaled slowly. There were two choices—remain professional or let desire rule for once. She couldn’t let this chance slip away from her. In the years ahead, she’d most likely only have duty and her honor and memories. She wasn’t going to live with the regret of walking away from this opportunity.

  “No duty, no superior officers here. Only a woman and two men,” she agreed. Her heart seemed to be pounding against her chest partly because of a little anxious fear but mostly in anticipation.

  “Well, the first thing you can do is call me Finn.” He pulled her closer until she was leaning against him.

  His breath feathered through her hair. She gave in to the urge to nestle against him and feel the strength of his muscled chest beneath her cheek. Even through his shirt she could feel the heat of his body. He smelled absolutely wonderful and she didn’t think that musky essence came from a bottle.

  “If there’s a first, what’s the second thing, Finn?” she asked. The cloak of darkness made it easier to relax, to let herself fall into the fantasy.

  “Kiss me. I want to feel those lips beneath mine,” he said.

  Her hand slid up his chest and she found his cheek in the darkness. Her lips brushed over his cheek before she found his lips. She could feel her cheeks heating with embarrassment. His warm, slightly sweet breath puffed over her lips. She lapped at his lips, tracing their shape with her tongue.

  His mouth opened beneath hers and suddenly he wasn’t a passive participant. His arm cradled her back as his mouth slanted across hers aggressively. She tasted sweet spice as his tongue drove into her mouth.

  With the unremitting black surrounding them every sound, every touch seemed sharper, more intense. At least that’s what she tried to tell herself when her senses went wild at the feel of his lips and tongue. Her hands stroked over the soft cloth at his shoulders. His shoulders shifted beneath her hands and a deep moan rolled against her lips.

  She felt his hand brush against her thigh and drew in a sharp breath as tingles danced over her skin. The nipping sting of his teeth on her lip distracted her from the path of his fingers over her stomach.

  “You taste good, deliciously sweet. I want to see if you taste that way all over.” He placed kisses along her jaw.

  Her mind automatically supplied images of his mouth trailing over her breasts, her belly and lower. She shivered and felt liquid coating the lips of her pussy. By the great Prishu, she wanted to feel his lips and tongue everywhere. She shifted in his lap, leaning into him.

  His hand cupped her breast, his thumb circling the hard nipple. “You have perfect breasts. Can I touch them without the cloth?”

  “Oh yes,” she answered on a sigh and her hands dropped to her shirt and began unfastening it.

  His fingers traced along the underside of her breast. His fingertip felt warm and slightly rough. Flutters of sensation followed his touch to the upper swell of her breast. His thumb flicked over the hardened peak a moment before he took the distended nub between his fingers. Her back arched as sensation shot straight to her core.

  The feeling was so intense that she didn’t notice the absence of his warm breath over her lips until she instead felt it against the base of her neck. His teeth grazed her collarbone. She shivered as his kisses and nips marked a trail down her neck. She never knew whether she’d feel his lips, tongue or teeth and that made her arousal more intense with each touch.

  When his mouth closed over her nipple, she moaned and her hands slid up his chest and around his neck. One large hand slid down her belly, pausing to circle her navel with teasing fingers. She wriggled at the prickling tingles the touch drew and groaned with regret as her nipple slipped from his lips.

  His hand cupped her pussy in a bold claiming at the same moment that his tongue flicked her nipple. She jerked, feeling as if a hot brand of intense pleasure seared through her. Her body trembled and she knew she was only a few breaths away from an intense climax.

  A bright light flashed, lancing across her eyes and momentarily blinding her. She lifted a hand and scowled at the offending beam. She could have cheerfully hit the man behind that light. Her frustration sizzled over raw nerve endings, leaving an empty ache.

  “Looks like I came at a bad time.” Commander Amon set the light on the floor to the side and changed the setting to a less blinding one. He put an extra unlit lamp just to the right.

  “Your timing is very bad in this case but I’ll forgive you.” Finn pulled his hand from between her legs and gently patted her on the thigh. “I don’t know about her, though. We’ve agreed that until we’re out of here, there is no rank. We’re just men and a woman.”

  Commander Amon tilted his head and eyed her with consideration. “You mean I might actually get to hear her call me Drace?”

  Her pussy clenched, reminding her of just how close she’d been to a fantastic orgasm. She knew several things she’d like to call him and none of them involved his given name. Even with desire boiling inside her, she noticed he looked worried.

  “Is something wrong?” she asked as she pulled her shirt closed. Her body protested the loss of Finn’s touch. But now that a little of the desire had faded and her head had cleared she considered Drace’s sober expression.

  “We have problems. The backup should never have failed, but if it did there’s another backup that should have activated by now. This base was built with triple redundancy for the power system.” Drace’s lips firmed.

  “And since they haven’t? What happened?” Kyna had an idea what he was going to say, and she dreaded it.

  “The power had to be turned off. Someone wants one of the power cells.” Finn’s arm tightened around her.

  The Calazi had built most of the underground complex and it was their unique power cells that supplied all of the base’s energy. That was technology the Laurati didn’t have. There were some factions within the Laurati who would do anything to get that.

  “But whoever did it will have to turn on the power to get out of the base. You should be able to stop him.” She looked at both of them and saw their slowly shaking heads. “He won’t?”

  “No, there’s an emergency access tunnel that leads to the surface,” Drace told her with a grimace.

  “So we could be locked in here until someone on the ships notices that there’s something wrong. And the thief will get away with your power cell.” Kyna frowned, wondering if she’d missed something. They didn’t look upset enough about that.

  “It will be a day and a half before the people on our ship get alarmed. The thief won’t succeed. He’ll get the cell out of the base, but it won’t be usable. It has to be carried in a special case. There aren’t any on this base.” Finn’s smile held satisfaction.

  “So we’ll be here at least a day and a half. In the dark. What about fresh air?” She tried to combat her disbelief with calm.

  “Well, not in the dark. In three or four hours, the backup will come on automatically, but it’s minimal. Lights and air. The main doors still won’t open and we won’t have communications.” Drace’s smile held more than a touch of smug anticipation. “We’re lucky. We have food and facilities.”

  He was right, they were lucky in that respect. That they would have light at some point soon did reassure her. There were others on the base who wouldn’t have food at hand. The base was still being supplied and most of the staff hadn’t come to the surface yet.

  “Shouldn’t the doors be connected to the e
mergency power, just in case the place needs to be evacuated?” she asked.

  Finn leveled a hard look at her. “New system, there are still a few bugs. This particular bug is part of an override protocol in case of a fire or explosion.”

  “Since we’ve finished with the dissection, I need to tell you that walking in to find you cuddled in Finn’s arms was very interesting. Would you care to try out mine, too?” Drace’s eyes roved over her face and then dropped to her breast.

  Chapter Two

  Drace studied the deliciously curved woman sitting in the circle of light from one of the emergency lamps he’d found. Her black hair fell to just past her shoulders, the ends curling a little. She stared across the room at Finn as he gathered cushions. Her pink tongue slicked over full, luscious lips. Her attraction and desire wasn’t in question. He could see it in the way she watched them and the way her body turned toward them.

  “Are you hungry?” Drace asked.

  She looked at him, a blush reddening her cheeks. The color flared over her pale and creamy skin. She blinked at him with big gold eyes. She’d been staring at him with almost the same expression when he’d first asked if she wanted to sit with him. She’d gotten flustered and he hadn’t pressed. Her attraction to both him and Finn was obvious. He just had to let her get used to the idea of two men.

  The opportunity to move the seduction to the next level wouldn’t be one he let pass. He knew she thought of this as a very short affair brought on by unusual circumstances. That wasn’t the way he saw it. He’d just have to change her mind.

  “I’m getting a little hungry,” Kyna said. “I can go in there and see what I can find for us to eat.” She offered a smile as she rose to her feet.

  He wasn’t about to let her go in there alone. He wanted to be with her and wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to get close to her. The thought of touching her, kissing her had an immediate effect on his body.

  “That sounds like a good idea.” He stood, grabbed the spare light and followed her into the kitchen. She went to the cabinets and began opening them searching for food. Her full black-clad hips swayed and her ass bounced just slightly with every step. His cock hardened as he followed. He wanted to get his hands on that ass. Those curves would move and cushion a man when he drove into her from behind. He had to taste her.