Part 23 (1/2)

Kor thought of the dream he'd had-the abject terror he'd felt for her when he realized what was going on. He knew the shame and humiliation of being put up on the block for sale, knew the helpless anger you felt when complete strangers touched and handled you, seeing if you met their requirements, deciding if they wanted to buy you or not. He hadn't wanted that for Maggie-had been desperate to spare her that shame. And yet, somehow, he had only added to it.

Shouldn't have touched her, he thought savagely. Should have just taken her back to the s.h.i.+p and let her deal with the need herself. But the urge to touch her had been irresistible. When he'd seen her chained up like that, her full b.r.e.a.s.t.s on display with nothing but the narrow silk ribbon to hide her ripe nipples and just a tiny little red skirt that barely covered her p.u.s.s.y, he'd been overcome with desire for her. And G.o.ds, the way she'd reacted when he touched her...the way she'd pushed her little c.u.n.t into his hand, begging mutely for release...the soft cries of desire that had escaped her when she came for him...the way her hot, slippery p.u.s.s.y had squeezed his fingers...

She only reacted that way because of the implant, a sharp voice spoke up inside his head. It's not like she wanted you to touch her-you're not the male she longs for and you probably never will be.

You should never have come back for her, A deeper, uglier voice whispered. It was the voice he sometimes heard in his dreams-the other dreams that had nothing to do with Maggie. These were the dreams that had come to him soon after he left her, whispering what he was...and what he could become. The dreams that had taught him how to control the strange powers growing within him. The dreams that had been leading him to the Black Planet to find the secret of his origins before he'd turned around and gone back for Maggie...

I had to come for her, Kor thought uneasily. I could never leave her to be slaved out like I was. Even if she doesn't care for me, I have to do the best I can to help her. I'll get the implant out of her and help her get safely home to Earth, then I can go back to my quest. After all, it's not like the Black Planet is going anywhere.

The ugly voice muttered indistinctly in the back of his mind but Kor tried to ignore it. Instead, he concentrated on setting a course for the Maw Cl.u.s.ter. Of course once they got there, it would take a bit of finesse to get them to the Dragon's Mouth. They would probably have to join a group that- A low cry of pain from the living area of the s.h.i.+p stopped him in mid thought. That's Maggie! What's wrong with her?

He jumped up at once, and ran to the living area which was furnished with gold brocade couches and gilded lamps with exotic red silk shades. It was a foolishly lavish display as far as Kor was concerned but it wasn't the decor he was concerned with right now-it was Maggie.

She was sitting in the middle of the gold couch where he'd left her, a look of pain twisting her lovely face. Her hair was disheveled as though she'd been running both hands through her curls and her deep blue eyes were wild. Her hands were between her legs but when she saw Kor, she pulled them away quickly, as though she'd been burned, and crossed her arms over her chest instead.

”What is it? What's wrong?” he demanded, going to her. He put out a hand but Maggie pulled away from his touch.

”It's nothing. I...I'm fine.”

The broken tone of her voice told him it was a lie and the way she wouldn't meet his eyes made Kor's heart twist in his chest.

”Maggie...” He tried to keep his voice gentle as he sat beside her on the couch. ”Come on, sweetheart...please.”

”I just...I can't...” She shook her head and he saw that she was crying. Kor wanted to gather her to him and hold her, wanted to comfort and protect her. But she'd already pulled away from him once so he sat quietly and waited. ”It's the implant,” Maggie burst out at last. ”I can't...it's making me feel so...so...”

Kor looked at the rapidly blinking red jewel and nodded. ”I get that when it cycles up it makes you hot-gives you increased desire-but your arms aren't chained now. You can...take care of yourself if you need to.”

”No, I can't,” she whispered and fresh tears filled her eyes. ”You should know that. I thought you knew about these implant things.”

”I know they're dangerous if you let someone who doesn't know they're doing go f.u.c.king around with them,” he said, frowning. ”I've heard stories of escaped slaves who tried to deal with their own implants...” He shook his head. ”Anyway, what's going on?”

”I can't feel my own hands when I...when I touch myself there.” Maggie nodded at the spot between her legs. ”It's like I'm totally numb from my lower pelvis to my upper thighs. I can't feel anything when I touch myself except the need getting worse and worse, no matter how hard I try.”

Kor frowned and placed a hand on her thigh. ”Can you feel this?”

Maggie threw back her head with a little gasp. ”Ah! G.o.d, yes. That I can feel. I just can't feel my own hands...my own fingers.”

”So you can't help yourself,” Kor murmured, frowning. Apparently the implant was worse than he'd imagined. Suddenly the slaver's promise that Maggie would be eager to do anything to get him to touch her made more sense. The implant didn't just increase a slave's desire-it made them physically unable to get relief from anyone but their master.

”No.” Maggie put a hand to her face, hiding her eyes. ”No, I can't...can't help myself.”

Kor frowned. ”Who the h.e.l.l designed that thing? I'm going to have something to say to them after they get it out of you. f.u.c.king sick b.a.s.t.a.r.d.”

”I just...I can't...” Maggie was looking more and more distressed. ”Kor,” she burst out. ”It hurts. I mean, it feels good but it's too good. Too much. I can't...can't stand it!”

”Do you need help?” He looked at her directly. ”Look, blondie, I don't want to take advantage. But if you really can't stand it...”

”I...” She looked down in shame, her hands twisting in her lap. ”It's awful, Kor. I feel like my nerves are on fire. I guess...I guess I do need help.”

Kor sat and looked at her for a long moment. She was breathing hard and her tousled curls framed a flushed face. The thin scarlet band that encircled her b.r.e.a.s.t.s had pulled down on one side, baring one plump, dark pink nipple and part of the tiny red skirt was flipped up, showing just a hint of her soft little p.u.s.s.y. She was so beautiful-so desirable-it hurt Kor to look at her. But it hurt him even more to see her in pain. He wanted to help her but he didn't want to add to that pain, didn't want to overload her with guilt.

”Maggie, look at me,” he said quietly, lifting her chin. At first she refused to meet his eyes. Kor waited patiently, refusing to give up. At last, she looked up at him reluctantly.

”What?” she asked in a small voice.

”This desire inside you, this need, it isn't your fault,” Kor told her firmly. ”It's the implant. And I know I'm not the male you want to help you, but your fiance isn't here-I'm afraid I'm it.”

”I know you are,” she whispered. ”I just...I feel so guilty asking for your help. Asking you to...”

”To do what's necessary,” Kor said softly. ”To give you what you need, to ease your pain. Do you think your fiance would want you to be hurting? Would he want you in agony?”

She bit her lip. ”No, I don't...don't think so.”

”Then you have to let me help you,” Kor told her. ”And you need to let go of the guilt. It's not your fault, Maggie. You can't help this-you can only deal with it as it comes. And I'm the only one here to help you deal with it.”

She looked away. ”I can't believe you even want to. I thought you hated me for-”

”For staying true to your intended? No.” Kor shook his head. ”Your loyalty is one of the things I love about you, Maggie. One of the things that makes me want you so badly.”

”Oh, Kor...” Her eyes flitted to his for a moment and then she looked just as quickly away.

”I won't lie about that,” he went on, roughly. ”I do want you. But I know your heart belongs to someone else. So I swear to you here and now to only do what is necessary to ease your pain. I won't take advantage of you, Maggie. Do you understand?”

Slowly, she nodded. ”Thank you.”

”You're welcome.” Kor stroked the tousled curls out of her face and looked at her directly. ”Do you need my help now?”

She nodded again, her eyes filled with pain. It hurt his heart to see that mixture of need and shame in her lovely face. He wanted to erase it somehow but he didn't know how. All he could do was try to make this as easy for her as possible.

He longed to take her in his arms and kiss her, to hold her close while he brought her to the edge. Instead he extended a single hand to her and rested his fingertips lightly on her thigh.

”Do you want to do it the same way?” he asked. ”Want me to cup you and let you rub against me?”

”Yes,” she whispered, unable to meet his eyes. ”Please.”

”Then raise your skirt, for me, sweetheart, and spread your legs,” Kor directed. ”Let me give you what you need.”

Her face flushed with shame, Maggie did as he asked. Slowly she got to her knees on the broad cus.h.i.+on of the couch and spread her legs. Then, hands trembling, she lifted the tiny red skirt.

Kor couldn't keep a low curse from escaping him. He'd thought she was hot and in need before, when she was on the block. But that was nothing to what he saw now. Her little c.u.n.t was swollen with need, the outer lips parting to show her dark pink folds and the ripe little b.u.t.ton of her c.l.i.t. Her juices were also flowing freely, coating her p.u.s.s.y and inner thighs with her honey, making him long to bend down and lap it up from the source. His c.o.c.k surged in his pants, snarling for release. G.o.ds, how he wanted to wors.h.i.+p her sweet p.u.s.s.y with his tongue!

Sternly, Kor controlled himself. He was only giving her what she needed, he reminded himself. Only easing her pain. He wouldn't go there, wouldn't taste her, unless it was absolutely necessary.

He wasn't wearing gloves this time-a fact that wasn't lost on him as he reached between her legs and cupped her sweet, open c.u.n.t. G.o.ds, she was hot-and so wet his palm was immediately drenched. Oh yes, she needed this badly.

Maggie moaned breathlessly and held herself back for only a moment before settling more firmly into his hand. Kor could see the overwhelming desire in her eyes, could feel the soft, hot, wetness in the palm of his hand and he knew how desperate she was.

”All right, blondie,” he murmured, trying to control his own l.u.s.t. ”It's all right-I'm going to take care of you.” Slowly he spread her p.u.s.s.y lips and slid two fingers into her slippery folds, bracketing her c.l.i.t just as he had before.