Resisting Desire (Brace for Humanity Book 4) Read online

  She looked at Argo as he disabled the cycle. She hadn’t been planning for a lot of things.

  Chapter Four

  By the time they reached the quarters assigned to her at the main security desk, a wave of bots was behind them, carrying her wardrobe and her tiny collection of possessions.

  “You use bots for moving?”

  Argo nodded. “They don’t get sidetracked with scents.”

  She nodded and stood aside as the bots zipped back and forth with her possessions.

  Argo checked, and when there were no more incoming bots, he eased her around the corner, into her new quarters.

  She whistled softly. “This is larger than the home I grew up in.”

  He smiled. “The space is designed for your comfort. All of the amenities that your apartment had are contained here as well.”

  She didn’t have a lot of stuff, so as the bots finished, they filed out, closing the door behind them.

  She cleared her throat. “So, there is a massage unit?”

  He nodded. “Of course.”

  Niiva cleared her throat. “Could you show me? I am feeling a little tense.”

  Argo gave her a slow, raking look. It covered her from head to toe and let her know that he had a thing for breasts and hips. Also, her hair got a lot of attention.

  Niiva decided to make a move. A quick glance at his groin said he was exceedingly interested, so she stepped toward him, placing a hand on the black fabric that covered his chest.

  “So, since I am authorized to take a lover, and you are authorized to be that lover. Would you care to demonstrate the finer points of the Rrassic physique?” She slid her hand up his chest and touched his neck where his pulse was thundering.

  He pulled her to him with hands around her waist. “You want me?”

  She nodded. “I do.”

  “Then, you shall have me.” He lifted her, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. His groan let her know that it had been the right move.

  He walked with her through the empty space of her living room and through an archway to her bedroom. He knew his way around the Breeders quarters, but she was relieved rather than irritated. At least he knew what humans were like.

  She kissed him and was a little surprised at the rough texture of his tongue when he slid it into her mouth. Niiva wove her fingers through his hair and deepened the kiss as he moved his grip from her waist to her thighs and then under her skirt. When he found her slick and wet, he paused.

  He pulled his head back and shivered as he swallowed when his finger grazed the soft folds that were slick with invitation.

  She shivered and leaned toward his neck, biting softly.

  He growled. “Are you attached to this clothing?”

  “Not particular—” The sound of shredding fabric filled the room. She was naked and her clothing in tatters in seconds.

  He looked down at her and grinned, showing most of his very sharp teeth. “Perfect.”

  He laid her back on the bed and opened the closures on his trousers, freeing his cock. She didn’t have much of a chance to admire the gold length before he was on her and inside her.

  The pressure of his entrance continued until she couldn’t take him any further. Argo shifted and moved his hips rapidly, holding his body away from hers while the only place they connected was between her thighs.

  Sweat coated her skin, and she bent her legs to press her feet flat to the bed in order to push him in deeper. The pressure and friction were what she was after, and as they pounded together, she reached between them to touch her clit. A few frenzied circles of building tension and she gasped and grunted as her body contracted around him.

  Argo groaned and held himself against her as her body shook in long pulses. She held still while he pressed against her again and again until he finally shuddered to completion.

  She was a little disappointed. She had hoped for more contact.

  Argo closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them, there was a light in his gaze. He slowly pulled out of her and peeled his clothing off, starting at his tunic. When the black fabric was discarded, the muscles of his torso gleamed under the gold hide that the Regiz were so proud of.

  The more clothing he removed, the less he resembled a human. Niiva blushed as the sight started her arousal all over again.

  When he was wearing a feral grin and nothing else, he crept toward her, covering her from head to toe as he kissed her.

  She met the slow and careful thrust of his tongue with her own, and when her body started giving her orders, she arched against him, rubbing her breasts against his chest.

  He lowered his torso until he was pinning her to the bed. She settled for a slow squirm against him while she tried to touch as much of his back as she could. His body was hard muscle wrapped in gold velvet. If she could touch him constantly, she would.

  The erection against her thigh was the same soft texture, and if he hadn’t been pinning her down, she would have been trying to coax him inside her again.

  He reached out and eased her hands away from their death-grip in the muscular groove of his back and pinned her hands next to her head. The restriction worked on her body, and she was on the edge of growling herself. Instead of a growl, a whimper came from her throat when the arousal became desperation.

  She felt his lips curve against her in a feral grin. The sound had been what he was waiting for.

  He moved quickly. One moment he was on top of her, and then, he had reared back, flipped her over, and was pressing her into the sheets from behind.

  His thighs were pressing hers apart, and his fingers were woven with hers, holding her in place.

  Niiva could feel the blind head of his cock seeking entrance. The slow slide of heat against her had her shifting her hips to try and get it where she wanted, no, needed it to be.

  His voice was dark as he whispered against her neck, “Do you want me?”

  She hissed and turned her head to one side. “Yes.” It came out as another hiss.

  “Do you want me inside you, as deep and hard as you can take me?”

  She nodded, and he nipped the edge of her ear. “Use your words.”

  She was beginning to hate that smug tone. “I do want you hard and deep.”

  He shifted his hips, and his cock teased her opening. “Thank you for the invitation, Niiva. I am going to honour it.”

  He moved inward, and she felt tears leak from her eyes in relief.

  He was in control, but his chest rubbed against her as he moved, and soon, he released her hands to rear up and explore her skin with a lot of attention given to her backside. He really seemed to like to fondle and stroke the globes of her ass as he drove into her. His hands gripped and kneaded her ass as he pounded into her with attention to every moan and murmur that escaped her.

  Her fingers dug into the sheets under her, and she pushed upward to rock back against him. The hands on her ass suddenly moved to brace himself as her back was now his balance platform. He grunted and held himself inside her while he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her up and onto her knees.

  She grinned and locked her elbows.

  He rubbed his chest against her back, and she rocked back against him, sliding her sheath around him. Oh, yeah.

  Niiva rocked onto him, and he gradually thrust back until they were slamming into each other with ferocity. His low growls sent coils of excitement through her, and she was about to cum when she felt his breath against her neck and a spike of pain shot through her system, providing a radiant burn that flashed through her.

  She tried to jerk away from his teeth, but his arms held her fast. He slid a hand down her belly and rubbed her clit while rocking into her. She shivered and held still as her body recovered from the shock and her frenzied state roared back to life.

  A series of soft cries came from her throat, and the controlled motions inside and outside her folds rocked her until light exploded behind her eyes and her voice froze on a silent scream.


  Her entire focus turned inward to the hot, throbbing invader inside her, the relentless touch on her clit moving in slick circles, and her body squeezing down and clutching at him, milking his cock.

  He groaned, and his teeth shifted slightly. She smelled her own blood, and then, a low series of grunts and growls announced his release.

  The hum of a med kit against the side of her neck brought her out of her daze. She was lying on her side, her thighs were sticky, and the scent of sex filled the air. The low throb deep inside her let her know that it had been less than three minutes since he had been inside her.

  The hot throb of her neck gradually cooled as the small abrasion regenerator worked to close the surface wounds on her skin.

  When the med kit was removed, she turned to watch Argo moving about the space. He was tense. There was no doubt about that. He went through a doorway and returned with a folded cloth in his hands. She turned to her back and parted her knees, guessing at what he was going to do. He met her gaze and then looked away.

  His voice was low and hoarse. He removed the cum from her thighs and said, “I apologize. I lost my head.”

  She smiled at the cool pressure on her thighs, and then, she pushed past him. “Excuse me.”

  He grabbed her arm. “Is something wrong?”

  “I need to use the lav.” She smiled and tried to walk naturally, but there was a bit of a wobble. She hadn’t had this kind of an encounter for a while.

  “Leave the door open.”

  She sighed and took care of herself; then, she pressed a cooling cloth to her groin. A quick look in the mirror showed pink discolouration where he had bitten her. It would be completely faded by the following day, but right now, she shivered at the memory of the hot, wet, sharp pain. Glancing down, her nipples were drawn tight, and she winced at the proof of her unstoppable libido.

  Niiva sighed.

  Argo waited for her at the doorway. “What is wrong?”

  She walked up to him and into his arms. His hug was immediate. “You would think that with all the trouble they went through to clone me and copy my memories, they could have balanced my hormones a little better.”

  He froze. “What?”

  “The human women here are all clones. Some of us know, some don’t, and if we do, we keep it to ourselves.”

  He didn’t say anything.

  “It’s fine, Argo. I know. I am missing two scars, and I wasn’t on my hormone cocktail when I came to. Trust me, there is no way that I would have simply stopped treatment unless it wasn’t known that I was getting treatment.”

  He ran his hands up and down her back. “This day has gotten far more complicated than I imagined.”

  She lifted her head, looking at him and feeling the throb in her neck. “I think I can second that remark. Can we just have a lie-down?”

  He nodded with a smile. “We can. I just need to make a call.”

  She sighed and knew that their one afternoon together had gotten more complicated than she could imagine.

  Chapter Five

  Whatever she had been expecting, a full medical team of Nool with diagnostic equipment was not part of it, nor was the sight of Iktabi and Isabella. There was also a hooded figure with them, but he didn’t speak.

  Niiva wore her favourite robe, and Argo was wearing his uniform. While she was still very interested in having another run at his body, she accepted that this wasn’t the time.

  Isabella took her by the hand and pulled her aside. “Argo mentioned that you think you are a clone.”

  Niiva gave Isabella a bland look. “I am missing scars; I had no trace of my hormone therapy in my system. My normal libido started to build slowly, and when I worked physically, I could ignore it. The moment that stopped, it came roaring back as the extra testosterone and adrenaline had nowhere to go.”

  Isabella blinked. “Oh. Oh...”

  “Right. So, the moment that my routine was altered, the libido came roaring back. At home, I had been on therapy for the last five years. It was a relief to my family. My behaviour was getting wilder as I tried to work off my desperation.”

  The man with the hood had been at the edge of their conversational space. Niiva had felt a cool wash in her thoughts, and as she finished explaining to Isabella, he turned and walked off toward where Iktabi and Argo were conversing.

  Niiva grimaced. “I think he is squealing on me.”

  Isabella patted her shoulder. “I think that he needed to make sure that it wasn’t a conspiracy theory and that you hadn’t told anyone.”

  “Fine. Is that one of the Saya-Rrassic?”

  Isabella smiled. “He is.”

  “Do they really have three eyes?”

  A voice called out from the other room. “I do!”

  Isabella laughed.

  Niiva blushed and called out, “Thank you!”

  There was a laugh from the men, and Niiva asked Isabella, “Can I make you some tea?”

  “Sure. Can you find your way around the kitchen?”

  Niiva wrinkled her nose. “We will find out.”

  * * * *

  Argo looked at the overseer. “Things got out of hand.”

  Iktabi nodded. “You had sex.”

  “We did. Yes. And then we mated.”

  The Dorbin-Rrassic’s brows rose high. “You did what?”

  “We mated. She was so responsive, so perfect, and my impulses took over.”

  Iktabi covered his eyes. “Did you get her consent?”

  “For the sex, yes. Mating, no.”

  The overseer scowled. “That is a breach of protocol.”

  “I know. All I can say is that she smelled like my mate.”

  The Saya-Rrassic joined them. “She knows, and she has no doubts. The difference in her body is apparent, and she knows it.”

  Iktabi nodded. “Isabella knows as well. She has adapted to it.”

  The Saya lifted his head, smiled, and yelled out, “I do!”

  There was feminine laughter from the other room, and Niiva called out, “Thank you!”

  The Saya smiled. “You have a very desirable mate, Argo.”

  Argo felt a flash of jealousy before he calmed it. “How do you know?”

  “I did an examination of her mind. Overseer, there is a measurable difference between her mind imprint and what she has now.”

  Iktabi frowned. “Explain.”

  “The initial imprint was calm and sedate with a good work ethic. Her current sense of self is an awareness of her body in a riot. Her hormones and adrenaline surge uncontrollably and cause a dramatically increased libido. She recognized the sensation from her adolescence, and that is why she was surprised to wake without it. By the time her body caught up to the mind imprint, she was already working at the harvest centre. She was able to focus that attention and aggression into her work.”

  Iktabi winced. “What are the chances that there are others like her out there?”

  “Slim. She is exotic even among her family group. There is a tale of one great-grandmother with the same issue and seventeen children.”

  Iktabi blinked, and Argo looked toward the other room with a sense of possessive smugness. “How many twins?”

  Saya checked the memory that he had just obtained. “Three pairs.”

  Argo wanted to rush in and find out if Niiva was already pregnant. His conscious mind knew it was a near impossibility, but his instincts said that she had been fertile during their coupling.

  Iktabi put out his hand. “Without her consent, if she has conceived, this might be your only offspring. She will be encouraged to seek out another.”

  Argo growled low. “No.”

  “You have no say in it. You have jumped the gun here, as my mate likes to say. We have these rules in place for a reason.”

  Argo snarled. “Does she know?”

  The Saya shook his head. “She doesn’t. She knows the humans were cloned to be here, she doesn’t know why.”

  Iktabi cocked his head. “Argo, part of
your disciplinary action will be to tell her and take her on a tour of the gestation facility.”

  Argo frowned. “I don’t have clearance.”

  Iktabi lifted his tablet and made a few entries. “You do now.”

  The Nool medics came forward. “We are ready to do the analysis.”

  Argo nodded. “I will get her.”

  The medic held up his hand. “I will retrieve her.”

  Iktabi put his hand on Argo’s arm to stop him from following.

  Argo watched the Nool bring Niiva from the other room, and he smiled slightly when she winked at him as she passed. It seemed that nothing could make an impact on her mood.

  * * * *

  The scanners were focused on her head and lower abdomen.

  A light chime got everyone’s attention. The three Nool medics focused on the monitor, and one of them looked back at her with a smile. “I will get the canisters from the transport vehicle.”

  Argo was next to the team in a second. “Canisters?”

  The Nool grinned. “She released two eggs, and you caught them.”

  Niiva blinked. “I am pregnant?”

  Argo came over to her and whispered in her ear. He explained about the Rrassic, the war, and their desperate attempts to build an army using the next generation. They had the skills to develop clones at a rapid pace but recreating the same beings over and over wasn’t an option. They needed to bring their race forward, and that meant blending with others in order to create a variety that could survive and thrive on Rrassia. Humans were a close match, and mixing some Rrassic DNA in during the cloning process had created ideal mates for the Rrassic warriors, chosen for their desirable characteristics.

  Niiva’s normally cheerful demeanour darkened. “You are taking the babies.”