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Phoebe quit fighting the laughter. She let it go in a joyful surge as she wrapped her arms around Damon’s neck. When he tightened his arms around her waist, Phoebe sighed in contentment. Never in her wildest dreams would she have guessed she’d want a man in her life. Now, she found herself wondering what it would be like to have such sinfully wonderful physical contact with such a powerful man every day.

“You. Me.” She buried her face in his neck and kissed the bit of flesh she found exposed by his uniform. “We’re both so afraid of what’s happening, we’re liable to miss out on something great and beautiful. Something many people wait their whole lives to find and never do.”

“The great Damon Singh fears nothing.”

“Right.” She snorted. Then they both held each other and laughed. A good, warm, healing laugh.

Damon scooped her up in his arms and carried her to his bed. Following her down, he spread her thighs with his knees and settled atop her, his weight resting on his forearms as he gently stroked her hair with his fingers. “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. With the most tender heart. I’m not sure why I’m doing this, but I’ve worked out a strategy with my commander and his ships. We’re going after your friends.”

She felt like she’d had the wind knocked out of her. This was the last thing she expected. “What?”

“We all knew there was something wrong at Graves Station. One of my men commented on the conditions at the only brothel on the station -- it has to be the one you were referring to. That, combined with the bits I’ve learned from you, decided my course of action. I can’t stand by and know people are suffering.”

Tears came to her eyes. She couldn’t stop them. But she also couldn’t let him do this. “They’ll kill you, Damon. If you try to take something they see as theirs, or worse, threaten their entire way of life, they’ll fight to the death.”

“They’re no match for theBlack Star. We’ve seen their ships. They’ve taken the best of what they could scavenge, but they’re still vastly inferior to us.”

“But are you willing to risk your lives to achieve your goal?” She struggled until he let her rise up onto her elbows. “Those men will do anything they have to, including sacrifice themselves, to keep their community intact.”

“Let me worry about that, Phoebe. I’m smarter than you give me credit for.” He grinned. “If all goes according to plan, we’ll have the women and girls in the lower decks out of there and be long gone before anyone even knows they’re not where they’re supposed to be.”

“Just promise me one thing, Damon.” She took his face in her hands, caressing his cheek with her thumb. This was so surreal. The lust shining in this man’s eyes was matched only by the tenderness she saw there.

“Anything.”

“Don’t do anything that would get you taken away from me.”

His smile was full of promise, and something Phoebe was afraid to name. She wanted it to be love, but if it wasn’t, she didn’t want to know about it. She wanted this illusion as long as she could have it, because she was very much afraid she’d fallen in love with him when he’d first found her in his cabin.

Damon descended on her once again, kissing her until she no longer feared anything that might happen. The only thing that mattered was the here and now. This man’s arms, lips, and body loving hers so completely she felt like the most treasured woman in the universe. He broke their kiss only long enough to unzip her uniform and help her out of it, and loosen his pants to free his cock.

“Have you done this before? I don’t want to hurt you.” He probed her pussy with his fingers, stroking her deep, testing what he found.

“I’m not a virgin. You won’t hurt me unless you stop.”

As he stroked her cunt, his thumb brushed her clit lightly, and Phoebe arched her back. Her whole world centered around what Damon was doing between her legs. She cried out and spread her legs farther, inviting him inside, needing him as she needed to breathe. Never in her life had anything compared to this.

The man in her arms trembled as he readied his powerful body to enter her. “By the stars! I’ve never wanted a woman more.” Damon guided his cock to her entrance before resting over her once again.

“Damon, wait.” Phoebe couldn’t believe she’d been so stupid. “I don’t have a contraception or disease prevention implant. I don’t think I’m infected, but I can’t be sure.”

He kissed her nose. “I have both, sweet. I’ll protect you until we can get any implant you want.”

She smiled. “Then love me, Damon. I need you.”

He needed no further encouragement. With one smooth, slow stroke, he entered her. Phoebe was stretched, full. The sensation was so erotic it was almost unbearable. She wrapped her legs around him, pulling him closer. His body was flush with hers, his hair-roughened skin abrading her tender flesh exquisitely.

Both of them gasped for breath as their movements became more erratic. Sweat slickened their skin. The sweet smell of sex hung heavily in the air, combining with their own musky personal scents. Phoebe’s tongue tingled when she tasted Damon’s skin and lips. It was an experience unlike anything she’d been prepared for.

Damon surged into her faster and harder with each stroke. The slight burning sensation in her cunt only added to the intensity of the moment. It wasn’t long before a tingling sensation started where their bodies joined. She gripped him with her arms and legs ever tighter. Her breath caught, and she struggled to look Damon in the eye. “Oh, sun and stars!” Her voice barely worked.

“Push, Phoebe. Reach for it and push through it.” Damon buried his fingers in her hair and locked his gaze with hers. “Now, Phoebe. Come for me. Now!”

Phoebe screamed. And screamed and screamed. Her whole body convulsed. She wasn’t alone. Damon’s own shout of release shook the walls.

Eventually they both came down from the orgasmic high they’d taken each other on. Damon collapsed on top of her and rolled them to their sides.

“By the moons of Solum.” Damon pulled Phoebe close. Her naked body felt so good against his, he didn’t ever want to let her go.