Page 11 of Bounty Hunter’s Match (Vinduthi Captured Mates #6)

CAMDEN

T he emergency lighting bathed everything in soft red shadows, casting a faint glow over the diplomatic suite. I looked up at Barek, his frame blocking out the rest of the room as he stood close enough to steal my breath. My pulse raced, my heart hammering against my ribs in a way I couldn’t blame on the station’s environmental instabilities.

“Professional distance,” I said, my voice trembling slightly as I pressed my hands against his chest. “That’s what we kept saying.”

“Not saying it now.” His hands slid down my sides, his touch firm but reverent, like he was memorizing every curve through the thin fabric of my dress.

“No more excuses about security protocols?” I asked, tilting my head as his lips brushed the edge of my jaw. “Or proper workplace boundaries?”

His growl vibrated through me, low and raw. “Done with excuses. Done pretending I don’t want you.”

I shivered under the heat of his voice, my own walls crumbling. “Good,” I whispered, tilting my head back to offer him more. “Because I’m tired of pretending too.”

His mouth claimed mine, the kiss igniting something inside me. The press of his body against mine, the way his hands moved like they already knew me better than I knew myself.

For a moment, I was weightless, lost in him. Then reality intruded in the form of a maintenance drone whirring past the doorway, its sensors sweeping the hall.

Barek broke away with a curse, his forehead pressing against mine as he steadied his breathing. “Of course.”

“Routine patrol,” MIRA’s voice chimed in innocently. “Though perhaps the emergency bed’s privacy field could prevent future interruptions...”

“MIRA,” Barek growled, his hands still firm on my hips.

“Simply ensuring optimal conditions for... cultural exchange,” she added, her crystals sparkling.

I laughed, the sound shaky, even to my own ears. “I think my AI has been spending too much time with the twins.”

“Definitely.” His lips brushed the corner of my mouth as he pulled back to look at me. “But I’m not letting them interrupt us again.”

“Good,” I replied, tugging him closer. “Because I’m not done with you yet.”

Barek was already backing me toward the bed, his hands sliding under the hem of my dress.

“No more interruptions?” I pulled Barek down for another kiss.

“None.” His hands found the zipper of my dress. “Though if anyone tries...”

“You’ll handle it.” I worked at the clasps of his vest. “Professionally.”

He laughed against my throat. “Nothing professional about what I want to do to you.”

“Show me.”

The dress whispered to the floor as he stripped it away. His hands and mouth mapped every inch of exposed skin, learning what made me gasp and arch.

“Beautiful,” he breathed against my hip. “Wanted this. Wanted you.”

“How long?” I ran my fingers through his hair, freeing it from its tie.

“Since that first day.” His teeth scraped gently along my inner thigh. “Watching you handle Vask. Seeing how you read people...”

“That long?” I pulled him up for a kiss. “We wasted so much time.”

The room was a cocoon, swathed in the crimson hue of emergency lights, the air thick with the scent of anticipation. Barek’s touch was a brand, searing through the thin barriers of fabric that dared to separate our skin. His mouth was a tempest, leaving a trail of fire along my jawline, down the sensitive column of my throat.

“Barek,” I breathed, my voice a whisper of surrender.

He knelt then, his large hands spanning my hips, his breath a warm promise against my skin. His mouth found my breast, and I arched into the exquisite sensation, my fingers threading through his hair, gripping the silken strands as he teased and tortured with lips and teeth and tongue.

His fingers danced lower, tracing the contours of my body with an artist’s precision. When he reached the apex of my thighs, I was already slick with need, my breath coming in short, sharp gasps. He circled my clit with maddening patience, each stroke a whisper of ecstasy that built the tension within me to an almost unbearable crescendo.

As I teetered on the edge, he slipped his fingers inside me, and the world shattered. My orgasm rolled through me in waves, each one cresting higher than the last, and just when I thought I could take no more, he added another finger, stretching me, filling me, driving me to the brink of madness.

I was distantly aware of his voice, ragged and pleading. “, let me have more. Please.”

And I wanted to give him everything. “Barek, I need you inside me.”

He rose to his full height, his eyes locking onto mine as he removed his vest and let it fall to the floor. His gray skin gleamed in the low light, the red markings a stark contrast that only heightened the predatorial grace of his movements.

As he freed himself from his clothing, I caught a glimpse of the differences in his anatomy—the broad triangular head of his cock, the soft flanges that ran down its length. A thrill of excitement shot through me, a curiosity that was quickly overshadowed by sheer, unadulterated want.

He lifted me effortlessly, laying me back on the emergency bed. The cool fabric of the bed against my heated skin was a stark contrast, grounding me in the reality of the moment. I felt the blunt head of his cock notch against my entrance, and then he was pushing inside, stretching me in the most delicious way.

The feel of him, the sheer size and power of his body claiming mine, was overwhelming. I wrapped my legs around his hips, urging him deeper, wanting all of him, every inch. He moved within me with a deliberate pace that bordered on agonizing, each thrust stoking the fire that threatened to consume us both.

Our bodies found a rhythm as old as time, a dance of give and take that left no room for thought, only feeling. The pleasure built, a relentless tide that swept away all pretense, all restraint. I felt myself hurtling toward the edge again, and this time, Barek was right there with me.

“Come for me, ,” he commanded, his voice a guttural sound that vibrated through every cell in my body.

And I did, my orgasm crashing over me like a supernova, brilliant and all-consuming. Barek followed me over the edge, his body shuddering with the force of his release, his roar of completion echoing in the small room.

We lay there, entwined, our breaths slowly returning to normal, the scent of our union mingling with the metallic tang of the emergency suite. Barek’s weight was a comfort, a solid presence that anchored me to the here and now.

I traced the line of his jaw with a fingertip, marveling at the contrast between the softness of his lips and the roughness of his stubble. His red eyes met mine, and in their depths, I saw a reflection of my own wonder, my own vulnerability.

“,” he said, my name a benediction on his lips.

I placed a finger over his mouth, silencing any further words. There would be time for talking later, time for processing the enormity of what had just happened between us. For now, I was content to bask in the afterglow, to revel in the connection that had been forged in the heat of our passion.

As the reality of our situation began to seep back in, I couldn’t help but think of the challenges that lay ahead. The Gala, the Mondians, the delicate dance of politics and power that was life on Helios Anchor—all of it paled in comparison to the turmoil within my own heart.

Barek shifted beside me, his movements careful and considerate.

“.” The way he said my name was a prayer. “My .”

“Yours.” I craved him. Needed him like oxygen. “Always yours.”

Despite the dim lighting I’d never felt more seen. More cherished.

His hands and mouth wrote promises on my skin as he brought me higher, closer...

“Let go,” he growled against my throat. “I’ve got you.”

I shattered in his arms, crying out his name. He came with me, his groan of release vibrating through my bones.

After, he kept me close, his fingers tracing idle patterns on my back. The emergency lighting softened to a dim glow.

“The environmental controls seem to have stabilized,” MIRA noted smugly. “How fortunate.”

“Very subtle.” I pressed a kiss to Barek’s chest.

“I excel at subtlety.” Her crystals formed a distinctly pleased pattern. “Though perhaps you’d like me to maintain the privacy protocols? For cultural exchange purposes?”

“Yes.” Barek’s arms tightened around me. “Definitely yes.”

The emergency broadcast system remained silent. The maintenance drones found other routes to patrol. And if the twins’ cameras experienced continued technical difficulties... well, some moments deserved privacy.

Even in the middle of a diplomatic crisis.

The emergency bed’s privacy field hummed softly as I traced patterns on Barek’s chest. His skin radiated warmth against mine, grey and marked with swirling red designs that my fingers followed. His arm curled around my waist, holding me close against his side.

“The Mondians will need a new dance floor,” I murmured, pressing a kiss to his shoulder.

“And new environmental barriers.” His fingers stroked up my spine. “The Sylphids phased through three of them.”

“At least Vask finally stopped trying to recreate ancient Earth combat rituals.” I shifted to look up at him. “Though I think the Selenthian diplomat deserves credit for that.”

“She handled him well.” Barek’s other hand came up to brush hair from my face. “Better than my security protocols.”

“Your protocols were very thorough.” I stretched, enjoying the pleasant ache in my muscles. “Even if MIRA did override most of them.”

“That AI needs reprogramming.”

“She means well.” I propped my chin on his chest. “And she did make sure we weren’t interrupted.”

His laugh rumbled under my ear. “After arranging the interruptions that got us here.”

“Efficiency is one of her primary functions.” I ran my hand down his arm, mapping the markings there. “Along with matchmaking, apparently.”

“Speaking of matchmaking...” His fingers traced idle patterns on my hip. “How did you start? Most people don’t choose to handle other species’ relationship drama.”

“Most people didn’t grow up running cons on Nova’s Edge.” The words slipped out before I could stop them. Old memories surfaced - the crowded lower decks, learning to read marks, figuring out what people wanted to hear.

“You were a grifter?” His hand stilled on my skin.

“More of a... social engineer.” I kept my focus on his chest markings. “Had to be, as a deck rat. Figure out what people wanted, how to give it to them. Or at least make them think you could.”

“And now you use those skills to make matches.”

“It’s not that different, really.” I traced a particularly intricate swirl near his collarbone. “Reading people, understanding their wants and fears. Just... helping instead of taking advantage. I came here to Helios Anchor and started over.”

His fingers tilted my chin up, making me meet his eyes. “You’re good at it.”

“Had a lot of practice.” I managed a smile. “Though the twins’ cultural guides don’t help.”

“Those guides need burning.”

“They’re enthusiastic.” I pressed closer, savoring his warmth. “Like someone else I know.”

His fingers danced along my hip. “Changing the subject?”

“Maybe.” I kissed the underside of his jaw. “Your turn. How does a Vinduthi warrior end up playing security for a matchmaker?”

“Lost a bet with Larthul.” His hands settled on my hips.

“What kind of bet?” I traced one of the markings that curved around his bicep.

“We fought together, back in the day. I always said she’d picked a cushy life, staying on a station. Apparently she’d had enough this last time, wagered I couldn’t catch a thief targeting the diplomatic quarter here.” His thumb drew circles on my hip. “Said if I failed, I’d work security on the station for three months.”

“And you failed?” That didn’t match what I knew of his skills.

His laugh shook the bed. “Turned out the ‘thief’ was her new security drone testing system weaknesses. She didn’t mention that part until after I destroyed half the maintenance shaft network chasing it.”

“You got played by a Mondian.” I couldn’t help giggling. “The great Vinduthi hunter, outsmarted by a robot.”

“Her exact words were ‘Now you’ll guard something more dangerous than contraband.’”

His fingers tangled in my hair. “When she assigned me to your office, I thought she meant the tech. Or the client data.”

“More dangerous?” I pushed up on one elbow to look at him.

“Much more.” He pulled me down for a kiss that left me breathless. “Though I doubt this was what Larthul had in mind.”

“Probably not.” His mouth traced down my throat. “But I’d rather discuss something else.”

“Like what?” But I already arched into his touch.

“Like how beautiful you look in emergency lighting.” His teeth scraped gently over my pulse. “How your skin feels against mine.”

“Barek...” My hands tangled in his hair as he moved lower.

“I’ve wanted this.” His mouth painted fire across my skin. “Wanted you. From the moment I saw you.”

“Show me.” The next kiss burned away any remnants of thought.

He took his time, learning my body all over again. When he finally slid inside, it felt like he was coming home.

I clutched at his shoulders as he moved, lost in the pleasure of having him after weeks of wanting. His strength surrounded me, but his touch was gentle. Like I was precious. Worth protecting.

Worth keeping.

Except…

In days he would leave. Go back to hunting bounties across the sector while I stayed here, matching other people’s happiness.

“?” He stilled above me. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” I pulled him down for another kiss. “Don’t stop.”

He started moving again, but his eyes stayed locked on mine. Reading me like I read my clients. Seeing too much.

I came apart under his touch, crying out his name as he roared his release.

After, he gathered me close, his fingers tracing patterns on my skin.

“Tell me.” His voice was soft against my hair. “What’s wrong?”

“I’ll miss you.” The words hurt my throat. “When you leave.”