Suddenly her nerve snapped. She had to at least try to get away. He was already in position between her legs but he was no longer holding her down. Scrambling out from under him, Tabitha tried to run. If she could just get out of his quarters, she was sure he wouldn’t follow her. She didn’t even care if the other crewmembers saw her naked—she just wanted to get out of there.
She didn’t even make it off the bed.
“I told you, this is for your own good,” Keer growled in her ear as he dragged her back into position. “Will you hold still or do I have to tie you up again?”
“Let me go!” Tabitha was in full fight-or-flight mode now. She bucked against him, trying to get free of his punishing grip. She didn’t care if she had to wear the damn love knots the rest of her life—she didn’t want to take them off this way.
“Fine. You’re making me do this.” Pushing her face down on the mattress, he grabbed one of the black silk scarves he’d bound her with earlier and tied her hands behind her back. Then he pushed the pillow in place once more and parted her legs by force.
“No—no!” Tabitha tried to wiggle away again but he held her down.
“Don’t make me tie your legs too,” he grated, his deep voice filled with emotion. “Hold still, damn it! I said I’d be gentle.”
“You said that before!” Tabitha was panting, almost exhausted from the intense panic overwhelming her. “Please, Keer, I’m afraid!”
“I don’t want you to fear me.” He sounded torn—a man who hated what he was doing but was determined to do it anyway. “But I have to do this, Tabitha—for your own good. The sooner you hold still and stop struggling, the sooner it will be over.”
“Please…” She was crying now, tears rolling down her cheeks.
“I’m sorry.” His deep voice was choked with emotion and for a moment she wondered if he might have tears in those brilliant blue-gold eyes of his too. The thought so distracted her that she forgot to struggle. Could it be that Captain Keer felt something for her? Something more than lust and irritation? Was he really sorry about what he was doing? She really wished she could see his face but that was impossible from the position she was in.
“I swear I’ll be gentle,” he whispered in a low, broken tone. “Please, Tabitha, can’t you trust me?”
The thought that he cared enough to sound so upset seemed to melt the cold knot of panic in her stomach. “I…I’ll try, I guess,” she whispered back. “But can you even…I mean before the cord was stuck right over my…my opening. There’s a little room there but not enough for your…for your cock. At least, I don’t think so.”
“There’s more play in the ropes than there was earlier,” he assured her. “I think at least some of the honey dissolved. It shouldn’t be a problem.” Large hands stroked her lower back and trembling buttocks soothingly as he spoke. “Can you let me in, Tabitha? Can you let me try to free you? Just trust me to try, please.”
Squeezing her eyes closed, Tabitha nodded. “Yes,” she whispered, so low she could barely hear her own voice. “Yes, Keer, I…I trust you.”
“Thank you,” he murmured. “You have no idea what that means to me.”
Warm fingers found the cleft of her buttocks and something soothing was spread over her tight entrance. Despite her moans of protest, Keer entered her slowly, finger-fucking her rosebud, scissoring to stretch her, to get her ready.
The gentle, intimate touch reminded Tabitha of the way he’d put the salve on her after whipping her in the slave market. Was he really going to take this slow? After all, she’d pushed him until he’d snapped last time, trying to get a reaction from him. Was he able to be tender and careful even with his Zentorian instincts urging him to take her? Despite her fear, her heart rate began to slow. Maybe it wouldn’t be that bad.
And then the broad head of his cock pressed against her rosebud and slowly but inexorably, entered her. Tabitha gasped and couldn’t help trying to squirm away without success. It wasn’t that the invasion hurt—it did sting a little, although not nearly as much as she’d feared. It felt wrong somehow, frighteningly intimate in a way she wasn’t prepared to accept. Though she’d promised to trust him, she didn’t feel ready to give him this yet, not when she still wasn’t sure if he gave a damn about her or not.
Another thick inch pierced her, stretching her tender nether mouth until she gasped in mingled pain and pleasure. “Please!” She hated the pleading tone of her voice but she couldn’t seem to help it. Couldn’t seem to help writhing under him, trying to get away from the thick invader. If it had only hurt she might have been able to stand it—but it felt good too, felt good to be opened like this, owned by a man strong enough to hold her down and take her.