His Naughty Little Mate by Sue Lyndon Page A

procreated naturally.
    Erik encountered no one in the hallway, and he soon entered their room with Carmen still in his arms. She glared at him with blazing eyes, her jaw tight and her hair spilling around her shoulders in disarray.
    Once the door closed behind them, he stood her on her feet and braced himself for the storm. She was pissed, and she had every right to be. Hell, he was furious himself, but he was also a rational man. If this was their only option, then maybe they should seriously consider it. He wanted to keep her safe and happy, but that wasn’t possible if they were kept in this building for the rest of their lives, still under the aliens’ control and at their mercy.
    “How could you tell Nuemis that we’d think about it? Are you crazy?” She walked halfway across the room and turned with her hands on her hips. Anger and frustration radiated from her small form.
    Remaining near the door, Erik watched as she blew her top. She raged and she cursed the Blumerans to the depths of hell, her face reddening as her tirade continued until she was breathless. Falling silent, she glared at him for a few tense moments, her body rigid. Suddenly tears shimmered in her eyes, and her lips quivered.
    Erik swept across the room and gathered her in his arms. She didn’t sob uncontrollably like she had when he’d spanked her, but a few tears did escape down her cheeks. She breathed in and out slowly before pulling back to meet his stare. “I can’t believe this is happening. This is so fucking crazy. Even if we agreed, that means they’d be watching us have sex. Then we’d have to do it until I got pregnant.”
    Unable to restrain the wry grin from curling his lips, he smirked down at her. The situation was so fucked up he might as well have a sense of humor about it and tease Carmen in the process. “Which part bothers you the most, little girl? Being fucked by me or having them watch?”
    She bristled, her lips parting as she seemed to search for words. “They want to watch us fucking. They want us to have a baby. They want to study the whole process. I don’t want them touching me, or you, or any child we might have. I want them to put us on one of their fancy spaceships and take us back to Earth, and I want it yesterday.”
    “I won’t force you, Carmen, but I will ask you to think about it. Just think about it.” God, he loved her so much his chest tightened each time he looked at her. He wanted to fuck her, and to make love to her tenderly sometimes, depending on his mood. Once they left Vella, if they ever left Vella, he wanted to continue their relationship. The thought of ever letting Carmen go left a black void in his soul, an aching space that would haunt him forever.
    “I don’t need to think about it. My answer is no. We will find another way off this planet. We’ll escape this facility and steal a ship if we have to, but we’ll find another way.”
    “Even if we managed to escape this facility, do you really think we’d get far? Do you really think we could locate, steal, and navigate one of their ships?”
    Her eyes narrowed. “You’re a pilot.”
    “Yes, I am. I am also practical, and I can tell you that I can’t guarantee I’d be able to fly one of their ships, let alone figure out how to set a course for Earth. I know nothing about their technology and neither do you.” Taking a long breath, he leaned down over her, cupping the side of her face in one hand. “Just promise me you’ll think about it, Carmen.”
    An eternity of silence passed, their gazes locked while she stared at him unblinkingly, before she drew back from his touch, her posture softening. “Fine. I’ll think about it. But I can’t promise you I’ll say yes, and I am very angry with you for so calmly accepting their offer.”
    Calm. He grinned. She thought he was calm right now. A storm brewed inside him; he was so on edge he wanted to break out of the building, infiltrate one of the council’s meetings, and