78.

eXtasy's Collective Mind "Yes, my lord," Vanessa intoned obediently. Then she stood on tiptoe and placed a kiss on his hard cheek. "You have given me more pleasure than I ever could have imagined. Thank you for the tenderness you've shown and for caring enough to want to protect me. I am your captive but I will follow you willingly to the far corners of the earth."

79.

Violet Visions LORELEI.

By Astrid Cooper am your dream, your desire, your pa.s.sion-what is it you I want of me? Name it. I can do it-be all things for you. What is your darkest desire?

The song whispered into his mind, teasing, curling, exploring places that he never knew existed. The voice...a woman's voice...gentle, lilting, tormenting.

Reilly groaned and thrashed on the bed, hitting his head against the metal frame. He saw stars and when he opened his eyes he still saw stars-through the porthole.

He ran a hand through his hair and flung himself back against the mattress, frustrated, tired, and p.i.s.sed off.

Planetfall in three days' time, after a mission lasting eighteen months. Some men might have gone s.p.a.ce-happy, but not Reilly Estovan. He put that down to a mix of good luck and Spanish genes.

But he knew he was on the edge-knew it by the way he woke up every morning in a sweat, his c.o.c.k rigid and pressing 80 eXtasy's Collective Mind painfully against his gut.

He had been too long without a woman. G.o.dd.a.m.n it!

Eighteen months, too long. He'd used the holo-deck and his own trusty hands and fingers, but it was no compensation for the real thing, even if some of his s.p.a.cer friends insisted that a holo-f.u.c.k was better than any woman. Yeah, right!

Reilly swung himself up from the bunk, his bare feet hitting the warmed metal floor.

The laser shower took away the last of his night-sweat, but his c.o.c.k was thick, rampant, demanding attention.

He flung himself into his chair, facing the monitor and console and tapped in the codes with one hand while sipping a thick black coffee from the mug in his right hand.

A message shimmered over the screen, the purple letters, cursive script and gossamer-fine, I am your dream, your desire, your pa.s.sion-what is it you want of me?

Reilly choked as the coffee went down the wrong way.

He put the mug on the desk and leaned forward, peering at the message that repeated itself over and over on the screen in all shades of purple...

He slipped the com-link onto his head and felt a moment of dizziness as he telepathically connected with the communications port.

Who are you?

I am anything you wish, all you desire. I ca n be your darkest desire.

Reilly smiled. The mind-voice was sultry, husky and female.

Where are you?

Nearby.

Do you have a name?

Choose a name for me.

Carmen.

81.

Violet Visions Reilly frowned at the name repeated on the screen, again in purple script.

Carmen? Where'n'h.e.l.l had that come from? He smiled ruefully. Carmen and all the connotations that the name conveyed. Carmen the wh.o.r.e, Carmen the betraying lover.

I am Carmen for you.

What do you want?

That is not important, it is what you want that is. You have dreamed about me. I am here-come to me.

Lady...

I am no lady.

Reilly laughed at that. At least she-or it-was honest. He was intrigued.

How do I find you?

These are the co-ordinates. And this is what I will do to you when you and I meet in the flesh.

He stared at the vision, his mouth dry, his throat tight, every muscle in his body taut with expectation, desire. No, she wasn't Carmen, but another name, a creature from legend...

"Lorelei," he whispered, as he stared at her image.

Lorelei-the siren. A woman of the stellar sea. She sat in an oval frame, like a sh.e.l.l, with antennae like anemone waving around her. She was purple, from head to heels-eyes, lips, hair. Naked, purple skin glistened in the soft light. Her legs and feet strategically placed so that they concealed intimate flesh, but hinting, teasing with what lay hidden from his gaze.

She smiled at him and turned, stretched out, offering a view of slender flesh, rounded b.u.t.tocks and the purple darkness between her legs. She twisted around, splaying wide her thighs and leant back, reclining, her hand lingering over her flat stomach. She ran a tongue over her lips, her eyes widening and in that moment her mind touched his.

82.

eXtasy's Collective Mind Want me? she purred.

Reilly groaned and hit the hyper drive.

He leant back in his seat, eyes screwed shut, denying the excitement. His heart hammered against his ribs and his c.o.c.k and b.a.l.l.s tightened in that familiar, exquisite pain of arousal. His hand traveled down across his belly to grasp his pounding flesh, but he denied the release.

"Get a grip, Reilly, old man!"

He laughed aloud at the unintended pun-he had a grip, at least of his c.o.c.k, but a grip on reality? Man, that was debatable!

He drew in a ragged breath-another. As the ship altered course, he keyed in the shields, bringing them up to maximum strength. One thing in s.p.a.ce he had learned was that you didn't take any chances, no matter what was promised-especially what was promised. The stars, like a woman, were often fickle.

Luring, promising-then destroying.

Twelve hours later, Reilly's ship circled the asteroid. The audio com whispered with the woman's song-over and over. It set Reilly's teeth on edge, but it was the lure, the beacon that he had followed.

He tugged on his overalls and fastened the belt, activating his personal shield, then climbed into the tiny scout ship.

d.a.m.n it. Why couldn't they make a scout bigger, he felt like a sardine in a can-his long legs, tall frame hunched over.

The beacon and navigation com locked onto each other and he allowed the scout to home in on the beacon.

83.

Violet Visions The scout flew down, through an opening in the planetoid's surface, into a cavern large enough to house a fleet of ships.

Minutes later, the scout settled down on the rock floor and he shut off the engines. He checked his suit, his belt and felt the trusty, comforting weight of the laser pistol in his boot holster.

Drawing in a steadying breath, he snapped open the airlock and stepped out. The personal shielding settled around him like a second skin and the air cells activated, feeding him oxygen.

I am yo r ur d eam, your de r sire, you pa.s.si on-what is it you want of me? Name it, I can do it, be all things for you. Just tell me what you want... The song whispered into his mind, leading him on.

At the turn of a corner, he found a purple dome, perhaps fifty meters wide, twenty meters high. He paced its perimeter, finding the oval door. What do I do, knock?

He went to lift his hand, but the door hissed open.

Expected.

But was he welcome? More importantly-did he want the welcome? His c.o.c.k did, but his intellect wasn't convinced.

Reilly stepped through and the door sealed behind him.

He drew in his breath. Inside, the metallic walls were awash with the color purple, from the faintest mauve, to the blackest violet. Silken drapes parted as he strode forward and he halted in shock as he saw her.

She was as the hologram, inside the purple sh.e.l.l-anemone, but in the flesh she was...Oh Man! Spectacular.

Her violet hair hung to her thighs, her skin was the color of ivory, her large eyes were amethyst, her lips of matching hue.

Around her neck was a silver necklace, hung with amethysts and silver rondels.

She smiled in welcome, but the welcome didn't reach her eyes. "You came," she whispered.

84.

eXtasy's Collective Mind Reilly grinned. "Not yet. I've been saving myself for you."

Her eyebrow arched. "Such control, Reilly."

"You know my name?"

"For your pleasure."

"Sweetheart, I take a lot to pleasure."

"I know." Her gaze raked him from head to heels.

She stood up, revealing all her naked splendor-the long legs, the heavy b.r.e.a.s.t.s, wide hips, narrow waist and the woman's cleft spa.r.s.ely covered by purple curls.

"Do you like what you see?" she asked, shaking her head, letting her hair fly around her like a cape.

"Honey, you have no idea."

She laughed. "Yes I do. I can smell your s.e.x, feel your arousal...come to me, now."