Tandem Unit Read online

  The old man's hand twitched to the inside pocket of his satin jacket and suddenly they were staring down the bore of a lethal-looking, snub-nosed needler.

  “Indulge me,” Van Heusen said mildly. “Speaking of new and better drugs as we were, have I mentioned that the needles in my weapon are tipped with the very latest nerve-destruction agent? One little scratch will induce a lengthy, painful and completely fatal de-mylinization process for which there is no cure.” He shook the needler warningly. “Consider it a test of good faith between us. You show me your product in action and I will personally give you a guided tour of my tanks.” He gestured to Sadie with the evil-looking silver snout of the needler. “There's a lovely bear skin rug in front of the fire-place; it cost me a fortune. You can enact your little demonstration there.”

  Blakely looked at Sadie who sat frozen, a blank look on her face. He exchanged a meaningful glance with Holt, a look that said, what can we do? The blond man seemed to be on the edge of violence but they were unarmed and even if he'd had a blaster in his pocket, Van Heusen had the drop on them plain and simple. They couldn't even call in the back-up. Van Heusen would shoot them where they stood before the crawler filled with federal agents could get anywhere near the atmosphere dome where his home was located. Even if he didn't shoot them the bust would be, well, a bust. Blakely knew enough about Van Heusen to know that they would never find the hidden flesh tanks without him. They would have to play along.

  The set of Holt's shoulders was rigid with tension as he stalked to the plush bear-skin rug the old man had indicated. Jerking his head at Sadie he said, “Come,” in a strangled voice. Blakely held his breath—would she?

  Chapter 16

  Sadie sat rigidly on the couch, unable to believe her ears. It was something she had never considered when she came up with the prototype prostie story and the idea of passing herself off as the prototype—that Van Heusen might want to see the merchandise in action before he committed himself to the deal. She supposed she should have expected this eventuality but she had been so excited about being right in the middle of the bust, of getting the story first hand that she just hadn't thought. Stupid, Sadie, really stupid, she told herself. Yet another mess she had gotten herself into by not looking before she leapt.

  The snub-nosed bore of Van Heusen's needler looked as big around as a tube-station tunnel when he gestured at her and Sadie felt like her heart was right up in her mouth, beating against her clenched teeth. Her nipples were hard with fear. She struggled to keep her face utterly calm and emotionless—to look like the perfect prostie in every way. Now more than ever it was vitally important not to give the game away.

  From the looks on Holt and Blakely's faces she could tell she was going to have to go through with it. Despite their promise not to touch her there was no way around this situation. But would Holt be able to do this without his partner? Sadie realized she didn't know the exact limitations of their T-link but she remembered Holt saying that sharing women was a 'necessity.' Maybe he could perform but not come to orgasm if Blakely wasn't involved? She was about to find out.

  “Come here,” Holt said to her again and she realized that all their lives might depend on the performance she was about to give. Van Heusen had the air of a man who killed casually and without remorse.

  “Yes, Master,” she murmured. Stiffly, she rose to her feet and walked to the brown bear skin rug to stand before Holt. Looking up into his eyes gone ice-blue with anger and remorse, Sadie wished she could tell him that the situation wasn't his fault, that she wasn't going to hold it against him but all she could do was stare vacantly, a vacuous smile pasted on her face. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see that Van Heusen was getting impatient but it was obvious that Holt was having a hard time forcing himself to do what he had promised he wouldn't.

  “What would Master have me do?” she asked softly, trying to give him a cue that it was all right, that she would play along. She didn't want to strengthen the bond between them but she had an idea that as long as only one of the partners was involved it would be all right. Blakely was still standing safely to one side, a scowl on his dark face.

  Holt gave her one last, apologetic look. “On your knees.” His deep voice sounded husky and strangled. Sadie shivered as she knelt before him, feeling the coarse scratch of the rug against her bare knees. The heavy bulge of his cock was very evident in the tight, synthi-silk trousers he wore. Unbidden, the memory of sucking that long, hard shaft flashed through Sadie's mind. Was that what Holt was thinking about as well? She looked up at him again, waiting for further instructions.

  Roughly, Holt unzipped his pants and took out his sizable erection. “Suck me,” he commanded. “Make it good.”

  Sadie leaned forward, mesmerized by the play of firelight along the hardened club of his sex. Holt was achingly hard and a silvery drop of pre-cum was already shimmering at the slit of the large, mushroom shaped head. She darted out her tongue and lapped it gently away, causing a harsh sigh to come from the man above her. Holt's clean, sharp scent and slightly bitter taste filled her senses as she teased along the length of his shaft with her lips, loving the sound of his half-stifled groans as she did so. I'm enjoying this, Sadie realized with a twinge of shame as she sucked the broad head into her mouth, relishing the feel of Holt's large hands buried in her hair, urging her on. What's wrong with me?

  She told herself she was being forced to perform a degrading act and enjoying it should be the last thing on her mind but her body wasn't listening. She was taking Holt as far down her throat as she could, humming with pleasure, enjoying his low cries as he fucked her mouth and nothing else mattered. Not the shameless way she was behaving or the deadly needler pointed at her head. Her nipples were hard as she pressed against his legs and there was a growing warm wetness between her thighs. She could feel a tiny stir of the warm, electrical fire she felt when Holt and Blakely pinned her between them but it was barely there, a faint echo of the sensation she craved. She knew it was wrong but she couldn't stop herself from wishing that Blakely could join them on the rug in front of the crackling fire.

  “Stop!” It took a moment for the word to penetrate her brain but finally Sadie realized that Holt was pulling her off his still erect organ. Her lips felt swollen from sucking and licking him so long and thoroughly but she was well aware that he hadn't come, probably couldn't come since Blakely wasn't involved. She looked up at him questioningly, feeling a dazed expression on her face. There was a look almost of pain on Holt's finely chiseled features and she realized that it must be a kind of torture for him, being endlessly pleasured without reaching completion.

  “Mr. Night,” the voice belonged to Van Heusen whom she had completely forgotten about. Now Sadie turned her head to look at him. He was still holding the needler on them, a dark shape sunk so far back in the plush brocade of his chair that only the barrel of his weapon and his coldly glittering gray eyes were visible in the shadows cast by the fire. “Mr. Night,” Van Heusen continued, gesturing with the needler. “I don't believe you're enjoying this show quite as much as I am.”

  “Fuck you, Van Heusen,” growled Blakely, the scowl on his dark face deepening. Even from where she knelt on the rug, Sadie could see the look of pain in his indigo eyes, nearly purple in the firelight, and the hardened bulge of his cock straining angrily against his tight trousers. It's hurting them, she realized. Doing this separately, not being together is painful, physically painful for them. Unconsciously she reached inside herself for the bond they had created with her; she could feel an echo of that pain in her soul.

  “Now, Mr. Night, is that any way to speak to a future business associate?” Van Heusen tsked disapprovingly. “Besides, I think you would find fucking your sweet little prototype prostie much more satisfying.” He gestured menacingly with the silver barrel of his weapon to Sadie and Holt. “Join them.”

  Although it was the very thing Sadie had been wishing for she found herself nearly in a panic. No … no! If they touched