Storm and Lightning began on the 13th January. Catch up here: week one, week two, week three, week four, week five, week six, week seven, week eight, week nine, week ten, week eleven, week twelve, week thirteen, week fourteen, week fifteen

On a mining colony planet a long way from Earth, bandit Jedd Lightning dreams of making enough money to get off the planet for good. When a robbery at a high-class brothel goes wrong, he meets gorgeous rentboy Storm and is instantly smitten. But Storm has a few surprises up his sleeve, and when Jedd helps him escape, he realises he might have taken on more than he can handle…

JL Merrow and Lou Harper are once again my fabulous beta readers – any remaining mistakes are my own. Lou Harper also designed my fabulous banner artwork. Check out more of her cover art here.

But now, on with the story:

“They’ve been here,” a guttural voice rasped outside their hiding place. Jedd knew enough T’almaki to translate the gist of it. “I can smell that whore’s scent. I’d know her anywhere. She’s gonna be sorry she ever pulled this stupid stunt when I get a hold of her.”

“You really think the Madam will let us have a free turn?” The other guard sounded uncertain, with more than a hint of a whine in his reedy voice.

“She promised, and she doesn’t go back on her word. I’m gonna screw that stuck-up little bitch until she’s chafed raw.”

Jedd lay in the dark, spooned up behind Storm, listening. He’d managed to push the door most of the way back into place, but the last few inches wouldn’t shift. It would have to be enough, because the alternative wasn’t worth contemplating.

He ran a slow hand up Storm’s side, feeling the man’s shivers subside a little. Damn, he felt so good. Lean and athletic. Storm fit in Jedd’s arms like he was made to be there, which kind of made sense, seeing as how if Storm was to be believed, Jedd’s mind had shaped him that way.

Raspy-voiced Guard began detailing just how he’d tie Divine up and insert all manner of things inside her, some of which were bound to hurt. Fuck it to Earth and back, Jedd itched to get out there and teach the dirty son of a Ranak herder a lesson.

Storm shuddered and made a stifled sound, like a swallowed whimper. All thoughts of violence fled Jedd’s mind as he concentrated on soothing Storm. “Hush now,” he whispered, then grazed a kiss against Storm’s neck. That stopped the noises, but Storm was still shaking in Jedd’s arms. “It’s going to be fine. I’ll look after you.”

Dammit, he was trying to be comforting, but Storm’s cute little arse vibrating against Jedd’s groin was setting off an entirely predictable response. He tried to quell his erection with thoughts of how the blazes they were going to get out of these cold tunnels, but even that couldn’t stop the inevitable.

But as Jedd’s cock stiffened, Storm stilled. His panting breaths deepened, quietened, and after a time of the voices moving ever further away, Storm ground back against him.

Jedd chuckled softly. “Hold that thought, sweetheart. We’ve got to get out of here first. When we get back to Bluebird, you can say thanks properly.”

“Say thanks? What for, exactly? Almost knocking me out when you threw me in here?”

“Hey, I did what I had to. And you’re still conscious, aren’t you?”

Storm grumbled something under his breath, which Jedd chose to ignore. “Come on. We’d better make tracks. You say there’s some kind of way up to the surface from here?”

“Yeah, but now we’re both in the dark and our guide’s gone walkabout.”

“Our guide?”

“Sara. She knows the way back up to some cellars, by the sound of it.”

Cellars weren’t much good if they were under a heavily guarded dwelling, but they’d have to deal with that when they got there. “Come on. We’ll see if we can track down Mrs. Ranak breath on the way.” Jedd pulled away from Storm’s warm, lithe body with a pang of regret. He fumbled inside his pockets until he found the one where he’d hidden his lumi styks. He shook one, mixing the chemicals inside to release their unearthly light. “Here. For you. Don’t say I never give you anything.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Storm’s words remained belligerent, but his face and his voice betrayed his fear. Jedd watched as he pulled himself to his feet and dusted down his robe. “I must look a right mess.”

“No one to care down here, precious. Come on. I’d say we need to go… this way.” He turned to the right. Their new tunnel was low and narrow, and it ran parallel to the main tunnel for as far as Jedd could see, which wasn’t very far at all using a poxy lumi styk.

“Why that way?” Storm asked.

The man had a point. “Because I always turn right when I’m lost.”

Storm sniffed the air. Then he held his fingers to his temples and frowned, just like he had in his room earlier when he talked about Jedd’s emotions overpowering him, or some such nonsense. “No. We need to go that way.” He pointed behind Jedd’s back.

“Why, exactly?”

“Sara. I can sense her there.”

“So you are some kind of mindreader, then?” Jedd hadn’t exactly meant that to come out so bitter, but there’d been a mindreader in Lodetown as he was growing up, and Jedd had always had the fear the man was going to expose his closely guarded desires. The mining communities were oppressively heterosexual places.

“No. Not thoughts. Just feelings, and only strong ones. Don’t worry. Your dirty secrets are safe.” Storm gave a wry smile, and Jedd wondered if that had just been a lucky guess, or if his emotions were giving away more than he intended. Dammit. He needed to focus.

First things first: their destination. Since both directions looked as unpromising as each other, he decided to go with his gut feelings. “We’re going right.”

“What? I just told you Sara’s gone left.”

“I believe you, but do you really think Sara’s going to head in the direction of our way out? She seemed pretty twitchy about the outside world.”

Storm’s forehead creased up in an annoyingly cute frown as he thought about it. “Yeah… I suppose.”

“Fine, then we head right. Let’s go.”

“Just a minute.” Storm ransacked his makeshift bag, pulling out what looked like a protein bar that had been left unwrapped in someone’s pocket for way too long. “Sara?” Storm cupped his hands around his mouth and spoke in a low, penetrating hiss. “Thanks for helping us. I’ve got more turkey for you. Bertie’s leaving it here for you, okay?”

Silence answered him. Jedd shrugged his shoulders. “Bertie?”

Storm quirked a smile. “What? For her, I’m Bertie.”

“Who are you for me, then?” Was this all an act he was seeing?

Storm’s smile grew mischievous. “Oh, you’re getting the unadulterated, authentic Storm for a change. Hope you can handle it, Captain.”

And then Storm lifted up on tiptoes, and brushed a kiss over Jedd’s lips. The contact might only have been brief, but lust swept through Jedd’s body like a sandstorm. Storm’s hand snaked down to grope Jedd’s suddenly perked up cock. “Uh!”

“Yeah, you just hold that thought, Captain Hard-on.” Storm winked, and headed off down the right hand tunnel.

***

The tunnel twisted and turned, and was lined with solid doors with cobwebs crusting their handles. Jedd tried a couple of them, but the lock mechanisms were rusted solid, and he didn’t fancy trying a charge blast. Who knew what might be concealed on the other side of them? It wasn’t unknown for rich T’almaki to stockpile explosives, as they were a valuable commodity on a mining planet.

However, before long they found a door with a clean handle, and it turned when Jedd tried it, clicking softly.

“Here goes nothing.”

***

What’s on the other side of the door? And will Jedd ever get his end away? Find out next week in another thrilling installment of Storm and Lightning!

Storm and Lightning – © Josephine Myles, 2012. No part of this serial fiction may be reproduced elsewhere without prior permission of the author. Thank you!