Belle knew she'd made a mistake the second she did it.

Nick had been having trouble that morning, and she was usually sensitive to that, but he'd seemed better once they were on the planet, and she'd stopped thinking about it. By the time they returned to Destiny, all she was thinking was that she was exhausted and her feet were sore and walking her fatigue jacket to its proper place was simply too much trouble. Instead she shrugged it off and simply tossed it, trusting it would land on the pile of discarded clothing.

Nick lunged.

In an impressive burst of speed, he caught it before it hit the ground, bringing it back to her proudly. Belle did her best to hide her wince, taking it from his hand with a smile. "Thank you, Nick." She rifled through the pockets, pretending to be looking for something she'd forgotten and hoping that if she acted like this was normal, no one else would notice.

No such luck, every other person in the gate room was staring at them. Nick was looking at her expectantly, his body poised for her to either throw the jacket again or give him his reward. Cursing mentally, Belle pressed a quick kiss to his cheek, and he rumbled at her, then his eyes cleared.

The flicker of mortification that passed over his face was unmistakable, then he cleared his throat, looking intently at the floor as if the mysteries of the Ancients were inscribed on it.

"Did he-?" Greer started.

"No!" Belle snapped, making a show out of checking every pocket as she invented desperately, "Maybe I left my sunglasses in my pack." It was a weak excuse and she knew it, but at least it was something.

"They're on your head," Chloe pointed out, and Belle shot her a dirty look that the other girl really didn't deserve.

"Thanks." With fumbling hands, she plucked the sunglasses off the top of her head and fiddled with them, her hands already full of the jacket. It would probably be safe to throw it now, but she was taking no chances.

"He did," Greer said more confidently, "He's playing fetch."

One of Nick's patented, dead-eyed, 'the only reason you're still alive is because it would take too much time to kill you' death-glares put a halt to the laughter, but Belle knew it was only a temporary respite. Sure enough, as they left the gate room an empty water bottle came sailing down the hall past them accompanied by snickers. She could almost hear Nick grinding his teeth.

A low growl started in his chest, and Belle heaved a mental sigh of relief at this sign he hadn't quite managed to suppress his primal side. It was much easier to cheer him up when he was like this. Mid-stride, she pivoted on her heel and slammed him against the wall, her sharp teeth finding his neck in a playful bite before she broke away and sprinted off down the corridor.

Belle could hear booted footsteps ringing behind her, and although Nick was faster than she was, she was outdistancing him easily. Grinning to herself, she realized he was allowing her a head start, prolonging the chase. This was his favorite game, and it was easy to enjoy the hunt when the ending was assured.

Trying to move quietly, she led him away from Destiny's more well-traveled areas. By the time Nick caught up with her, privacy would be the last thing on his mind.

Taking corners at random, she kept moving, muffling her steps as much as she could. Not that it mattered, the wretched man could probably smell her. At some point the sound of footsteps died away, and she mentally patted herself on the back, pleased to have evaded him. It was something easier said than done when he was like this.

Apparently she'd also lost herself though. This wasn't a section of Destiny she was familiar with, and she hesitated at a three-way juncture, wondering which way to go. Their game would lose some of its luster if she managed to wander into a dangerous area, and Nick would not take it well if she hurt herself. The last time it happened it had taken her three weeks to convince him to let her out of his sight which had been somewhat awkward when she needed to use the bathroom.

Blowing her hair out of her face, Belle reflected that for someone as overprotective as Nick, choosing the clumsiest person on Destiny as his mate hadn't been the wisest decision. Then again, nothing about this relationship was wise. It was one of the things she liked about it.

None of this, however, was helping her choose a corridor. None of the three offered any clues as to their destination, and she was just about to turn around and attempt to retrace her steps when a faint noise caught her attention. It could have been the settling of the ship or a loose panel or the ghost of one of Destiny's previous inhabitants, but whatever it was made her hair stand on end. Looking around, Belle tried to ascertain where it was coming from, certain that she wanted to avoid that direction.

She shrieked as something caught her around the waist, bearing her to the ground, and broke into a breathless, borderline hysterical laugh when she found herself pinned beneath Nick, who was looking down at her smugly. No wonder she hadn't heard him: he hadn't been chasing her; he'd been stalking her, and she'd certainly felt like prey.

The adrenaline hadn't worn off yet, leaving her feeling flushed and jumpy, like she was going to climb out of her skin. "You scared me to death, Nick!" she scolded, unsurprised when he didn't look the slightest bit repentant.

"Caught you," he informed her like she might have missed it, dropping his head to rub his bearded chin against her jaw and throat, no doubt leaving a mark. She squirmed beneath him, and he tightened his grip on her wrists, holding her in place. Her bones still felt like they were vibrating, and she had to move somehow, arching beneath him out of lack of any other options.

His eyes went dark at her movement, and he pressed his erection against her with a growl, settling himself more firmly on top of her, his hands pinning her wrists, his thighs straddling her hips as he bent to bite at her throat, claiming his prize. "Mine."

Belle sighed and arched her neck, giving him better access. She'd never thought much one way or the other about being marked, but it was impossible to dislike something that thrilled Nick so. "All right, you caught me," she teased, her voice husky, "Now what are you going to do with me?"

The filthy chuckle that greeted her question left her in no doubt of what Nick had in mind, and she was thoroughly on board with his plan. Then again, he had scared a decade off her life, and that deserved some payback.

Twisting her wrists out of his grip, she went to work on his belt and the fly of his jeans, shoving them down past his narrow hips and taking his boxers with them. She had his cock in her hand almost immediately, tugging as he hissed and whimpered at her not-quite-gentle touch. It never failed to amaze her how he could get so hard so fast, and if TJ ever figured out what chemicals from the thorns had done this to him, they'd make a fortune once they made it back to Earth.

With a growl, he pinned her hands again, rubbing himself against her belly as he sunk his teeth into her neck, paying her back for teasing him. After a moment, he lifted his head, looking down at her in consternation when he realized she was still fully dressed and likely to remain so if they stayed in this position.

Belle kept her body loose and relaxed as he reluctantly released her wrists. The second he swung his leg off of her she was up and running, giggling as she heard him behind her trying to scramble to his feet. She had a few seconds' head start while he either got his pants back on or shucked them completely, and she made the most of it, toeing off her shoes and leaving them behind as she darted forward soundlessly.

Soon enough she heard him coming up behind her, and she yanked her shirt off over her head, risking a glance back over her shoulder as she threw it. He didn't take the bait, his attention fixed unwaveringly on her, and he was gaining ground with every step. A corner was coming up; she had to slow, and Nick's body crashed into hers. His arms protected her back and head from the impact as they slammed into the wall, then his mouth was on hers, his tongue delving insistently into her mouth.

Belle gave as good as she got, sliding her hands under his waistcoat and shirt to rake her nails down his back, leaving some marks of her own. He snarled, biting at her lips as she shoved his jeans and boxers back down, gravity doing most of the work for her. She had just enough time to hope they were still in the bowels of the ship, when her own jeans went sliding to the ground, and she quickly kicked out of them and her knickers before Nick picked her up bodily, her legs wrapping around his waist for leverage as he held her in place, trapped between his body and the wall.

Tearing his mouth from hers he looked anxiously into her eyes as he rubbed against her. "Mine?"

It warmed her heart that even like this- even when he knew what her answer would be- he still asked. "Yours," she replied, brushing her lips against his.

Permission granted, he risked unwrapping one arm from her, reaching down to guide himself in with a low growl, "Mine."

Belle dug her nails into his shoulders, clinging for balance as he started to thrust, sharp movements of his hips that jarred her body in the most wonderful way. She squirmed against him until he was hitting exactly the right place with every stroke, and he lit up at her moan of pleasure.

His mouth savaged her neck, and she sighed, giving in to it. She couldn't remember the last time she hadn't had a bite mark on her neck. No one on Destiny even blinked anymore. There were certainly worse things to be than the adored mate of Nick Rush.

Already his thrusts were becoming jerky and frantic. They'd both been on edge since this game had started, but Belle needed something more to push her over. The moment she had the thought, Nick's hand cupped her breast, his thumb and forefinger pinching her nipple in rhythm with his thrusts, and pleasure consumed her.

Nick snarled against her neck as she cried out, slamming into her desperately until he came with a ragged cry, clinging to her so tightly she could feel his heart pounding in his chest. They stayed locked together for long moments, Nick's full weight pressing against her, crushing her against the wall. Belle didn't mind in the least. She stroked his hair as he licked at the new bruises he'd left on her throat, clearly pleased with his handiwork. "Mine."

Finally he released her, making sure she had her feet solidly under her before letting go so they could sort themselves out. He was quicker about it than she was, ambling off the way they'd come while she was still trying to button her jeans. He returned a moment later with her shirt in hand, and Belle couldn't suppress her snicker as he presented it to her. "Good boy."

The look she got was a variation of the patented death-glare, but she could tell his heart wasn't in it. "I'm never going to live that down."

"Probably not," she agreed, pulling her shirt back on. "Are you going to start caring what they think now?"

A snort was her only answer, but that said it all. Belle nestled into his side as they went to find her shoes, already making plans for how she'd distract him the next time Greer decided to try playing fetch.