Corsairs: Adiron: Corsair Brothers Book 1

by Dixon, Ruby

  "Might be worth it," he teases, but he lets me go.

  I don't know why I'm disappointed that he does.

  34

  ADIRON

  This ship is boring. Keffing boring. The first day alone with Jade fades into the second. I putter around the ship, trying to override systems and get access to things, but I'm locked out at every turn, and eventually, I give up. For all I know, Straik put in a program that locked shit down before he left us here, and I'm just hitting my head against a wall.

  Jade's in a funk, too. She hasn't been without the others in a long, long time, and now that she doesn't have them to fuss over, I don't think she knows what to do with herself. I get it. For so many years, we were ultra-protective of our sister Zoey. We avoided certain stations, had complicated contingency plans if she was discovered, refueled on remote, questionable satellites, and basically re-routed our lives to make things easier for her. When she left with her mate, it left a big hole in our lives. We suddenly didn't have to take back routes to refuel. We didn't have to avoid ship inspectors or hide out from patrols. It kinda felt like we weren't even trying anymore.

  I know it depressed me. Being on jobs with my brothers helped, though, and we've kept ourselves so busy that we've made enough credits to take a nice, long vacation—and take Zoey and her new mate with us. We also took on wild chases, I admit to myself. Chases like the Buoyant Star, with very little chance of a reward, just to give us something to look forward to.

  Jade needs that, I realize. She needs something to look forward to. Right now she's sleeping a lot, and listless when she's awake. So I need to be there for her. I need to show her there's still a lot of fun to be had on this ship with me as her company. And I think I know the perfect way to do that.

  On day three, I decide to make breakfast. Jade doesn't wake up early, so I go and knock on her door. "Good morning, sunshine," I call out, like Zoey always did to me. "Time to get up."

  I hear a groan from inside her room, and then Jade pads to the door on the other side. After a few moments, it opens a crack. "Are we really doing this?" she asks in a sleepy voice.

  "I made you breakfast," I say. "We can't waste food, so you'd better come eat it."

  "Right," she says softly. "I'll be there in five."

  Pleased, I head back to the mess hall and put her food in the warmer. I lean against the counter, rubbing my hands and thinking about my plans. I need everything to be perfect for this. I think about the human vids Zoey was so fond of, and ideas flood into my head. Yeah, this'll be perfect. Hastily, I grab a few of the noodles, spread the plas-film napkin on the table, and arrange the long, chewy noodles into a sentence, using the food to form the lettering. I place it directly in front of her spot at the table so there will be no way she can avoid seeing it.

  And for some keffing stupid reason, I start to sweat with nervousness.

  Jade arrives a few minutes later, her hair tamed back with a strip of fabric. She wears one of the modified uniforms and there's a listlessness to her step that tells me she wants to go back to bed, but she manages a smile for me. She sits down at the table across from me, and it takes her a moment to notice the message I've spelled out on her plas-film napkin.

  She blinks at it, then at me. "Did you spill something?"

  "No. That's for you." I nudge it toward her, waiting.

  "Am I…supposed to eat it?"

  "It's a message. Spelled out in noodles."

  Her lips twitch. "Adiron, I can't read your language, remember?"

  Oh. Right. I'm used to Zoey. Man, I really am the dumb one. I read it for her, instead. "It says, ‘will you please be my date tonight for a special dinner so we can get to know each other better?’" Actually it says something more like “Date Night” and a question mark, but since she can't read it, I figure I'll embellish. It's keffing hard to spell things with noodles.

  And since we're not wasting food, I pluck one of the noodles and eat it.

  Jade's brows draw together. "It says all that?"

  "Yup," I lie. "So…will you say yes?"

  "But we eat together every day," she protests. "What about the date makes it different?"

  "Humans go on dates in the vids I've seen," I tell her, picking another cold noodle off the napkin and eating it. "We dress up in our finest clothing, speak romantic words to one another, and share a romantic meal. Then afterwards, I walk you to your door and there's the potential for some kissing."

  She laughs. "It always goes back to kissing with you, doesn't it?"

  "I'm a male with a plan, what can I say?" I like that she's laughing, though. I like that the sparkle is returning to her eyes. "So is that a yes?"

  Amusement brims in her eyes. "We're eating a meal you made right now. Why not have the date now?"

  I shake my head. "Because it's going to be a special meal." Somehow. "And I'm going to make it special for you. We'll have mood lighting and music and everything, just like they do in the human vids. And if we do it later, it gives us both something to look forward to at the end of the day." This way, she gets a full day of distraction instead of just an hour or so.

  Her smile remains and she stirs her noodles with one of her utensils. "I don't have anything fancy to wear."

  "I don't either. We'll improvise. You could always wear your slave girl outfit…"

  "Nice try." She chuckles. "That outfit has one specific job—to distract."

  "It's effective. I still get distracted thinking about it." A lot. Like…a lot. "But if you're not comfortable in it, wear something else. Surprise me. I just want you to have a good time."

  Her smile remains, but it fades a little. "You don't have to."

  "I know. But we're here for the next month. We might as well get to know each other. Become friends. Really, really good friends."

  She arches a brow at me. "Or is this the world's slowest seduction?"

  Man, I hope it's not the slowest. I'm kinda hoping she'll just fall into my arms after a few weeks of flirting, but if it takes longer, I guess I can wait it out. "I'm not going to lie to you—part of this is so I can spend time with you. Romance you. Show you that you're the one for me." I shrug, trying to be sly. "Maybe sneak a kiss or two in there."

  Her jaw drops, and she shakes her head, but she's laughing. "Damn, you do not beat around the bush, do you?"

  "Being coy about what I want isn't going to get me anywhere," I point out bluntly. "I'm not smart enough for mind games. I like you. I want you. We're here together alone. Why not make the best of it? I'll shut up now if you want me to leave you alone, but I'm letting you know what I want out of this so you can plan accordingly."

  Jade watches me for so long that I suspect she's going to tell me to kef off, that she's not interested. And if she isn't, well, I'll stop all the flirting. I know she's stuck here with me and pushing my wants on her would make her damn uncomfortable. She just needs to tell me what she wants and I'll play the role accordingly. But…I hope she wants me, just a little. She looks down at her breakfast noodles, stirring them slowly. "If I tell you to stop hitting on me, you will?"

  Oh no. I hide my disappointment behind a wide, easy smile. "Well, yeah. If you're not interested, I'd just be a keffing monster if I pushed myself on you. My sister Zoey would beat the shit out of me with her puny fists the next time she saw me if I pulled anything. And just between you and me, she's a dirty fighter. Goes right for the balls."

  She laughs again. If nothing else, I can make her laugh. I can brighten her day a little.

  Jade picks up her bowl, not giving me an answer. She heads for the door and then pauses. "What time tonight?"

  Hot damn. "Twenty-two hundred hours."

  A little smile curves her mouth. "Wear something sexy for me."

  Me? I laugh, amazed and delighted again by this female.

  35

  JADE

  A date. It is absolutely the silliest idea…and yet it's exactly what I need. Adiron's smart. He knows I could use a distraction. Something to look forwa
rd to—even something as corny as a date in deep space when we're literally the only two around for thousands of miles—is perfect. I spend the afternoon picking through my admittedly small wardrobe, hand-sewing a few changes in my uniform with my makeshift needle created from an old chip that's been filed down to nothing, and thread that is made from thin strips of fabric. I bathe, then tease my hair, letting my natural curls fluff around my face. If I had makeup, I'd put some on, but I don't. That's the only thing that doesn't make this feel like a real date. There's no makeup, no perfume, no nails to paint.

  I wonder how much Adiron knows about human dates.

  I wonder if he knows that a lot of them end with a kiss on the doorstep.

  Then, I wonder if I'll allow it if he tries. Adiron's made it very clear that he likes me, that he finds me attractive despite the fact that we're two completely different alien races. He's also made it very obvious that he'd be interested in getting to know me in very explicit ways, but he's done so in a way that doesn't make me feel trapped or cornered. I don't feel like I have to have sex with Adiron to ensure my safety. I feel like for the first time since arriving in space, I'm in control of the relationship. If I want to cut things off and end them, I will. I think Adiron would be disappointed, but he wouldn't attack me or harm me.

  That realization is surprisingly freeing. Knowing that whatever I decide, I'm going to be okay. That I don't have to suck an alien's dick just to ensure a few more days in space, or that I'll get fed. The only way his dick gets sucked is if I feel like sucking it.

  And because I have that control, it allows me to look at Adiron differently than the men that abused us in the past. I can look at him as a potential partner, if I want, even though the timing is awful. After all, we're here alone for the next few weeks. A little flirtation can't hurt things. And Adiron has been…kind. Sweet. Goofy, in his own way. He's been obvious in his interest, but also hasn't acted on it. He's just letting me know where he stands so I can decide if I want to pursue things with him or leave them as they are.

  So I dress to let him know just how I plan to go about things. I put on my slave girl costume—or at least the top half. The bra of it makes my tits jiggle and pop out of the tiny strips of fabric that hold them in place, like the world's worst bikini. I've added a bit more material this afternoon, so it's slightly less scandalous and my breasts are covered more, and I've hand-sewn a long length of fabric from one of the pale gray bedsheets into a skirt. As I put it on, it flows over my body like a busty sundress with spaghetti straps, the skirt swishing just above the knees. All of my shoes are ugly, functional boots that are far too big for human feet, so I leave them off. I take a bit of fabric from the sheet and use braided strips to make gray bracelets for each hand.

  I feel pretty, I realize, as I look in the mirror. I don't feel the heavy weight of responsibility or the need to be the “mom” of my small group. I'm pretty and sexy and ready to have a flirty evening with a big alien corsair who looks at me as if he wants to eat me with a spoon.

  I might never get off this ship ever again. I might meet my death in a month from an ice field, or I might be stuck in deep space for years and years on end, waiting for a rescue that will never come. Either way, I deserve to do something a little reckless with a fun-loving, handsome alien that makes me smile.

  So I check the time, recognizing the slashes on the door-pad as alien numerals, and I head back to the kitchen for my date. It's a little chilly as I pad through the silent halls of the ship, and I wonder if I should have worn something warmer. Too late now. I spent all afternoon making this awful-looking dress, and I'm going to wear it, damn it.

  As I step into the kitchen-slash-dining area of the ship, Adiron is already there. He's dressed up for our date, too, in clothing I haven't seen him in before. It's a one-piece ship uniform, like I've seen so many aliens in, but this one is deep blue in color, so dark it's almost black. The front has a few decorative zips trailing along the legs and up the chest, flashes of silver in the unrelenting dark fabric of the uniform. He's got a patch on his shoulder with some alien words written on it, and a belt slung over his hips in that sexy angle that makes me think all kinds of filthy things that have nothing to do with guns or weapons. His uniform is…surprisingly tight, too. It's tight across the pectorals, showing off his muscles, and his biceps bulge against the fabric of his sleeves. His, ah, package is extremely outlined as well, made all the more obvious by the decorative zippers that bulge on either side, as if straining to let a trouser-beast out.

  I might stare at that bulge a little.

  Okay, a lot.

  "You look beautiful," Adiron says, a big smile creasing his blue face. Even his horns look buffed, the silver shiny, and I wonder if he spent all afternoon getting ready to impress me.

  "You're…impressive." My cheeks feel hot just saying that.

  As if he knows what I'm thinking, he grabs his junk. "Looks good in this, right? I figure I have one chance to impress you, so I might as well go all out. And you DID say to wear something sexy."

  The absurdity of the situation gives me the giggles, and I put a hand to my mouth, trying to stifle them. It doesn't work, though, and I just keep on giggling. He just grabbed his junk. Right in front of me.

  Adiron grins. "I know, right? But sometimes it pays to play the handsome pirate, so I bring out this uniform for those occasions." He mock-adjusts the tiny silver buttons at his wrists. "Learned that one from Kivian."

  "Who?"

  "Captain of the ship my sister's on now." Adiron winks at me. "If you look like a hot piece of tail, you can distract people into thinking you're little more than that. It gets you a lot further than you'd think." He moves toward me and puts a hand out. "Speaking of, did I mention how magnificent you look?"

  "I'm open to hearing it again," I tell him in a light voice and put my hand in his.

  He takes my fingers and lifts them to his lips, kissing them, and I admit it, my silly heart flutters like wild. He gives me a rakish grin, too. "Saw that in one of your human vids."

  "It's…a good move," I agree, breathless.

  "There are a lot of human vids about courtship, which I find fascinating. Most of ours are either gladiator battles or just go right to the keffing." He shrugs and then takes my hand and leads me toward the table, which he's covered with a tablecloth…another bedsheet from the extra linens we have stored. I recognize the faint gray pattern on it. "May I pull out your chair for you?"

  "Of course," I say, charmed and more than a little amused. "You must have watched a lot of vids."

  "My sister Zoey was obsessed with them. I think I spent months of pay just getting her bootleg human vids instead of actually doing anything productive with my credits." He chuckles as he pulls my seat out and, once I'm seated, pushes it back in.

  "You must love your sister very much."

  "She's one of the five best things in my life," Adiron admits.

  "Five?" I ask. "Your brothers, your sister…that's three?"

  "Our ship," he says, ticking a finger off as he sits down across from me. "That's four."

  "And five?" I ask.

  "You can't guess?" His grin is positively devilish.

  "Me?" My voice is squeaky with surprise. "I'm on that list? After only a few days?"

  "I didn't say where on the list," he points out, impish.

  And I have to laugh.

  36

  ADIRON

  I'm sweating. I hope Jade doesn't notice that I'm sweating, but…keff me, she's beautiful.

  She's beautiful, and I'm so keffing nervous.

  I wipe my hands on my legs, my palms sweaty. Sure, I've been pretty blatant in my affection for her, but to think that she's actually halfway interested in a rock-head like me is hard to believe. I'm going to kef this up, I know it. I'll say something stupid and then all that interest in her face will die away. I'd give anything to be half as smooth as Kaspar, and he's not all that smooth.

  Jade smiles at me as if she senses my nervousnes
s. She cocks her head slightly and gestures at the room. "Well? You promised me fine dining and music if I showed up. I can't wait to see how you manage that."

  Right. Music. Food. Romance. I can do this. The trick is to keep her laughing. If she's having a good time, she won't be disappointed in what an idiot I am. So I make sure she's settled in her chair and then pull out the covered tray I've prepared. "Music first, then dining." I set the tray on the table and unveil what's underneath—a few standard containers, all of them bottoms-up. I immediately start to drum out a beat, using my hands. I lift my head and let out a ululating wail, starting into an old Sakh rhyme that we're taught back in our boyhood days. It's a combination that never failed to make Zoey erupt into fits of laughter when she was young, because it sounds so outlandish to human ears. I figure Jade will get a kick out of it, too.

  So I beat the drums. Close my eyes and wail some more. Drum. Wail. Drum. Wail.

  And as I finish the wailing first verse of the rhyme, I notice that Jade isn't laughing. She's utterly silent. I squeeze one eye open and she's frozen across from me, a tumbler of water half-raised to her lips. Her eyes are wide and startled.

  I immediately stop drumming. "You didn't like it."

  Her eyes go even wider, which I didn't think was possible. She puts her glass down and leans over to touch my hand. "No, no, not at all, Adiron! That was lovely! It was just…wow…" She pauses, blinking. "It was…"

  "A joke," I cut in. "It was a joke."

  Realization dawns on her and she slaps my arm. "You son of a bitch! I thought that was real!"

  I laugh.

  She buries her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking with silent amusement. "I hate you," she eventually wheezes, and her tone makes it very clear that she does not, in fact, hate me.

  "If it makes you feel any better, it's a really old song from where I come from, and it always made my sister Zoey crack up." I love her reaction, how her face lights up with amusement, and how she laughs so hard that her eyes get wet. Kef me, I love a woman that knows how to laugh. Jade does it magnificently, too. Her tits jiggle in that low neckline of hers, enticing me with that dusky brown cleavage that's just begging to be caressed. She's seated now, but earlier I got a great glimpse of curvy, dainty legs and her ample backside outlined in that dress she's wearing. It makes me want to flip that hem up and touch her.