by Dixon, Ruby
I reach out and smack Adiron on the arm. "You dick! That's not funny!"
He chuckles, batting away my hands. "Oh, come on. It's a little funny. Can I help it if I'm still thinking with my cock?"
"YES." I smack him one more time, just because.
Adiron grabs my hands and kisses my knuckles. "All right, my humor is misguided. You're right." He releases me and puts a hand back on the knob. "It's a process, this thing. You have to pull it out of the housing, turn the shaft, move it across to the secondary housing, and then lock it into place. Like I said, it's so you don't accidentally reboot the ship at a critical moment." He snaps the lever into place, and I hear the “clink” of things locking in.
There's a low beep, and then silence.
I lick dry lips, tugging Ruth's blanket closer around my body. "What now?"
Adiron sits on the floor and reaches for my hand again. He pulls me down into his lap, and then slides his arms around me. "Now, we wait."
Waiting. Well, I'm pretty good at that. I've had a lot of practice.
44
ADIRON
Jade smells so keffing good. She's warm and soft in my arms, and even though she's tense and worried, I can't get over how amazing today has been. We had a date. She let me lick her gorgeous pussy until she came. Even now, she goes into my arms without protest.
A male could die happy like this.
I can still taste her on my lips.
I just hate that she's so keffing scared. I stroke Jade's back in the darkness, murmuring soothing sounds to her as we wait for the ship to hum back to life again. The manual override is chirping along, running through its paces, and I have no doubt that eventually everything will be back online again. Ships are complicated beasts, sure, but they're also meant to be running. The lights and the air will pop back up soon, and then Jade can relax.
Heck, even if it doesn't, it's not like we don't have options. There's an escape pod with our name on it, and we could easily manually launch it from the ship. It would mean leaving the people in stasis behind, but it doesn't have to be forever. I'm more interested in keeping Jade safe than anything else.
Well…almost anything else.
Because my cock is still hard and aching from earlier. Jade's curled up against me, her face buried against my neck, the blanket wrapped around both of us. It's hard not to think about pushing her onto her back and licking her pussy again, but something tells me she's probably not in the mood, what with being terrified and all.
"You want to play a game?" I ask her in the darkness, my breath freezing in the air.
"A game?" Her voice wobbles, but she manages a laugh. "No."
"Come on," I say, nudging her. "Ask me something, and if I can't answer it, I'll…" I cast around for an idea. "I'll lick your pussy again."
Jade sits up, and she pinches my nose in the darkness. "Is this an excuse for you to go down on me again?"
"Do I need an excuse?" I joke. "Because I'd be more than happy to have you sit on my face right now—"
Her hand covers my mouth to stop my words, but I get a low chuckle out of her. I'll take that. "How about every question you don't answer, you have to tell me an embarrassing story about yourself instead."
I'm glad to see pussy is back on the table, so to speak. "I can do that. And you'll do the same?"
"Sure." Her hand slides to my chest, and then she puts her head on my shoulder, her fluffy hair tickling my chin. "You go first."
I think for a moment. I think I'll start with something funny, ease her into things. "Did I lick your pussy better than anyone else?"
"Is this whole conversation gonna be about pussy?" she asks, but there's an amused teasing in her voice.
"It's been on my mind…and it could be on my face if—" I laugh as she covers my mouth again, and speak through her fingers. "Come on, that was a good one!"
"You are outrageous!"
"Of course I am." I press a kiss to her fingers. "There's no one here but us. It's just me and the female I'm utterly crazy about here alone on this ship. We're on the edge of the universe, and with a ton of uninterrupted time. I can think of no better way than to spend every last minute trying to kef you sideways. I mean, unless you had something else planned for the next month?" I press more small kisses to her fingers. She doesn't pull away, so I figure that's a good sign. If she listens to me telling her how much I like her, maybe at some point it'll start to sink in.
"So you just want to, what, make out until dawn?"
"Dawn, and dusk, and then to dawn again, and…" This time, when her hand moves over my mouth, I capture it and press a kiss to her palm. "So I guess you don't want to play our game?"
"We're playing games right now, aren't we?"
That we are. I'm not entirely sure if I'm winning or losing, though. I open my mouth to speak when something electronic whines, and then the lights flicker overhead.
A moment later, they come on.
Jade stares up at the ceiling with a look of sheer relief on her face. "You fixed it!"
"More or less. "I’ll have to give it a thorough once-over later, but there'll be time enough for that when Jade's not in my lap. Right now, I am far, far too distracted to be playing with the delicate components of ship technology.
Jade's relief is intense, though. She turns to me, gives me an incredulous laugh, and then flings her arms around my neck, peppering kisses onto my face. "You're a miracle worker!"
I should tell her the “miracle” was knowing which switch to flip, but I get it. I've been in her place, where you feel out of your depth and when the world rights itself again, the relief you feel is utterly intense. She's showing me that intense relief right now as she kisses my cheeks, her weight pressing up against me.
And because I'm shameless, I take advantage of the situation. I roll backward, my arms around her waist. Then, suddenly, she's on top of me, and our faces press together, her lips skating against the corner of mine.
She draws back in surprise, clearly not expecting that. I just grin up at her. I'm half-expecting another light smack to the shoulder or a verbal jab. I'd deserve it, too. Instead, she just eyes me thoughtfully. Her gaze flicks to my mouth, and my cock gets harder than ever. Kef me, she's staring at my lips. I never thought looking at someone could be so keffing sexy.
"Do you always get what you want?" Jade murmurs, brushing a lock of my hair back from my face.
"Very rarely, actually. My sister calls me a try-hard."
"You definitely are." Her thumb skates over my lower lip and my balls feel as if they can't get any tighter or they'll just migrate completely into my body. "It's cute, though," she says softly.
"Is it?"
"To me it is." Her mouth teases up into a smile. "You make me laugh."
"What every male wants to hear when a female's on top of him," I quip.
Her gaze slides to my mouth again, and then she leans closer. "Well, we can't have me harming your ego, can we?" Her lips brush over mine. "Still want to play that game?"
Game? I want her to rip my trou off and ride my cock. I want to bury my face between her legs again until she's begging for mercy. I want to lick every bit of that gorgeous soft skin of hers. But…I guess I can play a game. "Sure."
"I have a rule change, though." Jade tilts her head at me, grinning. "We ask each other questions, and if the other person can't answer honestly, they lose an article of clothing. Deal?"
"That works." It more than works, because Jade's only wearing that little dress. I know, because my head was under the skirt of it. "But if you want to see me naked again, all you have to do is ask."
"It's more fun like this," she tells me with a teasing look. "Or are you not into games?"
"All right, but I still like my version, where I licked your pussy every time I didn't answer. I mean, in that one, we're both winners."
Jade laughs, getting to her feet. She tugs the blanket around her body, cocooning her smaller form. "Play your cards right and maybe you can do both."
45
JADE
Tonight has been very instructive. A bit too adventurous for my taste, but instructive.
Tonight, I learned that our safety here on this big ship is not guaranteed. I learned how fully helpless I truly am if something goes wrong. I don't have the means or knowledge to fix anything. Tonight, I learned that, and I learned that Adiron is protective and caring and kind, even when things are going to shit around us. I learned he's a good kisser, and a giving lover.
I'm also learning that I don't want to be alone tonight. Not after the fright I've just had. I feel fragile and uncertain, but I also feel that I'm less frightened than I would be because Adiron is at my side.
He's the person I didn't know I needed in my life—coarse, unabashed, and utterly, completely endearing.
Even right now, as we walk back to the living quarters in the ship, I'm filled with affection for him. Adiron tucks the blanket around my shoulders as we head down the hall, as if he needs to make sure that I'm warm enough. He stays close to my side and makes funny little jokes about the state of the ship—that maybe the ship's hard reboot will improve the smell coming from the air filters, that because it's so cold I shouldn't hold a little shrinkage against him—all designed to take my mind off the scare we've had.
It's like I'm the only thing that matters to him, and it's so damn sweet.
We pause outside of my quarters. Adiron brushes a twisted lock of my hair back into place, but it only springs forward again. "We'll save our game for the morning," he says. "You look tired."
I am absolutely tired, but I also know I don't want to be alone. So I grab his hand and tip my chin, indicating he should come in. "Don't chicken out on me now."
His eyes light up and then gleam with amusement. "You want company?"
"I sure don't want to sleep alone tonight. Doesn't make sense to me on this big, empty ship that we sleep a few doors apart." I shrug, trying to add lightness to my words. "Sometimes when one of the girls would get scared—usually Helen—we'd all pile in bed together and have a sleepover."
Adiron gives me an impressed look. "Now I'm getting all kinds of sexy images—"
I smack him lightly before he can continue that line of thought. "Just to enjoy each other's company. Just to feel not so alone."
He steps inside of my room, but his gaze is completely on me. "Is that what you want right now? Just to not feel alone?"
I'm not entirely sure what I want. All I know is I'm not ready for him to leave my side just yet. "Maybe? Do I have to have a reason?"
"You want your pussy licked again, don't you?" He leans over to me as if sharing a secret. "Jade, love, all you have to do is ask—"
I smack him again. "Are you going to keep bringing that up?"
"Absolutely. I love that you're blushing, despite the fact that we are the only. two. people. on. this. ship." He taps the tip of my nose lightly with each word. "I could lick your pussy on every surface in this ship and no one would know but the two of us, and yet you blush and look shy."
He's right, of course. It doesn't mean I'm going to stop blushing at the thought. Adiron's just so damn forward with what he wants. I like it, but it makes me feel shy anyhow. "I don't know," I say, moving to the edge of my bed and sitting down. I adjust Ruth's blanket around my shoulders and lift my chin, looking over at him. "All this pussy-licking talk could be a distraction to hide from the fact that you've got no game downstairs."
Adiron rubs his hands together, a gleeful smile on his face. His tail flicks wildly behind him. "A challenge? You want me to show you just how much game I have?"
I raise a hand into the air, stopping him before he can just whip his pants off. "We were going to play a game, remember?"
"Haven't forgotten." He grabs a chair from the corner of my room, flips it around, and straddles it, parking it directly across from the bed. "Game of truths—the person that can't answer has to remove an item of clothing. I remember, and I'm more than ready to play." The big alien gestures at me. "You start."
I settle in on the bed, crossing my legs and adjusting the blanket around me as I think. He's all eagerness, this guy, his eyes bright and his tail swishing. My gaze settles on his shiny metal-covered horns, and I can still see my handprints all over the one. Mentally, I'm back on that control panel, his mouth going to town between my legs, making noises of sheer delight as he licks every inch of me.
Oh man. It is suddenly very warm in the room. I let the blanket slide off my shoulders a little so I don't have to fan my face. A question. A question. Hmm. I could ask him about his brothers, or the ship, or what his favorite foods are, but those all feel like total softballs and I think Adiron would call me out on it. So I decide to start personal. "How many women have you slept with?"
"One. Shaalyn." He nods. "Okay, my turn—"
"Wait," I blurt out. "You only ever slept with one woman?"
He shrugs his big shoulders. "Why is that surprising? I'm a romantic. It's easy to flirt, but I wanted something that I thought was real. I wanted a deeper connection between myself and my partner. I thought I had it with her, and it took me a long time to get over her betrayal."
"Oh." I don't know what to make of that. Someone as playful-seeming and carefree as Adiron should have a laundry list of lovers. The fact that he's only had her—and now wants me—should make me run for the hills. That he's a man who makes bad choices.
Instead, I find it sweet. It makes me ache. It makes me feel…special.
Adiron leans forward on his chair. "You do realize that was two questions, right? So now I get to ask you two."
So it was. "That's fair," I say with a smile. "Ask away."
"If I could touch you anywhere right now, where would you want to be touched?"
My brows furrow. Is this another blatant seduction? As I look at a grinning Adiron, I realize the answer is probably “yes.” My body flushes with heat, and I consider what he's asking. "Well, your mouth was amazing on my pussy…maybe just to try something new I'd say ‘breasts.’"
"So they're sensitive?" he asks, voice husky. "I bet they are. Those little hard tips perk up every time I touch you. I bet you'd like those nibbled on."
I shiver, my body clenching with arousal. "They are sensitive," I say. "And that's two questions."
He blinks. "Shit. I got all distracted thinking about your breasts."
I shake a finger at him. "And now it's my turn." Or at least it will be, the moment I think of something to ask him. It needs to be a good question, not something that feels like a cop-out. I think for a minute and then go with the question that keeps popping up in my head. "Do humans look odd to you? Be honest."
Adiron considers. "Yes and no. Some parts of you do. Your wiggly little toes weird me out. Zoey had these long toes that looked practically prehensile." He lifts a hand and waves his fingers. "But I like your smooth brows and your round hips, and I really, really like those breasts of yours."
And I blush again. This man's always making me blush.
"My turn," Adiron murmurs, and the heat in my belly turns up a notch.
46
ADIRON
This game is an absolute cock-tease and I love it. It's just drawing out the hunger I feel for Jade, and treating me to a lot of her blushes and squirming, which only makes me harder.
It's my duty as a lust-addled male to come up with a question that she won't answer, simply because I need her to strip. And then we can continue to play the game, and when she squirms, I'll get to watch her naked breasts jiggle with her movements. Just thinking about that makes me shift in my chair, my cock rock hard and aching.
It's my turn to ask a question, and this one's easy. "When I licked your cunt—what part did you like the best?"
I love that she blushes—as if anyone else is around! As if I haven't been tongue-deep in that glorious cunt of hers! "You're terrible."
"I play to win." Actually I wouldn't mind losing, but I want to see some skin first.
She wriggles under that blanket, embarrassment stamped across her face. "Um."
"If you don't want to answer—"
"I'm answering!" Jade straightens and gives me her most haughty look. "Give me a moment. I'm thinking."
"Do you need a reminder? I'm happy to demonstrate."
The look she gives me would wither plants on some worlds. I love it. With as much dignity as she can muster, Jade lifts her chin. "I liked your tongue against my clit."
I file that information away. "That it? Or was there more?"
"That's a second question!"
Tricky, tricky. I approve. I gesture for her to take her turn. "You go, then."
Her cheeks are stained with deep color as she watches me. "This isn't a fair fight. If I ask you something sexual, you'll just eat it up. There's nothing you won't answer, and here I am, exposing all my private thoughts."
I grin, because she's not wrong. "Then ask me something non-sexual."
"Do you think we're going to die out here?"
Her vulnerable question takes me by surprise. I hate the look of sheer uncertainty on her face, so my answer is automatic. "No, I don't."
"You're not lying to me, are you, Adiron?" Jade's gaze searches mine.
"That's not how this game is played," I joke.
"I don't want to play a game," she whispers, her eyes heartbreaking. "Just tell me the truth, please. I can handle it. I just need to be prepared."
My poor Jade. She looks so stressed and worried. I want to reassure her. More than that, I want to grab her and drag her into my arms and just squeeze all the strain off her face until she smiles again. "You and I are not going to die," I promise. "Even if things get a little dangerous here on this ship—and I don't think they will—we have an escape route. We can always take an escape pod somewhere safer and regroup." I know how she thinks, so I choose my wording wisely. Jade won't abandon the stasis pods, so I need her to know that if we left, it would be temporary only. I know how much it means to her to do the right thing, and we will…but I'm not going to risk her life for it. "I'll keep you safe. And I'll get you back to your friends."