by M. K. Eidem
"It occurs on this planet every four standard-hours."
"Then I'd better get to it because I'm not going to make it another four hours."
"Make what? I don't understand. Is there some strange thing Earthans must do every so many hours?"
"Nothing your body doesn't make you do." At his continued confusion, she gave an exasperated sigh. "I need to urinate, pee, empty my bladder, void liquid waste?" she continued throwing out words until understanding finally filled the dark, grey eyes swirled with silver, so indicative of the Apre species.
"Oh," he said. "Alright, but let me go out first."
She was about to tell him she was more than capable of getting out by herself when she saw the problem. It seemed the same credit-pinching bastards that had built the transport had also stocked the escape pods; this survival shelter was made for just one average-sized being. Even alone, she couldn't have sat straight up in it - no wonder she'd woken nearly on top of him.
Unsealing the shelter, he maneuvered his large frame around in the tight confines until his legs were out, then rolled onto his knees until the rest of him cleared the opening. All the while, Cali found herself shoved against the other side of the shelter, dodging knees and elbows. Once he was entirely outside, she was able to crawl to the opening and stick her head out, where she got her first look at where they'd landed.
The landscape was flat, colorless, and desolate. As the Commander said, the atmosphere was breathable, but it was thin, and she had to force herself to take slow, deep breaths to get enough.
"You need to hurry," Jamis told her, pointing to the horizon, "that is the darkness approaching. It will be here in," he looked to the timekeeper on the inside of his wrist, "ten standard-minutes."
"Right." She finished climbing out and looked around for a private spot.
"You need to hurry," he repeated.
Seeing the escape pod, she went to move behind it.
"Where are you going?" he demanded.
"To get some privacy," she told him without looking back. "It's not like I'm going to pee right in front of you."
"This is not the time for modesty."
Cali didn't feel the need to answer as she moved around the pod and began loosening her pants. If she were wearing one of the short skirts she wore at work, this would have been so much easier. All she would have had to do was pull down her underwear and barely lift the skirt. Instead, she had elected to wear something more conservative and warmer. For that, she was glad, but the downside was that she had to peel the tight serpe-skin pants down. Before her bladder could thank her, she had to work them back up. All which took more time than she had.
"Hurry!" Jamis shouted as the light began to disappear.
"I'm coming," she hollered back, irritated, but seeing her words cloud in the air, she realized he wasn't just a jerk.
Rounding the pod, she saw the darkness had nearly reached the shelter.
"Get inside," she yelled, starting to run. Jamis barely made it inside before she was diving in after him.
Chapter Two
Her 'ruk!' was lost in the massive expanse of his chest as he rolled her beneath him so he could seal the shelter against the frigid air trying to flow through the opening.
"Mit mof mme," she said, trying to push him off.
"What?" He pushed up on his elbows to look down at her.
"I said get off me! Gods, you weigh a tonne!" She tried to wiggle out from underneath him, only to find him between her legs.
"If this is where you wanted me, all you needed to do was ask," Jamis smirked, settling himself more firmly between her thighs.
"Oh, get over yourself," she scoffed. "All I want is to be able to breathe, and that's not possible with you on top of me."
"Are you sure?" he asked, moving his hips suggestively. "We might as well enjoy ourselves until the recovery team gets here."
Cali gave him an incredulous look, expecting him to tell her he was joking. Instead, she saw he was completely serious. "Gods, does that line actually work for you?"
"What do you mean?"
"We're stranded on some unnamed planet, and all you can think about is sex?"
"That's not all since I knew when this dark period would occur and that the recovery team won't be able to arrive until after it ends. Therefore, we have nothing else to do but enjoy ourselves. Especially as you are Earthan."
"What does my being Earthan have to do with anything?"
"The short life span of your species doesn't allow you the opportunity to experience the wide variety of sexual encounters the universe has to offer. I am merely trying to give you an experience no other Earthan has ever had."
Cali's mouth dropped open, unable to believe this big jerk actually thought he was doing her a favor by offering to have sex with her. If he only knew the 'encounters' she had experienced, he would be the one shocked.
At her continued silence, he just shrugged and shifted up onto his hands and knees as far as he could. "You will need to slide out from under me if you don't want me on top of you."
It took some maneuvering, what with Jamis's massive size and the small confines of the shelter, but eventually, she managed to get out from beneath him only to find herself backed up against the taut fabric when he shifted to lie on his back.
"Seriously?"
"What?" he asked, turning his head to give her a questioning look.
"You're taking up way more than your fair share of the space."
"As I'm larger than you, I'd say this is my fair share. Now, unless you want us to freeze to death before the recovery team gets here, I suggest you grab the survival blanket you're lying on so we can use it."
Cali glared at him as she worked the metallic blanket out from under her but doubted he saw it in the rapidly-deepening darkness. This structure was designed to combat temperature extremes, but the air inside the shelter was already beginning to cool, indicating just how far the temperatures outside had dropped. By the time she was able to free the blanket and get it partway over them, it was pitch black. She ended up only half-covered when Jamis pulled the blanket more fully over him.
"Hey!"
"What now?"
"You're taking all the blanket!" While she couldn't see his expression, she heard his heavy sigh. The next thing she knew, he was sliding an arm underneath her, and she was hauled halfway across his unforgiving chest. "What the ruk!"
"There is only so much blanket," he told her from somewhere above her head. "The only way for both of us to be fully protected is if we are as close together as possible. Since you've already rejected being beneath me, this is the only other option."
"You couldn't have just asked?"
"This was more expedient."
Cali didn't reply; she just used her lower body to work the blanket more snugly around their legs while he used his arms to tuck it around their bodies. Within moments their combined body heat began to drive off the chill beneath the blanket. She'd just started to enjoy the feeling when something brushed against her face.
"What the ruk?!" she demanded and would have sat up, but his arm held her in place.
"Calm down. It's just me covering up my head. It will keep us warmer. Gods! Earthans are skittish creatures."
"I'm not skittish," she denied, trying to get comfortable against his unyielding body. "I just didn't know what you were doing."
"Well, now you do, so just settle down. There's nothing for us to do now but wait for the recovery team to get here." He grunted when one of her knees connected with a thigh as she finally settled. "Are you comfortable yet?"
"Not really, but it will have to do."
"Many a female would enjoy finding themselves in this position with me."
"Seriously?" Her sarcasm would have to do since she knew he couldn't see her expression. "I find it hard to believe that any female would enjoy being stuffed into a survival shelter with an overgrown, egotistical Apre, after crash landing in an escape pod on some unknown planet."
"I w
as referring to being in my arms."
"I know exactly what you were referring to, but I'm sorry, no sane female would go that far just to be in your arms. No one's that good."
"You'll never find out. Unless, of course, you've changed your mind."
"I haven't, but if it's your theory that I should jump at every chance I have to have sex because I'm not going to live long, then shouldn't you be a great deal more selective?"
"What?" While she couldn't see his expression, she could hear the shock in his voice. "Why?"
"Well, with your long life span," she made sure to draw out the word, "the Gods only know how many of the females you've had sex with you might run into again in the future."
"If she interests me, why would that be a problem?"
"What if she's found a partner or mate? I assume you don't pursue committed females." She felt him shrug his shoulders.
"It's not my concern if the female is committed. It's hers. If she is and doesn't wish to stray, all she need do is state that fact."
"I see. How generous of you."
"There is no reason for me not to express my interest in a female that has caught my attention."
"As so many do," she muttered. "Well, I guess you at least have some standards."
"I have the highest of standards," he argued.
"We’ll just have to agree to disagree on that," she told him, then settled down to wait for the recovery ship.
Jamis was silent for several minutes, but she swore she could hear his mind working. She supposed she shouldn't have been so judgmental of his lifestyle. After all, he was Apre. They were all arrogant, used to being sought after, and were supposed to be really good in bed. That he left it up to the female to decide was unusual for his species. Typically, a refusal only made them more determined in their pursuit.
She also knew that once he or Taarig, his second, engaged with a female on base, either separately or together, they didn't pursue any other female until she left. That, too, for an Apre, was unusual. Exclusivity was rare.
"So explain to me, as we have nothing else to do," he finally said, "how the standards for your species differs from mine."
"Oh, I'm not saying my standards are the same as everyone else's. Just as yours aren't the same for every Apre, but being sexually attracted to a person doesn't mean I'm going to have sex with them. There are other factors."
"Such as?"
"Well, I have to like the person first, which usually involves having a conversation with them. Several usually, at different times."
"Why?"
"Why? Because it's been my experience that the first face someone shows you isn't always their real one; they only show what they want you to see to get what they want. It's harder to deceive if there are multiple, nonsexual encounters."
"That’s quite cynical for one such as you."
"One such as me?"
"Yes, you have so little time to learn such things."
"Trust me; I’m a fast learner."
"So, it would seem. So, after you've had multiple nonsexual encounters with a male you are attracted to, then you have sex with him?"
"Sometimes, but…"
"We have had multiple conversations. At differing times."
"Gods, you just don’t stop, do you?" she couldn't stop herself from chuckling.
"Do you have a partner?"
"Not really, but…"
"Then I see no reason why we shouldn’t have sex."
"Because there is someone I am currently involved with, and I don't cheat."
"Involved? What is involved?"
She couldn't believe she'd gotten herself into this conversation. She hadn’t been seeing Nox that long. In truth, she'd broken her own rules, getting involved with a regular at The Brink, the bar she worked at and now owned. But it had been a long time since she'd had sex, and after six months of chasing, Nox had caught her at a weak moment.
Nox was Phoc, an orange-skinned species similar to Earthans, except they had a pelt of fur on their head, instead of hair, and a tail. She had to admit sex with Nox had been unexciting, even with the extra appendage. Oh, it had started well with all the touching and exploring that first-time lovers do to see what excited the other. But then the main event took place, and it had been all about him. She should have ended it then and there, but somehow, he'd talked her into another hookup, and she'd gone to find out if he was really that bad.
He was.
That had been the night before she'd left to go to Vavis Prime to sign the final paperwork making her The Brink’s Owner. She'd planned on telling him not to approach her again when she returned, but instead, here she was wrapped around the Commander.
"Involved means there’s someone I’m currently having sex with."
"If you don't intend to make him your partner, then it is not cheating."
"It is to me, and then there's one other essential step that you've completely missed."
"And what step is that?"
"The step of knowing the name of the person with whom I'm having sex. Unless you’re one of those males who use the same name for every female, that way you don't have to worry about mixing them up."
"Same name?"
"Yeah, like honey, baby, babe, sweetling, or what is that one the Hogg like to use… rump pump, yea, that's it."
"Hoggs are a disgusting species," he spat out.
On that, they could agree. "In more ways than one."
"I don't understand the point of what you are saying," he grumbled. "I always know the name of the female I am having sex with." He didn't add that he didn’t use it during sex.
"But you want to have sex with me."
"Yes." He was surprised to discover how much he did, and not to pass the time either. The attraction he felt for her was intense. Her breasts were so soft pressed against the firmness of his chest, and her thigh felt right settled between his. He knew his reputation, but he did not have sex with every female that attracted him. If he did, he would never have become a Star Base Commander.
"So, what's my name?" she demanded.
"It’s…" he trailed off, unable to believe he'd never bothered to ask. How was that possible? Maybe he'd hit his head harder than he'd thought. "I never asked."
Cali arched an eyebrow at him. "No, you didn't."
"That was unforgivably rude. I’m sorry. Please, I would like to know your name."
She was shocked at just how sincere he sounded as if the slight actually bothered him. "It’s Cali, Cali Baker."
"Cali? A strange name."
"My mother named me after a place she used to visit with my dad back on Earth called California. I shortened it to Cali."
"Your parents actually lived on Earth?" Surprise filled his voice.
"They were born there, yes. I wasn't."
"I see."
She felt his stomach muscles tense and sensed that he'd shifted up to get a better look at her. Apre had excellent night vision, which made them superior warriors, but she knew he couldn't see her. The darkness that surrounded them was absolute.
Silence reigned for several moments, and she thought he'd fallen asleep, so his question had her jolting slightly.
"Where did you ever encounter a Hogg?"
"They occasionally come into The Brink."
"The Brink? Do you mean the bar on Star Base Twelve? You've been there?"
She started to chuckle. "Yea, I've been there for the last three-and-a-half years."
"What?" This time there was no missing him sitting up.
"I've been on Star Base Twelve for nearly four years."
"That's impossible. I would have noticed you."
"Only if you ventured below the military level of the base, which you never do. Oh, the Great Star Base Commander Jamis Dexxirs might visit the market level of the base he's in charge of, just to make sure it was running up to his standards, but he would never actually socialize with those that keep the base running."
"That's not true."
"Is
n't it? When have you ever gone below the market level? The Brink is the most popular bar on the base. It's where both your people and those that keep the base running meet and relax, and yet you've never stepped foot in it."
"How relaxed do you think your patrons would be if I were there?" he demanded.
"Oh, I see. You deny yourself for them because that's what the Apre do… think of others’ comfort first."
She felt the rumble build in the chest beneath her hand, revealing he didn't like her calling him out like that. But it was the truth. Apre went where they wanted and did what they wanted, no matter if it made others uncomfortable.
Instead of speaking, the arm keeping her close moved up along her back, passing over her head. She wasn't sure what he was doing until he finally spoke. He had touched his ear where his communication link was.
Nearly every being in the universe now wore some version of the links for communication and language translation. They positioned it near whatever auditory orifice the species used. The links had become something of a status symbol, decorated with jewels and precious metals. Some beings even had more than one and altered them, so they glowed when in use.
Jamis’s didn't glow, but she wouldn't expect it. He was military, and it would give away his location.
"This is Dexxirs."
She couldn't hear what was said, which was the whole point of the link. It was directly placed in the wearer's inner ear guaranteeing privacy unless the other person was nearly ear-to-ear.
"We’re uninjured."
There was a pause.
"There are two of us. Yes, I said two. Exterior conditions are not currently conducive for extraction."
There was another pause, and his breath ruffled her hair as he sighed.
"I see, then lower the tube. Yes! I said the tube. Make sure the air is properly heated. Notify me when you're in position, and we will climb up."
She felt him disconnect the transmission and asked. "Tube?"
"There is a small meteor storm heading this way. It will hit right before the end of the dark hours. We need to evacuate."
"Again…, tube?"
"The recovery ship is outfitted with a ship-to-ship recovery tube. The ship will get into position over us and lower it. We will then exit the shelter and climb up into the ship."