Knights of Desire [Flights of Fancy 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Melodee Aaron

  As the reports faded, Clemmons looked down into Shane's face. She managed a weak smile. "See? I told you we weren't going to die here."

  Blood flowed freely from her ear, and when he rolled from on top of her, Clemmons saw bright red blood soaking through Shane's shirt. He looked across at the dead dragons and he could see men moving among the bodies.

  He called out to them, waving his arms. "Over here! Shane's hurt!"

  A man ran to them and flipped up the visor of his helmet. "Sergeant? I'll get you some help."

  She smiled at the young man. "Good to see you, Meyers."

  "Medic! Man down!" Meyers knelt beside her and pulled bandages from the pouch at his hip. He pressed them against Shane's chest and leaned his full weight on her.

  Shane grunted with the pressure, but Clemmons didn't interfere. Another man with a red cross on the side of his helmet ran up and began to connect tools to her body from a bag he carried. He placed a clear object over her mouth and nose, and Clemmons saw the telltale mist of breathing form on the thing.

  The man held her eyes open, and he flashed a bright light into them. "Can you hear me, Rawls?"

  She nodded a little, but pain washed over her face. "Yes. Is everyone all right?"

  "You're my only patient and problem child."

  She looked up at Clemmons and smiled a little. "You OK?"

  "I'm fine." He found himself feeling the tingle of tears in his eyes. She would live.

  * * * *

  The Communications Officer looked up from her console. "Captain Ells on the priority channel, Ma'am."

  Elsa still hadn't slept or bathed, but Chris did make her eat a sandwich earlier. That just made her sleepy. "Thank you." She tapped the communicator switch. "Davis here."

  "We've got Rawls, Captain. She's hurt pretty bad, but we have her. And the other knight, Clemmons."

  She was suddenly wide-awake. "That's amazing! We'll be ready to transport as soon as you're out of the cave."

  "Copy that. We have to fight our way out, but a lot of the dragons seem happy to run away. We're in a purely defensive posture now, and the ones that back off live another day. ETA to surface is forty-five minutes."

  "Understood. Good work, people." After she signed off, Elsa knew that in maybe two hours she could get some sleep and a bath—maybe not in that order, though.

  * * * *

  The last thing Shane remembered was Clemmons leaning over her as he held back the arm of the medic who was trying to sedate her. Clemmons had pulled the leather tie from his hair, and the blonde locks had spilled down to tickle her face. He smiled at her. "Yes, you were right. We aren't going to die here." He kissed her softly and then let the medic give her the injection.

  Even before she opened her eyes, she knew she was back on Daedalus and in sickbay. The air maker removed all smells from the air, and she missed the scent of the living plants of the planet. She also knew Clemmons sat beside her bed, because she felt him holding her hand.

  She opened her eyes, and the sterile, functional layout of the ship greeted her, but the splendid vision of Clemmons tempered it. He had his hair tied back away from his face again, and he'd found someplace to shave.

  He smiled. "How do you feel?"

  The wrenching pain in her chest and side were gone now, and other than being a little sore, she actually felt pretty good. "Not too bad."

  He opened his mouth to speak, but the doctor came into the room, and Clemmons closed it again.

  "I thought you might be awake by now." The doctor checked the biosensor readings. "Everything looks good. You had some bad injuries, but they were all easy to treat once we got you here. Besides, with my great bedside manner and medical skills, how could you do anything other than recover fully?"

  She laughed. "That's right, doc, put it all on me."

  "You bet." He glanced at a few more of the instruments. "I think you can go back to your cabin in a couple of hours, as long as you take it easy."

  "I promise."

  "Good enough." The doctor frowned a little. "By the way, there are a couple of, um, people who would like to see you if you're up to it."

  She wondered what the hesitation was about. "Sure. Send them in."

  "Will do. I'll be back in a while to discharge you." He went to the door and waved at someone outside.

  Cedric's bulk nearly filled the room, and when Alicia followed him inside, the image of a sardine can was complete.

  Alicia almost ran to the side of her bed and hugged Shane. "I'm so happy you're going to be all right."

  Shane didn't even try to extricate herself from the girl's grip. "Thanks to you."

  Cedric nodded to her. "Shane, we all, men and dragons, owe you a great deal. You've made us look at what we were doing with our war and have the courage to change."

  "I'm sorry so many had to die before you reached this point." Tears hit her suddenly, and she longed to feel Landis holding her other hand.

  The dragon nodded again. "No more blood will be spilled over this meaningless war. Alicia and I will leave you to rest."

  Alicia kissed Shane's cheek and then took Cedric's arm in hers as they left the room.

  Shane turned to face Clemmons, and he still smiled softly. She took a deep breath, hoping that would help keep the tears in check. "I wish Landis were here."

  The smile wavered a bit. "The doctor said you could walk with help. Come with me."

  Clemmons helped her stand and slip on a robe and then walked with her from the room and down the hall. He stopped her at a door marked with a small placard reading Regeneration Chamber, and when he pressed the switch, the door slid open.

  Inside the room was a large machine behind a plate of glass, and connected to the machine was Landis. He looked like he was asleep. Shane felt her knees try to buckle, but Clemmons caught her and lowered her into a chair.

  "I didn't mean to shock you, but your people found him alive, though badly injured, in the rubble of the cliff. Your doctor had to remove both of his legs, but I'm told this machine will regrow them in a few days."

  She had the same what-the-fuck feeling as when Clemmons had caught her and Landis in the act back in the forest. Shane wasn't exactly sure what to do next. At some point, she'd admitted to herself she'd fallen for Landis. With him dead, that let her fall for Clemmons. The idea of being in bed with two men still sounded like fun, but being in love was something very different from a romp in the sack.

  Just what exactly was she supposed to do now?

  * * * *

  Elsa waited on hold while the Fleet operator completed the connection to the Emperor. It seemed Admiral Reeves wasn't available, Q wasn't back from vacation yet, and the Emperor wanted to take her report himself. She didn't know how comfortable she was with the idea.

  The Emperor came online, and his hair stuck out in about a dozen different directions. Elsa didn't see any of the trappings of his office in the background of the picture, so she wondered if maybe he was in his cabin aboard his flagship Boone. She had no idea what time it was there.

  He stifled a yawn. "Good morning, Elsa. What's up?"

  "Good morning, Your Majesty." She gave him a summary of what had happened to go with the detailed report she had sent.

  "So, everyone is back where they belong, there were only a few casualties, and you've stopped a war that's been going on for more than a hundred years." He grinned. "I like it."

  "That pretty well sums it up, yes. I think things turned out well, though the path to get there was a little rough."

  "I won't debate that part with you."

  He was clearly in his cabin, or Elsa hoped he was. Empress Janelle came into the image, and she wore a rather skimpy negligee. She leaned over to kiss her husband, and Elsa suspected he could have seen all the way to her toes by looking down his wife's cleavage.

  Janelle looked at the screen. "Oh, hello, Elsa."

  "Your Majesty." What else could she say?

  In rapid succession, Empresses Tanya, Paige, and finally Ma
rilyn joined their spouses, and they weren't dressed any more than Janelle. Elsa was distracted wondering how the four women could look so good at more than three-thousand-years-old—Tanya and Marilyn were both nearly five thousand—and she missed for a moment that Paige knelt down beside her husband's chair. At least she missed it until the Emperor's eyes crossed.

  He panted a little. He was able to focus on the communicator again. "I think that wraps it up. I have to go. Bye." The screen went black.

  * * * *

  After the doctor released Shane from sickbay Clemmons walked her to her cabin, and she held his arm as they made their way through the passageways. She didn't need him to steady her—she just wanted to touch him and feel him close to her.

  The doctor told them Landis would be awake and out of the regenerator by noon tomorrow, and Shane planned to be there when the knight woke up. She knew Clemmons would be by her side. She'd come to realize she had feelings for both men, and the feelings went far beyond simple attraction. She couldn't really put her finger on the details, but the big picture was all that mattered right now.

  Shane had learned the doctor had kept her sedated for four days while she healed, and she wondered about something. She squeezed Clemmons's arm. "Have you been going back and forth to the planet?"

  "No. Your Captain gave me a room here on the ship so I could be close to you and Landis."

  That puzzled her. "What did you do to convince Captain Davis to do that?"

  He smiled. "Maybe it was threatening to hold my breath and stomp my feet if she didn't."

  They laughed together, and it was wonderful to be on his arm as they shared the humor.

  They reached her cabin, and the door slid open at their approach. Shane wasn't sure what made her take the tack, but it felt like the right thing to do. "You don't need a cabin of your own. You can stay here." Heat flushed her cheeks. "Besides, I could use a little help getting around for a couple of days."

  Clemmons stared past Shane, his blue eyes studying the cabin behind her, and was silent for nearly a minute. He smiled, but it looked a little sad to her, and then he shook his head. "No, you'll want Landis to stay here with you tomorrow."

  Shane opened her mouth, but a passing group of crewmembers made her think again about her answer. The corridor of a starship with people traipsing about wasn't the right place to try explaining her confused feelings. She regrouped and went on. "Come inside—we need to talk."

  He hesitated but did follow her into the cabin, and the door hissed closed. Clemmons shook his head. "There really isn't much to talk about. You and Landis belong together."

  She gathered her thoughts and decided the direct approach was best. "I won't argue that point with you, but I think you and Landis belong together, too." Shane took a deep breath. "And you and I belong together."

  His eyes flickered between wide open in surprise and narrowed closely in suspicion a few times. He worked his mouth like he was about to speak, but no sound came out. Clemmons finally closed his eyes for a moment and got his rogue tongue under control. "What are you saying?"

  "All I'm saying is that, among my people, more than two people in a relationship isn't all that unusual." She shrugged. "You love Landis, and he loves you. I admit I might love Landis, and I also might love you. I think both of you may have fallen for me." She frowned, trying to get the swirling facts—at least as she understood them—straight in her head. "I think that's right."

  His eyes went open wide and stayed there. "That's insane."

  "No, not really. Our Emperor has four wives. That's not really correct, though. Those five people, who just happen to be a man and four women, are all married to each other and very much in love. We have a word for that, but I'm not sure how the translator will handle it. We call it polyamory."

  "Say that again."

  "Polyamory. Love among many people."

  He nodded slowly. "I think I understand the word. You mean a person has love—true love—for more than one other person. Is that right?"

  "Yes, exactly."

  "And you think that's the case for us?"

  "Maybe. I really don't know yet."

  Clemmons laughed. "This is much like the conversation Landis and I had when we decided to form a couple."

  "I can understand that. It's not an easy concept for most people. Not even me."

  "You say your Emperor has such an arrangement. How common is it among your people?"

  "I don't really know. Maybe twenty percent of relationships are polyamorous."

  "I don't know, Shane."

  "All I'm saying is it's something to think about."

  He shrugged. "It doesn't matter too much, though. From what I gather, you'll be leaving soon."

  Shane hadn't thought of that. Daedalus might stay here for a couple of weeks—maybe more, maybe less—before moving on to their next mission, but certainly not more than a month. Now she really had no idea what to do next.

  * * * *

  Clemmons stood watching Shane as she pondered the idea that, no matter if she picked him or Landis, they would soon be torn apart. From her expression, he didn't think she liked the idea any more than he did. And the idea of her picking was just as bad.

  He'd been willing to die to save her for Landis. Clemmons was objective enough about his feelings to know he loved Landis with everything in him, and, to make Landis happy, he would do anything needed to save Shane. Initially he'd carried on with the rescue to prevent Landis from having died in vain.

  But someplace in the darkness of the maze of the cave, his feelings for Shane had changed. Clemmons had been attracted to Shane the first time he saw her, dressed in solid black, no skin, not even her face showing. He'd wanted her almost instantly. But when he thought Landis was dead, his feelings had changed. He still found her attractive, and he still wanted her, but Clemmons found he didn't want her for a single night of passion and pleasure. He wanted Shane forever.

  Clemmons knew he needed to shut down that line of thought. With Landis alive and on the mend, Clemmons had to back away. She belonged to Landis. It was really that simple.

  Yet he still wanted her. Even knowing she and Landis would be together tomorrow, for whatever time God would allow them, Clemmons longed to feel Shane in his arms, to taste her lips fully, without the pain of her injuries getting in the way to stop the kiss from moving to the inexorable next step.

  If his rival for Shane were any man other than Landis, he would fight for her. Clemmons realized he felt the same way about Landis. If anyone were to challenge him for Landis, he would leave him or her in a pool of blood. And yet, just as with Shane being with Landis, he would gladly step aside to ensure Landis's happiness.

  Clemmons felt the same way for both Landis and Shane.

  Shane stepped close to him and looked up into his eyes. "When Landis is able, I think the three of us need to talk."

  Maybe it was her blue eyes. Maybe it was Shane being so close to him. Maybe it was that she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen or ever would see. Maybe it was that he just didn't care about all the things that should be right or wrong, but something in him snapped. He grabbed her shoulders and pulled Shane to him, his mouth pressing to her lips.

  * * * *

  About the time Clemmons followed her into the cabin, Shane gave up on holding onto anything even close to rational thought. When he pulled her lips to his, even the last hints of reason fled from her mind, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. Memories from the kisses they shared in the cave flooded her mind, and she waited for something other than the now absent pain to interrupt. The way her luck ran with kissing Clemmons, the ship would probably explode now.

  Instead, an explosion of desire swept through her, and Shane knew she wanted him. As Clemmons's tongue darted in her mouth, Shane ran her fingers through his long hair and removed the leather tie, letting the blonde locks spill over his shoulders to tickle her cheeks. His hands moved up and down her back, caressing her with a strange combination of gentle firmn
ess. The strength of Clemmons's hands and arms made it clear she couldn't escape his grip, even if she had wanted to.

  Shane didn't want to leave his embrace. She felt a mix of emotions as Clemmons held her, and Shane knew that just a short time ago, the feelings would have confused her in the extreme, but sometime since meeting the knights, she realized she didn't need to understand everything she felt or did. Maybe it wasn't even desirable to fully understand feelings like want and desire and love. Shane inhaled deeply, and as the scent of the man in her arms filled her head, she knew all she needed to do was to let him love her.

  When his hands slipped down her back to cup her ass, Clemmons pulled her hips against his pelvis, and the hardness of his cock pressed against Shane. Her mind recalled watching him and Landis in the forest, seeing Clemmons's dick sliding deep into Landis's ass, and Shane wanted to feel him inside of her. The fantasy made a wave of burning shivers rush through her, and heat flooded her pussy as wetness flowed from her.

  Clemmons pulled away from her, and Shane lunged at him. With a soft smile, he easily swept her into his arms and carried her to the sofa, where he placed her on the couch and then knelt beside her. With a slow deliberateness that nearly made her crazy, he carefully worked at the buttons of her blouse, unfastening each in order, starting from the lowest and working his way toward her neck. As he moved his hands up her body, Clemmons's fingers touched her through the material of the shirt, and each fleeting moment of contact made Shane twitch with anticipation. When he released the last of the fasteners, he pushed the blouse open and, since she hadn't put on her bra before leaving sickbay, he exposed her breasts. His fingers danced delicately around her hard nipples, and his palms caressed her breasts.

  Shane sighed, and her eyes flickered closed as the roughness of his hands gently massaged her. Clemmons leaned close to her and swirled his tongue around her nipple before he sucked it firmly into his mouth. As visions of passion danced like phantasms in her mind, she felt his hand moving down across her stomach, where he manipulated the fastener on her pants. Through the shivers his mouth on her breast created in her, Shane was aware that he pushed her pants down a little.