by Lily Harlem
“It’s amazing to think it’s possible,” Anki said. “That we can go between the two planets in just six months.”
“It feels like such a long time, or at least it did on my previous trip there and back, but now being on board Equinox has become the norm.”
“Did you have Athions on board before?” he asked.
“No, all human, and I was taking bees.”
“Bees?”
“Good for pollination.”
“Yes they are, and I saw one at the docking station on Athion, before I left for Earth, to collect the goats,” he said.
“Which docking station was that?”
“Madoc.”
I smiled. “Yes, they’ll do well in that area from what I’ve read about it. There’s enough rainfall in the valley for your flowers and crops to flourish. You’ll get honey from them, too.”
“It will be a long time before the average Athion can afford honey, for now only the Emperor can have it.”
“I have some.”
“You do?” His eyes widened.
“Yes, in my quarters. If you like, you could…” My words trailed off as I remembered the disaster earlier in my room.
A small crease appeared on his brow. “About earlier, Uma.”
“I’m sorry.” I wrung my hands.
“For what?”
“For…” I didn’t really know. I wasn’t about to apologize for having a relationship with Mateo because that was a longstanding thing and there was no reason I shouldn’t. But I did feel bad about how Anki had found out.
“It’s me who should be apologizing.”
“No.” I walked to the control panel. “Let’s just forget it.”
“But, Uma, please, I want to explain.”
“There’s nothing to explain.” I tapped away but didn’t really focus on the screen.
Anki stepped closer.
His body heat radiated onto my shoulders and his breath tickled my neck. I suppressed a shiver of longing. There was something inside me that said it would feel so right to turn and wrap my arms around him. Kiss him and have him kiss me back. I knew we’d be good together…more than good. We’d be off-the-scale hot together.
“I was shocked, surprised, that’s all,” Anki said.
I stared straight ahead, waiting for him to go on.
“First the parrot saying what he did, and then realizing I didn’t have a chance with you because Mateo had got there first and stolen your heart.”
“I do care for him, I won’t deny that.”
“Which is your right, and at the end of the day, you’re both human. You should be together.”
“Anki.” I spun around and looked up at his face. “It has nothing to do with that. From what I hear, Earth women and Athions are so compatible there’s hope that Athion will be repopulated.”
“Yes, that is a dream of my people. Earth’s leaders are very generous in their understanding.”
“Which is because Emperor Elrin is going about it in a better way than…” I blinked to rid the image of the Trad who’d nearly impregnated me then stolen me away to be used like a rat in a lab.
“The men of Tradrych have no moral compass.” He frowned. “I believe they’re incapable of either empathy or love.”
I nodded.
“But Athions are very capable of love,” he said, his voice gentle, the way it had been when he’d been soothing the goat. “There just aren’t any women for us to love.”
“So anyone will do, huh?”
“That’s not true.” He slid the back of his crooked index finger down my cheek. “Athions still believe there’s someone for everyone, a soul mate, even if we have been forced to look in a different galaxy to ours.”
“Could you believe in soul mates?” I asked.
“I don’t understand.”
I took his hand and held it in mine, studied the difference in our skin tones for a moment, then, “As in, I could have more than one soul mate.”
He swallowed.
He was so near now that he filled my vision and all of my other senses.
“Yes,” I said, “I could have one soul mate from Earth and one from Athion.”
“Mateo and…?”
“You.” I went up onto my toes. “You, Anki.”
“Uma.” His eyelids seemed to get a little heavy, and he untangled his hand from mine. “Are you serious?”
“Never more so.” I wanted this handsome, intriguing man, there was no doubt about it. “So why don’t we try this and see.”
I pressed my lips to his. They were warm and soft. He didn’t move them; in fact, he didn’t move at all.
I pulled back and smiled. “How was that?”
“I want you to do it again if that tells you anything,” he whispered.
“Good plan.” I rested my hands on his shoulders and again pressed my lips to his.
This time he kissed me back with a gentle opening of his mouth. He set his hands on my waist and leaned closer so our chests were touching.
A familiar longing grew within me. Anki was much more than an Athion. He’d quickly become a need, a desire.
I found his tongue with mine and stroked over it.
He drew back, his eyes wide and surprised.
“You don’t like that?” I asked.
“Er…yes, I do…I just didn’t know you would do that.”
“It’s a French kiss.”
“Oh, but you’re from London.”
“Some things the French do are worth copying.” I smiled and kissed him again.
As our tongues touched, I sighed and closed my eyes.
Anki was everything I’d hoped he’d be. Sexy and sweet, strong, too. I wound my arms around his neck, tracing the hard contours of his muscles. Squeezing myself closer, I became aware of a hardness jutting against my belly.
“Uma,” he murmured. “This is so…”
“Good?”
“More than good.” He backed me up so my shoulders were beside the control panel. “You taste amazing, and you feel…” He ran his hands to my hips, then up again, so he was almost but not quite touching my breasts. “You feel like every dream I’ve ever had come true.”
My nipples were hard, and a quiver in my pussy radiated to my belly. “Touch my breasts, Anki, touch me.”
He kissed me this time, a lovely deep, sensual kiss.
I clung to him and groaned as his palms settled over my breasts. Damn the clothes between us. I wanted flesh on flesh.
His tunic was made of thin silky material, and I smoothed my hands down his back then to his waist.
He was massaging me gently, tweaking my nipples through my bra. “You’re so soft,” he whispered.
“And you’re hard.” I cupped his groin, filling my hand with his erection.
“Oh fuck,” he gasped. “Uma.” He pulled back, his mouth still open. “What are you?”
“You’re turned on,” I said, caressing him over his clothing. “So am I.”
“Laird give me strength. Oh…oh…” His mouth hung open.
“Anki.”
“I can’t…you shouldn’t do that, I…”
His words didn’t match what his body was telling me. He canted his hips forward, forcing himself into my touch.
I gripped the back of his neck, touched my nose to his, and stroked him with more firmness. He was deliciously hard. His cock inside my pussy would feel so good.
“Uma!” He held his breath, screwed up his eyes, then seemed to crumple in my arms. He buried his face in my neck and dragged me close.
I released his cock and wrapped my arms around his neck. “Anki, are you okay?”
He muttered something in his own language.
“Anki?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Why?”
“Because.” Finally he lifted his head and looked at me. “Because now I need to go and change my pants.’
I frowned. “You do?”
“I released my seed.”
�
�Oh…I…” Really? That quickly?
“I’m sorry, I understand how copulation should work, really I do, but…”
“It’s okay.” I smoothed my hand over his hair. “Seriously don’t worry about it.”
“Maybe the second time I have a woman’s touch, your touch, I will perform better.”
The second time?
“I don’t understand?” I looked into his eyes.
“Uma, surely it’s obvious.”
“No.” But it was becoming clearer by the second, especially after my conversation with Hurin earlier. “Can you tell me?”
“I’ve seen women on Earth. I had three days free time on the turnaround. Hurin stayed on board, but I wanted to see the place I’d spent six months traveling to.”
“Go on.”
“And, yes, I saw Earth women, talked to a few as well. But nothing happened. There was no connection like ours.”
“And those three days were the first time you’d seen women, ever?”
He nodded.
“And just now, that was the first time you’ve kissed a woman?”
He nodded again. “Some men on Athion have found solace in each other, but that wasn’t for me. I hoped that one day I would meet a female to love.”
I stroked his hair again. Anki had so much love to give, and he deserved to have it returned.
“So just then…” He nodded downward. “When you touched me. I’m sorry. It felt too good. I’ve only ever known my own hand until now.”
“Anki.” Shit. He was a virgin. Of course he was a virgin—why hadn’t I thought of that? I guessed it was because he was out-going, confident, so like a human man that I presumed he’d…
Presuming had made me thoughtless.
“I’m sorry,” he said again. “I understand if you wish to forget this ever happened. I will be professional for the entire trip. I promise. And I will only—”
“Anki, stop, please.” I rested my index finger on his lips. “There’s nothing to apologize for, and if I have to journey light-years through space with you and never get one more kiss, I will not be a happy woman.”
He raised his eyebrows. “You won’t be?”
“No.” I cupped his jaw in both of my hands. “I’m very attracted to you. You’re handsome, funny, and it’s obvious we have a connection. As long as you understand I’m with Mateo as well…”
“I understand that.”
“Then there’s no reason we can’t try that second time.”
“Really?”
“Yes.” I brushed my lips over his. “And we’ll take it real slow, okay?”
“I’d like that.” He grinned suddenly. “But not too slow.”
Chapter Eight
I took my small jar of honey to the canteen, and when Anki joined me, along with Gavyn and Mateo, I offered it around.
Gavyn declined, but Mateo and Anki smeared some on bread.
“Haven’t had this for a while,” Mateo said with a grin. “Reminds me of my grandmother’s house. She kept bees.”
“She did?” Anki said. “That’s a dream of mine.”
“There’s an education disk about it in the cinema,” Gavyn said. “We had bees on our last cargo.”
“Yes, Uma was telling me about that.” He held the bread up and studied the pale splodge on its surface. “They really make this from flowers?”
“It’s like magic, don’t you think?” I smiled. “Go on, try it.”
He bit into it, closed his eyes, and slowly chewed.
“Well?” Mateo asked, munching on his. “What do you think?”
“It’s not as sweet as I thought, and I’m sure I can taste flowers.”
“You probably can,” Mateo said. “And the taste changes depending on what pollen the bees have been gathering.”
“Incredible.”
“Hopefully crops on Athion will do much better as the bee population grows,” Gavyn said and stabbed at a chunk of meat in his rehydrated meal.
“We’re hoping the population will grow full stop.” Hurin sat with a plate piled high with protein cubes and pasta. Again it was doused in dubbin sauce.
“It does seem as if you’re on borrowed time.” Gavyn shook his head. “Last generation and all that.”
“The emperor has just announced more births,” Hurin said. “Between Athions and human women.”
“That’s good news.” Mateo nodded.
“Yes,” Gavyn said. “It would be tragic to have a planet with decent men on it go extinct when others like Tradrych survive.”
“Survive by unscrupulous means.” Mateo tutted.
“Evil means.” Gavyn tightened his hold on his knife.
I rested my hand on his forearm. “I agree.”
He glanced sideways at me, pulled in a breath, and nodded.
“Perhaps Earth’s authorities will be able to retrieve the women taken there,” Anki said. “Bring them home, or safely to Athion where Trads haven’t managed to land.”
“Yet,” I said.
“Let’s hope that never happens.” Mateo’s eyebrows drew low.
“How will the International Government get Earth women back?” Gavyn frowned.
“With our help?” Anki looked at Hurin. “What do you think?”
“I think Emperor Elrin is a very wise man, and he is also grateful to Earth for allowing human women to come to Athion to procreate with us. And for livestock to improve our planets diversity. If there is something he can do to help the taken Earth women, he will.”
“Let’s hope he pulls his finger out and does just that,” Gavyn said.
Anki frowned. “Pulls his finger out?”
“Yes, gets on with it. Starts the process.” Gavyn picked up his drink, forcing me to move my hand. He finished it in a couple of deep gulps. “Because for some women, time may be running out.” He stood and picked up his tray. “I have things to attend to on the bridge.”
“Okay,” I said. “Catch you later.”
He nodded then walked away.
Mateo caught my attention.
I tipped my head. “What?” I asked quietly.
“Is he okay?”
“As well as can be expected.”
“What does that mean?”
“You’ll have to ask him yourself.”
“Ahh.” He nodded. “You’ve had a tiff?”
“What? No.” I tore myself a chunk of bread. “Nothing like that. In fact, Gavyn and I are becoming much closer than we did on our previous mission together.”
Mateo rolled his lips in on themselves. “I guess that was to be expected.”
“We have known each other for quite a while.” I bit into my bread. When I’d chewed and swallowed, I spoke again. “So it’s only natural to get closer.”
Mateo glanced at the two Athions who were busy eating. “Despite what you might think, Uma, for the record, I’m pretty sure you’ll be good for him.”
“How do you mean?”
“Don’t get me wrong, I love him like a brother, he’s been a brilliant mentor to me. But the guy needs to lighten up, and some time with you, fun time, smiles, is just what he needs.”
“Gavyn and fun don’t seem to go in the same sentence, let’s be honest.”
“I’m sure he could be persuaded.”
“Hey, Uma,” Anki said. “Want to come and watch wildlife documentaries in the cinema after this?”
“Actually I might. I’m tired, and the thought of those big soft seats is appealing.”
“Not surprising you’re tired after all that swimming,” Hurin said, placing down his fork and leaning back. His plate was empty.
“You went swimming without me,” Mateo said.
I laughed. “That is allowed.”
“You know I love to see you in your sexy bikini. You look hot.” He made an hourglass shape with his hands and glanced at Anki and Hurin to see if they’d reacted to the comment.
Both were staring straight at him.
I mock slapped his arm. “Behave, Mateo
.”
His expression fell serious. “Seriously, I worry about you swimming alone, we’re not supposed to. That pool is deep.”
“I was there,” Hurin said. “Watching.”
“You were?” Mateo frowned.
“Yes. So she wasn’t alone.” Hurin shrugged.
“Oh, I guess that’s good then.” Mateo took my hand in his. “Next time, turn on the camera so I can watch you from the bridge, or better still, I’ll come with you.”
“For goodness sake, I was practically a professional swimmer at one time in my life. I can hammer out a few lengths on my own.”
“You’re too precious for us to risk, hun,” Mateo said.
“I agree.” Anki stood and rested his hand on my shoulder, only briefly, then walked to the trash station with his tray.
Mateo watched him as though surprised by his agreement that I was precious.
“You should know, copilot Ty,” Hurin said, his attention flicking between the two men, “that Athion males prize Earth women more than anything else in this universe. So why is it surprising we both consider the female zoologist on Equinox very precious indeed?”
“No, that in itself isn’t surprising,” Mateo said. “It’s just that you hardly know her.”
“I know enough.” Hurin switched his attention to me.
Again I felt the heavy, loaded weight of his scrutiny.
Anki turned. “I’ll be in the cinema, Uma, gorging on the new education wildlife docs the observatory kindly loaded onto the system.”
“I’ll be there in a minute,” I said, smiling at him.
Anki left the canteen, and Hurin followed with his tablet beneath his arm.
“Do you think Hurin is going to the cinema, too?” Mateo asked.
“No, he’ll be going to check on the sleepers, that’s his usual routine after dinner. Likely he’ll be there for some time.”
“How do you know?” He raised his eyebrows. “Are you stalking him?”
I laughed. “No, it’s just impossible not to notice everyone’s ways when we all live so closely.”
“Mmm, you’re right.” He reached for me and dragged me onto his lap. “Although at this moment, I’d like to be closer to you.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck and glanced at the door to make sure we were alone. “Anki knows there’s something between us.”
“I’m not ashamed of it.” He kissed me. “Are you?”