“Leave the cabin?”
“You will have to if you want food—for Adam and for yourself,” she explained as patiently as possible.
“Miss Rissta is a great cook,” Tavi told her. “She’s teaching Mama.”
“You’re working as a cook?” Suzanna looked appalled.
“There aren’t exactly a lot of jobs for college professors out here,” she snapped, then shook her head. “I’m sorry. It’s just rather a sensitive subject.”
“Umm, okay. I guess it’s better than—” Fortunately, Suzanna didn’t continue. Instead, she reached down and picked up Adam, whose snuffles had turned into grunts. “We should probably go before he gets really upset. He can be very loud.”
Chapter Fifteen
Joanna did her best to gather her patience as they headed for the galley. She suspected the girl had been through hell, but some of her remarks had still grated on her. And then they walked into the galley and Craxan’s eyes went straight to Suzanna.
“We came to see if Rissta had any suggestions on what to feed the baby,” she said as pleasantly as possible, even though her nails were digging into her palms.
Suzanna was giving Craxan a worshipful smile, but then she noticed Jed and took a quick step back. “Oh, hell no. I’m not going to be in the same room with him.”
“He was here first,” Craxan said firmly, finally taking his eyes off of Suzanna and coming to Joanna’s side, his tail wrapping around her waist.
Still annoyed, she tried to step away from him, but he only tugged her back.
“I will leave,” Jed said quickly, but Joanna could see the hurt on his face. “I do not want Suzanna to be uncomfortable.”
Craxan frowned at him, but he didn’t make any further protest as the other male slipped away.
Rissta had been watching them all through her sharp little eyes, and now she cackled.
“I expect I have something that will work for the child. Don’t the rest of you have something to do?”
“You don’t need me this morning?” Joanna asked.
“Come back later.”
“I want to see if Yengik has my robobeast ready,” Tavi said eagerly.
Joanna looked over at Suzanna, but the girl only shrugged so she decided she wasn’t needed. As she turned for the door, she almost ran into Craxan, who was back to staring at Suzanna as he edged towards the door.
What the hell was wrong with him?
She marched out of the room, and he followed her out. Tavi was already skipping ahead to find Yengik, but he put his hand on her arm to keep her at his side. She shrugged it off.
“Are you angry with me?” he asked.
“Angry? Why should I be angry? Just because you can’t keep your eyes off another woman.”
He looked so shocked she actually felt a little better.
“You are the only female for me, my mate.”
“Then why were you staring at Suzanna?”
“You gave her the clothing I made for you.”
She sighed. “I know. I wasn’t thrilled about it either, but she needed something to wear. I know you put a lot of work into the clothes.”
“It is not just that.” His face twisted with distaste. “But her scent mingles with mine and it… distresses me.”
She remembered his urgency to wash away the girl’s scent earlier, and his behavior made more sense. “I’m sorry. I should have thought of that.” She patted his tail. “I would suggest another shower, but I suspect I need to rescue Yengik from our daughter.”
“And I need to find Jed. He will not be happy.”
“He likes Suzanna, doesn’t he?”
“I am afraid so. And I do not think that I can give him hope that his affections will be returned.”
“I think you’re right, especially after what she’s been through. But we have a saying, time heals all wounds.”
Sadness washed over his face. “I do not think I agree with that. Some wounds never heal.”
“But maybe, with time, they ache less.” She patted his tail. “Now go find your friend and I’ll catch up with Tavi.”
She found their daughter sitting on the floor of the small utility room where Yengik spent much of his time. The shelves were cluttered with odds and ends, but his work bench was meticulously neat and he seemed more at ease in this room than anywhere else on the ship. He gave her a shy smile as Tavi jumped up to show off her present.
The robobeast was a child’s toy, somewhat like a toy she remembered from her own childhood, that could be rearranged into multiple forms. Each of the forms resembled a type of animal, and had a different pattern of movement. Tavi was delighted and immediately started to investigate all of the options.
“That’s really amazing,” Joanna told Yengik.
His skin turned a rather sickly shade of yellow and it took her a moment to realize he was blushing.
“I like working with my hands,” he mumbled.
“Is there a lot of that here on the ship?”
He ducked his head. “Not as much as I’d hoped. The mechanics do some, but even then it’s mainly routine maintenance.”
“Then why are you here?”
“It was a way off of my planet,” he admitted. “I know the Red Death hit us hard, but it’s like everything there was going backwards. Many of my people are afraid of technology now, even though it wasn’t a factor. So when the chance came to leave, I took it. I like traveling around, but…”
“Now that you know you don’t like this type of work, why don’t you do something else?”
He gave her a gloomy look. “Can’t. I signed a seven-year contract in exchange for my passage.”
“Seven years?” She stared at him in horror. “Does he even pay you?”
“A little. The captain said I didn’t need many funds while I was working for him, so he is banking my credits. For when my contract is up.”
That bastard. She looked over at Tavi, still playing happily. “Can you watch her for a minute? I’ll be right back.”
“Of course.”
As soon as she left, she went looking for the captain. She found him in his office, a surprisingly plain space with everything neatly organized.
“What a pleasant surprise,” he drawled. “Does your mate know you’re here?”
“No.” She suppressed a sudden pang of guilt. She should have told Craxan first, but she had been too angry. She suspected he wasn’t going to be happy.
“And yet, somehow I don’t believe that you are here to tell me that you have abandoned him for my charming self.”
“Of course not. I’m here to talk to you about Yengik.”
“He seems an even more unlikely choice for your affections.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m here because you’re treating him abominably. You have no right to take advantage of him like this!”
“He hasn’t complained,” he drawled.
“That’s not the point and you know it.” She glared at him. “I’m going to do everything I can to convince him not to put up with it any longer.”
His lips twisted. “Good.”
“What do you mean good?”
“I knew he wasn’t cut out for ship life the day after he came on board. Most of them aren’t.”
“Most?” He wasn’t making any sense.
“Most of my laborers.” He picked up an old-fashioned pen and flipped it back and forth in his hands. “But they sign up anyway, and I take them away from whatever devastation they are trying to escape. Eventually they realize they have other choices and they leave. Yengik has lasted longer than most, despite my efforts to… encourage him to leave.”
“Because he thinks he has an obligation to you!” she protested, but she had lost some of her vehemence.
“He has somewhat more of a conscience than usual,” Merios agreed. “Even my poor behavior has not yet driven him away.”
“And you’ve done this before? Hired a laborer and then run them off?”
He nodded, still
casually flipping his pen.
“But why?”
“My planet, Kissa, was hit hard by the Red Death.” For a second, he looked up at her, and the depth of pain in his eyes made her heart ache. “Do you know what it’s like when most of your world has died? I was lucky. My grandfather was a merchant and we owned this ship, so I had a way to escape. Now when I can, I offer the same thing.” His seriousness disappeared, replaced by his usual mocking expression. “And of course, I get some free labor out of it.”
Or does he, she wondered, remembering Yengik’s belief that his wages were being held for him.
“First you’re saving slaves, and now you’re rescuing lost boys?” she asked, still somewhat skeptical.
He smirked at her. “Don’t tell anyone. It would ruin my reputation.”
“I won’t, but maybe you could just try talking to Yengik.”
“Perhaps.”
She sighed and went back to get her daughter, then returned to the kitchen. Suzanna was feeding Adam from an odd-shaped bottle, but he was sucking enthusiastically.
“I knew you’d have the answer,” Joanna told Rissta, bending down to kiss her cheek. The old female actually looked shocked before she harrumphed and turned back to her pots.
The rest of the day could not have been said to be peaceful. Suzanna alternated between angry and tearful, and even though Joanna knew that they were natural reactions, she had a hard time remaining patient.
Jed came to the kitchen twice, once to offer Suzanna some cloths that could be used as diapers, and once to offer her a robe. Both times she flinched and demanded he leave, but she begrudgingly took his presents and Jed seemed satisfied with that.
As they finished up dinner preparations, Rissta shot her one of her sharp looks, then handed her a hamper filled with sealed containers.
“What’s this?”
“The end of shift meal. Take it, then go find your mate, and the three of you eat together. Alone.”
The idea sounded absolutely wonderful, but she hesitated, looking over at Suzanna.
“She’s safe enough with me.” Rissta sniffed, then gave her a push towards the door. “Now go.”
Joanna took Tavi’s hand and obeyed.
They found Craxan in the exercise room. He had been avoiding the kitchen, clearly uncomfortable with Suzanna’s presence, and on the whole she was glad he had stayed away. But she had missed him, and watching him move through a series of controlled positions, his big body covered only by the briefest of shorts, sent a surge of excitement through her veins.
Tavi was also enthralled, although for a completely different reason. “I want to do that, Papa. Show me how.”
“I will, princess, but not tonight.” His gaze was hot on Joanna’s face.
She held up the bag. “We have dinner. I thought maybe we could eat in our new cabin.”
“That sounds like an excellent idea,” he agreed, and she watched regretfully as he toweled off and pulled on the rest of his clothing.
But then he came over and kissed her while Tavi giggled, before lifting their daughter onto his shoulder.
“Let’s go home,” he said, and the stress of the day seemed to vanish.
The new cabin was still far from luxurious, but the main room was definitely bigger. A much larger bench could be converted into a bed for them, and, even more importantly, it had a small separate bedroom for Tavi.
“Yay, my own room!” Tavi cried. She didn’t seem bothered by the fact that it was barely larger than the bunk bed, even though her room on Alliko had been so much grander.
“Your very own,” Craxan said gravely, then bent down to whisper in Joanna’s ear. “Which means we can do whatever we want once she’s asleep.”
“Good. Because there are a couple of variations on third base that I had to skip over since you wouldn’t remove your pants.” She brushed her hand casually against his erection as she moved away to join Tavi in admiring her room.
They ate dinner together in the main room, then Tavi played happily with her robobeast until she began to yawn. After she washed her face and brushed her teeth, Craxan carried her to bed, then stayed with them as Joanna told her stories.
She was supremely conscious of his big warm body next to hers as she talked—and of his tail stroking her hip. By the time Tavi fell asleep, her skin felt electric with excitement.
Craxan followed her back into the main cabin and flipped down the bench. He reached for her top, but she danced back out of reach.
“You first.”
He obeyed willingly, his clothes flying as he stripped. His massive cock stood straight up, and she trailed her fingers lightly over the nubbed surface, her nipples beading against her shirt.
“Sit down,” she whispered, and once again he obeyed.
It wasn’t until she knelt in front of him that he seemed to realize what she had in mind. His eyes blazed, but he put his hand on her shoulder.
“Wait.”
“Why? Do you still think it’s forbidden?”
He shuddered, and she watched in fascination as a drop pearled on the tip of his cock. When she leaned forward to lick it off, he made no attempt to prevent her.
Mmm, he tasted as good as he smelled. She went back for more, swirling her tongue around the broad tip. His hands clenched so tightly on the edge of the bench that she heard the metal creak, and smiled. She continued to play, licking his tip like a lollipop, then lapping up and down his thick shaft.
“Remove your clothing,” he ordered, his voice hoarse. “Please.”
“Since you asked so nicely.”
She sat back on her heels, then started lifting her top, gradually revealing each inch of skin. He gripped his cock, staring at her hungrily as she finally revealed her breasts, her nipples so hard they ached. She slipped out of her pants much quicker, eager to get back to him. He was so big that she wasn’t sure she could get her mouth around him, but she was determined to try.
He groaned as she worked him into her mouth, and she hummed in response. Her jaw ached, but she managed to take him deeper, and deeper still until he touched the back of her throat, and then she sucked. He cried out, his fist clenching in her hair, and she pulled back.
“Do you need to put my hand over your mouth?” she teased.
“I will be quiet,” he promised.
And he was, even though his body shook, and metal creaked, and she could feel his cock growing stiffer in her mouth as she worked him. Her own excitement flared to match his, and she found herself rubbing her breasts against him as his tail delved between her legs.
“You can’t knot in my mouth,” she gasped, and he gave a strangled assent.
His hand fisted the base of his cock, and she took him deeper, trying to reach that tight grasp. Just as her lips touched his hand, he gave a muffled groan and flooded her mouth with hot, delicious liquid. She gulped greedily, trying to swallow everything as he shuddered against her and his knot expanded to fill his hand.
“I can’t believe that fits inside me,” she murmured as she reluctantly withdrew. Her own body still hovered on the edge and she couldn’t wait for him to subside so he could enter her.
“We are a perfect fit,” he assured her, his voice hoarse, and swung her up next to him on the bed.
“Don’t we have to wait a little while?”
“Yes, but I have plans on how to fill that time.”
And then his mouth was between her legs and time didn’t matter.
Chapter Sixteen
Craxan slipped out of their cabin before Joanna woke. He hated to leave her, but he was worried about Jed. The other male’s mood had veered wildly from hope to despair the previous day. To his relief, he found his friend in the exercise room, his face serene.
“Your calm seems enhanced this morning.”
“It is. I spent most of the night wrestling with my demons, but I eventually decided I would have to take it one day at a time. Yesterday, she accepted two gifts from me.”
With a great deal o
f reluctance, Craxan thought, but he didn’t voice his opinion.
“Today I will find more ways to make her life easier.”
“It would help if you could sew,” he said dryly. He still hated the idea that the female was wearing his mate’s clothes and mingling her scent with his.
“Of course I can sew,” Jed said, frowning at him. “Why?”
“Because she will need clothing. For herself and the child.”
“I gave her a robe yesterday.”
“Unlike us, females seem to prefer a variety of outfits.”
Jed grinned, his fangs flashing. “Excellent. I’ll go at once to find out what she would like.”
“If she is anything like my mate, she would like some additional sleep. Children are demanding, especially when they are young.”
“I would help her with the child as well, but I don’t think she’d let me.”
Craxan was quite sure he was correct, but he simply changed the subject. “Then we will train and allow our females to sleep.”
Jed nodded and they began. Craxan was gratified to see that Jed had already learned to apply some of the moves he had taught him. Perhaps a job as an instructor would not be so bad after all.
When he returned to their cabin, both of his females were awake. Joanna looked sleepy and satisfied, but Tavi pouted at him.
“You left me.”
“I thought you were asleep.”
“Well, I wasn’t. Maybe I should sleep in here so you won’t leave me,” she suggested, giving him a hopeful look.
He darted a glance at his mate, but her shoulders were shaking with silent laughter.
“I thought you liked having your own room.”
“I guess.”
“Then I promise I will check every morning before I leave to see if you are awake.”
“You will?”
“Yes.”
She grinned and threw herself at him.
The rest of the day passed in much the same way as the previous one. He spent less time with his mate than he would have liked, because Suzanna had joined them in the kitchen again, still wearing the clothes he had given Joanna, and he hated that his scent underlaid hers. He also did not like the way she smiled at him, wishing she would smile at Jed instead. At least she had begrudgingly picked some fabric from the selection Jed had presented to her.
The Nanny and the Alien Warrior Page 13