No Remedy

by Christine d'Abo

  “You’re not in any position—”

  “I am still the captain of this ship!” He dropped his congenial face and sat up as high as he could in the bed, suddenly exuding the powerful menace of a lethal predator . . . like his ancient Firstworld namesake, an animal most dangerous when wounded or defending its family. The glare Faolan leveled at Alec made him shiver. “Until I can’t draw another breath, I can boss around each and every body on this bucket. That includes you. Doc will be here in a few minutes. She can check the test results. You are to leave and not come back until you’ve eaten, slept, and fucked. I don’t care in what order. Do I make myself clear?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Dismissed.”

  Alec left the med bay, ignoring the sounds of the computer signaling the end of the test scan, and Faolan’s chuckle.

  While he’d been on the ship for a week, he still didn’t know more than the most basic routes. He’d started down the corridor before he realized he wasn’t quite sure which way to turn for the mess hall. And even though the appealing idea of food was now in his head, the thought of falling into his bed was even more so, and he took the path he knew the best: the one leading to the quarters he was sharing with Mace and Byron. Alec wasn’t even sure what the ship-standard time was, or where the two of them would be. He really couldn’t face them, not like this. If the universe were being kind, one or both of them would be on duty somewhere.

  The moment the door to their quarters slid open, Alec knew the universe was still angry with him. Byron was just emerging from the bathroom, shirtless, water still clinging to his face and head from what looked like a recent shave. Mace was stripped down to a black tank top and a pair of skin-hugging shorts. Alec stopped barely a meter inside the door and simply stared at them as it whooshed closed behind him.

  Byron clucked his tongue and raked his gaze down Alec’s body. “You look like shit.”

  “Byron.” Mace shot Byron a deadpan glance. “We talked about this. That is not an endearment. But he’s not wrong,” she admitted, turning back to Alec with an apologetic shrug. “You do look like shit.”

  “Faolan kicked me out. Said he wouldn’t accept any treatment from me if I wasn’t rested.” Alec sighed. “The bastard made it an order.”

  Mace made the same clucking noise Byron had. “Did he pull the, ‘I’m still Captain so you better listen to me’ bit?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I forgot to tell you to ignore him. Now he’ll be insufferable about someone actually following his commands.” She cocked her head. “Though in this case I’m glad you did. Maybe I should give him more credit for having good leadership skills.”

  Alec turned to leave, but before he got half a step toward the door, both Mace and Byron pulled him back. He would never have admitted it out loud, but it felt so good to have their hands on his body. Their touches felt like caring, something he wasn’t used to.

  He wanted more.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” Byron’s breath was hot against his ear. “I don’t think wandering the corridors is considered a restful activity.”

  “Like I’ll get any peace with the two of you here. Don’t you have places to be?”

  “Doc won’t let me near med bay for at least eight hours.” Mace leaned close to Alec’s arm, her lips only a few inches away from his skin.

  “Gar said as much to me. Apparently he’d been running the bridge just fine before my arrival.” Byron rolled his eyes similar to Gar and Mace. Apparently it was contagious. “I told him the only way I’d go was if he promised to rest later while I covered for him.”

  Alec nodded and did his best to ignore the tight way his pants pulled across his hardening cock. “So, we’ve all been sent to our rooms.”

  “Seems that way.” Byron reached up to turn Alec’s face so he had no choice but to look at him. “All to the same room. Whatever shall we do?”

  Alec shuddered, warring emotions clashing inside him. “We should sleep.”

  Faolan’s orders had included fucking, but Alec wasn’t sure he deserved the solace being with Byron and Mace would offer him. Gods, did he want it, though.

  “I don’t think so. I haven’t seen either of you for more than a few minutes in the past week. I can’t even remember the last time all three of us were alone.” Byron released him and strode over to the chair propped in the corner of the room. Sitting down in one smooth move, he laced his fingers behind his head and nodded in the direction of the bed with a smirk. “I’m in the mood for a show. Now both of you strip.”

  Mace was wetter than she’d ever been in her life. Byron’s words would have been enough to send her over the edge if she’d been a little further gone. Alec wasn’t unaffected either, if his soft gasp and clenched fists were anything to go by.

  She knew Byron was doing this more for Alec’s benefit than his own. It was something she’d learned over the past few days of watching him. Between seeing him interact with the rest of the crew, and learning a few more things about him from Gar, she felt like she was finally getting a handle on the bounty hunter.

  When she looked over at Byron, her heartbeat quickened. There was something about the way he held his body, the raw power he controlled that made her itch with want. Byron was a blaster charge, building energy waiting to explode.

  Mace knew Alec would try to resist what Byron was doing. She’d seen enough of his self-loathing to know he would continue to berate himself until he found a remedy for Faolan—or Faolan was dead.

  Fuck, no, she couldn’t think that way.

  Stepping away from Alec, she moved to the spot Byron had indicated and stood still. She kept her gaze fixed on Byron and did her best to hold still until either Alec relented or Byron issued another command.

  “Mace?” Alec’s voice was softer than she ever remembered hearing it.

  “He wants a show.” She reached up and hooked her thumb under the strap of her tank top. “I’m game.”

  The air in the room seemed to heat in an instant. She waited until Alec stood beside her—close but not touching.

  Air tickled the side of her neck as he took a deep breath and let it out with a stutter. “Gods forbid if Byron doesn’t get what he wants.”

  The man in question smirked. “Good boy. You’re always amazing when you do what I tell you.”

  Mace fought the urge to explode forward, jump onto Byron, and take what she wanted. But that wasn’t the game . . . and she liked the game. It almost killed her to hold herself back, but she knew it would be worth it. He’d shown her that back on the Geilt and at the safe house. She wanted more, wanted to go as far as Byron was willing to take her. Take the three of them.

  “Alec, I think you’re wearing too much. Mace, I want you to take his shirt off. And his boots. Leave the pants for now.”

  Turning to face Alec, she bit back a curse when her hands shook as she reached for the hem of his shirt. “I’ll need you to help,” she murmured.

  The heated look in his gaze told her he was more than happy to oblige. Unwilling to give him the upper hand, she made sure to drag her nails along his sides as she moved the cloth up his body. The neck caught momentarily on his head before she tugged and pulled it free. She wasn’t tall enough to yank it all the way off Alec’s arms, so she had to wait for him to toss it aside.

  She paused, making sure Alec was watching her before she dropped slowly to her knees in front of him. His breathing grew more ragged the closer she got to his cock, and he swallowed hard when she passed by without so much as an accidental brush. Finally, she turned her gaze down and concentrated on the task of removing his boots and socks. His feet were warm and appeared sore from the hours he’d been standing on them. Without thinking, she bent her head down and placed a kiss on the top of each one, not minding the ripe, pungent mix of leather and sweat on his skin.

  “Now that’s fucking hot.”

  Byron hadn’t moved, but she could tell by the strain in his voice he wanted to.

  “M
ace, I bet you didn’t know Alec has very sensitive skin. The spots above his hips, on his sides. Kiss him there.”

  She shuffled near, careful not to accidentally touch Alec’s erection through his pants. The faint scent of sweat and arousal strengthened as she pressed her face to his side and opened her mouth to kiss where Byron directed. A thrill passed through her when Alec moaned and swayed to increase the contact.

  “Don’t you dare move, Alec,” Byron bit out. “You’ve been hiding away from us for days now. It’s our turn for some attention. If I want to torture you for the next eight hours, then I will happily do that for you.”

  “You’ll like it,” Mace added, keeping her lips in contact with Alec’s skin. “You know you will. Want more?”

  He closed his eyes and balled his fists at his sides. “Yes.”

  Mace moved and mirrored the kiss on his opposite flank.

  “Does he taste good, Mace?” There was a tremor in Byron’s voice. “Gods, I can smell the two of you from here.”

  She was so damp now, she could imagine how wet her fingers would be if she were to reach between her legs and run her fingers across her lips. “His skin is salty. But sweet too.”

  The sound of Byron shifting in his chair rang loud in her ears. “I know. I remember. Kiss his stomach now, but don’t touch his cock.”

  It was a bit tricky to reach, given her shorter height and the very large bulge forcing Alec’s pants away from his body, but she managed. The dusting of hair covering his skin tickled her nose and chin as she placed wide, openmouthed kisses along the ridges of his muscles. He lifted his hands up for a second before letting them fall back down to his sides with a frustrated growl.

  “I know you want to touch her,” Byron said, clearly amused. “I think I might allow it. Mace, stand up.”

  Her legs shook far more than she expected as she slowly got to her feet. It made her body tremble and sway, bringing her dangerously close to Alec, so she was nearly pressing against him without Byron’s permission.

  And when had his permission to do anything to Alec become so important to her?

  “Your turn, Mace. Alec, take her shirt off, nice and slow.”

  She didn’t miss Alec’s wicked smirk, and anticipated what was coming even as he started to move. She sucked in a sharp breath as his nails lightly grazed her sides in a slow upward line. He pulled the tight-fitting top from her body; all she could do was lift her arms in compliance and wait for him to tug it free from her arms.

  Her nipples stood out hard, tightened from her excitement and the slight chill in the room. She couldn’t keep herself from pulling in several deep gulps of air in an attempt to slow her pounding heart. Alec reached up and cupped her cheek, frowning slightly.

  “You okay?”

  Nodding, she forced herself to relax. “Just been a while.”

  Byron gave a disapproving growl. “Too busy looking after everyone else.”

  The quick glance and snort Alec shot him told her Alec was aware of all Byron had been doing to help out. None of them had focused on anything other than helping Faolan and Gar since coming on board, especially not sex. That really needed to change.

  Biting down on her lip, she turned to look at Byron. “Please.”

  The bounty hunter was on his feet and next to them in seconds. Wrapping an arm around each of them, he led them over to the large bed and gently shoved them both down before joining them.

  “I want to fuck you both.” He caught her mouth in a bruising kiss, then gasped as he pulled away to do the same with Alec. “I want to watch you fuck each other. I want to mark you both so no one comes anywhere near either of you. You’re mine.”

  Alec rolled to his side and pressed his cock hard against her hip. The shift of their weight on the bed pulled her underwear tight over her clit; the pressure dragged a low moan from her.

  “You could come right now, couldn’t you, Mace?” Byron pushed Alec away from her and bent over her body to lick a swipe from the top of her breast to her shoulder. “You’re so tense, and you’ve been working so hard. I bet you haven’t even taken the time to play with yourself. Have you?”

  “No.” She bucked her hips up. “Byron . . .”

  “Soon, little one. But first we need to take care of Alec. He’s been punishing himself again, and I don’t like that.”

  She recognized the glazed look in Alec’s eyes. Even without the Brasillian syndrome at work, something about play with Byron quickly put him beyond rational thought. It was the same look he’d gotten back at the safe house. This time she didn’t want him to find his release on his own. She knew Byron could give him what he needed, but she wanted to be a part of it as well. Alec needed to know that she forgave him for his unintentional part in making Faolan sick.

  Rolling to face Alec, she let her gaze slip down his half-naked body. “Bry, tell me what to do.”

  His kiss to her temple made warmth explode in her chest. “Good girl. See, she wants to take care of you too, Alec. You don’t need to worry about a thing.”

  Mace relaxed her body and let Byron shift her around so her face was near Alec’s clothed erection and her cunt was by his face. Byron stayed positioned behind her, a large hand resting on her hip. Reaching across her body, Byron undid Alec’s pants and pulled his engorged cock free.

  “Suck him in, Mace. Show him how well you can use that tongue of yours.”

  She didn’t wait for a response from Alec. Instead she leaned in to suck the head of his cock. His hips jerked forward, forcing his shaft farther into her mouth. Her head spun from the sheer pleasure of the heat and weight of him along her tongue.

  When Byron wove his fingers through her hair, she pushed her head into the touch as she pulled back on Alec. Alec shivered beside her, a puff of his breath blowing across her swollen clit.

  Her world dissolved into pure sensation—heat from Alec’s groin warmed her face, and the scent of his arousal filled her lungs. Byron’s steady presence at her back gave her an added burst of reassurance that whatever she was doing was right, was sexy, was good for all of them. Under Byron’s firm direction she felt confident, competent, more daring than ever. Reaching down, she threaded her fingers through Alec’s hair and tugged him forward.

  Byron leaned over her, and pressed his lips to Alec’s ear. “I think she wants you to lick her. You want to taste her the way she’s tasting you? Gods, I can see how wet she is from here. Do it, Alec.”

  The first touch of his tongue to her clit had Mace moaning, her hips bucking forward, chasing the feeling. Four hands simultaneously held her still and opened her up. Byron lifted her leg so it rested on his shoulder, making room for Alec to move closer to her core.

  “Yes, that’s it.” Byron’s voice shook as he rubbed a pattern on her thigh. “You two have no idea how beautiful you look together.”

  She let her eyes close and resumed her sucking. Alec’s cock pulsed in her mouth, and the tangy taste of pre-cum filled her mouth. Alec’s steady laps against her clit lulled her into a mindless space where her brain refused to think.

  Byron rubbed his erect cock against the back of her thigh. She wanted to thrust back against him but couldn’t. Moaning again, she bucked as best she could.

  “I think she wants something else, Alec. Use your fingers and open her up.”

  There was no teasing this time. Two thick fingers came into her cunt in perfect unison with his tongue. It was too much. Pulling off Alec’s shaft, she cried out and pressed her face to the mattress.

  “That’s it, girl, just give in to it.”

  Opening her eyes, she watched Alec’s head bob and his hand increase its frantic pace. Byron had a hand in Alec’s hair, gently guiding his motions. She waited, staring at Alec, doing her best to hold off her impending orgasm.

  Finally Byron looked her way. His pupils were blown wide and his lips were wet from where he’d licked them. She could only imagine how he saw her—naked, panting, and moaning with a man between her legs.

  “Mace
,” he whispered.

  She groaned in response. Alec was thrusting three fingers into her pussy now, and she could feel her juices covering the insides of her thighs. It was too much, all of it. Her body hummed and her mind grabbed hold of the only two things in the universe that mattered to her in that moment.

  “Mace.” Byron’s voice dragged her back to him. “Let go.”

  As if her body were no longer hers to command, the orgasm she’d been resisting snapped out from her cunt and spread like a fire through the rest of her body until it erupted from her chest in a scream. The only thing keeping her from smothering Alec’s face with her legs was Byron, holding her open for the universe to see.

  Alec’s moan vibrated against her pussy, prolonging the waves of pleasure. It seemed an eternity before Byron finally ordered, “Alec, stop.”

  With a care she wouldn’t have associated with the bounty hunter, Byron lowered her leg and helped her move onto her back. Her lungs burned from lack of oxygen and the deep breaths she sucked in did little to help. It was only when Byron leaned over her and pressed gentle kisses to her forehead, nose, and lips that she finally relaxed.

  “So beautiful.” His words were spoken with awe. “Alec, she’s . . .” Byron shook his head.

  “Bry?” Alec’s voice shook.

  The look on Byron’s face wasn’t right. Reaching up, Mace cupped his cheek and ran her thumb across his bottom lip. “What’s wrong?”

  He stared for a moment before chuckling and shaking his head. “Nothing. Not now. What we need to do is take care of our boy.”

  Alec moaned and flopped onto his back, a reverse mirror of Mace’s position. “Gods, please.”

  She couldn’t stop the wicked grin she knew was on her face. “I think he’s horny.”

  Byron cocked an eyebrow. “Can’t imagine why.”

  “Should we help him with that?”

  “Perhaps. If you feel he’s earned it.”

  Alec bucked his hips up. “I am right here.”

  His cock bobbed tantalizingly close to her mouth. Turning to look at Byron again, she licked her lips. “What do you want us to do?”