by Allie Ritch
“Would you give us a moment, please?”
The other woman looked back and forth between them for a second before walking off in search of her husband.
Worried that she’d fidget like a ninny, Benni tucked her hands under her arms and faced him. She opened her mouth to tear into him, but he cut her off again.
“Before you say anything, you should hear me out. I’ve gotten zero sleep, and I’ve been working overtime ever since you left yesterday morning. You’ll want to listen to what I’ve accomplished.”
No doubt he’d finished the takedown of Palli’s legacy and Benni’s dream job. Should she be grateful he was telling her to her face?
“Your job is safe,” he said, as if he’d read her mind. “Palli isn’t going to lose the park.”
Something stuttered inside Benni—probably her heart—and she gaped at him in disbelief. “What?”
“Gor and Tabbler beat Glomo to the deal. Willyem bought out Binner and Son, and he’s even made a side arrangement with Palli to help her with her loan payments in exchange for certain privileges. In his own words, he’s a ‘sentimental old fool,’ so he mostly asked for free admission for him and his immediate family for life. Oh, and he wants you to put on a special trick riding show for his son’s birthday party.”
Unable to believe it, she could only stand and stare at him.
“There’s more,” he said, as if that wasn’t enough. “You’re probably going to get a lot busier at the park in the near future. In his plot to take over, Mr. Vip sold off Glomo’s stock in the Leynet travel agency at bargain prices to raise funds quickly. Guess who bought up those clearance-rate stocks. Now that Gor and Tabbler has significant holdings in the agency, Willyem is going to use his influence to make sure Leynet Tours offers package deals for park and fairground admittance to all their clients. Tourists will be pouring in from across the galaxy come peak season.”
“How?” She had to find her voice. “How did this happen?”
Her heart began to patter as he lowered his head and gazed at her through his pale lashes. He stepped closer. “A sneaky thief decided to switch allegiances. He tipped Gor off to Vip’s plans and even told him about Glomo selling off their agency stock.”
Relief and excitement and something vaguely like joy bubbled up inside her. “You became a double agent,” she said with a disbelieving laugh.
His lips twisted. “I almost got myself fired is what I did. When I confessed everything to Willyem, he was livid. The tip about the stocks was just a ploy to appease him.”
“Did it work?”
This time, he smiled fully. “Better than I’d hoped. You see, I also fed him a sob story about this woman I fell in love with, who left me because I’d messed up so badly. I told him she read me the riot act and set me straight, but I was worried it was too late. He took pity on me. Apparently he and his wife have faced similar difficulties in their relationship. Instead of kicking me to the curb, he’s given me a second chance, although he doesn’t want me anywhere near his main office again.”
“So where are you going to work?”
He waggled his eyebrows at her. “Say hello to the new liaison between Gor and Tabbler and Trilanta Amusement Park and Fairgrounds. I’ll be working on site, overseeing the accounts, and making sure all of the park’s concession needs are fulfilled. In fact, I’ll be working down the hall from Palli, who says she’ll hogtie me and throw me off the comet coaster if I ever turn into another Junior.”
His palms felt warm when he reached out and took her hands.
“You’ll only see me in passing if that’s all you want,” he added more quietly. “If you’re willing to give this idiot another chance, though, I bet I could sneak out to the arena now and again. There’s also a sturdy desk in my new office.”
Although her heart had begun to soar, healing the upset since yesterday, his last comment ripped the wound open again. Benni pulled out of his grip.
“Is that your pitch?” she asked sadly. “You really do think I’m a sex maniac who just wants as many lovers as possible?”
He shook his head. “No. I never meant that, and I’m really sorry I ever said it. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying sex, and I certainly didn’t come to you a shy virgin either. I had no right to pass judgment. The rest of it, though…”
Feeling her temper reignite, she scowled at him. “What?”
“Well, can you honestly say that you just want me? If I wasn’t Multan, if I couldn’t change my appearance, would you be satisfied with me alone? You told me once this is the longest relationship you’ve ever had with a man. I can’t help but wonder if that’s because you don’t see the same man every time you look at me.”
Benni closed her eyes for a minute. It had never occurred to her that he of all people would feel insecure. That was probably because she’d only recently noticed his penchant for stupidity.
She parted her lashes and looked at him squarely. “If I ever hurt my back or something and was no longer flexible, would you dump me?”
“Of course not.” The words left his lips so fast she could tell he didn’t have time to think about them.
Which is how she knew she had him.
She feigned a pout. “But I thought all the positions I can get into turn you on?”
“They do. But that’s just a—” His eyes widened in realization.
“Just a bonus,” she finished for him. “Exactly. Varion, I love you in all your guises, and yes, it makes me hot watching you go all chameleon. But through every one of your dozens of looks, I’ve never once failed to recognize you. I know you—the real you—and I’ll spot you every time. Nothing is going to change that.”
He suddenly looked sheepish. “I guess I just needed to hear that.”
“Well, I’m sorry I didn’t make it clear. You don’t have to get all fancy shifting for me if you don’t want to.”
“Actually, I like impressing you.” Reaching out, he intertwined his fingers with hers. “So are we okay?”
“Yeah.”
“We just got over our first fight.”
That made her blink in surprise. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a real argument with a boyfriend. Usually when a problem comes up, that’s my cue to break things off. I’m not an arguer.”
“Neither am I,” he said. “But you’re still talking to me. You must not have written me off completely.”
She squeezed his hand. “Maybe I decided you’re worth more effort.”
“Maybe I feel the same way about you.”
Leaning closer, he brushed his mouth against hers. The simple caress settled her like nothing else could have. Her lips curved into a smile beneath his.
“Of course, you’re a stuffy accountant now.” Benni couldn’t help but tease him. “That ought to get boring.”
“Liaison,” he corrected her. “That’s a far more glamorous title.”
“And how’s that going to fit you?”
Letting go of her hands, he swept his palms over her hips and into the dip of her lower back. He pulled her close until the front of her body was pressed along the length of his. As usual, he felt deliciously hot.
“Like another one of my skins. Don’t you know I’m versatile?”
She returned a short chuckle. “I’ve noticed.”
“Besides, I know this Flexian woman who’ll help shake things up when life gets boring. We’ll really tear up the town.”
“Oh? What did you have in mind?”
“Let’s start with this.” He took her mouth in a deep, passionate kiss.
His kiss alone could make her toes curl, and she swept her hands over his broad shoulders and up to his closely cropped hair. The familiar touch and scent of him made her feel safe and vulnerable at the same time—a delicate dance between contentment and excitement. Benni lost herself in him in a way she’d never experienced with anyone else. Only the sound of a feminine throat being cleared followed by masculine laughter had them breaking apart.
“Poacher
s,” Quinn said. “You just wanted our make-out spot.”
Xindra looked pleased. “I assume you’ve worked everything out?”
Joy suffused her as Benni nodded. “Sorry for the confusion. We’ll both be modeling tonight as planned.”
“Then you’d better get changed. We’re set up, and the rest of the class will arrive in a few minutes.”
Turning toward the door to the locker room, Benni gave Varion another smack on the lips for good measure. “What do you say we go show the class how it’s done?”
His answering smile turned her all warm and gooey inside. “Show and tell, huh? We’ll blow their minds.”
Right after they finished blowing each other’s.
Chapter 6
A Ride To Remember
No one had ever told Varion that relief could be an aphrodisiac. As he stood at the front of the class wearing a robe short enough to preview a porn vid in, he found himself sporting a massive hard-on. That’s when he realized he’d never been so relaxed and content and horny all at the same time. He even felt a bit light-headed, although he didn’t know if that was because all his blood had fled south or because of the hellish work week he’d put in.
Even with the heads up he’d given Willyem, the whole Gor and Tabbler team had had to work their tails off to beat out Mr. Vip. It was a miracle everything had turned out so well. Willyem loved the fairgrounds and wanted to continue the tradition, Benni would still be doing what she loved, and Varion was actually looking forward to his new job. Employment as a corporate spy hadn’t been nearly as much fun as he’d imagined. Being cooped up at the office with a bunch of execs wasn’t much better. Instead, he was a double agent leaving his life of intrigue behind to cozy up with a sexy trick rider. Yeah, that sounded about right.
Glancing over at Benni, he’d never felt so happy in his entire life. And when she gave him a provocative wink, he knew he was about to get even happier. He couldn’t wait to show his classmates what he and his lovely Flexian could do.
“Time to get started,” Quinn announced, which was exactly what Varion’s cock wanted to hear.
All the students were seated facing them, and they fell quiet as the lecture began.
“Tonight, two of your classmates have agreed to model for us, so we’ll be covering both male Multan and female Flexian sexuality and interracial relations.”
Taking his cue, Varion dropped his robe and stood naked before everybody. There was no disguising the flushed, turgid length of his erection, so he didn’t bother to try. He let it stand out proudly and felt it twitch when he looked beside him to see Benni standing similarly unclothed. Her body was a marvel—one he was sure he’d never get tired of.
Quinn continued. “The most distinguishing features of these two races are not their reproductive organs, per se. In fact, Multans and Flexians have nearly identical anatomy to New Earthlings in that regard, so we’re not going to take a lot of time going over the basic parts. However, the bodies of these races are unique.
“Multans have a special layer of fine muscles under their skin that allows them to shift their features. This layer also allows for the contraction and dilation of millions of pigmentation glands, so they can change their skin tone as well.”
Varion was so used to shifting it took only a sliver of concentration to morph his exterior into a new arrangement. With deliberate slowness, he darkened his skin in increments and went through a whole salon’s worth of hair colors. He also tried out slim noses and flat ones, rounded cheeks and pointy chins. Each image formed first in his mind and then translated almost instantly into his skin. Eye color was a bit trickier, but it was no different than changing focus for a brief second.
“Fascinating,” Glynn—the only Semhym student—remarked from his seat.
Varion’s classmates had seen him change before, but never more than once a night, and he’d been fully clothed at the time. Now he was purposefully showing off.
“Can you change your height or turn fat or skinny?” Pixie, the usually shy New Earthling student, sounded curious.
“My mass has to stay the same,” Varion explained. “I can alter the appearance of my muscle definition to a smoother or more roughly hewn appearance, but that’s it. My skeleton and organs don’t change.”
“So you can’t make your member bigger?” Katra’Ruma grinned slyly and flicked her gaze down to his crotch.
His chuckle was genuine as he glanced at Benni. “Only my fellow model here can manage that, and by the looks of it she’s done a good job.”
Several of the students laughed.
“Multan biology is amazing and complicated,” Xindra said, picking up the lecture. “We’ve just given you the nutshell version, but there’s a whole field of study devoted to the topic. Not to be outdone, the Flexian race has an equally incredible physical trait. The way their spines and joints are formed makes them extremely limber. Because of this, they’re natural contortionists.”
Varion watched as Benni touched her toes and then twisted her torso around her legs so she could peek at her audience from behind her ankle. When she straightened, she kicked her left leg up and grabbed her big toe over her head. He saw several of the males give her an appreciative once-over.
Since Quinn and Xindra prided themselves on backing up the class demonstrations with science, Varion wasn’t surprised when they turned on the medical scanner to display a glimpse of his insides on the overhead vid screen. He was, however, fascinated when he started to shift and realized he could see his muscles working beneath his skin to make the change. All his life, he’d taken his ability as a Multan for granted, but now he could see what an astounding feat it really was.
Then he got to watch Benni’s skeleton tying itself into a knot as she assumed yet another impossible pose. He was left goggling. The image was disturbing and provocative at the same time. Was there any position she couldn’t handle? Oh, how his libido stood up and howled at the possibilities.
There was a lot of anatomical talk and explanations, but his mind was fixed on one thing. He couldn’t wait to get to the intercourse demonstration.
*
Standing there naked, Benni should have been chilly. Instead she felt like she’d done a full warm-up and was ready for the show. One glance at his unflagging erection assured her that her partner was in a similar state, which only added to her anticipation. She couldn’t wait to have that big, beautiful hunk of meat pounding into her.
By the time the instructors got to the hands-on part of the class, Benni was dripping wet between her legs and aching with want. She watched as several students came up to touch Varion—not his privates, as might have been expected given the context, but his chest and arms as he shifted his features beneath their fingertips. Nobody sat back for this one. Everyone looked astonished at what he could do.
Then it was her turn. Bouncing up, Benni did a full split right along the edge of the table, canting her hips so that her moist sex faced them. Zeo, the rough-looking Nimanian, was the first to approach her, and he had Pixie right by his side.
“That doesn’t hurt?” The New Earthling girl actually winced.
Benni shook her head. “Go ahead. Move me around like an action figure. You’ll feel very little resistance.”
Taking her at her word, Pixie and Zeo each grabbed an arm and a leg to pose her. They tried lifting an ankle next to her ear, folding her arms over her back, and then bundling her up into a tight lotus position. After they stepped back, the others followed suit until each of them returned to their seat with the same expression of wonder on their faces. Benni got such a kick out of that.
Finally, she heard Quinn make the announcement she’d been waiting for all night.
“We’ve got the full-body scanner running. Whenever you’re ready, we’ll proceed to a demonstration of Multan-Flexian intercourse.”
The desire which had already been building inside Benni suddenly slipped its reins and flooded her body. She leapt onto the demonstration table and threw op
en her legs. Her back barely hit the table before Varion was on top of her. His finger slipped into her vagina at the same instant his lips found her mouth.
“Wet everywhere,” he declared. “I love it.”
She shuddered with urgency.
Thankful for the flexibility that seemed to drive him crazy, she sighed when he grabbed her legs and shoved her knees to her chest. The first poke of his cock against her entrance made her want to squirm in desperation, but she was helpless, balled up tightly beneath him. They both shouted when he shoved all the way in, jabbing her like he was trying to pop a balloon. He used his hands on her knees to split her legs and shove them flat to the table.
This left her with her bent knees wedged under her armpits and her toes pointing to either side. Her pussy gaped open almost straight up, stretched to the max by his girth, which settled even more deeply inside her with the change of position. If she hadn’t been so excited, it might have hurt. As it was, her cream welcomed him in fully.
She met his gaze. Expecting him to pull out and thrust, she gasped when he instead began circling his hips to stir himself inside her. In this position, he managed to hit all her walls, slide over her G-spot, and rasp her distended clit with each three-sixty. Meanwhile, his steely gray eyes turned blue, then green, then red, brown, violet, and black, shifting with the rest of his features around them.
Orgasm didn’t just build inside her. It rocketed toward the top floor. One second Benni was making love to a blond with aquiline features, the next a cherry-skinned brunet, and he didn’t stop there. All her favorites came back into the mix, plus several new ones. Her swarthy angel turned into a bald Adonis with onyx skin before he took on the looks of an Allurian, Ibration, and some kind of hybrid she wasn’t sure existed. It was like having an orgy with all the most gorgeous bachelors in the universe. Yet the man behind the eyes—her man—never changed. It was his cock that stirred her, maddening her to an insane pitch.
She realized after a moment that she was keening, but she couldn’t stop. A firestorm of need broke between her legs, making her sheath ripple and latch on to his cock in a preview of coming attractions. If only he’d stroke in and out of her, this dam would break. She didn’t even care if she didn’t survive the flood.