Mandrake Company- The Complete Series

by Ruby Lionsdrake

  “Hm.” Val led them down a corridor with numerous doors to either side. Crew quarters? “Gregor,” Val called on her comm. “Do you have the ability to access Lieutenant Thomlin’s cabin?” She covered the patch and whispered to Kalish, “I didn’t know him that well before this mission, and I’ve never been to his cabin. As a paranoid security type, he probably doesn’t leave the lock programmed to allow random people in, but most of the senior officers can go anywhere on the ship.”

  “Yes,” Thatcher said.

  “Mind opening it for us?” Val tapped the door beside a plaque that read Sedgwick Thomlin.

  “Us?”

  “Specifically for our guest, Ms. Blackwell. She wants to surprise Sedge in his room.”

  “That would go against ship’s protocol, Val.”

  “Surprising him?”

  “Letting her into Lieutenant Thomlin’s quarters,” Thatcher said. After a brief hesitation, he added, “I’m less certain about the other.”

  Kalish snorted.

  Val rolled her eyes. “He’s serious, you know.”

  “Yes, he seems to be an interesting and unusual man.”

  “Interesting and unusual men make appreciative lovers,” Val said.

  Kalish smiled back.

  Thatcher cleared his throat. “You are aware that your comm signal is still engaged, Val?”

  “Yes, I’m waiting for you to open this door.”

  “I already told you—”

  “Remember that new list you were showing me earlier, Gregor? And how I told you that Number Seven isn’t very dignified for a woman?”

  “Yes,” Thatcher said warily.

  “Do me this favor, and we’ll engage in Number Seven tonight.”

  An instant later, the door slid aside. Val held it open with her hand, nodding for Kalish to go in.

  “Thank you,” Kalish said. “But I hope you won’t be put into an uncomfortable situation on my behalf.”

  Val cut her comm. “Not at all. I’m not a dignity kind of gal. I love Seven. You just can’t let the man know. It’s good to have bargaining chips.” She winked, then headed back down the corridor.

  When the door slid shut behind Kalish, she explored Sedge’s room with her eyes, feeling naughty for her intrusion. She kept herself from opening drawers or peeking into his wardrobe, though judging by the tidiness of the bedspread, she suspected everything from shirts to pairs of socks would be perfectly hung or folded. Not surprisingly, there was not a single plant in the cabin. She grinned when she spotted the air purifier and his other bedtime appurtenances lined up on a shelf near the pillow. Kalish had showered before coming aboard, scrubbing herself clean with unscented, hypoallergenic soap. She hoped he approved.

  As much as she longed for his touch for her own satisfaction, she wanted to please him too. He had been so much help on her mission, even when she had been prickly and standoffish with him, and she wanted to let him know how much that meant to her. She had chastised him for his snooping when it had ultimately brought her father back to her. Now, she felt guilty about her harsh words, even though she was certain he forgave her. With nothing left between them, she hoped they would have the opportunity to enjoy each other’s company tonight. Indeed, she wanted more than a night, but she did not know if Fate would grant them that.

  Voices sounded in the corridor, just audible through the door. Reminded of her intent to surprise Sedge, she peeled off her clothes and folded them neatly on the desk. She left her shoes and socks on the deck next to them and walked to the bed in her favorite lacy red bra and panties. With a brush of her hand, she could make them turn translucent, not that she’d had a reason to play with such features for some time.

  She lay on the blanket, which was surprisingly soft and fluffy for something in a military man’s quarters. Good, she hated that scratchy wool the Fleet liked to inflict on its soldiers. Maybe a family member had sent it. She hoped silky sheets had come in the box too.

  The door opened with a hiss, and there was no more time to speculate on Sedge’s sheets and blankets.

  More voices sounded in the corridor and, as she lay provocatively posed on the bed, she envisioned Sedge walking in with several other people for a game night or some such. She was on the verge of leaping up and grabbing her shirt, when he stepped inside, thankfully alone. The door slid shut behind him. His hair was combed, his clothes pressed, and his jaw clean-shaven. The effect was striking.

  Kalish bit her lip, meeting his eyes and suddenly feeling shy at her brazenness. By now, she knew Sedge was attracted to her, but she always felt that twinge of self-consciousness at the extra inches around her hips and thighs, worrying that her figure wasn’t perfect enough to attract anyone as handsome as Sedge.

  “We never got to finish our Crucible game,” Kalish said, forcing herself to put thoughts of inadequacy out of her mind. “I thought you might want to do that.”

  “Kalish,” he whispered, staring at her body, then jerking his gaze to her face, as if he had been caught peeping. She was relieved he wanted to peep.

  “It’s all right.” She slid her hand up her waist to her bra, then brushed the seam of the fabric. The rich red shimmered and grew translucent. “You can look.”

  “I—uhm.” He hesitated at first, biting his own lip, then finally seemed to figure out the invitation was in earnest. Slowly, he let his gaze roam down her body, taking in every inch of her. “You’re beautiful,” he croaked.

  His avid interest, and the naked honesty caused a lump to form in her throat. How could she have come to care so much what he thought in so few days? Especially after she had dismissed him as an oddity upon their first meeting? She was not sure, but she could not deny the stirring of heat between her legs, the longing to feel his hands upon her, and her desire to touch him as well. The last time she had held his bare flesh had left her so unsatisfied. This time, it would be different.

  “I’m glad you think so,” she said, recovering enough for nonchalance. Someday she might let him know how much his words meant to her, but she did not know if they would have another night together, and she didn’t want to say anything that would make the parting harder. For tonight, she just wanted to be with him and not think too much. Kalish let her fingers drift down to the waistband of her panties, turning them translucent as well.

  Sedge swallowed visibly, then stepped toward her, lifting a hand. As much as she wanted that hand upon her body, she smiled and said, “Now, now, let’s be fair. I want to look at you, too.”

  Sedge looked down at his clothes—the trousers, shirt, boots and jacket were entirely too much. “Yes,” he declared, and took off his jacket so quickly she would have thought it was dusted with some virulent pollen. “That’s fair. And easier. For touching. And, uhm, things.”

  “I look forward to things.”

  “Me too.”

  He hefted the jacket, as if he would chuck it into the corner of the room, but grimaced and opened the wardrobe instead. In what was probably a galaxy-wide speed-hanging record, he placed it neatly amidst a dozen other jackets and shirts. Kalish propped herself onto her elbow to enjoy the spectacle of a man hurrying to disrobe while still folding everything and putting it away. For the most part, he was adept at these tasks, though he did forget to take his boots off before yanking his trousers down, which caused him to trip and catch himself on his desk.

  “You’re sure you’re in the top ten percent of the company when it comes to physical fitness tests?” Kalish asked, grinning.

  “Yes, but I may be in the bottom ten percent when it comes to agility displayed while undressing in front of sexy treasure hunters.” He finished disrobing and started across the room toward her, but snapped his fingers, and spun back toward his desk.

  She got an eyeful of a tight, cute butt and a few other things as he bent to withdraw a small injector. He jabbed it against his bare forearm, returned it to the desk, and sprinted the three steps to the edge of the bed.

  “I used non-scented shampoo, so yo
u wouldn’t sneeze,” Kalish said.

  “Which I appreciate very much, but there’s no need to take risks.” Sedge sat down, resting his weight on his hand, but not touching her yet. Men never seemed to share her insecurities about displaying their bodies, whether they had extra inches or not. Of course Sedge, as she had noticed on a couple of occasions already, did not have any extra inches. “Mandrake Company has grow rooms full of plants. And many of the crew members keep small gardens or fruit trees in their cabins.” He wrinkled his nose. “It’s understandable and even admirable that they grow fresh produce for the men, but sometimes stray pollen wanders in my direction. Although I do appreciate that the captain installed the upgraded air filtration system I recommended—I sold it to him on the suggestion that we would want to avoid any enemies hurling biological agents into the ship’s ducts. It’s quite efficient. It incinerates all germs, bacteria, pollen, mold spores, and other floating debris larger than point five micrometers in length.” He was mumbling by the end, maybe realizing he had been burbling on. He looked down at his crotch sheepishly. There was nothing sheepish about it. Judging by its eager state, it wasn’t that interested in further discussions of mold spores either.

  “That’s good to know. Are you babbling like a teenage virgin because you’re nervous? Or are you always this chatty when there’s a nearly naked woman on your bed?” She smiled to take any edge from her teasing; in truth, she was relieved he seemed nervous. It made her feel more comfortable in her own skin—and with him. This was a friend, nervous and a little shy, not the kind of handsome cad who would sniff disdainfully at her in a bar and turn his back. He might have the looks, but his allergies and a miserable childhood had probably saved him from turning into a cad. She decided he wouldn’t appreciate it if she praised the parasite that had infected his mother during his gestation.

  “I don’t have naked women on my bed that often,” Sedge said after he had contemplated the question for a while. “Security frowns upon the crew bringing outsiders aboard. Which reminds me. How did you get in here? Not that I mind. I don’t. At all. Even remotely.” He laid his hand on her bare thigh, smiling down at her.

  “I asked Val to bring me up.” She watched his hand sliding along the outside of her thigh, the light touch sending a shiver of pleasure through her. “The less you know about her new Number Seven commitment, the happier you’ll probably be.”

  He tilted his head, a perplexed wrinkle to his brow, but he didn’t ask for clarification.

  Kalish laid her hand on his thigh, letting him know she would be happy if they stopped talking and started touching in earnest now. It seemed as if she had been waiting ages for this, that the night she had admired his lean torso in the tent had been months ago, not days ago.

  Sedge lay down on the bed in front of her, turning on his side to face her, letting his hand slide from her thigh to her waist, then brushing the curve of her breast as he brought it higher. Her body was alive to his touch, and everywhere his fingers roamed, they left trails of fire that sent a mixture of heat and chills through her. She reached out to him, assured this time that nobody would see them pawing at each other in the back of the shuttle. She took her time tracing the hard curve of his shoulder, running her fingernails down the swell of his pectoral muscle and the ridges of his abdomen, tempted to trace the same route with her tongue. Would it be too soon? They hadn’t even kissed yet.

  His swollen shaft appeared quite ready for more, but there was nothing frenzied or rushed about his touch. He gazed into her eyes while stroking her body, strong fingers grazing her sensitive skin, rousing her from head to toe and all points in between.

  “Are you taken care of, for, uhm, contraceptive purposes?” Sedge asked. “Or do you need me to—”

  Kalish touched a finger to his lips. “Taken care of, yes. I’m not ready to tote a baby along while spelunking in caverns.”

  “Good. Me either.”

  Finally, he eased closer, leaning his face toward hers. Kalish opened her mouth, longing for a return to the kiss they had shared on the bridge, one that would not be interrupted this time. Their lips touched, warm and enthusiastic. None of his earlier nervousness showed in his sure kisses, and she found herself pressing closer to him as his tongue stroked hers. His erection nudged her thigh, reminding her that she still had her panties on. Maybe she should make those go away. But she was enjoying touching him and was reluctant to take her hands from his warm skin.

  “One soul inhabiting two bodies,” he whispered, breaking their kiss for long enough to look into her eyes. Measuring her reaction? Her only thought was that she didn’t want him to stop, but she managed to fish the origins of the quote from memory.

  “Aristotle. But I think he was talking about friendship.”

  “I hope we’re friends.” Sedge smiled, kissing her again.

  “That spear jabbing me in the thigh wants to be more than friends.”

  “I hope it’s not bothering you.”

  She let her hand travel southward, daring to take him in her hand, rubbing her thumb along its engorged length and smiling with satisfaction when he gasped. “Not at all. I’ve been looking forward to wielding it again.”

  She rolled her eyes at the cheesy line, but he was busy rolling his eyes for different reasons. For the first time, some of his control seemed to slip, and the touch of his hands grew hungrier, more demanding. He kissed her again, his lips devouring hers. His eagerness heated her to a greater degree, and her kisses were just as hungry.

  His lips drifted away from hers, which she might have protested, but his mouth lowered to her neck, and he nuzzled her with his nose and face, even as he nipped softly at her tender flesh. She groaned, pushing toward him, her nipples brushing his chest. She breathed in his essence, nothing of artificial fragrances, only the pure, manly scent of him, and it incensed her. Or maybe his light nips were doing that as he followed her throat to her collarbone. She let her head loll back, enjoying the sensations but stroking him even as he kissed her. He slipped her bra straps down, and she wriggled on the bed, quick to help him remove the garment. She wanted her panties off too, wanted his hard body between her legs.

  As if reading her mind, one of his hands stroked in that direction, tugging down the waistband even as he found her nipple for the first time with his lips. This time she groaned, arching toward him, torn between wanting more attention to her breasts and wanting to help him buck those panties off. He managed to slide them off as easily as if he were stealing passwords from enemy computer banks—or her own computer banks for that matter. She smiled, pushing her fingers through his hair and relishing the attention of his lips, no longer pained by the memory of his intrusion. Now she simply found his quick mind arousing. Or maybe that was his mouth that was arousing her. The underside of his tongue slid over her sensitive peaks, and she gasped at the exquisite sensation. When his hand found the moist heat between her legs, her gasp turned into a plea, or it would have been if she could manage anything articulate.

  His thumb slipped between her lower lips, and her fingers tightened in his hair. She pressed into his hand. With her body a hot tangle of electrified nerves, she could scarcely decide whether she wanted to thrust her breasts at him—or her groin. He pleasured both with his deft touch, until she was gasping for air, her belly slick with sweat and quivering, her muscles begging for release.

  “Sedge,” she moaned, a hitch in her breath. She could barely get his name out. “I want you in me.” She had released him earlier, letting her hands rub and stroke his entire body with abandon, but she found his erect shaft now, sliding her thumb over the head, guiding him toward her.

  He came willingly, returning his lips to her mouth and kissing her ardently while he positioned himself atop her. His swollen thickness nudged her, and she spread herself, welcoming him into her. At first, he was slow, careful, but she dug her fingers into his back, needing more of him, faster and harder. He eagerly complied, and she rose toward him with each stroke, taking him into her
fully, relishing the way he rubbed inside of her. Had she the breath for it, she might have voiced the joke that tickled her mind—that it wasn’t his soul that was inhabiting two bodies—but she was too busy panting, the building urgency within her matching his. He lowered his thumb to brush the engorged flesh between her lower lips, and her release washed over her like floodwater bursting from a dam. A moment later, it was his turn, and he gazed into her eyes, the intensity of his passion and his regard filling her with emotion even as he came, his liquid heat pumping into her.

  Kalish reached up, cradling his face, and pulled him down for a tender kiss. Tears surprised her by welling in her eyes, though she recognized the feelings right away. She didn’t want this to be her only time with him. She couldn’t let it end after tonight.

  “Are you all right?” he whispered, brushing his thumb across the moisture at the corner of her eyes. “My spear wasn’t too spear-y, was it?”

  The silly words surprised a giggle from her. She shook her head. “No, it was perfect. Come closer.” She brushed short damp hair away from his forehead, then wrapped her arms around him again.

  He didn’t seem to want to lie on top of her, but compromised by pulling her over atop him and dragging the blanket over them. She snuggled against his chest and kissed him, relishing the moment, just in case he rejected the offer that she planned to share with him.

  “I want you to come with me, Sedge,” she said, feeling vulnerable as she spoke, afraid he wouldn’t care as much as she did, but somewhat bolstered by the way he had looked into her eyes as he came, by the passion there. Maybe even the love, or what could become love one day. “On my ship,” she added, when his brow wrinkled. “To help hunt for treasures.”

  He gazed up at her, rubbing her back absently, but not saying a word. Did that mean he had rejection on his mind and didn’t want to hurt her feelings? Or was he maybe intrigued by the idea?

  “It would challenge you mentally, in the same way being an intelligence officer would,” she went on. “And you were so amazing this week, I would love to have you as a part of a crew all the time. And...” She kissed him again, then kissed his throat, enjoying the taste of his warm, damp skin and inhaling his scent, afraid she wouldn’t get to do so again. “I would love to share a bed with you every night as well.”