In Time to Love

by Gloria Martin

  “See you then,” he said, leaving her doorway and heading down the hall. She watched him, her brow furrowed in confusion.

  *****

  The two men had come to terms with what they needed to do.

  “I love her,” Pov said softly. It was the day after their mission had ended, the two men were standing in the kitchen drinking coffee, Bren was leaned against the counter.

  “I do too,” Bren admitted. Giving the words air and letting them out was the single most relieving sensation he'd ever had. He did love her, he knew it.

  “She's made it obvious that she has feelings for us too, if she kissed you like that,” Pov said softly, staring at the ground between them. He was calculating.

  “Then what? I don't want her to have to choose, that would mean one of us is pissed off for the rest of the mission,” Bren complained, taking a drink of his coffee. He loved her and he wanted her to be happy though, if she asked him to he'd set his feelings aside. He knew this.

  “Why can't we just share?” Pov asked. The angry look that Bren shot him made him flinch and explain himself. “I know she's not an item to be passed off between us, I'm not saying that, I'm just saying why make her pick? Why not just go all in together?” Pov explained.

  “I'm not gay,” Bren commented defensively.

  “It would be all about her, not us,” Pov countered. “It would be both of us in a relationship with her, we could lay the lines out for it more clearly with her if she'd have us,” he said as he looked up at Bren.

  “Do you think she'd go for it?” Bren asked concerned, he hadn't considered this before.

  “I think that she'd love it, she told me she's married to the job, so why not have the crew as well,” Pov said smiling.

  “Alright,” Bren replied. “Let's give it a go.”

  When she left her room an hour later Juniper was dressed in the best dress she owned, it was sleek black and the hem had a pattern of small ribbon-like pricks that made it look like stars and galaxies were visible up her calves and thighs. She had washed her hair and worn it down, letting her natural curl be visible throughout her mahogany locks. On her feet were her only pair of heels, making her legs look like they went forever.

  As she walked onto the observation deck she felt as beautiful as space itself.

  Pov was already seated at the table, and the way he looked at her when she walked in made her feel naked and almost feral.

  “You…” he paused his words to stand up and pull out a chair for her. “You look incredible.”

  Juniper smiled demurely, sitting in the seat and looking at the table setting. It was an odd one, hers in the middle and the two other seats on either side of her instead of across from her as they usually sat. Before she had time to mention it, Bren was coming out of the kitchen with a couple trays of food.

  By the time all the food was brought out, Juniper could see he’d gone overboard in the most delicious way. There were Cornish game hens, that had originally been saved for holidays, a dish of cooked mushrooms and green beans in a brown sauce, red skin mashed potatoes, a brown gravy, and tomatoes stuffed with rice and veggies. It was almost too luxurious.

  “What’s all this about?” she asked, legitimately curious.

  “Enjoy your food, we can explain that later,” Pov responded, filling her wine glass.

  “How did your report go?” Bren asked, cutting into his hen.

  “It went well, actually, looking back I realized how lucky we were to get out of there,” she stated matter-of-factly as she lifted a fork full of mashed potatoes to her lips. Her shipmates nodded in agreement.

  The meal went by really well, they were able to just talk and enjoy each other’s company in a way the three of them hadn’t since they started the mission. As Pov gathered the dishes, Bren was in the kitchen finishing setting up the dessert.

  “What is this?” she asked him again, he smiled at her and her face warmed.

  “We’ll tell you over dessert,” he answered, before taking the dishes into the kitchen.

  Dissatisfied with that answer, but happily full from dinner, Juniper settled back in her chair and tried to relax. Dessert was ice cream with real fruit on it. It looked so fresh, Juniper was surprised at this, not thinking there was any more real fruit left on the ship except for the strawberries they were growing in the hydroponics bay. The men settled into their chairs next to her, and didn’t touch their dessert yet. She looked back and forth between them expectantly.

  “We’ve been talking,” Bren began, resting his hand on Junipers.

  “We both have extremely strong feelings for you, and we don’t want to have to make you choose, it would just cause tension, so we were hoping you’d be happy with having the both of us,” Pov continued, smiling. Juniper’s face flushed.

  “I have honestly been thinking about the same thing,” she admitted. “I didn’t know how to word it, but I’m so relieved you were both thinking the same thing,” her heart was fluttering in a rapid beat in her chest. “I like you both, you've helped me through so much here, and I've grown to be so attached,” she paused. “I'm sorry that I ever let you feel like an interruption of the work, you're both more important to me than that,” she said, looking between the two of them.

  “I feel the same for you,” Pov said, Bren nodded.

  “I would love to date both of you,” she concluded, feeling her face grow redder. It was embarrassing letting them know how she really felt.

  “Good, that’s so excellent,” Bren said, obviously pleased.

  “So this is our first date then,” Pov motioned to the table. “What did you think?”

  Juniper wanted to laugh, and she let herself. A soft giggle that she didn’t expect to come out of her own mouth.

  “I think I’d love to thank you both for such a lovely evening after dinner,” she flirted coyly, it was the men’s turn to blush. Juniper lifted her glass to her lips and took a long draw of the wine, she was excited to show them how she felt.

  ***

  They had ended up in Pov’s room as he had the largest bed. Bren was busy kissing Juniper, their lips sweet still with the taste of the fruit from dessert. Pov was taking the opportunity to help Juniper undress by unzipping her gown. He kissed her back, from the nape of her neck down to the curve of her back, before he removed the dress, eliciting a moan from Juniper into Bren’s mouth.

  They had Juniper lay on the bed, Bren pulled down her lacy black underwear, and quickly Pov had his hot and wet tongue on the lips between her legs, kissing and licking, the cold metal of his arms against her legs aroused her even further. She moaned again, bunching her fingers in his ginger hair. Squirming as he circled his tongue around her clit.

  Beside the bed, Bren was making a little bit of a show for her, taking off his shirt to reveal a very well-muscled chest. Her eyes were drawn down the center of his six-pack abs, down to the waistband of his pants. He began to take them off.

  “When they got to me after the accident, a lot of me had to be replaced, but they made sure that I could do everything a man would want to do,” Bren stated. He dropped his pants to the floor and Juniper could clearly see something heavy in his underwear, she wanted it. “They didn’t go for the natural look, but they really did make it into a work of art,” he said smiling at the expression on her face.

  Pov slipped a finger into her entrance while he continued to circle her clit with his tongue and she gasped, distracted.

  “Take them off,” she said, motioning to his underwear, she had to see this.

  It was beautiful.

  It jutted out from him in glorious shiny silver colored metal, a stripe of glowing red light went straight up the bottom, it was handsomely thick and she wanted it so bad.

  “It’s so big,” she murmured, excited and intrigued.

  “Which is why it’ll work best with the three of us,” Pov explained, his face was shining from her juices, his dark eyes looked hungry and lustful. She pulled him up and kissed him, tasting herself on
his tongue but not caring.

  “Get in me,” she murmured to Pov. He wasn’t going to argue. He stretched her again with his fingers briefly before putting on a condom and sliding in, his human cock was hot and felt just right. She moaned, and Bren came over and kissed her again, Pov started increasing his speed. Juniper could feel herself getting close, and she was ready, so ready. Pov’s thrusts started to become erratic, moving faster and more forcefully inside her until they came together. His hands had placed fresh bruises on her hips and she loved it. She kissed him sweetly and he pulled out and kissed her thigh before discarding the condom.

  “I want you to ride me,” Bren growled, his voice had gotten deeper with lust and Juniper was definitely responding to it.

  “Thank you,” she said softly. Bren sat on the bed, his head against the headboard, and Juniper crawled towards his lap. She tested the texture of his beautiful cock with her fingers, and then her tongue and lips. Bren moaned and leaned his head back. “You can feel it?” she asked in wonder, amazed and excited.

  “Every bit,” he responded, patting his lap. Obediently, Juniper climbed onto his lap, her entrance fluttering with excitement and anticipation. “Easy now,” he said, leading her hips down onto him.

  The burn of the stretch was exquisite.

  “Fuck,” she said aloud, lowering herself slowly. It was hot and wasn’t giving at all, but it was so thick she couldn’t stand how good it made her feel. She bottomed out on it, waiting for a moment to move back up over it again, thankful for how wet she was. She could feel the bed dip as Pov sat down on the bed behind her, watching in rapt attention.

  As she got used to it, she began to speed her pace a bit, Bren’s hands guiding her up and down, his eyes devouring her in pure ecstasy.

  “Oh god, Bren,” she moaned. “I don’t know what to do with myself, I feel so full of you,” she said, arching her back and still going at the best pace she could.

  “There’s more,” Bren said gently, his smile was wicked. “Are you ready June?” he asked, making eye contact.

  “If it gets any thicker I’ll split in half,” she said, laughing a little but getting cut off in a moan.

  “Count down from three for me,” his grip on her hips tightened.

  “Three, two,” she pauses to gasp, and then, “one.”

  It felt like the entire world had imploded on her. Not only was his amazing cock large, but now it was also vibrating as he helped her move up and down on it. She sobbed out in surprise and arousal, she was extremely close to coming and she felt like she was dying in the best way.

  “Come for me June,” Bren said softly, and within a couple more moments she did.

  She was shaking so hard, the world around her was just a hum and the slapping of skin, she felt like she had left her body and was flying openly among those planets and stars that she spent so much time chasing after. As she came down from it Pov kissed her softly, helping her lay on her back and relax, her breath came out in desperate gasps and her whole body felt like it was pleasantly pulsing.

  “You’re so good,” Bren said, leaning over and lying next to her and Pov.

  “I think you two just screwed the life out of me,” she said, not caring how crass it sounded. She could really do this, have her career and travel to the unknown and back, and still get to have a fulfilling life emotionally as well. She loved these men and they both loved her, she felt endlessly lucky. She kissed both of the men again softly before catching herself drifting into a warm and dreamless sleep.

  THE END

  Bonus Story 40 of 40

  Pregnant to a Dragon Prince

  “Order up!”

  Kara picked up the burger and fries off the bench in front of her and lazily brought it to the customer. Three years she had worked at this dead-end waitressing job, and it was torture. By the end of her shift she collected what little tips she had earned throughout the 10 hours and started home, in the dark, towards her tiny Chicago flat.

  It was mid-October already, so the weather had turned cold and a brisk wind bit at her exposed flesh. She pulled her thin, black cardigan tighter over her waitressing uniform and continued on the long walk ahead. As she strolled through the city she lost herself in her thoughts. She imagined living in the beautiful penthouse apartments she passed every day. She wished for an adventure to take hold of her and bring back some of the enjoyment of life her meaningless job had taken from her.

  Half an hour passed and she finally turned down the alley only two streets from her destination. Caught up in her own world she didn’t notice the shadowy figures approaching her, and all of a sudden she was surrounded by three frightening strangers.

  She stopped dead in her tracks. She had been lucky enough to avoid the drug-riddled men who lived throughout this end of town, until this point. All three wore tattered, dirty clothes, their hair was unkempt and they smelled horrific. Kara found herself completely unprepared for the situation that was about to unfold.

  “Where are you heading, sweetheart?” asked the man directly to her right. She opened her mouth to respond but her fear had gotten the better of her and she found herself speechless. The men began to come closer grabbing at her. She tried to dodge their advances but suddenly the glint of silver caught her eye as one of the men pulled out a small knife. All hope she had of escaping vanished. Before she knew it they had both her arms restrained and she felt overwhelmed and helpless.

  The man facing her laughed menacingly, but her gaze was drawn to a bright light behind. As the blinding light neared the men softened their grip enough for her to break free, but in the confusion she ran straight into the arms of one of the strangers. This time he grabbed her around the neck, choking her. As she struggled for breath she couldn’t believe what she saw. It appeared to be a... dragon.

  A dragon towered above the men. Surely this was her imagination. But an inferno that engulfed two of her attackers quickly confirmed her vision. They screamed and ran, completely alight, down the alleyway in the direction from which they came. The orange-red flames trailed behind them as they sped away. Kara could not believe her eyes.

  The last man, who still had Kara by the throat, threw her forcefully to the ground and sped off in the other direction. Kara hit her head on the pavement. She lifted herself up put a hand to her head, where it had hit the ground. Forgetting about the mythical creature standing right before her, she brought her hand back down. It was covered in blood. She was hurt badly. She looked up and remembered. The scaly, purple beast made its way towards her as she blacked out, falling back down onto the cool concrete below.

  *****

  When she awoke she immediately realized this was not her bed, nor her room or anywhere that she had ever been before. It took her a moment, but feeling the bandages atop her head she remembered the events that had unfolded. Had she really seen a dragon?

  Regardless, she was relieved she had not been mugged, or worse. But who, or what, had saved her? This still remained a mystery. It could not have been a dragon. She pulled down the soft, woolen sheets of the bed and lowered her feet to the dirt floor; the room she found herself in was quite old and very simple. The walls were covered in peeling, floral wallpaper while the cracked wooden door was situated only feet from the end of the single bed. She saw that her clothes from the day before folded over the bed head. Whoever had brought her here had also given her a change of clothes; an old fashioned cotton night gown, one befitting her grandmother.

  One of her many questions was answered seconds later when she heard a knock at the bedroom door.

  “Come in,” she called cautiously, and a tall, handsome man peeked his head around through the door frame,

  “How are you feeling?” he questioned.

  Confused, Kara replied to whom could only be her rescuer, “I feel a little faint, but other than that I’m fine.”

  “May I ask who you are? And what happened?” she blurted, eager to find out more about this handsome stranger before her.

  “My nam
e is Blaine, I was heading home and saw those men attacking you. I couldn’t just walk by, I had to do something...” he trailed off.

  “I really can’t thank you enough, I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t been there,” she gushed. He took a few steps toward her and sat down on the bed,

  “I couldn’t let those horrible guys hurt such a beautiful young woman,” he said, smiling. She put her hands to her face, attempting to hide her blushing cheeks, embarrassed by his unexpected compliment.

  “Thank you again,” she muttered. “But where am I?”

  He looked a little uneasy and thought for a minute before wording his reply.

  “Since you passed out before I got to you I couldn’t take you home, so I thought the safest thing to do was bring you back here. This is where I live with my... family.”

  “Your family?” she inquired,

  “Yes,” he replied. His abruptness alerted her that she should not push the subject any further, at least not yet. She didn’t know what it was but something about him drew her to him. She couldn’t explain it but it was as if their meeting did not occur by chance at all; as if it was destiny.

  “You can’t stay here long, but I can take you back into the city with me tonight,” he said. His voice shook Kara from entering the impending daydream state she found her slipping into, while staring into his mesmerizing hazel eyes. She was a little disappointed that their encounter would be cut so short, but she suddenly realized she would need to be back for work the following day. If she showed up even a minute late again she would surely be fired. Begrudgingly she accepted the offer and just hours later they left the room and began their journey back to Chicago.

  It seemed strange to her that they had to hurry off in the dead of night,

  “Please, try to be quiet as we leave. I really don’t want to wake anyone,” Blaine said. Why was he so afraid of someone seeing them? She had not seen a single person other than him all day, was she even allowed to be here?