by Laney Kaye
“Geosmin?”
“A bacterium. The scent sparks a primitive sense of soothing in humans.” He wrinkled his nose and shuttered his eyes. “Although, to me, it smells like burning carbodium.”
“You reckon humans are bacteria-sniffing chemical inhalers? I’ll give you soothing,” I grumbled as I preceded him. If we were in a spaceship — okay, there was no if about that, I knew we were — but how darn big was this thing, given that I could see miles straight down the corridor?
Okay, miles might be a bit of an exaggeration, but my legs were still wobbling with the unfamiliar exertion of having been spread wide enough to allow Tennn’s shoulders between my thighs as he worked me to an orgasm.
Hiking was absolutely not on my current to-do list.
Getting to his quarters to discover what other talents he hid, however, certainly was. I squared my shoulders and strode ahead. I might be a bit sweaty by the time we reached wherever we were going, but I wasn’t about to waste our precious, limited time by dawdling.
“Stella, step this way.” Tennn took my elbow and drew me to one side of the fifteen-foot wide, clinical corridor. He swiped his wrist dooflickey thing against the smooth wall.
“What is that?” I gasped, clutching at him as the floor moved beneath my feet.
“There is nothing to fear, Stella,” he reassured, but he was laughing at me, one side of his mouth lifting. “It is a transport panel. You will be exhausted if you walk everywhere. And I do not want you exhausted.” He shook his head, adopting a mock stern expression. “We have much to do and little time. I would have you maintain your current fine form.”
Fine form? I was panting from the short distance we’d covered, though I’d blame that on the weird ozone-tanged air.
What was fine form, however, was the muscular bicep I’d managed to wrap my arm around. Seriously, a baby koala wouldn’t cling as tightly as I was, even though, once I’d gotten over the initial shock, the moving floor was no more terrifying than the travellator at the airport.
But, despite a number of flights, I’d never found a handsome male of any species to clutch onto in an airport terminal.
The moving floor sped us quickly enough for the chill air to create a breeze and make my eyes water.
Tennn disengaged himself from my grip, but only to wrap his arm around me. “I am sorry, I see the ambient temperature is set too low for you, my Stella. I cannot override the setting for the entire ship, as it is designed to promote optimum health for varied lifeforms. But I will see that our quarters are heated—”
“Oh, that’s okay,” I demurred, automatically polite.
“—because I want you entirely naked for the remaining lunar cycles,” Tennn concluded smoothly.
Damn, I hoped this conveyor belt contraption was waterproof. It’d be just my luck if alarms went off like I was an overhead sprinkler system.
Tennn lifted his free arm toward the wall again, and the travellator slowed. “This is the central command pod,” he said. “You will usually find me, Xander, or Yanno on duty. But if we’re not, IAME is always here.”
“Aimee?” I bristled.
“Intelligence Assistant Mainframe Executive.”
“Oh. You guys are seriously into acronyms, aren’t you?” At least this one didn’t make me snigger like a teenage boy.
A door — indistinguishable from the metallic walls of the corridor until Tennn did something to his wrist to activate it — swooshed open.
In a large room — everything on this spaceship was on a massive scale, including the occupants — Xander lounged back in a chair that would have looked at home in any solicitor’s plush office. The bank of flashing lights and dials his feet were propped up on would, however, most definitely not.
Ol’ Gray Donkey blinked at me disinterestedly from Xander’s lap.
I couldn’t blame him for that one; sitting on those muscular, leather-clad thighs would take precedence over paying attention to anything else.
Yanno, in a chair at the opposite end of what had to be the control panel, shot a glance toward us. “Prime orbit achieved. We hit those star trails just in time, we’re getting a free ride on the currents, Cap.”
“Well timed, lieutenant. Ah,” Tennn cleared his throat and gazed out of the huge picture window that spanned from one shiny wall to the other, above the control panel. “Sign comm of the deck over to yourself for the next two lunar cycles, lieutenant. I’ll be in my long-term quarters, but use the wristcomm if you need me. Emergencies only, understood?”
My heart did little weird skippy things, bouncing around like a kangaroo joey. Tennn wasn’t consigning me to his quarters alone. I mean, the fact that he said he wanted me in there naked had been a fair indicator, but I hadn’t wanted to be that girl, jumping to conclusions. However, it seemed he was as keen to make the most of our limited time as I was.
To my surprise, Yanno rolled his eyes. Had I misunderstood? I thought Tennn was in charge of this…spaceship. Thinking that word sent a new rash of excited chills skittering across my skin.
“The rules, Captain…” Yanno’s slightly amused tone trailed off as his gaze honed in on me. He jerked to his feet, crossing the room in a few swift strides.
His hand closed on my jaw, rough fingers jerking my head to one side. “What the hells, Tennn? You marked her?”
Chapter Two
Tennn
I slammed my hand down on Yanno’s wrist, breaking his grip on Stella’s chin.
She glanced from one to the other of us as she rubbed at the imprints of the lieutenant’s fingers, white between the sparkling trails of star-splash.
Somewhat belatedly, I realized why we were taught not to indulge in pleasures such as those her mouth had provided me.
Yet, even as I controlled a useless urge to wipe at the residue on her face — as though I could remove the proof of my deviant behavior — memory of what Stella had done throbbed through me. I fidgeted as the recollection of the hot suction of her mouth on my yakeet caused my leggings to tighten uncomfortably. I needed to get this woman to my quarters, where I could conduct a full study into what other forbidden, enticing acts these humans preferred. Perhaps their true value on the flesh markets should not be limited to that of breeders?
I made a mental note to investigate the matter on IAME.
Later. Much later.
And I’d have to be sure to wipe the IA’s memory banks, considering the searches I had planned.
“Tennn?” Yanno growled.
I squared up to him. “It was an experiment. There is no recorded research into whether human skin reacts the same as Crasasi flesh.” I was totally winging it, here. There could be screeds written on the matter, I had no idea. I shot Xander a warning glare; he was likely to tap into the info on his reader.
Yanno squeezed his eyes shut and ran a hand over his tattooed head, as was his habit when he was gearing up to lecture me.
He probably didn’t shave his fade but had rubbed the hair away.
“And that’s what you plan to tell the flesh-traders on Daorheris?” he said. “The goods are disfigured and devalued because you considered this a good time to pursue your latent scientific interests? Our truce with them is fragile enough as it is.”
Dammit, despite his seniority in age — though he acted as though ten years was a generation of experience — I should have pulled rank and told him to stand down. Not that he would have taken that too well. Although the guys were aware of my rank, both in Her Majesty’s Starfleet and socially, we worked as a team. Still, I needed to be in charge this time. “So, we don’t hand this one over. No problem, then.”
“We have a manifest to fill.” Yanno pointed at the vid screen in the center of the command deck. He’d probably been scrolling tables of data just for kicks.
At least Xander was getting his thrills with an animate, breathing object for once, tickling the donkey-cat under the chin while watching our exchange.
“She’s under the ASS, now,” Yanno said. For s
ome reason, Stella giggled, and he shot her a dark look before continuing. “Like you insisted. We can’t pull her from there.”
“Five xasa he goes chapter and verse on you,” Xander observed to no one in particular.
Yanno ignored him. “I belatedly entered her as approved for removal from Earth, as part of our quota. If I delete that record now, the trace will remain. Plus, we’ll be short a transportee. We can’t have that on our record.”
“In three,” Xander interjected.
Yanno’s hand cut through the air, like he had any chance of silencing Xander. “You know we’re not authorized to make random pickups. That’s how that whole alien abduction rort started. We have to quantify and qualify every move, both with the traders and with the Earth-bound authorities.”
“Two,” Xander’s voice rang out like the tolling bell of a moon shrine. As if I didn’t already know where Yanno was headed with his lecture.
“Hells,” Yanno shook his head. “I should have reined you in. The Daorheris are up for any reason to break the truce. If we make promises we don’t keep, even if it’s only related to trade, we run the risk of inflaming them. And you know that, as procurement officer, this kind of crap comes back to bite me, right? We never should have falsified this. We should’ve just hauled off to Austria. Australia?” Even he sounded confused by the similar names.
Shit-stirring him about his navigational screw-up was going to be worth plenty of drinks at the sleaze-easy, once we were planetside. “From what I recall, you were both down with covering up our mistake.” I’d never force my men to act against their best interest, but I wasn’t above gently reminding Yanno that, as chief navigation officer, the initial screw-up had been his. “But I will, of course, take full responsibility for the decision.” He was right about the Daorheris. Although they were far across the galaxy from Crasasi, they had made overtures toward a hostile takeover more than once. Only our trade channels with them seemed to currently ease the tensions.
“One.” Xander dropped his feet to the floor and sat forward.
Yanno blew out a long breath, ignoring my jibe. “Do you know what the penalty is for unauthorized collection? Chapter three, paragraph two of subsection seven is clear—”
“And that’s five xasa to me,” Xander crowed. “Pleasure doing business with you, gentlemen.”
I crossed to the control panel, flicking up a star path on the screen and double-checking Yanno’s plotted trajectory. Buying time to get my head straight.
Though I’d need far longer than the few seconds of routine navigation provided me.
Evidently, Stella had sucked my commonsense out along with my star-splash. Sure, I’d had that fleeting thought about not letting her go, but that had been caused by my momentary weakness. She’d caught me at a disadvantage.
I knew that Yanno was right. Logically, we had to hand the woman over to fill our quota.
I tapped a few additional co-ordinates into the program, then straightened and squared my shoulders. I was royalty. Bound by duty, obligation, ritual, and tradition, I would deliver this woman to the flesh markets to earn the purchase price of a suitable Crasasi bride.
Keeping a human as a pet was not an option.
At least, not beyond the refueling stop at Farisank.
Stella pointed to her ear. “Uh, guys, standing right here. And there’s a universal translator on your wrist-thingy, remember? I can hear every word you’re saying, even if I don’t entirely understand what it is you’re going on about. I thought we had the whole can-she-come-can’t-she-come thing sorted, now? My ASS is cool and didn’t get hit by CUM,” she grinned.
Had she not understood when I explained the noxious odor of CUM? Oh, wait. It meant something else to her.
Star-splash.
My groin tightened at the memory of her sticky-sweet taste, the hidden delights of her forest. And the possibility that she was teasing me, despite the presence of my comrades.
She slanted a glance at me, and my yakeet jerked in instant response. “Not yet, anyway,” she continued. “Though I’m hoping to rectify that. With some help, of course.”
Okay, so now I was damn well sure she was toying with me. And hells, I wanted to get her alone and play with her some more. She could further explain the differences in our language that had her so amused. And teach me some more of her intriguing practices.
She lifted her open hands in question, and the suit pulled tight into the cleft of her cunnusk. Not that I was staring, wondering how soon I could find my way back to that sweet spot. “So, what’s all the drama?”
Xander tapped his own cheek. “Thing is, you have a little something…”
“Oh my God, have I got…stuff…on my face?” Stella whispered loudly to me, as though every eye in the room wasn’t on her. She scrubbed frantically at her cheek.
“It won’t come off,” Xander chuckled. Evidently, he didn’t see the fact that the Royal Heir had marked an Earth woman to be an issue.
“What do you mean?” Her cheeks flamed red, but I wasn’t sure whether it was from her furious rubbing or from embarrassment.
“Star-splash is permanent,” Xander explained, apparently to the donkey-cat, who suddenly rattled like a faulty engine starting up.
“Star-splash?” Stella sniggered. But then her jaw dropped and her gaze snapped between me and Xander. “Wait, what do you mean, permanent?”
“The, ah, the secretions…” I waved a vague hand at her face, ignoring Xander’s chortle. They are a permanent marker.”
“Ew! What the heck for?” Stella dashed toward the control panel, where the interior lights of the command pod turned the viewing window into a reflective surface. She peered at her face in the glass.
Yanno and Xander both looked to me.
I looked to the donkey-cat. He seemed far less judgmental toward me than any of the other occupants of the craft, at that precise moment.
Xander obviously thought I needed help. “It is how the Crasasi mark our life mate,” he said to Stella.
“Bro, you’re supposed to have my back,” I muttered.
Judging by Stella’s huge eyes, marking was not a custom practiced by humans. “What the heck? You put, like, ownership tattoos on women’s faces?”
“No, no.” Damn, this leather coat was ridiculously hot. I tugged at the neck, trying to let in a little more air. Should have changed into my shipboard uniform. “We don’t mark our women’s faces. I mean, not normally. Not intentionally. But you kind of caught me by surprise.”
Xander wasn’t even trying to hide his laughter as Stella whirled to face me, her hands bunched on her hips. She looked like a tiny, ruffled dria bird.
With permanent star-splash markings on her face.
“By surprise? What kind of shit defense is that?” She yanked the front of her coverall open a little, checking her chest. Xander and Yanno leaned forward to also helpfully check. “This stuff can’t be permanent. I look like a dance club tragic from decades ago, wearing glitter on my face. And boobs.” She turned back to the window, licking her fingers and leaning in to scrub furiously at her face in the reflective surface. Oblivious to her magnificent breasts swinging dangerously close to the control panel.
“Look out!” Xander yelped, the donkey-cat tipping from his lap as he lunged forward to protect the buttons in imminent danger of being depressed.
“Stand down!” I snarled as I realized what was about to happen.
“Whoa!” Stella gasped.
Xander jerked to a rigid halt, but his hands remained where they were; each cupping one of Stella’s bountiful breasts, as though he’d dived in to catch a cup of spilling cava.
“Uh. Uh,” he stuttered, looking up at me, his expression torn between appalled and aroused.
Yanno barked with laughter and the donkey-cat darted from where it had landed on the floor, bounced off the control panel, and then backed up to a wall, hissing and spitting.
I’d lurched forward to shove Xander from my woman but whirled instead
toward the furred gray beast. “Is it venomous?” I tugged off my coat, ready to drop it over the threatening animal.
“Oh, for Pete’s sake,” Lily huffed.
“Pete?” Who was this Pete? She’d mentioned him before.
Lily straightened, reclosing the straining fastener on her garment, shot a dark look at Xander as though he’d deliberately grabbed her breasts — I’d grill him on that later — and then stalked over to the donkey-cat. “Cut it out, Ol’ Gray,” she said as she scooped the beast up and snuggled him against her chest.
He had no reason to look so put out; I happened to know that was a particularly comfortable position.
“Come, Stella, I will show you to my quarters,” I said. Yanno, Xander and I might work as a team, but I was taking command of this situation. And there’d be no team, where Stella was concerned. With two lunar cycles nowhere near enough for me to sate my desire, no way would I share this prize. In any case, for Royals, sharing was forbidden. Even in temporary-mates. Previously, with the shortage of female company, I’d been jealous of Yanno and Xander’s ability to share a mate. But now I’d jealously guard my own.
Yanno grumbled but didn’t meet my challenging glare, turning back to his controls instead.
I scowled at his back. It wasn’t like I didn’t understand his point.
I just didn’t care for his point.
Stella nodded and moved toward me, her breasts brushing my elbow.
I had other hard bits I’d prefer she press up against.
“I do need another shower,” she said.
“The sanitation unit? Won’t do you any good,” Yanno observed without turning.
“It’s only cum. It’ll wash off,” Stella snapped at him.
Xander tapped his wristcomm. “We need to get these translators recalibrated. They’re faulty.” A blush crept up his neck as his glance darted toward Stella’s breasts.
Yanno grunted. “Stella, you are marked with star-splash. Not by CUM. Their spray is invisible, just noxious. But, in any case, we weren’t breached; I took the ship into orbit before the CUM units got a fix on our heat signal.”