Sex or Suffer [Dark Colony 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Lara Santiago

  The lust in her eyes was visceral, but he wasn’t about to consummate in a public corridor on his ship. He kissed her mouth hard in an effort to distract her, lifted her into his arms and carried her the rest of the way at a fast trot.

  His room was the closest and from the pain-filled sounds now emanating from her throat she was past her limit of endurance. Gray fairly launched them into his room locking the door on the way in.

  Little screams of pain came out with each breath as Penelope tore at her clothes. The excruciating pain registering on her face broke his heart. No one should have to endure this. He opened his uniform enough to get his stiffening cock out and pushed her to his bunk. Thrusting his dick deeply inside, her first sound of pleasure released a welcoming sound. He pumped inside of her hard and fast in an effort to come quickly and end her pain.

  The tight slick grip of her pussy made the task easier, and five strokes later he climaxed with a growl. The instant his semen shot inside of her body, she released a long deep sigh as if the pain of a fiery internal inferno had been doused at long last.

  “Ohmigod,” she whispered in a tearful sob and hugged him tight.

  “It’s okay,” he managed still panting from the exertion and trying to ignore the sublime pleasure of the orgasm he’d just had.

  “No, it’s not okay. That crew member in the medical lab saw me…he saw what I did to you…” She trailed off into babbling sobs as she clutched him tight.

  Gray held her close as she wept murmuring reassurances until she quieted a few minutes later.

  Still five days away from their destination, Gray’s wishful attitude waned and the first seed of doubt over this journey’s success grew decisively in his mind.

  * * * *

  Angelica, tucked behind a structural reinforcement column in the hallway outside the medical lab, wasn’t seen by Captain Wyckoff…or the distressed Dr. Drake, who clung to him with her hand gripped to the captain’s cock through the front of his trousers. She’d been so shocked at the display, she wouldn’t have been able to speak even if she had been able to think of something to say.

  Whatever was going on with their elusive and singular passenger, Dr. Drake, it didn’t have anything to do with a delicate lung condition. Less than a minute later, Cahill exited the medical lab tucking his uniform shirt into his slacks as if he’d just gotten dressed.

  Angelica’s lovelorn feelings rode along the arm crease of her uniform jacket for all the world to see. She stepped from behind the column and called out, “Cahill!” before prudence could prevent her outburst.

  He turned with a wide-eyed surprise and replied, “Angelica.”

  “What the fuck were you just doing, Ensign?”

  His head turned first in the direction the captain had just gone before returning his puzzled gaze back to her. Eyebrows raised he said, “I was getting my quarterly physical, Lieutenant.”

  “Really? It looked like something else entirely.”

  “Did it?” Cahill put his hands on his waist and a sudden grin split his gorgeous face. “Are you jealous, Lieutenant Brice?”

  “I…” Shit. Yes, I’m insane with jealousy. “I just saw…” She didn’t finish her sentence and pointed down the hall where Dr. Drake and the captain had disappeared. “Never mind. I was obviously mistaken. And no, I’m not jealous.” Liar, liar, pants on fire. “Would you like to go to the training room and spar a few rounds? I need to burn off some energy.” Angelica had been on her way to find Cahill for some sexual calisthenics when the lights went out. She knew Dr. Drake was in the medical lab working on something and had redirected her path to check on their only passenger.

  “Sorry, Lieutenant, as appealing as a spar session with you to burn off energy would be, I’ve been ordered to the command deck to take over for the captain’s shift temporarily.” He backed up a couple of steps in the direction of the bridge.

  “May I accompany you?”

  He flashed his nova bright grin again and shrugged. “Sure.” He motioned her forward.

  Together they marched all the way to the command deck without saying another word. Cahill slid into the captain’s chair, checked the course headings and then turned his attention to her. Angelica relished the chance to be alone with Cahill.

  “What were you doing down in the medical lab hallway, Angelica? Following me?”

  His tone sounded light, but Angelica hesitated to admit she’d been looking for him prior to her detour to find Dr. Drake. She’d been fairly skipping around all morning waiting for Cahill to get off duty so she could lure him back to her room for a repeat performance of the last time they were together. After waiting around for an hour, she’d gone looking for him, but didn’t relish admitting it.

  Fearful that her strong and growing attachment for Cahill didn’t mirror his own feelings, she took a more dismissive tone. “No. I wasn’t following you. When the lights went out I went to see if Dr. Drake was okay.”

  “Why? What’s wrong with her?”

  “When she arrived here she was placed in the old quarantine cabin next to the captain’s quarters. I was told she needed to be separated from the ship’s main life support because she has a delicate lung condition.”

  Cahill snorted once but apparently thought better of his expressive reaction to Angelica’s information about Dr. Drake and didn’t comment further.

  Angelica approached him. “What do you know?”

  “Nothing.” Cahill shifted in the captain’s seat and refused to look her in the eyes.

  “Well, what happened in the medical lab earlier?”

  “Nothing,” he repeated. This time the word came with a stern look as if he was through answering questions. “Let’s talk about something else.”

  “Like what?”

  Cahill put one elbow on the armrest and leaned forward until his face, and more importantly his mouth, was inches from hers. “I’d like to see you again, Lieutenant. Am I stepping out of line?”

  Angelica swallowed hard and inched closer. “No. Not out of line.” The very scent of him being this close aroused her to the point of idiocy. With no one around, she was hard-pressed not to take advantage of his lips. Now that they’d consummated their relationship, she spent too much time thinking about not only what they’d already done, but what might possibly happen next.

  He smiled, but leaned back and settled into the captain’s chair. “Once the captain comes back to relieve me, I’ll come and find you. We can chat.”

  Did “chat” have anything to do with sex? “Chat about what?”

  “For starters, the complications a shipboard romance has on crew members whenever they are within a few feet of each other during duty hours.”

  “Shipboard romance?” Angelica sucked in a deep breath and backed up a step. “Don’t flatter yourself, Ensign Lothario. I don’t need you—”

  Cahill snagged her forearm in one hand and pulled her two short steps back to where she’d been. “Relax, Lieutenant Brice. It wasn’t intended as an insult.” He loosened his grip and cleared his throat. His expression softened.

  Angelica blinked once, but otherwise didn’t move a muscle. Cahill’s hand gripped her arm and she was afraid to move for fear he’d release her. “Okay. Fine. Tell me now whatever you want to say.”

  “When I saw you downstairs outside the med lab, I wanted to slam you against the nearest wall and plunge my cock inside you so deeply you’d climax screaming my name with a single thrust.”

  “Is that so?” Angelica whispered. “I had no idea.”

  His lips formed a sardonic smile and he nodded. “It took months, but I’d finally learned to fight the blood sinking out of my brain and throbbing erections when in your immediate presence.” His voice then lowered to a whisper, “However, now that I’ve tasted you, it’s excruciating to be this close to you knowing that I can’t touch you.”

  Her gaze rested on his hand still gripping her arm. “You are touching me.”

  “Not in the way that I want to be touching y
ou, Angelica.” He was so close that if she stuck her tongue out, she’d come in contact with his mouth. Cahill was right. Being this close was dangerous to both of their careers.

  Pulling gently out of his grasp, Angelica smiled and replied, “Good to know because I lied. I do need you, Cahill. I’ll be in my quarters. Don’t make me wait too long.” His sudden laughter followed her to the door of the command deck.

  The door to the command deck slid open and admitted two crewmembers before she’d made it to the sensor. Angelica’s heart skipped a beat. If they’d come in a couple of minutes sooner, she and Cahill would have been possibly compromised. They needed to be more cautious. Correction, “she” needed to be more circumspect.

  Before she made it to the exit, the on-board computer alert alarm sounded and stated, “Incoming priority video message from the underground command center on Echo Province.”

  Cahill responded immediately, “Who is it from?”

  “Lieutenant Commander Tyndall of the Mirage.”

  “Put it on the forward screen.”

  Angelica turned back as the Lieutenant Commander’s face filled the large screen facing the captain’s chair.

  “Ensign Cahill,” Nathan drawled with a hint of surprise. “What are you doing in the captain’s chair, soldier boy? Crew assignments sure have gotten interesting since I’ve been gone.”

  “We’re on an ‘interesting’ new trip?”

  Nathan grinned. “Well, now ‘interesting trips’ always spice up the flavor of flying. Where’s Wyckoff?”

  “He’s off duty. I’m filling in.” Cahill straightened in his chair

  “Where’s Lieutenant Brice?”

  Angelica stepped forward into the view of the forward screen. “I’m right here, sir.”

  Nathan’s signature drawl was in full swing. “So tell me, what’s going on? Why is the Dalton currently speeding its way to the Parsec Colony? I thought you all were scheduled for two weeks of recreation time on Bravura.”

  “The captain accepted passage from a doctor needing to retrieve a cure. How did you know where we were going?”

  “I just received a message from Gray a few moments ago that he apparently sent days ago. Shit gets lost in space more than it gets through, but ultimately I’m grateful for you being headed this way. I’ve got some trouble here on Echo Province. I hate to send you off course and out of the way, but the Rycan delegates I escorted here are all in an uproar. I’m going to need an immediate evacuation off the planet. Put me through to Gray, and I’ll give him the particulars, would you please?”

  “Yes, sir. Let me put you on hold and locate him on the ship.”

  “Roger that, standing by.” The screen went to solid blue.

  Cahill ran a hand down his face and quickly twisted to face Angelica. “Your opinion, please. Dare I disturb the captain in his quarters, or wherever he is, when he specifically asked not to be bothered for an hour?”

  Angelica glanced at the blue screen and then shrugged. “It’s a priority message. I don’t think you have a choice.”

  “Tell me, Lieutenant Brice. If you were sitting here in this chair running the show, would you make the call?”

  She straightened her posture realizing he asked as a peer. He wanted the value of her opinion meaning he respected it. If she didn’t love him before, he’d just pushed her into a never before feeling of camaraderie. “I would make the call.”

  Slanting a gaze to one side he inhaled, exhaled and then pushed the button for the captain’s quarters. In a softer than normal tone he said, “Captain Wyckoff?”

  * * * *

  Penelope shook so hard her teeth rattled in her mouth. “What do you think he’ll do?”

  “Nothing.” Gray hugged her tight trying to reassure her fears, but she was in a blind panic. Ensign Cahill had seen her in action. Not only acting crazy and backing away from him in fear when he only tried to help her after the lights went out in the med lab, but also once the door opened and Gray came inside.

  Then Cahill had seen what she did to Gray, heard what she said to him.

  If Gray had allowed her to do what she wanted, she would have stripped bare and fucked him on the med lab table while everyone, including the Artificial Intelligent medical robot, stood by and watched. The mere thought of a public display of her nasty virus cure sent a fresh wave of chills across her body. Another sob escaped.

  She remembered the force of Gray’s scent striking her lungs like a solid object had entered her body. The virus had come on so fast she hadn’t even had time to reason any idea but one single thought. Get Gray out of his clothing as fast as possible and fuck him.

  “But what if he—”

  Squeezing her harder, Gray whispered urgently in her ear. “Penelope, he won’t do anything. I promise. I’ll order Ensign Cahill to forget what he saw…and he will.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Positive. I’m the captain of this vessel, Penelope. My word is the law. Trust me.”

  “But what if he sees me on the ship?”

  “What if he does? He still won’t comment. Besides it’s unlikely you’ll see him again. I don’t imagine you’ll spend the rest of your time aboard running loose though the corridors of the ship, will you?”

  She huffed. “I’m never leaving your quarters ever again.”

  “As appealing as that is, I think it might be difficult to explain.”

  Penelope snuggled closer to his body. “I don’t care.” Like the first time they’d been together, Gray hadn’t even gotten his uniform completely off before he’d taken action to relieve her suffering.

  “Captain Wyckoff?” Cahill’s voice echoed through the small cabin, and Penelope slid the sheet over her head in utter fearful panic.

  Gray detached himself from her, exited the bed and crossed to the communication device. His response was a very abrupt, “What do you want?”

  “There’s a priority message from the Mirage, and its captain. Says it’s urgent and he’s standing by waiting to speak to you. Want me to patch him through?”

  “No, tell him to keep standing by. I’ll return to the command deck in a few minutes.”

  “Yes, sir. Cahill out.”

  Penelope sat up in bed. “You have to leave.” It was a statement not a question. She folded her arms across her body as if a chill had suddenly swept through the room, but a blush registered on her cheeks.

  Gray ran one hand over the top of his head through his short golden locks and then started straightening his uniform. “I’m supposed to be on duty. Cahill is covering for me.”

  “I know. I wish he hadn’t seen me in my give-me-sex-right-now condition. He likely thinks I’m insane.”

  “He doesn’t. I’ll order him to forget what he saw. Get dressed and I’ll take you to your room.”

  “I can get there by myself.” The dejected tone in her voice was almost more than he could bear.

  “I don’t mean to desert you right now, but I need to tend to my other responsibilities as captain of this ship.”

  Her head came up. She fixed a warm gaze on him. “I know. Go on. I’ll be fine. I promise.”

  “Don’t forget to run the cleansing program once you’re locked in your cabin.”

  “I won’t.”

  Gray finished fastening his uniform and turned to leave. “I’ll contact you later on once I’m alone.”

  Penelope slid her legs over the side of the bunk in time to see him do an about face and return. He squatted next to the bed, took her face in his hands gently and put a tender kiss on her lips. “I may not be back for quite a while. So don’t fret, okay?”

  She kissed him in return. “I promise not to fret.”

  “There’s something I need to tell you.” He took one hand and kissed her palm. “I care about you, Penelope. Once you obtain your permanent cure, I’m still going to want to see you again.”

  “You don’t have to—”

  Gray cut her off with one more passionate kiss before adding, “Oh. I kn
ow I don’t have to do anything. But the truth is I’m getting extremely attached to you, Dr. Drake. Will you promise to consider that once you’re cured?” He grinned and Penelope was struck by a realization. Gray was quite possibly the most attractive man she’d ever seen in her life. He was certainly the most caring and devoted man she’d ever been with and technically they’d never dated. She’d be foolish to throw him over for any reason.

  Cupping his cheek with one hand, she kissed the corner of his mouth. “I promise.”

  He exited the cabin and a fresh rush of guilt washed through Penelope. Promising Gray a meeting with the trade governor was a betrayal he’d likely never forgive her for once he discovered it. She didn’t deserve his forgiveness anyway for putting him through so many hoops for a reward he wouldn’t receive.

  * * * *

  Gray raced to the command deck to relieve Ensign Cahill and pondered what explanations would have to be rendered to satisfy his curiosity. Likely Gray could merely say, “I order you to forget about what you saw or heard with regard to our passenger, Dr. Drake.”

  Cahill was a former member of the regiment planetary militia. Military types rarely demanded an explanation for anything, but the Dalton wasn’t a martial vessel and Gray’s leadership style wasn’t “Do as I say and shut up,” as a rule.

  He stepped on to the command deck where he found both Angelica and Cahill with heads bent as if a confidential conversation took place. Great.

  Cahill jumped up from the captain’s chair and didn’t look him directly in the eye. Angelica, on the other hand, fixed an oddly rebellious stare on his face and didn’t look away.

  “Lieutenant Commander Tyndall is waiting on the line, sir,” Cahill announced before Gray even took his second step inside the room.

  “Put it on the forward screen.”

  Pushing a button on his communication device, Cahill brought Nathan’s visibly irate face onto the large wall of the command deck.