Business or Pleasure (The Department of Homeworld Security Book 3)

by Cassandra Chandler

  The ladder began to rise. Her heart was beating fast. Heights weren’t her thing. Even scarier, she realized she felt safe in Khel’s arms.

  And worst of all—she was starting to get used to it.

  Chapter Ten

  Finally, they were safely on his ship. Khel felt himself relax a bit more. He would breathe easier yet once they were on the Arbiter. Even though the hatch had closed, he held Paige tight against the ladder as he initiated the ship’s basic systems.

  “Ship, reengage cloak.” He paused, listening for the familiar buzz that let him know the cloak was back in place. Now for the tricky part. “Engage artificial gravity field—level zero only.”

  Slowly, weightlessness settled over them. Paige was still clinging to the ladder that had folded itself into the airlock wall as it lifted them into the ship. She looked over her shoulder at him, her eyes wide. Her hair floated around her face.

  He used his training to keep them in place, but couldn’t help but notice how her body drifted against his. Zero-G had always been an environment to be processed and adapted to. Experiencing it with Paige made it seem like an opportunity. He imagined the two of them in deep space together, turning off the gravity field and seeing what they could accomplish.

  “Lean into me,” he said. “You can trust me.”

  Her lips pressed tight again, but she relaxed a little. She had seemed afraid while the ladder ascended. Perhaps exploring Zero-G maneuvers with her would need to wait.

  He wrapped one leg around hers and lifted them both from what was normally the top of the airlock’s cabin. Arcing his back while keeping her pressed against him, he brought their feet to the floor ‘above’.

  Relative to Earth’s gravity field, they were upside-down—not that it mattered with his ship blocking that out. He twisted around using the ladder so they would be standing upright when the ship’s gravity kicked in, then gave the command.

  “Initiate standard gravity field.”

  He had never been more aware of the pull of the ship’s gravity on his body. He watched as Paige’s hair descended around her shoulders.

  Stars, he wanted to kiss her. But she still looked distressed.

  “Are you all right?” he asked.

  “I’m a little stunned, I guess. Are we upside-down?”

  “Only relative to Earth’s gravity.”

  “This is so weird.” She glanced around the small airlock. “I’m on an actual spaceship. In an artificial gravity field.”

  “Let me show you the rest of the ship.”

  Especially the sleeping chamber. It was located just on the other side of the airlock wall, but there wasn’t direct access. Instead, they would need to descend into the main cabin of the ship, then climb another ladder to reach it.

  He placed his palm on the panel that would open the hatch to the rest of the ship. Hand and footholds were set into the wall below.

  “Let me go first,” he said.

  He barely fit through the hatch and always found the holding spots too closely spaced. When he reached the floor, he could still touch her if he stretched. Skimmers were not designed with Khel’s dimensions in mind. They were meant to be snug even for normal Sadirians, both for efficiency and safety. If the gravity field malfunctioned, they wouldn’t have far to fall.

  Paige stared down at him for a few moments before cautiously sitting next to the hatch and swinging her legs over the edge. She passed him her bag, which he set on the floor.

  “You’ll catch me, right?”

  “Of course.”

  “I just…don’t like heights. And it is seriously messing with me thinking that I would actually be falling up toward outer space.”

  “Then don’t think about it. Come to me.”

  She smirked, but slid over the edge, not even bothering with the wall. He caught her easily enough.

  “That was amazing,” she said.

  Every new experience they had shared amazed him. Even simply standing as he was, holding her with her arms wrapped around his neck, knowing that he could kiss her, touch her, and it would feel…natural.

  He lowered her to the floor so she could look around. Following her, he tried to imagine his ship from her perspective.

  The main cabin of the skimmer was like all Coalition ships. The design was minimalistic, with controls built into the walls identifiable only by etchings in the otherwise smooth metal. Once activated, readouts and command options would illuminate on the displays.

  Grooves in the walls at various stations acted as hand-holds and places to connect safety straps that extended from their uniforms in the case of sudden gravity loss. He should probably change back into his uniform, but found Earth clothes to be quite comfortable. Plus he already associated them with extremely positive experiences.

  “Is there a way we can see outside?” she asked.

  He walked to the appropriate controls and opened the screens that covered the ship’s viewports. He wondered what she thought of seeing the world upside-down. As he hoped, she smiled as she approached.

  “That is trippy. It really feels like we’re the ones who are right-side up.”

  “Space travel is one of the most important cornerstones of the Coalition. Addressing the issue of artificial gravity was a necessary early step in the development of our society. It was worked out millennia ago.”

  “Before things became peaceful and you guys stopped inventing things.”

  He didn’t have a response to that. He couldn’t deny that the Coalition hadn’t been making many technological advancements lately. Like in the last few centuries. Even genetic engineering advancements were simply fine-tuning the process to perfect the desired results and minimize glitches like him.

  “So you can cloak your ships but not your weapons,” she said.

  “Portable tech is too small to contain cloaking generators. Otherwise it wouldn’t be an issue.”

  “I still think the Coalition should work on that. At least blocking scans, even if the stuff isn’t completely cloaked. Maybe build in a self-destruct sequence if you don’t key in a unique identifier within a specified timeframe or something.”

  That could actually work, if any of the decision-makers still cared enough to try to improve procedures. “I’ll relay your suggestion as soon as we get to the Arbiter.”

  “I guess we’ll be heading out soon, then?”

  “Actually, we need to wait until nightfall. There’s always a chance that the cloak will fail. Protocol dictates that arrivals and departures in urban areas of non-Coalition planets happen at night. That’s also why skimmers have dark hulls.”

  “Can we at least send them a message with what we discovered?”

  “I think we should wait.” He could have insisted, but knew she would appreciate being part of the decision. He wanted her to be part of the decision. “The first Tau Ceti that attacked us escaped. It’s undoubtedly informed its superiors that I’m in the area. Since the three that attacked your office building didn’t return, they must know we haven’t left yet. They’ll be scanning for us actively. We should send the transmission right before we leave.”

  “I guess that makes sense. It won’t be dark for hours, though.” She smiled up at him. “What would you like to do to fill the time?”

  He smiled back, putting his hands on her waist and pulling her closer. “There’s one more section of the ship you haven’t seen yet. The sleeping chamber.”

  She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’m not tired.”

  “I am very glad to hear that.”

  He bent down to kiss her, memorizing the softness of her lips, the velvet feel of her tongue. Slowly, he walked them back to the recesses that acted as hand and footholds set into the wall that led to the sleeping chamber. He lightened his kiss and reached out to press his hand against the access panel for the hatch above. She pulled away as it slid open, glancing up.

  “I’ll be right behind you,” he said.

  She nodded, then turned and started up the wa
ll. He helped her find the places to put her hands and feet, letting his grip linger on her backside as she climbed. When she reached the top, she disappeared over the edge. He followed her quickly.

  The sleeping chamber was even more cramped than the main cabin. Khel bent over a bit to avoid hitting his head on the ceiling. Paige had no trouble standing upright in the small space.

  “Cozy,” she said. She angled her head toward the regen bed. “Do you even fit in that?”

  “Barely.” He was using Adam’s skimmer, which had a specially crafted regen bed that was larger than most. Adam was a few inches shorter than Khel, but the bed had been made with extra room for his comfort. Khel’s toes touched one end while his hair brushed the other.

  “The floor looks pretty comfortable,” she said. “And it’s a lot more spacious.”

  “I sometimes use it for rest.” He rolled out the mat he had brought along for that purpose.

  “Nice.”

  She pulled her shirt over her head and tossed it on the floor. Khel lowered himself to his knees to better watch her. She smiled as she kicked off her shoes and reached down to pull off her socks. Then she undid her jeans and slowly slid them down her legs. She stepped out of them and tossed them away.

  The undergarments she wore were a matching pale blue. He hadn’t really noticed that before. He had seen stars a similar shade. The fabric looked soft, with intricate designs woven into it. He wondered what it would feel like against his skin.

  “I’m getting way ahead of you, Khel. Might want to catch up.”

  He drew his shirt over his head and cast it aside, then shifted to sit so he could take off his boots and socks. Undressing in front of her, he felt oddly vulnerable. She had been graceful in her movements, making it a sensual dance. He couldn’t even stand up in the room.

  “Hold on a moment,” she said. “Could you kneel for me again?”

  He happily did as she asked.

  “We have plenty of time,” she said. “I want us to enjoy ourselves.”

  She knelt in front of him, then placed her hands on his hips and guided him to rise up on his knees. Then she undid his jeans for him, as she had before. This time, her soft smile alluded to pleasures he could barely imagine. He was trying, though.

  He thought of resting above her, his penis buried deep in her warm, pulsing core. Or with her on top, her breasts rubbing against his chest as she moved on him. He was glad he had forced himself to study the logistics of sex, even though he had never planned to use Coupling.

  He still never planned to use it.

  She reached into his jeans, gently running her fingertips over his rigid shaft. Arcs of pleasure ran through his body. She continued the feather-light touches for a few more moments before wrapping her fingers around him and gently moving her hand up and down.

  “Paige,” he moaned.

  “Yes?” She increased the pressure of her grip. His eyes rolled shut.

  “Coupling—”

  Her hand stopped moving on him, but she didn’t let him go. “I have no interest in trying out your space sex drug.”

  His eyes snapped open and he laughed. “That isn’t what I was about to suggest.”

  “Oh. Well, good.” She started moving her hand again and he groaned.

  “Coupling prevents pregnancy. My people are still fertile, even though we’re genetically engineered.”

  “We don’t have to worry about that. I have an IUD. It prevents pregnancy.”

  “Excellent.” The word came out like a purr and she laughed.

  “And we already covered the whole disease thing,” she said. “I know you said you’re inoculated against Earth stuff, but I do get tested regularly and have always used condoms before.”

  “What’s a condom?”

  She laughed. “Some day I’ll show you one. Might be fun to change things up.”

  She paused again, her brow furrowing for the briefest of moments.

  “What is it?”

  “Nothing.” She shook her head and smiled, but it seemed a bit forced. “I want to focus on this moment. Let’s not think of anything else. Just you and me and right now. Deal?”

  No thoughts of duty or the Tau Ceti or the Arbiter awaiting them. Only Paige, and her cool touch and warm heart. Her passion.

  He could do that.

  “Agreed.”

  “Excellent.” She grinned as she mimicked his statement from earlier. Then she bent her head to him and drew him into her mouth.

  So much pleasure. Warmth and wetness cascading along his nerve endings as she swirled her tongue around his crown and flicked it over the length of his shaft.

  He wanted to touch her. He buried his fingers in her hair, gently encouraging her, trying to keep himself from plummeting over the edge into the ecstasy she promised. He felt himself getting too close, and just before he said something, she stopped.

  “Lay back for me,” she said.

  Unable to form words, he simply obeyed. How could she read his body so well? She pulled his jeans from his legs, then reached behind her back to unclasp her bra. Rising, she slid off her panties, then stood with one leg on either side of him.

  Was she contemplating falling on top of him and letting him plunge into her immediately? His penis jerked at the thought. But he wanted to give her the same pleasure she had been giving him.

  He sat up, which brought him perfectly in range to reciprocate. Her legs were long enough the he only had to arch his back a bit to press a kiss to the softest folds of her flesh.

  He brought his hands first to her buttocks, kneading her flesh and tracing their curves. She moaned as he pressed deeper with his tongue, flicking her clitoris as she had done to his shaft.

  Resting one arm behind her to help stabilize her, he used his free hand to delve into her with first one, then two fingers. Her body took him in eagerly. He added a third, and she gasped, stiffening and pulling away.

  “Too soon,” she said. “I want the next one to be together.”

  He nodded, though he had no idea how to achieve that objective.

  “Tell me what to do.”

  She put her hands on his shoulders, pushing him to the floor and joining him, knees on either side of his hips. She kissed him with a tenderness and passion that left him breathless. Then she shifted her kisses along his chin and jaw, making her way to his neck just below his ear. Goosebumps rippled across the surface of his body. Her voice was a breathy whisper.

  “We just need to listen to our bodies and share what we’re experiencing, especially when we’re getting closer to the edge.” She nuzzled his ear. “It’s like electricity humming just above your skin, leaving you wondering when the lighting will strike.”

  Chapter Eleven

  That lightning was already gathering in Paige’s body. Khel had almost sent her over the edge with his unexpected and amazing foreplay. She was glad he seemed as worked up as she was. But she wanted to make sure they were in synch.

  She lowered her hips to his, pressing his shaft into her slit. Sliding over his length, she brought herself back toward that edge, letting her body wet him and help them both be ready for him to enter her. His dick was huge, and she wanted to enjoy every second of him without a moment of discomfort.

  His breath was hitching and his eyes were closed, his fingers clasping her ass and squeezing as she moved. Yeah, they were probably both ready. Still, she hesitated.

  She had never let a man into her body without a condom before. Beyond knowing that there was minimal risk of physical consequences, the intimacy they were about to share was something she had never allowed herself with anyone.

  Khel isn’t just anyone.

  She pushed the thought out of her head. They weren’t supposed to be thinking—just experiencing. Focusing on each other and the pleasure they were sharing. Everything else could wait.

  With one last long glide along his shaft, she lined up his crown and began slowly inching down over him. He was thick, spreading her flesh, making her feel tight
. She let out a slow breath, willing her body to relax, to expand to welcome him. She had to back off a few times, sliding him most of the way out before easing him back in. Finally, she sat back, taking him in fully, his dick filling her.

  She didn’t dare move. If she did, she would go off. Judging by the look on his face, he was in the same boat. His eyebrows had drawn together so tight, they were forming a single line across his forehead. The idea almost made her giggle, which was good. It helped her to cool off, to gain some distance.

  “Take a deep breath and let it out slowly,” she said.

  He complied without opening his eyes. The wrinkles between his eyebrows lessened infinitesimally.

  “Good,” she said. “Now talk to me. Tell me what you’re feeling.”

  He shook his head.

  “It might help you last longer.”

  He swallowed hard. “I don’t want…this to end. Ever.”

  She smiled, then slowly inched up along his shaft. The friction was setting off spirals of pleasure that echoed through her, resonating along her skin.

  “We can always do it again.” She slid back down, taking him all the way in. “And again, and again.”

  He finally opened his eyes. So much passion. Such intensity.

  It scared her.

  “Not the sex,” he said. “You. Being with you. I don’t want—”

  She kissed him before he could say anything else. Her heart was hammering in her chest.

  She didn’t do commitment. She wasn’t that girl. She answered her body’s needs, had the occasional fun romp, and always—always—walked away.

  But with Khel…she didn’t want to.

  These thoughts were unwelcome. She shifted her focus to her body, to the ecstatic feeling of his dick filling her, pulling against her flesh. She tightened the muscles of her core, milking him, pushing him closer to the edge as she increased her pace.

  Sitting back, she felt him rock into her, his hips pumping, grip tightening. The sensations were swirling around where they connected—were connected. Physically. Just physically.