Cosmic Trifecta

by Anna Lewis

  Ajax chuckled, a soft, low sound, and Janice heard the door swing open. Panic rushed through her all at once, but Ajax held her firm. He murmured low and soft, “I think we might be able to persuade Lucas, don’t you?”

  It took Janice a moment to realize what he meant and she found herself blushing red, a deep flush running across her skin. Lucas was here and Ajax thought that this was a good way to get him to see their point of view! The thought embarrassed Janice, but she couldn’t deny that the thought was sending heat flushing through her, desire that could not be quenched.

  She shivered, but when Ajax relaxed his grip, Janice didn’t pull away.

  “Good,” he murmured, low and possessive and Janice moaned right there and then.

  “Are you from the Black Dragons?” Lucas’s voice echoed through the room, sounding very conversational considering the situation he had just walked into. Janice sensed his presence behind her and she shut her eyes, thrills running through her.

  “Yeah, I happen to be. I was hoping we could settle this.”

  Lucas laughed, and it was starkly different to Ajax’s. “We’ll see,” he murmured.

  Then Janice felt him behind her, felt his hands on her skirt, lifting it up and caressing her skin. She was suddenly very aware of the fact that she wasn’t wearing any underwear. She blushed harder and felt a jolt as Ajax pushed a little further within her. She blushed and parted her thighs. Lucas moved behind her and, unlike Ajax, he didn’t wait.

  Janice felt his length pressing against her, felt his girth between her legs and moaned. She was low because of the chair and when Lucas pushed within her, she couldn’t help but gasp in pleasure. The rhythm was thrust upon her and Janice shut her eyes and gasped.

  Pleasure and enjoyment were rushing through her in sweet, electric waves. The desire to have them was overwhelming and Janice couldn’t believe herself and what she was doing. It was too much to believe, too much to keep in mind all at once and she found herself focusing instead on the sensations and the desire.

  She could feel her own climax approaching fast and she shut her eyes and rocked into the sweet sensations. The pleasure crashed down on her quickly, threatening to drown her with its intensity, overwhelming her in sweet waves as she climaxed hard and fast. She shivered, she tightened and she felt Lucas grab her hips as his own pleasure hit and he pushed into her deeper.

  Ajax followed soon after with a low groan and Janice was left gasping for air as she blushed and swallowed and tried to focus on something other than the ebbing desire that burned through her body. Shivering, she gasped as Ajax and Lucas both pulled out.

  Lucas’s arms wrapped around her first and pulled her into his lap. With a smirk, confident and breathless, Ajax grabbed her panties and slowly slipped them over her calves and up her thighs. Janice blushed and pulled down her skirt, adjusting her underwear as Lucas kissed her neck.

  Finally, they regained their strength. Janice was helped to her feet and she sat at the table, both men straightening up and joining her. There was a long period of silence, which Lucas finally broke with a smile.

  “Look, I can probably work something out.” He glanced across at Janice. “I’d rather not make a mess of things and pick sides with a girl like Janice involved.” He leaned back into the chair. “I might be able to work something out with the law too, we’ll see.”

  With that he stood, took Janice’s hand and pressed his lips to the back of it. “Until next time.”

  Ajax didn’t say a word, watching as Lucas left, wandering out and shutting the door behind himself. Just as quickly as he arrived, he was gone, leaving nothing in his wake, but the trembling memory of pleasure and a trace of hope in the situation.

  Janice cast her eyes at Ajax and he grinned easily, shrugging. “It worked.”

  “You could have consulted me.” Janice looked at him sternly, but her head still felt light with happiness.

  “Yeah, but we didn’t have much time.” He was infuriatingly smug and calm and Janice shook her head, unable to stop the smile. “You’re just lucky I was okay with it.”

  “Yeah.” Ajax smirked. “Very lucky.” Then he leaned in and kissed her, slow and soft this time.

  Janice melted into it and sighed. Things were finally, finally looking up.

  ***

  The next few weeks seemed to pass in a blur. Janice spent many hours working at the bar, sneaking away to see Ajax whenever possible. Sometimes, he came to visit her at work, ordering a couple of drinks and talking at the bar when she had a spare moment.

  Business was picking up nicely, enough that Janice could comfortably hire more staff with Charlie, to ease the load that was being put onto them. This, in turn, resulted in more time off for the both of them and Janice was very happy to finally be getting a full night’s sleep every now and then. It was a relief and she was feeling so much better for it.

  Things still hadn’t been cleared up fully, but Ajax was on it and she heard that Lucas was shifting things in their favor. She had to smile, and her body still trembled at the memory of the night with just the three of them. It had been dirty and naughty and she couldn’t look at that table without remembering.

  She snuck looks at Ajax too and often caught him glancing in that direction, before giving her a slow, meaningful wink.

  Their relationship showed no sign of slowing down, and the romance between them was blossoming into something more than just a one night stand. She liked him. She liked his company and she was not ashamed of it.

  His electric eyes, his wild side, rides on his bikes, and hours in his arms. Janice loved every bit of it and she wouldn’t trade it for the world. It was everything that she had never, ever dared to even dream about. Raised in suburbia, this would have seemed insane to her.

  She should have a nice stable job with a nice stable relationship with some guy in an office. Her psychology degree was waiting, but all she could think about was nights at the bar and longer nights with Ajax. It was better than anything she had dreamt of. It was more dangerous, but in return, it was also more real.

  It was more honest and Janice liked that. She liked that a lot and she would not have it any other way.

  It was several weeks later that Ajax swung around the bar before her shift with a smirk on his face. “You free?”

  “I have to work.” Janice smiled, knowing that Ajax knew this.

  He nodded. “Good thing I got Charlie to cover it for you. You’re coming with me.”

  “Am I just?” Janice’s smile grew and she placed her hands on her hips.

  “You are, and I know you won’t regret it.”

  “Bold claims.” Their eyes met and Ajax smiled.

  “I’m all about bold claims.”

  She followed him to his bike and pulled on the helmet. A few moments later and they were taking off from the parking lot and down the highway. Janice was not about to complain. She let it happen, happy to fly down the road, her arms clutching his jacket, her heart soaring freely above them. She loved the thrill of the bike. She loved the thrill of Ajax, of the way he held her, the way he handled the bike, the hidden danger of a dragon that lurked beneath his skin, flashes of which she saw in the heat of passion, in the heat of anger.

  When he finally pulled to a stop it was in the middle of nowhere, along the edge of a huge ravine. Janice felt her heart shiver in awe and he parked the bike, kicking down the stand.

  “I have something for you.” He smirked, and handed her an envelope.

  “You had to take me all the way out here?” Janice smiled in confusion.

  He shrugged. “I’m a romantic guy.”

  Janice laughed and opened the envelope with trembling fingers. She pulled out the papers contained within and scanned them. Her heart missed a beat.

  It was the deed to the property that she and her sister owned, signed and paid for in both of their names. A small disclosure added that the Black Dragons reserved the right to visit the property (but not the upper apartments).

  Jani
ce realized quickly what this meant. Firstly, it meant that she and her sister finally owned the property that they had been working so hard to pay off. They owned it and the chances of having to leave were minimal.

  Secondly, the turf war was finally over and the Black Dragons had won. Everything was secure. Lucas had come through and made sure that, legally, the Reds had no recourse and that the Black Dragons, and her family, were safe and secure. Janice felt dizzy.

  It felt like her whole world was spinning and she was going to pass out. She smiled and laughed and flung her arms around Ajax, hugging him tightly, “Oh my gosh!”

  Janice couldn’t think of anything else to say, laughter bubbling out of her chest and tumbling like water over pebbles. Ajax laughed and hugged her in return.

  “Thank you!” she gasped, at that moment, not even caring how it had happened. They had worked so hard for this and to finally, finally have it happen was almost more than Janice could handle. Her lips were on Ajax’s and they kissed, long and deep and passionate, letting any lingering worries wash away in the feelings of happiness and love that were overflowing from Janice.

  Ajax was grinning as they pulled away and Janice noticed that he looked even better in the sparkling sun of dusk. The light fell across his face and she drank in his features, feeling her heart swell with happiness and love. Perfect, just perfect.

  “You’re welcome.” His voice was soft, so different from usual, and Janice found herself blushing. The moment was quiet and still and when he brushed her hair away from her forehead, Janice couldn’t help the love that bubbled up in her chest.

  “I love you.” The words were out before she could stop herself and she blushed. Ajax froze and for a second, Janice was sure that she had said the wrong thing and ruined the perfect moment, the perfect evening and the end to a fantastic few weeks.

  Instead, Ajax smiled and there was a genuine emotion in his eyes that Janice was not used to seeing. He met her gaze and smiled, looking into her eyes. Murmuring softly he replied, “And I love you.”

  Then he swept Janice into his arms and held her tightly. Janice clutched the papers in one hand, and Ajax in another and realized, with a startling sort of clarity, that everything was right in the world.

  This was perfect, absolutely perfect, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

  This was where she was meant to be, and she loved every second of it.

  THE END

  = Bonus Book 4 of 20 =

  Healing the Alien’s Heart

  Raven’s jet black hair threatened to cascade down her face as she peered into the open cavity of an amber colored Arbogodian who travelled weeks through space just to get into her clinic. With its three hearts beating out of sync, she worked her gloved hands around the being’s organs, trying to get them all in rhythm. The slight jolt in one of her fingertips was worrisome, but her gloves hadn’t malfunctioned in weeks. She could have sworn she worked the kinks out of them, but her index finger jittered again.

  “I need my extra glove,” she called out from behind her operating mask. The plastic shield wrapped around her face like she was wearing a HAZMAT suit, but her voice was as clear as day. One of the assistants in the room rushed to prep an extra operating glove. Another waited patiently for Raven to pull her hand out of the body.

  “Glove is ready, Dr. Glass,” the assistant held it up proudly.

  Raven sighed as she used one hand to hold her place in one heart while taking her malfunctioning hand out. The two assistants worked to switch the gloves. It was like watching a NASCAR service pit. They moved fast, and before Raven could think about scolding them for their sloth-like movements, it was done. She resumed her surgery finishing a few hours later.

  With her hair now flowing freely, she stood in the cozy medical suite of the alien she’d just operated on. She could tell he was woozy, but she was certain that he was able to understand, “Everything went well. Your surgery was a success. Your hearts are beating in sync and within a few days, all of your organs will follow suit. You should start feeling like your normal self within the next day or two. Stick to the diet I gave you in your take home package and I don’t want to see you back here unless it’s to bring me flowers. Okay, Mr. Geradfwew?”

  “Understood,” the alien nodded. “Flowers will be sent in abundance for all that you have done for me. Thank you for making the time.”

  “Well coming from the third moon of Arbog is quite the journey to make. I thought it only right that I do. The bill is in your take home packet too.”

  “Wait, I brought you something that could cover it. Please check my bag there. You Earthlings have a thing about rocks, right?”

  Raven’s cool grey eyes narrowed their gaze onto the creature as she walked over to the bag. Inside were no mere space rocks. One rock was encased in a thick plastic case that she was almost scared to touch. The other two in the bag were uncut gemstones; one sapphire and the other a ruby. Both stones were about the size of golf balls and Raven was sure they’d net her over a hundred thousand dollars.

  “Just the sapphire and the ruby. The Uborium has another destination to get to. Thanks again, Dr. Glass,” he told her solemnly.

  She smiled and left the room marking on his chart that his balance was paid in full. Once she was in her office, she put the stones in a special tin box and closed the lid. It was lined with special sensors that told her everything she needed to know about the mineral, especially its value. The commas and zeroes were much higher than she expected, but she knew she was worth every penny.

  There was a subtle knock on her door, followed by the top of Dr. Monroe’s head poking into her office. Dr. Tracy Monroe had been working with Raven since she opened her private practice. She opted to treat their human clientele while Raven focused on the others. Her voice was high pitched and bubbly with ringlets of curls bouncing all over the place.

  “You have a call,” she sang. “And your mom left a message saying to bring over that pink wine she likes.”

  “Of course, she wants to get drunk on the one night I agree to dinner. I need a vacation and I think I’m going to start that now,” Raven joked. “You know I just spent six hours elbow deep in an Arbogodian? I’m going to have to soak in oatmeal and talc to get this smell out.”

  “Six hours isn’t bad. I just did a triple bypass on Mr. Wellington and that took me forever!” she stepped into the office and plopped down on the leather chair in front of her desk. Raven’s medical degrees and awards all hung on the wall proudly alongside dozens of pictures of her travels. Travels that brought her to the far corners of the galaxy and back all because she was the best. Tracy always enjoyed looking over her wall of accomplishments.

  “When you say forever,” Raven smirked, “how long are you talking?”

  “It took me three whole hours! The gloves were malfunctioning again,” she whined.

  “Was it the glove or the surgeon in the glove?” Raven laughed.

  “It may have been me. I still can’t get the hang of focusing my mind and nerves on which tool I need and what body part I need to be operating on all at the same time.”

  “That’s the genius of the gloves though! I’ve worked with the best nano technicians in the galaxy to develop that technology and all you have to do is take a six-hour course and practice! I keep telling you the easiest way is to set the glove programming to whatever surgery you’re doing and let the software do the rest. All you have to do is move those cute little fingers of yours. Speaking of which, I’m going to move these cute little fingers of mine toward a margarita on a sandy beach somewhere. I need to move my patients around, but they shouldn’t be any trouble for you and I should be back in a few days. I just need some time to myself for a little bit.”

  Dr. Monroe’s eyes lit up. “Shoot! That’s why I came in here. You have a call Rae. So, before you go groping fancy drinks with umbrellas in it…take this call. It’s from the palace of Xulara. I think it’s urgent, or important at the very least.”

  “Fin
e,” Raven sighed. Peering down at the assortment of buttons on her desk, she pushed the one flashing yellow, which pushed a paper-thin screen up from inside the front panel of her desk. It powered on for her to see a dark purple figure with three eyes, one large slit for a nose, and glowing grey hair that swooped delicately in front of its golden colored eyes. Staring at the being on the screen, she smiled and spoke gently, “Good evening, this is Doctor Raven Glass. How may I help you?”

  “I am Guarin of Xulara. Our dear Queen Ozhenia has fallen gravely ill. We have several physicians on staff but they have been making very little progress in repairing her condition. It’s been brought to my attention that you have a specialty in interplanetary medicinal technology. Perhaps you can do some exploratory examinations to help her. We are in dire need of your assistance. I can have a ship out to you by midnight your time. Just say that you’ll come.”

  “Guarin, wow,” Raven was stunned. “Um, I’m flattered that my reputation has reached your planet. I was planning to take some time off, but I guess I can come to you and once the diagnosis is absolute, I can leave her in the hands of the physicians you have on staff.”

  “Thank you. I believe that will be sufficient. They just need a breakthrough and I feel you’re the best one in the galaxy to help get us there. Please meet the shuttle at the Kennedy-Bush Space Center at midnight tonight. I will have everything you need to read about her symptoms and medical history aboard the shuttle. I thank you again, Dr. Glass.”

  “Sure, and as far as payment is concerned?” she wondered before letting him disconnect the call.

  “Funds in excess of 2.8 million Earth dollars will be deposited into your account once you’re aboard the shuttle, Doctor,” Guarin told her.

  “I’ll be ready at midnight,” she told him. The numbers sounded right and Raven hung up the phone. She pulled up her computer to draft the agreement she’d bring with her to the palace and to do a little bit of research. Guarin was Queen Ozhenia’s right hand minion. They’d been friends for years and he never left her side.