by Pearl Foxx
“I want to watch,” he said, voice strained.
She gave her most seductive smile before wriggling out of her tight black pants, pulling her underwear along, not feeling the need to bother with satin and lace to seduce her new lover. She whipped off her top and lay back on the bed with a smile. “What do you want to see?”
Maxsym palmed his cock through his uniform with his large, strong hands.
Veronica caressed her breasts, kneading them the way he had, pushing them together and squeezing them tight. She brought her fingers to her mouth, wetting them before pinching and rolling her oversensitive nipples. She arched her back off the bed and closed her eyes, feeling the rising need for him within her.
“Would you like to see more?”
Maxsym groaned and pulled out his rock-hard cock already red and pulsing with need. He gripped the base of his considerable length and nodded.
She slipped one hand between her legs while the other continued to work on her breasts. She stroked her hungry pussy, slicking her fingers further before slipping one, then two, inside her waiting channel.
He let out a loud moan, and she loved hearing how much she turned him on. She stroked herself, letting her fingers run across the sensitive folds of her lower lips and her clit before plunging back inside. She rose higher and higher, the orgasm she sought just out of reach. She opened her eyes to see his blazing eyes staring directly at her, and the look on his face edged her right to the precipice.
“It’s not enough,” she whimpered, pulling her fingers back out and bringing them to her mouth. She licked them, tasting herself as Maxsym’s hand pump harder.
“I need to feel you in me,” she pleaded.
“Not yet,” he commanded, and she was tempted to challenge him and demand he give her what her body longed for, but the controlled violence in his eyes stopped her.
A quivering rush washed through her body, coalescing directly in her pussy. She wanted to feel him inside her, but more than anything, she wanted to please him. She’d never known how intoxicating the combination of sex and power could be.
She lowered her fingers again, pushing in two, then adding a third deep inside her. She rolled her head back, closing her eyes, riding her fingers to seek out the orgasm he refused to give her.
Her hand was slapped away and replaced with Maxsym’s massive throbbing cock. He thrust deep inside her with one powerful movement, giving her no time to adjust to his size.
She screamed in blissful agony as her body stretched around him with a delicious burn that eased into pure pleasure.
Veronica wrapped her arms around him, her nails seeking his flesh. She reached for his shirt and tried to pull it up, only to have her hand smacked away again. She wanted to demand why, but his message was clear. She was not the one in control here, and for once, she relished the feeling.
Maxsym sped up his thrusts, his need for her doubling the passion she felt, pulling her closer to oblivion. As he rocked into her, the entire universe narrowed to the place where his body met hers. Her orgasm crashed down around her and a kaleidoscope of colors exploded behind her eyes. She screamed as he bellowed out his own release.
They lay together for a moment, recovering from the union, his breath ragged against her neck and her arms circled around his strong shoulders.
“That was something,” she said, breathless but smirking.
He looked around him in a daze, like he wasn’t entirely certain where he was or what he had done.
She stroked his back over the thin fabric of his uniform shirt and felt patterns along his shoulder blades. He must have had body modification or scarification done. She longed to see it, wishing he would take off his clothes and curl up around her until they were recovered enough for another round.
“I shouldn’t have …” Maxsym began, sliding out of her and climbing from the bed.
Veronica laughed. “Shouldn’t what? Fuck me? Take advantage of me? I think we both know I’m not some little girl you can manipulate with your impressive charms. If you feel anything other than thrilled about what we just did, then we don’t have to do it again. But I hope we will.”
As she waited for him to respond, she worried he might say this had been a mistake. Or that his career was too important for him to risk someone finding them together. It was an unusual feeling. She disliked not knowing where he stood.
He tucked himself back into his pants. He apparently had no intention of taking them off. “This isn’t what I came here for,” he said without looking at her.
Veronica’s insides heated up. She couldn’t figure him out. Did he want to be with her, or did he just want to conquer Commander Gideon’s daughter? Was he another soldier who found her entertaining so long as it didn’t impede on his career opportunities, or was he the unique mysterious man she had come to look forward to spending time with?
Her confusion morphed into rage, but she kept her voice steady as she asked, “What were you trying to prove back there with my father?”
“What are you talking about?” He shoved his hands through his hair. “What was I trying to prove? How about that I’m a fucking head case? If anything, I was proving I’m too stupid to keep my mouth shut. I’m not supposed to be making the man into an enemy.”
“What are you supposed to be doing?”
He frowned at her. “My job. Protecting my people.”
“And protecting your people doesn’t involve being with me, I take it?”
Maxsym sighed, and for the first time, she saw the shield go down and glimpsed the shadow of a lonely, sad man.
“It’s not supposed to.” He took a deep breath before leaning in to kiss her with a sweet gentleness that took her breath away. “I don’t want to hurt you. It was easier when you were just a pain in my ass.”
He placed another soft kiss on her forehead and walked out of her room. At the doorway to the main seating area, he turned back with a wistful look in his eyes. “Just know, if things were different …” He shook his head without finishing the thought. “I can’t claim to know what this is, but …”
“But it’s something,” Veronica supplied.
Maxsym nodded and gave her another elusive, wistful smile before walking out of her room.
Why was he always leaving? And why did it make her want him more?
She lay down on her bed, the smell of sweat and sex surrounding her.
This is why you shouldn’t get involved with guards, she thought. There’s only pain.
And she wasn’t even sure who was hurting more, her or Maxsym.
Chapter Eight
Veronica
Veronica dozed on and off for the rest of the afternoon. The mind-blowing orgasm had settled her down to sleep nicely, but it hadn’t kept her there. As she awoke, she had the unfamiliar sensation of regretting her new lover’s absence.
She got up and pushed the thought of Maxsym from her mind, turning her attention instead to the mysterious man who had been in her father’s quarters the night before. Her father’s reaction to him worried her, but the fear in his voice when he’d spoken to the mysterious man told Veronica something more was going on here. This wasn’t just some new trade agreement or materials negotiation. This man represented something worse. She could feel it in her gut.
And since her father was hiding the man’s identity, she would just have to figure it out on her own. Her heart picked up speed. She could make an investigation out of it, just like the old noir crime shows she loved to watch.
She dressed quickly, pulling on her black pants from earlier in the day and a simple blue top. If she was going to investigate the ship’s mystery visitor, she couldn’t exactly wear designer couture. None of the detectives she admired wore fancy clothes. She pinned her hair up into a tight bun and made her way to the doors of her quarters.
She paused, taking a deep breath. If Maxsym was outside standing guard, should she talk to him? Should she share her concern with him? A considerable part of her wanted to confide in him what sh
e’d overheard. She wanted a partner, and not just in her investigation. She wanted someone to talk to and roll the disjointed puzzle pieces together with until they created a complete picture.
She strode to the doors and turned with a broad smile to the guard standing just outside. Her heart dropped at the realization that the dark-haired man was not Maxsym. He was too short, too round, and far too receptive to her attention. Maxsym would have greeted her skeptically, wondering what she was up to, completely impervious to her charms.
“Miss Veronica, how are you this fine evening?” the guard asked.
“I’m fine, thank you.” She kept her most sparkling smile on her face, hoping to distract him from the fact that, after an emergency like the night before, she really shouldn’t be out on her own.
“Will you be attending the evening meal in the galley?” the guard asked innocently. “I’d be happy to escort you.”
She shook her head and bit her lip, letting her smile turn conspiratorial. “Actually, I was hoping to steal a few minutes alone. It’s been so busy lately, and I just wanted to zip up to the observation room and clear my head.”
“Of course. I’d be more than happy to accompany you.”
“No, no, that’s not necessary at all. The route is simple. One quick elevator ride. And like I said”—she dropped her eyes and gave the unsuspecting man her most innocent look—“I really could use the alone time.”
She worked hard to convey innocence and respectability with her meek smile.
“I’m not supposed to leave you unattended,” the guard said, rubbing his stubbly chin. “Perhaps, if you would let me escort you to the elevator so I know you got that far safely, it would be fine for you to steal your moment of quiet.”
Veronica willed tears to her eyes, which wasn’t very hard considering she hadn’t expected any of this to work. “Oh, thank you! Thank you so much. I’ll be sure to mention to my father just how lovely you were to me on this difficult day.”
The man beamed at the mention of a personal recommendation from the commander’s daughter, and Veronica knew she had him in her pocket.
They walked to the elevator, and she climbed on with a tentative smile and a thankful wave. Once the doors closed, she dropped the act and plotted out her plan. Whatever was going on centered around her father and his inner circle of officers, which included Lieutenant Fennah.
She smirked. She’d always hated Fennah, which meant a quick snoop through his office was perfectly warranted. It was late in the day, and most officers were having evening meal with their families. The officers’ level would be vacant, and no one would be around to question her presence.
“Computer, take me to Floor 1732.”
“Yes, Veronica Gideon,” the computer replied.
The doors opened, and just as she’d expected, the usual bustle of activity on the officers’ command floor was missing. She skulked down the hall, not passing a single soul, and stopped outside Lieutenant Fennah’s office door. Most people didn’t have the access code for the control panel beside the locked door, but Veronica did. Her father had given her access to every door on the station in case of emergency. It wasn’t technically legal, but being a daddy’s girl certainly had its perks.
She slipped into the office and shut the door quietly behind her before deleting her entry from the electronic files on the door’s control panel, another not technically legal perk.
Heart racing with excitement, she turned to the desk where Fennah’s computer sat, screen dark and most likely locked. She took a seat and turned the screen on. A password prompt popped up. Her fingers flew over the touchpad as she typed in her first guess.
She got it on the first try. Really, what kind of high-level official thought his wife’s birthday was a good password?
His e-files revealed nothing but boring accounting documents and maintenance reports for the Falconer program. Actually, everything she found had something to do with the exploration and acquisition program. She’d had no idea it was such a big deal.
After carefully logging herself out, she rummaged through the printed papers filed in the desk. Very little was printed on the space station because they didn’t have the resources for it, however, when something was extra sensitive and needed to be secured, they printed it on paper. Paper couldn’t be stored in hackable communication systems.
Many of the papers mentioned projects on Level 1162, which sparked a memory from the night before.
Her father had made a big deal about staying apprised of the situation on that floor after the explosion in the docking bay, but she had no clue what that level was used for, and the papers revealed nothing other than generic numbers and coded words.
One of the drawers had a key lock instead of a biometric one, but Veronica used one of her hairpins to pick it open, just like she’d seen on her shows. Despite being the most secure place in his office, no detailed information could be found. Here and there a document mentioned subjects or results, but nothing about what they were up to or who the man her father had been talking to might be.
File after file, folder after folder, and no mention of the mystery man or the planet named Kladuu. There was also a conspicuous lack of information about the goings-on on Level 1162. Almost as if whatever transpired down there happened completely under the radar.
When she decided Fennah’s office had no more information to reveal, she snuck back out into the darkened hallway and tiptoed to her father’s office.
The heavy fall of footsteps made her to jump into a security closet without checking it first. Thankfully, no one was in there, aside from an auto-cleaner recharging before its night shift.
The footfalls continued right past her.
Veronica let out a deep breath. Why she was so nervous? Being caught on this floor wouldn’t be evidence of a crime. She could easily say she was simply looking for her father and didn’t want to bother her mother at home. Everyone on the station would believe that lie.
She felt a swell of sadness over the fact her mother had no privacy or respect among the citizens of the station.
Once the steps disappeared, she counted to ten before slipping back out into the hallway. This time she held her head high, walked straight for her father’s door, and swung it open without hesitation.
Completely empty.
She released a breath of relief.
Her father’s office, much like her childhood home, was spotless. Not a single paper, notebook, or pen was out of place. She expected nothing less. She rummaged through the drawers, hoping to find evidence of what was going on. Instead, all she found were empty files with more information redacted than had been released.
How the hell was she supposed to figure anything out when all the data was either blacked out or encrypted in her father’s private tablet, which he never went anywhere without?
As she looked at the mahogany desk and high-end Ferlaskan chairs, she marveled at the fact there was not a single piece of tech in the entire room. No tablets, no embedded panels in the walls or desk, no hidden workstation monitors behind cabinet doors. If anything, the whole room was as secure as physically possible.
Apparently, her father was a very paranoid man.
Just as she was about to give up, she heard the murmur of voices down the hall.
Shit.
Her lie about wanting to find her father would have worked in the hallway, but not in his office. If someone asked why she was alone in his office, she had no idea what she could say that wouldn’t make it seem like she was snooping.
She searched the room, trying to think of where to hide if the voices came closer. She couldn’t hide under the desk—she wasn’t five. The only option was the closet her father used for extra sets of clothing and other large-scale storage he might need in his official capacity, like gifts for visiting dignitaries.
The voices grew louder, and she recognized her father’s low tenor.
Shit.
Shit. Shit.
She grabbed the hand
le of the closet and came face to face with a black-eyed, teeth-bared, severe-looking Maxsym.
He grabbed her arm and jerked her tight against him, pulling the closet door shut just as the voices entered the room. The heavy door made it impossible to see who had entered the room and muffled the conversation enough so she couldn’t make out every word.
Tight against Maxsym’s body, her stomach fluttered. He was so strong and warm, and that look of fury and violence in his eyes when she opened the door had given her other ideas about what they could do while locked in the closet together.
He leaned his mouth to her ear and whispered, his breath hot against her cheek, “What the fuck are you doing here?”
“What are you doing here?” she hissed back.
His growl rumbled deep in his chest. Rolling her eyes, she shook herself from his grip and turned away. She’d intended to create distance between them but instead found her ass pressed up against a fully hard cock.
He pushed his pelvis forward slightly, moving his long length against her. Leaning back down, he whispered in her ear, “You shouldn’t be here.”
She turned her head so they were eye to eye. In the darkness, she couldn’t see his expression, but she imagined she saw a flash of light in his eyes.
“Neither should you,” she replied before pressing her lips against his in a quick searing kiss.
Instead of challenging her, Maxsym wrapped his long arms around her waist and held her tight like a shield at her back, ready to pull her to safety should anyone throw open the closet door. His cock left a burning outline against her ass as she struggled not to grind back against it.
“I don’t care one flying fuck what anyone else has to say!” Veronica could hear her father’s voice clearly now that he was yelling at the top of his lungs. “What I do care about is how we're going to make sure our newest arrivals from Kladuu are kept as safe as possible.”
Behind her, Maxsym let out a low growl, and she placed her hand on his forearm to steady him. He was wearing a short-sleeved shirt, and the feeling of his skin under her touch was unfamiliar because he was always in uniform. His heat came over her in waves, and his skin was softer than she ever would have imagined.