“Yes, Hadrian. You’re all set for now. I’ll message you later to schedule your follow-up, but for now, get out of my office.”
Liam was first off the bed. He handed Hadrian his shirt, took his hand, and led him out of the room. Hadrian’s warm hand squeezed in a fierce gesture that made Liam’s heart soar. If they weren’t already in space, he would go out to see if he could fly.
DANVERSE WATCHED AS Mac slept, nestled into the thick pillow under the minimal light. His gaze followed the line of Mac’s back as it rose and fell, finishing at the meaty globes of his buttocks. Almost invisible, fine, downy hair graced his skin, still carrying a sheen of sweat.
He couldn’t sleep. Some nights, he was smothered by the fear of Mac not being next to him when he woke. He knew it was irrational, but he’d lost Mac before. It made him more possessive of his boy, but he loved him so much. Thankfully, Mac didn’t seem to mind his dominant nature.
Mac’s challenge in the infirmary aroused him enough he had to leave before his cock embarrassed him. In such a short time, Mac had learned how to trigger his need to claim his boy, and he did it well. They had missed dinner, but that was all right. They could eat after Mac rested. Fine lines of redness were still showing on Mac’s back from the first touches of the lash on his skin.
Danverse had been gentle. Mac was a natural submissive in the bedroom, but Danverse needed to introduce things slowly so as not to spook him. No matter what, it would never be as severe as it was with Liam. That was a lack of control he would never inflict on Mac. He planned to keep Mac for as long as the boy wanted him. Hopefully, that would be forever.
With his fingertips, he traced the swell of Mac’s bottom, grazing the flesh with feather-light touches. Twice tonight, Danverse had spent inside him. His caress dipped into the valley and found the tender opening still wet with sweat and leaking fluids. Even asleep, Mac responded by shifting his legs apart. Danverse’s cock began to fill yet again.
“Look what you do to me, boy. Climbing over Mac, he poised himself for the start of round three, unable to resist the unspoken request. He was moments away from applying a new bite mark to those tempting globes of flesh when Mrs. Claus interrupted him.
“You have a private, encrypted call from Luxoria on a secure channel, Captain Danverse.”
Looking down at Mac, he half whimpered and half growled at the interference. He would have preferred to ignore the call, but coming from Luxoria, he had no choice. With a herculean effort, he crawled out of bed and covered Mac’s slumbering form with the blanket. Annoyed, he sat at his desk without even bothering to dress. Besides, he could only be seen from the chest up at this angle.
“Put it through, Mrs. Claus.”
The monitor came alive and he tensed. In what must be his private home, firm muscles spilling out of his simple sleeveless undershirt, sat Master Sergeant Braxus of the Luxorian Guard First Class. Without the helmet and uniform, Danverse could see the man was about his age, with close-cropped dark hair. To say Danverse was confused was an understatement.
“Master Sergeant Braxus.”
“Good evening, Captain Danverse. I wasn’t sure you’d recognize me.”
“I remember everybody. Is there a problem?”
“No, there’s no problem. I just thought you’d appreciate a personal update.”
Danverse’s brow creased. “The last time I saw you involved the threat of prison for me and my crew and the destruction of my ship. Your arrest of one of my passengers ended with my security chief in sick bay after an assault by your men. Call me suspicious.”
Braxus shifted in his seat and his broad shoulders slackened. The gesture was strangely disarming. Danverse wouldn’t have expected the man to show any vulnerability.
“I wanted to apologize for that. Ambassador Chien had a practice of strong-arming his way through things. I was under strict orders to bring an end to the situation. I had hoped you wouldn’t call my bluff. Thankfully, you give a damn about your men.”
“So you were just following orders?”
Braxus’s sigh was filled with regret. “Captain, you have to understand. As charismatic as the ambassador was, he preferred to intimidate and manipulate his way into power. Everyone of any importance who worked for him was under some kind of blackmail. Some were subtler than others.”
“Even you?”
Braxus paused. “We all have secrets. Chien made a lot of enemies. Now that he’s dead, there aren’t many people willing to take up his cause. The Santa Claus and her crew are no longer of any interest to the Luxorian government. The aiding-and-abetting charges the ambassador was holding for leverage have been dropped and purged with prejudice.”
“All because the man’s dead?”
“The explosions and the incendiaries made a mess of the place. There were barely enough remains to do the DNA scan that made the list of casualties. Everyone on that list is assumed dead. That includes the Adonirati, Ronan. The case is closed. No one really cares what happened to the ambassador.”
Danverse spoke slowly to be clear. “So they’re going to wash their hands and move on, Braxus?”
“Yes, sir. And please, call me Noland.”
“All right, Noland. Why are you telling me this?”
“I was pretty sure it was your security chief I saw at Ronan’s match that night with Dr. Saarken, dressed as an Adonirati.”
Danverse’s mouth flattened as he shook his head. “I wouldn’t know anything about that. But why didn’t you say something then? Some of the men who died were military, weren’t they?”
“I went into the military to do my duty, not to be under the control of the corrupt and rich. The men who stayed close to the ambassador had no such ethics. Something bad was bound to happen eventually. If not that night, it would’ve happened some other time. My obligation to Ronan’s arrest ended when he was returned to Luxoria. I wasn’t under orders to keep the ambassador apprised of any other information regarding him.
“But I’m not in the military anymore. I resigned last week after making sure the legal matters surrounding you and your crew were quashed. Feel free to continue to do business with Luxoria. If you keep out of trouble, they won’t be looking in your direction. And if you do come to Luxoria, you should let me know. I would love to meet up and maybe have dinner.” A cocked brow and sly grin. “Or lock us away in a hotel room.”
Danverse was so taken aback he nearly laughed. He knew he must have looked like a stunned animal.
“After all this, you’re asking me out?”
Braxus squared his shoulders, making his thick chest rise. “I’ve spent the last several years under the thumb of a man whose intentions couldn’t be trusted. You learn to go after what you want when the leash is finally off.”
“Fair enough. I won’t say I’m not tempted, but I have to say no. But feel free to visit us. There’s about thirty men on board. I’m pretty sure you could find someone to keep you entertained for a vacation.” A fierce grin and heat filled his chest as he spoke the next words. “I’m spoken for. Very spoken for.” Looking over his shoulder, he gazed at his sleeping boy. A wistful sigh escaped him.
“Hmm. Maybe I will see about spending some vacation taking a trip with you the next time you come around. It’s not a bad idea. Even if you and I are only going to be friends. Your man is a very lucky guy, Captain.”
Danverse turned back to the screen with a predatory gleam in his eye. “He’s about to get even luckier.” He rolled his chair back and stood tall, giving Braxus a full view of his state of undress. He reached down and cupped his swelling cock.
“Aww…that’s not fair,” Braxus complained.
Danverse leaned over the desk, a wolfish grin spreading over his face in the glow of the monitor.
“Good night, Master Sergeant.” He switched off the screen and returned to the better offer.
LIAM SAT IN his and Hadrian’s suite, going over security logs on a handheld data pad. The quarters adjacent to his were unoccupied, so Danverse ha
d given permission to add a door between them during their last port—another of the expenses that had drained Hadrian’s funds—since they would be living on board. One room now served as a study and living room, while the other would stay as the bedroom. Considering the scale of Liam’s bed, this was a perfect arrangement.
The week in port had been chaotic. Mac had set up the room with a couch and chair and a few odds and ends until they could decide on something more permanent. It gave them a home to come back to. Liam was fine with the suite the way it was, but Hadrian was already poring over shop catalogs on the Link, fixating on luxurious furniture he couldn’t afford. Teaching Hadrian how to manage finances would be very important. Hadrian was accustomed to a level of finery that would be in short supply for the foreseeable future. He would have to learn to adjust.
Reaching for his water on the end table, Liam was greeted by a number of graceful folded-paper animals he had found hidden away in several storage compartments. He thought they were beautiful. Hadrian’s ability to create something so delicate always amazed him. Lethal hands graced with the skill of an artist. It made him wonder if Hadrian had ever had the opportunity to paint. He filed the thought away under “future gifts.”
Now that Hadrian was cleared to work, he would be starting out as part of the security team. Liam was making a to-do list for Hadrian’s first day as a Santa Claus crew member. There was a good chance that with the worst behind them, they might be able to live a happy, normal life together.
The door hissed open, and Hadrian walked in with his bag slung over his shoulder. Wearing nothing more than a sheer, knee-length sarong tied at his hip, his skin still glowed from the heat of the shower. Liam would have loved nothing more than to join him, but the sight of Hadrian being sprayed with water always gave him a raging erection. Which wasn’t a bad thing, but it would be awkward if someone walked in. And someone was always walking in when Hadrian was out in public. It was the price he paid for having a partner this attractive on a vessel full of horny men.
“That’s an awfully sexy piece of fabric you’re wearing.” Liam’s pulse quickened at the mere sight of Hadrian’s bare flesh.
“Yes. I particularly enjoy how it shows everything yet nothing at the same time.”
Liam set down the data pad and strode up behind Hadrian. The shoulder bag slid to the floor as Liam wrapped Hadrian in a pair of loving arms. Liam couldn’t hold back his pure joy at having him there and sharing their lives together. It wasn’t so long ago such a thing didn’t seem possible. Even so, there were still one or two nagging doubts.
“Are you happy?”
“Why do you ask?” Hadrian held tight to Liam’s arms.
“I found a number of origami animals hidden in various drawers. I told you, I love them. You don’t have to hide them like I’m going to take them away.”
Hadrian sighed. “I know, Liam. I think it is simply a habit that will be difficult to break.”
“I just want to be sure that being here on board will be good for you. You’ve been through so much and gone through so much change. I want you to be sure.”
Hadrian turned in his arms and placed his hands on Liam’s cheeks. “Life here with you will be different, but it will be good. There are some adjustments, but I have felt more at home in this small time on board than I ever felt on Luxoria. I am finally getting to experience what I felt in so many others over the years. And you made it happen.
“Never doubt how much I love you, Liam. I plan to spend the rest of our lives learning how to make each other deliriously happy.” Hadrian rose on his toes to kiss Liam’s waiting mouth.
Liam’s eyes drifted closed as their lips caressed each other, while a skillful tongue slid alongside his own. It was lazy and loving, not consumed with need, but no less gratifying.
“You know, I’m supposed to be on duty tonight, since Marc is working Mac over.”
Hadrian laughed. “Is that really how you describe their lovemaking?”
“With Marc’s particular kinks, yes.”
“You did not seem to have a problem with it.” Hadrian’s smirk teased.
“How did you… I never told you about Marc.”
“I may not be hearing others very well anymore, but your feelings are always there for me. And sometimes, I get flashes from you. There have been a few of Mac replacing you in Marc’s bedroom and life.” Dr. Bosch had told them both that between his bonding with Liam and the trauma of removing the subdermal tech from his nervous system, his empathic nature had dampened.
“I don’t want Marc like that. Believe me.”
“Shh…they were not sad flashes. More like happy wishes for the two of them.” Another kiss greeted Liam’s lips. “Besides, I’m pretty sure I can beat any man who tries to take you from me.”
Liam pulled back, his eyebrow quirked. “Excuse me…you just said ‘I’m.’” Hadrian stared at him. “I’ve never heard you use a contraction before. Maybe hanging around all us roughnecks is corrupting you, Mr. Jamison.”
“I happen to like the way you corrupt me, Mr. Jacks.” Hadrian’s seductive chuckle went straight to Liam’s groin.
He stepped backward to gain the room he needed to peel his T-shirt off without losing eye contact. Hadrian licked his lips as Liam’s pants fell away. He hooked his thumbs into the waistband and stripped away his black jock, his aching cock already at full mast.
Hadrian snapped his fingers and pointed to the floor. “On your knees.”
Like a trained animal, Liam sank to the floor, waiting for Hadrian’s next command.
“Stay.”
Liam kept his eyes forward as Hadrian stalked around him. The heat from his appraising gaze threatened to scald his skin. He must have liked what he saw, because the sheer sarong tented over his hardening cock and he didn’t seem to care. Ultimately, Hadrian stopped in front of Liam, his proud member pointing at its target. Liam knew what he would soon be doing and shivered in anticipation.
“Untie me.” Hadrian’s command was soft but bore a dominance that pushed the first drop of dew out of Liam.
He reached out for the simple knot that held the delicate fabric together. Lust made his fingers tremble. He didn’t want to risk ruining the garment, because Hadrian needed to be able to wear this again, but only for him. There would be an assortment to choose from in the future. Yes. Yes, there would be. The fabric parted, drifting to the floor, and Liam’s mouth went dry.
Hadrian’s skin was impossibly smooth and every muscle beautifully defined. He followed the slablike chest and rippling abdominals down to the prize. Surrounding the base of the most perfect cock he had ever been fortunate to know sat a metal ring matching the band around Hadrian’s arm. A sex-god made flesh stood before him, and he planned to worship.
Hadrian shifted forward. Liam’s hand rose, but his mate took a frustrating step backward.
“Don’t touch.”
Liam immediately dropped his hands to his sides.
Satisfied, Hadrian stepped forward once again. “Don’t move.”
While Liam stayed perfectly still, Hadrian rubbed his swollen glans along Liam’s bottom lip, spreading the slickness. He shuddered at the contact as Hadrian wet his own lips, his eyes locked on his supplicant.
“Taste.”
Liam snaked his tongue out, tracing the spongy plum sitting on the edge of his mouth. He moved with care, not wanting Hadrian to steal away his present. When Hadrian didn’t move, Liam kissed the head and his eyes closed at the salty flavor. Growing bolder, Liam wrapped his watering mouth around Hadrian’s flesh. The soft groan that followed did not come from Liam.
Hadrian’s hand wrapped around the back of his head as the silky, hard shaft slid deeper into his mouth. He pressed his tongue flat along the skin as it drifted in and out. Hadrian’s cock was gentle and hesitant, at first, but built in intensity and depth. Before long, the metal ring grazed Liam’s lips in a welcome rhythm.
Liam was lost. The only thoughts in his mind were smeared in lust: the
obsessive urge to taste, fill his mouth and throat with his mate’s meat, and the growing moans that were driving his senses into overload. He lost track of how long he knelt there. It didn’t matter.
Hadrian’s thrusts lost their cadence and his hand began applying pressure to Liam’s head in spasms. Rasping breaths filled his ears as Hadrian’s cock swelled. Liam whimpered as he awaited the inevitable. Hadrian cried out as pulses of fluid bathed Liam’s eager tongue and filled his mouth through the final, staggered thrusts. When the crescendo abated and the shaft withdrew, Liam licked his lips clean and looked up at his mate with lidded eyes.
A light coating of sweat glossed Hadrian’s skin. He maintained a devilish smile, while his cock still stood proud and unflagging.
“Stay.”
Liam remained kneeling as Hadrian positioned himself behind him. The still-hard organ brushed the open valley between Liam’s willing haunches. The sound of Hadrian spitting into his hand was all he heard before the wet head breached his opening. Without instruction, Liam spread his legs wider for better access as Hadrian circled his arms around him.
Liam tipped his head back, finding Hadrian’s shoulder. He couldn’t resist an urgent bounce as Hadrian’s magnificent piece worked its way inside him. It was difficult not to force himself down to the base, but this wasn’t about punishment anymore. Once he was fully seated, he was given a moment to adjust before Hadrian snapped his hips back and forward.
Hadrian tightened his arms and pounded into Liam, making him grunt happily with each plunge. Gripping Liam’s steely cock, Hadrian stroked him in a matching rhythm. A heated sweat broke out over Liam as Hadrian masterfully battered his internal button; he couldn’t last much longer.
“Hadrian! I can’t… I’m coming…”
Liam grasped the arms around him and lost control. Semen sprayed out in thick jets as his muscles quaked around Hadrian’s tool. He shouted out loud, amazed at how Hadrian could drag him to the edge of ecstasy so easily. Not wanting to be left out, he clenched his ass. Hadrian yelped and buried himself to the hilt one last time, unloading again with equal intensity. Eventually, their heart rates and breath patterns calmed. Hadrian carefully withdrew as he kissed and stroked Liam’s temple.
The Luxorian Fugitive Page 24