by Calista Skye
“Yeah, maybe. Not really. But you had your reasons. Look, can we go somewhere else and talk about it? My quarters? Now?”
He looked at her for three heartbeats, piercing her with his laser eyes. But his face was less tense now. “Very well.”
She showed him the way, feeling small and dainty walking beside the huge warrior through the corridors of a ship that had been built to accommodate Earthlings, not seven feet tall warriors.
“Acerex,” he said when they entered her room and saw his planet outside the huge window. “It's rare to see it as a piece of decoration.”
“It's a beautiful planet,” Ava said. “It looks a lot like my planet, Earth. It makes me feel at home.”
“Really? Earth is similar to Acerex?”
“In many ways,” Ava said and went over to the kitchenette that only a few staterooms on the ship had. “You hungry? Not sure I have much to offer. But I know I need some coffee myself. Ever try it? Oh, and take a seat, please.”
Even here he had to keep his neck slightly bent to not hit the low ceiling. Headroom was always at a premium in spaceships.
“Is that one of the beverages with alcohol? I've heard Earthlings enjoy those.”
Ava inserted the coffee cartridge and a precious canister of non-recycled water into the machine and started it. “No, this has something else in it. Something that wakes you up. But you know, that's actually a good idea. Let's get drunk, a little. I have some tequila here. We'll mix it in. Coffee with a shot of booze is a classic.”
She rummaged around and got cups and the plastic bottle of Patron that Space Expansion would fine her for if they knew she had brought it here. Not because it was alcohol, but because bringing it out of Earth's gravity well and then taking it many light years away would have a cost of thousands of dollars in energy alone.
The coffee maker dinged that it was done, and Ava brought everything over to the coffee table on a tray. “This is a lesson in diplomacy. It is the Earth coffee ritual. It's very exotic and elaborate. First, place the cups on the table with the openings pointing up. That's crucial. Never the bottoms up! Remember that. If this was a half-decent household, you'd have a saucer too.”
Having Xark'ion so close, in her quarters, having made up with him, made her giddy and pretty silly. She knew it, but she liked it. She had nothing to lose with this man, so she might as well let loose and enjoy the moment. When was the last time she'd felt that way? She couldn't even remember.
“Now, pour in the coffee, making sure to pour for the guest first. Like so. No, wait. Don't take it yet. I have to ask you first. Would you like sugar? Milk? I don't have either, so don't say yes.”
Xark'ion had a bemused look on his face, but he nodded graciously. “No, thank you. I prefer it like this, I'm sure.”
“Great! Perfect. Have you done this before? So. Now the tequila. Shit, I didn't leave room for much. It's okay, we'll have another cup later. This is not usually a part of the coffee ritual. Mostly there's no booze. And a little for me ... there. Smell that? The alcohol evaporates fast, but there's still some left in the cup. I hope. Now, take the little spoon and – no, hold the other end. Exactly. Now put it into the coffee and stir. Slowly. Yes, like that. It's not strictly necessary since we don't have milk or sugar to mix in. But the ritual dictates it. I actually doesn't. I'm making it up. Now bring it to your mouth. No, wait. Blow on it first. Hufffff. Like that. It's supposed to cool it down, but it won't work. All part of the ritual. Now take a sip. Remember, it's hot. Just barely sip it. Not too much! Or you'll burn your tongue and you need that for later. I mean, to speak with. Not for– okay. Oooh yeah that's the stuff.”
She took a sip herself, leaned back and sighed in comfort, holding the cup in both hands and taking in the huge warrior sitting in her chair right across from her as he sipped his coffee in the dainty way she'd shown him.
Excitement was brewing in her. It was like a new start for them. This time, she was determined to do it better. Much better.
He put the cup down on the table. “It has a bitter flavor to it. Most pleasant. And the ritual – exquisitely performed. Truly you are a master of the art.”
She grinned. “You liar. Nobody likes coffee the first time. Or tequila.”
“Perhaps it depends on the circumstances in which one tastes it.”
“Could be. You may well be the first person ever to get your first taste of tequila and coffee in a spaceship in orbit around Acerex.”
“Conceivably it has more to do with the company one is in. As is the case with most activities.”
His gaze wandered quickly down the her chest, and Ava had to try not to blush.
That lust of his ...
“Okay,” she said. “Now you know the Earth secret. Coffee.”
“I'll remember it when I write my memoirs.”
“You better. Do Acerex write memoirs?”
“It's very rare. But it has been known to happen. More in the old days. Now, we're not as bookish as before.”
“I think you will be. I'll get you hooked on coffee. Coffee and books go together. Or tea and books. Booze and books, definitely. But don't get hooked on that. I have a whole bunch you can borrow. Books, I mean. Except you don't read English, duh. It's cool, I have audio books too. They're books that you can listen to. While you do other things. Like, you can be whooping some evil alien ass on a distant planet while you listen to Anne of Green Gables.”
“I fully intend to,” Xark'ion said, very seriously. “I hear it is a most warrior-like work. Also I will drink coffee simultaneously.”
“Yes! You only need one hand for your sword. The other for the mug. With a lid, maybe? You don't want to spill it.”
She poured more tequila for him and for herself, topping up their cups. Already she was feeling the warmth and the relaxation of the alcohol. If she drank much more, she might get touchy-feely with this man. And right now, she kind of wanted that.
He took another sip and looked around her high-tech quarters. “You are as alien as the Solp. And yet so much like us. It's hard to understand.”
“I know. The feeling is mutual, by the way. But it seems that our peoples can be friends. That doesn't mean you have to accept everything we do. Or vice versa. Like you wouldn't accept everything a friend does, even if you love them.”
He nodded slowly. “It is a thought that is not new to me. Certainly some of my friends do things that I don't approve of. Or understand. And yet I would always do my best for them. I would rather die than betray them in any way.”
He looked at her over the rim of the cup and Ava reached out to put her hand on his.
“I know you wouldn't, Xark'ion. I know. I put my life in your hands, and you took care of my safety, even though I took a big risk. I'm not sure how right I was about how harmless the Solp were. I should have listened more to you, and I should have taken it much slower. But it's okay. We'll find that damn king if it's the last thing we do. Would you consider going on another mission with me?”
It was the first time he's smiled at her, and the sight of it made her heart skip a beat.
“I would be honored to. And now that I have analyzed the data from your shuttle, I have some idea about where to go.”
He took out a pad and showed her.
“That's it,” Ava said and bounced to her feet. “You found it. That's the damn 'citadel up high'. You're a genius. Oh, I have to kiss you.”
She leaned in and gave him a little peck on the cheek, putting her hand on his chest at the same time. The tequila was doing its thing, and she felt both happy and liberated. And horny.
She glanced at his crotch, where there was definitely some twitching going on. He was feeling the same thing.
He casually put a large hand on the small of her back and pulled her closer, watching her carefully, plainly testing how far he could go. And if it was up to Ava, he could go really far. As far as he wanted.
“Was that also an Earth ritual?”
“Of course. It's kalled 'k
iss and make up'.”
“That sounds like the ultimate diplomatic move. Very sophisticated. I should learn it better. Perhaps demonstrate once more?”
14
- Ava -
“Okay.” She leaned in and kissed his cheek again, this time making it last much longer.
“I will try,” Xark'kion rumbled and kissed Ava right on the mouth with lips that were so warm and soft the room spun around her.
“Spirits, I seem to have missed the mark.”
“No,” Ava said, a little breathless. “That was just fine. The best first attempt I've seen.”
“Ah. But I must make sure I've truly learned. I'll practice one more time. For diplomacy.”
Ava nodded. “You must.”
He kissed her again, and this time she parted her lips and received his eagerly and even greedily. Because of course he did this perfectly, too.
“You saved my life,” she purred, gazing into those hypnotic eyes. “That first time, they were about to attack me. And maybe the second time, too. Thank you.”
His hands slid down to cup her butt, and she could hear his sharp intake of breath as he felt the soft curve back there. “I interfered with your work. It was unwarrior-like. I failed you.”
Ava moaned at his touch. “You did your duty like a true warrior. I should have understood that no man could stand by and calmly watch what happened there. Lower. You didn't fail me. I'm still alive. Lower.”
His hand slid further down until she could feel his fingertips touching her pussy lips outside her stupidly thick suit.
He looked at her with wonder. “You are remarkable.”
She squirmed, wanting to feel his fingers move against the sensitive part of her. “Everyone has to be able to - oh god – realize when they did something wrong. And I'm supposed - yes, like that – to be a leader.”
Her moans and obvious enthusiasm was all he needed. He placed both hands under her butt and lifted her as he stood up, as if she weighed about the same as a dry maple leaf.
She curled her legs around him and locked her arms behind his impossibly strong neck.
He leaned in and his lips stroked against hers lightly, his eyes still on her, testing. Because of course this man wouldn't do anything she wasn't okay with.
“Yeah,” she moaned, just to make sure he knew. With the woman shortage on his planet, he might need some guidance with stuff like this. “That's just right.”
Shit. She wasn't being exactly subtle about this. But fuck it. She'd gone too long with no intimate contact with anyone. And this guy was the hottest and brightest Acerex she'd met. And he'd saved her life. And he didn't seem to blame her for anything, just himself. If ever she'd do anything with anyone, it had to be this one. She'd done it with worse men. Much, much worse.
His eyes went glassy, and it was as if her words had ignited something inside him. He kissed her again, much more passionately, holding her in his hands as steadily as if it he were a large forklift.
Dry, soft lips crushed hers, and she opened up to let him penetrate her mouth.
His dry, spicy scent filled her nose and made her dizzy as he took the few steps over to her bed and laid her down on the memory foam mattress. It received and supported her like she was floating on air.
He stood at the foot of the bed and looked at her for a second, and his leather-like pants had to be close to bursting with the pressure from that bulge, now so huge and alive and twitching that Ava gasped at the sight of it. Then he laid himself over her – carefully, so that he placed no pressure on her.
She reached down and greedily grabbed at the drawstring in his pants, but the knot was very alien and in her fogged-up mind she could make no sense of it.
She groaned in frustration. “You do this.”
Instead she quickly unfastened her own suit, a much simpler process despite its space-age complexity. It split along both sides and in the middle, but she wanted him to take it completely off her.
Meanwhile, he had untied his pants, and she slipped her hand down into their front.
Her eyes widened as she found the contents. “Oh my ... this is a fucking ramrod!”
Her hand was too small to fully grasp the hard, hot, pulsating cock. Much too small. And the length ...
“If this won't kill me, I'll officially immortal.”
He frowned in puzzlement.
“No, never mind. I'm just ... oh, just take it off.” She was babbling, but she didn't care.
Her suit was now just four pieces of nanofabric, lightly fused. Xark'ion carefully lifted one sliver of it, and then peeled off one whole quarter of her suit, from her right shoulder to her toes. His hand followed, warm and callused fingers stroking over her soft flesh, sending an endless stream of small sparks to her spine. She wished her panties would come off just as easily, but they were the old-fashioned kind.
A strange sound filled the cabin, so deep it made her chest tremble. Was it some kind of alarm? Then she realized it – Xark'ion was growling as he stripped her and explored her.
Her hands roamed all over him, feeling the hardness of his battle-hardened muscles and the scarred skin, the coarseness of the fire tattoo, the silkiness of his hair, the alien shape of his face.
He peeled off another sliver on the other side, then froze and frowned.
A spear of ice shot through her. Fuck! Her exoskeleton leg!
Shit. She'd forgotten all about it. That damn tequila! Now he'd politely disengage and leave in disgust. Suddenly she couldn't bear even thinking about that happening. She needed him.
“It's just a sleeve,” she tried to explain. “That leg isn't too strong, and it mmff-”
He leaned down and kissed her, shutting her up. “The diplomat has mysterious secrets. As is only proper for an alien female.”
He dropped the nanofabric to the floor and slid both hands up her front, one on each side, taking her in with eyes that were glassy with arousal.
Ava felt her heart soar. He didn't care! He didn't care about her stupid leg. She should have known that he was too magnificent for that.
And now she wanted to be naked for him. She opened the side of her bra and slid it off, then laid back and lifted her hips. Her mouth was dry with excitement.
He got it and grabbed the thin white fabric with both hands, jerking it down. There was a small ripping noise as it passed below Ava's voluminous hips, but it only added to her excitement. He was a wild, alien warrior, and his lust had taken over. She could probably not have gotten out of this, even if she had wanted to.
The thought made her want to laugh. She most definitely did not want to get out of this. She would fight with tooth and nail to stay right here under Xark'ion.
He was staring at her naked crotch. Fine, it might well be the first he'd seen.
When had she shaved last? A long time ago. But it should be somewhat trimmed, anyway.
“You are just ... wonderful,” Xark'ion growled, and his voice was hoarse.
Ava spread her legs under his green eyes, then reached down to grab his cock again. It throbbed and twitched uncontrollably, and suddenly she was worried about getting him off too early.
How much instruction did he need? Because she needed no warming up now. Zero.
“Put it in me,” she pleaded. “Right there.”
His sharp intake of breath made it clear that the idea didn't exactly repel him.
“Is there ... it's so small,” he said.
“There's room,” Ava said. “I hope. Just go slowly.”
He got up on his knees, and she spread her legs more. Even that little movement made a little snap and crackle that revealed that she had to be completely dripping. She had never been more turned on.
He positioned his rock-hard, alien cock at her entrance, and it slid a half inch in between her lips.
Delightful little sparks shot through her pelvis.
She looked up into his crystal, laser eyes. “Now.”
He thrust into her, slowly making his way inside her sex.
Her lips had to stretch to accommodate him, and her outer opening sent hard tingles through her lower body, as if preparing it for something big that was coming.
Ava moaned with delight and a little bit of worry. He was huge.
He slid further and further in, penetrating her. There was a slight burning sensation as the tunnel had to adjust to the intruder, stretching her, but it mixed with the feelings of pure pleasure and just made it better.
She whimpered as he bottomed out in her. She checked with her hand – yes, he still had a good three or four inches left on the outside. And yet he filled her up so completely, she had never felt more taken. “You're a giant,” she wheezed.
It was the first time she'd seen him smirk. “A giant monster for the alien.”
He withdrew slowly, and immediately her pussy missed the fullness and the heat of his cock. But it wasn't gone for long before he thrust into her again, slowly, as if to demonstrate ownership.
Again he filled her up, but now she knew her body could handle it and she could give herself over to the ecstatic sensations that were starting to come to a boil inside her.
Already? she marveled. She could usually not come just from being fucked, but this time ...
He drew almost out again and pushed into her with a squelching sound from her soaking wet pussy. Gods, he was forcing the juices from her. And he was about to force the orgasm from her, too.
He was pumping her so slowly, filling her so full, setting her whole body on fire.
And that fire was about to explode. With each slow, deliberate stroke into her, more and more heat was released inside her. But she held on, wanting it to build. Just one more thrust. Just one more from this fucking alien warrior ...
And then there were definitely vibrations down there. Right where it mattered the most.
“Oh yeeeaaaah!” she keened as she couldn't hold on anymore and the explosion of pleasure filled her pussy and her stomach and then all of her. She knew that she was bucking and shaking under him, but now she just wanted to let go and feel all of it.
As if he knew exactly what she was experiencing, Xark'ion immediately started fucking her faster. His instincts had to be just perfect.