Spark in the Stars

by Foster Bridget Cassidy

  Lian rolled to the side, his strong arms tight around Gin, pulling him along. Gin’s head spun from the easy way Lian situated his body, grabbing Gin’s hips to keep him in place. Gin was actually taller than the captain, but Lian had no problem manhandling him. He obviously took his thirty minutes of cardio seriously.

  “Tell me what would feel good,” Lian said into their kiss.

  “It’s all feeling good, so far.” Lian’s aggressive mouth was highly addictive and raising Gin’s adrenaline at an alarming rate. “Though I’d prefer less clothes.”

  Lian attacked Gin’s clothing. He started with the jacket, then the grease-stained undershirt. Next, he unfastened the button on Gin’s gray slacks. Lian slid them easily over Gin’s hips.

  Gin shifted to the side to get the pants, and undergarments, off.

  Lian reached for Gin’s now exposed skin, but Gin shimmied down.

  “Now you,” Gin said, unfastening the buckle of Lian’s belt. He removed all the captain’s layers, leaving him naked and faceup on the bed. Gin could only stare. He’d seen naked men before, but none of them compared to the beauty displayed here. He never would have realized Lian’s abs were chiseled, nor his hips delicately narrowed, or his cock so hard and lengthy. It was enough to make Gin drool.

  “Come lay down,” Lian said.

  Gin complied, climbing up the bed and settling next to the captain. Their bodies shifted closer and aligned. Without clothing separating their skin, the heat intensified. Gin’s chest rose and fell rapidly and he struggled to get a deep breath. If he wasn’t careful, he’d hyperventilate and pass out atop the perfect body beside him.

  Lian reached out his hand and gripped Gin’s hair. “Can I take off your rubber bands?”

  Hesitating for a moment, Gin finally nodded. It seemed something intimate, to remove the bands. They were associated with safety, with keeping control. With them gone, Gin wouldn’t be able to master his spark. But Lian knew all this and accepted it. It was a sign of trust on both sides.

  Lian slipped a finger under one layer of the rubber band. He pulled gently and it slid down the length of Gin’s hair. When Lian freed it completely, he fitted the band around his own wrist. Then he did the same to the other tail, the rubber band joining its mate.

  Gin’s hair fell around him in waves. Luckily, it was naturally straight, which allowed him to keep it so long in the first place. It was a bitch to condition, but the added effort rid it of tangles. It was worth it, and Lian obviously agreed. He moaned softly as he sank his fingers through the strands. Gin shut his eyes at the soft nature of Lian’s caress. The delicate consideration the captain gave made Gin’s body ache.

  With fingers still entwined in Gin’s hair, Lian pulled Gin forward and kissed him. It was desperate now, their bodies seeking contact just as much as their lips. Their hips aligned and brought their cocks together.

  Gin’s whole body stiffened at the brush of Lian’s cock against his. So long without physical touch had made him overly sensitive, plus the captain’s physique was enough to fuel his dreams for weeks to come.

  Lian continued to stroke Gin’s hair, pulling his fingers through the long strands, then moving back up to the roots. Each pass seemed to increase Lian’s excitement. Gin could hardly believe such a simple thing made the captain eager. Well, he could think of a thing or two to take this to the next level.

  Breaking the kiss, and earning a disgruntled noise from Lian, Gin shifted lower. He got down by Lian’s cock and nuzzled at the hard flesh. Gin breathed deep the scent of the captain, thinking he could smell the ocean, like Sy said. It was a foreign scent, but Gin couldn’t get enough of it. He licked the base of the shaft up to the tip. Above him, Lian moaned. Gin gripped Lian’s cock, and instead of leading it to his mouth, he used his other hand to trail his hair along the sensitive skin. As hoped, Lian sucked in a sharp breath.

  “Gin,” he said, hoarsely.

  Gin continued the motion, draping more of his hair over the captain. Then he took several strands and wrapped them around Lian’s cock. With that acting as a barrier, Gin used his hand to stroke up and down the shaft.

  Lian made several incoherent, delicious sounds as this went on. Gin’s own cock twitched at each utterance. He loved the captain’s voice, and his slowly deteriorating control. Gin wasn’t usually one who played games, but he felt like teasing, drawing this out as long as possible.

  With his hand focused on Lian’s cock, he moved the other lower and gently massaged Lian’s balls. At the captain’s low moan, Gin shut his eyes. Hell and high heaven. He’d come just from the noises Lian made.

  Gin turned his touch featherlight, barely even coming into contact with Lian’s skin. He sank lower and let his tongue trace where his fingers had been.

  Lian gripped Gin’s hair. He tugged softly, sending a nonverbal message. Gin understood. It wasn’t a request to vacate the area. Rather, it was setting the tempo. Gin paid attention to Lian’s motions, how hard he pulled on Gin’s roots, and mimicked the force on Lian’s cock. Hard, then soft. Fast, then slow. Gin pushed his hair down just a bit to reveal the slit on the tip. He caressed that tiny spot with his tongue while his hands attacked shaft and balls.

  “Pip,” Lian cursed breathlessly. “Gin, I’m going to come.”

  “Then come.”

  Lian lifted his head and Gin raised his eyes to meet that gaze. “In your hair?”

  “Unless you don’t like it.”

  The captain lowered himself again. “I like it.”

  Which was obvious. Gin returned his mouth to Lian’s cock. The taste of his precome was salty and heady. Gin wanted to take the whole thing in his mouth, work it over. But Lian seemed to be enjoying the current setup. He wasn’t going to change it.

  Maybe next time.

  He licked, and stroked, and massaged. Good thing he knew how to multitask. He focused on his motions, wanting to give Lian the most pleasure possible.

  “Gin,” he said in warning.

  Gin locked his lips around the captain’s tip, and hot semen pumped into his mouth. Gin kept moving his hands, wanting Lian’s cock to pulse as long as possible. When it finally stilled, Gin released his hold and gently unwrapped his hair.

  Lian grabbed Gin and pulled him up, joining their lips together forcefully. The captain’s body was already relaxing, but Gin’s was still keyed up.

  “I’m sorry that I went first.” His green eyes looked sincere, and a bit guilty. “It wasn’t what I intended.”

  “Don’t be sorry. I enjoyed those noises you made. I wanted it this way.”

  Lian shook his head. “Once again, you surprise me.” Then he smiled gently. “Now, what can I do for you?” He accentuated the words with tiny nips to Gin’s lips.

  “I’m up for anything.”

  “There must be something you’d prefer.”

  Gin shook his head. “Being with you in any way is enough for me.”

  Lian used his nose to nudge Gin under the chin. “But you liked my noises?”

  “Very much.”

  “Shall I keep them going?”

  Gin nibbled at his bottom lip. “I’d like that.”

  “Would you fuck me?”

  A gasp escaped Gin’s throat. “You’d let me?” He hadn’t expected the dominating man to request something like this. He’d figured it would be the other way around. But either option worked for Gin, as long as he got to look into Lian’s eyes.

  Lian reached out and caught a lock of Gin’s hair—from the unsoiled side. He twirled it around his finger. “I’d beg for it.”

  Gin swallowed, hard. “Yes, please.”

  With a chuckle, Lian tugged on Gin’s hair and led him forward. Their lips met and Gin could feel Lian’s cock begin to stiffen again. Must be his Quifante blood. Despite being filled with raging hormones, Gin wouldn’t have been able to recover so quickly.

  Lian rolled to the side of the bed and removed a tube of lubricant from one of the bedside drawers. He handed it to Gin.

&nbs
p; First, Gin saw to the captain’s body. He deposited a liberal amount of lube into his hands and gently fingered Lian’s asshole. The opening was tight—it’d been awhile since Lian had done this. Was that a good thing, or a bad thing? Gin decided not to worry about that at the moment. He concentrated on loosening Lian’s entrance.

  The more he moved his fingers, the more vocal Lian became. At first, it was soft gasps, but when Gin added another finger, the captain changed his tune. Then it was moans, long and drawn out. With three, Lian practically purred. His whole body vibrated from it.

  Gin couldn’t wait any longer. He removed his fingers, then added some lube to his hard and ready length. He climbed atop the captain and aligned their bodies. Their height difference—Gin being slightly taller—worked in their favor for this position. He settled his knees below Lian and took himself in his hand.

  “Please,” Lian said breathlessly. “I want to feel you inside me.”

  Gin obliged. He’d prepped Lian well, so a soft push was enough for him to breach the captain. He sank in slowly, but deliberately.

  Lian and Gin groaned in unison.

  “Gin,” Lian said, his voice almost an octave higher than usual. “Please. Hurry.”

  Between them, Lian’s cock was ready for round two. Gin took his lube-covered hand and gently stroked Lian’s shaft.

  “Let me,” Lian said, nudging Gin’s hand out of the way. He grasped his own cock in a tight grip. “Now, fuck me.”

  Gin joined their lips, briefly but savagely. Then he pulled back, adjusted his position, and thrust his hips forward.

  Lian grunted from the impact. He drew up his legs, giving Gin better access. Gin held on to Lian’s knees, then pushed in as far as he could go. He was deep, and the sight of Lian’s blotchy cheeks and heaving chest was nearly enough to push Gin over the edge. But he held off. Lian wanted to be fucked? Gin could provide.

  He shifted his hips back, pulling out to the tip. Then he slammed in. He used Lian’s body for leverage, to keep him steady. It helped, and he found the right balance, giving him ease of movement.

  “Harder,” Lian begged.

  Gin pulled out, and drove back in. Over and over, as quickly as he could.

  Below him, Lian let out a constant stream of mutters and groans. They grew louder and louder with each passing second. Gin tuned out his own voice. He only wanted to hear Lian. His sounds were so beautiful, so piteous.

  “Gonna come,” Gin managed to say. Then he was filled with a blinding ecstasy. He stilled, his cock buried in Lian, Lian’s second orgasm making his asshole constrict around Gin. It was perfect. Especially seeing Lian’s sweat-drenched hair falling into his green eyes. The most beautiful sight Gin had ever seen.

  He collapsed atop Lian, heedless of the sticky mess they’d made. Lian kissed at him, landing anywhere he could reach. Gin’s equally sweaty forehead, his eyebrows, the bridge of his nose.

  The onslaught made the bliss of his climax that much more enjoyable. His heart swelled with love and affection.

  After a few moments, Gin gently removed himself from inside Lian. Then he settled beside the captain on the bed and entwined their limbs.

  “Gin.”

  “Lian.”

  The captain smiled. “You might not believe me, but this is the first time I’ve done this with a crewmember.”

  “What makes me special?”

  “Everything, Gin. It’s not that I haven’t been tempted in the past, because I have. But I never needed to cross that line. With you, I had to. There’s something in you that draws me. I’m not saying I’m ready for a relationship or anything serious, but I do enjoy my time with you. I want to see you more.”

  “I’d like that too.”

  “Hmm.” Lian buried his face into Gin’s neck. “We have time to sleep. Will you stay?”

  “Want to get cleaned up first?”

  “No. There’ll be time for that later. Now, I’m tired.”

  Gin shifted slightly so his back rested against Lian’s chest. Facing this way, he could see the beautiful darkness out beyond the Bethany’s walls. It was almost as breathtaking as Lian.

  “Good night, Lian.”

  “It’s morning.”

  A smile sprang to his lips. “Then, good morning, Lian.”

  “Good morning, Gin.”

  Chapter 21

  LIAN FROWNED at the white foam that covered the click.

  “Sorry,” Gin said.

  “Don’t be. That’s what it was there for.”

  “It didn’t want to go back inside.”

  Lian nodded. This was only the second time Gin’s spark had been summoned, so that by itself was a success. It didn’t do to dwell on the negatives. He nearly laughed at the thought. It sounded more like Gin than himself.

  “That’s still progress. Discharging it into a mechanical device of our choosing means it doesn’t end up in the Bethany.”

  “Good point. At the end, right before it discharged, I got a sense of something inside the click, like I could access what was stored inside.”

  Lian lifted his eyebrow. “I never read anything like that in regard to kiipina.”

  Gin shrugged. “Maybe I just imagined it.”

  “Don’t worry, Gin. You’ll get it.” To add a bit of emphasis to his words, Lian leaned forward and pressed his lips to Gin’s. It was soft and slow, with no hint of being anything deeper. They didn’t have time for more, and they both knew it.

  Sure enough, Trish’s voice came from his call badge.

  “Captain. First Capillto is requesting you.”

  “Patch it through.” He ended the call, then gazed at Gin. “I need to take this.”

  “Of course you do. I’ll wait right here, though I don’t think my spark is flaring up again anytime soon.”

  “Keep trying, Gin. You’re close to getting it.”

  One more kiss, then Lian went to the com room. At the screen, Lian pressed the button and First Capillto’s face appeared. He wore a bandage over his left eye, but his worry was evident by the creases around the other.

  “First,” Lian said, hand to heart. “I’m glad you’ve recovered enough to speak to me.”

  “And I thank you for accepting my unscheduled call, Captain. I am feeling better, but there is still a lot of pain.”

  “Then you have pressing news?”

  “Yes. Members of the Gorsho beshwa attacked members of the Renarrin. We are unable to keep our people from retaliation. Despite Telundi’s reluctance, it is civil war.”

  Lian shut his eyes and sighed. When he regarded the First again, he let his face show the empathy and understanding he felt. “I am sorry it’s come to this. Fighting between families and friends shouldn’t be so common. You have our sympathy.”

  “We were hoping we could come to an agreement, Captain.”

  “As I said to Alpha Mimasho, Federation refuses to sign any treaties if a single beshwa is in rebellion.”

  “That’s no longer an issue, Captain. We’ve renounced them.”

  Lian raised his eyebrows. “You exiled them?”

  “Yes. It’s official.” He held up a document in one large hand. “Signed by each of the remaining beshwa Alphas. I added my seal moments ago.” The machine beeped, and a digital copy of the document appeared at the corner of the screen. “With them no longer being part of the Dalmin race, will you still refuse to help?”

  Lian scanned the document quickly, then nodded. “I will relay this information to Admiral Alejaro; however, I feel that the Kedler Federation will be willing to side with you on this conflict, given this new situation.”

  The First dipped his head. “Thank you, Captain. Perhaps we are ready to have our formal meeting, then? You are only a parsec away from Feiwei, in the neutral zone.”

  Lian slowly nodded. “Yes. We can arrange that, First Capillto.” Lian glanced at the clock on the com’s dashboard. He quickly converted it to the Dalmin method of timekeeping. “My commander and I can be there by seven lark. Will that suf
fice?”

  “It will. We look forward to meeting you in person, Captain.”

  “As do I. Until then.” The feed cut off. Lian heaved a sigh.

  “Gin,” he called out, and a squeak sounded from the adjoining hallway. “You can come out.”

  Gin appeared, looking petulant. “I couldn’t understand a word you said.”

  “I know.”

  “But, you don’t look happy, so bad news?”

  Lian lifted his shoulders. “I’m not sure if it’s good or bad. It may be helpful for us, but the price is rather steep. I need to call the admiral and report this.”

  “You want me to really go next door?”

  “No, it’s not necessary.” He shot Gin a withering look. “I’m pretty sure you’d just eavesdrop again. It’ll be all over the ship in a minute, anyway.” Lian gestured to the chair out of the screen’s line of sight. “Have a seat, but please keep quiet.”

  Gin mimed zipping his mouth, which brought a smile to Lian’s lips. He quickly removed it. If Admiral Alejaro saw him smirking, it would send her into apoplexy.

  Once Gin settled into the chair, Lian hit the button that linked him to the admiral’s direct line. Her face appeared immediately. That was lucky for him, as it was currently midnight where she was in Franklin.

  “Lian,” she greeted. “I saw the Dalmin ship flag you. What’s happened?”

  “Civil war, Admiral.” Lian sent the Dalmin’s file to her screen. “First Capillto has signed official documentation exiling the Gorsho and Velloro beshwa from their numbers. The First is insistent the remaining Dalmin wish to continue with negotiations.”

  “That’s good news.”

  “Yes, it will give us quite the bargaining chip. They’ve already expressed an interest in weapons.”

  The admiral nodded. “Our arsenal is much more advanced than theirs. Supplying them with hi-guns will likely cause talk among the Federation, but perhaps we can give them some old-fashioned gunpowder.”