The Astronomer

by Charmaine Pauls

  Fraya changed into stretch pants, a T-shirt and trainers, and went outside for a run. Despite her intention, she didn’t get very far before her body felt exhausted from the altitude and the heat. Her lungs burned and her head started aching. Who was she trying to fool? She wasn’t a runner like Emilio. She walked the mile she had jogged back to the condo and plunged into the pool instead. Dinner was a cheese sandwich–with real, freeze-dried bread, and another glass of wine before she ran a bath and allowed herself to relax in the luxurious feel of the warm water.

  The condo was an extraordinary generous wedding gift. Emilio had thought about everything. There was even a security system connected to an alarm that fed back to the main observatory building via satellite. She wondered what Gene had thought about it. He had kept the secret well. He would have been here, right now, had he not had his sudden insight of not being ready to commit. Fraya closed her eyes and willed her mind not to dwell on the issue. What was done, was done. She was Emilio’s mate now. And she had the mark to prove it.

  When the water started cooling she dried herself, dressed in her favorite boys’ shorts and an off-shoulder T-shirt and stepped onto her balcony. The sun had set. In the desert darkness set in quickly and with it the cold. She shivered. She’d make good use of the early evening by going over the files and information on the laptop. She made herself comfortable on the bed and spread the files out around her. The ePad was booting up when she heard a phone ring. The sound came from her bag. It had to be the sat phone, as her mobile phone had shown no bars when she arrived. She fished for the phone and put it on speaker, expecting it to be Saunders, or Tracy, or someone from the office.

  “Fraya Riber.”

  “Hey baby.”

  His voice immediately sent a shiver down her spine.

  “Hey.” She wanted to ask how he had gotten the number, but she knew better by then. “The phone was your idea, wasn’t it?”

  “I wasn’t going to ship you out here with no way to contact you.”

  She could almost hear him smile on the other side of the country.

  “How was your first day, Fraya?”

  “Not exactly as I’d thought it would be. But I’m happy to be here.”

  “Are you in the condo?”

  “You know I’m in the condo.”

  “Good. Is everything to your taste?”

  “Emilio, I don’t know what to say. Thank you. And Al Shain... I’m speechless.”

  “Glad you like it.”

  “You did a great job with this place. Is this what your hotels are like?”

  “Not quite. Sorry it’s not done yet. I had some issues with the contractors. The builders went on strike. Did Tracy stock up?”

  “Yes, she did.”

  “Did you eat?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Yes, sir.”

  “If you keep up that attitude I’ll fly right over there and spank you.”

  She could actually enjoy that. “I’m busy, Emilio.”

  “What are you doing?”

  “Going over some files. I want to access the company computer and see what my predecessor left me. Apparently he wasn’t very organized.”

  “Mmm. Have you touched yourself yet?”

  “What?” Her mouth went dry in delicious anticipation.

  “Have you touched yourself in the way I taught you? Have you touched yourself thinking about me?”

  God, he was decadent. “Emilio...”

  “I like it when you say my name.”

  “This call is costing a fortune. Stop joking around.”

  “I’ve never been more serious. I want you to touch yourself. Tell me what you do to yourself, baby, how it feels.”

  He wasn’t serious. “You’re asking me to have phone sex?”

  “Have you done it before?”

  He knew the answer to that. She wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of a verbal confirmation. It would only be admitting that her life before him had been pretty vanilla.

  “Is the phone on speaker?”

  “I’m not in the mood, Emilio.”

  “Anytime, any way I want, remember?” His voice was wicked.

  “This can’t possibly count.”

  “Why not? You didn’t put a limit on the type of sex. Instead of wasting time debating the issue, which you know you’ll lose, pull that shirt over your pretty breasts.”

  “Emilio...”

  “Fraya. Don’t make me get onto the next flight and disrupt your job.”

  “Fine. I took off my shirt.”

  He laughed softly. “I can tell by your voice you’re lying. Maybe I should get you to switch on the webcam.”

  “It doesn’t work,” she bit out.

  “Not yet, honey, but it soon will. Pull off your shirt.”

  Her fingers trembled. His voice cut through her, to her very core. God, she missed his lips, his kisses, his hands, and his caresses. Slowly, she gripped the hem of her T-shirt and pulled it over her head.

  She took a shaky breath. “It’s off.”

  “That’s better,” he said, his voice deep.

  “Take off the rest of it. I want you naked.”

  Fraya obeyed, and found that it excited her more than she ever thought was possible. Him talking her through it was so hot.

  His voice caressed her senses once more. “Lie down on the bed.”

  “I’m on the bed.”

  “Touch your nipple, and tell me what you feel.”

  She pinched her nipple between her thumb and her forefinger. “Ah.”

  “Oh yes baby. Tell me what you feel.”

  “It’s good. Almost as good...” she wanted to say ‘when you do it’, but swallowed her words.

  “That’s my girl. Touch yourself, Fraya, like I showed you to. I want to hear you.”

  It wasn’t as difficult as it should have been. The woman caressing herself on that bed in Emilio’s condo wasn’t the woman she knew. His voice made it easy, taking her someplace inside herself where she felt more woman than ever in her life before.

  “Let me hear you, baby.”

  She was panting now.

  “God, yes, Fraya. I can hear you breathe. Make me crazy, baby.”

  She moaned.

  “You’re driving me insane. Give me more. Show me how good it gets.”

  She was too sensitive. His voice floating over her, him coaxing her with his commanding tone, it was too much. She felt it coming and didn’t bother to suppress the sounds that fell from her lips. She said his name into the room as she exploded around herself, and suddenly the night didn’t seem so lonely any more.

  “Oh God, Fraya, do you know how good you sound?”

  She bit her nail. Was it really her who begged for him, who said she wanted him inside her just a second ago?

  “I’m going to reward you for being such a good girl. Now, stop working and go to bed. And continue being a good girl. For me. Don’t look at the nerdy boys. And if they as much as glance at you, I’ll break their jaws.”

  “You’re impossible.”

  “You haven’t seen anything yet.”

  Her whole body trembled. She knew better than to doubt him.

  “Good night Fraya. Call me ... whenever.” The meaning in his voice made her stomach clench with fresh desire.

  She looked at the phone as he hung up. He was pure, unadulterated, hot, addiction. With him, she felt as if she could never get enough. Sleepiness washed over her as she tidied the files. Damn him. There was no way she could focus now.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Fraya woke up early. Her windows were coated with the dusty pink light of dusk. She had left the sunscreens open on purpose to see how the first caresses of the sun would look through those magnificent glass walls before the rays would turn into a scorching torch. Emilio’s design was brilliant. The view was to die for. It had to have cost him a fortune. Turning her thoughts from the one man who had the power to distract her, even from her work, she first switched on the coffee machine in th
e kitchen before going back upstairs to take a cool shower.

  For her first official day at the office, she dressed in black slacks and a matching sleeveless jacket that she buttoned over a white tank top. She zipped black leather boots with flat heels over the snug pants and threw her bag over her shoulder. It took her two minutes to figure out how the alarm worked and to set a new code. By the time she pulled into the parking lot of the office, it was only eight, but the sun already sat high, the early morning’s rosy, comfortable glow now replaced by a blinding white light that drew crinkled heat waves over the sand.

  This time, Tracy manned the reception desk.

  Tracy shot Fraya a warm smile. “Hey you. How was your first night?”

  Fraya dropped her bag in front of the counter. “Fine, thank you. I believe I need security clearance.”

  “Got it right here.” Tracy picked up a nametag from the desk and handed it to Fraya. “The tag is chipped. It shows up on the monitor when you try to enter restricted areas, so don’t even try.” She slid an electronic keycard over the counter. “And that’s to access the areas you have permission to enter.”

  Fraya secured the nametag with the magnet clip onto her jacket lapel. “Do I go straight up to see the boss?”

  “Not here yet. He’s busy this morning, but said he’ll see you when he gets in at ten.”

  Fraya leaned on the counter. “The boss said I could take myself on a tour today. Think I can get special clearance for the restricted areas?”

  “Only the boss can authorize that.”

  Fraya gave Tracy her sweetest smile. “I know. But when I saw him yesterday he said I could do the tour of the whole building.”

  “He didn’t mention anything to me.”

  “When I came in he was quite busy. Seemed a bit stressed too. Overworked.”

  Tracy snorted. “Tell me about it.”

  “So, I’ll take a guard with me or something if needed. Just want to visit and meet my new colleagues, that’s all.”

  Tracy stared at Fraya for a second with pouted lips. “Okay, but if you get into trouble, I had nothing to do with this.”

  Fraya gave a reassuring laugh. “Why would I get into trouble? I work here, after all.”

  Tracy sighed. “Give me your card.” She took back the card and swiped it through the magnetic slot of the control on her desk. “I’ll give you access only until ten, okay?” she said as she typed codes into the system.

  Fraya shrugged. “Fine.” She smiled. “I’ll walk fast.”

  When Tracy held the card out to her, Fraya snatched it from her fingers and picked up her bag. She didn’t need to ask which way to go.

  “Fraya,” Tracy called when Fraya had reached the bottom of the stairs, “do you want to have lunch together today?”

  Fraya never took lunch while she worked. Every hour was precious. But she owed Tracy.

  “Sounds good,” Fraya said.

  “Great. One o’clock. Canteen.”

  Fraya made her way upstairs and only entered her office to drop her briefcase and bag. Then she continued all the way to the end of the corridor, past the boss’ door, and slipped her card into the entrance of the underground tunnel that led to platform four.

  She passed several technicians either monitoring equipment or manning computer stations, but ignored their curious glances and made her way to the door of the giant telescope on the other end. Once inside the huge dome, she stopped to admire the structure and technology. This was an area she had access to. She would take her time to appreciate it later. For now, her destination was a room on the other end of the smaller hallway that led from platform four to the center of the underground station. The door of the dome slid open and shut behind her soundlessly. Then she was alone. The humming of machinery and other static noises were concealed behind the metal doors, and only her footsteps echoed down the path of the dimly lit tunnel.

  At the end of a short walkway she slipped her card through another door that gave access to the research lab and display room. This one was totally off-limits. And the boss would have her head on a platter once he found out. But she’d deal with that when the time came. As she exited on the other side, she found herself in a dark room with yellow wall lights hidden in oval alcoves. Display cabinets lined the walls and a freestanding one formed a long line down the center of the basement. Fraya breathed in the musty air of antiquity, that smell she remembered from museums and old libraries. Her slow movement sounded on the concrete floor as she made her way across the room, admiring the objects she had, so far, only seen on her computer screen. The first few glass boxes held pieces of meteorites and outer galaxy particles, but it were the ones toward the end of the display cabinet she was drawn to. Brown rock eventually made space for pots, vases, weapons and ornaments, priceless antiques. The observatory boasted its very own museum of artifacts not only excavated in and around its territory, but also from other parts of the world.

  This unique marriage between astronomy and archeology was thanks to Professor Hart Andrews, resident archeologist. His reputation had won him a cushy position at one of the most famous observatories in the world, and an almost untouchable status in the world of archeology. He was renowned for his bad temper and unorthodox methods of acquiring valuable treasures, but his efficiency made the world turn a blind eye. His work was perceived as of too much importance to let a few politically incorrect issues stand in the way. Fraya had read all his lectures, but the ones that interested her in particular, were the ones relating to how knowledge of stars led to amazing discoveries. These were the stories her father used to tell her, binding her in fascination since an early age, and the map he gave her was, in fact, a replica of one of Andrews’s earliest discoveries–an ancient Atacama civilization dating back more than two-thousand years. This was the reason why she chose to specialize in Archeoastronomy. Professor Andrews had been her inspiration.

  Now, the objects lay in front of her and she couldn’t breathe for the knowledge of the privilege, one that was granted to a few people on an annual basis, mainly the donors who enabled the excavations. The display was heavily protected with a state of the art alarm system. The red beams of infrared sensors crisscrossed in the vacant space and reflected on the glass surface of the cabinet. A camera would record her presence, and she knew she had precious little time before a guard would barge through the door and demand an explanation for her presence. She’d be in a whole lot of trouble, but the opportunity to see the legendary articles made every second worth the while. Even if she couldn’t touch any of the objects, Fraya put her hand out and ran it along an imaginary line above the protective glass surface, moving along the length of the room, careful not to trip any of the sensors. Her eyes missed nothing. She took in all she could with a hunger born from a passion that was larger than life.

  Before she reached the end of the room, she froze as a voice suddenly spoke.

  “Impenetrable glass. Bullet and laser proof. We keep them in those glass boxes not only to protect them from potential thieves, but also to preserve them.”

  Fraya turned slowly. She had expected a guard, some shouting, and even her detention, but the tall man in the long white lab coat who stood in the arch of the door didn’t move. The lights were at his back, casting his shadow in a distorted line over the floor, his face hidden in the dark.

  “We suck out the oxygen and replace it with carbon dioxide,” he continued. “That way the artifacts remain intact. No oxidation, no rust.”

  He spoke with an understated but unmistakable passion. The voice sounded faintly familiar, but she couldn’t place it. “Low lights to protect its original paint, its delicate colors,” Fraya said. “I know all about the methodology.”

  The man took a few steps toward her. “And you should. You’re the new junior recruit. Superb resume. Above average intelligence. Straight A’s. Never missed a class, not one day of sick leave. I believe your final year professor described you as, quote, ‘a mathematical genius with borderless limits’
. But it’s your interest in archeological astronomy that makes you one of a kind. There aren’t many of us in the world.”

  It didn’t surprise her that one of her future colleagues should know her background so well. After all, she had done her own research on them. But it did catch her off guard that someone in the archeology department had taken an interest in her appointment, so much so that he quoted her mentor.

  Fraya tried to catch a glimpse of his face. Judging by his height, it could only be Tanson Scarrabo, the resident environmentalist, or Professor Hart Andrews. She doubted that Tanson would have clearance for the conservation room.

  “Professor Andrews,” she said. The faceless man. He was the only one on the team of who there was no photo on file. He was obsessive about protecting his privacy. “This is such an honor.”

  He was now only paces away, cleverly avoiding the light, pausing with every step in the dark. His laugh was soft and low. “Please, call me Hart. I see you’ve done your homework too. I like that. I think we’ll work together well.”

  Fraya frowned at that. They wouldn’t be working together at all. There was no collaboration between their respective departments.

  Andrews continued, “You’ll make a brilliant scientist, although I believe your talents may slightly be wasted capturing data and spitting out reports. You would have made an even better field operator.”

  He stopped a short distance from her, this time allowing the yellow reflection to wash over him. Fraya couldn’t stop the sound that came from her lips as she pulled in her breath. She recognized him in a flash. The yellow eyes of an anaconda confronted her from just above the collar of his dress shirt.

  They stared at each other for a second, his lips twisting into a smirk.

  “Why didn’t you tell me in the plane?” she said.

  He tilted his head. “And spoil the surprise?”

  “I didn’t hear you enter.”

  “That’s because I didn’t. I was here already.”

  A shiver ran down Fraya’s spine. “You could have said something.”