by Joanna Wylde
Quickly, he pulled off his shirt and pants, kicking them to one side of the bed, then let himself into the fresher unit. There she was, standing in the sonic shower unit with both arms stretched above her body. Her eyes were closed as she relaxed in the gentle waves that cleaned her body. She was so beautiful, he thought. High, firm breasts. A softly curving back, each muscle clearly defined by years of hard work. His cock leapt to attention, and he stepped in with her. She gave a little startled gasp, then turned toward him, wrapping her arms around his neck.
Without speaking, they kissed. His erection, trapped between them, throbbed with need. He could feel one of her legs rubbing up and down the backs of his, and then he reached down to cup her butt firmly. He lifted her body, bracing it against the shower wall. She wrapped both legs around his waist, and they writhed together, skin stimulating skin in a way that seemed almost electric.
It was perfect.
He rubbed his cock against her belly again, enjoying the slow torture of being so close without penetration. He wanted to dive into her body with his; at the same time, he also wanted to simply savor the moment, allowing himself to be close to her.
If she managed to escape, this could be the last time he held her like this. The thought was intolerable. He was filled with a sudden need to mark her, to claim her as his. He wanted her to know with every fiber of her being who she belonged to. She was his. He would die before he allowed another man to touch her.
He pulled back with his hips, then thrust forward into her. She gasped, clutching him tightly, and he thrust again.
“Jess,” she moaned. Her voice was needy, almost painful with desire. He grunted, and pushed into her again. He could feel his cock bumping up against her cervix, feel her body shuddering in response. He knew by now that nothing sent her over the edge faster than such deep, hard penetration. He would make her scream before he was done. The ship rocked again, and they bumped again the wall of the shower. As he slipped out of her, she laughed.
“Let’s go into the bedroom,” she whispered. “This could get dangerous.”
He nodded, and stepped out of the shower while still supporting her body. He carried her into the bedroom and lowered her to the bed slowly, kissing her as he did. He followed her body down, but before he could come back into her, she pushed up, rolling him to one side.
“It’s my turn,” she said with a laugh. “You don’t always have to be in charge, Jess.”
“Yes, I do,” he said, unwilling to joke. She scrambled away from him, sitting up on her knees and crossing her arms in front of her chest. Her face turned serious.
“You don’t,” she said quietly. “You can’t expect me to be your prisoner forever, you know. Have you considered that maybe we need to form a partnership, here? If you can’t trust me even a little bit, we’re not going to get very far.”
“I trust you,” he said tightly. “Don’t I sleep next to you every night? You could strangle me; you could do all kinds of things to me.”
“I know,” she said. “You trust me not to kill you. But you don’t seem to be able to trust me to think for myself. Not even in bed. You never give up control, do you?”
“I’ve spent most of my life without control,” he said. “I’m not going to go back to living that other way ever again. You can forget that.”
“I don’t want to control your life,” she replied, shaking her head. “But I would like to share control of our relationship. I thought you didn’t believe in slavery.”
“I don’t,” he said in frustration. He hated it when she talked like this. She just didn’t understand how important it was to him that they stay together. Just the thought of her leaving him was enough to make him sick. And he had no reason to believe she would stay of her own free will. If he were in her situation, he would try to escape.
The feeling that he was being a hypocrite washed over him for the hundredth time, but he ruthlessly pushed the feeling of guilt back. He had been through enough already. He wasn’t going to give her up. Not now, not ever.
She rolled off the bed, then reached over to pull on a dress.
“What are you doing?” he asked roughly.
“I’m getting dressed,” she replied in a cool voice.
“What about finishing what we started in the fresher?” he asked, as a tight knot started growing in his chest.
“What about it?” she asked. “I was under the impression we were having consensual sex. But that kind of thing involves two partners, not a man and his receptacle. If you want to finish it, you’ll have to rape me.”
She stood facing him, hands clenched tightly on both hips. The knot in his chest grew heavier. He was losing her already.
“You won’t have sex with me?”
“I’ll have sex with my lover,” she said. “You’re my captor. I suppose you have the option of raping me.”
He stared at her, utterly confused. How had she managed to turn this into rape? His cock was throbbing, but it was nothing to the pain inside of his heart. They had fucked a hundred times; he’d never felt low and dirty before now. Somehow she’d tied him up neatly in a little knot and made him feel like a criminal. How had she done it?
“I’m going to go look through the viewing port,” she said, turning and walking about of the room. Jess felt naked and foolish. He had to find some clothing, had to find a way to regain control of the situation.
He had never felt so alone in his life.
* * * * *
Jess’ hand gripped her arm tightly as they stepped through the airlock several hours later. He had warned her not to say a thing when they entered the space station. He seemed to be afraid she was going to try to escape. Of course, she didn’t know that for sure, as they had hardly spoken since their abortive session in the shower. Not that he needed to worry.
It was all she could do to put one foot ahead of the next.
Never in her life had she seen anything like the Discovery Station port. She couldn’t have even imagined something like it existed. There were hundreds of people all around them, each dressed differently. They were all sizes and colors, although most seemed to be essentially human. The women were the most amazing. All her life she had been taught that females should be modest, obedient, but these women walked and talked like men. They even wore tight, form-fitting clothing that showed off their every movement.
Some of them wore hardly any clothing at all.
She watched in wide-eyed amazement as one, wearing only bits of feathers attached to some kind of string and draped around her breasts and waist, walked up to Jess and kissed him deeply on the mouth.
“Why don’t you park the wife and come visit with me?” she asked him seductively. Bethany stiffened terrified by her suggestion. What was going on here? To Bethany’s horror, Jess simply laughed.
“I have other business to take care of,” he said. “Maybe another time.”
“Any time for you,” she said. “Just ask for Mary. You can always find me if you ask.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” he said, laughing. Bethany fumed.
He tugged at her arm, pulling her to the center of the massive corridor.
“There’s a transit tube here,” he said. “We’ll take it to the center of the station; I’ve reserved a room for us there. Then I need to take care of some business.”
“Are you going to sell the ship?” she asked, wondering what other kinds of business he had in mind. Would he be going back to see Mary once he got rid of her?
“Yes,” he replied. He pulled her through the crowd, and she soon forgot to be angry.
Trying to see everything around her while keeping up with him was nearly impossible. She watched with wide eyes as the crowd swirled around them, unable to imagine why he was afraid she’d run away from him in this place; she was simply terrified that they’d get separated.
He pulled her on to a small platform, and then a pod-like vehicle was pulling up next to them. The door opened, and a rush of people came out. Jess pulle
d her inside, gesturing for her to sit down on a plast-crete molded bench. The doors slid shut, and the pod started moving at an incredible speed. She closed her eyes, feeling dizzy.
“All the ships have to dock on the station’s outer concourses,” he said. “If we tried to walk the entire way, we could spend the next ten hours trying to get there. In fact, we’re lucky to have gotten a docking place at all; sometimes ships are placed in a holding pattern and you have to ride a shuttle in.”
She nodded, pretending to understand him. She was trying to figure out just how big Discovery Station really was. The entire mining station she’d grown up on could have easily fit in this corridor alone.
They had only traveled a few minutes when the pod came to a stop. Jess tugged her arm and they stood. The doors slid open, and a rush of people came at them. She cowered back, but he held her firmly and pushed forward through the crowd. They stepped out of the pod, and suddenly they were in a broad cavern of a place. At first she thought it was simply the largest room she’d ever seen. Then she realized that above her was open space; her heart started racing instinctively. How could they possibly be safe in a place like this? What was holding the air in?
“Don’t worry,” Jess said, seeming reading her mind. “This dome is made out of the same material that protects the Emperor’s sky palace on Tyre. We’re perfectly safe.”
“Oh,” She replied, unsure of what to say. She certainly didn’t feel safe, no matter what he said. For all she knew, he was making it up, just to calm her down. “How do you know that?”
“I did grow up here,” he said, pulling her through the crowd. It was hard to hear him through all the noise. There was music and advertising everywhere and she could feel a dull throbbing starting in her head. If they didn’t get somewhere quieter soon, she was going to go crazy, she thought desperately. Someplace quiet and with a ceiling, she thought.
“In here,” Jess said. He pointed to a door with a sign above it that she couldn’t understand.
What’s that?”
“It’s a hostel” he said. “I’m going to drop you off at the room and then go out to take care of my business.”
“Is your sister here?” she asked, trying to focus on what he was saying. “Are you going to find her?”
“Yes,” he said. “She’s here, but I’ll go and get her later. Right now I want to pick up some things for us, and I have an appointment with a broker to discuss the ship.”
“Aren’t you afraid that someone will recognize you?”
“No,” he said. “The population of the station changes pretty quickly. Even if someone did see me, they have no way of knowing why I’m here.”
“Don’t you think they might find it kind of strange that you’re back here after being shipped off to the mines?” she asked. He frowned, and she realized all her questions were starting to annoy him.
“Let me worry about that,” he said tightly. “All you need to do is wait for me to take care of everything. We’ll be getting a new ship soon, and then we’ll go back for Bragan. You’ll like Calla. She’s a great girl, sweet.”
He pulled her through the entryway and back down a hall lined with doors.
“I’ve gotten room for us already,” he said. “You’ll just need to wait for me,” he added, opening one of the doors.
She looked around the room. It was small, but very nice. In fact, she found the close quarters somewhat comforting after all that open space. Like home. Then something strange caught her attention; there was some kind of covering on the floor. Unable to control herself, she pulled away from him and dropped to her knees. She had to touch it. It was so soft…How would anyone be able to keep such a useless and decadent thing clean? It was crazy.
“What is this?” she asked softly. Jess started laughing and she blushed.
It’s called carpet,” he said. “It’s very common, at least in places not owned by Pilgrims.”
“I’ve never been anywhere that wasn’t owned by Pilgrims,” she said with a shaky laugh. He smiled.
“I think you’ll like t here a lot more than any Pilgrim station,” he said. “Come here.”
He stood near the bed, reaching one hand out to her in invitation. She stood and slowly walked toward him. They still hadn’t resolved their earlier fight, but she found herself wanting his touch regardless. Discovery Station was so new and strange. It was exciting, but a small part of her was frightened, too. There were so many things she’d never seen before, never dreamed could exist. Everyone around her seemed to simply take them for granted. How would she ever fit in to a place like this? Compared to them, she was a cultural mutant.
Then Jess’ arms were closed around her. Things didn’t seem as frightening; she was safe. He would take care of her. He rubbed his hands up and down her arms, kissing the top of her head softly.
“It’s going to be all right,” he whispered. “We just have to take care of a few more things and then we can start building a new life for ourselves. You have to trust me, Bethany. I know what’s right for us.”
He kissed the top of her head again, then pushed her gently away. He reached down, taking her hands into his. At first she smiled at him. Then she noticed that his grip on her had grown tight.
“I need to go and see about our new ship,” he said. “While I’m gone, I’m going to lock you in the fresher.”
“Oh, no,” she said, heart sinking. “Jess, you can’t leave me locked up in this strange place. It’s not right.”
“I’m sorry,” he said. “But I don’t have a choice. I can’t risk having you run off.”
“And just where do you think that I would go?” she asked sarcastically. “I don’t exactly know anyone here. What do you think I’m planning to do?”
“I won’t risk it,” he said, no longer meeting her gaze. She could tell from his tone that the subject was closed. Still holding her hands firmly in his grasp, he walked her toward the fresher.
“Don’t bother trying to make a lot of noise,” he said as he locked her in. “The room has been sound-proofed. We’re close enough to the spaceport that sound baffles are required in all the rooms.”
“Just who do you think I’d be trying to attract?” she asked. “Jess, I don’t know anyone here. I don’t even know how to read half the signs we passed on the way in. They’re in another language. Why do you think I’m so bound and determined to run off?”
He didn’t reply. Instead, he pushed her into the small room and shut the door. She sat on the floor, feeling as if she were caught in some kind of bizarre time loop. No matter what she said to him, he still didn’t trust her. He treated her well 90 percent of the time, yet he still wasn’t secure enough to leave her alone.
She didn’t want to leave him.
She liked him, touching him made her happy. She’d been angry with him at first, but she wasn’t a fool. The slave revolt had given her new hope and the chance for happiness. Happiness with him. Even if that weren’t enough reason to stay with him, she had her fear. This new world he was showing her was frightening. She didn’t understand how it worked, didn’t understand how she would be able to survive here without some kind of help. She liked the idea of building a life with him, although she had no idea how they were going to do such a thing if he wouldn’t talk to her about it. They couldn’t go on like this indefinitely, she already knew that. They would drive each other crazy, end up strangling each other. This was no way to live.
She sat there and waited for him for several hours. Finally she fell asleep, only to be awakened by the sound of the door opening. He was back. Within seconds he opened the fresher door. He stood tall over her in the door, reaching one hand down to help her to her feet, his face grim. She shivered.
He looked completely different. Instead of wearing the monochrome, drab coveralls that all Pilgrim men wore, he was in a sleek black suit. Well tailored, it clung to his body, emphasizing his broad shoulders and muscular chest. It was severe and simple, yet far more elegant than anything she had ever
seen before. He was incredibly handsome, almost unreal. What if he left me? she wondered, feeling faint and suddenly self-conscious. Her hair was ragged, her hands were rough. What would a man like this see in her, especially when there were so many women on the station who seemed more than eager for his attention? Women who wore feathers, like Mary. Exotic women.
“I brought you some things,” he said, unaware of her troubled thoughts as he pulled her to her feet. He turned and walked over to the bed. She stood and followed him on shaky legs. There were several packages, all brightly colored.
“What are they?” she asked.
“Clothing,” he said. “I bought you some new things. Go ahead and open them.”
She touched one of the boxes hesitantly, then pulled it open. The fabric inside was soft, far softer than anything she’d ever felt.
“That’s called Fella sheen,” Jess said. “It’s only woven on Fella, from the cocoons of tiny creatures that live in the trees there. It’s very lightweight, but incredibly durable. I thought it might make a nice change for you. Why don’t you try it on?”
She held it up, amazed to see the small puddle of fabric expand into a full-length dress. But not a dress like anything she’d ever worn before. There were slits up the sides. She pulled out another piece of cloth and discovered a matching pair of pants. Just how was a woman supposed to wear something like this?
“Many of the women hear wear jumpsuits like mine,” he said quietly. “But I thought you might be more comfortable in something like this. You wear the dress over the pants, but when you walk, your legs are still covered. It’s a very popular style.”
“Why can’t I just wear my own clothes?” she asked nervously. So many things were changing so quickly, she hardly knew what to think about this. Was he ashamed of the way she looked? She raised a hand to her hair, fingering the rough ends self-consciously. She’d done her best to even them up after he’d cut part of it off during the revolt, but it was still uneven.
“Because I’ve sold the ship,” he said. “We’re not Pilgrims anymore, we’re tourists. We need to look the part. I’ve got new identities for us, too.”
