He grinned in the night and whispered. “Yeah, well, I love you more."
Before he fell asleep, Gabe was considering sending a thank you to the Pleasure Dome for their mix-up. Quite a coincidence that Sol and he had ended up there at the right place and at the right time.
But he just didn't believe in coincidences.
[Back to Table of Contents]
Epilogue
Months later.
Gabriel Merriweather, Commander of the Diplomatic Corps, sighed and leaned back in the Treaty's padded but still uncomfortable chair. His ass was going to sleep, and this meeting was going nowhere. Neither group could agree on a peaceful settlement, and he was sure that at least one ambassador, maybe more, was only there to agitate the group. Perhaps even to try an assassination attempt on another ambassador. Shit.
The door snicked open behind him. His civilian aide entered and spoke with just a hint of disrespect in her voice, “Commander, the Deputy Commander needs to speak with you."
Gabe always sat with his back to the door, a sign of his complete trust in his crew to keep him protected. He didn't need to see Gellico to know that she wore some outrageous outfit. The hungry look on the ambassadors’ faces made it clear that she was running true to form. Her smoky voice carried through the sudden hush that had followed her appearance in the ship's conference room. Gabriel was continually surprised that Gelli's blatant female sexuality could do that even to a bunch of alien species.
Sometimes, Gabriel wished the former dancer would wear more clothing, and sometimes, like now, when she strutted her stuff in front of everyone, he was just happy watching their reactions to her jiggling breasts and quivering ass. Inattention would bring their guards down and he'd be able to discover just who was here to disrupt the meeting.
"The Deputy Commander needs to see me now?” Gabe looked over his shoulder at Gelli and raised a brow. What could be so important that Soledad would interrupt such an important gathering? Not that he wasn't glad for the reprieve.
Gellico snorted. “Yeah. Right now—sir.” Her face gave no hint of what the important matter could be, but she stepped closer to the Marine aide who stood at attention on Gabe's other side.
Gabe sighed deeper this time and rose. Both military and civilian aides marched smoothly at his side, escorting him to the door where Gabe hesitated before turning back. Thoughts swirled behind him. The others’ angry, vicious thoughts brought blood throbbing in a thickened response, but he willed it away. He would deal with the treacherous ambassadors later. The rest of them had better work out a treaty.
"Gentlemen, perhaps while I'm gone you can reach an agreement without killing each other.” He glared around the room. “Because when I return, honored ambassadors, if you have not done so, the Guild will be more than happy to annex your borders and divide them among the Alliance of Free Worlds. Then all of you will lose. Suit yourselves."
He gave them a grin that held absolutely no humor, turned and walked out the door which slipped close behind him with a slight hiss. Gabe wished he could have slammed something just for further emphasis.
"Watch them,” he ordered the two sentries at the door. The tall Marines slipped inside where Gabe knew their stony-eyed stares would be enough to keep the dignitaries in line.
"Where is she?” he snarled at Gellico.
"In your quarters.” Not a nerve twitched in her stoic expression, but the former dancer of Dante's Circus rolled her eyes at Asher. The gray-eyed Marine fought to keep his upper lip from twitching. He failed.
"She wants me in our quarters?" Of course, Sol waited for him there in the only shielded room on board ship. Sol always stayed in their quarters when Gabe held a meeting. He couldn't use his empathy if she was near. Of course, if Sol was in any room, Gabriel couldn't think with anything but his dick.
He sighed and walked toward their quarters, ignoring Gelli and Asher who automatically fell into step beside him. What could Sol want? She knew he was busy with this treaty today, and Marco was fine, as healthy as any growing child. Gabe could think of nothing that was urgent enough to interrupt his work.
Mumbling under his breath, he entered his quarters and waved his laughing guards away. It was damned hard to keep protocol when those two were together.
"Sol, where are you? Damn it, what's so important that you'd interrupt—” The rest of his words died in his mouth. Sol danced toward him in that damned Arabian Nights outfit that always gave him a hard-on. Inside their quarters, sultry music drummed in the background, keeping time with Gabriel's suddenly rocketing heartbeat, which also matched his mate's thrusting hips.
"I've been waiting a long time for you, Commander. My patience is at an end."
Some kind of heated spice scent floated through the air. Seduction was surely afoot. And was there a little something added to the scent? Gabriel snorted at the waste of good pheromones. Sol didn't need anything other than her natural smell to turn him into a slobbering idiot. He knew he should tell her he didn't have time for this, but he couldn't take his eyes off Sol's hips—rounded, white hips that dipped and swayed, beckoning him to come closer and touch the naked flesh he glimpsed through her silken scarves. He could scarcely get his thick tongue to form words. The blood had fled from his brain.
"Damn it, Sol. This isn't fair. Now isn't the time.” Gabe swallowed noisily. Never. He would never have enough of her.
"Yes, it is the time.” Sol swayed closer and caressed his groin with one hand while she grabbed his ass with the other. “This says it is.” She rubbed him where he tented the front of his uniform, and laughed when his cock responded with a twitch.
Gabe slammed her hard against the wall and covered her with his body. He held her wrists above her head and leaned in close. Sol felt warm and soft in all the right places. Her quick breaths rose and fell against him. Gabe measured his with hers. He kissed the hollow of her throat, licking up her taste with his tongue. Her gold-dusted eyes sparkled with laugher and something more.
He couldn't speak above a harsh whisper. “I have only a few minutes. It'll be hard and fast."
"Sometimes I like hard and fast.” She gave him a slightly evil grin, and he knew she had something on her mind. Damn it! For all his expertise, Gabriel couldn't read her. They had discovered through exhausting research in the Guild records that mixed Chakkra and Terran bloodlines resulted in some offspring being born with empathy talents while others received tranquilizing defense mechanisms. Gabriel had been lucky to find Soledad. She completed him—and tormented him—at the same time.
Sol rolled his bottom lip between her teeth before she whispered. “I like slow and easy, too, partner. But right now, I'll settle for anything I can get."
She tugged her hands which were still tightly held in his grip. After a moment of wry speculation, Gabriel freed her. With that golden gleam in her eyes that spelled trouble, she clasped Gabe so tightly around the neck that he couldn't breathe for a moment—then lost his breath entirely when Sol slid down and knelt in front of him. She mouthed him through his pants, then blew her hot breath through the damp cloth. A groan escaped, despite Gabe's intention of not giving in. The heat and moisture from Sol's sweet mouth through the thin material of his uniform made him lightheaded. His searing response to her blew his good intentions all to hell.
"You'll leave a mark, Deputy Commander,” he warned, his voice barely above a whisper. He lacked the strength to speak louder. His fingers tangled in her silky hair. He held her head close to his groin.
"There's already a mark, Commander.” Sol laughed, and her sparkling gaze lifted to his. She pointed to the dark spot in the gray of his uniform. Not all of the moisture was from her.
Gabe couldn't stop his own joy-filled laughter. Ripping at stubborn cloth, he jerked his uniform off, then grabbed for Sol. After giving him only token resistance, he thought he had won her only to have Sol toss him over her shoulder with some kind of martial arts move. She pinned him to the bed with a quick one-armed maneuver worthy of the best of
Gabriel's Marines. He didn't care. He'd lose a fight to Sol any day.
The two of them rolled on the little bed, giggling in a definitely undignified way. Then, Gabe stilled for a moment and cupped her face in his hands. “I love you, Soledad Scott Merriweather. I'll never get enough of you."
Her strong chin rested in his palms, and he stroked the bridge of her wide cheekbones with his thumbs. His fingers joined behind her neck and tangled in that soft, flaming hair. There was no teasing in him now. The steady gaze of her whiskey-gold eyes softened, and Sol turned her head to kiss his palm. That one gentle touch of those sweet lips went straight to the pit of Gabe's stomach. His balls tightened. His cock danced against her leg.
"And I love you, Commander."
Those three words seemed to come easier to her now, but Gabe knew them for the great gift they were. He admired and respected this woman who gave such comfort. She was brave and selfless beyond measure. Duty came first to her, but never before their love. Gone was the woman who had seduced him with enticing videos and raging emotions. In her place, Gabe had gained a cool-headed partner who commanded with an iron fist, but who never asked her crew to do something she wouldn't do herself. It frightened Gabe sometimes to think that Sol would put herself in danger to save another, but he accepted that this was her way. She wouldn't be who she was without her selflessness. Gabe made sure that the Diplomatic Corps knew her worth. Sol was a prize beyond measure. And she was all his—well, his and their son's.
Gabe swiftly swept the area with his mind and got a sleepy response. Marco was in his Aunt Te's temporary quarters resting. Gabriel sent him his love and told him to sleep. He got a mumbled reply from Marco and a terse, “Go away, Gabriel,” from his sister-in-law. Te’ was unhappy with Gabe's recently exposed telepathic ability. Somehow, the now elected governor, had gotten the idea that only she both that talent and her empathic abilities. Gabe knew Te’ was also out of sorts with him because he continued to refuse to take diplomatic offers to Chakkra. Eventually he would have to give in, but Gabe wanted to delay that meeting for as long as possible. Te’ was also angry with Marcus Thresher. Gabe pitied the man. Anyone who fell in love with the Guild's governor was in for a rough ride.
And speaking of rides—Gabe decided that he did have time for Sol after all. Perhaps the time spent here with his mate would give the ambassadors the incentive to agree to Gabriel's offer.
But even if it wasn't enough incentive, it was certainly a treat for Gabe to see some of the old Sol from their sparing days. He parted the jeweled material that barely covered her breasts, and her nipples puckered for him. They had stayed big from their child.
Another warm glow flooded Gabriel. Sol had not only given him a son, but a life worth living—a life filled with all the things he had denied himself. He no longer damned his Chakkra blood. Perhaps it was that very bloodline that had led him to Sol in the first place. And by the gods, he owed her so much.
Gabe tongued the circle of one of Sol's nipples, watching her eyes. With a chuckle, he nipped. Her pupils darkened in their fields of gold. Her arms tightened around him, and she drew his head up to her mouth.
"Make love to me, Gabriel,” she whispered.
"Your wish is my command, Captain."
"It's Commander."
He laughed and then tongued her sweet mouth. “Whatever."
* * * *
And in the beautiful Straits of Tralarie, the Pleasure Dome continues on, along with all the other forty-some pleasure houses. In the future, as in all things, other “mistakes” will continue to be made.
But there really are no coincidences in life—anywhere.
* * * *
Copyright 2009 by L. F. Hampton
Published by ImaJinn Books www.imajinnbooks.com
* * *
Visit www.imajinnbooks.com for information on additional titles by this and other authors.
Pleasure Dome Page 21
