by Ava Louise
CHAPTER 18
Maggie followed Daxon on the tour of the starship. The thing was huge! She was sure she would get lost on her own. He showed her where the eating hall was again and they stopped long enough to eat breakfast. Maggie wasn’t a fan of skipping meals and missed being able to make her own meals. She made a mental note to ask about snack attacks. Do they get the midnight munchies up here? She wondered what it would take to get a microwave and microwavable popcorn in her room.
They stopped and talked with many of the Nordonians along the way. There were so many of them, she lost track of names and faces. Maggie felt sad thinking of how their race would die out if they did not find compatible women. That must be a scary thing to have haunting you all the time, she thought. Knowing that your race would die out with your generation unless you found viable mates in other races. Somehow, being up here with the aliens and talking with them, she felt much more sympathetic to their plight and less like a potential breeding machine.
She met members of other clans—there was the Parci clan that wore a tattoo of a stylized dragon on their heads; the Treso clan with their various types of trees; the Dozni clan with tattoos of lightning bolts and what she took to be clouds. The aliens all had mottled skins, usually a combination of two or three very pale colors. There was pink, yellow, orange, purple, blue and green. They all had the vertical slits to their large eyes, with the eye coloring being dark blue, brown or a shade of gray. She didn’t think any of the other Nordonians had eyes as compelling as Daxon’s, however. While Maggie enjoyed meeting so many other crew members, she really just wanted to get to know the security chief more. He seemed to be warming up to her and Mamzell. She had been right when she thought his smile would light up his face. Among his friends, he was more relaxed and laughed often at the questions they asked Maggie or he laughed at her attempts to explain human behavior to the Nordonians.
It took two days for Daxon to show Maggie all of the areas she could venture into on her own. They took their meals together in the eating hall, sometimes just the two of them and sometimes with other crew members joining them. Many times Denot joined them for meals, too. Maggie wasn’t sure she was comfortable being the “source” for their information on humans, but she did her best to answer their questions, leaving out her opinion as much as possible. How could one woman accurately represent an entire species? A species that was broken up into many governments, races, religions, and cultures. She tried to stress this point to the males; she wasn’t an authority, she could only give them as much knowledge as she could with none of it being complete. That was one of the great things of being a human; individuality.
Many evenings she would join the crew members in what they called a recreation room. While part of the room was set up with various sized tables, presumably for playing games, the larger part of the room was set up like a small home theatre. One of the aliens would choose a show or movie to watch and then they would all ask Maggie questions about why the humans behaved a certain way. Trying to explain entertainment, for the sake of entertainment, was difficult. Not to mention time-consuming, with all the pauses for question-and-answer sessions in the middle of programs.
It did not appear the Nordonians had actors and actresses and pop stars and paparazzi in their culture. They found it interesting that people made a living out of pretending to be someone else; that other people would pay to watch them do so. They had music and singers, but not to the variety the humans had aspired to. Just like humans, however, once they heard the variety of music available, they chose a favorite and wanted to learn more about it and the people who made that style of music. Maggie was by no means an aficionado on the topic of music, so she had to encourage them to look things up on the human internet like they had been. She was a fan of country music and folk music, but personally, she couldn’t carry a tune with a handle attached.
A week after boarding the starship, Maggie decided to spend a night in her room, away from the constant questions from the crew. A night in with Mamzell was just what the doctor ordered, she told herself. Daxon showed up at his usual time to see if she wanted an escort to the recreation area.
“I think I need to stay in tonight. Maybe spend some time with Mamzell.” Right on cue, Mamzell approached Daxon and proceeded to shed all over his pants legs. “If you would like to stay in with us, you are more than welcome. I’m just not up to the crowd in the rec room tonight.”
“If you are sure you do not mind the company,” said Daxon nervously. He had already become accustomed to spending his free time with Maggie.
“Of course not! Please, have a seat,” invited Maggie.
Daxon sat on the couch, Mamzell following him and settling on the cushion next to him. Maggie joined them, sitting on the opposite end of the couch, the cat between them.
“Mrawr.”
Daxon knew what the cat wanted at this point. He had seen it often enough over the last week. He reached out and petted the cat’s head, running his hand down its spine. Mamzell started purring in satisfaction immediately. She figured this new person’s training was coming along very well indeed. She climbed in his lap and circled a few times before settling in for a nap.
“I think you like cats,” chuckled Maggie. “Mamzell is wrapping you around to her way of thinking pretty quickly.”
Not knowing what to say to that, Daxon asked, “Are you feeling well? Is there a reason you wanted to avoid the recreation area tonight? The crew members will miss you.” Though he tried to say it as lightly as possible, he knew it was the truth. Many of the crew members could talk about nothing else but Maggie. She was quite popular with the Nordonian males that were looking for mates.
“I’m fine. I just get to feeling overwhelmed with their questions sometimes. I thought I would stay in my rooms and enjoy the peace and quiet for one night. But I’m glad you came over. I enjoy your company.” Maggie blushed, admitting that aloud.
“I enjoy your company, too, Maggie,” said Daxon.
She couldn’t help but notice he was staring at her mouth. Running her tongue around her lips, she at first wondered if she had something on her mouth. When she saw his eyes follow the path her tongue took on her full lips, she wondered if he were thinking of kissing her; she was definitely thinking of what it would be like to kiss him.
“So what would you like to do? Or talk about?” she asked.
“Are you enjoying your time here? Or are you ready to go back home?”
“I like it up here. It would be easy to get used to. There would be a few things I would need to change, though.” She smiled at the mental list of human comforts she missed. First and foremost was junk food. “I would need to find a job up here; something to do to make me feel like I was pulling my weight or at least contributing something. Is there anything you can think of that would suit me?”
“We could always talk to Pacer about that; he might have some ideas. You contribute now, though. You are helping the crew members learn about human society. You are wonderful at explaining things so that they are understandable to each person.”
“So I could remain a teacher in some aspect, is that what you are saying?”
“Sure, that would be perfect for you, correct?” he asked.
“Yeah, I guess it would. I do love to teach. But sometimes they ask questions I don’t feel qualified to answer.”
“That is understandable. There is no one person that is the sole authority on Nordonians. We can be just as individualized as you humans.”
“How long is the IMS program going to continue if none of the couples who have already mated become pregnant? Will you leave Earth’s orbit and continue on your way? Or are you scheduled to leave soon anyways?” The weight of the decision of whether to stay or to go home weighed on her more and more each day.
“I am not sure how to answer that. To my knowledge the program will continue for a while. And the Starrays is not scheduled to leave orbit for several more cycles … months. Then another starship will take o
ur place.”
“And the scientists are really sure that we’re compatible?” Maggie knew she was blushing, but she had personal questions to ask and he was finally available, alone, not surrounded by fellow aliens, for her to ask her questions.
“Yes, we are compatible,” he smiled, looking again at her mouth.
Maggie decided to be bolder than she normally would be; this was supposed to be an adventure, after all. She reached up and lightly traced Daxon’s lips with her small fingers. They were full and as soft as she had hoped. She already knew from touching his hands that their skin was a tiny bit thicker than a human’s. She wondered how that fact effected them in other areas. The thought had her blushing more, her cheeks heating.
Pulling her knees onto the couch, she knelt beside him, still tracing his lips, watching his eyes for any sign that her attention was unwelcomed. So far, so good. She traced his jawline to the side of his head, running her fingers softly around the shell of his ear. His pulse beat quickly in his throat. Now she knew for sure he wasn’t immune to her, just as she wasn’t immune to him.
Daxon mimicked her movements, pushing her hair aside as he reached for her ear, tracing it in return. She smiled at him. “Have you ever been with a human female?” she asked softly.
“No. I have never wanted any other human female.”
“What a coincidence, neither have I.” She smiled as she saw he understood she was teasing. She often reached for humor when her nerves were making themselves known. “And since I’ve never been with a Nordonian, is there anything special I need to know?”
“Nothing special, no. The mechanics are the same for each of our races.”
“Good. The chemistry is definitely different, though. For me at least,” she said softly as she leaned in closer.
“Me, too,” said Daxon, right before his lips closed on hers.
Maggie was ecstatic to learn that at least this Nordonian seemed to enjoy kissing as much as she did. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she leaned into him. She nibbled his lips, encouraging him to use his tongue. He immediately opened to her, letting her lead. She breathed in his scent; clean with a hint of something almost cinnamon-like. She found it rather enticing, making her want to breathe in more of him.
Daxon smoothed his large hands up her back, gently massaging her through her shirt. Since being bolder was working, Maggie decided to go with it. She picked up the cat and placed her on the floor, then straddled Daxon’s lap and pushed him further into the back of the couch as she ran her hands over his shoulders, his chest, and his arms. He was muscular, but not in a bulky way; he was solid. She didn’t feel too large in his arms. While she accepted herself built the way she was, with curves and roundness, she knew many human males were stuck on the twiggy train, as she thought of it.
As she reached to release the clasp on his tunic, Daxon leaned forward, holding her with one arm, never releasing her lips. With his other arm, he helped her divest him of his tunic, then his long-sleeved undershirt. This left him bare to the waist. Maggie sat back in his lap and looked down at his chest. The gentle blending of light blue and light green was everywhere. She thought he was beautiful and could not resist moving her hands over his chest. He was watching her expectantly, and she realized he was just as nervous as she. While she worried her plumpness would be a deterrent for him, he seemed to worry his “otherness” would be a deterrent for her.
“You’re beautiful,” she said. She ran her thumbs over his nipples and watched as they hardened. Quickly she removed her own shirt, tossing it onto the chair nearby. She took his lips in another kiss, clasping his face in her hands. She really did enjoy kissing this wonderful male. Never before had she felt so electrified on the inside. It felt like she had a small electrical charge skimming along just beneath the surface of her skin.
Daxon gently held one of her breasts in each hand. His hands were so huge, she fit perfectly. “How do I remove this item?” he asked, indicating her black satin bra.
With a smile, she guided his hands to the back, showing him where the hooks were. Finally she was totally free of its restraints and watched as Daxon tossed it aside. He seemed fascinated with her breasts, making her wonder just what Nordonian females had looked like.
“Are you not used to females with large breasts,” she chuckled as she asked.
“Most females of the species we have encountered have breasts, though different than their males. But not to the variety and degree that human women do. Nordonian females had very small breasts that only became enlarged while they were nursing. Other species have other differences.” While he was speaking, he massaged her breasts, teasing her tight buds by lightly pulling on them. Finally, he lowered his head and took her into his mouth.
“Well, I can’t speak for other women or other species … but my breasts happen to be very sensitive to what you are doing,” she moaned.
“Do you want me to stop?” he asked, pulling away from her.
“Don’t you dare!” exclaimed Maggie, grasping his head and bringing him closer. They were both breathing much heavier.
Daxon suddenly scooped Maggie up into his arms, walking into the bedroom with her. He gently placed her on the bed.
“Are you sure you want this, Maggie? If not, I need to leave now.”
“Yes, I’m sure.” She had never been more sure of anything in her life. She wanted this male and she wanted him now. Reaching for her pants, she quickly slid them down her soft legs and tossed them away, to land where they would. This left her in only her panties. She wondered how he felt about leopard print.
Daxon watched her as she removed her pants. Following her lead, he removed his boots and then reached for the closures on his pants. Never taking his eyes from her face, he slowly removed his last articles of clothing.
Maggie was happy to see that, yes, they were compatible. He was built just like a human guy, perhaps slightly bigger than average, at least compared to her limited knowledge. There should be absolutely no problem with her accommodating him, she was relieved to see. Putting the brakes on this now would be torture!
Daxon joined Maggie on the bed; he fit perfectly with its longer length. He gathered her to him, kissing her deeply and she was once again drowning in his distinctive cinnamon scent and taste. He seemed to have been made exactly for someone with a sweet tooth, she mused.
As they kissed and stroked each other, memorizing the other’s planes and curves and angles, time seemed to stand still. There were no questions of differences, no deadlines for decisions, and no commitments to jobs. There was just the two of them giving and taking in a dance that knew no boundaries of races or species; it worked; they worked.
CHAPTER 19
Maggie woke wrapped in Daxon’s arms, his face buried in her hair. She could feel him breathing deeply. As last night came back to her, she put her hand to her face as she felt it heat up. She had never before been so bold when it came to lovemaking. Always before she felt like a distant participant, there but not really there, fulfilling a part of the relationship she was currently in, but not really getting what she thought was the most out of it. She had definitely gotten a lot out of last night, she thought. They seemed to know instinctually what the other wanted or needed at a given moment. She had never woken so content before. If she could purr, she would probably wake the whole ship with her contented rumbles.
Mamzell chose that moment to make her presence known. She was in her usual position, at the end of Maggie’s pillow, on the edge of the bed. She reached out her paw, tapping Maggie on the nose. “Mrawr.”
“Hey, Mamzell. Thank you for not getting in the way last night,” Maggie whispered softly, as she petted the cat. The sound of her soft purring got a little louder with each stroke. Mamzell had made herself scarce last night, which for her meant she approved of Maggie’s bedroom companion. If she hadn’t, she would have made a nuisance of herself, which she had done regularly with Maggie’s last boyfriend.
Maggie felt Daxon’s arm tighten ar
ound her waist, pulling her to him. She felt his lips close over the lobe of her ear briefly. “Good morning,” he mumbled in his deep voice, his breath warm and moist against her neck. It was deeper than usual this morning, fresh from sleep. “You are talking to your pet again. Does she always sleep with you?”
Maggie chuckled. “Yep, always. Luckily you aren’t sleeping on her side of the bed, or she would be tapping your nose this morning.” She rolled to her back so she could look up into his face.
“How are you feeling this morning?” he asked.
“I feel wonderful, you? Any regrets?”
“Never!” he rumbled as he took her in a fierce kiss. Maggie lost herself in the kiss for a few moments. Slowly she pulled back.
“Good. But I’m hungry. Can we go eat? I find I’m famished this morning,” she declared.
“Certainly. Mind if I go bathe and change clothes first? I will be back in fifteen minutes at the most.”
“Sure thing. See you in fifteen.”
Maggie watched as Daxon climbed out of bed, gathering his clothes and putting them on. She couldn’t help but admire each part of his body before he covered it with yesterday’s clothing. He sat on the edge of the bed to slip his boots on. After kissing her one more time, he quickly departed. Maggie stretched, tossed the covers aside and climbed out of bed. Taking care of Mamzell’s litter box and then refilling her food and water bowl took only a few minutes. As she showered, she wondered what the next step would be.
She realized she and Daxon had not discussed going forward from last night. Did this make them a couple? Maggie didn’t think of herself as someone who had casual sex and she didn’t think of Daxon as casual, either. What would be his expectations? Would she have to quit her job at the school in the middle of the year? What would happen with her need to testify against Juan Santiago in the shooting?
