The Natural (Afternoon Delights Book 1)

by Bethany Aan

  Disentangling himself from her and the covers, he quickly washed up in the pool and then donned his clothes. Hamm surely needed relief by now.

  “I was wondering if you were ever coming out,” Hamm said mildly, arching a brow at his friend. “I’m not sure I’ve ever witnessed you sleeping that late past your duty time.”

  “We don’t have formal watch times, and you know it,” Drake growled at his first mate. Hamm chuckled.

  “No, but it’s fun teasing you.” He was quiet a moment as Drake looked over the monitors and logs, seeing that all was in order. “You’re falling for her.”

  “No I’m...” Drake’s voice faded off as he realized the futility of denying it. He ran a hand through his hair. “She’s not even beautiful!”

  “No,” Hamm agreed amiably. “But she’s incredible. She’ll stand out in a crowd, especially once we get her to a port with a proper seamstress and get her outfitted. Can you imagine her in a Carnelian silk cloth?”

  Drake groaned at the mental image. Hamm sighed happily.

  “But for now... you’re falling hard and fast, my friend.”

  “I think you’re right.”

  They were quiet a long moment, then Hamm looked at Drake and sighed.

  “So... is this where I tell you all the reasons that keeping her would be a bad idea, or is this where you tell me to shut the hell up and let you figure it out on your own?” Hamm asked matter-of-factly.

  Drake stared pensively out the front viewscreen, even though there was nothing to see, other than the streaks of stars speeding by. Amazing how, even in hyperspace, some stars remained stationary, while others seemed to scream past.

  What the hell was he going to do? The number one rule of a Trainer was not to fall in love with a Trainee. It was a bad mix. It just wasn’t done. He’d lose his license.

  But it would be worth it, a small voice enticed him from deep inside. She’s worth every moment and every credit lost.

  Drake allowed that the voice could be correct. She was... amazing. Smart, witty, with a sense of humor that constantly surprised them all. She was earthy and open to new things, and took her Training seriously, but didn’t lose sight of the eventual goal. When they were romping in the bedroom, just having fun, it was truly delightful. When they were going through serious lessons, she was studious and gave it her undivided attention, trying to learn everything she could.

  Her mind was a sponge that had been too long denied water. Her body was an awakening treasure, glorying in every touch and taste, delighting in every experience she had. Everything was new and exciting to her, and her unveiled delight in it all was impossible to stay immune to. She was showing them their own world in a new light. In short, she was enchanting them with her innocent awakening and wonder of discovery.

  She was also different, in that she was the first girl ever to make the transition from innocent to wanton in such a short time. He never would have dreamed, two weeks ago, that she would be as responsive to what they’d done last night, as she was. But she’d taken all they’d had to give, and given back as much as she knew how, taking them all to a level they’d never been before.

  Gods, but he was going to have to decide whether to keep her or not. And that wasn’t a decision he could make without Hamm’s involvement. They’d been through too much together. They were a team. More than that, they were brothers, by bond if not by blood.

  “Drake,” Hamm said quietly, “You don’t have to decide it all now. But you’re going to have to figure something out before we get to the point where negotiations are necessary. You can’t negotiate properly if your heart is involved.”

  Drake acknowledged the wisdom of that with a curt nod.

  “I just don’t know what to do,” he murmured. He was looking at the view screen, but he was seeing a pair of brilliant green eyes laughing at him.

  Hamm clapped him on the shoulder.

  “Think about it, but don’t let it interfere with what we’re supposed to be doing. There’s more at stake than one girl’s future. Or yours, for that matter. Remember that.”

  Drake recalled their real mission, and sat back into his chair in defeat.

  There was that.

  Chapter Six Hours later, Drake started when he heard the sleepy yawn behind him. Turning, he nearly swallowed his tongue as Christine stumbled into the cockpit and slumped into Hamm’s usual chair. Stark naked.

  How the hell did she expect him to concentrate on running the ship if she was naked? “Touch me and die,” she said, very pleasantly for the threat it was. He grinned to himself. “A bit sore today, are we?” he asked, busying himself with running a diagnostic on the

  galley’s computers. It wasn’t necessary, but it g ave him something other than her marvelous breasts to focus on. He wasn’t sure, but he thought she growled at him. Of course, coming from her, it was a rather cute growl. The effect was marred by another huge yawn and bleary blinking as she tried to come awake.

  “I hurt in places I didn’t even know existed this time yesterday,” she admitted sheepishly, not meeting his gaze. He was always enchanted by the blush that stole into her cheeks when talking about her new sexual experiences. To be so uninhibited, she was still incredibly shy afterwards.

  “Well, that’s to be expected,” he told her nonchalantly. “You’ll get used to it.” She bit her lower lip, managing to look at him and avoid his gaze at the same time. He forced back his devilish chuckle.

  “So where are we?” she asked, sitting forward slightly, her quick eyes checking the various screens.

  “You tell me,” he invited. For just a moment, she looked at several screens, then punched in something on a keyboard, and looked up with a smile.

  “We’re only two days away from the space port at Reigle 9.”

  “Right you are!” he said happily. Such diligent study deserved a reward, didn’t it? He reached over and tugged her onto his lap. She squeaked in surprise, fought him for just a moment, then laughed as she relaxed against him. His cock stirred against her plump bottom, interested in what was lying against it.

  “I really will have to kill you,” she said in a very sweet, pleasant voice, “If that thing comes anywhere near me. Especially my bottom!”

  He laughed. He couldn’t help it. Swooping down, he caught her mouth with his and tasted her morning yawn. She sighed happily into his mouth as he leisurely tested and tasted her, then he withdrew with obvious reluctance. She wrapped a hand around the back of his neck, threading silky strands of his hair through her slender fingers.

  “You’re amazing,” she said softly, looking up at him with those beautiful green eyes. He caught his breath and met her gaze, holding it for a very long time. “So wonderful.”

  Uncomfortable with how good her words made him feel, he deliberately reached up and tweaked a nipple. She yelped and swatted him, then squirmed to get off his lap.

  “I’m going to put on some clothes, if this is the way you’re going to treat me naked!” she said, stomping out of the cockpit.

  “No, please!” he called after her, doing a very good impression of a prisoner begging for his life. “Not clothing!”

  She turned and treated him to a very naughty gesture before whirling around and giving him quite a view of her delectable butt. He grinned as he watched her hair swish and bounce around her hips, the flexing of the muscles in her legs and ass. The creature in his pants refused to be stilled. Sighing, he reached into his trousers and adjusted himself. Damn thing was a nuisance sometimes.

  Throwing one last longing glance at the glorious bottom moving away from him, Drake turned to take care of the end-of-watch reports.

  That evening they shared a meal in the galley, chatting about galactic politics and enjoying the first meal she’d cooked entirely on her own, with no direction from Hamm. It was a simple dinner, but delicious. She’d learned well.

  Of course, Hamm had a way of reinforcing his lessons in a way that would leave a definite impact. Drake wondered how many times th
e first mate had sat Christine up on the counter and delivered a serious lecture on how to cook Sarturian beans properly, while delving into her depths at a pace that had her begging for mercy. Hammwouldn’t allow her release until she answered all his questions correctly. Then he’d pull away and make her cook the actual dish.

  Her reward was a thorough fucking and a release that was all the more powerful for the length of time and frustration it took to get there.

  But it was when she needed comfort or was being overwhelmed by all the things being thrown at her in her new life, that she sought Drake’s strong arms and gentle touch. Then she would lie back and let him love her with tender kisses and whispered words, endearments and deep loving. One time, she even cried. When he asked her why, she wasn’t able to tell him, only that it was so wonderful and she was so happy with him. He’d held her long into the night, his mind racing with thoughts of a home and family, after so many years of Training.

  Now, though, all three of them weretrying very hard not to think about the ‘gathering’ that would take place tomorrow. But they had to face it head-on, together.

  When the meal had been eaten and wine was being consumed, Drake sat back from the table and sighed.

  “So now we need a plan,” he announced out of the blue. The other two simply stilled and watched him, all previous signs of revelry snuffed out. He looked at Christine, at her delicate countenance, her trusting eyes. Just this evening, he’d received word of who would be in the group tomorrow when they reached the rendezvous point. He had negotiated for terms of Christine’s treatment, but they hadn’t budged on the actual ‘entertainment’. All he’d been able to wrangle from them was an assurance that she wouldn’t be incapacitated. Much.

  “I’ll have to be there,” he said quietly. “Because I promised, and because this needs to look like a regular Trainer/Trainee lesson. They won’t accept it as authentic if we treat it otherwise. So we need to make it look real.” He shook his head. “Christine, you’ll need to act the trembling innocent, scared of what’s about to happen.”

  “That shouldn’t be too hard,” she muttered and took a healthy sip of her wine. Drake was heartened by the spunk she was showing, even now. Such an attitude would sustain her through the ordeal to come. He hoped.

  “And Hamm... you and I will have the harder job: to watch without interfering unless they actually try to do something harmful.” Seeing the color drain from Christine’s face, he was quick to assure her, “They’ve promised that you won’t be harmed. But our meaning of harm and theirs might be a bit different.”

  She nodded understanding, but the shadows of trepidation hadn’t left her eyes. He knew that they would look that way until this was over, and he also knew that he would not lie to her to spare her for what was to come. The more she knew, the better she could prepare. It was as simple as that. And he knew now that she was strong enough to endure.

  “But know that I do not, in any way, wantthis to happen,” he told her softly. She met his open, honest gaze, and nodded.

  “I know.”

  “I didn’t want to share you.” He said roughly.

  “I know,” she assured him. She offered a tight smile. “It’s okay, Drake, truly. I understand. And I will try to look on this as a learning experience.”

  They were all quiet for a moment. He watched her, amazed when a blush stole up her neck and into her cheeks.

  “After last night... it might even be... intriguing.”

  Hamm shouted a laugh, quickly stifled it.

  “That’s the spirit, little one,” Drake said, relieved. It was the best they could hope for. He knew it would not be easy, but if his little Christine could look on tomorrow’s meeting as an adventure and a chanceto learn, perhaps even enjoy it a bit, then he wouldn’t ask her not to.

  While he was quite a bit jealous of having to share her so soon, he also knew that he had no choice. This really was a life or death situation. He would not have blamed her had she chosen death. Perhaps, though, it would not be as bad as he thought, and it would really be a good experience for her. There was no way to know, except to go through with it.

  Sighing, he reached over and took her arm, tugging her out of her chair and into his lap.

  For the rest of the evening, they explored one another, the men taking turns loving her until she wept with it and begged them to stop, to let her rest for the coming ordeal. But Drake wouldn’t let her go, even when she collapsed into slumber as soon as she hit the bed. He held her tightly all night, wishing for once that he was capable of tears, so that he could weep for the last vestiges of innocence that she might lose on the morrow.

  With a final kiss to the top of her head, he snuggled closer to her and managed to sleep.

  The next day arrived before any of them were emotionally prepared. Drake told her one last time that she could back out, that they had an emergency shuttle that they could all use to escape. It would mean starting over somewhere else for him and Hamm, but they could avoid this altogether.

  Christine kissed him sweetly, then smiled.

  “I thought about it last night,” she said softly, “And this is very much like one of my favorite stories back home, one that my father didn’t know I had. All the naughty bits were left out, I think, but were inferred. I am actually a bit… eager. To see what happens. And I know you will not allow anyone to hurt me. I kind of… I think I might wantthis, Drake.” She cupped his jaw in her small hand. “It will be fine. We do this, then we pass and go about our lives.

  “Besides,” she said, when he still looked anxious. “I have to ask… would something like this be part of my Training at some point?”

  Drake started, then slowly nodded. “Yes, but not until much later in the schedule, when you’ve been properly prepared and strengthened.”

  “But it isin the schedule, correct?” she said, cocking her head to the side as she watched him. He nodded again. “Then it does not matter. It would have happened at some point, and it will benefit the three of us much more by rearranging the Training schedule to learn this lesson today. Instead of feeling like I have to do this, I choose to experience this particular aspect of my Training now, rather than later. That way, I can enjoy it, if pleasureis to be had.”

  “You are an amazing woman,” he breathed, drawing her close for a hot kiss before releasing her to go bathe. Drake was moved by her generosity, intrigued by her curiosity, and determined to have her old nurse send along the book she was referring to, so he could study it thoroughly.

  He went to help Hamm with the preparations for their unwanted guests. To enforce the illusion of a ‘teaching’ situation, Hamm rearranged the rec hall so that there were chairs around the perimeter, with a small area in the center cleared of everything else. The steel beams that ran the length of the hall had holes in them every so often. A soft rope was dangling from one of those beams, in the very middle of that cleared space.

  Drake led Christine into the room when they’d been given the signal of the Carpons’ imminent arrival. Quickly, he told her what was to happen, as much as he knew. She gulped a few times with anxiety, but his manner and soothing assurances went a long way to ease her nervousness. And they’d given her a chalice of wine, as well as a bit of painkiller, just in case. She didn’t want to think about why she might be thankful for that, and the men certainly weren’t about to enlighten her. In her innocence, she didn’t realize exactly what might be done, and in case it didn’t come to pass, they didn’t want to add to her fears.

  “A lesson, right?” she whispered to Drake, holding his arms with her small hands as she sought for one more moment of reassurance. He leaned down and kissed her as tenderly as he could, reassuring her in the only way he knew how.

  “Just anotherlesson. It will be over by this evening, and we’ll be on our way again, safe and secure. And we will be in your debt for this.”

  “Just don’t leave me!” she whispered urgently. He shook his head and hugged her tight.

  “Never!”r />
  Then the signal came from Hamm, and Drake quickly went to work. He unlaced and stripped off her caftan, leaving her in nothing but her skin. With a wordless apology, he then blindfolded her and led her, trusting and trembling, to the middle of the room. There, he raised her arms over her head and bound her securely with the ropes dangling from the beam.

  She stood there, blind and helpless and strangely excited, waiting. He pressed one last kiss to her lips, then turned to face the group forcing them into this untenable position. She heard the change in his voice, from tender teacher to pleasant and arrogant rogue pirate and Trainer. Various voices filled the room, but she couldn’t make out how many, or where they were.

  Suddenly, all went silent, and an expectant hush fell over the hall. Christine trembled, wondering what was going on. She didn’t have to wait long.

  “Are you comfortable?”

  The question was moot, really. Her hands were tied above her head, and there was a blindfold over her eyes. She felt the men moving around her, sensed their arousal. She quivered with excited fear and a shocking amount of anticipation.

  A light slap on her butt with a thin rod had her jumping.

  “I asked you a question,” Drake said mildly. Where had he got a rod, and why had he not warned her that he would be using it on her? He would answer for that later, by the stars.

  “Yes, Captain,” she murmured past a thick throat.

  “Now, Trainee. I have several of our friends here with me, and they are dying for some entertainment. Your job, as my pupil, is to provide it to them.”

  “Not much she can do, tied up like that,” one of the men commented.

  “No, but at least she won’t get away.”

  Christine started at the female voice, felt smooth, small fingers trace a path across her collarbone. “She’s lovely, Drake. Wherever did you find her?”