Xander (The Nova Force Book 1)

by Vivienne Savage

  The messages passed back and forth for a while, but Thandie never emerged from the bathroom. Then the bathtub faucet turned on, and water splashed against tile.

  “Seriously, Thandie? Do I get to join you, or—”

  The bathroom door opened to frame his gorgeous naked girlfriend in a sensual pose. Candles glowed behind her on the sink and rim of the tub. Hints of sunlight from the world above shimmered blue ripples against the walls and floor through two portholes.

  “You definitely get to join me.”

  His communicator beeped with incoming messages from Gareth, but his friend would have to wait. He put down the device and stepped inside the bathroom, dropping his shorts to the floor.

  “So, um. I kinda had some practice while trying to figure out how we could have sex with both of your dicks at once… As much as I loved having both in the same hole, I kinda figured…” Her shy smile widened, then she nodded to the bathroom vanity, where a bottle with a photo of an Eloran aloe plant waited. “If you want to try, I will.”

  He stepped forward, closer to her, nudging her. “What kinda practice?”

  She nibbled her lower lip and gazed up at him. “I bought a toy online…”

  Both cocks twitched. Xander rubbed them against her bare mound, and when she spread her thighs farther apart, he pushed his hips forward and nudged the slick warmth of her bald slit. He loved the little runway strip left after the waxing. “And you didn’t tell me?”

  “I was… a little embarrassed.” Then the tip of one cock notched against her clit, hitting it just right, and she jolted in place, wiggling closer before wrapping her arms around his neck. She pulled him down to meet her mouth, the demanding and assertive minx he’d come to love.

  How was it that every time they kissed, it was like the first time?

  Xander thrust his tongue into her mouth the way he wanted to plunge into her body, rocking his hips and grinding against the softness of her, Thandie’s every moan like magic. She reached down between them and stroked both of his dicks, gliding her fingers up and down the thick shafts.

  Then she took the bottle from the sink with her other hand, flipped up the cap, and smoothed a liberal amount of cool gel over both steel-hard lengths, sliding her fists up and down until they glistened.

  “I’m ready for you,” she murmured against the corner of his mouth. “Take what’s yours.”

  Hefting Thandie onto the edge of the sink placed her at the ideal height, with her legs splayed wide and one bent at the knee, curving around him. By the time he prepared her with his finger, she was wet and panting, rubbing against him and glistening from her own natural moisture. Her nipples stood out so perky and firm, he dipped his head and took one in his mouth, skating his teeth over the sensitive, pebbled tip before curling his tongue around it and sucking.

  “Xander… Please.”

  “Please what?” He barely gritted it out.

  She licked her fingers, then stroked her own clit, inspiring an ache in his balls so real he thrust forward, taking her in a single stroke with one dick. “Yes!”

  He groaned with her. “You’re insatiable.” By the time he prepared her other entrance, so was he. Delirious with need, he slipped his lower cock into her ass and almost convulsed from the grip of her. Almost came right then. While having both of his dicks together in her sweet pussy had been phenomenal, gliding each into its own sheath paralyzed him with pleasure.

  Thandie’s breath hitched. “No more than you.”

  “You like this?” Xander trailed his lips down her throat. Her fingers tangled in his hair, then she jerked his mouth to hers again.

  “I love it.”

  He fucked her with long, deep strokes, sliding out until only the tips remained, and thrusting home again, hilting so deep a small squeal escaped her. He’d have bruises on his left shoulder from the tight grip of her cybernetic hand squeezing him.

  And fuck if that wasn’t hot, that he drove her to the point of forgetting her own strength.

  With each rock of his hips, he carried them higher along the path to ecstasy, because nothing else in the world could ever be better or more precious than granting the ultimate pleasure to his bondmate—his beloved. She deserved nothing less.

  Drawing back once, he glanced down at the wet connection between them, her body so full of him she was stretched tight. “Look at us.”

  And she did. Her clit was so exposed and hard above his dick, he licked one finger and teased the tender jewel, rubbing and circling it until those tight muscles clamped down.

  When she spasmed around him, pleasure barreled down Xander’s spine and put him on the edge, the sexy look in her eyes and way she moaned his name everything he needed. All he’d ever want. Shuddering, he climaxed on the next thrust, filling both holes with his seed. The whole while, she milked him with the sweetest tremors.

  Afterward, they shared the bath before tumbling into the bed again and crawling beneath the sheets. Limbs twined and drowsy snuggles carried Xander to sleep until a persistent beep from his messenger pulled him from pleasant dreams. A digital clock nearby claimed it was morning again.

  Half-asleep, he swept the device off the floor, only to stare at the screen and swallow back his conflicted feelings.

  “What is it?” Thandie mumbled. “Ship recall?”

  “No, nothing like that. It’s Ylona’s mother. She wants to meet me for breakfast.”

  Thandie blinked blearily and pushed up on her elbows. “Then you should go.”

  “Are you sure? I don’t want to leave you up here alone.”

  “Yeah. Go. I’m going to sleep in to recover.”

  He grinned and leaned down. “Worn out from the hike or the fun?”

  “Both. That was amazing.” She chuckled and fell back against the sheets with her eyes closed. “Enjoy your breakfast.”

  Xander leaned down and kissed her nose. “I promise I’ll make it up to you.”

  The meeting took place in the underwater restaurant attached to Xander’s hotel. Elaborate decor sculpted from unique marble, pearl, and other precious metals displayed the best features of Eloran and human design. They were a friendly culture, and while they prohibited the desecration of their beautiful world, the natives had aided the humans in the construction of their own underwater colonies, protected by glass domes. The two cities, Pacifica Cove and Atlantica Gulf, were proof that the two species could peacefully coexist.

  Xander traveled down two flights of stairs and crossed the hotel grounds until he reached the restaurant. He passed several Elorans on the way, as the hotel employed both species in its staff. Some waved to him in passing. He may not have remembered them, but recognition was visible in their pale, slender faces. He smiled courteously in passing and waved.

  Ylara didn’t waste a precious second. She threw herself into Xander’s arms and hugged him tight, catching him by surprise with her affection. Deep down, he’d always feared she would blame him for Ylona’s death.

  She smelled like the ocean. Like Ylona. Her daughter had resembled her greatly in life, from skin the color of a twilit sky down to the sleek strands of bicolored, purple and ivory hair spilling down her back. A thin, frayed skirt of seaweed and kelp covered her lower half, adorned by beaded embellishments, pearls, and tiny shells that glittered in the candlelight.

  Eventually, Ylara leaned back and held him at arm’s length with her hands on his shoulders. She stood eye to eye with Xander, as the Elorans were a tall race, with builds varying by their climate preference. The Elorans of Pacific Cove, like Ylona and her mother, possessed aquiline features and graceful, elongated limbs. Their cold-water counterparts were much shorter and stockier, carrying an abundance of insulating fat beneath thicker arctic fur. Xander once joked with his wife and showed her photos of Earth’s extinct manatees.

  You look well, Ylara said to him, her voice a mere whisper that slid through his mind. He had never quite come to understand how it worked—whether she knew the language, or if the magic of her psychi
c prowess translated it for her.

  “As do you.”

  I did not think you would come.

  “I’m sorry. Coming back, it’s been hard in a way.”

  I understand.

  “Well then… shall we?” Xander asked nervously. He offered an arm and escorted her toward the hostess who led them to a small table where they settled near the window view to the ocean.

  Ylara took his right hand in her left. I tried many times to contact you, Xander. You have become a stranger.

  He ducked his head, too ashamed to meet her gaze, and studied the menu instead. Sensing his discomfort, Ylara leaned across the table and touched his cheek with her other hand to guide his attention back to her huge, midnight blue eyes. I am not upset with you. We have missed you. Most of all, we have wanted to know if you are well.

  “I am.”

  You hide something from me.

  The Eloran matron took both of his hands in hers. Xander’s fingers trembled between her webbed digits.

  With no idea what to say, he blurted out exactly what was on his mind. “How could you possibly want to see me again when Ylona is dead because of me? I killed her, Ylara. Me. If I hadn’t deployed again, she’d be alive now.”

  She had no words, but Xander experienced the full range of her emotions. Sorrow, loss, and compassion—but no condemnation.

  We never blamed you. There are many worlds in this galaxy, each one filled with its own dangers. Ylona knew this when she left our home, but you were worth the risk to her. You showed her a world beyond Elora, Xander. There is no shame in that. Oron and I lived for our daughter’s stories of Albion and your people. He will be disappointed that their hunt cost him the opportunity to reconnect with you. You are missed dearly.

  “She told you stories?”

  Many. She told us she once answered your door for the postman without the pretty clothes you bought for her.

  Xander chuckled. “She frequently forgot. I would find her in the garden without a stitch on. Our neighbors were scandalized.”

  They chatted for hours over a few local delicacies, as was Eloran custom when reuniting with a friend. Eventually, he remembered to check his watch, amazed at how quickly the morning had flown by.

  “Christ. Where did the time go? I should get back, Ylara. I… Someone is waiting for me.”

  She perked and a big smile spread over her face. Eloran smiles were disconcerting for some humans, but Xander had long grown used to them. You have taken a new bondmate?

  “I have,” he answered slowly, uncertain despite Ylara’s delighted expression. “Her name is Thandie.”

  Will you allow me to meet her?

  Xander stared across the table. He blinked a few times. “You really want to?”

  Of course. She must be truly wonderful if she has earned your heart.

  “She is exceptional.”

  May I meet her?

  The sincerity of the request took Xander aback. “I… well, yes, of course you may.”

  He paid the bill and offered Ylara an arm. Before they made it out of the restaurant, his comm went off in alert mode. Xander groaned and checked the message scrolling across the display.

  Trouble?

  “It’s an emergency recall from the Jemison. Something’s happened.”

  The same message passed over the city’s announcement system. “All hands, return to the Jemison immediately.”

  “I’m sorry, Ylara. I have to go.”

  She raised her hand to his jaw and smiled. Keep safe and return to us soon. We have never stopped loving you, Xander. You will always be my son.

  He took her kind words with him and rushed to his room.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Decontamination burned sometimes. Thandie’s eyes still stung when she emerged to a world of orderly chaos. Enlisted personnel ran back and forth, accepting their new commands and preparing the Jemison for takeoff on short-notice.

  “All combat personnel, report to your supervisors,” the XO announced over the public channel.

  Thandie pushed her way through the heavy crowd and quickly visited her berth to change into uniform. Afterward, she descended to the armory and found the rest of the squad had already gathered in the adjacent shuttle bay.

  Their nervous faces revealed what she had already guessed—they were all still in the dark.

  “You know anything about what’s going on?” Saskia dropped down in the seat beside Thandie. “Did your boyfriend say what’s up?”

  “Not a thing. He was clueless when we packed up the room together.”

  Elizabeth glanced around, then leaned in close and lowered her voice. “About Doctor Vargas… I heard some nasty rumors when we were boarding the shuttle.”

  Saskia blinked at her. “Like what?”

  “Well, Daksha told everyone on the deck that his lust for xenophilia must not have ended, and that he broke off your relationship.”

  “What?”

  “I guess she saw him cozying up with an Eloran. I’m letting you know before someone blindsides you with bullshit.”

  And Thandie fucking loved her for it. She sighed, letting her shoulders drop. “Thank you for letting me know. I appreciate it.”

  “No prob—”

  Viljoen strode in and called them to attention. “Listen up! The Jemison received a distress call from one of our own in this very system. We will arrive at the coordinates in fifteen hours. I want all of you back here, rested, geared up, and ready to go in twelve.”

  “Aye, Commander.”

  “Kruger and Abernathy, I want you both in the armory for the next hour making sure everything is good to go. DuPrie, make sure Lackley has things in hand on the cannon. Lopez, get the pre-flights done on the shuttles. The rest of you, report to your bunks. We can’t afford for anyone to be less than their best.”

  Everyone dispatched as ordered. Thandie stepped into the armory and started pulling down the first pair of weapons to check. Preparation for missions involved a full inventory check on all squad weapons and gear. Thandie and Abernathy had the dubious honor of guaranteeing that everything was in working order.

  “Any idea who he meant?” Abernathy asked across the workbench.

  “No. From the sound of it, I’m guessing they received a Royal Marine distress code.”

  “Huh. That doesn’t make much sense. We’re the only ship in the system right now.”

  “Who knows. Maybe someone in a personal craft.”

  A deep line creased Abernathy’s brow. “I dunno. They wouldn’t recall everyone for something as basic as engine failure. I’m betting the pirates are involved.”

  “In that case, I hope this is our chance to finally blast them into dust.”

  Thandie finished the first set and moved to the next locker. She set down Saskia’s shotgun and pistols on the table and began her check. The weapons, as expected, were in perfect, well-maintained condition.

  “Hey, I’m going to go check in with Saskia a minute. One of her clips is missing. I bet she left it in her vest again.”

  Abernathy waved her off, focused on the rifle in front of him. “Bring back some coffee, would you? This is gonna take longer than an hour if Viljoen wants it done right.”

  “Yeah, sure thing.”

  With the ship on high alert and everyone at their stations, the passageways were empty and eerily quiet. Thandie made her way through the ship to the Main Battery and stepped inside. As expected, the room teemed with offensive specialists and technicians charged with the maintenance of the ship’s guns.

  “Where’s Saskia?” Thandie swept her gaze around the room. Lackley was squeezed between two power panels adjusting a series of resistors.

  “She stepped out to get some coffee,” Lackley replied. “The cannon is off by two millimeters and I have no clue how it happened. I just calibrated this damn thing.”

  “Okay, thanks. I’ll go see if I can catch her. You want me to send her back with anything else?” Thandie asked.

  “More
coffee.”

  “Popular request today. I’ll let her know,” Thandie laughed and stepped out of the enclosed space.

  “Jem, can you please locate—”

  The entire ship shuddered. Thandie stumbled to the right and hit her shoulder against the wall.

  “Breach detected on level 3. Breach detected on level 3,” Jem announced over the ship’s system. Alarms blared and red lights flashed from the wall panels.

  Another explosion rocked the ship and nearly threw her off balance again. The floor beneath Thandie’s feet vibrated with the hum of energy.

  “All hands to the shuttle bay. The Jemison is currently under at—” The sensual female voice abruptly stopped mid-sentence and died. The emergency lights flickered.

  “What the hell is going on?”

  Thandie continued forward with one hand braced on the wall. Without power, she didn’t bother making her way to the nearest lift. Instead, she climbed down an access shaft with only emergency lights guiding her. Another quake shuddered through the ship and the shaft went pitch black. The explosion knocked Thandie’s grip loose and she fell several feet before she snagged the rungs with her bionic arm and caught herself. The alarms dimmed in comparison to her beating pulse. She clung tightly to the ladder and waited for her trembling limbs to still before continuing down.

  When she crawled out of the access shaft into the hangar, Thandie stumbled over a motionless shape on the floor. A shape with a bullet hole between his wide-open brown eyes, beneath neatly gelled black hair.

  “Oh my God, Lopez.” He hadn’t been dead for long, his skin still warm beneath her touch. “Kruger to Medical. I have a man down in the hangar—” Thandie cut herself off. Something moved in the corner of her vision, something familiar and colorful. To her, the vibrancy of Saskia’s genetic ability always looked like dozens of multihued sparkles.

  Thandie slowly stood.

  “Saskia. I know you’re there. I can see you.”

  The splicer dropped her camouflage and stepped out of the shadows. She held a gun aimed at Thandie’s unprotected chest “Toss your communicator here.”