by Susan Hayes
“We’d love you to stay with us. In fact, we might have already been by your place to pick up a few things. You don’t need to go home, angel. Everything you need is already waiting for you at our place.”
She stopped walking, forcing them to stop, too, or leave her behind in the crowd. “You packed for me?”
“Well, yeah. You asked us to bring you some clothes and things so you could go to the party straight from medical. We decided to uh, keep going.”
Her brows shot up. “How far did you go, exactly?”
“Do you really need to ask?” Mack asked.
“You packed it all.” It wasn’t a question.
Dash couldn’t stop the wry chuckle that left his lips. “This isn’t exactly the way we planned it, but after the last few weeks, that’s not much of a surprise. Yes, we packed it all. We don’t want you to come stay with us for a couple of days. We want you to live with us.”
“Live with you. In your spacious, two-level home. Is this so you can protect me better?”
“It’s actually a three-level home. You haven’t seen the lower floor yet. As for protecting you, yes, that’s part of the plan, but it’s not the big reason.” Mack said.
“And what’s the big reason?” she asked, a lilt of laughter in her voice.
“We love you, and we want to share our life with you,” Dash said, tugging her into his arms.
“You know, Mack’s told me he loves me, but I’m pretty sure you haven’t actually said anything about your feelings yet.”
“You want a confession, sweetheart?” He lifted her into his arms and started to spin her around, making everyone stop and stare as he made his declaration. “I love you. From the ends of your gorgeous red hair to the tips of your toes. You’re the center of my universe, and there is nothing in the cosmos that is ever going to change that. When we celebrate the Festival of Light tomorrow, the light I’m going to be thinking of, is you. So, what do you say, will you move in with us?”
She beamed at him. “I love you, too. I’m crazy in love with you both, and I’ve never been happier. Yes, I’ll live with you. I really don’t have much choice; you already moved all my stuff!”
Cheers and wolf whistles broke out all around them, and the angel in his arms blushed until her cheeks were a match for her hair.
“You can put me down now,” she murmured.
“I could. Not going to, though.” He shifted his grip so that she was cradled in his arms and started walking through the still cheering crowd.
“Show-off,” Mack muttered as he fell in beside them.
“This, from the guy who sings on stage for fun,” Dash shot back.
Lieksa reached out to Mack, who took her hand and held it as the three of them continued the walk home. All the knowing smiles and stares they garnered along the way kept her cheeks flushed the whole way home, but she didn’t ask to be put down again until they were inside.
“Not just yet. There’s something we want to show you,” he told her. It was time for the second surprise.
Lieksa was too happy to protest over the fact she was still being carried around. She was starting to adjust to the reality that her men were always going to be like this, and it wasn’t because they thought she was incapable of taking care of herself.
Mack walked to the far side of the entranceway and ran his hand over a door panel she had never noticed before. He vanished through the door as soon as it slid open, and Dash followed a few seconds later.
Curiosity ate at her as they descended a short flight of stairs and arrived in a non-descript room that looked more like an office than living space. There were two desks, a conference table with overhead digital display components, and a few scattered chairs. The walls were full of notes, diagrams, and pictures, but she was too far away to make out what any of it meant.
“You have an office at home, too? You two really need more hobbies,” she said.
“This didn’t happen until our real office got blown up. It was going to be temporary, but now I think we’ll keep it. We can bring down another desk and make this a place for the three of us to track everything we find out about what the corporations are up to, and where the missing women might be,” Dash explained.
“I think that’s a great idea.” She wanted to do a victory dance but settled for a happy bounce in Dash’s arms. If they wanted her to work with them down here, that meant they weren’t planning on keeping her distanced from whatever came next.
“Something else you should know. This level has hardened walls and can be made airtight. I have no idea why, or what used to be here back before Astek bought and reconfigured it, but if anything ever goes sideways, you get your ass down here and activate the security system. The console is over there. We’ll scan your palm print and voice commands later,” Mack pointed back toward the staircase and the console installed into the wall next to it.
“You can’t help yourself, can you? You had to slip a bossy order in there.”
Mack chuckled. “Like I told you before, that’s never going to change. Besides, I distinctly remember you saying you should have gone with option one the last time I gave you a choice. Consider this space as an upgrade on hiding in your bathroom.”
She looked around at the minimalist décor and laughed. “Speaking of which, does this place have a bathroom? If there’s a chance we’re going to be locked in here, that’s going to be important.”
“First door on your left,” Dash said.
“The door on the right is a pantry and storeroom, and there’s a basic food dispenser in there as well. We figured if we were going to be working down here, we were going to need coffee and food,” Mack said.
“And the second door on the left is what? A spa? Your own private swimming pool?” she asked, once again amazed by how large their home was.
“It can be both. Sort of. I think it’s easier to show you than explain.” Dash lifted her higher into his arms and brushed a quick kiss to her lips before carrying her over to the last door.
“Computer, activate program Lieksa’s Homecoming One,” Mack said.
“Program now running.”
Lieksa sat up in Dash’s arms and turned to stare at them both in disbelief. “You have a sim pod? Here? Holy fraxx, those cost a fortune!” The interactive hologram technology was popular on long-haul freighters and mining ships that would spend months at a time away from civilization. They could be rented by the hour at specialty shops all over the Drift, but she had never heard of anyone privately owning one.
“Some things are worth the scrip,” was all Dash said.
The door opened and revealed an impossible wonderland on the other side. Snow fell in fat, white flakes that drifted out of a slate gray sky and everything was covered with a thick, fluffy blanket of snow. It looked like she was standing at the edge of a forest clearing, and directly across from her was a tiny cabin with smoke rising from the chimney and icicles hanging from the eaves. She was so taken with the scenery, it took some time before it occurred to her that what she was seeing couldn’t possibly fit inside a standard pod. This was much, much larger.
“How?” she blurted, pointing into the room.
“Scrip. Spend enough of it, and you can have a sim room instead of a pod. Dash and I knew we were going to be out here for a long time, maybe the rest of our lives. Since we wouldn’t be going planet-side again, we decided to bring the planets to us.”
“Incredible,” she murmured as Dash carried her into the simulation. The cold was shocking, especially after living on the station where the temperature was constant.
“We picked this program for you. The doc mentioned you had never seen real snow, so we thought you might like to experience the next best thing,” Dash said.
“I know we’re a day early, but we thought we could celebrate the Festival of Light tonight. Just the three of us. We’ve got a lot to celebrate this year. More than I ever imagined possible. And we still need to talk about what Zale offered you.”
She laughed and wiggled until Dash put her down. Her light clothing was no barrier to the ice and cold, but she didn’t care. She wanted to play.
“I would love to spend the night here. I want to build a snowman, and make snow angels, and do all the things I’ve only read about.” She tipped her head back so that the flakes fell on her face, melting the moment they made contact. “This is amazing. Thank you. Now I know this is here, I may never leave.”
Mack wrapped a blanket around her shoulders and nuzzled his lips to her neck. “So you don’t get cold.”
She laughed and turned to kiss him before running into the clearing, kicking up snow in her wake. “Come on, let’s try and build a snowman together. I bet you’ve never done that either!”
They quickly discovered that making snow sculptures was cold, wet, work. By the time they had one misshapen figure completed, she was shivering, and even her durable cyborg lovers were looking a little chilly.
They headed for the tiny cabin, tumbling through the door together in their rush to get into the welcoming warmth. It amazed her that the simulation could be so detailed. While they were outside, she had forgotten that none of it was real.
The cabin was cozy. There was a small kitchen off one end, and a fire burning in the large fireplace at the other. The rest of the space was taken up by a bed big enough for all three of them. By unspoken agreement, they all stripped out of their wet clothes and hung them on pegs on the wall nearest the fire.
“We should have brought a change of clothes.” she said as she peeled off her dripping socks.
“Already taken care of. Clothes are under the bed, and there’s a feast stashed in the kitchen courtesy of T’arv and Nadia.” Dash sat on the edge of the bed and crooked his finger. “Come here, sweetheart, and bring that injector with you.”
She stuck out her tongue and shook her head, sending droplets of water flying. “Say please, pushy man.”
Mack chuckled, then scooped her into his arms, snagged the injector from its spot on the mantelpiece and carried her, squirming and laughing, over to the bed.
“Please,” he deadpanned as he dropped her into the middle of the mattress, letting her fall far enough to bounce a bit on impact.
Still feeling playful, she stretched out, showing off every inch of her naked body before turning her head to look at Dash, then Mack. “So, I’m here. Now what?”
“Now we talk about this,” Mack held up the injector.
“There’s nothing to talk about. I want to use it. I don’t want to grow old and die and miss out on time I could have had with you. We’ve lost enough time already.”
Dash sighed. “It’s going to mean you’re a bigger target than you already are.”
“Not if we keep it a secret. I’m certainly not going to go around advertising the fact I’m loaded with nanotech. That would put Zale at risk, too.”
Mack knelt on the bed, head bowed as he looked at the injector in his hand. “Before you do this, I think you need to understand something.”
“What?” she asked, bracing for some sort of lecture.
“For as long as you live, you’re going to belong to us. It won’t matter if that’s an hour or a century. So be sure you want to be with Dash and me for the rest of your life because we’re never letting you go.”
Tears welled up in her eyes, making her vision blur as she reached out a hand to each of them. “I’m sure.”
“I’m glad you came back to us, angel,” Dash murmured and moved toward her, gathering her into his arms and kissing her.
“Me, too,” Mack agreed, settling his big body behind her, one hand reaching around to cup her breast.
They had her trapped between them, stroking and kissing every part of her until she was half wild with need. She was so hot that if she stepped outside, she would probably melt a hole in the snow.
Mack moved her hair off her neck and leaned in to blaze a trail of butterfly kisses up the side of her throat. He was so close she could feel the thick length of his cock pressed against her back. Dash had her pulled halfway into his lap, his cock trapped against her thigh. He was toying with her breasts, his nimble fingers tugging and tweaking her nipples until every touch sent a jolt of pleasure sizzling straight to her clit. His hungry kisses kept her breathless, tongues entwined, mouths sealed together in a give and take that made her ache for more. She needed them inside of her, loving her, taking her to the heights of pleasure so they could soar together.
“I love you so much,” Dash said, sliding his hand between her legs to cup her sex and tease her with the tips of his fingers.
“Tell us who has your heart. Who are you going to spend forever with?” Mack asked.
“You have my heart, Mack, and you, Dash. You’re who I’m going to spend forever with. It was always supposed to be the two of you.”
“You’re our angel,” Mack said.
She felt something cold press against her neck.
“You’re sure about forever? Last chance to opt out, sweetheart.”
She kissed Dash again, then tipped her head to one side, offering her throat to Mack and the injector she knew he held to her skin. “I’m sure.”
A brief sting, a faint hiss, and it was done. Her whole life changed in a matter of seconds.
“Ours now.” Mack nuzzled the spot where he’d injected her, soothing it with gentle kisses.
Dash grinned at her, his eyes gleaming with mischief. “I wonder how long it’ll take for your new endurance to kick in. With what I have planned for you, you’re going to need it.”
“Very romantic,” she retorted, then leaned back against Mack. “Is he always going to be like this?”
“I’m afraid so. You took us on as is. No refunds or exchanges,” Dash said before slanting a hard, demanding kiss across her lips.
The moment he released her, Mack tugged her toward him and kissed her, too. His kiss was passionate, slow, and full of promises he didn’t need to put into words.
When he finally lifted his head again, she closed her eyes and tried to detect any change within herself, but nothing seemed different. “I feel the same,” she said, slightly disappointed.
“Give it a little time. It’s going to take more than a minute for the nanotech to replicate and spread.” Mack nipped her earlobe. “Besides, there are better things we can be doing right now than waiting for your new upgrades to kick in.”
“What—“ was all she managed to say before she was flat on her back looking up at her lovers’ handsome faces, both of them wearing predatory smiles that made her clit throb and her breath catch in her throat.
“I want to taste you, sweetheart. It feels like forever since I’ve had your sweet honey on my lips,” Dash said.
“Open your legs for him. Show us how ready you are for us to love you,” Mack said, his tone bordering on command without going over the edge.
She parted her thighs, not even trying to hide her eagerness. It had been too long since they’d all been together like this, but that wouldn’t be a problem any longer. They had an entire future stretching out before them. It was more than she had ever dared dream of, and now, it was more than a dream, it was reality.
Mack saw the dreamy smile bloom on Lieksa’s lips as Dash settled into position between her legs and buried his face in her pussy and it made his cock turn to steel in a nanosecond. She was the most beautiful woman in the galaxy, and now she was theirs. It didn’t matter that they hadn’t had a ceremony or signed a contract yet. It wouldn’t matter if they never did. They were meant to be.
He sat back to watch as Dash pleasured Lieksa with his fingers and tongue. Every soft moan and roll of her hips made him ache to be inside her, and he idly began to stroke his dick as he watched the scene playing out in front of him. This was how he wanted to spend every night from now until his dying day.
Lieksa’s orgasm built to a crescendo, and she bucked and writhed on the bed. Her creamy skin was flushed, her mouth was open, her eyes glowing laser bright as she rode the cres
t of the wave. The scent of her arousal was all around Mack, an enticing perfume that made his mouth water. He worked his cock faster, timing his strokes to the rise of her hips.
When she finally reached release, her wild cries bounced off the walls of the cabin, nearly taking him over the edge with her. She was his every fantasy come to life, and he would never want another woman the way he wanted her.
Less than ten seconds after Dash moved back, Mack had her in his arms, rolling them both over so that she was draped over him, her legs straddling his hips and the soft mounds of her breasts pressed against his chest.
“Hi,” she said as she settled herself over him, deliberately rubbing her pussy over his cock without letting him inside.
“Ready to come again?”
“Yes, please,” she said before lowering her head to kiss him.
She timed the kiss so that the first swipe of her tongue across his lips happened as she reached between them to guide his cock to her entrance. Her touch made him groan, his cock throbbing in time to his heartbeat. As he slid inside her, she stared into his eyes, and he felt a sense of belonging and connection that had been missing his entire life. She was what had been missing, and making love to her was like finally coming home.
They moved together in the age-old dance that made his body hum and his blood sing in his veins. Her hands splayed over his chest, and she sat up straight, driving him deeper with every stroke. The tempo changed, growing faster and wilder. She rode him hard, and he bucked beneath her body, every give and take pushing him closer to the jagged edge of his control.
He flicked at her bouncing nipples and then let his hands move lower until his fingers were pressed against her clit and he could feel the point where their bodies joined. She started trembling, so he used his free hand to flick her sensitive nipple again. This time her body clamped around his, and she moaned, her head falling back as her control slipped another notch.
