by E. A. James
The sound of his door opening at the end of the hall shocked her, causing her to go motionless.
“You can stop pacing now,” he said, waving her into his quarters.
“I was just about to come talk to you,” she said, walking toward him.
“I assumed as much. You walked past my door at least five times.”
She walked into his quarters. It looked like all the others, containing only the bare essentials—bed, table, chair, and a small bathroom. It wasn’t her first time there. She had sneaked off to visit him multiple times during their trip back to Earth. But, this time the excitement of keeping their relationship a secret no longer hung in the air. Now, that very thing that once made her stomach flop with excitement left a bitter taste in her mouth. He was done with the secret.
“You’re angry with me,” she noted as she crossed the room and slumped down on his bed.
“Not angry, just frustrated.”
“So, pretty much the same thing,” she replied.
“Pretty much,” he admitted, sitting next to her. “Everyone knows about us, Kira. Why do you insist on keeping it a secret still? The worst kept secret on board, by the way.”
“It’s not that I want to keep it a secret,” she started. “I just don’t want to mess it up, you know?”
“You’ve said that before. But, I don’t understand why you think being more open about everything will mess it up? Besides, this whole situation is messed up, to begin with.”
“Because I’m so horribly awkward in these kinds of situations.”
“Probably because you make a bigger deal out of it than it needs to be,” he pointed out.
“Probably,” she agreed. “It’s just been my experience that men are intimidated by me.”
“Have they seen you?” Thor asked, jokingly.
“Not physically,” Kira replied. “Although, they probably should be. I may be small, but I can hold my own.”
“And then some,” Thor agreed.
“It’s just my status, I suppose. Men have always had a problem accepting that I’m their superior.”
“There are more men on this ship than women, Kira. And they all look to you for leadership and guidance. No one has a problem with that. You’re capable and we trust you.”
“You don’t have a problem with it for now,” she replied. “But the thing is, I am your superior while we’re on board, at least. How would you feel about your girlfriend giving you orders?”
Thor smiled, mischievously. “I don’t think I’d have a problem with that.”
“I’m being serious.”
“I’m not insecure about my position. I’m capable of separating Kira, the woman I have developed feelings for, and Captain Winter, the best damn pilot I’ve ever seen, and the first person I would want by my side in a fight.”
“That might change.”
“It’s like you want this to fail,” he said, his mood shifting from calm to slightly annoyed.
“I just need a little more time to figure it out, please. Everything has changed so fast,” she begged him. She reached out and rested her hand on his.
“Why don’t you let me figure it out with you?” he countered.
“Because it’s not a ‘you’ problem,” she said, leaning in and kissing him softly on the cheek, “it’s a ‘me’ problem.”
She knew there was more to her hesitation to enter into a relationship than she was saying. It was true. Her position had prevented her from being able to hold onto any real relationships, the men around her always struggling with being with someone as commanding and confident as she was. But, there was something else. Something else rattled around in the back of her mind. She couldn’t figure out what it was, though. She couldn’t figure out why she felt such a strong aversion to letting herself dive completely into a relationship. There was still something inside of her that wanted to resist. It was fear. But, a fear of what, she wasn’t sure.
“I should have known that nothing with you would be easy,” he said, moving his hand from the bed to her side.
His touch sent a shiver of comfort running through her. She let her mind rest, just for the time being. He was being patient with her. It was hard for him, but he was doing it. It was one of the many, many things that drew her to him. And, in that moment, that attraction was all she wanted to focus on.
“That’s what you like about me, though, isn’t it?” she replied, leaning in and pressing her hand to his chest, moving her lips from his cheek, tracing a soft line of kisses down along his jaw.
He tightened his hold on her waist, moving his other hand around and taking hold of her completely, pushing her back onto the bed. She let out a soft gasp as he lowered himself down onto her.
“I have always enjoyed a challenge,” he replied, leaning in to press his lips to hers.
She wrapped her hands around him, feeling the muscles in his back contract under his shirt’s light layer of fabric. As she reached down to take hold of the edge of his shirt and lift it off over his head, he did the same, matching her movements in the swift, sure way he did everything.
The shape of his body always had the same effect on her. It always amazed her, excited her. The way that his muscles contracted slightly with his every movement, his taunt skin pulled over them so perfectly and smoothly. There wasn’t one single flaw that she could find. Her stomach fluttered as she grazed her hand over him, tracing the outlines of his chest, letting her hand drift down to his stomach, and then lower and lower.
He leaned in, his eyes filled with a sparkle—a lustful sparkle that only appeared for her. His shaggy, dark hair hung around his face, accentuating the rugged look that he wore so perfectly.
When their bodies came together again, their skin pressing against one another’s, a rush of excitement surged through her. He lowered his face to her neck, pressing his lips to her skin softly as he ran his fingers along her sides, inching them down slowly.
She grabbed hold of him once more, her fingers digging into his skin. When she grazed over one of the scars on his back an even more intense desire to hold onto him built up inside her.
She lowered her hands, running her fingers gracefully over his bare skin as Thor’s fingers found the edge of her shorts. Her skin rippled with goosebumps as he slid his fingers slowly toward the button.
This time, she followed his lead, reaching down quickly to begin pulling at the ties around his waist. He pushed her shorts down to her thighs, but she didn’t wait until he was unclothed to reach her hand down and take hold of him.
He was already hard; he was ready for her.
As he moved his hand lower, she tilted her head back, trying to keep her excitement in check. She continued to work to pleasure him, while he inched closer and closer to doing the same for her.
Just as his fingers found her pleasure center, he lowered his lips to her right breast, taking her nipple into his mouth. She stifled a moan as she pinched her eyes shut. Her back arched on its own accord and her toes curled up.
The mixture of feelings, the tenderness with which he kissed her chest, contrasting with the aggressiveness with which he pleasured her with his hand, made the room begin to spin. Unable to take it any longer, she began to push down on his waistband, ready to free him completely and take him as her own.
He leaned back and smiled. “Looks like you’re the impatient one now,” he replied, wiggling out of his last remaining clothes.
“Shut up,” she said, grabbing onto his waist and pulling him down to her again.
She wrapped her legs around him, lifting her hips to meet him as he lowered his to her. The second he entered her, a feeling of complete euphoria washed over her. The stronger that feeling became, though, the more she was filled with lust—the more she wanted.
Digging her nails into his back, she tried to pull him down more, to force him deeper, to feel the pleasure he gave her with more intensity. She let out a soft, frustrated moan when her attempts turned out to be futile. He was enjoying her lo
nging too much. He knew what she wanted, but he wasn’t ready to give it to her just yet.
He buried his face down into her neck and kissed her softly while moving his hips up and down, slowly. She tilted her head back and let out another frustrated groan.
“You don’t like tender?” he asked, still pressing his lips softly against her skin.
“What do you think?” she replied, digging her nails into his back again.
He let out a soft laugh. His warm breath washed over her skin, bringing with it a wave of desire so intense she thought she would get completely carried away in it. Pinching her eyes shut, she bit down on her bottom lip and once again attempted to pull him down into her deeper.
This time, he gave into her silent pleas. His hips thrust forward and her entire body surged with satisfied bliss. When he pulled back again, she didn’t have to pull him down again. This time, he thrust forward on his own accord, his movements strong and sure.
The moment seemed to last forever but at the same time was over all too quickly. She became lost in it, letting her worries leave her as the feeling of being with him filled her completely. The warmth that spread through her, the ecstasy that seized her, the pleasure that shook her—she wanted to hold onto them. She wanted to live in that moment for as long as she could.
There, with him, everything was simple.
CHAPTER NINE
“It looks abandoned,” Kira informed the crew as she walked into the Curio’s common area two days later. Everyone was seated around the small table in the center of the room, waiting for her to give the order to disembark.
“There’s no sign of any miners or any of Grimm’s forces,” Thor added, following behind her.
"As we assumed, there's no atmosphere," Kira continued. "So, we'll need to wear our combat gear. It may end up coming in handy, anyway."
“Is it safe to go out there?” Alaria asked, snuggling Zola tightly in her lap.
“Well, the fact that it’s abandoned could mean that it either is, or it isn’t,” Dario observed.
“That clears everything up,” Kira said, smiling as she patted the older man on the back.
Dario chuckled. “I just meant that either no one is left out there, and we’ll find ourselves completely alone, or whatever caused the miners to flee is still hiding somewhere, waiting to attack.”
“Well, then, we have no choice but to explore,” Bron said, pushing himself up from his seat next to Alaria. “That’s what we came here to do, right?”
“Hell yes!” Vinnie exclaimed, jumping to his feet.
“This kid gets excited about anything,” Kira mused. “Wish I had your enthusiasm, Vinnie.”
“Come on, everyone!” Vinnie continued to speak in sharp, excited tones. “It’s an adventure! That’s what we do, isn’t it?”
Bron rolled his eyes and set his hand firmly on Vinnie’s shoulder. “Maybe you should stay back again, to watch after the ship.”
“Like hell, I’m going to miss this,” Vinnie countered, shrugging Bron’s massive hand away. “The ship will be fine. Kira already said this place is abandoned.”
“And Dario pointed out that there might still be someone out there,” Bron replied.
“That’s why you need me!” Vinnie continued to insist. “Come on, Bron. How many times have I saved your ass? I deserve this.”
“Fine,” Bron said after a moment of contemplation. “Grab a suit, if you can find one small enough to fit you,” he added jokingly.
“Screw you,” Vinnie muttered, marching off to the supply room.
“Okay,” Kira said pulling everyone’s attention to her. “Everyone else, go suit up and report back here in ten minutes.”
Everyone jumped into action as Kira turned to head back to her quarters. It had been a while since she had the chance to use her combat armor. As exciting as the prospect of slipping into the high-end military gear was, she hoped that they wouldn’t need to use it for anything other than breathing.
Dressing quickly, she ensured that she had not only her assault rifle strapped securely to her back but that her Phantom was safely tucked into one of the many holsters the combat armor had.
The suit was light-weight and sleek. The black material was a synthetic blend that both protected the wearer from low-grade blasts, but also moved easily, providing a fair amount of flexibility and movement. The helmet collapsed into the suit itself, and the oxygen pack installed into the back of the suit was able to generate breathable air for hours.
In addition, the gravity conductors would keep Kira and her crew firmly on the surface of the small mass. The mining colony did have its own gravity, but it was minimal. They couldn’t waste time bouncing around like fools trying to move from one place to another.
Returning to the common area, she found that Bron and Thor were already there, in their suits, waiting for her. It wasn’t long before Dario and Alaria returned, Zola following close on Alaria’s heels.
“Ha!” Vinnie yelled victoriously as he burst into the room, combat armor on. “Told you I could find one in my size!”
“Good,” Kira said, turning to face the entire group. “Are we ready, then?”
Everyone nodded.
“Helmets up,” she ordered.
Simultaneously, the entire group engaged their helmets. The thin, industrialized helmets sprung to life out of the suit collar and sequentially formed to each of their heads. When the helmet locked into place, a small display appeared on the transparent face shield and their comm systems engaged.
After testing the suits comms, Kira ordered that they file out. There was a tension in the air as they stepped into the Curio’s airlock and waited for the chamber to decompress and the exterior door to open. The tension did not decrease when they stepped out and were able to fully take in the scene around them.
The mining colony they had landed on looked as if it had been deserted in haste. As the group fanned out, examining the nearest caverns and the handful of man-made shelters, they all noticed a pattern.
Bron, Alaria, and Dario went into the base shelter, searching the bunkers for any signs of life or explanations for what could have taken place there. Kira, Thor, and Vinnie stuck to examining the mines.
Everywhere they went, they noticed one thing—the empty feeling hanging in the air. There was an almost ominous aura to their surroundings. It looked like an abandoned town, a place where all the inhabitants simply got up and decided to leave all at once.
“All of their supplies are still here,” Dario’s voice came over Kira’s suit’s speaker. “They clearly didn’t leave on their own accord. They were scared or forced out.”
“Does anyone see any signs of a struggle?” Thor asked.
“No,” Alaria answered. “It seems like a perfectly normal scene in here—table set with a rather suspicious looking lunch waiting to be eaten, the holo screen on in the den, dishes still in the sink.”
“What do you see out there?” Bron asked.
“Nothing,” Kira answered.
“Literally, nothing,” Thor added.
The mine was completely empty. There were a few tools lying around, but other than that, it looked as if the place was as deserted as the rest of the base. The section of the mine they assumed to be used for storing whatever mineral they were extracting was also empty—barren almost.
“It’s safe to say that whatever happened here, it had to do with whatever these miners were excavating,” Kira agreed.
“Anyone have any idea what that was?” Vinnie asked.
Kira turned to face him, to find that he had wandered off. He was heading back toward the mining base, but not in the direction of the building where the other three were. “Where are you going?” Kira asked.
“Clearly no one is around,” Vinnie replied. “I’m going to go search for supplies for my maintenance bot.”
“Kid always has to be doing something,” Bron said with a grunt.
“He has a point, though,” Kira commented. “We could take adva
ntage of this and re-stock the ship. Maybe Alaria and Bron can find some parts for the Curio.”
“Good thinking,” Dario replied. “There’s some food in here, as well.”
“Agreed, let’s take what is useful,” Thor said.
“We should hurry, though. We still have two other colonies to explore. Maybe we can get some answers from someone on one of those about what happened here,” Kira pointed out.
Thor, wasting no time, began heading in the direction of the shelter. Kira followed closely behind, sending Bron and Alaria to where Vinnie was scavenging the supply bunker to look for anything useful.
