When she reached the door to Rosy’s dressing room, one of the hands was already replacing the name on the door with hers.
“Guess I got the job, huh?”
“That was one amazing show,” the kid said. Only seventeen or eighteen, his fiery red hair and orange skin reminded her of a campfire. “You nailed it.”
“Thanks,” she said, blowing him a kiss before she closed the door behind her. “Oh, and be sure to add The Desprezívelian Diva beneath my name.”
Alone in the large dressing room, she took a deep breath. It was all she could do to fight back the tears of relief that threatened to ruin her hastily applied mascara.
Suzy Blanks was back.
Three
On the starboard aft of the ship, there was a small piano bar called Rick’s. Fashioned to look like the place in the old Earth movie, Casablanca, it was cozy and quaint. LS Quantum was enormous, and every time Davell thought he’d discovered everything, he found something new. If he didn’t know better, he would think the captain changed things around while he slept. Thankfully, he was able to locate the place on his first attempt.
Nothing scares off a woman like a man who looks lost.
“I thought this might be a nice change of pace after the glamour of the theater.” He pulled a chair out for her and she sat. “I’ll go to the bar and get our drinks.”
“Manhattan, straight up, extra cherry,” she said. Her voice was soft and smoky. It reminded him of the plums on his home planet of Revenalt. Just enough tart, just enough sweet to make you think of nothing else for days after you tasted one.
“Be right back.” He should have known, by the way she owned the stage, that she’d order the most expensive drink on the menu. Bourbon, a spirit invented on a long-vanished planet called Earth, was now only sold in the classiest of establishments.
“You might be a gentleman after all,” she teased, applying more lipstick to her full, pouty lips. “I’m hoping there’s more to you than that, though. Ladies like a gentleman who knows when not to be gentle.” Her bright green eyes sparkled in the soft candlelight of the bar.
Suzy Blanks had just issued a challenge and he intended to meet it.
After a quick trip to the bar, he returned to the table and handed her the tall glass. He sat down across from her and took a sip of his SweetWine.
“How did you end up here?” he asked.
“The Eiferer stormed the underground club where I was headlining. I slipped out the back and caught a shuttle.” She sipped her drink, leaving a lipstick print on the rim. “I got a job aboard as stagehand. Tonight, I got the chance to dance again.”
She made it sound easy, but he knew better. Her home planet was tighter than an airlock. Even the agents assigned to Despreviel had trouble getting on and off the planet.
“Why are you here?” she asked.
He wasn’t about to tell her about the Marissa disaster or his forced vacation.
“I needed a break from work.”
“Was I right? Galactic Force?”
“Yep.”
“What division?”
He leaned toward her and her powdery perfume flooded his senses. “Can I trust you?”
“Probably.”
“Intelligence.”
“Oooh, you’re a spook. I like men who are mysterious.” She winked at him, her long lashes brushing against her rouged cheek. “Tell me a secret. A big one.” She ran the tip of her tongue along her upper lip.
I know why we spent two weeks in a class that focused on keeping our wits when dealing with a contact who’s incredibly attractive.
“Promise you won’t tell?”
She offered him one pinky finger. “Pinky promise.”
When they joined fingers, an electrical current shot up his arm and he shivered involuntarily.
“Here’s my secret,” he whispered. He looked over his shoulder in an exaggerated gesture. “I think you’re the most beautiful woman aboard this ship.”
“That’s no secret,” she said. She took the cherry from her glass and popped it into her mouth.
Her lipstick was the exact color of the cherry and Davell’s internal temperature shot up into the red zone. He licked his lips, imagining the taste of her.
“Take me dancing,” she said. She pushed the empty glass toward the center of the table and rose.
“Aren’t you tired after the show?”
She raised one perfectly arched eyebrow. “Never, darling.”
Suzy Blanks wasn’t immune to the charms of a Galactic Force Intelligence Officer who had eyes the color of a mellow bourbon, well-shaped hands and perfectly symmetrical dimples. Even though she’d seen people from all over the galaxy while she was dancing at the Gilded Peacock, he was exotic, beautiful, and wholly masculine. A rare bird in his own right.
“Where are you from?” she asked, as they walked toward the RetroDisco.
“Revenalt. It’s in Sector 27.”
She whistled through the small gap in her front teeth. “You’re from the far reaches. I didn’t know there was life out there.”
“It’s another one of my secrets.” He raised one eyebrow and smiled. “We don’t like too many visitors out there.”
She was used to men looking at her, but when this man looked at her, it was a whole new experience. He made her tingle. All over.
“What’s the best part about Revenalt?”
“The plums,” he answered without hesitation.
He made the word sound soft, sensual, like some kind of sexual experience.
It’s not as if I’m new to the game, but this feels totally different.
“Let’s dance,” she said, taking his hand and leading him into the RetroDisco.
The music, fast and loud, forced them to lean closer.
“How about you dance and I watch?” he asked.
“I thought we already did that.”
“It’s worth doing again. I rather enjoyed the first time.”
“Not a chance,” she said, turning to him and running her index finger along the buttons of his shirt. “This time I want a partner.”
The dance floor was filled with dancers of all shapes, sizes and colors. Quantum was one of the few places in the galaxy where everything and anything was acceptable, so people certainly took advantage of the opportunity. In the dark niches of the club, Suzy saw couples and threesomes and even a foursome, in various stages of undress.
She wasn’t a voyeur, but there were so many pheromones, so much attraction, so much sex, that it excited her. Her face flushed and she felt herself growing wet with want and need.
“Come on, Officer, it’s your turn to show me your moves.”
With their hands clasped together, she led him through the pulsing mass of people to the center of the dance floor. Holding both of her hands, he pulled her closer and began to move in time with the music.
For a cop, he had amazing moves. It was clear that he was very in tune with his body, and she’d be willing to bet that he knew just how to pleasure a woman. After half an hour on the dance floor, she knew what she wanted.
“Let’s go back to my pod,” she whispered in his ear. “Get to know each other better.”
“You don’t have to ask me twice,” he said. He took her hands and navigated his way through the throng of people. In the hallway, he stopped and turned to face her. “You’re sure this is what you want?”
“Exactly what I want.”
She led him to the rear of the ship, starboard side. Her pod was smaller than his, but still large enough to accommodate a large bed, a small table with two chairs, and a large vanity.
“This is nice. Cozy.”
“It’s about to get a whole lot nicer,” she said. She sat on the edge of the bed and beckoned him with her finger. “Come closer. I won’t bite.”
“What if I ask nicely?”
“I’d probably oblige you.”
He sat beside her on the bed and the smell of him reminded her of the pine forests of Desprezív
el.
“You smell amazing,” she said. She leaned closer and sniffed his neck, delighting in the way goosebumps rose on his skin.
“I taste even better.”
His lips claimed hers, fire on fire. She ran her tongue along his top lip, deftly avoiding his tongue. He wrapped his fingers in her hair, pulling her closer, pressing her lips harder. He slid his tongue inside her mouth and she felt herself growing wetter by the second.
“You do taste good,” she said. “But you’ve got on too many clothes for me to sample everything.”
He pulled away and stood. Without breaking eye contact, he stripped off all his clothes and stood naked in from of her. His hairless chest was chiseled, his dark skin shining in the low light of her pod. Washboard stomach. Narrow waist.
Oh, dear Gods.
He’d been hiding quite a lot behind his zipper.
“Damn, Davell, if I’d known you had that in your pants, I would’ve come straight here.”
She rose, stood in front of him and ran her fingernails along his chest, making him shiver with anticipation. Suzy bent and licked one nipple, while she teased the other with her thumb and forefinger. Then she kissed her way back up to his neck.
“Delicious,” she said.
“My turn,” he said, his voice little more than a growl.
He cupped one generous breast in each hand, teasing the nipples into hard diamonds with his thumb and index fingers. His touch, combined with the friction of fabric against her skin, was almost enough to make her come. She tipped her head back and moaned, giving him full access to the delicious line of her neck. He ran his tongue along it, making her knees weak and rubbery.
“Take me to bed,” Suzy said, not sure how much longer she’d be able to stand.
“Not until you show me what’s under this beautiful dress.”
“I thought you’d never ask.”
In one deft motion, she stepped out of the dress.
“I had no idea you weren’t wearing panties.”
“I wanted to be sure you were a man I wanted to excite.”
“Am I?”
“Most definitely.”
Fingers hooked together, they lay down on the bed facing each other.
This time, when his lips met hers, he didn’t hold back. The kiss was demanding and hot and she more than went along for the ride. When her tongue touched his, an electric spark traveled all the way through her body, setting every cell aflame.
He rolled on top of her and used his knees to move her legs apart. The top of his knee brushed against her wetness and it was the most erotic thing she’d ever felt. “I think you’re ready for me.”
“More than. Once to take the edge off and then we’ll see what you have left in the tank.”
“I always have a full tank.”
“I plan to test that thoroughly.” She wrapped her long legs around his waist and squeezed.
“Anytime.”
He slid his hands under her ass and lifted him to him. When he entered her, she nearly came. He fit inside her perfectly, filling her up completely. He moved slowly, a tantalizing rhythm that had her pressing against him, bucking her hips in the hope that he’d thrust faster.
She moaned. “That feels amazing.”
He took his thumb and lightly rubbed her clit. “How’s that?”
In response, she bucked against him, dictating the rhythm, but this time he went with her, let her choose the speed until she found her relief. He took control again, finding his soon thereafter.
Davell collapsed onto the pillow beside her, covered in sweat, even in the cold room. “That was pretty nice.”
“Ummmm,” she said, curling up next to him and placing one leg over him. “Round two will be even better.”
The only thing better than waking up headache-free after a night of too much SweetWine was bumping into the naked body of a woman he’d never expected to stay. If he knew one thing about Suzy Blanks, it was that she did exactly what she wanted. Nothing more, nothing less.
And it was one hell of a boon to his recently-damaged ego.
He rolled over onto his side and wrapped his arm around her waist. He loved the contrast of his almost ebony skin against the bronze of hers. The feel of her soft skin was enough to make him instantly hard. She moved her ass, pressed against him, and he had to have her.
“You always wake up like this?” she asked.
“Only when I have a Desprezívelian burlesque dancer in my bed.”
“So this is the first time, then?” She wiggled more, slinking one leg over his and opening herself to him.
“I hope it isn’t the last.”
“Then you should give your best performance.”
“Count on it.”
He licked the back of her long neck, stopping to nibble along the way. She smelled like apple blossoms and he wanted to taste every inch of her. With one hand cupping her breast, he rubbed himself against her ass, loving the feel of her skin on his dick.
“Mmmmmm,” he murmured “Turn over.”
“We already tried that,” she said. “I want to be in charge this time.”
“I like a woman who knows what she wants.”
“Then you’re in luck.” She playfully pushed his shoulder until he was flat on his back. She ran one dark red fingernail over his chest. “I know exactly what I want.”
Suzy was nothing like the girls he’d grown up with on Revenalt. A mostly agrarian society, the girls were taught to be modest and capable. As a Galactic Force agent, he’d met women from all over the galaxy, and while some of them were beautiful, none of them came close to the woman who was on top of him.
She rubbed against him as she ran her fingernails along his bare chest.
“You’re so wet,” he said, as she glided up and down the length of him.
“That means I like you. For now.”
She wrapped one hand around his dick and guided him into her.
“Mmmmm,” she moaned. “I like the way you fill me up.” She closed her eyes and leaned back, giving him an amazing view of her flat stomach and full breasts.
Davell placed his hand on her hips and rocked her back and forth, encouraging her to match his rhythm.
She wagged one finger at him. “This time I’m in charge.”
Suzy began moving slowly, so slowly that Davell was certain he might die of anticipation. He squeezed her ass with both hands, desperate for her to speed up.
“Want me to go faster?” she asked. When he nodded, she said, “Then make me want it, Lawless.”
With his thumb, he rubbed her clitoris, slowly at first, gradually building to the rhythm he wanted her to match.
“That’s it. Just like that.”
This time when she leaned back, her eyes closed in ecstasy, he took a nipple between the thumb and forefinger of each hand and tugged at them. Suzy bit her lip and tilted her hips back, allowing him to go even deeper into the hot wetness of her. She placed her hands on his knees and he lifted up his hips, thrusting deeper and deeper inside her. Her body moved with the sensuous “s” motion of a snake, and he had to fight to retain control.
Near her climax, she leaned forward, her breasts hanging just over his face. He took one in his mouth and tugged at it with his teeth until she screamed in orgasm. He came just after she did, exploding into her as if it had been years since he’d had a woman, not only a few hours.
“Dear Gods,” she said, when she’d climbed off him and collapsed on the bed next to him. “A girl could get used to that.”
“So could an officer.”
By the time they were dressed, he was famished. “Want to grab breakfast?”
She shook her head. “I have no idea what my schedule will be now that I’ve moved up in the troupe. I should probably check in and see what’s expected of me.”
He watched her slide one stocking along the well-shaped length of her calf muscle. The sensuous motion was something he could watch all day without an ounce of boredom.
“Dinn
er? After the show?”
She pulled her short skirt over the top of her garters and smoothed her waist.
How can watching a woman get dressed be as sexy as watching her undress?
“Are you coming to the show?”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
“I’ll let you know about dinner then.” She winked at him over her shoulder and walked out of his cabin.
For a Galactic Force Intelligence Officer, Davell could loosen up quickly. She’d only met a few of them but there was something different about him, an openness she’d never seen in the others. The SweetWine, along with the flirting, had helped to smooth his rough edges. By the time they’d gotten to the mind-blowing sex, she’d already been sold.
He was cute. Very cute. She was totally open to spending a few, no-strings-attached nights with him. Davell might be just the man to help her chase away the loneliness, help her to forget how much she missed her mother and Zara. Like most guests, he’d probably only be aboard for a week or two.
There was no danger of it being long-term, and that eased Amber’s mind.
The Desprevielian Diva wasn’t interested in long-term. She’d learned the hard way that long-term relationships and burlesque didn’t mix. When her home planet was set back to rights, she planned to go back to the Gilded Peacock and start earning top dollar again, and the sooner the better.
Might as well enjoy what you have now. For as long as it lasts.
Even if she had been interested in settling down, she wouldn’t do it with a Galactic Force officer. They traveled too much and got paid too little.
This job, this fling were just diversions until she could go home.
Since the Eiferer had arrived to enforce the laws set forth by ZX, Desprezível had been a miserable place. Instead of the permissive, pleasure-centered planet she loved, it had become an austere, barren place. She didn’t want Zara to grow up without experiencing the culture, the colors, the joy that was her home planet.
As a headliner, Suzy Blanks had a very healthy ego, and while part of her thought Desprezível was a lost cause, a bigger part of her thought she might just be the woman to change things. The state of things made her feel powerless, and she detested that feeling. Every time she thought about ways she might be able to make a change, she realized the enormity of the issue, and the overwhelming helplessness washed over her again.
Cosmic Cabaret Page 81
