Ellis jerked away. “No.” The sound was barely audible, but from his lips it still managed to sound like a scream. “No. You can’t… Don’t touch me!” He jerked away, but Julian’s grip on his hand tightened in response.
The medic leaned over and touched the patch. A holographic schematic of Ellis’s body appeared in the air and she adjusted some of the medication the patch was feeding into his veins. A second later, Ellis stilled.
Julian’s face twisted in rage. “I will find Ezvorkian. When I do…” Ezvorkian’s name was hardly uttered aboard the Kestrel these days. Ellis’s name—equally elusive—was whispered with more a wondering breath than a curse. His sacrifice had given their captain his life.
The medic made her way towards the door.
“What should I do if he wakes?”
“Say your goodbyes.”
Julian’s eyes squeezed shut.
“He made it back here, Captain. Let’s make sure his last days are more peaceful than the years leading up to them.” With that, she showed herself from the room.
Julian traced the other man’s familiar features before leaning over and pressing his lips against the sweat-beaded brow.
Ellis murmured incomprehensibly for a second and then took a shuddering breath. “Julian.”
Julian nodded, more to himself than the man lying on the bed before him. “Yes, Ellis. You’re home.”
Chapter Two
Deep Space, Frenze Trading Route “Baraconda”
Coalition Standard Date 108-239.8 (Five Years Prior)
The Kestrel’s nav team sighted the Halygast along the routes the Frenze had set up as an alternate supply chain. Though they offered the right credentials when hailed, a quick scan of Coalition access codes left Julian certain they were a merchant ship masquerading as a Coalition scout. It was a small ship, and a brief overview of the schematics revealed that most of it was cargo with little room for crew.
The perfect target.
The Frenze were running low on supplies and Julian could read between the lines of recent Coalition documentation: the war was ending. A few more months at best. Taking ships such as the Halygast meant peace was just that much closer.
The smaller ship’s weapons were laughable. A single warning shot across the bow prompted their surrender and their boarding party quickly rounded up the small crew.
Julian left his chief mate in charge of the bridge to examine the Halygast’s cargo hold. The manifest was conveniently located just next to the door. It was a surprisingly rich haul, a lot of the light titanium alloy that the Frenze used to manufacture and repair their ships. Julian sent his silent thanks to whichever Coalition lackey had decided that licensing privateers had been a wise idea.
Something jumped out at him and he stared at the word. Elfrexian chocolate. He blinked, not quite believing it. The treat was so elusive that people had been known to murder for it. It contained a chemical that worked on a neurological level, inspiring agonizing joy.
They would have to sell it, of course; a pound of the chocolate was worth a year’s take.
But it couldn’t hurt to sample just a tiny bit to make sure it was the real thing.
Julian engaged the lock on the hold doors and made his way down the rows of heavy crates. It would take more than him and his small boarding party to move them. He grinned. They’d have to enlist a few of the Halygast’s crew to assist them.
Following the surprisingly detailed map of the hold, he slipped in between two rows of crates and paused. A young man was resting in a light sleep, tucked in between the crates. Julian frowned. The crew had been rounded up, which meant that they were either hiding the young man—which he doubted—or he was a stowaway.
He appeared younger than Julian by at least five years and had an almost ethereal quality about him; the very air around him seemed to be lighter. He was beautiful. Julian wondered if he was even human. Perfectly crafted features were set in alabaster skin, and dark blue-black hair framed his cheeks. His lips were soft with just the slightest touch of pink…the most fuckable lips Julian had ever seen. His heart hammered hard and he fought down the urge to do something unbecoming a man of his station.
Julian drew in a stern breath but stopped short of chastising himself. He prepared to speak and found himself interrupted by the younger man’s chuckle.
“You can look your fill.” Striking blue eyes opened to regard him. “I don’t mind.” The man smiled and stretched idly, showing off smooth skin and a well-toned body. “I assume you’re a member of the party who just boarded?”
“Yes. And you are?”
“A wayward son.” He stood a second later, taking his time to show off the planes of his body. “A wanderer. One might even say a wastrel, a wastrel looking for some excitement.” There was a spark of humor in the words.
“Aboard a Frenze supply ship?” If he focused on the space above the man’s head, he’d be more successful in keeping his wits. There was something irresistible about the so-called wanderer, the curve of the mouth, the casual slouch to the shoulders. Whatever it was, Julian wasn’t sure he liked it. It was too tempting.
“I didn’t know that when I came aboard. I saw their shipping manifest and decided it was a good place to be.” He took a few steps closer to Julian. “Judging from your current course, I would guess that you’re after a bit of chocolate before your captain finds out.”
“I am the captain.”
“Even better.” The smell of the younger man was intoxicating, slightly sweet and musky all at once. “As I need a way off of this barge and you would be the man to ask.”
Julian forced down his urge to bury his face in the man’s neck. “Oh? And why do you think I’d help you with that? It seems to me that I should leave you here and let the crew decide what to do with you.”
“That’s not terribly generous. The crew haven’t struck me as particularly noble. I’d probably be shoved out the nearest airlock, and that would be unfortunate.” He held out his hand. “Ellis.”
Julian automatically took it, finally making contact with eyes that reminded him of sapphires at night. “Captain Julian Gaspar of the Maligned Kestrel.”
“I’ve heard stories about you, Captain.” Julian almost pulled his hand back, but when he tried, Ellis’s warm fingers reached out and stroked his wrist. “I understand you’re quite an honorable sort. It’s a rare thing in a pirate.”
“We’re not pirates. We’re licensed by the Coalition of United Planets to—”
“Let’s save the PR efforts. There are much better ways to spend one’s time.” He leaned into Julian just slightly. “Wouldn’t you agree?”
Julian caught the smell of him once again. “I might.”
“Good.” Ellis gestured back at the crates. “I’ll just collect my things, shall I?”
“I didn’t say you were invited to join us.”
Ellis’s eyebrow rose. “What? And give up a perfectly good opportunity to get to know each other? That would be a tragedy.”
Privately Julian agreed, but he kept his face impassive. Ellis was playing some sort of game. He could see it in the very turn of the man’s mouth. How far would Ellis go? And were his games along the same lines Julian was imagining?
“What would be tragic about it?” He was willing to play along.
Ellis drew closer and pressed up against his body. Julian tried to keep his face skeptical, hoping the other man wouldn’t notice his cock suddenly stirring to attention.
Ellis leaned in to whisper in Julian’s ear. “You’d never find out how good my mouth is.” All available blood shot straight to Julian’s dick. “That’s tragedy.” The back of Ellis’s hand strayed across his crotch. “Perhaps you’d like to find out now?”
“You don’t…” Julian paused as Ellis began running his hand up and down the outline of his cock through his breeches. It jumped at the younger man’s attention and Julian withheld a groan. “I’m not…”
“As I see it, I have two options: I can come wit
h you, or I can get vented. If I come with you, we’ll have a chance to…explore things further.” He pulled down the zipper of Julian’s pants impressively fast. “If I get tossed out the airlock, at least I’ll have a last happy memory to get me through a few painful seconds.”
Ellis leaned forward and pressed his lips against Julian’s. They were warm and tasted just faintly of chocolate—bastard—but Julian found himself kissing back. A hand rose to curl into Ellis’s hair, and the younger man purred at his touch. Julian tugged on the thick black locks to pull him closer. Ellis melted against his body.
The kiss was searing. The gentle play of tongues quickly moved from exploratory to possessive. Julian hadn’t thought he was able to get harder, but the man’s lips beneath his made his cock strain against his undergarments, begging to be touched.
Ellis broke the kiss first and smiled. The lithe figure slid to his knees and freed Julian’s cock, wrapping his lips around the head and teasing it with his tongue. Julian groaned and forced himself to take a deep breath before he lost it completely. Ellis worked the shaft, stroking and soothing at once. He pulled back far enough for Julian to see him lick a bead of pre-come off the tip. He began to probe the slit and Julian reached down, meaning to push the man away. Instead, his hand wrapped around the back of Ellis’s neck and guided him back to his dick.
Ellis murmured in appreciation and lifted a hand to stroke the sensitive skin on Julian’s sac. Julian’s head sank back to rest on a nearby crate as he lost himself in the sensation.
Ellis’s fingernails ran down Julian’s thighs and Julian choked back a heated sigh. He had gone far too long without this type of contact. Ellis worked his cock and the blissful grow of his climax stirred in him. His hips easily found Ellis’s rhythm, thrusting in earnest and fucking that perfect mouth.
Ellis’s lips tightened around his shaft and Julian was blindsided by his own orgasm. He emptied into Ellis’s mouth. The younger man swallowed around him and the sensation made stars dance in his mind.
Ellis gently released his cock and ran his thumb around the outside of his lips, catching and tasting any wayward drops. “That was incredible.” He grinned with an arrogance that might have been annoying if he hadn’t just proved how merited it was.
Resting his hands against Julian’s hips, Ellis drew himself up Julian’s body. He pecked at his lips, and Julian got the barest taste of musk and come before Ellis started to pull away. Julian leaned in to the kiss to taste himself. It was familiar, bitter yet rich and somehow right.
“Well, Captain? Should we explore this a bit more?”
Bringing Ellis back aboard the Kestrel with the express purpose of taking him to bed was an interesting thought, and it was on the tip of his tongue to invite him, but he hesitated. Despite the mind-blowing orgasm, he knew nothing about the young man.
Still… “There’s merit in the idea.”
Ellis smiled at the words and kissed Julian and retrieved his belongings. Drawing out his communicator, Julian grinned and hailed his chief mate.
Orifian replied. “Captain?”
“I’ve found a stowaway asking for safe passage. I’m bringing him aboard. Start the transfer of the cargo.”
“Sir, he could be a spy sent by the Frenze. We should secure him in the brig until we establish his credentials.”
Julian muted his communicator. “You know he’s right.”
Ellis winked. “If you want to chain me up, just ask.”
Julian’s spent cock began to stir again. “I don’t think that will be necessary.” Realizing his communicator was still muted, he shook his head and opened the channel again to repeat the message. “Let’s get moving before we attract attention.”
“Right away, sir.”
Orifian sounded distinctly unhappy about the situation. Julian was going to get an earful later. In his peripheral vision, he could see Ellis inspecting him. The unnerving intensity disappeared when Julian looked his way.
“Come on. I’ll get you settled aboard the Kestrel.”
Ellis smiled and nodded. Slinging a small bag over his shoulder, he followed Julian back towards the doors of the cargo hold.
Chapter Three
Deep Space Shipping Route “Endoria”
Coalition Standard Date 108-242.3
“My quarters are completely unacceptable.”
Julian leveled a skeptical look at Ellis. The young man stood in the doorway, eying him with a distinctly put-out expression. How he’d opened the door without alerting him was a mystery, but that did seem to be par for the course.
Without invitation, Ellis slid into the room and the door shut behind him.
“Unacceptable? You’ve only been aboard for a few days. You’re lucky you were given quarters at all. If my chief mate had his way, you’d be languishing in our brig.”
“I can’t imagine it would be much smaller.” He walked the length of the room and dropped onto Julian’s bed. “This is comfortable. I think I’ll make myself at home here.”
“You think?” Julian put the datapad down beside him. “Well, I’m sorry to say that this room is already spoken for. And I’m not moving.”
Ellis took the words as a challenge. Gracefully rising, he lifted a hand to the collar of his high-buttoned black shirt. With every step he took, he undid one of the pearlescent buttons and slowly revealed his smooth chest. Julian’s cock hardened.
“Is—” Julian’s voice caught in his throat and he coughed. “Is this how our relationship is going to work?”
Ellis paused. “Relationship?” He rolled his shoulders and the shirt slid off his lithe frame. “I like that.” His tongue flickered out and wet his lips. “Are you looking for a relationship, Captain Gaspar?”
He lowered himself into Julian’s lap. His knee brushed against Julian’s crotch and Julian’s head fell back. Ellis took it as an invitation and nipped at the skin of his neck before sliding his lips up to his cheek. Julian managed a shaky intake of air.
A breath passed between them.
Julian caught Ellis’s lips in a searching kiss. Arousal licked through his body, nerve endings coming alive with his lover’s touch. Ellis yielded to him, and Julian’s tongue explored his mouth. He tasted sweet and subtly spicy, like the wine Julian remembered from his childhood—grown and fermented instead of synthesized by an AI’s nonexistent palate. His tongue was warm and Julian lingered in the kiss. Ellis’s lips moved expertly, caressing Julian’s even as a hand came to rest against his chest. Julian cupped the back of his neck and drew his too-warm body against him. They fit perfectly together.
Ellis broke the kiss with a gasp. They stared solemnly at each other, Ellis’s gaze almost black with arousal.
“Do you know what you do to me?” Julian didn’t recognize his own voice at first, choked with desire and deepened by the warmth curling in his stomach. “How can I concentrate when I know you’re on board? Even two decks away, you distract me.”
“You look like you could use a little distraction.” Ellis’s hand danced across the broad expanse of Julian’s chest. Expert fingers undid the first button of his shirt and Ellis lowered his mouth to the exposed skin at the hollow of his throat.
His lips were still slightly wet and warmed by their kiss. The touch of them on Julian’s skin sent the flames dancing ever higher through his body. Inch by inch, Ellis mapped Julian’s chest, setting a rhythm that had him quivering: the snap of a button, the slide of his tongue and a short sigh that followed.
Snap-slide-sigh.
Snap-slide-sigh.
Snap-slide-sigh.
Julian dragged in a breath and wrapped a hand in Ellis’s hair. His grip started out gentle at the silky feeling of the black strands between his fingers, but he could not stop tightening it when Ellis paused to nip at the tender skin beneath his left pectoral. Ellis gasped and looked at him through hooded eyes.
Julian dragged Ellis’s face back towards his and crushed their lips together again. “I love your mouth.”
E
llis didn’t reply but kissed him again. Slowly, Julian rose, bringing them both to their feet. He walked his lover backwards to the bed. Before the back of his knees touched the soft bedding, Ellis stopped and Julian bumped into him. Ellis shifted his body, sliding his chest against Julian’s.
Julian reached for the nearby controls to dim the lights. Before he could close the covers to the plastiglass window, Ellis grabbed his hand.
“Leave it open. I like to see the stars.”
Julian nodded and pushed gently against Ellis’s shoulders. The other man fell back onto the bed and stretched out, his hips wiggling suggestively. His legs were hanging off the side of the bed, and Julian used his knee to nudge them farther apart. Leaning down, he opened the button of Ellis’s pants. Julian ignored the subsequent gasp and took his time lowering the zipper, scraping his fingernails against the soft skin of his abdomen. The hair there was sparse and soft. Julian’s nails left lines in the pale skin and Ellis arched up into his hand, silently begging for more.
“So responsive.” He dragged Ellis’s pants down, freeing his hardened member. It stood heavy and proud. Julian smiled and ran his thumbnail up the length.
Ellis whimpered. With deliberately slow movements, Julian stroked his lover’s hard cock. The flesh was warm and wanting. A play of pleasure and frustration danced whimsically across Ellis’s face and his hips rose, searching out the elusive contact.
“Please,” Ellis whispered.
Julian smothered a smile. “Please what?”
“I want…”
Julian jerked his wrist, the sensation robbing Ellis of his words.
His breath became a sob. “Julian, please, I want you in me.”
Soul Bond Page 2
