by Smith, S. E.
I missed you. Her heart ached, but she found herself leaning into him, her chest brushing against his, her skin rubbing against his. She hissed a breath in, pleasure blooming inside her, anticipation sparking a low hum at her core. “That's a long time to wait for a kiss.”
“It is.” He wet his lips. “Tell me to stop, though, and I will.”
She lifted her hands and caressed his arms, following the sinuous curves of his body until she'd tangled her fingers in the silk of his hair. “Don't stop, Zandro.”
Ultimately, it was hard to figure out who kissed who because they surged toward each other, their mouths clashing together, their tongues stroking. A needy noise leaked from her throat, and Aliette tilted her head to give him better access, wanting him deep inside her.
Zandro cupped her jaw and drank deeply of her mouth, tangling his arms around her and crushing her close. His erection pressed against her belly, hard and insistent. Wetness pooled between her legs, and she broke the kiss only to tug him backwards toward the hallway. “The bunks. Any bunks.”
They banged down the hall together, stumbling and caressing and trying to make up for five years of loneliness in a few frantic moments of groping and kisses. Aliette felt like she was starving, like she hadn't been touched in years even though she'd been with other men since Zandro. But it hadn't been like this. This was fire and need and strength. This was the best she'd ever had. This was Zandro.
They tumbled together into her bed, and she opened her legs to him, wrapping herself around his waist and pulling him close as she pumped her hips against that glorious erection of his. He rubbed at her over her panties, and she shivered against him.
“Protection?” he murmured, nibbling at her ear lobe and neck.
“I still have my implant, and I just had my lady checkup a few months ago. All good. You?”
He bit hard on her ear, making her gasp. “There hasn't been anyone since you.”
Her breath caught, and she almost couldn't look at him. “No one?”
He gave a wry laugh. “Just my hand.”
“No groupies for the hot kitten rescuer?”
He nuzzled her neck and sighed against her skin. “No one else ever measured up to you, Allie.”
“Zandro.” She cupped his face and made him look at her.
His brow was furrowed, his breath fast with more than just arousal. He seemed worried. Maybe scared this confession would ruin things?
It made her heart hurt. It made her miss him. It made her, dammit, want him more than ever. “This is such a bad idea.” But she couldn't seem to make herself push him away. Instead she found her hands tracing the familiar lines of his face. The laugh lines around his kind brown eyes, the fullness of his lips, the scar along the side of his nose. “Zandro.”
He smiled at her, his lips full and soft and right there. His eyes were sad, but he leaned forward to tickle her nose with his. “Ask me to stop,” he whispered, “and I will.”
Oh. It was like a rose opening in her chest. Like something inside her had been waiting, tightly furled and hidden and now, only with him, could it bloom and flourish. Don't think. Don't. She closed her eyes and leaned up to brush a kiss gently over his lips. “Don't stop.”
After that they became a frenzy of need and heat. His hands skimmed up her legs and he peeled her underwear away and cupped her bottom. He traced two fingers over her slit, and she shuddered against him.
“You're so wet.”
“For you.” She kissed him deep and rocked against him.
There was a brief bit of complication as he tried to get his own briefs off without moving away from her. Finally, he laughed and broke the kiss only long enough to peel his underwear off and throw it against the wall.
Aliette laughed and opened her arms to him, pulling him down on top of her. She guided him inside then gasped and arched at the fullness of him. “Oh. Yes.”
He made a wordless noise against her throat that amounted to much the same thing, and then he began to move inside her. He rubbed her deep, hitting exactly the right spot, and he arched his own back, his nostrils flaring with pleasure. “You feel so good, Aliette.”
“You too.” She latched an arm around his neck and held on tight as he pumped into her. Fitting so tight, so good. She strained and tried to get closer, closer. A small keen started in the back of her throat. He felt so good she couldn't take it. She opened her legs wider, took him deeper, crying out as he plunged into her tight and fast and so, so good.
Finally, her orgasm washed over her, tumbling her into tingling darkness for a moment before she emerged blinking and trembling beneath him. He increased his pace, his breathing fast, his eyes shut tight with ecstasy. A moment after she'd finished he came too, groaning with happiness and relief. He collapsed on top of her, pinning her to the mattress with his delicious, sweat-slicked body.
“I missed you,” she murmured, tangling her fingers in his sweaty hair.
He dropped a kiss against her shoulder. “Missed you.”
“I never want to move.” She stretched under him, enjoying the slide of his skin against hers.
“Have to.” He combed his teeth over her neck. “I have to feed the kittens again soon if nothing else.” He cleared his throat. “And we should maybe talk?”
The look on his face made her warm all over again, happy warm, like coming home to a fireplace crackling in the dark. “I’d like to—” It was then something penetrated her senses. An unease, a wrongness that it took her a minute to parse.
“Aliette, I—”
“Ssh.” She flung a hand up to cover his lips.
Zandro opened his mouth to protest then caught sight of her face, and she could tell when he realized she wasn't shushing him just to shut him up. Something was wrong. He fidgeted beside her, leaning up on his elbows to watch her face, but he didn't speak again, didn't interrupt her as her brain did a quick speed processing of their environment.
At last she understood what she was hearing. Or not hearing. “The engines are off. We're drifting.”
* * *
Aliette moved with lightning speed, scooting off the bed and flinging a robe on to cover her nakedness as she jogged toward the cockpit.
Zandro perched on the edge of the bed in indecision for a long moment before he wrapped the sheet around his waist and went to the galley. He didn't know anything about engines or ships or space travel. All he knew was animals. How to heal. How to soothe. How to help.
The kittens were stirring in their box, making small inquiring chirps, butting their heads against the comfort plush toy he'd left. Grinning, he prepped a feeding syringe and scooped the first one out of the box. He wished he'd thought to bring a scale. Weighing kittens was the best way to make sure their progress was good, but he'd brought only bare essentials so he'd have to make do. As long as he could keep them warm and fed they should be fine until he could get back to his home and his more complicated supplies.
Aliette appeared in the doorway, her brows knit together in a frown.
“Everything ok?” He had a fussy eater apparently, and the little cat was trying to chew the side off the syringe. The kitten was swallowing some, but without a good latch this feeding wasn't going as well as could be hoped.
Zandro had been so sure Aliette would speak in the affirmative about the ship, muttering some reassuring jargon about the engines, that he almost missed what she did say.
“Nope. We're in trouble, Zandro. The engines are offline.”
“What?”
She crossed the room and dropped into the seat across from him. “The engines are off. My ship is dead in the stars.”
“Life support?”
Aliette scoffed and twirled a finger in the air to indicate they were still breathing. “Most of the ship systems are fine. Even navigation is working, but the engines won't roll over, and the diagnostics are spitting out garbage. We're still on the shipping lane, but we can't propel ourselves forward. We're stranded until I can get someone out to give us a
tow.”
“We're stuck together on the ship?”
“Yes.”
“For who knows how long?”
Her voice was tense. “Yes.”
Zandro wet his lips. His kitten had finished eating and fallen asleep under his palm. Kittens slept for twenty hours a day so that was nothing to be concerned about. With one hand free, he reached out to stroke Aliette's forearm. “Maybe we should have that talk then, Aliette? About you and me.”
* * *
Anger flashed through Aliette hard and sharp as a lightning strike. And an uneasy dread that made her itchy in her own skin. Talk now? When they were trapped? What was she supposed to do if she didn't like his answers? Or he didn't like hers? Was one of them supposed to jump out the airlock? Or were they just supposed to drift together in stony, silent awkwardness as they waited for rescue? Aliette shook her head with a bitter laugh. “That is such a bad idea right now, Zandro.”
“So was sleeping together, but we did that anyway.” His voice was soft but matter of fact.
And that there was the true bravery of Zandro. That was why he could dedicate himself heart and soul to rescue work, because he was brave at the core. Because he had an inner strength she could only marvel at. Because he could throw himself toward possible hurt over and over and never flinch when it was time to try again.
She shook her head, her stomach roiling with unhappiness and alarm. “I have to check the engines. See if this is software or hardware failure. I’ll…I’ll be awhile.”
He let a puff of air out on a wry laugh. “The kittens and I will be waiting.”
* * *
Aliette killed as much time as she could in the engine room examining the hardware, checking wires, checking connectors. She tapped at the control interface in the engine room, scrolling through the diagnostic.
As a small operation she had to know how to fix common problems on her ship. She couldn’t afford a mechanic full time, and she couldn’t afford the service fees to take her ship in every time a part needed switching out. But this engine failure had sweat pooling under her arm pits and a hollow of fear opening in her gut. She could afford some repairs to her ship. She had that much saved. But she’d never be able to afford a new engine if she couldn’t figure out what was wrong.
“This isn’t it, Dulcie,” she said and tapped the hull. “Our ride isn’t over.”
She was so worked up worrying about her ship she’d essentially forgotten she still had passengers. She’d been gone hours, and it was the middle of the night ship time. When she wandered into the galley she saw Zandro at the table hunched over and fast asleep. One of the kittens was snuggled into the pool of Zandro’s hair on the table. The other was asleep in the plastic box at his feet. Apparently, he’d figured out how the ship washer worked because he was back in his plain black pants and gray Henley with the buttons undone to reveal a hint of dark chest hair.
He was a painfully appealing picture. Soft brown hair, smooth skin, taut muscles, and so tender with the two kittens. Laughing at herself, Aliette traced her hand over his hair. “I did miss you, Zandro.”
The kitten in his hair stirred and chirped. The little furbag was dangerously appealing too. Small and round with so-soft fur and the sweetest little chirrup of a mew.
Zandro kept to a tight schedule for feedings so she counted back to the last one then ticked it off in two hour increments. If her math was right the kittens were due for another feed.
Zandro let out a broken, rasping snore. His cheeks were hollow, his eyes shadowed. He’d been running himself ragged keeping the kittens fed. There was de-worming gel and other medicine at the top of his go bag, which meant he’d been doing other care too.
Making her decision, Aliette tossed an old blanket over him then scooped up the kittens and carried them to her room with the formula.
Zandro never let himself take breaks when he had new babies to tend to. She was still wired from banging around in the engine room. This was the least she could do.
The kittens ate then snuggled in for another snooze. Although the blue made a small attempt to walk across the bed first, its little legs lifting up and down with exaggerated care as it tried to drag its full body along. Aliette chuckled and scooped little blue close, dropping a kiss on its head. Zandro had always jokingly insisted that kisses were as necessary for kitten survival as the formula droppers.
The kitten fell asleep on her chest, a small vibration starting that told her it was beginning to practice its purr too. The other kitten she scooped out and placed against her thigh on top of its warming pad. Zandro would never forgive her if she didn’t keep the kittens warm.
As the two spots of warmth and pleased vibration settled against her, Aliette shook her head and laughed at herself. “Oh no. You’ve done it now.”
Kittens. The most irresistible force in the universe. Now she really was doomed.
* * *
Zandro woke up with a jerk and scrubbed hard at his face. He actually felt well rested for once, which meant he’d undoubtedly slept too long. Guilt and worry fired through his veins with stomach churning speed. He glanced around for the kitten box and couldn’t find it anywhere. That rolled his panic over to a high pitch of intensity, and he hurried through the small ship corridor toward the bunk rooms. Had Aliette been bothered by their chirping? Had she put them in one of the bunks? Or the engine room? The bathroom? Were they warm enough? Were they starving—
His frenzied thoughts ground to a stop as he glanced into her room and saw both kittens awake and happily romping on her oversized mattress. They were taking their first wobbling steps while Aliette watched them, laughing in delight and murmuring encouragement.
“Big boy blue, look at you walking already. Zandro will be so impressed.” She stroked one finger over the kitten’s head, grinning big.
Zandro’s heart squeezed watching her, and an ache seized him. This is the way it should have been. This is what he wanted. Too bad he’d screwed everything up five years ago.
She saw him standing in the doorway, and her grin widened, her eyes brightening with pleasure. “Hey, Zandro.”
Or maybe not. Maybe there was a way to have this? To have Aliette and the kittens in his life? If he played it careful. If he didn’t mess everything up.
“Thank you for letting me sleep.” He leaned against the door frame and grinned at her. “The girls look like they’re doing great.”
“Girls?” She blinked and glanced down at the kittens. “But that one’s blue. I thought blue bajo cats are always male.”
“Most of the time, but I checked their sexes last night. Two healthy baby girls. Well, mostly healthy. But definitely girls.”
Aliette shook her head and leaned close, kissing each kitten on the head then whispering, “Hello, ladies. Sorry for the mix up.”
The moment felt like a held breath for Zandro. Like if he moved, if he spoke, then Aliette would realize what she was doing, would realize how she was leaving a door open for him. So he didn't move. He just watched, his heart warm and content.
Aliette took a long, slow breath and finally looked at him. “Zandro. I...I think we should talk.”
Everything in him tensed at once, his nerves leaping with excitement even as his stomach clenched with dread. But, when he opened his mouth to say something, the ship shuddered suddenly around them. “What was that?”
Aliette leapt to her feet, a kitten in each hand. She hurried up then shoved past him, placing each kitten carefully in his arms. “We're being boarded. Hide the kittens.”
* * *
Aliette broke into a jog toward the cockpit. She should've listened to her instincts, should've been paying more attention. Ships didn't just shut down with no sign of what was wrong. Especially not with bajo cats on board. That creepy female deputy from the moon flashed through her mind.
A law enforcement lock on her engines could've stopped them all, could've made the engines go cold without harming the ship or triggering any of the diagnostics. So
metimes law enforcement wanted to stop a ship but didn't want anyone to know they were the ones who'd done it.
The question now wasn't why the deputy had done it. That was obvious: she wanted the kittens.
The question now was who was coming for them. If it was that strung out, skinny old hag then Aliette liked their chances. If it was a pack of drug dealers bent on claiming some valuable bajo kittens...she felt less confident.
She dropped into her seat in the cockpit and pulled up her scanners. A large pleasure yacht had pulled alongside them and locked tractor beams on, freezing them in place. The tractor beams were her first red alert. Pleasure yachts shouldn't have something like that. They might have enough to tow a star-sled or something else person-sized. They shouldn't have been able to lock onto her ship. If she had to lay money down she'd bet that yacht was anything but a pleasure vessel. That was just a fancy shell for the mass of high-powered toys the drug dealers had to hide.
She checked the ship's call sign then keyed up her coms, “White Lotus, this is Captain Aliette DuBois, owner and operator of The Dulcinea. Can you tell me why you've locked tractor beams onto my ship? I don't remember asking for a tow.”
Silence. Another bad sign.
Aliette could waste more time trying to provoke them into lying to her or she could get herself ready. Her throat thickened as she stared around at her ship. She'd sweated for this, scrimped and saved, left Zandro behind so she could have this. Now she might lose the whole thing. She pressed her palm flat against the bulkhead. “We've had a good run, Dulcie love.”
She shook herself and pushed to her feet. Enough sentimentality. She had some kittens to save.
* * *
Zandro scurried around Aliette's ship for a frantic few minutes trying to remember where her smuggling compartments were. At last he remembered the doorframe of the spare bunk. She had a false side there. That might be big enough for one kitten. But would they be able to breathe?
