Hawk: Sky Mates (Intergalactic Dating Agency): a Sci-Fi Romance

by Susan Grant

  Excitement, indeed. His body still pulsed from their slow dance. “I think that’s a grand idea. We have much on the schedule tomorrow.”

  Left unfinished was their conversation. He didn’t yet know if she was willing to explore a relationship outside of their professional one. For now it was time to see his team safely back to their quarters… and Kelly safely out of his reach.

  The next morning, Kelly hurried through the parking lot to the academic building, sipping from a travel mug of coffee. A thunderstorm had rolled through during the night, and the air was muggy. Dressed in her flight suit, she could feel her hair frizzing and growing damp with sweat. A cold shower sounded tempting, and the day hadn’t even started yet. It didn’t help that dreaming of Hawk all night had heated her from the inside too.

  It was only day two in his company, she realized. Thirty-four to go.

  Keep your eyes on the goal: the ADO job.

  Could she do that and also keep her eyes on Hawk’s fine ass? And her hands too? She was thinking about it.

  Hard.

  She swiped her flight cap off her head and shoved it in her leg pocket as she placed a hand on the door.

  Her data-vis vibrated. She pulled it from her chest pocket.

  Major, Hakkim, H: Good morning, Kelly.

  She looked up as she entered the building. Hawk stood with his team midway down the hall in front of one of the briefing rooms. While his expression was warm, he didn’t smile. He didn’t need to. She knew he’d been looking forward to seeing her as much as she’d looked forward to seeing him.

  A hundred conflicting emotions ricocheted inside her, not the least of which was a heart-pounding urge to skip down the hallway to throw her arms around him.

  Normal face. She waved and started in his direction.

  With aviators from all over the galaxy and the globe in attendance for various training programs, it was busy. Alien pilots clustered in their usual groups, just as they had last night in O’Malley’s. Ensign Garokk hung out with his friends, including Mr. Cheep-Cheep. Their eyes were on Hawk and his team, and oddly, Garokk’s focus kept shifting to Ellfen as well.

  If not for his hateful comments the night before, she might have thought Garokk was attracted to Ellfen. “They’re things, freaks. Not like us. Not really human.”

  Whatever had gone down between the Imperial Navy and Sky’s End a century ago, no one wanted to forget it.

  Especially Falcon. Even now, he glowered at the Drakken, his eyes scary, nearly black.

  As Kelly slowed, Garokk noticed her. His careful nod assured her he remembered last night and had heard her warning loud and clear. If he was smart, he’d keep his buddies in line.

  She nodded back.

  One problem solved. Now all she had to do was to figure out how to behave herself around Hawk.

  Or if she even wanted to.

  Outside the briefing room, Hawk stood next to Kelly, his hands safely tucked behind his back. Her proximity conjured memories of the evening before, of holding her in his arms. Back in a professional setting, he was careful to be on his best behavior.

  From the hallway, they watched the Solos find seats inside the room. He noticed Falcon’s steps slowing, his attention locked on a pretty redhead at the podium. Then Falcon dropped into a seat in the front row.

  Hmm. Falcon had eyes for his Terran instructor. “Who is she?”

  “Lieutenant Dee Wilson. Call sign: Rainbow. She’s our squadron intelligence officer. She looks sweet, but she runs a tight classroom. There’ll be no birdcalls in there. She’d eat those Drakken for lunch.”

  Kelly lifted her beverage container to her lips. By scent, he knew it was filled with the hot, nutty, almost burnt-tasting drink called coffee. He’d sampled a cup at the inn where they’d spent the night. It wasn’t unpleasant. An acquired taste, he imagined.

  “I think Falcon may be interested in Dee,” she said, taking another sip.

  “I think you may be right. Falcon enjoys his popularity with females, and they enjoy him. Although if he were to be matched, that would change. Only one would win his interest then—his mate.”

  Kelly’s voice dropped to a private tone. “He surprised me last night. He wanted to fight those guys. He usually seems so steady.”

  “You already know he lost his Sky Mate-to-be. He was the equivalent of only seventeen Terran years when it happened.”

  “Yes, awful.”

  “The girl died in a Drakken ambush along with Falcon’s mother.”

  Kelly gasped. “That’s horrific.”

  “Falcon insists he’s risen above his thirst for vengeance, but his distrust of the Drakken simmers just below the surface. I admit he’s a favorite of mine—and one of the best fliers I’ve ever had the honor to serve with. I just wish he wouldn’t be so quick to act on emotion. I hope he learns to control it. Our scientists say he has the best odds of all the Solos of finding a match. He’s the most likely to be compatible with someone due to his previous success, now rare on our world. He’s our priority. The responsibility is one I take seriously. To see Falcon find another Sky Mate would give us much hope.”

  “Do you think it’s a good idea to pair him before he’s ready?”

  He looked at her askance. “He’s ready. It’s all he talks about. He can’t control his excitement about the prospect of finding his Sky Mate. I haven’t been able to control his excitement either—and I’ve tried.” He laughed quietly. “I assure you, he wants the match.”

  “He may want it, but still not be ready inside.” She shook her head. “Poor Falcon.”

  Hawk pondered that. No one at home had ever proposed such a thing. And he certainly hadn’t entertained the possibility.

  He couldn’t afford to. Sky’s End didn’t have the luxury of time. “Kelly, my mission is to save us from extinction. Every match matters. Every last one. It’s Falcon’s duty to be matched, whether he’s ready or not. I know he accepts this.”

  Kelly listened silently, perhaps with some disapproval. She doesn’t understand our ways.

  He hoped that in time she would.

  She turned back to him. “Regarding our conversation last night. So there’s no misunderstanding, you know, because of language or culture… did you mean to ask me out on a date?”

  He swallowed, standing straighter. “I did.”

  “Yes.”

  “Yes?”

  Her dark eyes sparkled. “Yes to the date. When?”

  His pulse sped up. “Today. When it concludes. Rather, when work does.” He winced. There went his verbal skills again. Gone. He was breaking up perfectly normal sentences and jumbling the order of words.

  “I have to fly this afternoon. But after that I’m free. One small problem—I’ve got my brother’s motorcycle with me. He’s in the Army, deployed overseas. I ride his bike to work on Fridays to keep it running. We can both fit, but I’m sure you’d be more comfortable in my truck. It’s not far to my house. I’ll drop the bike off and come back for you.”

  “A two-wheeled vehicle. I have seen those in our training materials. I’ve always thought they were quite interesting and perhaps enjoyable to operate. I’ll ride with you.”

  He turned back to monitor the briefing, unable to keep a pleased smile from his face.

  At the end of the day of accompanying his team to their briefings and getting fitted for Terran flight gear, Hawk messaged back and forth with Kelly. She was on her way to the locker room after a training flight, and he was filled with disappointment that their date would now surely be scuttled.

  Captain, Ritz, K: How soon can you get away?

  Major, Hakkim, H: Conflicting plans have arisen. A First Friday Newcomers Meetup, they call it.

  Major, Hakkim, H: Please join us, Kelly. Your company will make the event bearable.

  Captain, Ritz, K: You’re going?

  Major, Hakkim, H: I cannot avoid it.

  Captain, Ritz, K: Absolutely you can, and you should. It’s a social for the WUGs. No one brings thei
r commanders.

  Major, Hakkim, H: The purpose is recreation then.

  Captain, Ritz, K: Bingo.

  Major, Hakkim, H: ?

  Captain, Ritz, K: It means you’re right. :) How about I show you around my hometown, we’ll get dinner, then I’ll drop you off later before you turn into a pumpkin?

  Captain, Ritz, K: Don’t worry about translating that. Just get changed (casual clothes… jeans). We’re going out. No arguments!

  Their messaging filled him with sharp anticipation. Burning with impatience to see her again, he brushed his thumb over her photo.

  “Messaging your Terran?” Falcon smiled as he observed him.

  Out of habit, Hawk started to correct him, then stopped. Kelly wasn’t “his,” but now she wasn’t Falcon’s either. “I made plans to spend the evening with Captain Ritz. The newcomers’ event is for students only, I’ve learned. You’ll supervise the team at the function.”

  “I can handle it, sir.” He folded his arms over his chest, his brows rising, the faintest of smiles curving his lips. “I’m the lead Solo, and frankly, sir, you’ve been hovering.”

  Hawk laughed. “What else would you have me do?”

  “Not wait at every appointment?”

  “Humph.” Hawk glared at him.

  “I know you’re uneasy after what happened yesterday. I assure you, you have nothing to worry about. I gave you my word.”

  Falcon had seemed more relaxed as the day had progressed, his mood lightening noticeably. In fact, ever since the briefing with the intelligence officer, Lieutenant Wilson, he’d been in a downright sparkling good mood.

  Hawk nodded. “Work hard, play hard, Captain Ritz tells me. I suppose there may be some validity to that.”

  Falcon answered with a sly grin. “I guess you’ll have to find out and report back. Go on, sir, enjoy yourself with Captain Ritz. I’ve got this under control.”

  Chapter Eight

  Kelly pulled up in front of the building where Hawk and his team were staying. One of the oldest buildings on base, the Webber Inn dated back to the late 1920s. Even though it had gone through several renovations over the decades, its golden stucco walls still gave off a slightly art deco vibe.

  With his long, braided silver hair, his strapping frame, and vaguely silvery skin, Hawk looked completely and deliciously out of place, waiting for her on the sidewalk, one hand behind his back. She raised her visor and waved from the bike.

  Hawk headed in her direction. He looked great in uniform, but in Earth clothes, he was jaw-droppingly good-looking. Jeans hugged trim hips, and a plain gray T-shirt hinted at defined pecs and six-pack abs—maybe eight-pack, but who was counting? A jacket hung from one fist. For such a large person, he had a graceful way of moving. She could barely hear his boots grinding on the gravel.

  He stopped in front of her. “Greetings, Kelly. It is a nice evening for a ride. Rather, late afternoon. The frontal passage has brought milder temperatures.”

  “It has.” She couldn’t help smiling. He was terrible at small talk. It charmed the heck out of her. “We’ll have fun. I can’t wait to show you around. Oh! The Perseids meteor shower is supposed to be visible tonight. After dinner we can watch it from my backyard. It backs to open space. You can really get a great view of the stars from there.” Kelly, he comes from thousands of light-years away. He’s seen his share of stars.

  Well, maybe around him she wasn’t good at small talk either.

  “Here.” The hand he’d kept hidden behind his back appeared, a colorful, plastic-wrapped bouquet in his fist.

  “Flowers?”

  “I read such a custom is common when inviting a female on a date.” His beautiful eyes seemed to glow.

  She accepted the bouquet, her chest squeezing. She couldn’t recall the last time anyone gave her flowers just for going out to dinner, or even the last time a guy treated going out with her as something special. Hawk was taking this dating thing seriously. It charmed her even more.

  “Thank you. They’re so pretty.” She inhaled their fragrance, admired the colors, then turned away to stow them carefully next to her gym bag in the trunk. She fished the extra helmet out for him.

  He was fresh from a shower. The heat and humidity of his skin was a tangible thing. He smelled like soap, clean clothes, and Hawk. Probably it would seem too weird to close her eyes and inhale his unique scent, something she never would have considered in the past. It was like she’d landed in a show on Nat Geo Wild. She was a wild beast in heat in the woods, on the hunt for her mate. That was the effect Hawk had on her. Combined with her affection and respect for him and their deepening friendship, it left her wondering what would happen if she ever did give in to her animal attraction.

  Nervous butterflies took flight in her stomach.

  “The vehicle is smaller than I expected,” he said, circling the bike as if performing a walk-around inspection of his fighter jet before a flight.

  “You don’t have any motorcycles on Sky’s End?”

  “Or cars. Not for personal use anyway. Only flight vehicles. Few citizens live on the ground.”

  She’d seen images of Cloud City with its spire-like towers. Sky castles. It was breathtaking and futuristic. “I want to hear more about that at dinner.” She scooted forward, making room for him. “Hop on.”

  “Riding as a passenger is not something I am used to.”

  She cracked a smile. “You’ll have to this time. A ‘thorough briefing’ is not gonna suffice for a motorcycle. Sorry, flyboy.”

  His brilliant eyes crinkled. “I led the two-step dance with only a briefing.”

  “You did, and very well too. But you can’t be in charge all the time.”

  His voice deepened. “We will leave that to a debate at a later time.”

  She clenched deep inside at his sexy banter. Whoa. Is that a promise or a threat? She wanted to ask but didn’t dare.

  When had a guy last gotten her hot and bothered with words alone?

  Maybe never.

  Hawk donned the helmet and snapped his visor in place. The motorcycle sank with his weight, his thighs pressing against hers. The feel of him ignited a pulsing fireball of longing. Her panties were damp, and all he’d done was get on her bike. She imagined his hands reaching around to cup her breasts. They ached as if he were already squeezing them. She almost moaned and arched into his lap, which felt very close.

  And very hard.

  She squeezed the handlebars in an effort to hold on to her sanity. “You can use the side rails, Hawk, or you can hold on to—”

  His big hands molded to her hips, and she almost forgot how to breathe.

  Me, she finished inside her head. Her heart beat unevenly as she lowered her visor. The roar of the engine drowned out her pulse. She whooped and sped away from the parking lot and out the base’s front gate.

  “I feel the need… the need for speed!” she called over her shoulder if only so she could tell Dee, a die-hard Top Gun fan, that she had. “Hang on!” she added for good measure. M&M wouldn’t be too happy if she spilled the Sky’s End commander on his ass on a country road.

  Earth wouldn’t be happy either. This probably violated some code of intragalactic conduct, but she didn’t care. She’d promised this man from a faraway world she’d show him how to have fun.

  The road home snaked through miles of scrub and scattered trees. Webber was adjacent to Big Bend National Park, endless vistas, dramatic rock formations, and wide-open spaces. A lot of the same ranch houses she remembered from her childhood were still there.

  Hawk’s body weight rested firmly against her but wasn’t heavy enough to distract. It was as if he knew what was too much and what wasn’t. He called himself a Solo, but he knew how to be a good wingman.

  Gnarled oaks sped by, the fields a blur, as they leaned into the winding curves as one. She’d ridden this road countless times. It was one she knew well. When a sharp turn approached, she knew she was going too fast and eased up on the gas.

 
His fingers slid along the hem of her T-shirt, the waistband of her jeans, finding the gap in her clothing, and encircled the notch of her waist.

  Skin hit bare skin.

  It was like plugging a power tool into an outlet. She felt a surge of energy—not unlike when they had danced, but this was like nothing she’d experienced before. A beautiful, breathtaking, indescribable sensation.

  Trust, his touch seemed to tell her. His thumbs gently pressed into her flesh. His thighs cradled hers, and his large body cocooned her. Trust us.

  It wasn’t a voice. Just a sense… a sense of communicating.

  With Hawk.

  Instinctively.

  What kind of shit was going on? Did he have special powers? Could he read her mind? Could she read his?

  But it wasn’t like that, it was a… feeling. Of fullness. Of completion.

  Faster.

  The daredevil in her complied. Grinning, she accelerated.

  This is fucking insane. They leaned into the tight turn, his hands on her waist, hot against her skin, his stomach pressed to her back, his chin as close to her neck as the helmets would allow.

  Out the other side they roared, down the straightaway now. She let out a rebel yell and pumped her fist. The mountains glowed in the sunset, clouds tinted fuchsia, a turquoise sky. Everything seemed brighter, more vivid. Hawk’s body shook with laughter, joy she could feel.

  Somber, serious Hawk… and joy. Who knew?

  Harder, faster. Trust.

  Her heart pounded, adrenaline rushing through her, through them. They were speeding, flying along the road, and she felt they were doing it together. Was this what Sky Mates felt like when they piloted Dragon ships? It wasn’t a loss of self but of becoming more. Of feeling more powerful than she’d ever been, and a willingness to surrender, all at the same time.