by Kate Rudolph
He didn’t blush, but it was a close thing. Would Ro care if Ettie knew about them being... together? Were they together? He didn’t sleep with people casually, and he was almost certain Rowan was his mate. As far as he was concerned, they were the real deal. But they probably needed to have a conversation about that before he went singing it from the rooftops. “We can share quarters,” he finally said, “and you know I can get a flight any time I need it.”
Ettie swept her legs off the desk and leaned forward. “What’s so special about this passenger? I know you go out of your way to get the job done, we all do, but this seems above and beyond.”
“I think she’s my mate.”
“You think?”
Dash’s shoulders drew up. “I haven’t had a chance to shift, have I? You know how tiny my ship is. And I’m not going to risk discovery and freak out my passengers. I was bringing a kid here, do you know how bad that could have gone? No way I could risk it. But Ro’s not like any person I’ve ever met before. And when we’re together—” he wasn’t going to explain himself to Ettie. He knew what he felt. That was enough for him.
And his cousin grinned brightly, eyes sparkling. “I can feel the cheer rolling off you, Dash. You know how difficult it is for us to feel it from each other. Yeah, this person has to be special. What’s their name?”
“Her name is Ro. Rowan Lambert. She’s trying to get back to her sister’s place in time for the holidays. She lost her seat on a shuttle leaving Mars and I promised I’d get her there. I need to do this.” He couldn’t fail his mate, he wouldn’t.
“Does she know who she is to you?” Ettie raised an eyebrow.
Dash had to look away. “Not exactly. We haven’t had time to discuss it.” And he didn’t know how she’d react. She had her whole life back on Mars. Would she really want to link it to a shuttle pilot who occasionally grew antlers?
“It could go bad if you let that truth sit out to rot,” Ettie warned.
“I know.” There were dozens of stories of reilendeer who lost their mates because they spooked, or refused to share the truth until it was too late. Dash didn’t want to become one of them. He didn’t know how he’d be able to fulfill his calling if he lost Ro and all she made him feel.
“Meet us at Dock 13 in three hours. We leave at 1600 and we can’t afford to delay.”
“We’ll be there.”
The minutes ticked down as he ran back to find Ro. Only as he sprinted did he realize he didn’t have a way to contact her by communicator. This whole thing could have been a lot simpler if he did. That was a matter for another time.
With only a handful of minutes to spare, he burst into the terminal and found the woman sitting right where he’d left her, staring at the clock with a concerned look on her face. Then she seemed to sense him and her head turned, her gaze falling on him. She didn’t smile, but her shoulders lifted as if she were no longer being pulled down by the weight of the world.
“Did I—”
“I got—”
They spoke at the same time before pausing and smiled at each other. Dash answered the question he was pretty sure Ro was asking. “We’ve got a flight out in a few hours. My cousin operates out of an office here and she can fit us on her ship. She’s taking us to Florida, and we’ll figure out how to get you the rest of the way once we’re planetside.”
“You’re coming with.” It was halfway between a question and a statement.
“If you want me, I’m with you all the way.” All the way and beyond, as far as Dash was concerned. “But Ettie will get you there alone,” he forced himself to add. “If that’s what you want.”
“No,” she spoke over the end of his sentence, eager to get the denial out. “I’d like you to come with me. We’ve made it this far.”
Technically she didn’t need Dash anymore. He’d provided her ride to the moon, and he’d found her transport off of it, but it wasn’t his ship and they’d have to find their own ways off the planet once they made it there. But that didn’t matter.
They were together for now, and for now they were staying that way.
Chapter Seven
DASH’S COUSIN’S SHIP was bigger than his, but not by much, and the crew made it feel a bit cramped. But Ro wasn’t complaining. Ettie said she could get them to Earth in a day. That put them ahead of schedule. And if Ro arrived early, May was going to faint. Maybe it was a bit uncharitable to look forward to seeing the gob-smacked look on her sister’s face, but Ro was busting her ass to get to Earth, and she needed to find her little pleasures somewhere.
Or her big ones.
But Dash had disappeared deep into the ship and Ettie had taken custody of her, showing her the galley, the cockpit, and the common area, and introducing her to the crew. Xefyrn and Jeero were green aliens from a system that Ro’s translator valiantly tried to tackle and failed. They each had four arms and three eyes, and Xefyrn had antennae coming out of their head that twitched like a bug’s. It was a little disturbing, but Ro had seen weirder things, and while her translator couldn’t quite pronounce their planet of origin, it had no problem deciphering their speech. It turned out she and Jeero had a friend in common, a woman named Mindy who worked for the Sol Intelligence Agency and was based on Earth.
They couldn’t talk for long since Jeero was in charge of flying the ship and had to get them clear of lunar space before their flight window closed. A few minutes later, Xefyrn disappeared as well to go do... whatever they did. That left her alone with Ettie, since Dash was still making himself scarce for some reason.
“We’ll have a meal in an hour or so, once we’re well on our way,” Ettie said. They were both strapped into safety seats in the common area as the ship rocked from takeoff. “The food’s nothing special, but it’s a nice way to start the journey. And Jeero’s actually pretty good at making protein paste into something resembling food.”
“Sounds... not terrible.” She wasn’t going to add that Dash had been able to provide fresh food, even some fruit and vegetables. She got the idea that Ettie did more long haul flights, and it wasn’t always possible to store that kind of fare. And the aliens on board might not have been able to eat it. Protein paste was edible, even if the texture usually sucked, and Ro could manage for one day.
Ettie laughed. “Not terrible. It’s what I strive for. How did you like flying with Dash?”
The subject change caught Ro by surprise. “He’s a great pilot. And a very conscientious host. Maybe even too conscientious. I think he would have bought Kiki a pony if she wanted one.” Ro couldn’t help but smile as she thought of her lover with the little girl. He was great with kids. Hell, he was great with everybody. How could a person resist him?
“That the name of the girl he brought over from Mars?”
Ro nodded. “I tried to talk him into taking me to Earth first, but he held firm. And I was being an asshole.” Usurping a sick child’s place on a ship wasn’t a good look on anyone.
“Sounds like you respect that.” It wasn’t a question. “From what he told me, things are good between you.”
What had he said? Ro’s cheeks flamed and her eyes widened. She wasn’t shy about sex, but she also didn’t go blasting out her escapades to anyone who asked.
A laugh burst out of Ettie. “Good god, you’d think he showed me naked vids! He doesn’t kiss and tell.”
“But my face does, apparently.” It was usually easier to keep her cool, but Ettie had that same quality that Dash did, keeping her at ease, making her want to smile.
She shrugged. “Dash doesn’t normally... connect with his passengers like that. But if he likes you, I’m glad for him. And since it seems you like him...”
“We’re adults, we’re allowed to have some fun with each other.” Though it had been more than fun. Mind blowing. Soul expanding. Life changing. And she was going to walk away. She had to.
“So it’s just fun?” There was something in Ettie’s tone that Ro couldn’t read, but it made warning bells ring in the bac
k of her mind.
“We’ve known each other for a few days. We won’t see each other again after the end of this trip. It can’t be anything more. Can—” She cut the question off. If she voiced it, she might start feeling hopeful, and that was a sure way to get hit with soul destroying anguish. If she knew she couldn’t keep Dash, that was fine. She could keep a protective barrier around herself, keep him from getting too deep under her skin, too far into her heart.
“I think you can do anything you want,” Ettie answered the unasked question. “Dash is one of the best guys I know. And he’s got a huge heart. If you break it... don’t. Just don’t. Tell him what you want from him, what you’re willing to give. He might surprise you.”
A signal beeped, letting them know it was safe to unbuckle their harnesses. “Meet back for dinner later.” Ettie got up and headed for the cockpit to do whatever a captain did on a ship this size.
Ro stayed where she was, her mind buzzing. Letting herself believe she could keep Dash was an exercise in futility. It had to be. He had his life shepherding people around the system. She had her life making deals on Mars. There wasn’t an intersection.
Could there be?
It wasn’t like she had to spend every hour of the day working. And he was based out of Mars. With a little finagling, they might be able to come to an arrangement.
But was it worth even thinking about for a guy she’d known for only a few days?
Not just any guy. Dash.
Dinner came and went, but when Dash showed up, Ro didn’t know what to say. He smiled at her with those open eyes of his and her heart cracked, wanting to let him all the way in. She ate mechanically and helped clean up afterward, and when she was done Dash was waiting.
“Is everything alright?” he asked. “You seem...”
“I talked to Ettie earlier and...” and what? She liked him? His cousin made her question things?
“Ettie is an overprotective doe. She’d ram you head on if she thought it could protect me. Don’t worry about her. She meddles.” He placed his hands on her shoulders and kissed her forehead. “It’s been a long day. Let’s get some sleep.”
Doe? Ro let it drop. She’d called her sister stranger things. She leaned against him to soak up the warmth of his body. She could stay leaning against him all night, but the promise of a bed was enough to get her moving. They made it down the hall, neither quite willing to let go of the other. This was nice. Was it always like this when you lo—liked someone? That Ro had made it well into her thirties without being able to answer that question didn’t speak well of her track record, but it was what it was.
Unlike on Dash’s ship, they weren’t staying in dedicated guest quarters, but instead right down the hall from the crew.
How thick were the walls?
Feeling Dash’s body pressed against hers, inhaling his scent, it was all going to her head... and her other places, and she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to keep her hands to herself. Why should she?
“Here we are,” he said as they came to the door at the end of the corridor. “Home sweet home. For the night, anyway.” The door slid open and revealed quarters that were about the size of a small closet. Two adults could barely fit, and the single biggest piece of furniture was the bed. This room was clearly meant for one person, and fitting two on the bed would be cozy, but Ro grinned over at Dash.
They’d make it work.
DASH MEANT TO BE A gentlebuck. The stress of the day had to be tiring, and it would only be worse when they got to Earth and still had to cross half a continent to get Ro home. She needed her sleep, needed to actually rest. And they’d been so caught up in each other the night before that both of them had to be on the edge of exhaustion.
Well... maybe they were supposed to be, but as the door slid shut behind them, Dash found a well of energy that seemed to have been waiting for this moment. His cock was half hard and his blood heated as he stood near his would-be mate and breathed in her presence.
She leaned back and pressed her hips against him. Dash had to fight back a groan, but he didn’t resist rubbing against her, showing her what she did to him.
“Where are our bags?” she asked, an edge of huskiness in her voice.
“In the cargo hold. Ettie has toiletries we can use.” He’d been so caught up in the drama of the day that he’d forgotten to grab a change of clothes for each of them, but they’d manage. It was only one night.
“Hmm,” Ro said. “So we don’t want what we’re wearing to get all sleep rumpled, do we? Best to get it off now.” She leaned her neck to the side as he placed kisses over her pulse, and he loved the way he could feel it kick up as he splayed a hand against her stomach to keep her steady. She was so soft in his arms that it was almost hard to reconcile her with the tough as nails woman she was outside of the bedroom, but he loved all sides of her. How could he not?
Ro stepped out of his hold and turned to face him. She didn’t have far to go in the small quarters, and he could still feel the heat of her body. She shucked off her top and pushed down her pants, kicking off her shoes along the way. Despite her protests about preventing their clothes from getting wrinkled, she didn’t seem particularly concerned as she sauntered the two steps it took to sink down onto the bed. She raised an eyebrow in challenge.
As if Dash needed more prompting to get naked around her.
His clothes evaporated off of him, or that’s what it felt like happened, and he had no idea where they ended up, but he didn’t care. Not when Ro was right there, ready and waiting for him.
He needed to taste her, to worship her. Needed to show her just what they could have together, what they could be.
He knelt at her feet and her legs fell apart to give him room. She wasn’t shy about this, and he loved that about her too. Loved that she could revel in their pleasures and tell him what she wanted, whether by word or by action. And when he began to kiss a trail up her thigh, her hands went to his head, her fingers on his braids, holding him in place as he feasted. His tongue delved, reveling in the taste of her and the little sounds she made. And the big ones. She arched against him and panted, all the while demanding more.
Dash’s cock was hard as a rock and he needed a third hand to stroke it, but he dedicated all his parts to bringing her pleasure. He could wait, even if waiting was a sweet torture.
His fingers joined his tongue, and the sound Ro made wasn’t in any language that his translator could handle. She fell back against the wall, one hand holding her up as best as it could, but she was sinking into the pleasure, surrendering to it, and Dash wanted to give her more. He wanted her to forget where they were, forget her worries, forget everything except him and the sensations that he brought to her. But just as he was certain she was about to crest, he pulled back, teasing her and making her curse.
But it was a curse with a grin. “Do it again,” she dared.
Dash couldn’t resist a dare.
Good cheer and pleasure rolled off of her in waves, and Dash was sure he’d never need to sleep again with all the power she was generating. He distantly realized that Ettie probably knew exactly what they were doing, that she’d be able to feel the happiness, but he didn’t care. Why should he?
This time, Dash didn’t pull away, and when Ro cried out, he pulled her through the pleasure, licking and kissing his way up the rest of her body as her breathing calmed.
His cock was leaking and he needed his own release, but not until she gave the word. Or until she pulled him down, sealed her mouth against his, and wrapped her legs around his waist. That was a signal he could read too.
They joined, his cock nudging its way into her tight heat and making her moan as Dash let out little desperate sounds, trying to keep himself under control. She was so tight, so wet, so hot that he was ready to come already, but he was barely seated in her and he would control himself.
He would.
But he had to hold still for a moment to get his body in line. Ro looked up at him with a grin. She kn
ew exactly what was going on, and she wriggled against him, making it harder.
So this was a game? He’d show her.
A smile bloomed on his face and he thrust deep. Ro’s eyes went wide and her face lost the grin as pleasure overtook her. It was almost too much, he could tell, on that edge between just enough and over. But he would stay on the right side. And he was determined to see her come again before he joined her. He wanted to hear those pleasure drunk noises she made, wanted to watch her lose control. It was unlike anything else in all the worlds and he’d sell his soul to make it happen.
But there was no need for anything so drastic. And with each thrust he brought her closer until she called out his name and her body rippled around his, clenching him tight and bringing him over that edge with her, spilling into her and giving all of himself to her.
It was everything a joining should be, and unspeakable words hovered on his tongue, things she would think were impossible, emotions that had sprung up to early.
He had to bite his tongue to keep them back. They still had a few days left together, if everything went as it should. He couldn’t spring this on her yet.
They ended up tangled together out of both desire and necessity, the bed really too small for the both of them. Perhaps Dash should have offered to sleep in the common room or on the floor, but given the way Ro was clutching him close, he knew that offer would have been rejected out of hand. And he was too selfish to even pretend he wanted to be anywhere else.
A ton of good cheer and his mate in bed with him. It was all a reilendeer could want. Dash tugged her even closer, unwilling to let go. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to sleep, given how wired he was from the surge of energy, but as Ro went lax in his arms, he could feel his own eyelids getting heavy. And in no time he joined her. His mate, the woman he loved.
The woman he couldn’t let go.
Chapter Eight
