by Shona Husk
His balls were tight and aching and his dick was throbbing with every beat of his heart. He’d almost come in his pants. If she touched him now, that would be it. He drew in several deep breaths and tried to tamp down the desire that burned through him. He was sure he sounded as shaky as he felt. No woman had ever brought him to his knees like this.
And he wasn’t ready to get up.
“Lie down.” Her voice was rough. He liked that he’d done that to her.
He glanced at the floor, not quite sure how to manage her request.
“Do you need a hand?” She was touching his shoulder again.
He looked up, his gaze taking in the flush of her skin and the darkness of her eyes. “No.” If she wasn’t going to un-cuff him, he wasn’t going to ask for help.
It wasn’t graceful, but he dropped to his side and rolled onto his back. Carpet tiles weren’t that much softer than metal—they just gave the illusion of something better.
Sienna undid his pants, her hand lingering over his cock. He had to hold his breath for a moment to regain the control he’d fought so hard for.
“You’re very good at eating peaches.”
“Thank you.” He couldn’t help the smile that appeared in response to her compliment.
He lifted his hips as she tugged down his pants and briefs in one move, wishing she’d taken them all the way off. He wanted to be naked, skin to skin with her. Her fingers caressed the length of his cock, slid over the head, spreading the fluid leaking from the tip. “You enjoyed it.”
“I like peaches.”
She nodded. “I can tell.”
He wanted her to slide on and ride him hard. He wouldn’t last long, but he didn’t care right now. She stripped off her singlet and then the plain black bra she wore underneath, so she was naked. Her breasts would be perfect handfuls—if he could, if she let him. He had to close his eyes, but he felt her move over him.
“Open your eyes.”
“I need a moment.” He hated admitting that weakness. “You turn me inside out.”
She laughed softly, her fingers gliding over his stomach, beneath his clothes. Touching him without causing him to lose what little remaining control he had.
When he opened his eyes she was leaning over, watching him intently. Her honey-colored hair was like a halo under the artificial lighting, her eyes blue like the sky of home. An angel sent to torture him with beauty he couldn’t touch and a lust he couldn’t quench. He lifted his hands so his thumb brushed the hard peak of her nipple. She didn’t pull away, so he did it again, this time rolling it between his fingers.
She lowered her hips to his, pausing as if she enjoyed the feel of him, hard and pressed against her sex. The taste of her was still on his tongue, soft and warm and salty. He knew how she’d feel around him, sheathing him tight. Then she was sinking onto him, taking him deep in that first stroke.
The groan was all his. There were worse ways to die. Watching Sienna move, the way her tits bounced and her lips parted was not one of them. He lowered his gaze to where their bodies joined so he could see the way his cock slid into her, skin glistening. Her breathing quickened with each thrust. The knots in his balls increased. He wanted to be able to grab her hips and pull her down hard, run his fingers over every inch of her skin, kiss her lips and steal her breath.
But that was all out of reach. Desire and frustration warred within him. If he was free, it could be better. But he should be happy with what he was getting, what she was giving, instead of wishing for more.
He reached out and touched her clit with two fingers—that much he could do, even if the move wasn’t elegant—and lifted his gaze. He was so close to coming, he was fighting it with every heartbeat, but he wanted to see her come first. Her fluid coated his fingers, making every touch slippery. He gave in, his climax tearing through him and leaving him breathless. She ground against him dragging every last sensation from him. Her eyes closed, then she gasped, clenching around him. She rolled her hips a couple more times, ripples running through her and into him, before stilling.
Every nerve was still reeling, sparking like a broken circuit, unable to switch off, even when she moved off him and disappeared behind the wall. A door closed. Her bathroom had a door. Fuck me, it’s five-star in here.
He closed his eyes for a moment and let his heart and breathing slow. That was better than going to the gym. The floor started to bite into his shoulder blade, but he didn’t want to move just yet. He wanted to hold on to the simple pleasure of being well fucked for just a fraction longer, so he could pretend that real life wasn’t waiting for him to slot back in.
The bathroom door opened and her feet padded across the floor. He opened his eyes as she stood near him and looked down.
“Did you want to clean up?”
He hadn’t moved, not even to straighten his clothing or pull up his pants. He should’ve at least made himself presentable. “Yeah.”
She offered her hand but he managed to get up, grab his pants before they fell down, and get to the bathroom. He had some pride. He shut the door and leaned against it. His hands were shaking just a little. They were also sticky, and he needed to wash his face. He had an entire bathroom to himself. It was only a few feet square, but he was alone. In a bathroom. It had been a while. He drew in a breath and tried to enjoy the sensation without worrying that she was waiting.
Then his cuffs demagnetized.
Had she realized? He waited for them to snap together, or to the nearest metal surface—whatever was closest. Nothing happened. Then he realized she’d deliberately freed him so he could wash. A small smile formed. As much as he’d love to have a shower, he didn’t. He didn’t want to use up her ration, and he was already known as a water thief.
He straightened his clothing and settled for washing his face, and beard, with one short burst of high-pressured water. It was more air than water, but he was used to the water-conserving spray. As he wiped his face he looked in the mirror. He recognized the man, but not the expression. He looked happy. It took a moment for him to realize that he was. This was the best he’d felt in months. Even before committing the theft, he’d been worried about his plan failing, then all through sentencing and processing he’d been concerned about getting on the ship. The idea that it could have all been for nothing, that he might have to serve his sentence on Earth, had kept him awake for many nights. He’d relaxed a little once the ship had left the atmosphere. Now he was actually smiling, like he’d just had the best day of his life.
He patted his pocket, checking that the peach stone was still in there, then opened the door.
Sienna was dressed and the chair was back in place, as if nothing had happened. He wanted to ask what was going on, but he didn’t want to damage it, whatever it was. Perhaps it would just take time to win her over, and then she’d undo his cuffs.
Just what did he think was going to happen between them? He glanced down at his bright yellow clothes and then up her smart uniform.
“Hands, please.”
Alex placed his hands in front of him. The cuffs tugged and locked together. This was it, he was going back to D zone. He wasn’t ready to leave, but the longer he stayed here the worse it would be. The cons would notice his absence. Two of them had seen him get called aside. He was going to cop it, but it would be worth it.
“Thank you for the peach.”
“You’re welcome,” she said with a grin. She walked to the door, stopped, and turned.
He was only one step behind her. He could grasp her uniform with his fingers if he wanted. She turned and leaned in, placing her mouth to his. Her tongue flicked over his lower lip, daring him to respond. He did, his tongue meeting hers in a kiss that he felt to his toes. For a moment he was sure he was in freefall, before she pulled away and his feet hit the deck.
“I just wanted to see what you tasted like.” Then she opened the door and escorted him back to reality.
Chapter Four
“I hear you’re sleeping with
the dregs.” Peterson sat opposite her in the mess.
Sienna would’ve liked to ignore him. Maybe pulling Alex aside hadn’t been such a great idea, but she’d wanted him, and knew the positives far outweighed the negatives.
“So are you.”
“But you’re a girl. You’re a limited commodity.”
Sienna put down her spoon. The nutritionally balanced porridge-like concoction splashed onto the table. “I’m a woman, and I’m not a commodity. I’m a person and I can fuck whoever I want. Just like the rest of you.”
“Yeah, but … at Unity …” He tapered off as she glared at him. She was pretty sure he was one of Lieutenant Zane’s cronies—well, maybe more lackey than crony, since he was a lowly corporal like her.
“At Unity what? I’m not a breeding cow.” She stood up, sick to the pit of her stomach. When the birth control ran out, she’d be expected to settle down and have kids. She certainly didn’t want them with a man who assumed that would be her only role on Solitaire. “But you are a pig.” She picked up her breakfast and ate the rest as she walked to the scullery to ditch her used bowl and spoon.
She knew her roommate was sleeping with an Air Force guy and some of the other enlisted women were dating guys even though they weren’t supposed to be. The organizers of this trip hadn’t thought things through if they expected no frat in the military and yet at the same time still expected all the women to partner up, marry and have babies.
Perhaps she should’ve made more of an effort to check out the civilians, but she rarely saw any—Zane had made sure of that. That was fine with her. She’d play the hand she’d been dealt. A smile curved her lips as she entered the med station and remembered Alex locked to the chair.
He might be a prisoner, but the color of his clothes didn’t change who he was on the inside.
She turned on the sign so people could see that the med station was open. The prisoners on this level would be just getting up. The first half hour was usually slow, then after that there was usually a random assortment of things. Some prisoners were still undergoing treatment for chem-lung. But those with anything fun and interesting were sent to the on-ship hospital.
With a sigh, she pulled out her portacomp and started reading up on the treatment for insect bites and the poisonous fish type things of Solitaire. Because the environment was completely alien, humans suffered a reaction to most of the insects there. Particularly impressive was one that researchers were calling the flesh dissolving beetle. It was as big as a human hand and, true to its name, its bite dissolved flesh. Fortunately, if treated within thirty minutes it was an injury that one could recover from.
Yuck, yuck, yuck. Sienna rested her head on her hands and sucked in a few deep breaths. She really didn’t want to be here. Perhaps she should’ve left the Army and stayed on Earth. And what? She’d had no options, and whoring herself to the rich men in the towers held no appeal. To the rich she was just a commodity … and here?
She already knew the answer. She’d traded one no-hope life for another.
The buzzer went off and Sienna lifted her head.
A pale-skinned man in yellow turned and placed his hands behind his back. First case of the day. She checked he was alone, then let him in.
1447 wouldn’t meet her gaze. He stared at her boots. His lip was split and there was a bruise coloring up on his face. From yesterday’s Rounds? Usually they came in straight away.
“Have a seat.”
He shook his head.
“What do you need to see me for?”
“I just want some antiseptic salve.”
“Okay, but I have to assess before handing that out.” Even then, it would only be a small amount, enough for a few days.
“For my lip.” He looked up.
Sienna put on gloves and turned his head to the light. “Lip looks okay. How did you get it?”
1447 was silent. He looked as though he wanted to run, but there was something about the set of his face that held the echo of pain. There was definitely something wrong.
“I can’t help you if you don’t tell me.”
He grimaced and looked away, as if finding the chair extremely interesting. “I work in the laundry, but sometimes I earn extra tokens by offering … favors.”
Sienna nodded. He wasn’t the only one. “Did someone not want to pay?”
“It wasn’t like that. I’d helped him out a few times. This time he said he had something better than a token. He put a few drops into a drink.”
A chill spread through Sienna. She’d heard about this drug on Earth. Rich boys liked to catch and drug girls from the slums. They could do what they wanted, and the girl’s body would respond, even if her mind was screaming no. What had started as a drug for female arousal had been altered by some enterprising creep and turned into something that took over the victim’s body, rendering them an observer. The worst bit was that it triggered arousal in women. Men just lost a degree of control over their limbs. And it seemed as if it was here, on Siren. How was that possible?
“He didn’t drink, did he?”
1447 shook his head.
“What happened next?” She didn’t want to believe that something as repulsive as sexmeth was onboard. Maybe it was something else, something less potent … but even that idea was terrifying. Being immobile and unable to fight back. She had to suppress the shudder that traced over her skin.
“My arms and legs wouldn’t move … not properly, you know? Then he brought in three of his friends.” He swallowed hard. “I didn’t want what they did. I just wanted an extra token.”
It was all too familiar, but she wouldn’t be able to prove it. “You were drugged. I’ll draw some blood, but it’s probably long gone. I can take some other swabs if you’d like to make a report.” But from the stricken look on his face she already knew he wouldn’t.
His eyes widened. “I can’t. I just couldn’t move and … I sell myself anyway.”
“How about I take some samples and store them? That way if you ever change your mind …”
He shook his head. “If I do anything, I won’t get any more tokens.”
Was a token really worth it? She remembered Alex’s enjoyment of the peach. Fresh fruit wasn’t common in the prison. They got the damaged pieces, or none. Their meals were nutritionally balanced—the same as hers—but with less variety and care.
“Have a seat and I’ll take some blood. You want to know if you were drugged?”
“I do. And I won’t take offered drinks again.” A ghost of a smile flickered across his face. He glanced at the metal chair. “I can’t sit. I think they did some damage.” His cheeks turned a dark shade of pink, and his gaze lowered to the floor again.
They really needed to hand out lube to the prisoners. 1447 wasn’t the first man to come in with an issue.
She pulled out a few sachets of medical-grade lube that she shouldn’t just be handing out. She was going to have to talk to the medical officer and perhaps arrange a sex ed class for the prison men if they were going to indulge with each other. What the hell were they supposed to do, there were no other options for them? Again Alex surfaced in her mind. He must be seeing her as all his wet dreams at once. “For the future.” And she put them in his pocket. “I’m going to have to check you out. If it’s bad I’ll have to send you to the hospital.”
He nodded, his cheeks turning a darker shade of pink. “Can I see a guy?”
Sienna held out her hands in front of him. “I have much smaller hands than a man … and trust me, I’ve seen it all before.”
And if there was a date-rape drug onboard, she’d be seeing it again.
1447 was still on her mind at the end of the day. She’d asked him to come back and see her every day for the next three days. Maybe he would, maybe he wouldn’t. Some didn’t seem to care about their health and wellbeing. And while she’d sent the blood sample off, she didn’t expect it to show anything. Sexmeth was metabolized fast. It was the ideal rape drug, and with most victims t
oo embarrassed to report it—and usually from the slums—no one had given a damn on Earth. Would it be any different here?
She pushed her soyroom stew around her plate. She hated stew day, but knew she’d have to eat it. Wasting food was not permitted. Nor were second helpings. If they ran out halfway to Solitaire, they’d all die.
Dead in space … was that better or worse than dying on Earth?
The funk that had consumed her this morning was back. Either way, her life sucked. She shoveled in another spoonful of the grayish brown stew, sure that the soyrooms were even more tasteless when grown in space.
She closed her eyes and chewed the slippery pieces of soyroom before swallowing with a grimace. She was almost looking forward to trying the edible bugs on Solitaire. According to the last report from Unity, the guinea pigs and chickens were also doing well. Somewhere on this ship were some goats. She’d give anything for some real meat.
It had been nearly a year since she’d had meat—since the occupation of northern China. Her team had killed a horse and they had feasted like the rich for several days. Soon after that she’d met Zane and everything had gone downhill. She was very lucky he’d never drugged her. If he had, she wouldn’t be sitting here. She’d be dead.
With that small shift in perspective, her life looked a little brighter. At least she was alive, which meant she had the chance to improve her lot. Continuing her study so she could become a doctor and switch to the Army Medical Corps was one option. Taking a ship husband, the way some of the Army guys were taking ship wives, was another. Alex would appreciate the extra privilege.
