Malfunction, page 11
She shook her head then waved a hand at the bathroom. “It’s all yours.”
He got up and stretched, all long, lean muscle, and disappeared into the bathroom. She stood unmoving as the door closed behind him, and a few seconds later, she heard the water running. She sat on the bed and took off her comm unit from her wrist and placed it on the shelf by the table. Then she crawled under the covers and rested her head on the pillow. It felt so, so good.
She fought to keep her eyes open, not wanting to be asleep when he returned. Finally, the door opened, and there he was.
Holy freaking moly.
He came out wearing nothing but a pair of black boxers and looking pretty good. She tried not to stare, but there was a lot of him on display, all perfectly toned muscle and golden skin. Obviously, you didn’t lose your tan in cryo. Broad shoulders and narrow hips, long legs. She sighed then held up the sheet and patted the spot in front of her, scooting over to the far side of the bed.
He slipped under the sheet and lay down, turning on his side and backing up against her. She wrapped her arm around his waist, trying to ignore how good his skin felt, satin soft over the firm resilience of hard muscle. And he was so freaking hot. She pressed herself against him, trying to get in contact with as much of that bare, hot skin as she could.
“Oh my God,” she murmured, “you feel so…warm.”
A chuckle shook his body. “Glad to be of some use. I am also so wrecked.”
“Me, too.”
“Then go to sleep.”
She reached out and flicked the switch to turn out the light. It wasn’t totally dark, just a dim glow. Probably you could reprogram, but it was good enough for now. She closed her eyes and breathed in the scent of warm, clean man. It had been way too long, but her body was too tired to respond.
She waited for sleep to take her. And waited. Beside her, Logan’s breathing was slow and deep. She’d thought she would drop straight off, but now she was here, her mind couldn’t switch off; it kept going over and over the case. The shuttle. The rescue. How close they had come to dying. How long they had left. Whether Rico would try to kill Logan. Whether she would let him.
“Relax,” he murmured.
“I’m trying, but I can’t shut down my brain.”
“Turn over,” he said.
“Why?”
“Don’t sound so suspicious. Just turn over.”
She did. He pushed up behind her, so she could feel his hard stomach and his chest against her back, his legs tangling with hers. It felt sort of right. He came up on one elbow behind her, then his fingers burrowed into the hair at the back of her neck. “You have beautiful hair,” he whispered. He stroked through the long strands then massaged her scalp, sending tingles down her nerve endings. His fingers felt so good, wiping the churning thoughts from her mind. She couldn’t hold onto consciousness, and finally, she drifted into sleep.
She woke to the almost forgotten sensation of an erection pushing against her ass. Instinctively, she pressed back against it, because it was huge and hot and felt amazing…and totally unexpected.
She went still.
Where the hell was she? And who did that erection belong to?
Her mind was all fuzzy, and she concentrated to bring it back. She was in a cabin on the Trakis Two, five hundred years away from Earth, and the erection belonged to Sergeant Logan Farrell.
It probably wasn’t the best idea to get any closer to Logan, either physically or emotionally. But she never did her best thinking first thing in the morning. She wriggled her ass against him, and a shudder of tension rippled through his body.
He was awake.
He nuzzled his face against the back of her neck, kissing her, and a shiver of pleasure prickled across her skin.
“Good morning, kitten,” he whispered in her ear, and his warm breath tickled her skin. “If it is morning.”
“Near enough.” They’d slept around twelve hours.
His teeth nipped at her neck, then his tongue licked the spot, and a sudden warm wetness flooded between her thighs. Oh, she was in trouble. This felt too good. But did it need to be trouble? Logan struck her as the “love them and leave them” type. Just like her. So why shouldn’t they get a little fun while they could? After all, the end of the human race was close at hand. And she didn’t have to worry about pregnancy or STDs. She’d had an implant to cover the former, and everyone on the ship had undergone a comprehensive medical exam to ensure there were no nasty diseases heading for the new world.
Logan was kissing down the side of her neck now. He had such a clever mouth; what would it feel like if he—? But then he nipped the soft place where her shoulder met her throat, and rational thoughts fled. For a moment, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensations, the little tingles shooting down her nerves, coalescing at her nipples, the junction of her thighs. It wasn’t enough, and she wriggled around so she was facing him, really close, but there weren’t any other options; the bed was narrow.
God, he was gorgeous, with his messy hair and a shadow of stubble on his chin, and his eyes were so pretty, almost purple in the dim light.
“I didn’t think you would ever wake up,” he murmured. “I’ve been lying here thinking about all the reasons why this”—he flexed his hips so she felt the scalding heat of his erection up against her stomach—“would be a bad idea. But you know what? We nearly died yesterday, and there’s no certainty that we won’t die today or at least some point in the not-too-distant future. So I thought—why not?”
His views so reflected her own that a smile tugged at her lips.
“You’re smiling, kitten. I’ll take it that’s a good sign.”
“Don’t call me kitten. And I was thinking something similar myself.” She pressed herself up against him. “It would be a shame to waste this.”
“A total shame. Almost a crime against humanity. Now, at this point in the proceedings, I usually give out my standard expectation clause—along the lines of…this is just a little fun and don’t expect a happily ever after, because I’m not that sort of guy. But I’m guessing we don’t need that between the two of us?”
She didn’t bother to answer the question. “Get on with it, soldier, or I might change my mind and tip your ass out of my bed.”
He grinned, then he moved quickly, and somehow, she was on her back and Logan loomed over her. For a moment, she tensed up. She didn’t like being on her back; the position made her feel vulnerable. Then she forced her muscles to relax, because he was lowering his head, and if she remembered rightly, Logan was a hell of a kisser.
She parted her lips, but instead he kissed her cheek, then her eyes, so she fluttered her lashes closed, finally, her mouth. His lips were warm and firm, and his tongue was hot and wet, pushing inside, sliding along her inner mouth, her teeth, her tongue, filling her. He tasted of heat and spice and something uniquely him, and her head swooned.
“Naked. I need you naked.” He threw off the cover and straightened so he was straddling her hips, then he grabbed the hem of her T-shirt and dragged it up her body and over her head, tossing it on the floor behind him. Then he sat back on his heels and stared.
“Damn, but you are gorgeous.”
His gaze was almost a caress in itself, trailing down from her face to her breasts, so her nipples tightened, then lower, and a pulse throbbed between her thighs. He shifted down the bed, so he could lower his head, and he licked one taut nipple then suckled it, and she squirmed at the sensations coursing through her. He bit down gently, and she pushed against him, a purr rumbling in her throat. Need was building inside her, an ache at her core.
She tried to wriggle closer to the erection she could see poking at his black boxers, but he held her steady with a hand on her hips as his mouth moved lower, trailing wet kisses down over her stomach, dipping into her belly button, and she went still, realizing where he was heading and wanting to do absolutely nothing to change his mind. He lifted his head slightly and blew gently on the curls at the base of her belly, his breath cool against her wetness. Her thighs parted of their own accord, and he lowered his head, and then his mouth was on her, his lips and his tongue nuzzling her. She parted her thighs further to give him access, another purr rumbling from her throat as he used his thumbs to separate her sex. He glanced up the line of her body, caught her gaze.
“You are so wet. I like that. I like that you want me as much as I want you. And you can’t hide it and I—”
“Logan, you talk too much.”
He smirked and shut up. She held herself still as she waited for his touch. Then he was French kissing her sex, his mouth open, long wet kisses that never quite reached where she needed him most. His tongue was circling her, and her hips were pushing against him. She was so close, and a moan escaped her. She didn’t like to beg, but she was getting pretty close to where she would do anything, say anything…
At last, he kissed the little bundle of nerves, drawing it into his mouth, sucking, and her back arched as she exploded into a thousand pieces, pleasure throbbing through her. He bit down, and she came again, screaming, pushing against his mouth, giving herself up to pleasure, totally mindless.
Finally, her body quieted, and she lay still. She felt so, so good, languorous and sated. Why had she denied herself for so long? She’d been right, Sergeant Logan Farrell had a clever mouth. Now to see how good he was with the rest of his body. A twinge in her sex showed she was ready and willing to find out.
“Well, that was easy,” he said, and she blinked her eyes open. Her gaze lowered and snagged on his cock.
Logan straightened, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “My turn now.”
His hand went to his shorts, and he pushed them down and fisted his cock. It was thick and long, the head purple and swollen. Her inner muscles clenched as her mouth went dry, and she licked her lips.
He rested his weight on one elbow and lowered himself slowly toward her—
And Rico’s voice crackled over some sort of comm system all around them. “Wakey, wakey, rise and shine, children. And get to the docking bay now. We have a problem.”
Logan went completely still, cock in hand, and was looking around wildly. She held a finger to her lips, and he gave a small nod. He didn’t look happy.
“Jesus, Rico, you nearly gave me a heart attack.”
She shook her head, trying to get her brain to function. Then she thought over his words. He obviously knew Logan was with her. How? Had he made a visit to Logan’s room and found him absent?
“Sorry, kitten. But needs must.”
The voice wasn’t coming from her comm unit by the bed—there must be one built into the room. She gritted her teeth and glanced at Logan, more specifically at his penis. She wanted that penis.
“We’ll be there in ten minutes,” she said.
“You’ll be there in ten seconds or I’m coming to get you.”
And the transmission went dead.
Chapter Fourteen
His dick ached.
He considered begging, promising he didn’t need ten minutes; ten seconds would be perfectly adequate. But the mood had been broken. He swore viciously but pulled up his shorts at the same time.
Katia cast him an amused glance.
“You can smile,” he muttered. She’d already come and come hard.
She patted his arm and slipped out from under him. “We’d better get down there. Best not to piss him off if we can help it.”
He lay for a moment, watching her move around the room, picking up her clothes from the chair beside the bed. She was small but perfectly formed, her breasts full and round, her nipples dark and prominent. His dick twitched, and he looked away.
Heaving a resigned sigh, he rolled onto his feet, stretched, found her gaze on him. She wanted him. And she was going to get him. As soon as they’d found out what this new problem was.
She finished dressing—jeans and another flannel shirt, in one piece this time—pulled her hair into a ponytail, and sat on the bed, chewing on a protein bar. Logan yanked his pants on, wincing a little as he fastened them, then sat beside her to put on his boots. She handed him a bar, and he bit into to it—quite nice, sweet and fruity. She got up again, tossed him his shirt. He put it on as she opened the door, and she headed out as he fastened it. They didn’t talk on the way to the docking bay. Again, they saw no other crew members. Where the hell was everyone?
They found Rico pacing the docking bay floor. He whirled around and stared at them as they crossed the space toward him. He was dressed the same as before, with the addition of a weapons belt, a pistol at his hip, and a long black leather coat over the top. He looked more like a goddamned pirate than a spaceship captain. He waited for them, hands on hips as they came to a halt in front of him.
He looked at Katia, and his nostrils flared. “You smell of sex and look like you just got laid.” Then he turned his attention to Logan, and one eyebrow rose. “You don’t.” He smiled. “Don’t tell me I interrupted something.”
“Fuck off,” he growled.
Rico snorted then rubbed his chin. “This is getting out of hand.”
“What’s going on?” Katia asked.
“Dios, five hundred years and not a single visitor. Now three in nearly as many days. Did I mention I don’t like visitors?”
“Yeah, you did. So who’s coming?”
“The Scientific Officer from the Trakis One. Her shuttle will be arriving any moment now.”
Layla?
“What the hell does she want?” Katia asked.
“How would I know? Just said she had information for your boyfriend”—he nodded toward Logan—“and clearance from the Captain of the Trakis One to board us. What the fuck right does she have to give permission to board my fucking ship?”
“She is in charge of the fleet,” Logan pointed out. The other man’s focus turned to him, and he almost wished he’d kept his mouth shut. But he had an idea that he wouldn’t earn any points with the captain of the Trakis Two if he backed down every time the other man looked in his direction. So he stared back. And continued staring until something jabbed him in the side. Katia. He turned to her with a frown. “What?”
“Don’t wind him up.”
“Good advice,” Rico said, but the tension seemed to have drained from him. “So what are we going to do with this woman? How do we get rid of her?”
Get rid of her? He didn’t like the sound of that. “Why don’t we get whatever information she has for me, and then she’ll no doubt go back where she came from?”
“Maybe.” Rico didn’t sound convinced. “But if that were the case, why come at all? Why risk a shuttle trip? They haven’t come across as a particularly safe means of transport recently. So why not just comm us with your information?”
“She probably wants to see Logan in person,” Katia suggested. “Check him over. Make sure he’s okay.”
“Why?”
“I think she likes him.”
“So problem number one is responsible for problem number two?”
Katia scowled. “I told you there are no problems.”
“Hmm. Well, get rid of this woman.” He turned to Logan. “Bang her, do whatever you need to. But get her off my ship.”
He was starting to believe that Rico must have something big to hide. But what? He was also thinking it wasn’t anything to do with their case, something unrelated. So it wasn’t his job to find out. And maybe it was just as Katia had told him—Rico liked to do things his own way and didn’t want anyone interfering.
But what the hell did Layla hope to achieve by coming here? Perhaps she had some information she didn’t want to send via the comms. Maybe she’d found something implicating someone and didn’t want to be overheard.
“You think she’s found something she doesn’t want to share with the Captain or Pryce?” Katia asked.
“Maybe, but she must have gotten permission from one of them to come here. So unlikely. No doubt we’ll find out soon enough.”
“Perhaps she just wants to get laid.”
“She’s not the only one,” he grumbled.
“Well, it sounds like she’s docked,” Rico said. “So we’re understood here? Find out what she wants and get her off my ship. No finishing anything. Information, and good-bye.”
Logan shrugged. Until he knew what she wanted, he wasn’t promising anything.
The inner docking bay door slid open, and the shuttle flew through, the door closing behind it. The vessel touched down lightly just inside the doors. Watching it, he realized that the horror of their near-death experience the previous day was fading. And he was ready to go again, a tingle of excitement in his gut.
The door opened, and Layla stood framed in the doorway, hand on one hip, looking around the docking bay. She went still as she caught sight of their little group. Then she focused on Logan, and a smile flashed across her face as she hurried down the ramp toward them. She ignored Rico and Katia and headed straight toward him. He braced his legs for the onslaught. Her arms came out and then she was on him, arms wrapped around him, her long blond hair tickling his nose. His arms hovered at his side. What the hell was he supposed to do? He patted her back with a tentative hand.
He caught Katia’s gaze above the other woman’s head, and she raised an eyebrow. She didn’t seem too bothered, though. Was she forgetting only minutes ago he’d had his head between her legs and she’d been screaming in pleasure?
Layla’s head was on his chest. Christ, they’d only met yesterday, and she was acting like he was the love of her life. He put his hands on her arms and gently pushed her away.
“I thought you were dead,” she said. “We got the news that your shuttle had gone off course, and we couldn’t get in touch. Travis said you were finished. I didn’t believe it, but they wouldn’t let me come after you. They said it wasn’t worth risking the other shuttle. I was so scared.”
