Conquering the Skies, page 1
Copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by fines and federal imprisonment.
Please purchase only authorized electronic editions and do not participate in, or encourage, the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Conquering the Skies
Copyright 2023 by Thea Landen
ISBN: 978-1-68361-867-6
Cover art by Fantasia Frog Designs
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work, in whole or in part, in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden
without the written permission of the publisher.
Published by Decadent Publishing Company, LLC
Look for us online at:
www.decadentpublishing.com
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Epilogue
About the Author
Life on Pasurea has been going well for Geneva Greyson, despite her complicated history with her native planet. As a private investigator, she helped expose a crime ring at one of the capital’s top accounting firms, leading to accolades from her boss, Renae. She and Ash have maintained their long-distance relationship, and their intimate encounters sometimes include close friends Marcus and Adele.
Change is on the horizon, however, beginning with Ash’s decision to leave the military. Geneva is thrilled to have him with her, but hopes he’ll be able to adapt to civilian life in an unfamiliar city. Marcus pays her an unexpected visit to tell her about Adele’s obvious hints at expecting a marriage proposal soon, and he needs to sort through his emotional ties to both women. Lastly, Renae announces her plans for retirement, though she has yet to determine what will happen to Platinum Security Solutions.
Throughout all the disruption in her usual routines and her friends’ lives, Geneva must chart her own course to shape the future she wants. Good advice can come from surprising places, and her mother Dahlia offers some suggestions she hadn’t considered. Weddings, career changes, and travels to distant planets take her on more thrilling adventures as she keeps searching for a place in the galaxy to call home, but will she ever find where she belongs?
Dear Readers,
Well, here we are. We’ve finally made it to the end of this “supposed to be a trilogy, but whoops, it turned into five books” series. To everyone who’s been on this wild ride with me from the beginning, I really can’t thank you enough!
It’s funny—in some ways, this should have been the easiest book to write. The characters are well-established by now, and I know them inside and out. In fact, I even poke fun at this at one point – Geneva suggests something to Ash which I actually considered including in the plot, but then I realized Dahlia would kill her, which is what he winds up telling her. I may have had the key points established in my outline, but they all filled in the blanks for me.
And then…as I thought about the ending to one plot line I had planned, I realized it was all wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong. It wasn’t what Geneva would do, or what would make her happy. I’ll admit in the past, I’ve scoffed a little at authors who claim they’re not in control and their characters tell them what to do, but that’s what happened here. I’m glad it did, though, because the ending I did decide upon makes much more sense.
Five books is a lot. I knew I was taking some risks with some of the events that happened throughout, but I’m glad you’ve trusted me to get us all to the end and wrap up everything with a nice pretty bow. By this point, I hope you love the characters just as much as I do, and I hope you find this ultimate conclusion to their story satisfying.
~ Thea
thealanden@gmail.com
Conquering the Skies
by
Thea Landen
Chapter One
Geneva’s eyelids fluttered in the hazy sunlight. She clenched them shut and tried to twist away from its source, but she was pinned in place. Stifling a yawn, she slowly opened one eye then the other, and tried not to recoil from the beams streaming through the window.
Beside her, Marcus lay on his back, staring straight up at the ceiling. The morning light bathed him in a muted golden glow, highlighting the messy strands of fine black hair falling over his forehead. His exposed chest rose and fell with slow, languid breaths, and she took a moment to appreciate the definition of his lean muscles beneath his tanned skin.
His eyes flicked to the side and he caught her staring at him. A smile crept across his face as he swiveled his head toward her. “Good morning,” he whispered.
She mirrored his expression. “Morning.”
She attempted to wriggle closer to him, but Ash’s heavy arm was slung over her waist, preventing her from moving. He stirred against her back yet said nothing to indicate he was awake. Geneva settled for reaching across the small gap and trailing her fingertips over Marcus’s shoulder.
He shifted onto his side to better meet her gaze, taking care not to disturb the covers. Behind him, only the top of Adele’s head was visible as she huddled into a tight ball alongside him, her tousled curls poking out from where she’d buried her face beneath the edge of the blanket. She, too, remained asleep.
“I’m glad you don’t have to go to work today,” he said, keeping his voice low. He entwined his fingers with hers, keeping her palm flush against his skin. “I missed mornings like these.”
“Me, too.”
She let out a content sigh as he rubbed his thumb over the top of her hand. Sometimes it seemed as if their relationship was in a constant state of flux, but for the moment, she was satisfied with the level of intimacy they shared…even when they were also sharing their beds with other people. The warmth radiating from his touch enticed her. She wanted more. Digging her elbow into the mattress, she made one last effort to free herself from Ash’s grasp.
Her escape was successful. As she leaned her forehead against Marcus’s, he released her hand in order to brush the hair away from her face. She didn’t have long to revel in the stolen moment before he pressed his mouth to hers.
His kiss was gentle and unhurried, as if they had all the time in the world to spend together. Geneva trailed her fingers down the front of his body, letting them linger over his heart as they breathed in time with each other. His tongue slipped past her lips, swirling in lazy spirals. Everything about him was familiar yet exhilarating, and her pulse fluttered with delight.
She inched closer, seeking out more contact, but she sensed movement behind her. Ash followed her toward the center of the bed, his broad chest flattening against her back. She broke the kiss and tried to angle her head to look at him. His arm returned to its prior position, reclaiming her in his embrace. “Don’t mind me,” he murmured. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
His hold on her strengthened and his lips found the side of her neck. She gasped when his teeth grazed the delicate skin and narrowed her eyes at Marcus when he laughed at her reaction. “Like hell you didn’t,” she whispered, feigning annoyance.
The additional noises were enough to rouse Adele. She stretched her arms above her head and then turned over to face them. Marcus rolled onto his back, circling an arm around her as she rested her cheek on his shoulder. “Having fun without me again?” she asked, though her tone indicated a lack of sincerity.
“Never,” he said, delivering a salutatory kiss to her forehead.
Geneva settled against Ash and adjusted the covers that had bunched around their legs. “Sorry if we woke you.”
“It’s okay.” Adele tucked an errant lock of hair behind her ear. “I would have had to get up sooner or later. Even if it’s the weekend, it’s not like we can spend all day lounging around in bed anyway.”
“Speak for yourself.” Ash snuggled against Geneva’s back, giving her a squeeze. “I have to leave early tomorrow morning. This might be the last opportunity I have for lounging in a while.”
“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Geneva said, wincing.
Marcus wound one of Adele’s curls around his finger, letting it spring into place when he released it before repeating the gesture. “Give me a minute, and then I can go get breakfast started.”
The memory of his kiss lingered on her lips. Combined with Ash’s breath dancing across her neck and his half-erect cock pushing into her, it negated any desire she had to leave the bed yet. “Why, what’s the rush?” Her fingertips returned to his bare skin, skating up and down his side. “Like we said, we have all day.”
His wicked grin reappeared. “Fair enough,” he said before turning his attention to Adele. “So, what sort of fun, precisely, did you think you were missing out on?”
She slithered upward, bringing her face level with his. Marcus’s hand tangled in her hair, and he steered her mouth toward him to capture it in a kiss more forceful than the one he’d greeted her with. Geneva tried to turn around to engage in a similar activity with Ash, but he held her firm. His next words came out in a low growl near her ear. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten how you were getting started without me.”
He punctuated the statement with a sharp bite to her earlobe. She inhaled, and his lips retraced their prior path down the side of her neck. As they traveled lower, one hand skimmed over her stomach, rising to cup her breast. His fingers sank into her pliant flesh, massaging and kneading as he kept her in position.
Geneva squirmed beneath his touch, heat spreading throughout her. She tried to allow enough space between them to grope at his stiff cock, but he prevented her from reaching it. His devilish chuckle resonated against her as he brushed the tip of one of her hardened nipples. Eyes closed, she let out a tiny whimper, yet he moved away from the sensitive point.
Every time she tried to touch him in return, to reciprocate some of his provocative acts, he blocked her efforts. With little else to do, she reached for Marcus again. Her hand found his, and she wrapped her fingers around it while Ash continued to manipulate her flesh. He attempted to pull her toward him, but Ash’s power was unyielding.
When she opened her eyes, she saw Adele peppering Marcus’s chest and neck with feathery kisses. She had pushed aside the blankets to expose his swollen erection yet paid little attention to it. “You know, I’m starting to think we’re being punished for being the first ones awake,” Geneva said.
He tensed when Adele’s lips floated over the flat disc of his nipple, though she never stayed in one place for too long. “Entirely possible.”
No one stopped her when she walked her fingers over the top of his thigh and traced a line along his cock from base to tip. Marcus choked back a groan, and she repeated the gesture. “Good thing I’d never be so mean.”
Adele joined her, and together, they caressed his steely shaft. When the other woman’s grip tightened around him, Geneva dipped lower to fondle his balls. Using delicate pressure, she cradled them in her palm, letting them rest in her gentle grasp for a moment before delving into the area beyond them.
While she probed and explored, Ash abandoned her heaving breasts to mirror her movements. He cupped her mound, his hand lingering between her legs but progressing no farther. She ground against him, ever aware of his bulky cock behind her, yet he refused to grant her any sort of satisfaction. Fueled by her growing desire, she made one last attempt to lunge out of his arms. She collided with Marcus’s side, and he turned his head to resume their fervent kiss.
His tongue plunged into her mouth. She met it with a playful jab, her fingertips teasing the space between his thighs. He emitted a soft moan against her lips, and Adele took advantage of his distraction. Releasing his erection, she guided his face back toward her, claiming him with a kiss of her own.
He turned onto his opposite side to face her, and Geneva frowned at the absence of his warmth. Despite Adele’s willingness to let Marcus maintain a sexual relationship with his former partners, she maintained some limits and boundaries, reserving certain acts for the two of them alone. The twinge of disappointment Geneva felt, though, was soon erased by Ash eliminating the gap between them. “You still have me,” he whispered in her ear, as if reading her thoughts. “And if you want to flaunt that, I won’t tell you not to.”
He stroked her dampened slit again, hovering near the entrance to her pussy. She shuddered then decided to follow through with his subtle suggestion. Ash nudged her forward, never relinquishing his hold on her, until she was trapped between him and Marcus, one of her favorite positions. Pressing her breasts along his back, she rubbed his side, letting her hand linger at the firm muscle of his ass.
Marcus stiffened beneath her touch. She increased her grip on him and planted a light kiss between his shoulder blades. Her lips traveled up his spine, and his head tilted back when she arrived at his shoulder. As she approached his ear, the broad tip of Ash’s cock advanced between her legs.
She let out a breathy moan, exaggerating for Marcus’s benefit. “Damn,” she murmured. “His dick feels amazing.”
He swallowed, his body jolting when she darted out her tongue to trace the ridge of his ear. “So much for not being cruel and heartless, like the others.”
Giggling, she gave the sensitive skin a playful tug with her teeth. “It’s okay. Even if I’m not willing to share this time…” Her hand drifted down his thigh. “We still have plenty of ways of making sure you come hard.”
Adele had been watching them with half-lidded eyes. Her cheeks flushed pink at Geneva’s last statement, yet hints of a smile curved the corners of her mouth. Hooking one of her legs around Marcus’s, she pulled him closer. “Sounds like a good plan to me,” she said.
He kissed her, shifting slightly to maneuver his erection into position. While he moved, Geneva flattened her palms against his ass, spreading him. She teased at the rim of his tight hole, brushing her fingers over it yet never penetrating him. He groaned at the fluttery sensation, but it was muffled by Adele’s lips.
Geneva craned her neck in an attempt to glance behind her. “Hey, Ash?” she said. “Can you get—”
“Yup. I’m on it.”
Ash pivoted away from her, and she heard him grope around in the nightstand adjacent to the bed. Within seconds, he dangled a bottle of lube above her, and she snatched it from his grasp. As she opened the cap, he looped his arm underneath her leg and yanked it upward, granting him better access to her pussy. Her breath caught in her throat when the head of his cock rubbed against the damp folds, and she tried to pour out a measured amount of the bottle’s slippery contents without spilling it.
Her knee collided with Adele’s as she rested her leg alongside Marcus’s, the tangle of limbs beneath the sheets growing larger. She closed her eyes and sighed as Ash pushed inside her, his thick shaft stretching her cunt and gliding along her inner walls. Her moment of bliss was short-lived, however, as he tossed the lube aside and nudged her arm. “Go on,” he said, the authoritative edge to his voice unmistakable despite its low volume. “I’m not moving again until you do.”
Lust coursed through her veins. She followed his order and returned her attention to Marcus’s ass. Her slickened fingers returned to their prior destination, but this time, she forged inside him. He tore his mouth away from Adele’s to take a deep breath, burying his face in her shoulder. The other woman’s fist tightened in the hair at the back of his head, holding him close as he trembled.
True to his word, Ash propelled his hips forward, spearing Geneva with his cock. Due to the angle, he could only manage shallow thrusts, but it was enough to incite a series of sparks deep within her core. As she attended to Marcus, she tried to match his rhythm, driving two fingers into his ass with as much force as she could muster.
Adele squealed as Marcus slammed into her, but Geneva was relentless. She remained embedded inside him, pinpointing his favorite spots with familiar precision. Adele clung to him as he jerked back and forth at a frenzied tempo. Every movement sent him further into one of them, and there was no escape.
Despite Marcus’s writhing, Ash snaked a hand between them. His fingertips grazed Geneva’s clit, and her high-pitched moan pierced the air. He amplified his pressure, rubbing in tiny circles as he impaled her pussy. She struggled to contain the hurricane building inside her, and her lips found Marcus’s neck again. “I’m so close,” she whispered, letting her teeth scrape along his skin.
The only audible response from him was another strained groan.
“You know how hard he fucks me. Better than anyone.” She worked her way in and out of his ass with increased vigor. “Come with me. With us.”
He wrapped his arms around Adele’s waist and bucked into her with a savage roar. She threw her head back as she cried out, pleasure splayed across her features. Geneva didn’t have long to observe them before Ash rammed into her cunt, assaulting her nerves from all angles and unleashing a storm of ecstasy. The orgasm tore through her and she spasmed around his cock, holding on tight to Marcus as their climax overtook her.
