Stars in Nova (The Sable Riders #6)

A Wild Card

T he glow of starlight filtered through the Cephei’s observation window, casting silver patterns across the cabin walls.

Kisan stirred awake and turned to the woman by his side. His tattoos and cutis jewels shimmered in the low dimness as he stretched.

Beside him, Samira shifted, her dark hair spilling over the pillow like a liquid shadow.

The scent of florals from her balm lingered in the space between them.

She was naked, a sheet tangled at her waist.

Showing off her lithe yet curvy body, her full tits, her smooth skin, and her adorable belly button.

Unable to help himself, Kisan moved closer and gave her a gentle kiss on her sensual lips.

She smiled in sleep, and he moved lower to possess her nipple.

He licked it, and she moaned.

He suckled, and she growled. Then, with a sudden move, she twisted herself upright, threw her leg over his torso, and sat astride him.

She was the most fantastic creature he’d ever seen.

Her dark hair rippled to her midsection, her silver and gold eyes glinting at him.

With a smirk, she wrapped her fingers around his cock and tapped the hardening length on her spurting clit.

He grunted, wanting to buck hard, eyes on her, mesmerized.

As she gave her pleasure center over to the rhythmic tapping, her juices flowed over him and his limbs even as shockwaves of ecstasy shuddered through him.

He reached for their tits and pulled at their sensitive buds as she lost herself in teasing her bliss spot to rapture.

He growled. ‘Woman, I’ll blow if I don’t get inside you now.’

His thighs shook from trying to maintain dominance.

Until he couldn’t any longer.

With a roar, he knifed up, lifted her by the waist, and set her down, thrusting deep in her as she descended.

Letting go of her hips, he banded an arm across her back as she bucked, out of control on his cock, her pussy once more sucking at him, rippling, working his base when he bottomed out.

His mouth found her nipples again, his heated lips and tongue lashing her peaks.

His other hand slid between them, where he flicked her clit, and she screamed.

On and on, they undulated till, with a unified groan, they both came hard and fast. Chasing every cresting wave of pleasure until finally, they slumped in each other’s arms, spent.

‘Where did you learn to make love to a woman like that?’ Samira whispered minutes later as he cleaned her and returned to the bed to envelop her in his embrace.

He paused and gave her a pointed look. ‘I’ve slept with women, but I’ve never made love to one. Until now.’

She took an inhale at his words. ‘You have a way of eliciting the most cherished feeling. Like I’m the only woman you’ve ever undone.’

He smiled, a lazy grin, as he trailed a finger down her arm and cupped her tit. ‘I mean it. Ever since -,’ he faltered for a beat, ‘my transformation, I’ve never allowed myself pleasure. Until now. You have a way of making me believe that perhaps I deserve it.’

‘That’s because you do, Rider.’

He took an inhale, nostrils flaring. ‘Let’s see if you say the same after all is said and done.’

Then he kissed her, muffling her protest with his brand of heated passion.

Much later, the muted sound of water running woke him from a post-coital nap.

He tagged her voice, singing in the compact shower.

Steam wafted through the air, curling in lazy tendrils as he slid the door open with a smile and joined her.

The warm spray was a welcome balm, cascading over taut muscles and washing away the fatigue of endless loving and sweaty sex.

Samira’s laughter—subdued, rich—echoed through the walls of the Cephei as she splashed him in a moment of levity.

‘You’re an untamed soul, ay?’ he observed as he ducked from her fluidic attack.

‘Haven’t been this buck wild for a long time,’ she said, her eyes widening as if her words surprised her.

Her face softened, and she reached for his jawline. ‘Funny that, since we’ve been together, I’ve found more reasons to smile other than my kids.’

His heart convulsed.

Fokk was so gone for her. He breathed her in, loving the softness of her skin and the way she made his soul fly.

He let her know it, pouring his all into making her soar into her bliss again.

After another long, slow, delicious session of lovemaking and a leisurely shower in each other’s arms, with Kisan soaping her body and her returning the favor, they dressed.

In the galley, they prepped breakfast, with Kisan re-hydrating rations of eggs and toast that were almost as scrumptious as the real thing.

‘With a dash of pepper and a tab of butter, you won’t know the difference,’ Kisan rasped as he pushed a plate to her.

He was right, and Samira moaned as she dug into the flavorsome fare.

‘Stop,’ he growled in warning.

‘Or what?’ she dared him.

‘Or we’re back in bed.’

‘Not sure I see the problem,’ she teased.

He tossed his head back in laughter, revealing his corded neck.

He canted his eyes back down to find her eyes on him.

‘What?’ he growled.

‘You’re my unexpected gift. Taking your mask was a wild card, and I’d no hope it’d change the tide of our war. However, you walking this journey with me makes me feel that we might have a real fighting chance for the first time.’

‘Kaissa,’ he grunted. ‘Letting me walk with you has helped me realize I have some worth beyond my poisoned legacy.’

She kissed his hand, and they shared a long, heated look.

After a sip of kahawa , Samira tilted her head, her eyes narrowing as she studied Kisan. ‘Your friend—the one we’re picking up. Tell me about him.’

Kisan leaned back, the hum of the Cephei’s engines filling the pause as he gathered his thoughts. ‘Sax,’ he began, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth, ‘is complicated.’

‘Complicated how?’ Samira pressed, leaning forward, her curiosity evident.

‘He’s a walking contradiction,’ Kisan said, crossing his arms over his chest. ‘On one hand, he’s this towering enforcer of justice, a take-no-bullshit unholy man who’s saved more lives than I can count. On the other, he’s got this feral side. He’s a super-intense shit-wrecker who has never done anything half-assed in his entire existence. Relentless, hyper-focused, and brutally effective.’

Samira raised an eyebrow. ‘Brutal, how?’

‘Let’s just say if you’re on his bad flank, you’d better pray you never see him coming. Though he appears as a holy man, cassock and all, he’s made it his mission to dismantle the worst the galaxy has to offer—pirates, slavers, criminal overlords. He doesn’t just defeat them; he bitch-slaps, head-cleaves, and obliterates everything they stand for. It’s personal for him.’

Her expression softened. ‘He sounds like a man with a story. What drives him?’

Kisan exhaled. ‘He once was a regular Edenite soldier, special forces. That’s how we met. We served together in the Sable squad, thus the same last names. The crats captured us, as you know, and turned into meta-enhanced weapons. When those monsters set him and me free, he fought in the Fringe Wars while I moved to the center of Pegasi to exact my brand of vengeance. He was active in a series of senseless battles and lost a lot of people he cared about. I think, in a way, he’s been trying to atone ever since. He started hunting down kidnappers, rescuing children, dismantling pirate empires—whatever it took to make the galaxy a safer place.’

Samira’s lips pressed into a thoughtful line. ‘A man who lives in the Fringe and on the edge.’

‘Indeed, and his enemies hate him,’ Kisan said with a dry laugh. ‘There’s a fortune on his head in half the systems in Pegasi. Pirates and crime lords have posted bounties that could fund small armies. But Sax doesn’t care. His philosophy is simple: if you cross him, he’ll bury you. He’ll make sure everyone knows not to try it again.’

‘Sounds intense,’ Samira said, her voice laced with intrigue. ‘But if he’s so unstoppable, why does he hide in a monastery?’

Kisan chuckled. ‘That’s where the story gets interesting. Sax made a few enemies in high places—crooked officials who’d partnered with the pirates he was targeting. They backed him into a corner and left him with two options: execution or life in prison. So, he took a third option—he vanished to an Ascetic Artisans abbey on Skardis and took their vows.’

‘A priest?’ Samira echoed, her brow furrowing. ‘Let me guess—he’s not the meditative type.’

‘Not even close,’ Kisan said, shaking his head. ‘He’s more of a non-believing skeptic, a secular, unholy man. Drawn to the order, philosophy, and justice of faith, but not its controls. At first, he was hiding out, playing the part of a humble cleaner and groundskeeper. But even in exile, Sax couldn’t help himself. He started brewing moonshine from the monastery’s grain harvest, smuggling it to traders. His brand is famed throughout the sector, and he’s built a treasure stash out of it.’

Samira laughed, the sound warm and rich. ‘That sounds more like it. What happened next?’

Kisan leaned forward, his green eyes glinting. ‘The head abbot discovered he was using their harvest and distilling equipment and gave him an ultimatum: pay back what he owned or leave in disgrace. Sax, being Sax, found a loophole. He offered to become the monastery’s muscle—taking on the dirtiest, most dangerous jobs to protect the poor and keep the peace.’

Her smile faded, replaced by quiet admiration. ‘He turned into their guardian.’

‘You said it,’ Kisan grunted. ‘It bestowed him carte blanche. Now, every mission is a crusade. Thieves, kidnappers, warlords—he takes them all down, leaving behind a trail of shattered operations and broken bones. He even gives his enemies a benediction when he’s done. Says it makes him feel more virtuous about his actions.’

‘He doesn’t sound very monastic,’ Samira said, tilting her head.

Kisan smirked. ‘His words? ‘Old habits die hard, and some people need a holy wake-up call.’

Samira leaned back, her gaze thoughtful. ‘Why does he keep doing it? What is he looking for?’

‘Deliverance,’ Kisan rasped. ‘Sax dreams of going out in a blaze of righteous fury, delivering the weak from the oppression of those in power. He views himself as a vigilante saving thousands. He doesn’t care to be remembered as a martyr, but as someone who gave everything for the greater good, without following the rules, if the rule makers are bent.’

Her star-flecked eyes searched Kisan’s face. ‘What do you think of him?’

Kisan hesitated, his aqua eyes flickering. ‘He’s a good man, a close friend who never left me, not even in the darkest night of our souls. He’s also stubborn and reckless, but his heart is in the right place. He’s not perfect—none of us are—but he’s trying to make amends in his way.’

Samira studied him for a moment before nodding. ‘It sounds like you have a lot in common.’

Kisan let out a low laugh, the sound tinged with self-awareness. ‘Maybe. But Sax doesn’t carry the same kind of sins. He channels his demons into something useful. I’m still figuring that part out.’

She reached out, her hand brushing against his arm. ‘Perhaps this mission will help, handsome.’

‘Whatever happens, as long as you’re with me, I’ll be blazin’.’