Chapter 5
Maya
Maya squeezed the last bit of water out of her shirt and tossed it over the back of the only non-dusty chair in the infirmary.
She’d managed to rinse off all of their clothes in the infirmary’s sink in the time that Ranek had been in the cleansing unit.
Now they only had to dry. She hoped one night would be enough.
Her eyes drifted over to the glass stall, and she swallowed hard at the sight.
Holy crap! Ranek was hot as hell.
Maya tried not to peek, but her eyes betrayed her, sliding back to the steamy glass where his tall frame was outlined in the mist. Broad shoulders and firm, bronze muscles shifted under the spray of water.
His six-pack abs were hidden by the steam on the glass, but her brain did not need any help filling in what was there.
Her gaze dipped lower, catching the outline of perfect glutes and powerful thighs braced apart.
Maya wanted him. Well, at least her body did. Her brain wasn’t sure yet. Not until she found out who he was.
His fangs flashed when he tilted his head back into the water, rinsing his mouth.
This must mean that the cleansing cycle was almost over.
The first rounds of jets were filled with soapy cleansers.
They smelled pleasant, surprisingly so for something found in a long-abandoned mining station, but tasted horrible.
She had learned to keep her mouth closed during that part and only rinse with the water from the final cycle.
Sure enough, the water jets ceased and were replaced with the streams of warm air.
As the steam cleared, more of his body came on display, and she could not look away.
Some Talleans were completely hairless on their bodies, but Ranek had a happy trail leading from his navel, which was in the same place as a human’s, down to his crotch.
Even flaccid, he was impressive. Every inch of him radiated dominance and power, and it made her pulse race.
It was impossible to deny it: She wanted him.
She wasn’t afraid to stare either. It wasn’t considered rude in Tallean culture to stare; it just meant she liked what she saw.
And damn, did she like it!
Besides, he’d already stared at her. She was just giving some back. She was shocked at first when he’d caught her coming out of the shower, but only because she hadn’t even noticed him there since she was so focused on Commander Chaos.
Back on Reka 5, she’d visited the public baths often, so she’d gotten used to being naked in front of strangers. It was why she wasn’t even going to hide the fact that she was staring at him as he stepped out of the stall, hair still slightly damp.
She’d lived at the colony long enough to understand Tallean culture, though some argued that Reka 5 had a culture of its own, being almost half human.
Among Talleans, sex wasn’t hidden. There was no shame in casual sex at all, and in fact, it was expected of young people.
It was called “testing for compatibility,” which was their form of dating, and it was meant to find out if the other person was their mate.
If the chemistry was strong, it meant they might be mates, and they continued testing. If not, then they parted ways.
At Reka 5, many Talleans tested compatibility with humans.
But Maya had stopped participating since she accidentally fell for a hottie who ended up finding his mate just months later.
Back on Earth with human guys, the risk had been accidentally getting knocked up or dating an asshole.
But her first experience with a Tallean had ended with her bawling her eyes out, equally happy that he had found his mate and disappointed that it wasn’t her.
And it hadn’t even been his fault. He’d been plenty honest that Maya wasn’t the one. She’d just been shit at separating sex and love. And the worst part? The Tallean woman he’d ended up with was a total sweetheart, so she couldn’t even be mad.
Maybe it was time to get back into the dating, er…
compatibility testing game. And if things didn’t work out, Faith and Reka 5 would be sending someone out to rescue her anyway.
She and Ranek would part ways, and that would be that.
Granted, as long as he wasn’t some ruthless pirate.
Which he could still be, but he’d been decent to her so far.
But it was better to make sure she got the call out to Faith first before anything happened.
How would Ranek react if she suggested they test for compatibility? His body most definitely reacted to her. She hadn’t missed the way his cock had strained against his pants when she’d stepped out of the stall.
Ranek noticed her eyes on him immediately, his eyes meeting hers with a sparkle as he inhaled deeply. Talleans had remarkable senses, and she knew he could smell her and the sexy thoughts that had run through her mind as she’d admired his body.
The air between them practically sizzled as his gaze dropped briefly to her mouth before returning to her eyes.
He prowled closer, slow and deliberate, the predator in him showing in every twitch of his muscles.
His cock sprang to life, but this time there were no pants in the way to hide how long and thick it was, with a pronounced mushroom-shaped head.
A little voice in her head told her to run and make him chase her, but that would be a game for later, once she knew where they stood. For now, she held her ground.
Ranek’s gaze locked on her, his voice dropping to a husky growl. “You’ve been eyeing me, female. I can smell your arousal every time you look at me. You like what you see.”
Her lips curved, teasing. “Maybe. Depends on if you’re as skilled as you look.”
He raised a brow. “And I was worried I’d frighten the little human away.
” He stepped in close, heat rolling off his body.
His fangs flashed as his mouth curved into a wicked smile.
“The fastest way to ascertain my skill is to let me show you exactly what I can do. Tell me, brave little female. What do you want? Say it. And I’m all yours. ”
“Are you sure you can give me what I want?” She arched, pressing her body into his in their little dance.
“Careful, you might just get more than you can handle.” His hands slid up her neck, tangling his fingers in the hair at the base of her skull.
She gasped at the heat that surged through her at his touch. Her nipples tightened, and she clenched her thighs together, knowing that he could smell her arousal. Hell, she was human, and she swore she could smell his. His masculine musk enveloped her, driving her wild.
But this was going too far. She needed to do this before she got too distracted. She looked him in the eyes and forced herself to say the words. “I want… I need…”
He looked at her in anticipation.
“I need to use your comm unit to call my friend.”
It took about half a second for the understanding to dawn, and when it did, the disappointed look on his face almost had her giggling.
The mix of frustration and disbelief was priceless, and she bit her lip to keep from laughing outright.
He looked ready to devour her, and she’d just asked for his phone.
But she wasn’t trying to be mean, really.
She wasn’t trying to tease him, not too much anyway.
She just needed to make sure she had people in her corner in case things went south.
His hand released her hair, and his shoulders slumped. It was clear that despite being disappointed, he was going to respect her request, because he reached for his comm unit, which was on a nearby counter.
“I did promise you could use it.” He was trying so hard to hide his disappointment. It was almost… cute? Ranek may look like a crazy mercenary with all those weapons strapped to his body when he’d come to her rescue, but he was a decent guy.
“You know what,” she said, pulling him back before he could reach the comm unit. “I changed my mind. The call can wait. I want you instead.”
Then, before she could overthink it, she kissed him.
Ranek
Ranek’s blood roared in his ears as Maya pressed her lips to his.
He froze for a heartbeat, stunned by her actions.
The bold little female had hauled him down to her and kissed him first. He’d never actually kissed this way before, mouth-to-mouth for an extended period, but instincts took over. So did lust.
Stars, this female was trouble.
His hand locked around her waist, dragging her flush against his body, and he deepened the kiss.
Her lips parted and he took advantage, sliding his tongue deep to taste her.
He plundered her mouth with his tongue like he longed to do to her slick, honeyed depths.
She clung to him, her dull, flat nails biting into his shoulders.
She tasted of sweet berries and wine, intoxicating and addictive, and he slid one hand up to her hair, tilting her head back with a firm grip.
Her moan vibrated against his mouth, and the sound shot straight to his cock, making it throb painfully.
He wanted her spread beneath him, begging, and he wanted every male in the galaxy to know she belonged to him.
Every instinct screamed to take her, to claim her, to bury himself inside until she was his in every way.
Lifting her easily, he carried her to the counter, set her down, and spread her thighs with his hips. The height of the counter was perfect, letting him shove the shirt she was wearing up and out of the way and rub his length along the seam of her pussy even as he devoured her mouth.
“Yes!” she hissed.
Her fingers tangled in his hair, tugging, demanding more. His hands explored her soft, pliant form, squeezing her breasts, thumbing her nipples through the thin fabric, then sliding lower to grip her ass and pull her tighter against him, sliding his cock against her heat.
“Stars! You’re perfect.” His words came out rough and guttural, filled with need.
His mouth left hers to trail hot, open-mouthed kisses down her throat. He lingered at her neck, slowly dragging his fangs down the column before moving lower to nibble at the delicate curve of her collarbone. Her breath hitched, her body arching into him.
She was so reactive. So beautiful. Everything he could possibly ask the Stars for. He growled against her skin, savoring the way she trembled beneath his lips.
It was the sudden bite of sharp teeth at his ankle that completely ruined the moment. Then there were the loud snarling and yipping sounds coming from a rather distressed-looking dragus pup.
“Fuck.”
He had a momentary mental image of tossing the pup back into the cleansing unit and locking the door, but somehow he doubted Maya would appreciate it.
Commander Chaos bit down again, and this time it actually hurt.
He flinched, trying his damnedest not to fling the pup across the room. Maya wouldn’t like that either, and he didn’t want to hurt it when it was just trying to protect her. The poor thing probably thought he was attacking his beloved human.
Her eyes fluttered open, dazed and hungry, her lips swollen from his kisses. She blinked, momentarily confused, then groaned. “No! Back!”
The puppy whined but backed off, though he still looked ready to go on the offensive again at a moment’s notice.
“I’m sorry. He thinks he's trying to save me.”
Ranek exhaled, forcing himself to calm. Claiming this female would have to wait. And next time, he’d have to make sure the pup was thoroughly distracted first. He released her hair and eased back, his hand brushing over her thigh.
“I understand. He is loyal for such a tiny creature. That’s good. He didn’t do much damage.”
“He still has his baby teeth,” Maya said. “You won’t say that when adult ones come in.”
The pup growled again, then gave a pitiful whine. His belly rumbled loud enough to echo in the room.
Despite the ache in his ankle, Ranek’s lips twitched, lifting at the corners from the universal understanding of an empty stomach. “I’m hungry too, pup.”
For more than one thing. He glanced briefly back at Maya, who was pushing herself to sitting. But perhaps it would be best to take care of all their bellies first.
The voice in his head screamed at him to feed Maya and provide. It was in their instincts to feed, clothe, and otherwise provide for their mates. But Maya wasn’t his mate. She couldn’t be.
But still, that voice wouldn’t let up. What was next? Would it tell him to hunt down wild beasts to clothe her in their furs?
Yes!
He ignored the loud but very incorrect voice in his head and instead offered a hand to help Maya down from the counter.
“Thanks.” She gave Ranek a sheepish smile.
Ranek’s gaze lingered on her flushed face and her swollen lips. He wanted more. Stars, he wanted everything.
“We’ll eat. Then I’m coming back for you.”
A wave of lust poured from her at his words, so strong that for a moment, he considered just fucking her right there and then and just ignoring the hungry baby predator chewing at his ankle.
But she was already moving, putting distance between them. “I guess it’s best I give Faith a call now rather than later and let her know we are okay.”