Six
Tara woke up wrapped in Varkor’s strong arms, her body pleasantly sore and her breasts finally calm. The worst of her heat had passed, leaving her feeling satisfied, glowing, and a little sad that their intense time together was ending.
Varkor was already awake, gently stroking her back. His amber eyes were soft as he looked down at her.
Tara’s heart sank a little. She had known this was temporary — he was a traveling maintenance engineer, after all — but after the last few days of being so thoroughly cared for, the idea of the station feeling empty again hurt.
Tara stood at the observation window in the docking bay, arms wrapped around herself as she watched Varkor prepare for departure.
She snuggled closer to his broad chest one last time in the airlock corridor. “I wish you could stay longer.”
Varkor tilted her chin up with one large hand and kissed her deeply, slow and full of promise. When he pulled back, his amber eyes were warm.
“This isn’t goodbye,” he said, voice low and sincere. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. And if your heat returns before then…” He smiled, that familiar beastly hunger flickering in his gaze. “You know how to reach me.”
Tara nodded, then gave him a sly little smile of her own. She already had plans.
She watched from the reinforced observation window as he boarded his sleek maintenance shuttle. The docking clamps released with a heavy metallic thunk, and the ship slowly drifted away from the station.
Tara pressed her hand against the cool glass.
The vastness of space stretched out before her — a breathtaking sea of stars, swirling nebulae in shades of purple and gold, and the massive gas giant the station orbited slowly turning below.
The view was beautiful, but it felt a little colder now without him.
Varkor’s shuttle rotated gracefully, thrusters firing in short bursts as it moved to a safe distance.
Then, with a brilliant flash of blue-white light, the ship engaged its hyperdrive.
It stretched into a long streak of light and vanished into hyperspace with a silent burst, leaving only a faint afterimage.
Tara stayed at the window for a long time, staring at the empty starfield where his ship had been. A soft smile played on her lips.
She was already thinking about the maintenance request she was going to file.
Maintenance Request – Epsilon-9
Priority: High
Issue: Recurring problems with the primary medical relief system (milking unit). Requesting immediate follow-up inspection and long-term service contract by Engineer Varkor. Estimated duration: Extended stay preferred.
She hit submit with a satisfied little laugh.
***
The days after he left passed slowly.
Tara went about her normal duties — monitoring systems, running diagnostics, filing reports — but her mind kept drifting back to him. Every time she felt a slight tingle in her breasts or a faint wave of heat, she smiled to herself.
On the fourth day, she was drinking coffee in the control room when the comms panel lit up.
A deep, familiar voice filled the room.
“Epsilon-9, this is Engineer Varkor responding to your maintenance request. I’ve been assigned to your station for an extended service period.” There was a clear note of amusement in his voice. “I should arrive in approximately 47 hours. Please prepare the main engineering bay… and yourself.”
Tara grinned widely, warmth blooming in her chest.
She leaned forward and pressed the comm button.
“Understood, Engineer Varkor,” she replied sweetly. “The station will be ready for you.”
She leaned back in her chair, already counting down the hours until she heard the docking clamps engage and saw that towering, horned, obsidian figure step through the airlock again.
This time, she had no intention of letting him leave so soon.