Skyport Virgo 1 - Refuge (24 page)

"That's not possible," Laleh whispered.

The software had matched the symbols on the jewelry to the Scourge. Laleh carefully compared her scanned image with the software's example. There was no doubt.

The result was absolutely correct.

But what the hell were Scourge symbols doing on her mother's jewelry? Laleh had been so young when the war on the Outer Nine began. On Hezma-12, women weren't generally involved with discussions of politics or news from the wider world. She hadn't known anything about the conflict until boarding the spaceship
Brennan
after they'd escaped her homeland.

So what was the link between her father and the Scourge? Had he simply purchased the jewelry from a trader without any knowledge of its origins? Or was it something else altogether? Something more sinister? Knowing her father, Laleh wouldn't be surprised if he'd done something incredibly stupid.

"Busy?"

Laleh looked up at the sound of Pike's voice. As nonchalantly as possible, she reached out and tapped the screen to close the program. She shook her head. "Just finishing up these surveys. Did you need something?"

He flashed a handful of mail cards as he strode into the office, the door sliding shut behind him. "These just arrived. I thought you'd like to see them."

Laleh rose and met him on the other side of her desk. She took the cards and glanced at the address on the top case. Her eyes widened. Heart thudding against her chest, she asked, "Is this what I think it is?"

Pike grinned and nodded. "He accepted your letter."

"It's over?" She could scarcely believe it.

"It's over," Pike murmured and kissed her. She melted into his warm embrace. Tears pricked her eyes as relief flooded her system. He squeezed a bit tighter. "Are you all right?"

She nodded and pressed a kiss to his jaw. "I'm fine. Just a little rattled, I guess."

"Understandable," Pike said, loosening his grip.

Laleh slid from his grasp and hopped onto the desk behind her. "So I hear the Federation has ordered the
Magellan
be towed back to Earth for further study."

"Good riddance, as far as I'm concerned," Pike replied dryly. "That thing has been nothing but a problem. First, the lieutenant tried to fillet me. Then, the ship infected the entire fleet service bay with a computer virus. Now, they've found traces of Scourge technology aboard?" He shook his head. "The sooner it's off my skyport, the better."

Realizing this was her in, Laleh toyed with the zipper seam of Pike's jacket. "That's odd, isn't it? The Scourge technology."

"Damned odd," Pike said, his voice thoughtful. "That ship left five years ago and was never in the same areas as any Scourge vessels. We ended the war four years ago, wiped those bastards out, so how the
Magellan
came across Scourge technology is a mystery."

Laleh shrugged. "Maybe not."

Pike raised his eyebrows. "How do you figure?"

"Space junk," she offered. "The crew might have intercepted some bits and pieces here and there and took them aboard for study. Maybe they found a way to use them."

"Makes sense," Pike agreed.

"Where did they come from?" At Pike's confused expression, she quickly clarified.

"The Scourge, I mean."

"Oh." Pike inhaled and screwed up his face. "Well, you know, I'm not really sure. I remember a vague mention when I was a cadet. That was, oh, twenty-two or so years ago.

A Federation starship had a run-in with an unknown vessel in the Kardathian System."

Laleh schooled her features, not wanting to show any surprise. "That's my home system."

"Yeah, it is, isn't it?" Pike had obviously never put two and two together. "After that, we had sporadic sightings of Scourge vessels and the occasional attack. The actual war didn't start until four years later in the Outer Nine. Of course, you know the rest."

"Thirteen years of war and now four years of peace," she said on autopilot, her mind somewhere else. Was that the connection? Twenty-two years ago, around the time the Scourge showed up on Federation radar, Laleh's father had been preparing to marry her mother. Was there something else to the story? Something more insidious? If there was, Laleh now had in her possession a priceless bargaining chip.

"What's with the Cheshire Cat smile?" Pike tipped her chin and stared searchingly into her eyes. "Something I should be worried about?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," she replied, quashing the smug smile. She looked down at the mail cards in her hand. The second was just the duplicate copy she'd sent her father, but the third was far more interesting. Laleh giggled madly as she stared at the red card. "I can't believe they actually sent this!"

"You knew?"

"Melanya and Pilar joked about sending us to Hedonsima for our honeymoon. I never thought they'd actually go through with it."

"You don't know Melanya like I do," he muttered.

"I'd venture only Pilar knows Melanya like you do," Laleh said without thinking.

Pike stiffened with surprise. He looked decidedly uncomfortable. "She told you about that?"

Laleh enjoyed having Pike off kilter and decided to tease him. "Oh, she told me much more than that. I heard all about your wicked, wicked ways."

"Christ!" Pike cursed, his ears showing the slightest hint of red. "I knew I shouldn't have let you stay the night with them. I'm almost embarrassed to ask what you thought of me."

Laleh shrugged casually and traced the insignia on his jacket. "I still married you the next day, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did." Pike regarded her carefully. He stepped in closer. "Why?"

"Well, I needed a visa and my brother was trying to kidnap me."

Pike's warm hands grasped her bare knees and slowly opened them wide. He stepped between her legs, his hands sliding under the fabric of her slim fitting skirt. "Are those the only reasons?"

Laleh's hands settled on his waist. She met his lustful stare. "No," she admitted. "You were the kind of man I could trust. You were kind and caring. From the moment I met you, I knew you were the kind of man I'd always wanted. You were the kind of man I could love."

He seemed surprised by her honesty. His Adam's apple moved as he swallowed.

"Laleh…"

She sensed he didn't know what to say. Laleh reached up and touched his jaw. He turned his face and kissed her palm. A mischievous smile tugged at her mouth. "And, of course, after hearing Melanya's tales of your mad skills in the bedroom, I knew I'd be a fool to throw away the chance for a master's introduction to sex. You definitely haven't disappointed."

Pike teasingly bit the plump flesh of her palm. "Baby, you've rocked my universe, too."

Shivering, Laleh laughed. "That so?"

Pike nuzzled her neck and grazed his teeth over her skin. She shuddered at the sensual flick of his tongue. When he pumped his hips, grinding his hard cock against her, she gasped. "Pike! We can't. Not here."

"Why not?" Pike sucked on her earlobe.

"Someone could come to the door."

"I know."

She could hear the excitement in his voice. Everything responsible in her clamored for Laleh to gently put a stop to their office tryst, but when Pike's searching fingers found their way inside her panties, it was all over. "Fuck me."

At her breathy request, Pike groaned and captured her mouth. His tongue darted between her lips. She moaned hungrily, her tongue sliding against his. Pike grasped her waist and pulled her off the desk in one swift jerk. Smashed up against him, Laleh felt his cock stabbing into her belly. Pike spun her around and used the toe of his boot to widen her stance.

A thrill of exhilaration rippled through Laleh. When Pike took charge of their lovemaking, it made her knees weak. Her pussy pulsed as his hands snaked under her dress. He looped his fingers through the damp crotch of her panties and pulled them away from her body. Laleh gasped in shock when she heard the unmistakable click of Pike's pocket knife. With a quick slash, he dealt with the obstacle of her panties.

Her cunt pulsed at his nearly barbaric behavior. Laleh's palms slapped against the desktop as Pike placed his hand in the center of her back and shoved gently. He stepped between her legs and prodded her sex. Pike cheek pressed up against hers, the light stubble rasping her skin. "You're pussy is so wet."

"Pike," she begged. "Please."

"Do you want my cock, Laleh?"

"Yes." She pushed back against him. "I want your cock in me now."

She heard the lowering of a zipper. Pike fisted her skirt in both hands and jerked the fabric up around her waist. Looking over her shoulder, Laleh watched him take his stiff cock in hand and guide it toward her body. She bent forward, angling her ass up as she shifted forward in her heels. When the head of Pike's penis drifted teasingly between the cheeks of her buttocks, she moaned. He always teased her there, sometimes going so far as to brush his finger over the hidden pucker, but had yet to make any move to take her in that way. She'd fantasized about his cock filling her ass, stretching her.

Pike’s cock slipped between her juicy folds. With one quick thrust, he fully sheathed himself in her wet heat. Laleh whimpered and rocked her hips. Pike pumped fast and hard. There would be no sweet caresses or soft words today. This was fucking for the sake of an orgasm. And she loved it.

Laleh reached down and touched her throbbing clit. Her thighs tensed as she squeezed her intimate muscles around Pike's cock. Every flick of the pink nub made her toes curl. The angle of Pike's thrusts drove her wild. With every stroke of his cock, he bumped her G-spot. He moved closer, his chest against her back, panting in her ear.

Laleh braced herself against the desk with one hand, her nails scratching against the shiny surface.

Heat invaded her lower belly. Her cunt quivered as she approached her orgasm.

Pike's fingers tightened on her waist, signaling his own eminent release. Laleh rubbed her clit furiously. "Uh. Uh. Unnhh."

Her orgasm engulfed her, the sensations overwhelming and breathtaking. Even as she shook with ecstasy, Laleh thought of Pike. Knowing how much he loved it, she slid her fingers away from her still throbbing clit and reached low, fondling his balls.

"Laleh!" Pike's growl echoed in her ear as he slammed into her pussy. His hot cum splashed inside her, filling her spasming channel with its warmth. She could feel his sac pulsing against her palm. He jerked twice, the most feral of groans leaving his throat.

Bodies rigid, they remained in their clenched position, Pike's hands around her waist, Laleh's fingers still cradling his balls. Pike shuddered and groaned as he pulled out of her.

She whimpered at the sudden loss of his cock. His fingers slid around the side of her neck and cradled her chin. He turned her face gently and kissed her. "I love you, Laleh."

A satisfied smile curved her lips. "I love you, too."

Pike pecked her temple and stepped back. As he set himself to rights, Laleh's gaze fell on the
Hedonisma
pass. She picked it up and turned to face him. "Let's go this weekend."

"Are you sure?" He touched her cheek. "I don't want you to feel like you have to go there to prove some point. I want you go with me because you want to."

"I do want to go," Laleh assured him. "We can celebrate my newfound freedom. And try new things," she added in her most seductive tone.

Obviously interested, Pike moved closer. "Like?"

She rose on tiptoes and placed her lips against his ear. "I want you to fuck my ass."

Pike went rigid with apparent shock. She could actually hear him gulp. "If that's what you want…"

Laleh captured his smoky gaze. "I want it. I want it bad."

Pike clasped her derriere and yanked her close. His lips moved against hers as he spoke in a low growl. "Baby, I'm going to fuck you so good you won't be able to walk when I'm through with you."

As he devoured her mouth, Laleh shivered with delight. "Oh, god, yes…"

Tummy trembling with anticipation, Laleh glanced around the arrival deck at
Hedonisma
. A tiny frown of disappointment turned down the corners of her lips.

Everything looked so
normal
. Where were the scantily clad women and half-naked men?

What about the sex toy stores she'd heard so much about?

"What?" Pike inclined his head as he looked down at her.

She shrugged. "It's just not what I was expecting."

Pike laughed and curled his arm around her waist, pulling her close to his side. "The public areas are strictly non-sexual. All of the fun stuff happens behind closed doors or in designated areas."

"Oh." She felt a little foolish. Of course they'd want to separate sexual and non-sexual activities.
Hedonisma
was known for discretion, after all.

"Come on." Pike patted her backside. "Let's check in."

As Laleh fell in step beside her husband, she marveled at his newfound ease. Aboard the
Spica
or on Virgo, Pike wouldn't dare swat her ass in public. The occasional quick peck, a little hand holding and looped arms were the most PDA she managed to squeeze out of him when in uniform. She understood and respected the rules and regulations dictating his conduct and never pressed the issue. In private, Pike seemed always to be reaching for her. Laleh often wondered if it was simply because he craved her touch during the day.

As they approached the check in counter, Pike stepped away from her. Laleh raked her gaze over his civilian clothing, fully aware his freedom stemmed from the lack of identifying insignia. Although the sight of Pike in his uniform made her naughty bits tingle, the sight of Pike in jeans and one of his charcoal grey tees had her lusting after him. She couldn't wait to peel off his shirt and run her hands all over his chiseled abs.

Pike completed the registration process. His arm settled around her shoulders as he guided her through the crowded lobby and into a glass elevator. Laleh noticed the double takes from a few of their fellow riders. They'd obviously recognized Pike, possibly even pegged him as an admiral. She wondered if it was difficult for them to resist the urge to snap to attention and salute.