Skyport Virgo 1 - Refuge (6 page)

Melanya regarded Laleh with interest. "You should consider going into policy work, Laleh. I think someone with your life experience would be rather useful in Federation legislation."

Laleh shrugged. "At this point, I'm open to anything. Well …
almost
anything."

Pilar laughed. "I think you'll be surprised at the opportunities you'll come across on Virgo."

"Absolutely," Melanya agreed. She sat back and traced the rim of her wine glass, her expression thoughtful. "Sexuality? That's a fascinating subject."

Pilar rolled her eyes and tucked strands of pink-streaked blonde hair behind her ear.

"Oh, here we go."

Amused, Laleh wondered where this was going. "Yes, I suppose it can be."

"Can be?" Melanya looked stunned. "Sex is the only constant in the universe."

"Don't forget gravity," Pilar said.

Melanya shot her wife an annoyed glance. "You know what I mean, Pilar. No matter where we've gone, we've always found other beings getting down and dirty. Granted, they might go about it differently than we do, but they're still getting it done. And getting it done well." Face flushed, she eyed Pilar. "Do you remember that seventy-two hour pass we spent on
Hedonisma
?"

Pilar's eyes widened with the memory. "How could I forget?"

Laleh watched the sexual tension between her hosts play out with some interest. Her curiosity got the better of her. "What's
Hedonisma
?"

As if remembering her presence, Melanya cast a confused glance her way. "Oh.

Hedonisma
is a vessel orbiting Venusianus that caters to the, uh, kinky whims of Spacefleet members on leave."

"I see," Laleh murmured, her imagination already in overdrive.

Eyes gleaming, Pilar suddenly sat forward and smacked Melanya's knee. "We should give them a few days on
Hedonisma
as a wedding gift!"

"Ooh!" Excitement filled Melanya's voice.

Laleh's belly clenched with anxiety. "Them? You mean us?" She made a face. "I'm not so sure…"

"Don't be silly." Pilar waved her hand. "You'll love it. What better way for newlyweds to sample all the delights of the flesh than an anything goes weekend on a pleasure ship?"

"For any other couple that might be true," Laleh said carefully, "but we're not like other couples."

Melanya frowned. "What do you mean?"

Laleh squirmed under their intense gazes. "We haven't … well … taken that step yet."

Both women looked shocked. Seemingly scandalized, Pilar broke the silence.

"You're serious, aren't you?"

Melanya shook her head in disbelief. "The Pike I know would have had a girl as gorgeous as you on her back in five minutes flat."

Laleh's eyebrows arched at this new piece of information about her soon-to-be husband. "Really?"

Melanya blanched. "Oh, Laleh, I didn't mean to imply that Pike is a womanizer. I just meant that he has a way with women."

"Obviously," Pilar grumbled into her wine glass. "He coaxed you into a nine month friends with benefits arrangement."

"That was six years ago, Pilar." Melanya frowned with annoyance. "And you can't blame me. There's just something about him, that voice, those hands—" She stopped short, her face aflame. "Oh God, Laleh! I'm sorry. You really don't want to hear this."

"It's all right," Laleh said with a reassuring smile. "Really."

Oddly enough, it was. Hearing about Pike's reputation and conquests wasn't as upsetting as it should have been for a fiancée. If anything, it piqued her interest.

Uncontrollable nosiness took hold, and she had to know all the juicy details. "So Pike is rather popular among the ladies?"

Melanya grinned and settled back onto the couch. "What would you like to know?"

"Oh, lord." Pilar groaned and shoved out of her chair. "I'm getting another bottle of wine…"

Hours later as Laleh lay on her side in bed, all buzzed and filled with warmth, she couldn't help but wonder if she should have left well enough alone.
Curiosity killed the
cat
, she silently reminded herself. While Melanya's tales of Pike's sexual antics were amusing and—quite frankly—arousing, Laleh couldn't shake the unsettling feeling of inadequacy.

Anxiety rippled through her belly. Pike had made it perfectly clear he would, at some point, bed her. The choice of when was hers, of course, but how long would she—could she—wait?

For some time now, Laleh's interest in her own sexuality, in finally taking the plunge into a carnal relationship, had been growing. Perhaps the negative environment of her childhood had impacted the natural evolution of her sexual urges, but Laleh truly hadn't had much interest in hopping in the sack with anyone until recently. There was something frightening about the idea of being so vulnerable to a man.

But over the last few months, it seemed she couldn't keep her thoughts from wandering to the naughty side. As a teenager, Laleh's interest in sex had been more clinical. With her mother, sex was a forbidden topic. It simply wasn't discussed. Laleh had been too young to understand much of what her mother suffered and had been shielded from the uglier details, but she now understood that the things her mother had been forced to do were humiliating and painful. Among Hezman women, the idea of finding pleasure in sex was laughable. Because of certain ritual practices, Hezman women were incapable of even achieving pleasure in private, by themselves.

However, Laleh had escaped her homeland before she'd been subjected to the barbaric cutting customs. She was fully capable of reaching the heights of ecstasy. And she desperately wanted to share the experience with another person.

With Pike.

Her thighs clenched at the image of Pike crawling between her legs, plunging his hard cock right into her wet depths. She could see his muscular arms rippling with exertion, could feel his lips pressed to her neck. Laleh shivered as she fantasized about his tongue
right there
—licking her swollen clit until she shattered against his mouth.

She wondered what he would taste like if she took him into her mouth. Would he spill his cum against her tongue or pull out at the last second? The curious side of her hoped for the former. She wanted to know the flavor of his seed.

Mind afire with debauched thoughts, Laleh rolled onto her side and hugged a pillow.

For a moment, she considered slipping her fingers into her panties for a little relief, but the idea seemed rather wicked considering her hosts were in the next room. Instead, she shut her eyes and hoped her sinful thoughts would filter into her dreams.

* * * *

From his position at the raised dais of the bridge, Pike watched the simulations play out on the screens lining the
Spica's
control deck. The ship's engineers had already tested and retested the ship's systems over the last two weeks. Tonight's practice run was simply a last minute chance to work out all the kinks. With the battle simulations already complete, there was little left for Pike to do. He gave his staff their orders for the night and left the bridge for his quarters. Without a doubt, he'd receive an early morning alarm of some sort. These supposedly unpredictable simulations were actually anything but random.

As Pike neared his private rooms, he unzipped his jacket. The doors reacted to his presence and allowed him inside his sanctuary. Immediately his eyes were drawn to the yellow containers stacked in the far corner of the living area. Other than the items Laleh had listed to be sent to Melanya and Pilar's home, everything she owned now sat in that corner. All of the furniture she'd instructed him to leave, confident in the knowledge her neighbors would pick through and take whatever they needed or could sell.

Pike crossed into the kitchenette and grabbed a glass of water before heading into his office. He set his glass on his desk and peeled out of his jacket, tossing it on the nearby chair. Kicking off his boots, he activated his captain's log with a series of voice commands and took a seat behind his desk. He sipped his water and made the necessary notations in his log before scanning the latest updates in his inbox.

His evening routine complete, Pike gathered up his jacket and boots and left for his bedroom. The lights flicked on to his preferred dim setting as he entered the room. He dropped his boots at the end of his bed and headed into the bathroom. He quickly stripped and placed his clothing in the laundry chute.

Knowing a hot shower was just what he needed to wind down, Pike adjusted the water temperature a few degrees higher than he normally liked. The steamy heat of the shower amplified the scent of honey and almonds still clinging to his skin. Immediately his thoughts flew to Laleh. He wondered if she'd had a nice evening with Melanya and Pilar. Was she nervous about tomorrow? Having second thoughts perhaps?

Pike leaned forward under the pounding spray and ran his fingers through his wet hair. Although he was firmly settled in his decision to marry Laleh, he now had some worries about the feasibility of marrying a woman he hardly knew. At first glance, they suited each other well enough, but who knew about her quirks? Or his for that matter.

Would she make the adjustment to skyport life well? She'd lived a largely stable life on Earth. The switch to space life caused problems for some people. He doubted Laleh would be one of them but there was always the possibility.

Could she handle the highly publicized life of an admiral's wife? Would she thrive under the responsibilities and duties she'd inherit? Once they reached Virgo, Laleh would be subjected to a great deal of interest. She'd not only be expected to play hostess to various dignitaries but would be looked to as a sort of den mother by many of the cadets.

Other Spacefleet spouses would look to Laleh for guidance and support as well. There was so much more expected of her that Pike was certain he was forgetting.

And what about his needs? Pike played the part of the stoic officer well, but deep down inside, he craved something more. For so long, Pike had lived a solitary life. Yes, he was surrounded by people day in and day out, but as a high-ranking officer, his friendships tended toward the professional rather than the personal. Those he considered his closest friends had all been promoted and shifted to command ships of their own.

Even now, Pike was faced with befriending an entirely new crew. Some of the officers and enlisted assigned to the
Spica
he'd worked with before but most were new faces.

Pike yearned for a partner to share his burdens, someone he could trust with his darkest secrets and doubts. He needed someone who wouldn't judge him or think less of him for admitting his faults or his worries. Pike wanted a friend to support him when he had to make unpopular decisions. Could Laleh be that person for him? He hoped so.

A rich lather foamed between his hands, the familiar scent of his soap reaching his nose. As he spread the suds across his body, Pike's thoughts drifted back to Laleh—Laleh naked and spread out underneath him. His cock immediately stood at attention. Since that first glimpse of her, Pike had fought these primal urges. He found her so wildly intoxicating, he wondered how in the hell he was going to keep his hands off of her.

Pike respected her hesitance and meant everything he'd said about waiting for her to make the first move. The thought of Laleh giving herself to him out of some sense of misplaced gratitude made his stomach twist. No, he wanted her to come to him out of desire, not obligation. He just hoped she wouldn't hold out for weeks on end.

His hands slid down his stomach and wrapped around his cock and balls, slathering the skin with foam. What started out as simple cleaning soon morphed into something far more pleasurable. Eyes closed, Pike imagined Laleh kneeling before him, those pouting, slick lips suckling the head of his cock. She looked up him, blue eyes intense with desire.

He caressed her face as she bobbed up and down on his rigid length, her saliva shining on the flushed skin.

He stroked his shaft and fondled his sac, all the while replacing his hands with her mouth and fingers in his mind. Pike pumped his hips just a bit, bumping the back of her throat with his cock. Incredibly, she hummed as she accepted his penis into the warm alcove of her throat. The vibrations drove him wild. Muscles flexing, Pike inhaled sharply as the rush of orgasm hit him. His cum shot out of the end of his cock in ropy bursts, the cream splashing his hand as it worked the sensitive head.

Panting and incredibly relaxed, Pike leaned his face against the shower wall. If Laleh played the blushing virgin for too long, he'd be sporting a bodybuilder's forearm in record time.

Pike finished his shower and set out another uniform before sliding between the sheets. As he rearranged his pillows, he couldn't help but laugh at himself. Any other man would have been out carousing with friends and enjoying his last night as a bachelor. But not Pike. As always, it was duty first, self second.

If he ever had to choose between Laleh and his duty, he just hoped she'd understand.

Chapter Five

Laleh trembled, her nerves on edge as she waited for Pike outside the entrance to the office of the Justice of the Peace. Melanya and Pilar were already inside; Melanya to ensure all the necessary approvals and forms were in order, Pilar for moral support.

Thankfully everything was just fine. All they needed was a groom.

In her hand, Laleh clutched a simple wedding band. For a girl with a rather cheap price range, she'd made out incredibly well. Such were the perks of being neighbors and friends with a pawn shop owner. Looking at the platinum ring, Laleh didn't doubt for a second that Noozeen had taken a hit on his own bottom line to put the ring in her hand.

He'd been only too glad to help her and seemed genuinely happy that she'd found a way to solve her immigration and brother problem. On parting, she'd wished him well and offered her help if ever it was needed.

She caught her reflection in a floor-to-ceiling window and took a moment to check her appearance. Rather than worry about changing later for graduation, Laleh had chosen to slip into her new dress. Delicate black and white flowers printed on a soft silvery white background complemented her honey skin tone, the scoop neck of the sleeveless dress showing off just a hint of her bosom. The cut of the skirt showed off her trim waist and curves nicely. Black strappy heels tilted her body forward, displaying her toned calves and improving her posture.