30. Sylas

THIRTY

I hadthe girl asleep in my arms. My girl. Life was… beyond my wildest imaginations. Never had I expected this. But now that it was here, I didn't want it to end.

Aurelia hadn't talked about what we'd found on the planet. Besides Brina, it was like she was ignoring the chip and piece of her dad's ship entirely. Until last night, she hadn't brought it up in days. And as much as I loved the sex, it was clear she was using me as a distraction.

Which was why I'd told her about the videos I'd uncovered. I'd never meant to hide them from her in the first place, but I'd been waiting for the right moment. Well, this was the moment.

Sliding into my room, the door closed behind me, and I breathed a sigh of relief. I couldn't imagine parting from her. But how could this end in anything other than disaster? What if everything fell apart? There were still almost five years left of the mission. Who knew what would happen during that time period?

And yet I trusted her. Implicitly. Deeply.

The attraction hadn't diminished. Not one bit. And yet it had morphed, too.

I laid her out on the bed, her lithe form draped out over my sheets, my t-shirt large on her frame. Brina chirped, jumping up on the bed next to my girl and curling up in a little ball. She made another little sound at me, looking up at me with those strange blue eyes, before laying her head back down on her tail.

"What are you doing to my heart?" I murmured, unable to drag my eyes away from her. She was making me want things I'd never wanted before. Things I'd decided I didn't want or need.

But now…

"Come back to bed," Aurelia murmured, her eyelids fluttering as she peered over at me.

"Okay, little star," I responded, sliding underneath the covers and pulling her tight against my body, wrapping my arms around her.

Within moments, I was fast asleep, with my entire world in my arms.

She zippedup her purple uniform top, covering up her creamy skin. Thankfully, they also hid whatever marks we left on each other, which was probably for the best.

I wrapped my arms around her stomach, looking at both of us in the mirror. She fit so perfectly in my arms. My chin rested on the top of her head, her entire body cradled by mine.

She let out a deep sigh, and I frowned, squeezing her hip. "What's wrong, little star?"

She turned to face me, biting her lip. "It's just…" Aurelia squeezed her eyes shut. "This sucks, you know? Not being able to go out. We're together, but we can't be together. Back on earth, we'd be going on dates. Doing couple stuff." I could hear the disappointment in her tone. "But you're the captain, and we can't."

"Rae…" I breathed out, brushing her hair back over her ear. I knew what she meant. It was hard keeping it a secret from everyone. Being with her, but not really being with her.

I'd never wanted a relationship, but now that I had her… I wanted everyone to know she was mine. That we were together.

Off-limits. That's what she was. Off-limits to everyone but me.

"You're mine," I said, bringing her lips to mine. Kissing her lightly. "You know that, right?"

She blinked up at me, those dazzling eyes—one blue, one green, with little flecks like stars—gazing up at me. "I mean, I hoped so." Her lips curled up in a little taunting smile.

"There's no one else. There's been no one else."

Aurelia rested her forehead against my chest. "For me too," she mumbled.

"Good." I played with the ends of her hair, letting her stay against me. "Because I don't intend to let you go."

She gave me a smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes.

Reporting to the bridge that morning was strange. For one, because I'd gotten so used to the same familiar view each day, and now we were back, moving deeper into space. Our first target planet was still two weeks away, but the knowledge that we'd left behind a place like that ate at me.

I'd had the remnants of her dad's ship lugged out of that cave system one day without Aurelia knowing, and now it sat in the research bay. We'd found a few other pieces of the ship as well, but not the entire vessel.

And as much as I wanted to continue to search for it, we had a mission. So I had to keep going. There were few decisions as the captain that I'd had to make that had been harder than this one.

I watched her out of the corner of my eye all day at her console. Wondering if she was really okay after my revelation last night. Wondering if she was ever going to talk about it.

My confessions from earlier sat in my mind, but I didn't know how to make sense of everything that I was feeling.

"What really happened down there?" Kayle asked me, quirking her eyebrow as she looked at Aurelia. Damn, it like she was reading my mind. I hated how perceptive my sister could be.

I shrugged. "It's not my place to talk about it."

"But she won't talk to me, either. Or Astrid. Or Violet. It's just…" She sighed. "You know I'm not good at this. Being friends with girls. But I like that they included me." My sister gave me a small smile. "I enjoy hanging out with them. But Aurelia's been pulling back, and?—"

Aurelia was withdrawn. I knew that. When was the last time she'd even hung out with the other girls? I hadn't meant to keep her all to myself, but maybe I was a selfish asshole and I'd been taking up all her time.

"Maybe you should plan something. A girls' night out, or something."

She quirked an eyebrow. "You realize the only place we can go out on a starship is to the bar, right? It's not like there's a club on board."

"Is that what young people do these days?" I asked, teasing her. "You'll have to fill me in, baby sis."

"I'm only two years younger than you," Kayle said, rolling her eyes. "And you know what I mean. We're not exactly a ship prioritized for fun."

But fun was exactly what my girl needed right now. A distraction.

"If you think you can set something up, I'll get her there."

She raised an eyebrow. "You?"

"I'm the Captain," I said, crossing my arms over my chest. "Do you think I can't tell one officer where to report without it being suspicious?"

"Well, when you put it that way…" Her lips curled up in a knowing smirk. "Then yes. I do think that."

I groaned, holding my head in my hands, trying to figure out how the hell I'd gotten myself into this mess in the first place.

My sister was a genius.Her and Lieutenant Alastair had turned the simple bar into something resembling a dance club back on Earth. They'd all gotten dolled up, wearing tight dresses I wasn't even sure where they'd found, with their hair curled and makeup done to the nines.

Aurelia looked beautiful. Gorgeous. They played hit pop songs from the last century, and the girls were moving their hips to the rhythm, dancing and swaying in the neon glow of the lights.

And I sat, sipping whiskey neat at the bar, because I couldn't touch her in public. Because no one else knew that we were together. Because we couldn't be together, not really, and I knew that fact was wearing on both of us.

But her comments from earlier had me thinking. We couldn't be together out in the open, but… that didn't mean we couldn't do things together.

After all, there was nothing wrong with a captain spending time with one of his officers. Alone, in a dark room… I shut my eyes, trying not to groan at the thought when a familiar scent made me perk up.

Aurelia. She was standing in front of me, her purple body-con dress hugging the curves I'd traced with my tongue, the skin I'd kissed practically every inch of.

"Thank you." Aurelia's cheeks were flushed with happiness, her eyes bright. "How did you know I needed this?"

"Just a hunch." I swiveled on my barstool to face her more fully.

Aurelia stepped between my legs and then seemed to remember how many people were around us. I stopped her from pulling away.

"We shouldn't…" Her voice was low.

"They're all drunk. No one's even paying attention."

She looked around and then gave me a nod when she realized I was telling the truth. No eyes were on us. Almost all of my officers were here, drunk off their asses. Tomorrow would be fun.

"Sylas…" Her words were low.

"Come on, baby," I said, wrapping an arm around her thighs. "Let's go to bed."

"But…" Aurelia's cheeks were pink. Cute. I wanted to kiss her so badly. But not like this.

Not in front of them. Not when I hadn't figured out how we were going to make this work yet. How we could be together without breaking every one of the federation's rules.

Still, she slid her hand into mine, letting me guide her back to the room that was feeling like ours, not just mine. Her scent was on my sheets, my pillow, her stuff was in my closet, and I was beginning to think she'd begun occupying a space in my heart, as well.

Placing a kiss on her neck,I unzipped the tight purple dress, stripping it off her body.

"Whose is this?" I asked, my voice rough. "Tell me you're not giving it back."

"Violet's," she responded, gathering up her hair as I flicked open her bra, letting those luscious tits spill free. I held one in each hand, massaging them lightly. "I won't." She let out a little moan, and I pressed myself against her ass, enjoying her little gasp as she felt how hard I was.

"Feel that?" I asked. My eyes met hers in the mirror, and she nodded, her eyes half-lidded. "Feel how hard I am for you? From seeing you in that little thing?"

"Yes," she gasped. I pinched her nipples, playing with them as I watched us through the reflection.

"Do you like this? Watching us?"

Aurelia nodded, and I pressed my lips to her pulse point, sucking it into my mouth. She was writhing, grinding against me, and I let my hand dip down to her black panties, creeping underneath her waistband.

"What do you want, little star?"

"Touch me," she begged. "Please."

I ran my finger up her slit before pressing it inside. So wet. "Were you thinking about me all night?" I asked, teasing her with the lightest of touches. "Dancing on the floor with your girls, dripping wet for me?"

"Yes." She wiggled her hips. "Sylas," Aurelia moaned, her hand gripping my wrist as I rubbed circles over her clit, getting her nice and wet for me. "More, I need?—"

"That's right, baby," I crooned, dipping a finger inside and stirring her up. "Get all messy for me."

With my free hand, I unzipped my pants, pulling out my cock and pumping it with my fist.

Aurelia gasped as I added another finger, pumping her roughly, crooking them to hit the spot inside that I knew would make her see stars. "I'm so close," she panted, her hips rocking against me as I fucked her with my fingers.

"Do you like that?" I asked her, my lips against her ear. "Coming undone on my fingers? Coating them with your cum?" Her pussy clenched down around me, squeezing my fingers. I felt like the luckiest asshole on any planet as she came, her head dropping back onto my shoulder and a low moan slipping from her throat.

"Just like that," I murmured, pulling my fingers out and licking her taste off of them. "Fucking delicious."

Quickly shedding my pants and boxers, I moved us in front of the mirror. "Hands up," I instructed. "Keep your legs closed for me."

She obeyed, still too lost in her orgasmic haze to be a brat. I slipped my length between her legs, knowing each time I pushed forward, I would brush against her clit. Her juices coated my dick, making it slippery.

"Fuck." I grit my teeth. Why did this feel so good? I wasn't even inside her yet, and I was already so close to spilling my load. But as much as this sensation felt amazing—my cock nestled between her thighs as I thrust my hips, relishing in the smooth slide of her skin—I didn't want this to be over yet.

"I need you inside," she groaned. "I'm so empty, please."

Pressing a kiss to her bare shoulder, I worked her higher and higher. "Beg me."

I groaned as she tightened her legs, pressing her thighs together more. My vision went white, and I almost came right then and there. Each time I passed over her clit, she gasped, and I added to that friction.

My lips dropped to her ear as I nibbled on her earlobe. "Where do you want my cum, my star? Your needy cunt or should I get you all sticky? Mark you up, rub it into your skin so everyone knows you're mine?"

She answered with a whimper. "Please, please, I need it. I need you."

"Where do you want me?"

"Inside. I need your cock, Sylas. Buried in my needy pussy. Please."

"Good girl." Grabbing her chin, I turned her head just enough so that I could kiss her lips, our tongues entangling in a sloppy kiss.

Then I helped her arch her back, pushing her legs apart with my knees, and positioned my tip at her entrance.

"Are you ready to take me, Rae? Every inch of this cock you love so much?"

She moaned as I pushed in, burying myself inside of her. My hands wrapped around her waist as I let her adjust to my size. Her warmth surrounded me, and fuck me, she was so wet. I was already coated with her release, which made the glide in even smoother. There was hardly any resistance, like she was sucking me in.

Fuck, this position was insane. I groaned, feeding her inch by inch as I watched her pretty pink cunt swallow me. I gripped her hips, burying my fingers in her soft, curvy ass.

"I'm obsessed with your body," I muttered, massaging it. "I can't get enough."

Holding tight to her, I slammed in the rest of the way, sheathing my cock in her tight cunt.

"And here I was," she started, letting out a series of sharp breaths as she arched her back further. "thinking you were a tits guy."

Nipping at her ear, I practically growled out, "Baby, with you, I'm an everything guy."

She hummed, wriggling on me to force me in deeper.

I laughed, smacking her ass lightly, a low moan slipping from her lips. Hm. I raised an eyebrow, smacking the other side, a sharp gasp slipping out from her lips. Fuck, I liked that.

"My brat likes to be spanked, does she?"

She looked back at me, eyes filled with lust and heat. "Yes," she said with a groan.

Picking up my pace, I pumped inside of her, wanting her to come again before I did.

"Are you close?" I asked, the sound guttural.

Could she tell how close I was to losing control? That being inside of her like this was the best I'd ever had? There was no comparison. It was like she was made for me. We fit perfectly, and I knew that there was no one else in the universe I would feel like this with.

She gasped as I rocked into her again. "Almost."

"Touch yourself," I murmured, wrapping my arms around her stomach to keep her upright. "Feel the way I'm fucking you."

"Oh my god," she groaned, reaching down with her fingers spread, and I watched her eyes in the mirror as she slid her fingers over the spot where I entered her. "You fill me so good. So deep. I can feel you everywhere."

Moving my hips, I felt her fingers rub on my shaft, sending me closer to the edge. I could feel myself growing harder inside of her, my balls tightening.

"Rub that clit for me, baby. Make yourself come."

That was all it took. She exploded, her inner walls milking my cock, squeezing it for everything I was worth. And I followed right behind her, keeping up with that steady rhythm, withdrawing before burying myself to the hilt once again. Once I was as deep inside of her as possible, I surged, letting my orgasm rip through me, the blissful feeling spreading through every inch of my body as I poured rope after rope of cum into her body.

Pulling out, I watched as it trickled down her entrance, dripping onto her thighs.

I was hyper-aware of the fact that I was quickly growing addicted to this. That without the fertility blockers, we would never have been connected like this.

But was it the caveman in me who liked the idea of filling her up? Flooding her womb with my seed? I groaned, kneeling down and pushing it back in with my fingers.

"So fucking hot," I said, entranced.

Aurelia's legs wobbled, and I scooped her up into my arms, carrying her back to bed.

"I think you've fucked any rational thought right out of me," she said with a yawn. "Not sure I'll be able to walk tomorrow."

"Good." I pressed a kiss to her shoulder. "Then maybe the other guys won't look at you."

"Possessive."

I growled. "Damn right I am. The only man who should look at you is me."

"Down, boy. They're not looking at me, anyway."

"What do you call Orion constantly leaning in close and always talking with you?"

"Sylas." Her laugh was melodic, and it eased some of the ache in my soul. "He's the navigator. I have to work with him. Besides, I think he has eyes for someone else."

"You do?" I raised an eyebrow. I hadn't noticed Orion spending any extra time with anyone… Had I?

"Mmm. But I was sworn to secrecy. Sorry."

"Not fair." I rolled on top of her, caging her in with my arms. "I'm the Captain. That means I should know about this."

She gave me a secret smile, her cheeks flushed with exertion. Aurelia extended her arms out for me in a hug.

"Come ‘ere," she mumbled, her eyelids fluttering.

I could tell she was close to sleep, and even though I knew we should clean up first, I couldn't help but pull her into my arms, letting every inch of our naked bodies press together.

Tangled up in each other, we both fell asleep before either of us could say goodnight.