Chapter 12

Lauren woke smiling and stretched languidly as she remembered the previous evening. She still couldn't quite believe she'd had the nerve to invite Krestar to join her in the shower but it had been worth the embarrassment. Between his hands and his mouth and his tail - that wonderful, unique tail - she'd climaxed harder than she ever had in her life.

Would it have been even better if he'd been inside me?

The thought sent a pleasant flutter of arousal over her body. But was she ready for that level of intimacy? Yes, she decided. Not only ready, but eager.

Even though it can't last, her more practical side wondered.

The reminder that they would eventually be separated made her heart ache, but it didn't change her decision and she quickly pushed the thought aside. There was no point in worrying about an eventual separation when the ship wasn't even operational yet. And they still had to find Felicity. The reminder made her frown as she climbed out of bed and dressed.

The baby responded to her movements, a tiny foot nudging her ribs.

"Soon," she whispered, placing her hand on her stomach.

If the baby arrived before she returned to Earth, Krestar would get to meet her daughter. The thought pleased her, even if the actual process of giving birth under the circumstances was rather nerve-wracking. She continued to stroke her stomach thoughtfully as she made her way to the lounge.

Krestar was standing by the galley, frowning.

"Good morning," she called, her heart sinking when his shoulders tensed. "Is something wrong?"

Oh, lord. Did he regret what they had done? He'd seemed to be as lost in the pleasure as she had been, but maybe she'd been wrong. To her relief he shook his head and came to her side, his tail pulling her closer.

"No, d'jeri. That is - do you have any regrets?"

"About last night? None at all. I've never experienced anything as wonderful."

His face softened even more.

"Nor have I."

"Even though you didn't climax?"

And the erection pressed against her was as rigid as it had been last night.

"Yes. Giving you pleasure is more important."

Something about his statement worried her, but before she could delve into it, her stomach rumbled. She'd fallen asleep before eating dinner and she was suddenly starving.

"Sorry. I guess I'm hungry."

Guilt washed over his face.

"I should have woken you and insisted that you eat last night."

"I'm glad you didn't," she said firmly. "I had a wonderful sleep. But you can feed me now," she added hopefully, and he relaxed enough to smile.

"Of course. Would you prefer soup or the hot grain dish?"

"It's too early for soup."

"Very well. Please sit while I prepare it."

She complied, watching him move easily around the galley.

"You should teach me how to do that. You shouldn't have to make all our meals."

"I do not mind. It is an honor for a Cire male to care for his female."

His female?

The words hung in the air between them and even though he didn't turn around, his shoulders tensed again. Did he regret saying it? Or did he expect her to deny it?

I don't want to deny it. She liked the idea far more than she should, knowing there was no future for them.

"Caring should be mutual," she said, tacitly ignoring his claim and doing her best to keep her voice light.

"Perhaps." His tone was equally casual, but his shoulders relaxed.

He brought her bowl as well as one of his own and watched approvingly as she eagerly devoured the food. Stomach happy, she smiled at him.

"What's the plan for today? You said I could help."

"You may if you are certain you wouldn't rather rest?"

She rolled her eyes at him.

"A person can only do so much resting. Unless you were planning on helping me again?"

He shuddered, his shaft flexing beneath his uniform.

"Do not tempt me, d'jeri. Work must come first."

First? Did that mean pleasure would come next?

"If you insist." She traced a light, teasing finger down his chest, then returned to the previous subject. "I know it's important to get the engines fixed, but I wondered if maybe we could spend some time on the sensors as well?"

"In order to search for your friend's pod? Unfortunately the station's hull would render them ineffective, even if they were working."

His argument made sense and she nodded reluctantly.

"There is one other alternative," he said after a brief hesitation. "The station would have been equipped with sensors as well. It is possible that they are still active."

"Could we go and see?"

An even longer hesitation this time.

"It would not be a quick trip," he said finally. "That type of system is usually located deep within the station and it is unlikely that all of the transportation systems are still working. And after what happened yesterday, I would need to make the trip in a mask."

"I could wear a mask too," she suggested eagerly, but he shook his head.

"It would be safer for you to remain onboard the ship."

She wanted to argue, but he was probably right. Which meant she would be on the ship alone while he was gone. What if something happened to him? The thought made her chest literally ache and he gave her a concerned look when she pressed her hand against her heart.

"Is something wrong?"

"N-no." Her voice shook a little, but she managed a smile. "Maybe it would be better just to wait until we're back in space."

"In that case we should get to work."

They spent the rest of the morning working. She cleaned each section as he removed the damaged components, then helped him fit the replacements. With the two of them working together, they made good progress. She should have been pleased but as the morning wore on, she felt increasingly uneasy. The shadows at the edges of the hangar seemed to writhe and twist like living things and the noises they had heard yesterday seemed louder and more frequent.

She edged closer and closer to him, casting frequent nervous glances over her shoulder. She couldn't tell if she was simply spooked or if there was some real danger lurking in the shadows. Then a dark shape began to materialize at the far end of the hangar, followed by another, then another.

"Krestar," she whispered, but he'd already turned in that direction, his hand on his weapon as the figures approached.

Two of them resembled the ghosts she'd been imagining, their skin and hair pale, almost translucent, while their eyes had an eerie blue sheen. The third was very different. A head larger than the other two he almost matched Krestar in both size and musculature. He carried himself with the same controlled energy, the same military posture.

The similarities ended there. He had deep purple scales that reflected the flickering lights overhead and his eyes were silver with vertical, cat-like pupils. His face was angular and elongated, gleaming white fangs bracketing his mouth, and a series of small sharp spikes ran down his forearms and the lower part of his legs. Unlike Krestar's neat, dark uniform he was flamboyantly dressed in a leather harness bristling with weapons and loose knee length pants in a vividly colored pattern.

He's a pirate, she decided immediately, even though she didn't even know if they even had pirates in space. Her conviction only strengthened when he came to a halt a short distance away and grinned, flashing very white, very sharp teeth.

"You're trespassing on my station, Cire. Are you prepared to pay the price?"