5. Jovi

five

Jovi

T wo days. It's been two days since Sloane joined our little crew. Two days since we hyper-jumped out of the Milky Way to the closest star system near our rendezvous point with the human smugglers.

We still have at least two weeks until we get to the meeting point, and then, once we're there, however long they want to keep us waiting. The only time that I'm keeping track of is the minutes until the three-day acclimation period is over.

Sloane's currently sitting on a barstool in the kitchen, laughing and chatting with Essa like she loves to do. She brought ingredients from her home to make us cookies, which we all loved so much that we made her use up all of her ingredients in just two short days.

I've decided that as soon as we make it back to a port, we'll add human food to the food synthesizer on board. I doubt they'll be as good as Sloane's, but it'll be something to remind us all of her when she's no longer part of the crew.

"You coming in, or you just standing out there like a weirdo?" Essa snaps her fingers at me, dragging my attention away from the pretty slope of Sloane's neck.

Of course, Sloane seems to notice this. Even worse, she notices the violet blooming across my chest. A sign of my arousal that I wish would stop showing up every time I'm around her. It doesn't help that it's been so long since we had pleasure crew, and the three-day waiting period is usually manageable because the female stays in her room, not wanting to have any sort of relationship with anyone on the crew unless needed.

I do prefer the needy ache in my balls to the cold shoulder we'd get from previous pleasure crew members. If this is my punishment for getting to be near Sloane, it's well worth it. I'll ache and ache for her so long as I get at least a taste of her when the time comes. Even more if she keeps wanting to be around me.

"What are you making?" I ask, stepping inside the kitchen so the door can close and leaning against the wall.

My question is directed at Essa since she's the one behind the counter cooking something, but my eyes stay on Sloane. The way she smiles up at me like she's happy to be near me. It causes a strange feeling in my chest that I worry will never be replaced when she leaves us after this mission.

I force the thoughts away, not wanting to think about the end of this mission when we're just barely beginning. I need to enjoy every moment I have with Sloane. I can mourn her absence when she's actually gone and not a moment before.

"It's a dish from my planet that I told Sloane is very much like her cookies in how my people like them." Essa gives me a twisted smile that tells me neither of us is going to like whatever her version of a cookie is.

"She's having the machine make it," Sloane adds. "I told her it doesn't count because she can't add love to it. What good are cookies with no love?"

I frown, confused by what Sloane's saying. "You can't add love to a dish."

At least, I've never heard of adding love to something. Maybe it's a mess up in my translator. Maybe she's talking about a human herb or spice that's well-known on her planet and not the feeling of absolute belonging one can find in another.

"Yes, you can." Sloane cocks one of her eyebrows at me, and I try not to laugh at how silly the things seem. She looks better with them, though. It makes up for her lack of a third eye that's missing from the middle of her forehead.

I've never been with a female who's not from my species, so I never gave myself a chance to wonder if I found any other species attractive. I'm finding that I definitely find human females very attractive, even if they lack a pair of arms and a whole eye.

There's something enticing about Sloane's body. Maybe it's that she looks so soft or that she most definitely looks like she needs someone to keep her safe and protected. There's also the voluminous excess of her chest and backside that I'm not used to seeing since our females normally have more muscular frames until they swell with young.

Mine and Alik's intrigue in her hasn't been helped by the reading material the pleasure crew company sent to make sure we're aware of the physical differences between Varon females and human females. We've been studying it frequently so we don't make ourselves look foolish when Sloane finally allows us the pleasure of her body.

"Is love an herb?" I ask, moving closer to Sloane. I've tried to keep my distance since I'm supposed to treat her as a human crew and not a pleasure crew until she turns her pendant back on. It's so hard not to be near her when she makes talking to her so easy. "I think there's a translation issue."

"No." Sloane swats at my chest with one of her delicate human hands.

When she lets her hand linger on my chest, I realize I've moved much too close. I'm practically pinning her to the counter with my body, my lower hands planted on either side of her body, my upper arms crossed over my chest, still trying to hide my arousal.

Sloane doesn't seem worried when I cage her in, and the growing pink that stains her cheeks makes me think that maybe she's feeling the weight of these three days of waiting like I am. Maybe she aches, too. That thought has my cock fighting for attention, but I manage to keep myself calm.

"Love is the feeling you have with other people you care for. It's warm and fuzzy and safe." Her pale blue eyes stay pinned on mine as she talks, her nails pressing against the soft fur of my chest, scraping softly to leave little trails.

I lower my face, knowing I'm playing a dangerous game with myself as I do it. Essa's still in the kitchen with us, though. If I go too far, she'll tell me. Worst case scenario, I tell Essa I'd do the same thing to her, and she would just kick my ass for doing it.

My voice lowers to a soft whisper as I respond. "Love can't be added to food, Sloane."

Yes, I'm playing a dangerous game right now, but the way Sloane's eyes widen, the slight catch in her breath as I speak, it makes all of it worth it. I don't get to hear her retort before Essa clears her throat. It's her version of telling me to back the fuck off before she pulls a dagger on me.

She's protective over the pleasure crew females, always has been, even though most of them never even speak to her. Sloane becoming her friend means she's even more protective of her. It makes it hard to work on slowly courting the female. Not that I can do anything once Sloane's interested in me. She'll leave our ship, move on to the next, or take her paycheck and live a pleasant life back on Earth.

What she won't do, because no one ever does, is stay on as our permanent crew. I can't even think about it, because it'll have my hopes getting too high. I'm asking to be hurt even more when she leaves by thinking about her choosing to stay.

I push away from the counter, turning around so I can readjust myself in my pants. Tomorrow can't get here soon enough. Once I've been inside Sloane, maybe I can get the all-consuming need to claim her out of my system and start being around her more often without the need to be as close to her as possible.

When I turn back around, lower hands covering my crotch, it's clear that the females know what I did. Not that I can care much since Sloane's here to handle it once her waiting period is over. By the look in her eyes I wouldn't be surprised if she isn't interested in handling it now.

"We're doing a movie night tonight," Sloane says.

Her eyes drop to where I'm covering myself. If Essa wasn't right behind her staring me down with a dagger twirling in her fingers, I might remove my hands and let Sloane see how she makes me react when I'm so close to her. The threat on Essa's face is clear that she'll not only cock block me, but she'll also cut off my entire cock if I don't give this human her three days to acclimate.

"Movies are nice." I lean back against the wall, hoping it shows Essa that I'm no threat, sexual or otherwise, to the human female we've all come to like over the last couple of days.

Holoth and Phial were understanding when Sloane told them she only wanted to be pleasure crew for Alik and me since it was her first time. I didn't even rub it in their faces, though I really, really wanted to. Sloane's gorgeous. I feel lucky she's even entertaining the idea of entertaining me.

Holoth and Phial have started treating Sloane as they do Essa. This also irritates me, but only because it means she acts friendly toward them. I'd prefer if the only males she ever interacted with were Alik or me, but I'm not as intense in those feelings as Alik is. I'm pretty sure he punches his pillow anytime he watches Sloane talk to Holoth or Phial.

Alik has holed himself up in our room for the last two days, saying something about needing to monitor the communication logs with the smugglers continuously. It's obvious to me, and probably everyone else, that he's trying to stay away from Sloane.

He's been hurting himself by watching Sloane through the security system. All of that watching but never being near her can't be good for his mental health. Again, he's been punching his pillow, so it's not going great either way.

Essa even had to ask me if Alik was unhappy with Sloane as a pleasure crew member because Sloane was worrying she wasn't doing her job well enough. I explained to Essa that Alik likes the little human way too much, and that's why he's been scarce.

After she asked me that, I went back to the room I share with Alik and tried to pick a fight with him for making Sloane feel so bad about herself. That's when I learned just how bad his little stalking problem was.

It worked out for him, though. Sloane did something that she made me turn my back to her for. I can only imagine what it was from the growl that vibrated through the entire ship yesterday. I'd be more jealous if not for how much I've been able to flirt with Sloane and how much she's reciprocated.

"I was hoping you'd get Alik to join us." Sloane's fingers fiddle with one another, and Essa rolls her eyes and puts the dagger back in its holster at her hip.

I only slightly regret telling her that Alik isn't disappointed in her because now she asks about him in ways that I wish she'd ask about me.

Maybe I make myself too available. Not that I don't want to be available for her. What if there's an emergency, a sex emergency, and she needs someone to make her orgasm? If I'm not near, it'll be up to Holoth or Phial, or gods forbid, Essa. No, I need to be near in case of such emergencies.

I offer Sloane a smile that I hope comes across as charming. I want her to find me charming, alluring, any other words that means she wants me in her bed and, even better, enjoys my company. I've never had a female to court, and I'm finding I enjoy it more than the act of lovemaking.

Okay, maybe not more, but it has been a fun game of chase that I think I'm winning.

"He'll be there if you want him to be."

"Well, I want him to be."

She fingers the pendant against her chest, and there's a hint of mischief in her eyes when she notices me staring at it. She can probably see the longing in my eyes, the desire for it to turn green so I can accept her offers of pleasure.

"It's ready!" Essa proclaims. Sloane jerks in surprise, and a growl bubbles in my chest at the look of distress that briefly crosses her face.

A burning sensation tears across my pelt around my wrists, causing me to rub at them to soothe the pain. Essa and Sloane both look at me with confused glares, but I'm too busy looking at my wrists and trying to figure out why they just felt like they were wrapped in heated shackles. I rub them again, circling all four to make sure I'm not hurt, and then finally look up at the females staring at me.

"What?"

"Which one of us were you growling at?" Essa puts her hands on her hips, narrowing her eyes at me like I've done her a great injustice.

"I don't know," I say, rubbing at my wrists and trying to forget the burn. "You scared Sloane, and I didn't like it. The growl just slipped out."

"Oh, so you do know." Essa shakes her head in disbelief. "You don't get any of my cookies then."

"Oh, thank the gods," I say loud enough for her to hear, which earns me even more daggers being mentally thrown at me.

I keep myself from laughing but swell with pride when I hear Sloane make a coughing sound to cover her own laugh. Essa looks over at her, a feigned look of betrayal forming on her face as she tries to milk this moment for everything it's worth.

"You don't get out of this," she says, taking the steaming pile of blue goop over to Sloane and holding it out to her expectantly. Sloane's laughter dies, and a look of uncertainty crosses her features before she can plaster a fake smile on her lips. "It is wonderful, I promise."

Sloane grabs the spoon that's stabbed into the goop and winces as the food, or what's supposed to be food, clings to it before it makes a suction sound and releases the spoon. I don't hide the horrified look on my face or how my tongue sticks out in disgust.

Sloane gets a small bit of blue goop onto the spoon, lifts it up, and slowly, oh so slowly, places it in her mouth. Her reaction is instantaneous. Her expression softens, her eyes close, and a small look of euphoria settles over her as a moan that has my cock swelling escapes her.

"Essa," Sloane groans the female's name, and I realize just how badly I wish it were me who gave her the food so that I could hear her say my name in that way. "This is amazing."

Sloane digs the spoon in, taking more of the mixture and eating it. Essa beams at the praise, turning to me and sticking her tongue out. I lift my hand and wiggle my little finger at her like she enjoys doing to us so often. It causes her to snort before turning back to Sloane.

"Enjoy your food," I say as I make to leave the kitchen.

As much as I would love to stay, I need to relieve myself after listening to Sloane enjoy her food. It's a testament to how much she can get me worked up in just a couple of days. Normally, I can wait out the acclimation period without issue, but Sloane and her befriending me have made it difficult.

"I'll make sure Alik is there tonight."

"I want you there too, Jovi," Sloane says my name with a sugary voice, but when I look back at her, there's nothing sweet on her face. No, she's pure seduction, tightly wrapped in a plush female body.

I know paying her even more attention right now will only make me lose myself more, but I'll tease and tease myself so long as it means she keeps talking to me like she is right now. Essa's back is to the both of us as she cleans up the food synthesizer, which only has my mind wandering as to how much I could get away with before she turns back around.

Sloane grabs some of the dessert goop onto her finger before bringing it to her mouth. I watch her tongue lick the blue goo, her lips wrapping around it and her cheeks hollowing. My eyes grow wide, wanting to know what else she'd be willing to give the same treatment.

Sloane pops the finger out of her mouth, a smile playing on her lips. "Will you come?"

I close my eyes, giving my brain a moment to process the question in a way that isn't sexual. Essa told us we have to treat Sloane like we would treat her, but that's becoming very difficult when Sloane acts so much different than Essa.

I push down all the quips about coming that are dancing on my tongue. Instead, I give her a noncommital grunt, a head nod, and then turn around before she can make me lose control.

"One more day," I mumble to myself, hoping I can survive one more day of her teasing without completely losing any chance of ever having a pleasure crew member again.