* * * * *
Stag used Nala’s shoulder to muffle the sounds he made as his semen emptied into her pussy. His entire body quivered from the strength of the release. He’d had to use his implants a few times to deaden the feel of her. She sheathed his dick too well and he would have ejaculated too fast otherwise.
He’d brought her to release three more times since he’d put her on his lap. The third time, he’d known she couldn’t take any more. Her body had been trembling too much. He’d let go of his control at that point, finishing them both off for the evening.
“Do you want me to make you come again, Nala?”
“Can’t,” she weakly mumbled.
He smiled. “Was that hot enough for you?”
She didn’t answer, and he realized she’d already fallen asleep. He gently reached down, adjusted her leg he’d kept pinned over his, and laid it over her other one. He withdrew his dick from her body and reached up, using one hand to untie her wrists. She’d sleep for hours without waking. He’d worn her out.
He connected with the computer, adjusting the temperature again. He’d cooled the room while they’d been having sex but now he raised it so she wouldn’t get cold.
He need to move her head off his arm but hesitated to do so. He shifted his body just enough to snag his pillow, draw it closer and shove it under his head. He carefully put his other arm around Nala, dragging her close. It took one more adjustment to drag her pinned arm down so he wasn’t resting on it anymore.
It would be logical if he continued to keep her tucked against him. He’d wake if she tried to get free of his arms, alerting him to any danger she may pose. He gazed down at her. She wasn’t big or strong enough to hurt him, as an Earther. Not without a weapon.
She lowered her arm in her sleep and tucked it near her chest, but her fingers curled around his wrist. The weight of them felt nice. Everything about having her this close, their skin pressed together, was pleasant. He imagined ending his shift and coming to his quarters to repeat what they’d done on a daily basis.
The knowledge also came that Nala had thoroughly corrupted him. Earthers were not to be trusted, but he had already considered keeping her. He wanted to roll away…but he just couldn’t do it. He wanted to hold her for a little bit longer.
It would be the last time. In the morning, he’d do whatever it took to shut down the attraction he felt toward her. He was Stag. Not some foolish lovesick cyborg with a death wish.
Nala was a distraction he didn’t need. The crew was at risk. The Markus Models wanted to create conflict with Earth. He and his crew were routinely sent on the most dangerous missions. It was why he only accepted single men with no family units on his shuttle. She needed to be transferred off the Varnish.
It was settled. He’d get them out of the dead zone, then fly straight to Garden. She’d be out of sight, and would no longer be a temptation.
Chapter Nine
Stag noted the way Nala moved after she’d exited the cleansing unit and took a seat on the bed. “Tender?”
She seemed surprised at his question when she looked up. “I thought you weren’t talking to me. You showered, dressed, and just pointed for me to do the same.”
“Answer me.”
“A little.”
He might have been too rough with her. “Do you need a medic? Are you hurt?”
“You’re big. I think a few muscles got pulled last night. It’s not exactly like I’m used to having sex, especially that much of it at once. But I’m fine.”
“Any bleeding?” The thought bothered him. She was an Earther. And a small one, at that. He should have been more aware of her frailties.
“No.”
“Did you check?”
“I’m fine, Stag. Stop, or I’ll think you care about me. You wouldn’t want that.”
“I’ll have food brought to you. I need to go on shift. Today, we’re leaving the dead zone.”
She stood. “What are our chances of actually getting out?”
“Good.”
“Is that the truth?”
“I don’t lie.”
Her eyebrows arched, as if she didn’t believe him.
“You’re on a ship with cyborgs. We’re careful with our calculations.”
“You’re saying you’re smarter than all the other people who have been lost out here, right?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll buy that. Will you com me and let me know how it goes?”
“I’ll return when my shift is over.” He spun toward the door. It opened but Nala grabbed his wrist with both of her hands. He halted and turned, staring at her. “What?”
“Can I go with you?”
“No.”
“Your hours are always different. You could be gone a really long time. I don’t want to just pace around your room and worry. Please?”
“No.”
“Have a heart. Actually, I know you have one. I’ve heard it beat. There’s nothing to do in here. You don’t have books, no entertainment system, nothing. You say you don’t want to be cruel to me, so allow me to go with you. I’ll be on my best behavior. I’ll worry and go nuts just pacing in here.”
He stepped away from the door, pushing up against her, and it closed them inside. “Why would you worry whether we get out of the dead zone or not, when you’re confined to my quarters either way?”
“I’m going crazy in here. Ever hear of confinement sickness? I spent a lot of time in my quarters on the Pride but I had things to occupy my time. I know you don’t want anyone to know we’ve done more than just sleep together on your bed. Is that it? I could have told Maze, but I haven’t. And I won’t. Your secret is safe. Please let me go with you.”
“For what purpose?”
“There are three hundred and twenty-six tiles on your ceiling. I know. I’ve counted them more than once. I can tell you how many drawers I’ve found that aren’t clearly defined. I’ve touched every part of the walls where I could reach. Not to snoop through your stuff, since most of them are locked, but because I had nothing else to do. I’m going crazy, Stag. Please? I just want out of this room. I’d rather watch paint dry than stay in here for another day. At least the color of it changes in slight variations after hours.”
“You would be a distraction I can’t allow if I took you to Control with me.”
“I won’t say a word. I’ll be quiet. Shove me in a corner and I’ll sit on the floor.” She released his wrist with one hand and placed it over his chest. “I’ll do whatever you say. No argument. You give me an order and I’ll do it. Done.”
He peered into her eyes and his thoughts instantly went to a sexual request. His lips parted but he refused to say it.
“Tell me to jump, I’ll jump. Want me to stand on my head? I’ll do it. Just please don’t leave me in here.”
Blood rushed to his dick and desire ignited. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and he couldn’t resist. “Would you drop to your knees and open my pants?”
He’d surprised her. Her eyes widened but then her cheeks turned a little pink. “I’ll blow you if you let me tag along with you today. I owe you for last night. I’m not as expert at oral sex as you are, but I know the basics.”
Stag instantly killed his emotions instead, shutting down his physical arousal with his implants when a hail came through. It was a buzz in his head that let him know one of his crew was politely attempting to reach him. He tore his gaze away from her and reached out, pressing his hand on the pad to open coms.
Kelis spoke. “We’re got our solution and are ready for you to evaluate it.”
“I’ll be right there.” He cut coms by lifting his palm off the pad, and then looked at Nala again. “You may go with conditions. Are you ready to hear them?”
“You have my full attention.”
“You do not speak or move around. It will distract my crew.”
“Done.”
His gaze lowered to her mouth. She had a soft, sweet one. He couldn’t wait to d
iscover what it would feel like when she gave him oral sex.
It was a bad decision, taking her with him to Control, but he wasn’t going to pass up the payment. Cyborg women didn’t give oral sex, and the sex bots on stations had felt nice but they weren’t sentient. They had been programmed with motion patterns that he detected while he’d made use of them. Nala would be a unique experience.
It was easier to think of it that way, as opposed to the fact that he just wanted her to touch him again.
“You do everything I say without argument or hesitation.”
“I swear.”
He placed his hand over hers on his chest, trapping it there. “When we’re off shift later, I get to evaluate your skill level of performing oral sex.”
Pink fused into her cheeks again but she didn’t hesitate to nod. “It’s a promise.”
“The crew is not to know we’ve had intercourse. Don’t speak to them.”
“I understand. Does it embarrass you?”
He couldn’t miss the way her mouth tightened, almost into a frown.
“I’m their commander. It’s my job to avoid discord amongst my crew.”
“You think they would get upset that we had sex because cyborgs distrust anyone from Earth? Maybe think you were some kind of traitor?”
“They might want equal access to your body.”
She paled and her body stiffened.
He felt guilty, identifying her fear. That scenario was possible but he mostly didn’t want to deal with their comments. His crew tended to express their thoughts. “It’s best if they don’t know.”
“I won’t say a word.”
“Let’s go. You stay at my side and do as I say. You break your word, and I’ll have you escorted immediately back to my quarters. Clear?”
“Yes. Thank you.”
He released her hand and shrugged her other one off his wrist. “No touching.”
She backed up. “I’ll glare at you a lot. How is that?”
He wasn’t certain if she was trying to make a joke or if he’d angered her for real. “That’s fine. Let’s go.” He opened the door and allowed her to follow him to the lift. She’d get a better idea of what kind of shuttle class the Varnish was, but it wasn’t as if she was a security risk. She’d be taken to Garden, not to an Earther station, where she could report everything she’d learned about cyborgs to their authorities.
They made a quick stop and he got her some power bars and water. He led her into Control after she downed them and pointed to a seat in the corner. “Sit there.”
She spun, walked to it, and seated herself. He noted Kelis, Parqel, and Hellion appeared astonished by her presence. Stag took his own seat and laid his hand on the pad, reading the information they’d assembled for him, double checking their calculations.
“Hello, Nala.” Hellion broke the silence. “You look lovely today.”
“Silence,” Stag ordered. “She’s not here. Ignore her.”
Hellion frowned at him. “But she is.”
He shot him an infuriated look. “I decided she’d be safer here than in my quarters. This area is more protected if we suffer massive damage. Now face forward and pay attention to your station. Today is not a day to become distracted. Am I clear?”
Hellion nodded, turning in his chair. “Of course. Don’t say it. I know. Turn off my emotions.”
Stag sighed. “We need to be at our best.” He had the countdown show on the main screen. “We’d all like to see home again. Do not forget our number-one priority on every mission we take.”
“Agreed,” Kelis stated.
“Protect our people,” Hellion grunted. “Against those skin droids, in this case.”
Parqel spoke softer. “I always expected to die, but not like this, trapped in dead space. We’re getting out of here. I swore I’d be taken out during battle.”
“You might get your wish,” Stag reminded him. He placed his hand on the pad again, calling the rest of his crew to Control. They came, expecting the order.
Yammer and Veller had two large bags each slung over their shoulders and took positions at the back of the room, near the doors. They touched the emergency panels and buckled themselves against the bulkheads, standing. Stag noticed the confusion on Nala’s face.
“They aren’t here for you,” he informed her. “We’re going to leave the dead zone. I have faith in our skills.” He said that to all of his crew. “The Markus Models could be out there waiting for us the moment we exit. Every weapon aboard our ship is here for us to use if we’re boarded.”
The doors opened and Maze entered, two large kits in hand. He nodded at Stag and took one of the chairs, securing his medical equipment against his console so they wouldn’t move if they took heavy damage or lost gravity.
Stag faced the front screen. “Buckle in tight.” He noticed Maze had followed his directive, two weapons strapped to his thighs. He held the medic’s gaze. “You know your orders.”
Maze jerked his head in the affirmative, grim.
“Don’t shoot me twice,” Hellion muttered. “Make the first one count if you have to kill us to avoid capture.”
“I promise,” Maze swore.
Stag didn’t envy the medic’s position at that moment. He was supposed to save lives, not be ordered to take them if they were going to be captured. “We must protect Garden at all costs.”
Nala swallowed hard and tightened the belts that strapped her to the seat. She had followed the conversation—and wished she hadn’t. The cyborgs weren’t next to the doors to keep her from escaping. They were there to protect Control if those skin droids that had murdered her crew managed to dock with Stag’s ship. And Maze was under orders to kill them all if he was left with no other choice.
As a captain, she understood. She’d given her crew the same order if they’d ever been boarded by pirates and all hope was lost. Nala had decided a fast death at the hand of one of her crew would be more merciful than being raped and held captive to birth a mutant. All reports stated most captured women died during childbirth, but some lingered for months after, dying agonizing deaths from radiation poisoning.
Stag’s reason for giving that order was different. Cyborgs had information that would put their home planet’s location at risk. It was Stag’s job to make certain that never happened.
They had a countdown showing on the main screen at the front of the small room, though their Control was bigger than the one on her ship. She watched the time pass, keeping her word to be silent. The cyborgs spoke in hushed tones, checking systems and preparing for whatever they were going to do.
The Cyborgs were very different from her crew. Her men would have been filled with nervous chatter, sharing raunchy jokes to break tensions, and lots of cursing would have gone down if they believed an attack was imminent.
Part of her was filled with awe. Stag’s calm attitude set the tone for his crew. He was a great captain. Her respect for him grew.
“Prepare,” Stag finally stated. “We don’t know what will await us out there but I have faith in every single one of you. Be aware of the systems under your control. They will attempt to hack us, and they have a habit of targeting nonessential systems. Are you ready?”
The mood changed in the room and Nala could sense it. It wasn’t fear but more of a determination. Every cyborg was prepared to die defending each other and the ship. Maze would only take their lives if they were overrun by those flesh bots.
A shiver ran down her spine, wondering if he was under orders to shoot her too.
She hoped so. Those things probably wouldn’t tie her to a bed to use as bait a second time. Stag had told her they’d killed one of her men by dissecting him while he was still alive. Being shot sounded kind in comparison.
She gripped her belts as the engines came online, the vibrations growing stronger.
“On zero.” Stag paused. “Be prepared for some jarring. Our stabilizers will experience a slight delay.”
Hellion spoke. “They weren’
t designed for this.”
“No, they weren’t,” Stag agreed. “The Varnish is tough though. We’ve keep it in excellent condition.” He paused. “Mark. Three. Two. One.”
In the next instant, Nala was thrown back against her seat. The floor under her and the chair shook, and she realized what they’d done. Stag had powered up the engines and they’d gone from a dead stop to a full burn. That maneuver would have been impossible on the Pride. Her older transport would have incurred massive damage.
The stabilizers kicked in and everything stopped shaking, restored enough so she didn’t feel the forward motion.
“One solar panel broke loose but it’s nonessential,” Kelis stated. “No other damage registering.”
“Keep monitoring,” Stag ordered. He began to count down again from nine.
Nala wondered what they were going to do next. She kept quiet though, knowing their lives depended on getting out of the Pitch. They’d eventually run out of food, water, or the ship’s systems would begin to break down if they remained inside, unable to ever dock somewhere.
“Brace,” Stag warned, instead of saying zero when he reached it.
The belts dug into her hard, her body thrown forward as he reversed thrusters. She watched on the monitor as their course changed, Stag turning the ship. It began to shake and rattle, the stabilizers and gravity having difficulty compensating for the violent changes in speeds. Neither went out completely but she could feel the roll. It made her stomach queasy.
A loose item, the size of her hand, slid across the floor, then up the wall, and she knew it wasn’t her imagination. The entire ship was in a sideways spin.
“Now,” Stag rasped.
She was thrown back against her seat again and the item came sliding along the floor toward her feet. She identified it as some kind of pad attachment, a metal clipping device. She lifted her feet and it missed hitting her toes.
The cyborgs were crazy. They’d taken off fast, came to a complete stop, and were now full burning again.
She closed her eyes, braced her feet, and clung to her belts. The pressure of her body being shoved into the seat eased, and she dared watch what was going on again.