When Thruster’s luminosity steadies, he disconnects, gets up, and digs through cabinets. He pulls out a large set of cutters and snaps the cuffs and collar from his neck, then opens the ramp and drops them out the belly of the ship.
“Don’t you think we should go help them? Holo, Fury, and Coil?” I ask.
“No. I see you’re taking us to the available hangar. If that’s what Holo wanted you to do, then it’s best to do it. He sees things we don’t.”
“Literally?”
Thruster nods. “We’ll lay low for a few hours, until the search party gets turned around looking for us, then we’ll rejoin the fight.”
I take us down into the narrow channel between the trees and hover over the river until I see the hillside. “Where is it?”
Thruster points. “It’s shielded with chameleon skins.”
I ease us into the side of the mountain and watch as the rocks give way to a shadowed hangar. “Stars, I wish we had this cloaking capability in the asteroid belt. That would’ve saved a lot of lives.”
“I’m sure we can share some secrets if we all meet up again.”
“If?”
Thruster grimaces. “Hope is important, but we can’t disregard reality. We have a very big fight ahead of us if we hope to get free of this planet with anyone left.”
I set the ship down. Thruster unbuckles with me, then picks me up, and carries me into the back, to a small room with a single bed and a shower built into the side. “You are covered in blood.”
“Welvir, I think.”
His eyes widen. “So youareinjured?”
“I don’t think so.”
“I better check. Their saliva can literally burn. It’s acidic.”
Thruster helps me out of my destroyed vest, then my harness and suit and encourages me into the stall. He switches on the water and washes my skin, but I don’t see what has him so concerned. His hands are warm and gentle around my curves, and he checks every single one.
“We should wash your clothes,” he whispers in my ear as his hands caress my breasts, gently massaging them as he timidly works my bra off my chest. His teeth nibble the rim of my ear as he pulls me back against his body.
Thruster’s viciously erect between my ass cheeks, but he doesn’t grind into me like I wish he would. Instead, he slides a hand down my navel and slips a finger over my clit and between my folds.
His other arm snakes around my belly, and Thruster hugs me with a restrained sob against my neck.
Bracing his head against mine, I nuzzle his cheek. "I'm here. You're here. Whatever else is going on, let it go."
Thruster only hugs me tighter, and I realize I’m what he was worried about letting go of. He kisses the base of my neck and seems to find peace.
His hands travel over my hips, drawing my panties down. Then he gets on his knees, turns me around, and guides me against him.
Thruster lays me back in the water, trails affectionate fingers down my stomach, and just stares at me for a moment like he can't believe I'm here, bared before him. Then he leans over me and kisses me with such passion that I know I’ve found the only one for me.
“I never got to tell you...”
“You hesitated.” I crane up and kiss him. “Don’t hesitate again.”
Thruster frantically tears himself out of his harness and suit. I get up to try and help, but he’s already down to his synthskin. He crashes into me, and presses me against the shower stall, an engine on his back kicking on. We levitate just to the point that our feet aren't on the floor, and then he grabs me by the hips and spreads my legs to him.
The tip of his shaft is hot and wet as he guides himself into me. His girth stretches me with glorious, feverish pulses that rumble to the drone of his engine. Thruster keeps my feet near his legs, and I sense it's for the best as the engine in his lower back pops with raging hot thrust.
It launches his hips into mine with an exquisite amount of force, the perfect hit that buries him to the max, just a little too fast for me to adjust. I strain to accept him, and a moan of eroticpleasure escapes me. I clench around him as he bump-thrusts into me again.
"That's it," he says gently, taking my hands in his, binding them into one of his, and holding them over my head. He keeps us aligned with his other hand as he pumps faster.
