The second barb extended, and she cried out, her climax rushing towards her like a tidal wave. His thrusts became harder, more urgent, as the last barbs locked them together. The sensation of being filled so completely, of being held in place as he came with a roar that echoed through the cabin, sent her flying over the edge.
She collapsed forward, and he followed her down, careful not to crush her as he buried his face against her neck. They lay locked together, both breathing heavily, as the aftershocks rippled through her and he gently stoked her back again, up and down, in a soothing repetition that made her want to purr.
“You’re good at that,” she murmured.
“At what? The sex or the back-rubbing?”
“Both. All of it.” She propped her chin on his chest, looking up at him. “Although I was specifically referring to the way you make me feel like the most desirable woman in the galaxy.”
“That’s because you are.” He said it matter-of-factly, like he was stating an obvious truth. “Have you seen yourself? Soft and warm and responsive. You make the most incredible sounds when I touch you just right.” His lips curved. “Like that little gasp you made when I?—”
“Okay, okay.” Heat rushed to her cheeks. “I don’t need a play-by-play.”
“Are you sure? I was quite thorough. I could narrate.”
“I was there. I remember.” She swatted his chest lightly. “Smug bastard.”
“Guilty as charged.” But his smile softened, his hand coming up to cup her face. “You’re beautiful, Emma. Inside and out. Never doubt that.”
The tenderness in his voice made her throat tight. She turned her head, pressing a kiss to his palm.
“I should check our route,” he said reluctantly. “We’re due to drop out of hyperspace in a few hours.”
“I know.” She rolled off him, stretching luxuriously. “Go. Be captain-y. I’ll look after Ari.”
He swung his legs over the side of the bed, and she took a moment to appreciate the view—all lean muscle and golden fur and that tail swishing behind him. He caught her looking and raised an eyebrow.
“Keep staring at me like that and we’ll never leave this cabin.”
“Would that be so bad?”
“Terrible. We’d starve.” He pulled on his trousers, then leaned down to kiss her forehead. “I’ll be back soon.”
She watched him go, a smile playing on her lips. Then she lay back against the pillows and let herself simply... be.
The cabin had changed over the past three days. Her clothes hung next to his in the small closet. A stack of data pads sat on the bedside table, filled with Galactic Standard lessons she’d been studying. A mobile Doren was making for Ari was half-assembled on the desk.
Home,she thought.This is starting to feel like home.
It shouldn’t have surprised her, but it did. She’d spent her whole life craving stability and a place to put down roots. Her father’s constant wandering had left her desperate for the opposite—a cottage with a garden, a job she loved, and a community where people knew her name. She’d built that life for herself on Earth, carefully and deliberately, brick by brick.
And then aliens had snatched her away, and everything she’d built had crumbled to dust.
But here, on this ship with its recycled air and humming engines and battered hull, she was finding something she hadn’t expected. Not the life she’d planned, but a life nonetheless. A family cobbled together from circumstance and choice. A purpose that mattered—protecting Ari, supporting Doren, and discovering the secrets of an ancient civilization.
Maybe home isn’t a place,she thought.Maybe it’s the people you’re with.
The thought was both comforting and terrifying. Because people could leave. People could disappoint you. People could chase their obsessions into the darkness and forget to come back.
But Doren had come back for her. Again and again, he’d chosen her. And maybe that was enough to build a foundation on.
A soft chirp from the crib in the connecting room interrupted her musings. Ari was waking up, her small fists waving in the air as she announced her presence to the world.
“Good morning, little one.” She rose and went to the crib, lifting the baby into her arms. Ari’s dark eyes fixed on her face, and her tiny mouth curved into what she had decided was definitely a smile. “Did you sleep well?”
A burble that might have been agreement.
“That’s good. Because we have a big day ahead. We’re going to find another one of those Keys today. Maybe someone else like you.” She bounced Ari gently. “Wouldn’t that be nice? A friend for you to play with?”
