Seeing Stars Read online

  Jarden kissed her throat and looked up at her. He had not yet softened inside her. He moved her, just a little, to slide a hand between them. His thumb pressed her clit.

  “What are you doing?” Milla asked, biting her lower lip at the pressure.

  Without taking his eyes from hers, he moved inside her. Small, subtle thrusts, barely rocking. “Clench down on me.”

  When she did, they both groaned. She tightened her internal muscles in time to the small press-press of his thumb and the barely discernable thrust of his cock inside her. Neither of them moved even enough for anyone watching to see, but it didn’t matter. It was more than enough.

  She murmured his name. Her fingers dug into his shoulders. It was impossible that this should build up ecstasy inside her again, but there was no denying that’s what was happening. Each tiny motion sent desire curling through her. Soon, Milla was moving faster against Jarden, who stayed still. She rode him, hoping he wouldn’t move, wouldn’t shift, wouldn’t make her lose the tenuous thread of climax beginning to unspool inside her.

  He didn’t. He gave her total control, and when she came with a cry, her body shaking and shuddering, he closed his eyes and echoed the sound of her pleasure.

  Breathless and boneless and utterly astounded, Milla relaxed in Jarden’s arms. She blinked. She tasted sweat on her upper lip. They breathed together, in time, and she started to speak, to say something, she wasn’t sure what, but the pounding on the door stopped her.

  Jarden gave her a smile, but his eyes looked bleak. “You’d better answer.”

  Milla nodded and untangled herself from him. On weak legs, she found her robe and pulled it on and went to the door. Her mind reeled from what had happened, at last, with a stranger. Not with a Pleasurebot, but with a man.

  She opened the door. Two uniformed men stood outside. She didn’t step aside to let them in.

  “Ma’am, pardon us, but we’re conducting a routine inspection.” The taller officer flashed a wrist tattoo Milla assumed was a badge, and then held up a holo-tablet with a scrolling list of numbered sentences.

  She didn’t have to read them to know they were the Newcity Standards. Milla let her robe gape open, just a bit, and tossed her hair over her shoulders.

  “Can’t you come back later?” She asked, sounding bored. “I’m in the middle of a hot fuck-and-suck. I mean, really, what sort of pleasure cruise is this?”

  The officers gave each other a glance. “If you don’t mind, ma’am, we need to inspect everyone here, even the fuck-crew.”

  These were the men who would take Jarden away, if they could, simply because he didn’t conform to their standards. Milla stared them down. She’d faced scarier sights. She’d undergone a union dissolution on Nidar, after all, where women had next to no rights, except for the one to run away.

  The shorter officer didn’t wait for her to step aside, but pushed into the cabin. Milla turned. Jarden had already gotten out of bed and pulled on the sleep pants. He stood, resigned. His eyes met hers. She couldn’t forget how it had felt to look into those dark eyes as pleasure burst through her. It was better even than seeing stars.

  “Identification?” The shorter officer was asking Jarden, but Milla did her own pushing to get between them.

  “Excuse me,” she said, “but take your hands off my field-husband.”

  The officers exchanged glances again. The taller one spoke. “Field-husband?”

  Milla nodded, her heart pounding. What would the punishment be for lying to a R.I. Op? Behind her, Jarden put his hand on the small of her back. She faced the officers.

  “That’s what I said.” She lifted her chin, affecting the haughtiest attitude she could with her knees shaking and her throat dry.

  “Do you have identification?”

  “I do.” She sniffed and took the folder of paper documents from their place in the nightstand drawer. “As you can see, I’m an official Homesteader, protected under the Homestead Council. This man is my field-husband.”

  She pulled out the sheaf of papers she’d honestly never expected to use. “And he’s also protected under the council. So unless you have a reason to suspect—”

  “No, ma’am,” said the taller and presumably smarter officer. Apparently even R.I.O. respected the Homestead Council. “We’re sorry for the inconvenience. It’s a routine check. Sorry to bother you.”

  “I’ll be filing a complaint,” Milla said to their backs as they headed out. “You’d better believe it.”

  When the door closed behind them, she let out the breath she’d been holding and sank onto the bed, clutching her stomach. “Oh, God-of-choice.”

  Jarden sat next to her. “Thank you.”

  She looked at him. “You’re welcome.”

  He smiled at her and reached to brush a strand of hair from her face. “You shouldn’t have done that, Milla. They can check the records. They’ll know I’m not your field-husband.”

  “Will it be worse for you if they find out?” The scent of their lovemaking still tantalized her nostrils. The Arous-All lotion should’ve worn off by now, but sitting this close to Jarden, feeling the heat of his thigh nearly touching hers, Milla couldn’t stop from feeling the tingle of pleasure between her legs.

  “No. I don’t think it can be worse for me, no matter what you told them.” Jarden stood, taking his heat and scent away from her. “But it will be worse for you.”

  He headed for the door, and Milla stood too. “Wait! Jarden, what are you doing?”

  He stopped, but didn’t turn. She watched his shoulders tense. He reached for the hand panel, though, of course, he had to know it wouldn’t open. His biceps bulged. He didn’t say anything.

  “Are you turning yourself in?” She moved toward him. Her fingertips traced the faint, nearly invisible white line of a scar she’d never have noticed had he not pointed it out to her. “You can’t do that.”

  “I can.” Still, he didn’t turn. “There’s no reason for you to—”

  “I have a reason,” Milla told him. “Turn around.”

  He did, slowly. She took a deep breath. She’d ordered a ’bot and been delivered a man, instead, which was what she really had wanted all along.

  “There’s no telling how long they’ll keep us in here,” she told him. “And I have cred-time left with you.”

  The smallest, faintest quirk of a smile tugged at his mouth. “Yes, you do.”

  Milla lifted her chin and stepped back, letting her robe fall open. “Don’t tell me you’re going to run out on me without honoring them?”

  The fact that she’d probably used up almost all but a few minutes of the complimentary time meant nothing. She knew that, and knew he knew it too. But that didn’t stop her. Milla crooked a finger, but Jarden didn’t move.

  “Milla—”

  “Shh,” she told him sternly. “Does it matter if you turn yourself in now or later? Will they go easier on you for being quick?”

  He shook his head. “No. I don’t think so.”

  She crooked her finger again, feigning more confidence than she felt. “Then come here.”

  His smile quirked a bit higher, and Milla’s stomach twisted with delight. “Anything you want.”

  He moved toward her and she envied his confidence. Perhaps it was purely male, that ability to put aside the past and focus on the now. Whatever it was, Milla admired Jarden’s adaptability. That he’d been willing to sacrifice himself to prevent her from coming to harm had moved her too. They barely knew each other, despite having fucked together so well.

  “Thank you,” he said solemnly before brushing her hair from her shoulder. His fingers traced the curve of her shoulder, and Milla felt ashamed at how she’d treated him earlier.

  “You’re welcome.” She took a backwards step toward the bed and held out her hand. He took it, following. She drew him down with her onto the softness and laughed a little. “I don’t expect a bed this nice on Selkca.”

  He stretched out beside her, his hands already