ALYVOS

Iris sits in my lap, nibbling on my ear as I stare down at the cards in my hand and try not to be distracted.

Impossible task. I can feel her ass pushing against my thigh—that enticing, tailless ass—and her breast rubs up against my chest as she whispers against my neck. “Nines.”

I grunt, because it's either that or moan her name out, and that might make the rest of the room uncomfortable. “Nines.”

Across from us, Fran sighs heavily and tosses a pair of nines onto the table. “I swear, I'm not going to play you and Iris anymore. Her memory's better than Kivian's.”

My mate just grins and nips at my ear again.

“Queens?” Cat asks when it's her turn.

“Go eat fish,” I say triumphantly. I know it's wrong, but it makes my Iris chuckle in that delightful, husky way of hers, and it's worth looking a bit foolish to the others.

“Fran and Tarekh have the queens,” Iris murmurs into my ear and adjusts her visor. It took a few months for us to find a black-market visual specialist that would make her a human-sized visor. Bionic implants were suggested, but they're mesakkah sized and not human sized, and until we can find the right person, she's using a radar-sensing visor. It makes her a lot more confident. She doesn't care about the look, she tells me, as much as wandering into the black unknown. I get that, and so I've hung back on the ship with her in a lot of our more recent jobs. That means Cat goes and does cantina duty with Tarekh.

Cat loves cantina duty. And even though I sometimes itch for a fight, I'm learning how to back up Sentorr on the nav panels and some of the bridge duties. Iris told me that it makes Sentorr happy, which seems strange to me because Sentorr practically lives on the bridge. I don't want to take his sense of purpose from him. I have to admit, though, navigating's kind of fun. It's like a puzzle. Granted, I'm not good at puzzles, but I'm learning.

And it lets me keep Iris company. Win-win.

My female's getting more confident with time, though. She's still never eager to leave the ship, but last run, she headed onto the station with me for supplies. And that bland voice of hers is supplanted by her temper more times than not, which pleases me. I'd rather have fiery, slapping and spitting-with-anger Iris than the Iris who has no emotions.

Fiery Iris is quick to suggest we retreat to our bedroom, and I'm always happy to oblige.

As if she can hear my thoughts, my female leans in and sucks on my earlobe, completely distracting me from the card game. My cock grows hard and I do my best to keep my expression blank, but I know I'm failing. Fran's look of amusement tells me that much.

The game goes around the table. Tarekh goes, then Kiv, then Sentorr, who's left the bridge for a time so he can join in the fun. I try to concentrate on my cards, but all I can think about is the delicious female in my lap and wondering how fast I can extract both of us from the group so I can be alone with her.

“It's your turn,” Cat says, a little crossly. She doesn't like losing and is glaring at her cards, much to Tarekh's amusement.

“You're supposed to ask for queens,” Iris tells me with a little flick of her tongue against my ear. “Ask Fran.”

“Queens,” I say, choking the words out. My mate's hand has slid below the table and she's cupping my cock through my trou. There's something about card games that makes her frisky.

Fran slaps the two queens down on the table surface with exasperated amusement. “If her memory's this good, she needs to go on the next job with us. Kiv could use her in the cantina instead of me. Between the two of them, they could clean up like crazy.”

“No,” I say automatically, ever protective of my Iris. She can stay on the ship for as long as she wants. If she never wants to leave it again, that's fine, too.

“Maybe,” Iris says to the others. “Let me play with the idea a little.”

Before I can show my surprise, Kivian snorts. “Isn't the idea you're playing with there, sweetheart. Have a care for those of us that just ate dinner.”

Iris giggles into my ear.

“I eat fish,” I tell them, slapping my cards down on the table.

“You mean you fold,” Cat corrects me.

“Whatever.” I get to my feet, keeping Iris hauled against my front. She's definitely frisky, her arms twining around my neck. “We'll come back later.”

“Uh huh,” Fran says, and then gives Kivian an affectionate look that says she's thinking the same thing. Cat just gives her mate a slow wink.

I suspect that Sentorr's going to be left holding all the cards very soon.

I carry my mate through the ship and there's never been such a long walk. The moment we're back in our quarters, Iris is tearing at my tunic. “I meant it,” she pants, sliding her hands under the fabric. “Next time you guys have a job, I'll go with. I want to try it.”

“We'll see.” I gently brush her hair back from her face. “I don't want you to do anything you don't want to do.”

“I never do,” she tells me with a sly grin and cups my cock again. “Guess what I want to do right now?”

“Me?” And when she nods, I grin. Kef, I love this female.