The following day, Talia went back to the library in the middle of the afternoon.

She didn’t need any more books, but she was about to scream from all the giggling in the common area of the suite. Occasionally she was afraid the giggles were at her expense, although she had no proof of it. Other than Jenelle, she didn’t really have any friends, and a few of the other escorts—like Breann—seemed to dislike her for reasons she didn’t understand.

She wanted to be alone for a while, somewhere other than in her sleeping pod, and the library was the only place she could do that.

It occurred to her that she might see the subcommander again. Jenelle had said his name was Marshall, when Talia had told her friend about her encounter the night before.

He’d donated to the suite this morning, so he must have enjoyed fucking her.

Maybe he would want to do it again.

When she stepped into the library, she noticed she’d left the curtains closed around her window seat the day before. She usually left them open, but she’d probably been distracted.

Since no one else ever used the library, it must have been her.

Since she already had books to read, she went to sit down at one of the archive stations and scrolled through various news outlets. She’d started to concoct a new daydream last night about a rebellion to overthrow the Coalition—and she enjoyed her daydreams more if she had real details to use in plotting them out.

There were always news accounts of a variety of minor revolts on planets throughout the Coalition, and she searched for some of them so she could learn more specifics.

All those minor revolts were doomed to fail. Everyone knew it. They were too localized, and the Coalition forces were too strong. Most revolts were wiped out almost as soon as they started.

If Talia were part of one of them, she’d suggest they try to find other groups to join forces with. Nothing could ever happen without a united front.

So she read and fantasized herself as a character in one of the stories she liked to read, doing something brave and significant, making a difference.

Changing the world.

She had a very good time for about a half hour until she heard a voice from the doorway to the library. “Well, look who it is.”

She turned toward the door to see her subcommander, Marshall, walking in with a grin on his face. “There’s my chubby girl. You were looking for me, weren’t you?”

She’d been so lost in daydreams that she’d completely forgotten about him. But he obviously liked the idea of her wanting to see him again, so she gave him a trembling smile. “I didn’t know where I could find you since you didn’t tell me your name.”

“My name is Marshall, and you can find me in the barracks wing.” He was close to her now, looming over her seat, and he frowned as he looked down at the monitor screen. “Why are you reading that rebel trash?”

She’d found a circulated pamphlet on a multiplanet revolt on a far edge of Coalition space, and she’d been reading it with interest.

Her heart jumped as she realized this might reflect very poorly on her. Escorts weren’t supposed to be interested in anything anti-Coalition.

No one was supposed to be interested in such things.

She swallowed and searched her mind for some sort of innocuous excuse. “It’s pretty bad, isn’t it? I had a… an appointment with someone who was talking about it, and I like to be informed. So I was doing a little research. The whole thing makes me kind of sick.”

Evidently, she’d played it exactly right. Marshall’s features relaxed. “If you have a partner who tries to involve you in anything like that, you should report him and refuse to see him again.”

She kept her eyes very wide, very innocent. “Do you think so? I’m so sorry if I was stupid. I’m still learning how to do things. I won’t do it again.”

Marshall smiled. “Don’t worry about it. You don’t need to be smart to be good at your job.” He lifted her to her feet and then reached down to untie her tunic, pulling the fabric back to reveal her breasts. “There’s those big tits I like so much.”

She took a deep breath, causing her breasts to rise and fall. His face flushed slightly, and she could tell he’d completely forgotten about what she’d been reading.

“I’m glad you’re here,” he continued. “I kind of like a quick fuck in the middle of the afternoon, and I know you like it too.”

She dropped her eyelashes. “I do. Do you want to go to the suite today?”

“No sense in wasting the time. The library is as good a place as any. Suck me off like you did yesterday, then I’ll do a little something for you too.”

She took off her tunic, letting him leer at her body, completely naked except for her thigh-high boots. Then she got down on her knees and freed his cock.

It was a pretty close repetition to the day before. He fucked her mouth first, and then he bent her over the same table, holding on to her ponytail as he pounded into her from behind.

Her stomach was still bruised from yesterday, so she kept trying to reposition since it really hurt to bend all the way over. After a few minutes, she figured out that if she arched her back and pushed herself up with her arms, the table hit her at a different place on her abdomen and so didn’t hurt her bruises.

She had to arch her back a lot to keep her bottom in the position Marshall wanted it, but she managed to make it seem like her repositioning was because she was feeling so good and not because she was uncomfortable.

And Marshall obviously liked that he could see her breasts shaking this way. He kept leaning over so he could see them and told her to get them “bouncing.”

“Good girl,” he grunted, slapping his pelvis against her ass hard and fast. “You’ve been waiting for this all day, haven’t you?”

She babbled out how good she was feeling, how much she wanted him to fuck her this way.

She straightened her arms, bracing herself so she could shake her body more vigorously, her breasts bouncing so hard they made a slapping sound against her chest. She made whimpering sounds like she was coming and then kept it up to fake a second orgasm.

She almost groaned when he still wouldn’t finish up since her thighs were tired and her back was hurting, but she bounced and jiggled and cried out loudly until he finally roared with his own climax, emptying himself into her with rough rolls of his hips.

“Oh yeah,” he gasped from behind her, pulling out of her at last. When she fell forward onto the table, he rubbed her bottom, but then he surprised her by slapping it without warning. “How many times did you come for me today?”

She turned over since she didn’t enjoy being spanked. She gave him a shy, downcast look. “Three.”

“Tomorrow I’ll get you to four.”

She made a wordless sound of approval, but she was mentally cringing. Surely he wasn’t going to trying to one-up himself every day.

These fucking sessions would end up lasting forever.

“You’re the best fuck I’ve had in a long time,” he said, reaching over to play with her ponytail.

“Thank you,” she whispered, not having to pretend to be thrilled by those words. “You’re the best I’ve ever had.”

In terms of the sex itself, she would prefer one of the old men she usually got, who didn’t have very much energy and so didn’t demand much from her. But she couldn’t ask for anything better than a subcommander of Special Forces, especially when he thought she was the best fuck he’d had recently.

She would bounce her breasts for as long as he wanted if it meant he would keep donating to the suite.

“Okay,” he said, straightening up and tucking his cock back into his trousers. “I don’t have time for anything more for you. But I like this kind of midafternoon break. We’ll definitely do it again.”

She promised to be here tomorrow and waited until he left. Then she leaned over to pick up her tunic, groaning out loud as her back stretched painfully.

She was going to end up with new bruises tomorrow.

She’d slid her tunic over her shoulders when a rustle near the window caught her attention.

It was the curtain by the same window seat she always used.

The curtains were closed instead of opened the way she normally left them.

And one of the curtains had moved. She was sure of it.

Frowning, she walked over and yanked it back to see that someone was sitting in the window seat with a book in his lap.

That Combatant she’d met the day before.

Desh.

He must have been here the whole time.

She made a strangled sound and stepped back quickly. “What are you doing here?”

“I didn’t—I didn’t—” He was flushed and moved awkwardly as he tried to stand up. He wasn’t wearing his mask, but she saw it lying on the window seat. “I was trapped,” he managed to say.

“You were watching us fuck?” She turned to look toward the table and recognized that this vantage point would have a perfect view. She’d been bent over the table, her back arched, her whole body shaking wildly as Marshall had fucked her from behind.

She’d had no idea someone else was watching.

“No!” Desh looked as horrified as she felt. “I told you. I was trapped. I was reading in the window seat when you came in.”

“Why didn’t you say something?”

“I didn’t know you were even here until he came in. And then you’d already taken your clothes off, and then he was—” Desh covered his face with his hands.

He was handsome. Very handsome without his mask on. Younger than she’d expected with strong, classic features and high cheekbones. His eyes were even bluer than she remembered from the day before.

He was handsome and young and clearly mortified by the situation.

“I was trapped,” he said again, staring down at the floor. “I had no idea you’d even come in, and then it was too late. I’m really sorry.”

She was about to say he should be sorry and that he should have somehow let them know he was present, when she recalled herself.

There was no reason for her to be embarrassed. She’d just been doing her job. And Desh was obviously telling her the truth when he said that he’d ended up in the situation by accident and then hadn’t known what to do.

She might have done the same rather than call attention to herself when someone was naked and the other person had his cock out.

Plus Desh was still a possible partner for her, and she’d be stupid if she made him feel even worse by being outraged.

“It’s okay,” she said with a sigh, after she’d come to this series of conclusions. “You didn’t mean to.”

His expression changed sharply, and he peered at her. “I honestly didn’t mean to. But I thought you were angry about it.”

“I’m not angry. I was… I was surprised.” She gave him a little smile. “It’s really fine. Sex isn’t a big deal. That’s the whole point of the leisure suite. We’re not supposed to make a big deal about. I was just surprised. Some people actually like to fuck in public.”

“You’re obviously not one of them.” He seemed to be relaxing, although he was still looking at her suspiciously, as if the fact that she was letting him off the hook was somehow dubious. “You can be mad at me if you want. I deserve it.”

“No, you don’t. It was an accident.” She smoothed her ponytail and realized her tunic was still hanging open.

Desh had obviously started to notice this too since his eyes had drifted down and didn’t immediately come back up to her face. “You’re still bruised,” he murmured, his voice thicker than before.

She checked his pants and saw that he was visibly aroused. Already. Even if her body wasn’t currently in fashion, he obviously liked how it looked. “They don’t heal overnight. You should know. There’s nothing the med unit can do about bruises.”

“That guy didn’t seem to care if he was hurting you.”

“He wasn’t hurting me.”

“You weren’t liking it as much as you pretended.”

She sucked in a breath. “That’s none of your business. And how could you possibly know?”

“Your expression slipped sometimes,” he said, his eyes moving between her breasts and her face.

She cursed herself inwardly. She really needed more practice if Desh had been able to see that. Hopefully Marshall hadn’t noticed the slips as well.

“Not that that guy would notice. He was in some fantasy world where he was giving you what you wanted.” Desh snarled. “Selfish bastard.”

“He’s not a bastard. He’s a decent man and a soldier, and he wasn’t hurting me. Sex is just sex.”

Her thighs and back were so sore that she leaned against the table, and she was pleased when Desh stepped closer to her.

Maybe this would end up being a good thing, as awkward as it felt.

Maybe seeing her having sex proved to him what he was missing.

Maybe Desh would decide that he wanted her after all.

“You sound very matter-of-fact about it,” Desh said, lifting his eyes to her face.

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I don’t know.”

“You said sex was personal to you. I guess it makes sense that you wouldn’t understand that it’s not me. It’s just something that I do. And I like for the men I do it with to enjoy it.” His eyes had drifted down to her body again, so she took a risk. “I would make sure you would enjoy it too.”

His whole body tightened, and his eyes jerked up to meet hers. “You’re still trying to come on to me, after I just…”

“You said it was an accident.”

“It was.”

“Then why would I hold it against you?”

He moved his hand like he would touch her, but he stopped halfway. Smiling, she took his hand and moved it to her breast, the way she had the day before.

He cupped her breast very lightly, as if he were testing its weight. Then he moved his other hand up too and brushed both her nipples with his fingertips.

She felt that same tingle of pleasure, and she sucked in a breath in response to it. As he continued fondling her gently, it felt so good that she found herself trying to push her breasts into his hands.

“You’re sure he wasn’t hurting you?” Desh asked thickly. With one hand, he caressed down to her belly, and with the other he lightly twirled her nipple. “He looked… rough.”

Her breathing was accelerating, and her pussy was starting to throb. She couldn’t believe this was happening—her body reacting like this. “No. He didn’t hurt me. He was a little rough, but I was agreeable.” She paused. “You don’t have to be so uncomfortable about it. Have you never seen anyone fucking before?”

“Yes. I have. But this was different.” He didn’t explain why it was different, and she couldn’t help but wonder why it was different to him.

He took her breasts in both hands and circled the nipples with his thumbs, causing her to arch back and drop her head with a little moan.

“Shit,” he breathed. “You’re so incredibly sexy.”

“Thank you.”

He slid one hand up her neck, his gentle touch triggering all kinds of delicious nerve endings. Then he stroked her cheek and rubbed the line of her lips with his thumb.

She felt like she was melting, like she was made of butter. She moaned again and tried to suck his thumb into her mouth as if she were sucking his cock.

He was staring hotly at his thumb in her mouth when she realized what she was doing.

She was doing it for her, because she liked the way it felt.

When she was supposed to be doing things for him.

She usually was able to focus better than this. She wasn’t sure why she was feeling this way at all.

She let his thumb slip out of her mouth and reached out to trail her hand down his chest toward his abdomen, very slowly. “They say there used to be a planet where there were orgy banquets every night. People would go there for vacations, and everyone would have sex.”

Desh gave a little huff. “There was a planet like that. I’ve met someone who lived there.”

“Really? I thought maybe it was just stories.”

“No. It was real.”

“What happened to the planet?”

“It died. Like a lot of things in this universe.”

There was something poignant about the words. She wasn’t even sure why. “Did you visit the planet yourself?”

“No.”

“Then when have you seen people fucking before?” she asked, hoping he couldn’t hear how she was panting.

He was teasing her breasts again, tweaking the nipples and then letting his fingertips run up and down the curves. “I spent a few years on an undeveloped planet. A really undeveloped one. I lived with a tribe who all slept in a cave. They didn’t have any qualms about having sex in front of other people.”

“So why are you so embarrassed?”

“I’m not embarrassed.”

“Yes, you are.” Her hand had descended to the front of his trousers, and she brushed against the bulge there. “Did you get turned on watching me earlier? Is that why you’re embarrassed?”

“No.”

“You didn’t get turned on?” She massaged his erection more purposefully.

He groaned helplessly and moved her hand back to the table she was propped against. “Yes, you turn me on. You make me absolutely crazy. Is that what you want to hear?”

“I know I turn you on. I just don’t understand why you think it’s wrong to take me the way you want to.”

“I—” He didn’t finish the sentence, but he started to caress her breasts again, more focused now, like he couldn’t help himself.

She gasped at the surge of pleasure and dropped her head back again, stunned that she was so hot and wet and aching from such a gentle touch. “Oh fuck,” she whispered as her whole body pulsed in pleasure and need. “Oh fuck, that feels so good!”

Desh’s face was deeply flushed, a sheen of perspiration on his skin. He was breathing just as fast as she was. “Are you faking this?”

Her whole body jerked at the question. “What?”

Desh blinked. “I asked if you were faking this, like you were faking with that guy earlier.”

All her arousal transformed into something cold and small and hurt. She wasn’t even sure why. She just felt… used in a way she wasn’t used to.

She pulled away from him, tying her robe and turning her back to him.

“Talia,” he said thickly. “I didn’t mean—”

“It doesn’t matter what you meant,” she said hoarsely.

She felt like she was about to cry, and she didn’t even know why. There was no reason for her to react this way. He’d just asked her a question.

She was the one who had told him that sex wasn’t a big deal.

It wasn’t supposed to be a big deal in Coalition space. It was supposed to be easy and casual and meaningless, a way to relax and release tension. They even frowned on old-fashioned marriage. Nothing that would give people ideals or romanticized notions of the world.

Desh asking if she was faking was a perfectly legitimate question and not one that should bother her.

But it did.

A lot.

She couldn’t stay here any longer. She ducked her head and left the library.

Desh was very aroused, and she guessed he wouldn’t be able to rush after her. Not right away anyway.

She was right. She made it back to the leisure suite and then to her room, where she closed herself in her pod, trying to figure out why Desh’s question had hurt her so much.

Sex wasn’t supposed to be personal.

Nothing any man said to her should hurt.

But she hadn’t been faking with Desh.

She hadn’t been faking at all.

***

She wasn’t sure how much time had passed before she heard someone banging on her pod.

She released the door and frowned when she saw Breann, who shared the room with her, grinning. “What?” Talia demanded.

“Someone is here to see you. A man.”

“Really?” She perked up a little, wondering if it was someone wanting an appointment specifically with her. It didn’t usually happen, but Marshall had been interested.

Maybe her luck was changing.

“How did you manage to score a Combatant?” Breann asked.

“Oh.”

Now she knew who it was, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to talk to him. But it would be ridiculous to hold a grudge, and it was in her best interest to be nice to him.

A Combatant would be a good partner. It would be good for her.

And she wasn’t in the position to turn down a reasonable offer.

She needed to approach this like business. That was what Jenelle had always said. So she went to a mirror, smoothed down her ponytail, and then walked into the common room to find Desh standing near the door, looking a little stiff and wearing his mask.

He wore that damned thing all the time.

“Did you want something?” she asked as she approached him. She knew Breann and some other girls were trying to eavesdrop on the conversation, so she tried to keep her voice low.

So did Desh as he responded, “I wanted to apologize. You ran away before I could.”

“You don’t have to apologize.”

“Yes, I do. I hurt you.”

“No, you didn’t.” She managed to sustain a smile even though this conversation was making her uncomfortable.

“Yes, I did.” He was frowning at her from behind his mask. “Why do you insist on arguing with everything I say?”

“Because what you’re saying isn’t right. I told you that you didn’t hurt me.”

“Then why did you run away?”

“I didn’t. I just returned to my room.”

His eyes were peering at her face so intently that she dropped her eyes to hide her expression. “I’m sorry,” he murmured very softly. “I’m not very good with women.”

Her eyes darted back up to his face.

“You can probably tell,” he went on with a rueful smile. “I… I haven’t been around women in a long time. I’ve been training for years on Mel Tana with The Master.”

“You have?” she asked, genuinely interested by this piece of news. No wonder he was such a good fighter. Mel Tana was known throughout the universe as the best place to learn hand-to-hand combat skills, but very few people could last long with the strict discipline required of students.

Few comforts. Limited diet. No sex of any kind, not even self-pleasure.

The rigor and discipline were supposed to channel one’s energy into physical prowess.

“Yeah,” Desh admitted. “I’m embarrassingly out of practice in talking to women, and I was never very good at it to begin with. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”

“That’s okay,” she said, relaxing for the first time as she finally started to understand him. If he’d been on Mel Tana for years, then that meant he hadn’t had sex in years. No wonder he seemed so inexperienced. “I understand.”

“It’s not because I don’t like you. It’s because I do.”

She felt tingles of pleasure down her spine again, and she felt her cheeks flushing. “You do?”

“Yeah.”

She wished he wasn’t wearing that stupid mask so she could read his expression better. “I can… I could meet you tonight if you want me to. You could just stop by here when you want. I don’t have any other appointments.”

He stared at her for long time, his eyes sober behind the mask. Then he finally said, “You want to?”

“Yes. I do.” Of course she did. And not just because he was a Combatant and a potential partner.

“Can you come to my room instead?”

“Yes. Yes, I can.”

“Okay. I’d like you to.”

This admission seemed to make him self-conscious, and he left almost immediately.

Talia didn’t care though. Her heart was racing with excitement, and she was smiling as she turned around.

“Look who’s the dark horse,” Breann said as he passed.

Talia just gave her a cool smile.

She’d fucked a subcommander earlier, and now she had an appointment with a Combatant.

Both were good for her position in the leisure suite, but Desh was a lot more exciting to her personally.

She’d never felt this way before—not about sex.

But the truth was she couldn’t wait to get to his bedroom tonight.