VANESSA

I stood in the doorway of the new laboratory at the summer palace and yawned. I was tired, but I thought I could do one more thing before going to bed.

Setting up the new location had taken about a week. We arrived in the dead of night. Anders took us there in the fancy fighter we used to reach Auxem. With the cloaking device engaged, no one would know a starship had come and gone.

I felt like a secret agent. The lab had retinal scans and other sophisticated security I had never seen before. The palace was in lock-down mode. Avren and I weren’t allowed to leave without a security detail.

I would have stayed even if I didn’t have to. We were so close to the finish line that I couldn’t stop working. Avren forced me to take breaks to eat and sleep, but if it weren’t for him, I would have lived in the lab.

As soon as the animal testing showed our genetic modifications were stable, we could begin testing on the Auxem. I didn’t think the changes were dangerous, but there wasn’t a guarantee. All we had were meticulous science, rigorous testing on animals, and a few brave Auxem who were willing to risk their lives for others.

The only way for us to learn how our genetic alterations behaved in the Auxem was to test them on Auxem bodies, and the galaxy’s governing scientific body recognized this. According to the law, as long as we performed due diligence and had willing test subjects, we could proceed with the research.

I walked into our laboratory, going into the area where we put on our clothes. A moment later, I heard someone at the door. I froze, my heart in my throat. Though I felt safe at the castle, I was still a target, and someone could try to kill me at any moment. It made me jumpy.

I turned around slowly. It was only Avren.

I put my hand over my heart. “Madellan, you startled me.”

“Sorry, Vanessa.” Avren rubbed at his eyes.

“Why are you here?”

“I couldn’t sleep without you.” He blinked and looked at me with a wary expression on his face as if the words had slipped out and he hadn’t meant to say them.

“I’m almost finished. I want to do one more thing.”

“Vanessa, it’s eleven at night. Whatever you’re doing can wait until morning. You’re working too hard. It’s not healthy.”

I shrugged. Avren was right, but I always became a little obsessed in the middle of a project. “I’ll be done soon. Go back to bed.”

We had been enjoying our friends with benefits arrangement. I had been staying most nights in his bed, but I hoped he wasn’t getting used to having me around all the time. As soon as we finished our work, I was going back to my real life.

Oddly enough, what had been my life before seemed like just a dream compared to the reality of living on Auxem with Avren. Three months had passed already, and everything felt almost too perfect. We did everything together and weren’t getting sick of each other. We rarely fought except for when we were deciding what to eat. We had wildly different tastes in food, and most days we ate separately.

There was none of the nit-picky irritation I had experienced before with other scientists — sometimes working closely together could drive people crazy.

But not with Avren. I was waiting for something bad to happen — a big fight, another attack, or an insurmountable problem with the research.

Nothing.

It was unsettling.

“I see I’ll need to convince you.” I had already turned my back to him and resumed putting on my work clothes.

“There’s nothing you can do, Avren. Don’t bother, it won’t work.”

“Let me rephrase. I’ll need to entice you.”

I felt his warm breath on the nape of my neck and shivered. He pressed a kiss to my cheek. I closed my eyes, leaning back against his strong form and letting myself live in the moment. I worried about protecting my heart in our odd arrangement, but I thought I was staying detached. I wouldn’t let him break me again.

I would miss being close to him, though, and I wanted to go even further. I wanted to fuck him, but we couldn’t unless we were in love. That was the last thing that was going to happen. We were too suspicious of relationships.

“Vanessa, I want to take you back to bed.”

“I’m not tired, Madellan.” I tried not to sound as needy as I felt.

“Who said anything about sleep?” Avren reached around and felt my breasts through my shirt. “Am I enticing you yet?”

“I only need a minute here.” He turned me around and captured my mouth before I could finish my thought. I melted. It worked every time. I couldn’t get enough of kissing Avren.

I didn’t care about work at all, and I gave in.

“Then take me back to your bed so we can do everything except sleep.” I gave him my best impression of bedroom eyes.

“If you look at me that way, woman, we won’t make it to the bed.”

My eyes drifted to the counter. I loved sex on countertops.

Avren caught my look and lifted his eyebrows before locking the door. The room didn’t have any windows to cover. A moment later, he had me on the counter and stood between my legs, kissing me with his hands under my shirt. He made his way down my neck, pressing small kisses all the way to my collarbone.

“I can’t believe we’re doing this here.” I was getting so turned on that I couldn’t think straight.

He gave me the sexiest smile I had ever seen on his face. “I need to taste you, Vanessa.” He unfastened my pants and pulled them off me, tossing them onto the floor and spreading my legs.

“Excuse me?” I had never let any man do that before.

“I have to. I can’t wait anymore.”

I didn’t answer, not sure if I wanted him to keep going or not. He had my shirt unbuttoned and my bra undone in a few seconds. His mouth was everywhere — on my breasts, bare stomach, and inner thighs.

I was aching for him. Any hesitation I had disappeared as soon as I felt his tongue on my clit. My eyes rolled back in my head at the pleasure, and I gasped, opening my legs wider.

He murmured against my delicate flesh. “That’s right,”

Avren licked up and down my folds and my hips bucked. He reached up and held me firmly against the counter as he continued flicking and licking my clit with perfect intensity.

I whimpered, needing more, and he took his hands off my hips. I felt a finger pushing into me. He pumped it in and out while sucking my clit. After a minute, he eased two fingers in, and I groaned. He increased the rhythm, fingers sliding in and out of me as my climax spiraled up.

I needed to come badly. “Please, Avren.” My hips pushed up against his hand and mouth. The tempo increased, and I felt myself going over the edge with a cry of pleasure. The orgasm rocked me, and he kept it going, continuing to touch me until I slumped over.

Avren whispered into my ear. “Isn’t this better than whatever you were going to do?” I couldn’t speak, but I nodded.

He carried me back to his room. It was quite the display of strength, and I was impressed. He set me gently on top of the covers.

“Are we going to bed now? To sleep?”

“We’re not going to sleep, Vanessa. Not yet. I’ve got other things in mind.”

It looked like it was going to be a long night after all.

* * *

AVREN

The sight of Vanessa’s sweet, naked body on the satin sheets made me want to fuck her immediately. She had looked so sexy on the counter that I could hardly contain myself.

I had something incredible prepared for us tonight. I quickly undressed and followed Vanessa onto the bed, covering her with my body — I loved being over her. Sometimes she straddled me, but there was something about the dominant position I liked.

She moaned as my cock touched her slick folds. “Avren, what are you doing?”

I wanted nothing more than to slide inside and fuck her until she screamed. But I couldn’t. Not yet.

I let more of my weight press her down into the bed, but I didn’t crush her. Vanessa had told me she liked the feeling of being completely submissive to me. She could never act like this in the lab or regular life. She spread her legs as wide as she could, opening herself to me.

She gasped as I rubbed the length of my rigid shaft along her wet slit. “Yes, do it again.”

I thrust forward, never penetrating her, only rubbing against her clit and her soaking wetness. The sensation was incredible, and I didn’t know how long I could last without exploding. Vanessa was going wild, writhing beneath me as I pumped my hips and stroked against her hot, slippery folds.

“That’s it. Right there.” She fell to pieces, thrashing and rocking against me. Her orgasm set mine off and I thrust hard several times before I stiffened, wishing I was coming inside her.

Spent, we lay curled up together. We were hot and sweaty. Our bodies stuck to each other, but we were so high on the pleasure we brought each other that we didn’t care.

Vanessa whispered in my ear. “I wish we never had to stop doing this.”

I didn’t want to think about giving her up at some point. We would have to part ways eventually. I had been trying to keep my distance emotionally, but it was impossible. The more time I spent with Vanessa, the more I fell in love with her.

I had always been in love with her.

When this was over, she was going to leave and break my heart again. She had told me so. If I got hurt, I had no one to blame but myself.

I couldn’t keep myself from the sweet drug that was Vanessa Dwyer. The more I got, the more I wanted. I worried about the withdrawal when she eventually left, but I would enjoy the ride while it lasted and get over her when the time came.

I did it once. I could do it again.

* * *

VANESSA

Avren had gone to get breakfast for us from the kitchen while I finished getting dressed. As I came into the sunny kitchenette of the suite that I liked to think of as ours (but was really his), my communicator buzzed. I wasn’t presentable yet and took the call on voice only while pouring myself a cup of hot tea.

“I’m looking for Vanessa Dwyer.”

“You found her.” I instantly recognized the voice of the recruiter from Genetic Futures.

“Vanessa, how are you doing?”

“Let’s cut the small talk, Aldoan. What do you want?” I had no desire to speak with him.

“I see you’re still upset. I would be too if I were you. I don’t want to waste your time, Vanessa. Genetic Futures has reconsidered their decision. We want you to be the head of our research department, and we’re prepared to offer you one and a half times the original salary. The president sends his apologies.”

“You’re going to have to give me a minute.” I had not expected a job offer. I didn’t want it now, not after what they had done to me, and not when Avren and I were on the verge of something. I didn’t know what exactly, but it was something.

“I thought you would be surprised. I’m not sure what happened, but the rumor is that the president’s mother, a major shareholder in the company, heard about what he did. She came all the way down to headquarters and stormed into his office. After a ferocious discussion, he called me and said he wanted you back. I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but they’re prepared to overspend.”

I dropped down to the couch and stared at the wall. “Genetic Futures wants me to work for them, and I can have anything I want?”

“Anything within reason. I can’t work miracles.”

“What if I only want to work half time? Double the pay. Assemble and hand-pick my team.”

“Not a problem, Vanessa. Whatever you want.”

I still couldn’t believe it. I wasn’t even happy. What was wrong with me? Wasn’t this what I had always wanted?

“Are you still there, Vanessa? Do you need more time to decide?”

I was surprised when I heard what my voice said next. “I’ll need to think about it, Aldoan. I’ll get back to you in about a week.”

There was silence from the other end of the line. “This isn’t the answer I expected.”

“I wasn’t waiting around for you. In the meantime, someone else hired me. I’ll need to consider all my options before making a decision.”

“They’re not going to wait longer than seven days.” I could hear the confusion in his voice. I had been so eager for the job before that he couldn’t understand my reluctance.

I wasn’t sure about it, myself. “I’ll contact you soon, Aldoan. Thank you.” I disconnected the communicator and sat back, holding my hands over my face.

What was I going to do now?

This job was everything I had ever wanted. I had every reason to take it.

But what about Avren? I made him a promise, and we weren’t finished yet. There was no way I could do both. I would have to choose.

Avren walked through the door with our breakfast on a tray.

“I have food for both of us.” He went directly into the kitchen. “I received a message from Arnon. They’re coming up for my birthday in a couple of days. We’ll have a chance to visit with them. You’ll have to take a few hours off, though, and I know you don’t like doing that.”

When I didn’t argue with him, he came over to me. “What’s wrong?”

I smiled as brightly as I could. “Nothing. I’m hungry. You took forever.”

He didn’t seem convinced but decided to let it go. “Well, come eat, then. You need to keep your energy up.”

“Yes, we have a lot of work to do.” My mind immediately jumped to what we had planned for today.

“I wasn’t talking about work.” Avren had a wolfish glint in his eye.

“What else would I need energy for?” I started to eat. I couldn’t look him in the eye.

“For what you’re going to do before you go to work. Actually, I’m talking about what I’m going to do to you.”

I felt my nipples tighten. Avren grinned at me. I tried to smile back, feeling both lust from his words and guilt for keeping a secret from him. I fully intended to tell him, but I couldn’t reveal what I didn’t know. I hadn’t committed one way or the other. As soon as I decided, I could tell him the truth.

As soon as I decided.