CHAPTER ELEVEN
It was fortunate Garcia’s quarters were only a few doors down from Rylan’s. He stumbled in his haste, discovering that his pants had managed to come undone. Rylan banged on the door, and quickly buttoned up.
“Go away,” came the muffled voice from the other side of the door. “I’ve had an emotionally taxing day.”
“Please, Captain,” Rylan called. “It’s—” His training was too strict to allow him to call it an emergency. He looked at the front of his pants. “It’s urgent. Really, really urgent.”
There was a groan, both from Garcia and from the door, as various bolts were undone. The captain opened the door slightly and leaned against it. His hair was dishevelled and his eyes red-rimmed.
“What is it, Rylan?”
“It’s about Jaime,” Rylan said. “He’s not really a prisoner anymore, is he? I mean, I know there was talk early on about limited partnerships and guest with restrictions, but that was just a fancy way of saying we were holding him, or he didn’t have any choice.”
Garcia frowned and rubbed a hand over his face. “Is Jaime still concerned? Do I need to talk to him about his role onboard?”
“No, it’s more me. I need some… clarification.”
The captain’s frown grew deeper and he seemed to take in Rylan’s appearance, looking him up and down. He shook his head. “First of all, you are aware that love is the most destructive force in the universe? Forget killer robots and genocidal AIs. It’s the heart that will tear you up and empty you out, right down to the marrow of your bones. Every time.”
“Yes, sir.” Rylan was beginning to suspect Garcia had gotten into the wine.
“But far be it from me to deny anyone the brief illusion of happiness before that inevitable betrayal.” Garcia sighed. “So, yes. Or I mean, no, Jaime is not a prisoner on this ship. He’s proved his worth several times over, and likely saved me from a painful death. I consider him a member of this crew, and tomorrow I’ll make it official. Sign the log books, put him down for a full share. He can stay with us for as long as he wants.”
Rylan breathed out. “Yes, sir. Thank you, sir. I mean, it’s good to have that settled.”
“For clarity’s sake, I’m sure.” He gave a salute so sarcastic that for once Rylan didn’t have to stop himself from returning it. “Carry on. And don’t make too much noise. I’m going to be crying myself to sleep.”
Garcia shut the door and Rylan spun on his heel, all but sprinting back to his quarters.
He flung open the door to find Jaime where he’d left him, looking confused but now also somewhat pissed off.
“So where the hell did you—”
It took Rylan less than half a stride to reach him and snatch him up in his arms. He felt Jaime’s legs wrap around him. “I just needed make sure this was okay.”
“How about asking me?”
“Is it?” Their mouths were so close, and Jaime clutched him so tightly, Rylan could only gasp. “Are you sure this is what you want?”
“I’ve wanted this since the first time I saw you.”
Rylan frowned. “When I pulled a gun on you?”
“Okay, so it was actually since the first time I saw you naked. Now shut up and kiss me.”
There were only so many surfaces in the small room, but Rylan was willing to bet they crashed into all of them. Jaime was simultaneously trying to grind against Rylan and climb him like a tree, while Rylan was unable to decide between devouring Jaime’s mouth and getting his clothes off. It kept Rylan off balance, and he had to add a third priority: keeping Jaime from being slammed too hard into walls and the door as he staggered around the room with Jaime wrapped around him.
Putting up a hand to protect his head led to Rylan rediscovering Jaime’s hair and he stopped everything to sink both hands into its luxurious depths, their kisses slowing and gathering even more heat. Jaime dropped down to stand on tiptoes before him, tongue sweeping in. Rylan sucked on Jaime’s lower lip and leaned in closer to catch his whisper.
“Is biting okay?” Jaime asked. “Like not too hard or anything?”
Rylan could think of nothing he wanted more. “As hard as you want.”
Jaime twined his arms around Rylan’s neck to pull him in, nipping at first and then sucking hard at the juncture of his throat and shoulder. Rylan gasped at the touch of his teeth and moaned as Jaime’s mouth moved lower, yanking at the front of his shirt to expose more of his chest. When Jaime’s teeth and tongue settled on a nipple, Rylan realized all of their clothes needed to be gone. Now.
He twisted Jaime’s hair, pulling it to raise Jaime’s face up so he could claim another kiss. Then he moved him over to the small desk against the back wall. There was a mirror behind it and he spun Jaime to face it, even as he roughly yanked Jaime’s shirt up and over his head.
“Stay there,” he growled as Jaime reached for him again. He watched as Jaime put his hands on the desk, watched his face in the mirror as Rylan pulled his pants down. He watched Jaime watching him as he shed his own clothes.
Naked, he pressed against Jaime, pulling him up so his back was against his chest. Rylan ran a hand down the smooth skin of Jaime’s torso to where his cock rose out of a nest of dark curls, dusky and hard. Rylan took firm hold of it, loving the weight and how perfectly it fit into his hand. He pumped, as Jaime arched against him and reached up to pull Rylan’s head down to catch his mouth. Rylan bent his legs, all the better to meet those lips and to press his own hardness against the sweet curves of Jaime’s ass.
Rylan tore his mouth away with a groan and pushed Jaime back down against the desk, getting him onto his elbows. Jaime took the hint, eagerly lifting his hips and spreading his legs as Rylan fumbled for the drawer where he kept toiletries. He had a bottle of lube somewhere in the back — the expensive kind that took only a few drops for a lot of slipperiness and dissipated on its own after an hour. This was exactly the kind of special occasion that called for it. He put a couple drops on his finger.
“Now stay still,” he warned Jaime.
Jaime laughed, shaking his hips a little as he dropped his voice into a mock growl. “Usually you’re all move or run now, bad guys chase us.”
Rylan gripped Jaime’s hair, pulling it so Jaime’s face was visible in the mirror. “Believe me,” Rylan said in his growliest growl, “I’m gonna want you moving real soon.”
He pushed his lubed finger into Jaime and watched as his face changed.
Jaime’s eyes grew even wider and he bit his lip, gasping in pleasure as Rylan slid in and out. The lube warmed as well, though Rylan couldn’t imagine anything hotter than the way Jaime already felt inside. He added another finger, enjoying the tightness and Jaime’s sudden moan.
“Too much?”
“Fuck no,” Jaime said, pushing back against him and wriggling.
Rylan pulled tighter on his hair, meeting Jaime’s eyes in the mirror. “I said stay still.”
Jaime grinned. “I wasn’t listening.”
Rylan slid his two fingers in deep as he could, while tugging Jaime’s head back until his body bent like a bow. He twisted his fingers. “Do I have your full attention?”
Jaime’s loud groan was answer enough, but he also managed to gasp out, “Yes, Rylan, oh yes.”
Rylan yanked out his fingers and all but dragged Jaime over to the bunks. He didn’t think the beds had enough ceiling clearance for everything he wanted to do to Jaime, so he took his hands and put them high up on the ladder. “Hold on,” he told him.
He put one of Jaime’s feet on the third rung of the ladder, maneuvering him so Jaime was open before him. He added another drop of lube to his already leaking cock and moved in close. Rylan paused, tracing the lines of Jaime’s back, brushing over the roundness of his ass, thumb tickling the edge of his slick hole.
“Jaime?” he asked softly. He felt like he was begging.
“Fuck me, Rylan. Please.”
He slid inside, Jaime’s body yielding before him. Everything felt right and so sweet that he could have stayed like that, unmoving and savoring every sensation. Except, just as strong, was an overwhelming urge for more. Jaime felt it, too, because he pushed back, hands white-knuckling on the ladder as he fucked himself onto Rylan’s cock.
Rylan groaned. He didn’t have as much leverage as he wanted, so he grasped Jaime under the knees, lifting him up off the ground and sinking into him even deeper. Jaime held onto the rungs, moaning, as Rylan plunged him down on his cock and then back up again, the strength of his right arm making it easy to lift Jaime up, and the ship’s gravity doing the work of bringing him back down. Everything else was pure pleasure, and the room echoed with their grunts and slapping flesh.
It was amazing, but Rylan was filled with a desperate need to see Jaime’s face. He pulled out and lowered Jaime to stand on the floor. Jaime whirled around immediately, eyes wild and desperate, so Rylan caught him up under the legs. He lifted Jaime back up, his cock finding its home within him once again.
This time Jaime set the pace, hands digging into Rylan’s shoulders, his body squeezing Rylan’s cock. Jaime flung his head back, hair flying as Rylan leaned in to lick the sweat from his throat. It was a wild ride around the room as Rylan found himself with his back against the wall, then the door, and finally setting Jaime on the desk.
He got one of Jaime’s legs up onto his shoulder and took hold of Jaime’s stiff cock. He pumped it from base to tip, pressing a finger into the slit. All the while he pounded deep into Jaime, feeling his body clench tightly on every stroke.
“Rylan — oh, oh!”
Jaime erupted in Rylan’s hand, painting his release across his chest. Rylan stroked him through the aftershocks, his movements slowing until Jaime softened in his hand.
Rylan leaned in for a kiss, drinking in Jaime’s gasps and licking at his lips. Then he pulled out and swiftly spun Jaime around on the desk, pressing both their faces close to the mirror so their mingled breaths fogged the glass.
“My turn,” Rylan said, and grinned.
He slipped back in, gripping hard at Jaime’s narrow hips. In the mirror, Jaime’s eyelashes fluttered as his eyes rolled upwards. He bit at his lip until Rylan reached forward to push two fingers into his mouth. Jaime’s tongue danced around the intruding fingers before he sucked hard on them, and then it was Rylan’s turn to roll his eyes back. He moved his wet fingers lower to pluck at a rosy brown nipple.
Jaime braced both hands against the mirror as Rylan’s thrusts sped up, each stroke going long and deep. He could feel the pleasure mounting even higher inside him, the pressure building at the base of his spine. He was so close, he just needed — he wanted—
Jaime opened his eyes and met Rylan’s in the mirror. Rylan felt himself caught in their depths and tumbled over the edge, spilling inside Jaime and crying out as he came.
He came back to himself still deep within Jaime, face buried in his hair. Jaime was stroking his arms.
“Rylan,” Jaime said, which sounded wonderful. His name — the one he’d chosen — on Jaime’s lips. “Rylan,” Jaime said again, “that was incredible, but I think I’m going to be stuck to the mirror soon.”
Rylan focused and realized Jaime’s face was mashed up against the glass. “Oh,” Rylan said. He slipped out of Jaime, which was regrettable, but then scooped him up in his arms, which felt perfectly right.
He carried Jaime over to the bunks and settled him into the lower one, before going back and opening the panel where the tiny sink was hidden. He wet a cloth to clean himself off and then brought another one over to Jaime, cleaning him while perched on the edge of the bed.
“Mm, that’s nice,” Jaime said sleepily, as Rylan ran the cloth over his chest, “but you need to get in here with me.”
“You think I’ll actually fit in the bunk with you?”
“You’ll be fine.” Jaime wriggled over. “C’mon.”
It took even more shifting, a few stray elbows and Jaime finally stretching out, body half on Rylan’s and head pillowed on his shoulder.
“See?” Jaime said. “Just right. I mean, as long as neither of us rolls or anything.”
“I may snore,” Rylan said.
“I’ll probably drool on you,” Jaime murmured into his chest, “but it’ll all be okay.”
Jaime’s breathing was already slowing as Rylan stroked his hair, trying to smooth the wild tangles their activities had put there. It had been a long and difficult and unexpectedly wonderful day, and Rylan could feel himself growing sleepy. The only thing that kept his eyes burning and open was the hollow regret in his stomach about what he’d left unsaid. Everything he’d told Jaime about his past was true, except for the crucial fact that he was working again for the Commonwealth, that he was there to set them all up by delivering the cargo. He didn’t think it was something Jaime would accept or forgive.
He wasn’t sure how he was going to forgive himself.