Epilogue
Redek
It was much smoother sailing after they boarded Yil's ship than Redek was expecting. Yil was the perfect host, and he never made them feel unwelcome or like he was going to turn on them at any moment. Redek never completely relaxed—he didn't do that until they'd arrived at the financial crime department and Maddie had gotten her official pardon from the investigators—but he felt safe.
Never safe enough to let her out of his sight much, though. Not that they wanted to be apart. When it had all settled down and they were on their way, they spent ninety percent of their time in bed, finally getting to know each other's bodies like they'd been craving for weeks.
Maddie spent some time trying to get into the electronics back in Damien's manor, but she had no luck. Yil had sent some people there to retrieve the data anyway.
Which meant there had been nothing to do but bask in each other.
Any doubts he had about how their relationship would be when the tension was gone were quelled.
All it had done was take away the bad bits.
Now, with Damien awaiting trial and the investigators compiling their evidence, Redek and Maddie had some free time.
"Wow," she said, standing at the front of the financial crime headquarters and looking at the ship they'd been given. "I have no idea what we should do now."
"I should maybe go and speak to my bosses," Redek said, rubbing the back of his neck. He'd had a quick chat to his boss to let him know that Damien was under arrest and he was required as a witness. It was a lie, but he wasn't going to reveal even half of the truth. "I don't know what I'm going to do about my job yet."
"You think you might quit?"
"I still need to be able to live."
"I can get work wherever I want, I'm sure. Well, maybe not wherever I want, but I can definitely get work."
"I'm not really sure yet," he replied. "I need to speak to my boss. See what openings there are. I don't think I could be without a job, I need purpose."
"I get that." She laced her fingers through his, and even that small gesture still brought a smile to his lips. "So, we're going back to Suytov?" There was an excited edge to her voice.
He grinned. "Back to Suytov," he agreed.
They'd both been itching to see his home planet. She practically skipped to the ship.
***
Redek landed the ship in the small hangar attached to his apartment building and laughed under his breath as he watched Maddie. She'd had her face pushed against the window of the ship ever since Suytov had come into view.
He landed the ship and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her away from the Perspex. "There's not much of a view in here," he said, burying his face in her hair and inhaling the scent of mint. "My bedroom has a window you can stare out of."
She caught him off guard with the speed she turned around and planted a kiss on his lips, beaming. "Let's go. I really want to see it."
She dragged him from the ship and he had to tug on her hand, "This way."
"Right."
"I hope I didn't leave it too messy," he said, trying to remember how much of a hurry he'd been in the last time he left his apartment.
"Compared to my room at the compound you'd have to have really made an effort for me to think it was messy. You're the neatest person I know, anyway."
They got to his room and none of the anxiety he'd expected appeared. He'd thought he'd be terrified of seeing his home again after so much had changed—of bringing Maddie into the home they'd be sharing. This was a big step. This was where everything became real.
But all he felt was excitement.
He pressed his thumb against the reader attached to his door and the light turned green. Maddie had snatched the handle and wrenched it open before he had a chance.
She kicked off her shoes and deposited her bag near the door, then went straight to the window in the living room overlooking the city. They'd seen it from the ship, but it wasn't the same.
She pressed her face to the glass and looked around at the tall apartment buildings and busy people. "You were right," she said. "I am going to love it here."
For the next fifteen minutes she spent her time peering around doors and into his drawers and being nosy about everything she came across. She picked up a picture of him with his parents and smiled. "This is cute."
He didn't interrupt the moment to ask about how the search for her father was going, even though it crossed his mind. She had access to all the information in the universe at the tip of her fingers because of her skill, but that was a lot of information to sort through. Damien had refused every request Maddie had made to speak to him. She'd asked the financial crime division if she could have access to the information they took from Damien's computer, but they'd said no. She'd managed to acquire some of it anyway, but it had given lots of leads and they were doing their best to sort through them together.
Redek wasn't much help though, really. He let her sit between his knees and braided her hair or stroked her back while she worked. It didn't feel like enough, but it made Maddie smile.
They'd get there eventually, though, whether that was finding an obituary or a living man, he had no idea.
In the bedroom, Maddie lay in the center of his bed and smiled. "I like it here."
"I'm glad."
"I like you."
He climbed onto the bed with her, kneeling between her legs and pushing his hand beneath her shirt to caress her stomach. "Like?" he asked, starting work on undoing the buttons on her pants.
Maddie propped herself up on her elbows, firing him a grin. "Maybe you could convince me to love you," she suggested, lifting her hips up so he could pull down her pants and panties. "I think I could be open to persuasion."
"Oh, I see." He wasted no time in burying his face between her legs, licking from slit to clit. "It's like that, is it?"
She moaned in response, angling her hips further toward him and fisting her hands in the sheets.
Redek teased her, nibbling the inside of her thighs and barely touching her clit with his tongue. She squirmed and tried to force herself further into his face, but he was easily stronger, and held her hips with an iron grip.
"Do you love me now?" he asked, looking at her with smug eyes and a knowing smile.
"No." She shook her head. "Not yet."
Redek felt like he was torturing himself as his cock strained painfully against his pants and he tried to resist her cries for release. He upped the ante, teasing her until she was gasping with the oncoming climax, and then taking it away again. After a few minutes of that, she cracked.
Breathing hard and with a flushed face, she said, "Yes. I love you. Of course I love you, just please."
When he brought his mouth back to her and licked, she came apart in seconds, arching her back and whimpering. "Fuck," she cursed, finally coming back down and trying to catch her breath. "I can't decide whether that was cruel or perfect."
Redek didn't have the patience to answer her. He'd barely pulled his own pants down to his thighs when he had his cock between her legs, pushing into her without hesitation or warning.
Maddie was immediately pliant, wrapping a hand around his wrist to pull him down so their chests—still clothed—could touch. She wrapped her legs around his hips and dug her heels into his ass, forcing him even deeper inside her.
There was no push and pull with them, they were completely in sync as their bodies moved. Maddie gasped into his shoulder then kissed, then bit, as he pistoned his hips against hers, unable to get enough of the pure heat she provided.
Her nails dug into his back. She'd been so happy when he was finally healed, and had gone from barely touching him when they fucked to leaving half-moons in his flesh and scratches on his back.
He knew she loved it. It was completely primal when they were together.
And now that they were both finally healed and out of danger, there was nothing holding them back. Redek fucked her hard into his mattress, kissing her hard enough to leave marks on her throat.
Marks that it wouldn't matter who saw, because now they were free.
He came inside her with a strangled breath buried in her neck, their limbs completely entangled. He went to roll off her, but Maddie tightened her legs, keeping him there. She kissed his lips and wove her hand through his hair. "I love you." She said it now almost like a reassurance after the game they'd been playing. "More than anything in the world."
"And I love you more than anything in the universe," he teased.
She slapped him on the shoulder then laughed, allowing him to roll onto his back and bring her into his side. They cuddled together, on their bed, in their apartment, and just basked in each other's uncomplicated company.