Second Chance Read online

  She’d chosen to go to one of the rec rooms. Alek had told her that they had some practice androids for sparring and battle simulation. She had energy to burn and a good fight was just what she wanted. It would keep her skills sharp and hopefully sear away the sexual frustration that had ignited earlier this morning. For once, she couldn’t blame Darion and Alek. They hadn’t intended to arouse her. She doubted that they had even known she was awake.

  They’d rolled from bed, careful not to disturb her. Darion had walked around the bed and joined Alek as he paced toward the bathroom. As he’d neared the other man, Darion had reached out and slid his palm across Alek’s hip and buttocks. It had been such a relaxed move that she could tell they had long enjoyed each other’s touch.

  A shiver skittered down her spine and she felt the walls of her vagina clench. She’d had suspicions that they had been lovers at some time. The number of males on the ship and the absence of females or sex-droids had been a big clue in that direction. The thought of them together had aroused her, but not as much as the thought of watching them touch each other or, better yet, joining them as they loved each other. Seeing Darion touch Alek in such a sensual manner had sparked her desire. No longer was it merely a fantasy.

  As they stepped into the lift, her escort’s lips curved into a definite smirk. Laci ignored it. She knew that he probably smelled her arousal, but there wasn’t anything she could do about it. All it took was the mere memory of Darion’s dark brown hand gliding across Alek’s golden-skinned buttocks and her desire flared.

  The lift stopped and Laci stepped out and walked beside her escort past the larger open rec-area to one of the private rooms. He opened the door and stepped inside, crossed the padded floor to the opposite wall and activated the droid.

  She entered the room and felt the slight give of the padded floor. She reached out and touched the wall. The walls were covered in the same padded material as the floor.

  “It won’t hurt you. You can attack it as much as you want. It will only defend,” the crewman informed her before he started for the door.

  Laci’s mouth dropped open in astonishment. Before she could find her voice, the door slid closed behind him. She fumed, frustrated. Glaring at the droid, she knew going after the man was useless. He wouldn’t have even thought to put it on defense-only without orders.

  Most people forgot the command was even there. Her fingers clenched into tight fists. She didn’t want to attack the damned android. She wanted to fight. Even beginners weren’t given a droid that would only defend.

  Her hands fisted at her side. Hells, now she was angry and aroused. She’d never understood why the companies who made practice droids put in a defense-only function. It taught nothing and just felt wrong. It made her feel guilty to even think about hitting the droid, as if she was about to attack a pacifist.

  Laci squared her shoulders and attacked. The droid blocked most of her blows, but she slipped a few past its defenses. Circling, she focused on expending some energy and attacked.

  She intensified her assault on the droid. As it swept its hand down in a block, she caught its arm and spun, slamming the droid into wall. A flash of movement caught her eye and she spun. Alek stood just inside the doorway. He looked relaxed and happy.

  His spiky hair was still in perfect order. Whatever he’d been doing, it obviously hadn’t caused him any stress. His golden eyes prowled over her body lingering at her breasts and hips. He straightened and she saw his muscles flex beneath the tight material of his blue shirt. Just watching him was arousing.

  “You’re being a little rough with the droid, aren’t you?” A smile kicked up a corner of his mouth.

  “I wouldn’t have to be so rough if your man hadn’t set this thing on defense-only.” Laci glared at him.

  “We told him not to let you get hurt. We didn’t know just what you could do.”

  “I can take care of myself.”

  Alek chuckled arrogantly and turned his eyes to the droid, which simply stood there waiting for Laci’s next move. “I can see that. You’ve pulverized that droid. If it was capable of feeling pain, it would be experiencing some aches right now.”

  “If it was male and anatomically correct, it would really be in trouble.” She flashed him a sweet smile.

  “Ooh, that’s harsh.” He held out his hand in invitation.

  “No.” Laci crossed her arms over chest. “We’re going to talk and you’re staying over there. It’s easier to think when your hands aren’t all over me.” Her hand rose to her hip and she gave him her best “I mean it” look.

  “You really shouldn’t give orders you can’t enforce.” In spite of his words, he leaned back against the wall.

  “How did you come to marry Satira? Was it arranged?” Laci asked. From what she knew no sane man would have chosen Satira. That woman had had very few good points.

  “Now that’s a long story, especially since you know nothing of Darsati culture,” Alek murmured and pushed away from the wall. “Get your shoes.”

  “I told you that we’re going to talk.” Laci slammed her hands onto her hips and narrowed her eyes.

  “We are, but this is going to take some time. We might as well be comfortable while we talk. We’ll go to one of the dining halls and get something cold to drink.”

  Laci studied him intently, trying to decide if she could trust him. “You’re not going to distract me or otherwise drive me insane with lust, like you did last night?” She watched those golden eyes light with amusement and hot arousal.

  “I know you need to learn just how all of this came to be,” Alek explained. “I won’t touch you until all your questions are answered.”

  Laci slipped into her shoes and then left the practice room at his side. They strolled down the hallway in silence. Once inside the lift, Laci leaned against the opposite wall and thought. She wanted to know so many things that it was hard to decide what to ask first. After thinking about it for the entire descent, she made her choice. She’d stick with what she’d asked him about in the practice room. Maybe that would gain her the answers to a few other questions.

  The vast size and the high ceiling of the forward dining hall had awed Laci the first time she’d seen it. She’d known a Taurog battle-class ship was huge, but she hadn’t realized just how large it was. Even now, the sheer space in the room made her feel small. Tables were scattered throughout the room, and booths lined the walls.

  Alek led Laci across the soft gray-blue carpet to one of the slate blue booths along the cream colored walls. The table was draped in a long white tablecloth.

  “You stay here and I’ll go get us something to drink.” Alek smiled down at her and then strode toward the serving area.

  Laci allowed her eyes to skim over the dramatic artwork on the wall. All the pieces that she had seen were bold and eye-catching, dark colors and bright colors thrown together dramatically. She scanned the room for Alek. She caught sight of his red head as he wove his way around the tables scattered throughout the room.

  Alek carried a tray. As he neared, she saw that it held more than just mugs and a pitcher. He slid the tray onto the table. Laci lifted the large platter laden with savory appetizers while Alek placed the filled mugs on the table. She removed the large pitcher of some reddish drink. Arranging the various bowls and plates, she slid a bowl of spicy dip closer to Alek.

  Alek slipped into the booth, relaxing back against the soft back. Laci turned to face him, noting that they were still close, but not skin to skin. She could easily reach out and touch him if she wanted. The distance was just perfect for a conversation, as well as her keeping her sanity.

  Laci lifted her mug and sipped at the cool, spiced drink. She ran her eyes over his face, lingering on his lips. Shifting position as her thoughts turned carnal, she cleared her throat. “So tell me how you and Darion met and married Satira.”

  “Do you want to know about that or about how I met Darion?” Alek swirled a crusty triangular pastry in the dip.

/>   “Either…both.” Laci bit her lip.

  “Darion and I met while we were training. He was born in the southern regions and came to the East during his second term of training.”

  “Where did you meet him?” Laci asked.

  “I was training with Corat Marisin, one of our great warriors. Darion had earned the privilege as well and it was there that I first encountered him.” Alek’s smile grew reminiscent.

  “And you became…friends during your training?” Laci tilted her head as she absently put her mug on the table. “You worked side by side and got to know each other?”

  “Not quite, we met briefly but the Botisar—” Alek began.

  “Wait. What’s a Botisar?”

  “The Botisar is…um, a man with higher psychic abilities than normal Darsati.” Alek frowned as he sought the right words. “He can sense the energies within people and uses that ability to find those meant to be together.”

  “What energies?” Laci reached for a meat-filled pastry.

  “Psychic energy as well as body chemistry.” Alek’s mouth kicked up on one side. “As to how they do it, I asked once. The man told me a bunch of stuff about energy fields, colors and mental paths. He lost me when he said that energy fields have colors.”

  “So this Botisar introduced you to Darion,” Laci prompted.

  “It wasn’t a matter of choice.” Alek lifted his mug. “The Botisar told us of the link between us and from that day our training changed, intensified. There wasn’t any question that we’d have to find a way to work together. We couldn’t break the tie between us even if we’d wanted to.”

  “Was it common among your people to do that? And what did it mean other than that you two would be together for the rest of your life?”

  “It wasn’t that common, but it was a well-established practice. There was only honor in being chosen, no stigma. Darion and I are far from unique.” Alek swirled the tip of another triangle in the dip.

  “And the second question?” Laci raised her brows when he went no further in his explanation.

  “Pairs matched by the Botisar are trained to lead. The skill and drive of the two men are what determine just how high they’ll rise.” Alek took a large bite.

  “Are there any other pairs on this ship?” Laci leaned forward as she waited for his answer.

  “Three. Two of the pairs serve as commanders and the other pair oversees engineering.” Alek smiled at her. “Are you sure I can’t kiss you?”

  “No, you can’t.” Laci tried to frown at him, but she could feel her lips working into a smile. He was incorrigible. “Were these men paired by a Botisar as you were?”

  “Yes, but only the strongest and most experienced became Jatohn.” Alek lifted his mug and took a long drink.

  “Do all pairs have one additional mate?” Laci asked.

  “All the pairs that I know of have only one female mate that they share, yes.”

  “All right, now you can tell me how that oh-so-wise man paired you with a vicious witch like Satira,” Laci demanded. If the man knew so much, he had to know that that woman would have made anyone she was with miserable.

  Alek burst out laughing. “A little angry on our behalf, are you?”

  “There you are. I’ve been looking for you.” Darion strode over and slid into the seat on the other side of Laci. “What are you doing here?”

  “Laci has some questions and we came here to talk. It seems she has some problems concentrating when we touch her.”

  “What questions does she have?” Darion plucked a crunchy breadstick from the tray.

  “Well, I’ve covered how you and I met and now we’re on to how Satira came to be our mate.” Alek lifted his mug and took a long drink.

  “Get on with it and stop chatting,” Laci ordered. “Now that both of you are here, time is a factor.”

  “Are you implying that we would try to distract you?” Alek trailed a finger across her cheek.

  “No, no, Alek, you promised no touching.” Laci’s fingers grasped his wrist. “And I know you would distract me.”

  “She’s enjoying this power,” Darion laughed.

  “We first met Satira at one of the gatherings used to bring unbonded young people together.” Alek leaned back against the cushions and ran his eyes over her face.

  “Did you know what she was like then?” Laci asked.

  “We’d heard a few things about her, but even if we knew the full story it wouldn’t have mattered.” Darion shrugged.

  “The mating wasn’t about the happiness of the people matched together, although most of the people matched by the Botisars were very happy,” Alek explained when he caught the confused look she shot Darion.

  “A Darsati marriage was meant to strengthen the psychic and physical characteristics of any children the union produced.” Darion reached out and curled a strand of her hair around his finger.

  “I don’t see how you could have agreed to be with her. You had to know that the marriage would be a disaster.” Laci shook her head. She couldn’t understand how they could have knowingly walked into the hell of that marriage.

  “We knew that it could be bad, but it could also have been wonderful.” Alek smiled down at her. “We were determined to make the best of it.”

  “Satira wasn’t interested in making the best of it,” Laci argued.

  “She didn’t want to marry two men.” Darion closed his eyes for a moment. “She didn’t want to marry at all.”

  * * * * *

  Laci walked down the hallway, so distracted she was almost unaware of where of where she was going. She could feel the warmth of Alek’s arm curved around her waist and knew he wouldn’t let her just wander into one of the walls. She turned the facts she’d learned over in her mind. They’d answered a lot of her questions, but there were a few that she still wanted answered. As they stepped out of the lift, she became aware of the two men at her side. They were both smiling. She could see the carnal anticipation building in them. Their bodies were taut, hard. She drew in a deep breath. Their scent had deepened. Only one question nagged at her. Why did they hide the extent of their relationship with each other from her?

  She had no idea what had made them so close, but when they were together the bond was obvious. When something had to be done, most of the time no words passed between them. They just acted. She’d seen it again and again from mundane tasks to the way they made love to her. Laci followed Alek into the room and watched as he pulled off his shirt. She savored the sight of his corded chest and arms and lowered her eyes to the rippling muscles of his tight abdomen. Did he have to be so gorgeous?

  A large hand landed lightly on her shoulder and Laci stopped. She looked back at Darion. His white teeth flashed against his deep brown skin as he smiled at her. His fingers moved to the clasp at her neck. She felt the material loosen and then it fell down to her waist. She felt the slight scrape of his fingernail as he traced a path down her spine to the clasp at the top of the skirt. He flicked the catch open and the black silky material fell in a pool at her feet.

  Laci stepped out of her shoes and turned, circling her arms around Darion’s waist. “You’re eager. Did you miss me?”

  “Tease. You know I ache for you.” Darion’s hand swept down to her buttocks and lifted her against him.

  He carried her to the bed, putting her on the silky green sheets. She looked up at him and watched as he stripped off his clothing. Alek sprawled onto the mattress and rolled toward her. His hand rested on her stomach.

  She never knew what came over her, but she lifted Alek’s hand and placed it on Darion’s thigh. Laci watched Darion’s mouth drop open in shock. She smiled and let Alek’s hand fall back across her stomach.

  “I’m not blind or naïve.” Laci stretched lazily as she waited for their reaction. Right now they just appeared stunned. “I know there is a bond between the two of you and you shared the same bed even before I arrived.” She smiled. “It didn’t take too many clues for me to be sure that y
ou were lovers.”

  Alek hooked his arm around her and hauled her onto his chest. “You don’t sound offended or disgusted.”

  Laci levered up so that she could look down at him. She could see the worry in his eyes. “I’m not. It’s sexy. I don’t want either of you to deny what you have or hide it just because I’m here. You two have something special. I don’t want to come between you.”

  Darion laughed as his chest pressed against her back. “You are between us and we like you there.” He ran his fingers across her ribs, drawing a giggle and a delicious wiggle from her. “I know that that’s not what you mean.”

  “We weren’t denying what we had. We just missed you. You’re part of us.” Alek’s mouth brushed across hers.

  Darion lifted himself off her. “Why don’t we let her watch since she thinks we’re so sexy?”

  They moved across the bed and Laci turned on her side. She propped her head on her hand and settled in for the show.

  Darion reclined on the far side of the bed on his side and Alek sprawled on his back beside him. Winking at her, Darion lowered his mouth to Alek’s, his mouth moving over the other man’s with firm intent. Alek’s hand curled into Darion’s hair as he returned the kiss. He nipped at Darion’s lips when he drew back and then pulled his dark-haired lover back for more.

  Laci saw Alek’s hand slide down Darion’s flat abdomen. He grasped Darion’s cock and stroked. Darion’s groan rolled through the room as Alek’s hand moved in slow smooth motions. She drew in a shaky breath and slid her free hand across her stomach. Slowly, she bent her left leg at the knee and slid her fingers down to the slick lips of her pussy. She could feel her pulse pounding as excitement flowed through her.

  They might have boasted about giving her a show, but she knew that once they’d touched each other, all of their attention had centered on each other. Darion tore his mouth from Alek’s. He grasped Alek’s wrist and removed it from his cock and then he trailed nipping kisses down Alek’s golden chest and abdomen. They weren’t even trying to arouse her, but she burned just from watching them.