Page 28 of Across The Stars
“Ok,” she said to herself, spinning around to start making her way toward the crates.
I watched her scan each one and log them into the system and when she was finished with the task, she looked like she was just pretending to do things on the screen to avoid me. Amusement tickled my lips. Now I was smiling behind my visor and, as if she knew it, she glared up at me, again chewing on her lip like she was arguing with herself.
Each time she did that, my eyes went right to her mouth.
Finally, Innifer made her way back toward me, lowered the digital pad to her side, and raised her brows.
“You’re the one, right?” she said, all wariness leached from her tone like she’d just flipped a switch. “The one that bumped me on the dock a couple of weeks ago?”
My chest swelled a bit with an extra beat. I hesitated to answer, but she knew, so it didn’t matter. She lifted her chin a bit higher, sticking out her hand in a gesture that used to be common for humans when they introduced themselves. A handshake. I simply looked at her outstretched hand and tilted my head again like I didn’t understand. I thought it would be fun to toy with her, but her eyes immediately fell to her palm. As if irritated and embarrassed at the same time, she curled her fingers in and dropped the offer.
“Right,” she said. “So you guys don’t do handshakes, I guess. Judging by the suits, you’re not keen on physical touch, either, huh? I promise I washed my hands,” she joked. “But I get it. Sorry. I guess I’m a little old fashioned.”
I knew that Earth frowned on physical contact and most relationships were virtual, but the Nexus wasn’t as strict. Innifer, however, was newly transferred from Earth’s surface and I had to guess that she was still used to the rules. Touching was part of valerian culture, though. We enjoyed it. Craved it. In fact, now I felt bad for not taking her hand in greeting, especially after seeing the way her shoulders drooped when I’d rejected her. I had to make it up to her before we went our separate ways again.
Or maybe I needed to prove something to myself.
I looked around first, not keen on having an audience. Satisfied that I was one of the only valerians left on the ship, I stepped in and took Innifer’s wrist.
She jolted at the contact, her eyes moving from the transport tunnel to where I was gently gripping her. I was completely taken aback by the force of heat that coursed through me, penetrating the material of my suit. It was a surge all over again, but that time the exchange was different. I hid the reaction,lifting her hand up between us. I could feel her pulse beneath my fingers and it teased my second heart. It was something I hadn’t felt for many cycles and it was almost dizzying. There was a time that I’d wanted my paetal to spark and wake up, but at the moment, it was just inconvenient.
And enjoyable. Enjoyable things were addicting.
Innifer’s eyes fluttered and she swallowed, staring at my hand as I turned her palm to face up. She observed with utter fascination, glancing at my visor a couple of times as if she expected me to remove my helmet next.
I wasn’t going to go quite that far.
“We do not shake hands where I’m from,” I said.
She blinked at that, caught off guard by the sound of my voice. Then, I pressed on the underside of my wrist and the material on my hand receded into my sleeve, leaving it bare and hued in white-lavender. Innifer stopped breathing, watching as I rested the back of my hand in her palm and slowly slid it down the length to the tips of her fingers.
Thatwas the contact I needed because my hearts jumped into a rhythm I had not felt for so long. It hurt, like a bum leg that hadn’t been used in ages, but it felt good, too. I shivered and I could hear Innifer’s breath tremble from her lips as well. She felt it. I felt it. It should not have been possible, but thatwas a proper surge. A reaction. My skin heated and I watched as Innifer’s cheeks flushed in response. My helmet picked up the pulses in the air as her heart sped up, vibrating the space around us. Under the tight confines of my suit, I could feel my cock hardening with need. It was painful, but another good pain. One I’d craved for a long time, even if I didn’t want to admit it.
I replaced the material over my hand and composed myself, stepping back from Innifer. She was staring down at her palm in a daze like I’d left something there.
“That’s how you greet each other?” she said, her voice dreamy and soft.
“Only those we like.”
Her eyes darted up, but I had made so many mistakes in the past few minutes that I needed to tactically retreat. Humans called it flirting and it would only lead her on.
Sjek, what was I thinking?
Turning, I spotted Salukh at the entrance to the tunnel and could sense that his eyes were narrowed on me. I marched toward him, balling my still-tingling hand into a fist.
“Not now,” I said as I passed him.
Salukh raised his hands in surrender. “I didn’t say anything.” He followed behind me as we made our way onto the station and then back to the Irlos docked on the other side. “Everything is accounted for,” he said. “You know, except for your mate.”
“I said not now,” I barked. “We’re leaving.”
“Yeah, yeah. I’m sure you need privacy to soften that cock of yours,” he chuckled. “Let me know how it goes.” He reached down, adjusting his own cock like it was uncomfortable. “What I wouldn’t give to know what a hard cock feels like again.”
I grumbled. At the moment? Not too great.
14: Innifer
“Uuhhhh,” a voice said beside me. I blinked, snapping my head around to see Sam standing there, bewildered eyes staring after the valerians that had just left through the docking tunnel. “Was that a different valerian than before or was that the one that ran into you? Because either would be a juicy conversation.”
