Page 63 of Consume
He pulled me down on top of him on the bed. I guided him inside me, smiling at his quiet groan, as he filled me completely. He looked up at me, his eyes glazed over with desire, and threaded his fingers through mine.
“I love you,” I said, squeezing his hands as I began to move.
“I love you, too, goddess.”
Every hard inch of him against my skin sparked so many sensations brighter. I felt all of him, every rippling muscle and scar but especially his heart, and I was damn lucky it belonged to me.
I threw my head back and bit my tongue on a loud cry. Convulsions wracked my body in continuous, powerful waves. Mase groaned as his hips pumped into me harder, the tendons in his neck stretched tight. With a gasp, he came inside me, my orgasm squeezing him in deeper. I moaned as the last of the sensations faded, my bones feeling like they’d turned to liquid.
“See?” He smiled up at me and slipped his grip from my hands to my ass. “You needed that more than a shower. The ghosts on the Black don’t care about BO.”
“So you’re saying I do have BO?”
“One of us does,” he said with a chuckle. “And I’m pretty sure I smell baby spit up too.”
I brought a piece of hair and chain in front of my nose. “Oh. That would be me.”
He jerked upright and kissed me. “Let’s take a shower. You scrub my back, and I’ll scrub your back. We have time.”
I shook my head. “Before we land, I want to walk the ship with Astra and try to explain what I’m about to do.” To an almost four-month old. It made zero sense, but I needed to do it. It felt important to talk to her about this now in case I’d passed some of my abilities down to her, to explain why the Black War started in the first place, and most importantly, why nothing like that could ever happen again. But also to get her used to our new home. As soon as I passed all of Earth’s spirits to the hereafter, however long that took, theVicious’s titanium walls could continue to whisper its history to us in a continuous loop, a constant reminder to look back and forward at the same time.
“Do you want me to come?” Mase asked softly.
Smiling, I cupped his cheek and traced his scars. “No.”
I’d walked through the ship’s hallways on my own so often that that was how I preferred it. I could hear the ship’s whispers better that way, which yes, made me sound like a crazy person, but there it was. Walking its halls was a quiet, almost religious experience for me, because it knew me better than I knew myself. It had at one time terrified me, but now it comforted me. It had forced me to face things I wasn’t prepared to, but it had also helped me accept who I am. That was heavy stuff for a pile of metal. Pun very much intended.
“Take a shower, Stinky,” I told him.
“Okay.” He kissed me again and leaned his forehead against mine. “I think you might be my favorite goddess I’ve ever met.”
“I’m the only goddess you’ve ever met.” The word still sounded strange when referring to myself, but I imagined it would be an accepted part of who I am, just like ghost magnet, mother, lover, sister, and daughter. I leaned back, my eyes narrowed. “And what do you meanmightbe your favorite goddess?”
He grinned and untangled himself from me. “See you soon.”
His perfect, naked ass flexed as the long columns of his legs strode toward his clothes in the corner. He looked healthy, whole again, now that She and He had fully left his system. That, paired with a steady intake of milk and desserts, and other foods, too, and I had my Mase back.
I dressed quickly in a semi-clean, stretchy black corset with metal spikes, as well as stretchy faux-leather black pants. Maybe someday I would fit into my old clothes again, but I had more important things to worry about. Until then, stretchy ruled. I also put on my cloth baby carrier sling, which resembled a bullet-proof vest, to shield Astra from my corset’s spikes, but also because she loved it.
She blinked up at me with sleepy gray eyes as I gently scooped her up and bound her into the baby carrier so her head rested against my girls.
“Are you ready for today, sweet girl?” I asked, brushing a swirl of dark hair off her forehead.
Was I?
When I stepped out into the hallway, warm, buttery light glowed in every corner. The entire ship had needed a complete overhaul of its electrical system. More light switches had been installed, and when you flicked them, they actually worked. It was a little embarrassing how excited that made me because even now, I hated the dark.
The door at my back now read Vicious instead of Vicio, the letters perfectly centered and painted red with a fresh coat of paint. Captain Glenn had said the name on the outside had also been touched up when the ship had undergone repairs to reflect its real name.
Down the hall, I stopped at the infirmary. Inside, I found Captain Glenn’s daughter, Marissa, sitting atop one of the gurneys with a tablet in her hand, her wheelchair next to her. I sensed a future doctor on our hands. She was always in here studying Ellison closely.
“Hey, Marissa.” I crossed my eyes at her and stuck out my tongue.
She giggled. “Hey.”
Next to the cabinets on the far wall, Ellison smiled down at her own chart while Pop stood next to her with her son in his arms. Pop was the epitome of the perfect grandparent, always doting, spoiling, and practically bursting with happiness. I’d never seen him glow with so much pride. It didn’t seem to matter to him that he was on a ship of felons, former drug-abusers, and so-called traitors against humanity. He knew what we really were—a family.
He gently bounced Tannis over to see us while he murmured sweet nothings into his ear. At least I thought that was what he was doing.
