Captain's Choice: A Romance (2 page)

CHAPTE
R TWO

     For a week Damian had little interaction with the Captain. Avoiding her, he felt
, was best for both of them. Still he wondered what went on in that brain of hers. Like right now he needed to know what she planned to do with their alien passenger. Since only the two of them were on the bridge at the moment, he ventured, “Only a week left until we hit Antares.”

     Jillian didn‘t look up from the report she was reading. “Hopefully you will complete a stellar landing and we won’t actually
hit
Antares.”

     “Was that actually a joke?” Damian enjoyed the blush that crept up to her face. “Have you given any thought to how they are going to receive us with what will most likely be a dead passenger by the time we hit, I mean land there?”

     “My orders are clear. Return the Antarean using diplomacy. Hopefully there will be no hostilities. If I receive different orders I will let you know.”

     Damian hated the
dismissive tone she took making him feel like her underling, a mere employee. “Well, by all means keep me abreast.”

     Jillian gave him an annoyed look. “Can’t you just let go of the sexual innuendos?”

     “How do you think I like being ordered around by you?”

     “Because I’m a woman?”

     Damian stepped closer to her. “Because you’re younger than me and haven’t been in that long, I’ve put in more years than you.”

     “You could have gone to the academy, there was nothing stopping you.”

     Damian felt certain he didn‘t want to be saying these things, but seemed unable to stop himself. “I bet you had it easy all your life, probably got a scholarship and skipped through the academy, never had to work hard for a thing in your life.”

     Jillian wondered why any conversation they started quickly dissolved into an argument. “Why do you hate me so much?”

     Damian honestly looked surprised. “I don’t hate you.”

     “For the record I didn’t have an easy life and I didn’t skip through the academy on a scholarship. I did everything myself and I earned every promotion I got.”

     “All right then.” Damian had an amused look on his face. “Can we have a do-over?”

     “A do-over? What are we in first grade McCaffrey? She shook her head
, but he had made her laugh, “let’s just let it go. But also for the record, as a Captain of the ship, it doesn’t help me any you always putting me down and undermining my authority at every turn.”

     Smiling, Damian clicked his heels together and saluted. “Duly noted.”

     Jillian headed for sickbay still wondering what had gotten into McCaffrey. Must be getting space fever. Dr. Malloy was exiting the hospital wing just as Jillian arrived. The older man did not look happy.

     “How’s the patient?” she asked him.

      Quietly he stepped back into the room. The hospital wing was dimly lit and had but one patient in it, who overall appeared as a sleeping male. On closer inspection the large hands and strong facial features, high protruding cheekbones and heavy forehead gave him away as an Antarean. The doctor had said he had eyes like a cat, she would have to take his word for it for as
the patient had yet to open his eyes.

     Doctor Malloy gripped the alien’s wrist checking the pulse.  Jillian had been to see the Antarean
every day of the past week, and even for an alien life form he did not look well, something about his pallor or skin tone. But what did she know; maybe all Antareans were this golden color. Not much was known about Antareans or their home base the star Antares, or how this mysterious race lived inside of it. They kept to themselves and never traded, nor sent an ambassador to the intergalactic counsel.

     But s
ince his near lifeless form was discovered, her orders were to maintain diplomacy and return him, preferably alive, to his people. They were still three light sectors away and she had not yet figured out how to make contact and frankly still didn’t know if the Antareans would welcome them or open fire on them. Returning the Antarean dead might even be construed as an act of war.

     “Do you think he’ll make it?” Jillian asked the doctor.

     “He seems to grow weaker each day. We can keep him hydrated, even fed by intravenous, pointing at the tubes leading into the patient’s left arm. But, if the rumors are true, you know what he really needs.”  Dr. Malloy hesitated.  “I can’t be positive, but no, I don’t think he will make it.”

     “I want you to lock the door when you leave
and don’t let anyone in.” Without looking up she felt his shock and guessed his eyes were boring into her. “That’s an order, Doctor. And don’t speak of this to anyone.”

     “You can’t be serious -”

     “I just want a moment alone.”

     “Captain -”

     “Doctor, you have your orders.”

     When she heard the click of the door locking Jillian sat down on the bed next to the alien and watched the gentle rise and fall of his chest with every breath that could potentially be his last.

     What little anyone knew of Antareans was this: they needed certain things to live, food and drink, air to breath just like humans, but if the rumors were true, they also needed sex. For adult Antareans anyway, frequent sex was essential to their wellbeing, just as food or water, one could only go so long without it or die. Seven days he had been under her roof with the physician, at her command, seeing to all his needs except one. Inter-species sex was just not done.

     Daily she had visited him hoping he would wake, praying they could come up with a shorter route or that central command would find
some way to contact the Antareans so they would come and get him. But, unfortunately, none of those things had happened.

     And as she sat and looked at him each day his features had grown on her to the point that he longer appeared so foreign to her. Here I am again my friend, she thought and wondered when and if he opened his eyes what sort of man would he be? A gruff mercenary or kind and gentle? She
would probably never know. He more than likely would die here nameless and alone. She wondered if he had any family and if he would be missed. One tear rolled down her face.

     Jillian did not want someone to die if she could do something about it and began removing her shoes. She wasn’t doing this to further her career and she wasn’t doing something that grossed her out. She was determined to think of this as purely a clinical act, nothing more. She could do this simple thing and no one need know about it. 

     But oddly, she found him attractive in a way. Jillian unzipped and stepped out of her jumpsuit, leaving it on the floor. Then sitting down next to him, naked, she paused taking a deep breath. She knew stimulation and orgasm for him wouldn’t be enough, if the stories were true, contact with another was essential. She didn’t even know if a human female would be what he wanted or needed, and realized in the end she might not be enough.

     Jillian knew well that sex with anyone other than a human was considered taboo, so even if she was okay with this, she was aware that there were few, if any, that would understand the line she was about to cross.  But with medical advances, disease was nothing to be concerned about and pregnancy never occurred unless the woman decided she was ready. No one would find out anyway, except Dr. Malloy might have his suspicions, but she trusted his loyalty as an officer.

     She pulled back the sheet. The Antarean had on no clothing and his body, well to be blunt, was gorgeous. His skin a smooth golden color, rock hard abs, muscular thighs, there was a lot to like here. His anatomy looked the same as any human male, so she guessed it would work the same way too.

       Lightly she caressed him and found an immediate reaction. Was it the long absence of sex or did she have the magic touch? Laughing to herself she guessed it was the first one as she continued stroking with both hands. His swift arousal surprised her. “You might just be pretending to be ill big boy, and I mean big, wow.” She straddled his thighs and hesitated just a moment watching his face, wondering how she would explain herself if he woke up in the middle of this. She moved forward and took him inside her.

     It felt - wonderful. Slowly she rose up and down wanting this to last. It had been a very long time for her also. What she thought might be, at best, perfunctory, was exciting and thrilling.

      Jillian leaned forward and took his two massive hands and placed them to her breasts. Erotic, dangerous feelings heightened her pleasure as she tried to imagine how he would use those hands on her, if he’d be rough or a tender lover. Her breath came quicker and she sped up, moving up and down, over and over rapidly. She was afraid she would come before he did and wondered
how long do Antarean men last? Experiencing such pleasure made it was hard for her to think straight. When she could no longer hold back she gave in to the shuddering orgasm and felt him explode at the same time. Jillian collapsed on his chest in a sweat and lay there several minutes listening to his heart beat resisting the temptation to say ‘was it good for you?’

     After she caught her breath, Jillian got up,
replaced the sheet over him, then took a quick shower and dressed.  Funny, her heart felt a longing for this man now, she wanted to curl up and sleep beside him nestled inside his arms. Instead she bent down and meant to kiss his cheek but instead kissed him full on the lips. Then whispered in his ear, “If you can give me such an orgasm asleep imagine what you could do to me awake. Goodbye my friend, sleep well.”

     Walking down the long corridor a smile played about her lips. Too bad alien relationships were frowned upon, she might have just found the perfect man for her, if he lived, of course.

     Doctor Malloy was standing guard at the door as she knew he would be. “Doctor,” she acknowledged in a professional tone
. She was not surprised he was unable to meet her gaze and knew he probably wouldn’t be able to for some time, if ever. He was a good doctor and she hated to lose his respect, hopefully once this Antarean was back to his home planet they could put the whole episode behind them

     Despite the doctor’s obvious disapproval, Jillian had no qualms feeling she had done all that she could. Who she didn’t expect to see with his arms crossed and fury blazing from every cell in his body was Damian
McCaffrey.

CHAPTER THREE

     “Did you? Did you do it? Tell me.” He spoke softly, almost a whisper, though his face was hard with anger.

     Jillian turned away and headed for her quarters. She wondered how Damian found out, had he just
guessed?  “I have nothing to say to you, pilot.” Jillian entered the code to her compartment and the door slid silently open.

     “Well, I have something to say.” Damian pushed his way in.

     “No, you don’t.” Jillian placed her hands on his chest and attempted to push Damian back. “I am your captain, now leave.”

     Damian refused to move. “Just tell me, did you?”

     “I’ll tell you, if you tell me something first.” Jillian stepped back, hands on her hips.

     “Tell you what?”

     “Why do you even care?”  He stared back at her looking stunned and speechless, there was a first.  “What difference is it to you who I have sex with?  I could have sex with every man on this ship if I wanted to or every woman for that matter, what in the hell business is it of yours, McCaffrey?” She stared at him, enraged. He had, as she suspected, no answer. “You harass me and say derogatory and lewd things about me, undermine my command at every opportunity, now you’re in my private chamber and you of all people are going to lecture me on morals?”

     Damian’s face showed a mixture of shock and anger with a touch of hurt thrown
in; Jillian didn’t know what to make of it. “Answer my question or get out. Why do you care who I do or don’t sleep with?”

     “Because I’m in love you, damn it.”  He crossed the room in two steps and swept her up in his arms and kissed her lips with a familiarity born of a lifetime of longing.
His stubble grazed her cheek, warm breath whispered in her ear, “I love you.”  He kissed her throat, unzipped her uniform and slipped a hand in to squeeze her breast.

      Jillian felt an immediate heat rise within her and could not hold back her reaction to him.
She grabbed onto his jacket, bringing his lips to hers, the two of them melded together passionately kissing.

    
Jillian reached down unzipping him as he watched her with wide eyes, then he shrugged out of his jeans quickly. Jillian laughed at his eagerness helping him unbutton his shirt. He whipped off the shirt and jacket at the same time.  Jillian unzipped her uniform and stepped out of it. She hesitated then, unsure what to do because Damian stopped, his gaze raking over her body. For a second she feared his old criticizing self would come back but he merely smiled, a very appreciative and sexy smile and embraced her again. Then he lowered her to the floor his kisses meandering down her throat as his hand caressed her breast.

     “I do have a bed.”

     “No time,” he murmured as his lips took the place of one his hands at her breast and his other hand moved down between her legs caressing her there. His fingers sought to stimulate making Jillian arch her back in response. Her hands ran up and down his arms, over to his face and around his back. Damian raised himself above her, she reached down and felt the firmness of him. He became very still as if waiting for something. “Ask me,” he said.

     “Ask you what?”

     “Tell what you want me to do.” He smiled at her wickedly.

     He always had to have the upper hand. Even now
. Oh, what the hell, she thought. Smiling she said, “I want you Damian. I want you to make love to me. Please.”

     He shrugged. “You don’t have to beg.”

     She was laughing as she grabbed his ass and pulled him into her. When he entered her she thought she might lose her breath or maybe her mind. Such a glorious feeling as she wrapped her legs around him. A sweet, aching sensation was just too good and with this gorgeous man smiling at her, it was wonderful.

      This was what was missing with the Antarean. Although being with him was
a pleasurable experience, it definitely wasn’t the same as being with a man who desired her. Damian’s smile, the twinkle in his eyes, the look of love on his face, all of it heightened her pleasure bringing her quickly up and over the pinnacle.

     Damian collapsed on her and started to roll off. But she held him to stay. 

     “I’m too heavy.”

     “No. Don’t go. I like it.”

     “I ain’t goin’ anywhere, sweetheart. Can‘t get rid of me that easily.” Damian rolled onto his back on his back and exhaled, “But you took the wind out of me woman.”

     “Then let’s go to bed
.”

     “As long as there’ll be no sleeping.”

     Jillian gave him a sly smile. “Definitely no sleeping.”