Skyport Virgo 1 - Refuge (8 page)

He stood back as Laleh bid her friends goodbye, her eyes glimmering with moisture.

It was obvious she shared a bond with this scraggly band of academics. He understood the camaraderie that developed. He was glad to hear two of them, Ginger and Hassan, had accepted jobs at Leo, a skyport in the vicinity of Virgo. Pike tucked away the information, already planning a getaway for Laleh in the near future.

As her friends climbed onto the maglev, Pike held out his hand and wiggled his fingers. Sniffling, Laleh grasped his hand. He gave it a reassuring squeeze. "You'll see them again. I'm sure of it."

"I know." She wiped her eyes with her free hand. "It's just—I don't know—I feel a little overwhelmed today. And I miss my mother."

Pike stopped dead in his tracks. His chest constricted at the sadness displayed on her face. Gripped by the need to comfort her, Pike drew her close. "I'm sorry your mother wasn't here to see you graduate. I'm sure it would have meant a lot to her."

"She was so intent upon me earning a doctorate. Didn't care what doctorate, just a doctorate," she added with a wry smile. "Education was so important to her, especially since she could barely read."

Pike wasn't surprised. Educating women didn't seem to be a priority on Hezma-12.

"Perfectly understandable that she'd want you to earn an advanced degree then," he said, loosening his hold on her.

"Absolutely," Laleh agreed.

Sensing she felt better, Pike steered her through the crowd toward the transport cars heading downtown. A streetcar slid to a stop up ahead. Pike slid his arm around Laleh's shoulders and hustled her toward the open doorway. His hands clamped around her waist as he quickly lifted her from the sidewalk to the top step. He hopped on behind her.

Eyebrows lifted, Laleh sent a bemused smile over her shoulder. "My legs work, you know."

Pike chuckled as they moved through the filling car, bumping against her backside as the other riders knocked into him. Laleh found an empty spot in the middle of the car.

Pike sidled up next to her. "I'm sure they do. I just thought we'd skip the crush."

"I'll let it slide this time," she playfully returned. "Just don't get used to manhandling me."

The streetcar hit a rough patch of track, throwing Laleh against his chest. He grabbed hold of the overheard bar with one hand and protectively curled his other arm around her waist, steadying her as she slid across the slick floor. Her nose touched his cheek, her lips pressing to his jaw. The gentle outline of her breasts pushed against his chest. He swallowed hard as desire rolled through him hot and fast.

Laleh grinned impishly. "Or maybe not."

Pike fought the urge to claim her lips. "Looks like the universe is intent upon me manhandling you every chance I get."

"Figures," she grumbled good-naturedly. Then, as if realizing she still clung to him, Laleh put a little space between them. Her gaze skipped from his face to his shoulders.

"So what's the plan after dinner?"

He picked up on her feigned nonchalance. It was obvious the thought of being alone with him tonight unsettled her. "A good night's sleep."

Pike couldn't tell if the expression flitting across her face was one of relief or disappointment. Wanting to feel her out, he sprung his surprise earlier than he'd planned.

"We were going to the
Spica
after dinner, but I decided you might like to spend your last night on Earth some place nice."

Surprise filtered across her features. "Oh?"

Pike nodded, already feeling as if he'd made some headway in making amends for his embarrassing ring failure earlier. "I booked a suite at the Greenwood."

Laleh's jaw dropped. "The Greenwood? Pike!" She shook her head. "That's too expensive. I mean, it's a gorgeous place. I've always wanted to stay there, but it's outrageously overpriced."

Lowering his voice, Pike took a step closer to his new wife. "You only have one wedding night, Laleh." Pink heat colored Laleh's cheeks. Pike couldn't squash a mischievous grin. "I thought we'd spend ours in style…"

Laleh had to hand it to Pike. He'd said he wanted them to spend their wedding night in style and they most definitely were. The Greenwood Hotel stood as the architectural crown jewel of post-Federation Houston and attracted the
créme de la créme
of the universe's VIPs. But unlike the usual sleek ultramodern buildings that had sprung up during its construction period, the Greenwood harkened back to the sumptuous luxury of the Gilded Age. Crystal chandeliers, gorgeous marble floors, breathtaking art—Laleh's first glimpse of the lobby had been just the beginning of an awesome journey through the opulent hotel.

Now standing in the colossal bathroom of their suite, Laleh splashed her face to remove the last suds of cleanser. She couldn't help but smile at the novelty of turning handles to control the water flow. Her eyes moved to the claw foot tub in the left corner.

She hadn't seen a bathtub since leaving Hezma-12. After all these years of showering, Laleh had enjoyed the steaming soak. If she ever had the chance to design her own bathroom, she'd want something just like this. Well maybe not the gold-veined pink granite on the floors and countertops.

She patted her face dry with the super soft towel before applying a little moisturizer to her skin. Her evening routine complete, Laleh returned her dental tablets, facial cleanser, and moisturizer to the small toiletries case. She slipped it inside her battered overnight case, glad Melanya and Pilar had brought it with them to the restaurant so she didn't have to traipse halfway across Houston to retrieve it.

Laleh smoothed a hand down her stomach, her palm sliding over the thin cotton of her thigh skimming nightgown. She'd heard Pike moving around outside in the bedroom.

Her mouth went dry at the thought of Pike making a move on her. She doubted he would since he'd promised patience, but there was always the chance he might. What would she do? Give in to the hunger piercing her belly? Or hold him at bay a little longer until she knew him better, until they knew one another better?

The dynamic between them was definitely shifting. She'd never been particularly flirtatious, but Laleh seemed unable to stem the coy smiles and light touches. Pike, too, appeared unable to keep his hands off of her. Whether grasping her hand or touching her back while they walked or patting her knee beneath the table at dinner, Pike seemed to crave contact with her. Laleh didn't mind it at all. She actually enjoyed it quite a bit.

But it left her wondering what, exactly, was happening between them. Was this attraction real or simply an effect of a rushed marriage? Would she figure it out before it was too late, before she'd given him everything only to learn she was a passing infatuation? After all, he'd made no promises to her. Pike had offered only to marry her for naturalization papers. He'd said nothing about his plans after the fourteen month deadline lapsed.

Laleh decided a cautious approach was smartest. Her mind settled, she exited the bathroom, the overhead lighting switching off as she moved through the door. She spotted Pike on the damask couch across the room, boots kicked off and jacket tossed aside as he relaxed and read something on his transmitter. Ankles crossed, he stretched from one end of the couch to the other. Pike looked up and then quickly looked down. He sat up and set aside his transmitter.

Suddenly self-conscious, Laleh touched her nightgown. The thought of darting back inside the bathroom to change into her usual pajamas flittered through her mind but she cast it aside. From now on they'd be sharing close quarters. She had every right to sleep comfortably. Besides he was likely to get an eyeful sooner or later.

"Enjoy your bath?" Pike kept his gaze firmly fixed on her face.

Laleh nodded and crossed to the sitting area. She sat on the opposite end of the settee, curling her knees to the side. "Not having to worry about running out of hot water was nice."

"I bet. I think I'll stick to the shower though."

Laleh examined the ends of her hair. "I'm not surprised."

"Oh?" Pike seemed curious as to her reasoning.

She shrugged and dropped her hair. "You're a very efficient person. You just don't strike me as the type to lounge in a bathtub when you could just as easily scrub down in a shower in less than five minutes."

"True," Pike conceded, "but sometimes scrubbing down isn't the only goal."

Laleh's stomach quivered. She raised her eyes to meet his and expectantly arched her eyebrows. "I'm listening."

"Well," Pike murmured, bending down to take off his socks, "maybe the goal is relaxation after a long hard day." He stuffed his socks into his boots. "Or maybe the goal is seduction. Some bubbles, a sponge, even a little champagne. There's no better place for giving a woman a sensual massage than a hot steamy bath."

Laleh could almost feel his wet hands moving over her slick skin. Just the thought of his hands cupping her breasts through a sea of bubbles made her pulse with need.

She felt his gaze on her and swallowed hard. Not wanting him to know just how easily his words affected her, she shrugged casually and rose from the couch. "I wouldn't know."

As she slipped past him, Pike trailed his fingers along her arm. "Suppose I'll have to acquaint you with the finer points of water massage some time."

Laleh shivered, her sex throbbing at the very thought. She shot him her best coquettish smile. "I suppose you will."

Pike laughed as he stood. Shaking his head, he gathered up his boots and jacket and headed for the bathroom. "Why do I get the feeling I was just issued a dare?"

Smiling and feeling oddly unsettled by their saucy repartee, Laleh pulled down the fluffy white comforter and sheet and climbed inside. With a wave of her hand, she turned off the bedside lamp and turned on her side, toward the center of the bed. She snuggled down under the covers and waited for Pike. Still her body vibrated with excitement. With a wicked smile and a few teasing words, Pike had reduced her to this, to clenching her thighs together in hopes of assuaging the ache between them. She reached for the placed he would soon lay, her palm sliding over the silky soft sheet.

Pike returned to the bedroom. Laleh snatched her hand back and pulled her arm in close, suddenly afraid of being so near to him. Pike appeared at the foot of the bed and sauntered around to his side. Laleh's gaze trained on his chiseled abs. She yearned to run her fingers over the muscled ridges, to feel the crisp hairs against her skin.

Sure he'd catch her staring, Laleh looked away as he switched off his lamp and moved onto the bed. She held her breath, wondering if he would move closer. He rolled onto his back and slid his hands behind his head. Laleh breathed slowly and deeply, waiting for him to say something, anything.

"If you want breakfast before boarding the ship, we'll have to wake an hour earlier."

Laleh frowned at his odd choice of conversation opener. "Do you have a preference?"

"I never eat breakfast the morning of a new deployment. Nerves," he added, as if able to see the curiosity on her face.

"Ah. Well I suppose I can find something to eat on the ship."

Pike yawned loudly. "Mess hall serves food twenty-four hours a day, and you'll have access to room service of sorts. They'll bring food to our quarters upon request."

"Nifty," Laleh said, one of her concerns about living aboard the starship allayed. "I'm not generally an early riser, so I was afraid I'd miss out on breakfast most days."

"I'm sure most of the civilians aboard will be on your schedule." He snapped his fingers. "Which reminds me—you'll have to board the ship separately from me. You'll go through a quick orientation with the public affairs officer and a series of emergency drills."

"Gee, sounds like loads of fun," Laleh sarcastically replied.

Pike chuckled. "It's not that bad. But we'll definitely have to feed you before we leave. I'd hate for you to be bored
and
hungry."

"Aw, you're so thoughtful," Laleh teased.

Pike snorted and lowered his arms. "Good night, Laleh."

"Good night, Pike."

The small space between their bodies sizzled with energy. His breathing didn't slow as she'd expect of one so tired but quickened slightly. She wondered if he fought the same urges she did. Fingers almost twitching with the desperate need to touch him, Laleh closed her eyes and turned away from him. She hoped he wouldn't interpret her act for coldness toward him.

Pike's heavy sigh told her otherwise.

A pang of discomfort tightened her chest. She considered rolling over and explaining herself but found the right words wouldn't materialize. How could she explain what she was feeling when she barely understood it herself?

Resigned to a morning of awkwardness, Laleh shut her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

*

Pike woke to whimpering and a painful whack to his shin. It took a second for him to reconcile his whereabouts. Blinking, he let his sight adjust to the darkness but could barely make out Laleh's shadowy form next to him in the bed. She still faced away from him and appeared to be experiencing one hellacious nightmare. She thrashed violently, hands slapping and legs kicking. He heard Jai's name escape her lips just before she begged for him to stop.

Desperate to help her, Pike curled his arm around her waist and dragged her into a protective embrace. He placed his lips just behind her hear and whispered calmly, "Laleh.

Wake up."

She jerked and gasped. He slid his other arm under her shoulder and wrapped it around her upper body. He pressed a gentle kiss to her temple. "It's just me. You're all right. It was just a dream."

Laleh sagged against him. "I'm sorry," she croaked, voice thick from sleep.

"Shh. Don't be." He kissed her shoulder and ran a soothing hand down her arm.

"With all the stress of the last few days, it's natural."

Laleh relaxed in his arms and shifted back against him, as if seeking more of his warmth. His hand settled on her hip, his fingers splayed over the exposed skin. In her wild movements, she'd worked her nightgown up around her ribcage. Only a pair of low cut panties covered her lower half. He considered tugging the nightgown down into place, but the temptation to slide his hand along the curve of her waist was too much. He caressed her belly with feather-soft brushes of his fingertips.