Heavenly Bodies Page 6

“Even if Jenna doesn’t want to return to Earth, we should still test the portal tonight in order to ensure it is in working order in case of emergency,” Reg was saying to Talbit. “Besides, she needs to be convinced that this isn’t all a dream.”

  Talbit arched a dark eyebrow, mentally undressing her. “I could see why she would think all this a dream. I felt myself soaring above the clouds in the heavenly realms more than once today.”

  “As did I.” Reg nobly kissed the back of Jenna’s hand. “My fair one is a rare treasure on any planet.”

  She sighed. Where was this Prince Charming when she had no date for the senior prom? Handsome, brave, strong and far from possessive… If only he were real.

  “But Earth folk know nothing of our technology or our worlds,” Reg continued. “They believe them to be fantasies—make-believe places of story and legend.”

  “After our performance today by the falls, the three of us are certain to become a part of Columbrian legend!” Talbit threw back his head, howling with laughter. “Imagine the love ballads that will be written about us three, the bawdy drinking songs—”

  “Especially the drinking songs!” Reg slapped the table and hooted.

  Even Jenna couldn’t keep from cracking a smile. They had provided some spectacular entertainment for the locals, hadn’t they?

  “Ah, but you are correct, my prince,” Talbit said, sobering. “We should test the device regularly, and we shouldn’t force Jenna to remain if she doesn’t want to. ” He stood. “Are you ready, my dear lady?”

  She accepted his hand reluctantly. Somehow she knew her dream had reached its climax. After all, how could she imagine anything more exciting or fulfilling than the encounter she had shared with Reglund and Talbit?

  “Yes, show me this witch’s portal.” Show me that my mother was right. Show me that too much TV can drive a girl insane.

  With a snap of his fingers, Talbit dismissed all the servants before quickly leading Jenna and Reg up a grand staircase to the top floor of his castle. At the end of a long hallway, he paused in front of a colorful tile mosaic.

  In one corner of the Columbrian country scene pranced a magnificent green and purple beast of burden. Talbit put a finger to his lips, cautioning silence, before pressing the center of its violet eye. Instantly a hidden door in the wall beside the artwork sprang open, revealing a spiral staircase.

  “What a fascinating secret passage.” Jenna gathered her skirts, eagerly following her host up the small steps. “I’ve always loved castles with secret passages. When I wake up, I think I’ll create one in the back of my walk-in closet.”

  Reg shared a knowing look with Talbit. “I think we’d better show her the portal right away and skip the tour of your playroom.”

  “Pity. But I agree with you, my lord.

  Jenna burst out into the chamber at the top of the winding staircase and clapped her hands together with delight. “I simply adore this room! It’s round like the shape of the castle tower. You can see for miles from up here, can’t you?”

  Talbit pointed to a telescope perched by a large picture window.

  Jenna looked through the spyglass and laughed. “I see how you keep watch over the waterfalls from here.”

  “I made Lord Talbit the protector of these lands, so it is his royal duty to oversee them,” Reg said, taking her by the arm.

  “And just look at all the rich colors in this room—the magentas and reds and golds and greens and deep navy blues. And all these silk tapestries and soft rugs and wide beds and big pillows and plump cushions and low couches…” Jenna paused. “You know what? With all the scantily clad servants and all this sheik and harem stuff, you could throw quite a swinging party up here.”

  Talbit grinned. “Yes, we often serve our guests dessert here in the playroom.”

  She winked at him as Reg guided her toward one of the tapestries. “Playroom. Good name for it.”

  “The witch’s portal lies behind here.” The prince flipped the thick wall-hanging aside, revealing a short door. Pushing it open, Jenna stared into the dark chamber. In the center hovered a glowing blue-green crystal the size of large pumpkin. It seemed to be suspended between several spinning metal rings. The high-pitched hum of machinery reverberated off the intricately carved stone walls.

  “Let me activate the portal so I can demonstrate how I arrived in your bedchamber.” Reg threw several switches, then hit several more buttons. The floating crystal glowed fiercely now, and the outer rings spun faster and faster. “Concentrate on the center point, my fair one. You will see the last coordinates I set.”

  Jenna stared into the whirling, luminous mass. Within the blur of motion, an image began to form.

  “Hey, that’s my apartment building. That’s my bedroom—that’s my bed!”

  “Yes, it is. Now do you believe me, my fair one?”

  Jenna swallowed hard. If she could see her bed and she wasn’t in it, then…?

  “How do I know I’m not just dreaming this portal thingy, too?” she said, half to herself.

  Reg pushed another button and cranked a volume knob to full. Distant voices filled the chamber.

  “Ma’am, we really can’t file a missing persons report until your daughter has been missing for forty-eight hours,” said a gruff male voice. A moment later, a fat, balding man in a wrinkled police uniform entered the scene. He bent low and examined the bedclothes for evidence, raising an eyebrow as he picked up Jenna’s hastily discarded nightshirt.

  “You said that your daughter was somewhat of a dreamer and a loner, and that she was obsessed with Galactic Guerillas? Is it possible she darted off to one of those so-called ‘sci-fi’ conventions early this morning and forgot to tell you?”

  “You’re right, officer.” Jenna watched her mother stepped toward the bed, accepting the piece of laundry with a sigh. “I hate to say it, but my daughter is a bit of a flake. She probably just forgot to tell her boss she was taking this Friday off to go to a con. He panicked and called me.”

  Her mother sighed loud and long. “Well, I supposed she is an adult, and she’s got plenty of vacation time. I guess I should go check out the Internet and see where a convention is happening this weekend. Sorry to bother you all.”

  “No problem, ma’am. That’s what we’re here for.”

  Jenna turned away from the image. Reg switched off the machine.

  “I’m not dreaming, am I?” she said slowly, looking to him for confirmation.

  He smiled and nodded. He held out his arms to her and she ran to him, content in his strong embrace. “No, you’re not dreaming. Would you like to return home now? I’d understand. Your mother is very worried about you, and—”

  “My mother?” Jenna shrugged. “Big deal. She’s always worried about me. She thinks I’m a flake and can’t take care of myself. Can I telephone her through this device and let her know I’m okay?”

  “I do believe a telecommunications link is possible. Would you like to contact your mother and your employer?”

  “Yes, I’d like to talk to them both, but I’ll do it later. I’ll call tomorrow and let them know I’m fine and that I won’t be coming home for quite a while.”

  Reg pulled her closer and kissed her passionately, his hands roaming wildly across her curves, pressing his firm bulge against her.

  “So you wish to remain here?” he said a breathless moment later. “With me—and Talbit?”

  Jenna smiled and squeezed his butt cheeks for good measure. “Are you kidding? I can’t wait until later tonight… How could I miss out on sampling some of Lord Talbit’s famous desserts?”

  Diplomatic Relations

  What in the universe have I done to deserve this?

  For the millionth time that hour, Cherae Longbow squirmed fitfully in her seat. The restraining harness on the tilted armchair allowed little movement. Even in zero-g, the seriousness of her situation weighed heavily upon her, preventing her from dozing peacefully like the rest of the occupants of the moon to Earth shutt
le. The business-types and tourists could sleep like babies. They didn’t have to face what she did upon their arrival.

  As Terran deputy ambassador to Vigenia, Cherae had never been called to stand before the High Commission of the Alliance of Peaceful Planets. In fact, in her ten years in the diplomatic corps she could count the times she had visited her home world—or her people, the Lakota Sioux—on one hand. Her career as an extra-terrestrial linguist had taken her from one end of Alliance space to another. As she rose in status in the diplomatic corps, taking time off to see family and friends became a rare thing indeed.

  So when the commissioners abruptly summoned Cherae to Earth, informing her that she was to be ready to report immediately for a new duty station after the briefing, she knew she must have done something dreadful to displease them. But what she had done, she had no earthly idea.

  Her restless fidgeting eventually woke her traveling companion.

  “Calm down,” Jax Benay, her right hand man, said. “They’re not going to cut your head off. Earthers are far too civilized for that sort of thing. You’re an Earther, aren’t you?”

  “Terran. We prefer to be called Terrans nowadays.”

  Cherae suppressed a grin behind her hand, pretending to yawn. Muscular, yet cat-like in his agility, with green-eyes and alabaster pigmentation, Jax was fairer than she was dark and as handsome as he was quick-witted. And loyal. He’d only been too happy to accompany her to Earth and then on to her next mission, saying, “I’d rather be stuck working on some frozen hell-hole beside you than slaving away on a tropical paradise for anyone else.”

  “Earthers, Terrans, same difference. Now, if the Alliance was made up of mostly Martians like me…”

  Jax cocked a platinum eyebrow, his long, nimble fingers sliding up the side of her arm to rest at the hollow of her neck, lingering a second too long to be construed as a platonic gesture. He lowered his voice. “Well, I know exactly how I’d make you pay for your crime, Madame Deputy Ambassador. Repeatedly.”

  Cherae felt her pussy dampen with the promise of her aide’s adept attentions. But now was not the time nor place. She took a deep breath, gently removed his hand and sat up straight and proper. “Now, Jax, you promised. Be a good boy and keep our little secret to yourself. You know the commissioners are a bunch of prudes compared to the Vigenians. They expect us to act professionally at all times. No hanky-panky in the office—before, during or after hours.”

  He saluted and winked. “Yes, ma’am.”

  Cherae tried to laugh but the strain won out. “I only wish I had your sense of humor.”

  Jax casually placed his hand on top of hers on the seat rest and leveled his gaze at her. “Don’t worry, Cherae. It’s going to be fine. The communiqué said nothing about you being demoted. Come to think of it, it said nothing about you being in trouble at all. I think they want you to come to Earth because they’re going to promote you again.”

  “A promotion would be nice. But I’ve been promoted in the field without any fancy rigmarole before. Why the change all of a sudden? Why all the secrecy?”

  Jax scratched his silver-white goatee thoughtfully. “Could it be something to do with a new race who wants to enter the Alliance? You’ve heard the rumors about the Magnens wanting to join us. And they’re classified as a Level C civilization…that could explain the quiet volume on the grapevine lately.”

  Cherae shivered involuntarily. “You mean have I heard the gossip over Commissioner Darvin falling over dead at the council table after the Magnen’s first video transmission?” She closed her eyes and clasped her hands. “Great Spirit above—please don’t make them send me there, to Magnus Prime…the death world.”

  “Now, we don’t know if it’s because the Magnens are so hideous they caused poor old Darvin’s twin hearts to stop.” Jax squeezed her shoulder, but she found little comfort in the gesture. “In fact, it could be just the opposite.”

  “You mean the Magnens are so beautiful they cause people to die horrible deaths?” She crossed her arms, pouting. “Hmmm, that would be different. A Level C civilization full of gorgeous alien beings.”

  “Like Mars,” he added, grinning.

  This time, laughter slipped easily through her full lips. “Ha! What an imagination you have, Jax. No wonder your application stood out from the rest when I was looking for an assistant. You certainly are…creative.”

  His fingers lightly danced across the back of her hand. An impish twinkle glowed in his emerald eyes. “Yes, I’m creative, in more ways than one. And as soon as we’ve adjusted to Earth gravity, I’ll be happy to show you, too.”

  Cherae chuckled again. The worries of the day were rapidly melting away. Jax was right. The commissioners had said nothing about her being reprimanded. She should enjoy this opportunity to visit her home world.

  She should simply relax.

  Her hand casually dropped into Jax’s lap and slid under the open magazine splayed across it. She caressed his cock, growing harder by the second, through the thin material of his travel suit. “Hmm, I can’t wait.”

  “I can’t wait either.”

  Jax stowed his periodical and lowered his pants zipper to give his length freedom. Reaching beneath the papers in Cherae’s lap, he slipped a finger under her short skirt, fondling her clit with equal enthusiasm.

  She arched forward, moaning lightly at his deft touch. “We’d better keep this under wraps,” she murmured, pressing the call button. “Oh, steward?”

  They requested an oversized blanket to pull over both of them. Whispers and giggles ensued among their fellow passengers, but Cherae forced herself to ignore them. It was an everyday sight on the moon to Earth shuttle—couples joining the sixty-nine mile-high club. Soon their playful petting inspired others. Tent-like blanket structures began springing up all around the cabin.

  Cherae increased the speed of her strokes.

  Jax moaned. “Hmm…I want to feel those big pouty lips of yours swallowing my cock. I want to feel you licking me all over.”

  She laughed. “My grandfather always said the Great Spirit blessed me with a flexible tongue. Silly me to think it meant I was skillful with languages!”

  Cherae put away her papers and unfastened her seat harness. She pulled her lustrous black locks over her ears before squatting between Jax’s legs to give his lengthy penis a good, deep sucking. Martians tasted different than Earth males, she had always thought. They were sweeter. It was like a licking a delectable, cock-shaped candy cane that she could never get enough of. Soon she had him writhing in ecstasy.

  “You better sit on me fast, or I’ll rocket this spacecraft back to the moon,” he warned, pushing his seat all the way back.

  She deftly tickled his pinkish tip with her tongue. “How romantic. You definitely have a way with words, Jax.”

  “You’re the chief negotiator. I’m just a lowly paper-pusher, remember?”

  “Lowly? I think not.”

  Cherae accepted a hand up. Jax quickly removed her thong as she floated above him. Hooking her feet beneath the armrests for leverage, she impaled herself on his cock, gasping with delight as her pussy muscles clenched about his thickness. She ratcheted her hips in a slow and sensual corkscrew motion.

  Jax yanked down her jacket zipper, freeing her full, round breasts from captivity. “I want to suckle on your tits from now until the end of time,” he groaned, lashing his tongue around her tender points, bringing them to upright attention. “I want to make love to you until all the stars supernova.”

  “Now that’s romantic,” Cherae murmured. “Good boy, Jax.”

  The heat between them grew with each thrust on his cock and pivot of her hips. It wouldn’t be long until she’d feel the shudders begin low in her belly, Cherae knew, spreading outward along her limbs, encompassing her total being. But suddenly she remembered that she was a career diplomat with an image to uphold. She couldn’t just shriek and thrash about wildly on a crowded shuttle flight like she usually did as she came. She had to rem
ain in control.

  “You’re close, aren’t you?” Jax chuckled. “Don’t deny it. I can feel it. Your cunt can’t get any tighter.”

  “I…I can’t. Not here, Jax. It—it wouldn’t be proper.”

  He grasped her buttocks and rammed his cock harder, fingering her clit for good measure. “Don’t fight it. No one on this shuttle will say an unkind word if you tear off this blanket and scream ‘fuck me’ until you topple over in ecstasy.”

  The sound of a couple doing exactly as Jax just described echoed throughout the cabin. Cheers and catcalls followed—along with several more boisterous lovemaking cries. Cherae shook her head and tried to pull back, but he would have none of it. He drove his cock deeper into her yet.

  “No, I’ve got to preserve decorum,” she said, panting. “I’ve got to follow protocol. I can’t just…just…”

  Jax suckled her nipples without mercy until she felt like screaming. She bit her lip, but the pain couldn’t erase the intensity of the pleasure he gave her. His thrusts grew her harder and faster with a hammering cadence that could only cease with his release. She gripped his shoulders as the start of uncontrollable tremors threatened to engulf her, threatening to scramble her brain and raze her sense of modesty forever. Batting the blanket away from her face, she tilted her head back and cried, “Oh, yes! Harder, please. Fuck me hard… Oh, oh… Yes!”

  Their cover floated away in the zero-g environment along with Cherae’s flowing black mane. Her pointed breasts rose, glistening with perspiration, glowing golden in the cabin’s soft light. She felt as free as an eagle soaring over the plains—wild like an animal in heat.

  Jax held tightly onto his harness and hooked his feet beneath the chair in front of him to gain better leverage. Cherae bucked her clit against the drumbeat of her lover’s stroke. Strangers’ eyes fixed upon them, observing them with spellbound delight, only added to her feelings of desirability and wantonness.

  “Yes, fuck me harder, Jax. Fuck me hard, for everyone to see.”

  “Yes, ma’am!”

  Cherae clamped her thighs about Jax’s hips and held on for dear life. The music of her low moans and the smack of his cock’s furious pumping heralded their mutual release. With a shout, Jax shot his cum deep into her. She clenched her pussy muscles, savoring the pulse of his spent cock before allowing the shuddering sensations to sweep her over ecstasy’s edge with a victory cry worthy of her warrior ancestors.