appropriate behavior on and off the job. They were passionate people who tempered themselves with iron control. Today her control was failing. Today was a dream come true.
Neela Pharr had been a scuff-kneed, cockeyed ponytail-wearing brat when he’d first moved to Elara colony twenty years ago. The only part of that kid remaining was the long inky hair and fearlessness.
High emotion brought a rise of color along her spine. He’d seen it only once when Neela had been playing with a neighborhood boy, and she’d gotten angry. Tarrel never forgot the burnt orange arrows of her inverted chevron spinal column, running from skull base to the waistband of her swimming gear.
What color was her spine in the heat of passion?
He needed to focus. This was Neela Pharr. She could easily kick his butt in a fight. Beyond that, she was a trusted friend and fellow ranking military presence. Fucking this up would be bad.
“You only want me because of the anti-inhibitor and years of history together. Think about this for a second. If we have sex and you wind up regretting it, we won’t be the same.”
She took his hands and pressed them to the underside of her breasts. “I never regret sex.”
“You aren’t used to combining sex and emotion, are you?”
Neela huffed. “I’m hardly a cold fish in the sack, Tarrel. But you wouldn’t know that because we’ve never gone there before.”
“Sex is about feeling,” he said, trying again. His cock complained with a thick throb. Damn if he didn’t already feel the sting of blue-balls.
“It’s about getting off,” she deadpanned. “It’s about genitalia and rushing blood vessels and pleasure centers in the brain.” She stood up and backed away with a sexy saunter. “But if you won’t participate, I’ll go it alone.”
“If that’s all you think it is, then you need some education. Human style.” He levered himself out of the chair.
“Is that a yes?” she asked, a sly smile curling her full lips.
“We’re on auto-pilot and we have a couple of days. If you think this won’t make things weird between us, then yeah, I’m in.” He grinned in afterthought. “And out. And in again as many times as it takes. I won’t quit until you have the full human experience.”
“Dedicated,” she mused.
“Yeah, I’m a tireless giver.”
Neela continued to back away. She reached behind herself and loosened the fastenings on her bra, letting the gauzy material slide off her arms to the floor. Tarrel’s stomach felt like it had made an atmospheric plunge.
“You just get right to it, don’t you?” he asked.
“Why wait?”
Tarrel unhooked his uniform flight top and unzipped the semi-attached pants portion. He pushed the clothes off his body as he hobbled out of his issue boots. He’d have been more respectful, but with Neela slithering sensuously out of her body suit, he couldn’t bring himself to look away.
Long hours of training had toned her core, but she still had a softness to her that he liked in a woman. He wasn’t fooled into thinking there wasn’t hard muscle under there. He’d seen her in combat with her lance. He knew the dedication it took to master her talents, but she was blessed with full hips and round thighs and the sweetest thatch of trim, short curls between her legs. It was like a runway to heaven that he couldn’t wait to land on.
Moisture glistened at the seam. He hadn’t even touched her yet. Neela hadn’t been kidding when she said she was ready.
She took another step back. Tarrel finally freed his legs in a stumbling trip forward. Barely catching himself on the bulkhead just inside the sleeping quarters, he laughed at his awkwardness.
“I feel like a kid who’s never gotten laid.”
“Did you pass your physical?” she asked, sitting on the very edge of the one-man wall cot.
“The doc cleared me and I stepped through the viral containment unit like I do before every work day,” he told her.
“As did I.” Neela leaned back and parted her thighs.
“I boosted my contraception dose last week,” he added for her peace of mind.
She shrugged a shoulder. “I’m not due for mine for another three months. I don’t depend on other people to protect my body.” But she did seem to relax a fraction.
“Then why are we still talking?” he asked.
“Because I’m waiting to see what I have to work with.” She looked pointedly at his tented briefs.
Tarrel tucked his thumbs in the waistband, running them back and forth teasingly before dragging the undergarment downward and off.
“Nice,” she murmured. She hooked her foot behind his thigh and pulled him closer. When he got close enough, she grabbed his arm and pulled him to the bed, neatly straddling him in one quick move.
Tarrel held her waist. “Hey now, there’s no rush.”
A funny expression crossed her face. “Who’s rushing? This has been coming for a long time.”
“So let’s take our time and enjoy it,” he finished.
She lifted her brows. Her hand wrapped his cock. She lifted, holding him steady and impaled herself on his shaft. Tarrel and Neela gasped at the sudden intimate contact in unison. She curled her shoulders forward, her lips parted as her brow furrowed slightly.
“
“Don’t want to,” she protested.
He didn’t want her to either. Already the clenching heat of her body was short-circuiting his best intentions. Logically, he knew they should enjoy the first coupling, but every one of his nerve endings argued that it felt too damn good to hold back now. They were whispering,
She seemed to be getting the same internal message, because she lifted in a forward rocking motion that undulated the rest of her body and the last coherent thought he had fizzled into death. He gripped her hips and slammed upward as she came down, sending a delicious shockwave straight to his balls.
There was going to be nothing slow about this round.
A thought flashed through his mind about how he’d have liked to have at least kissed her first. He’d have liked to have touched her full pert breasts. Instead, they bounced out of reach as she rode him and he fucked her just as hard in return.
Later, he thought dismissively. Later because right now orgasm tingled at the base of his spine and low in his skull.
Tarrel moved his thumb to the top of her clitoral hood. Neela cried out, threw her head back and keened as her pussy spasmed around his length. The tremors were so strong it ripped his climax from him as suddenly as hers had come on.
He was still gasping for breath as Neela collapsed on him. He brushed loose strands of hair away from her cheek where sweat had dampened them to stick. She moved her head and he settled for touching the back of it. His fingers found the clip holding her locks back and he decided that if they were going to be undressed and fucking, he wanted to see her in all her glory.
Tarrel fussed with the clip until it came free and black tendrils spilled to his shoulder and chest.
“Why did you do that?” she asked pushing up and looking a little peeved.
“Okay, here’s the deal. You want to have sex. I’m all for it, but I want to enjoy it.”
“Don’t even pretend that you didn’t enjoy what we just did,” she scoffed.
“Of course I did. But did you? I want to know that you had the full run of emotions. Might as well take advantage of the inhibitor.”
Her gaze darted away. “I felt everything.” She rolled off his body to the small space between him and the wall, her body hugging his side. She draped her arm across his chest.
“You felt what you wanted to feel. That’s not necessarily what sex is about.”
“I’m not a virgin, Tarrel.”
“Nope, you’re not that,” he agreed. “But you didn’t let go either.” He turned his head, looking intently into her eyes. “Next round is about the process you missed.”
Her eyes widened, and she seemed a little pale. “I think I’m all good there.”
Tarrel rolled up on his side. “Not even close, honey. But you will be.”
