9781618852014TheSpaceCougarsCadetPierce Read online

  She smiled and licked her lips. “Yes. That’s the idea. Trust me, you’ll like it. A lot.”

  Jaret looked skeptical, but he didn’t object as she lay down between his legs and cupped his balls. Her fingers rubbed the plump orbs as she used her other hand to tilt his shaft toward her lips. Slowly, she traced his dome-shaped cockhead with the tip of her tongue. Overcome with excitement, Jaret moaned and fell back onto the mattress. His legs opened wider. Whether he had done that deliberately she couldn’t tell.

  Layla found that she loved the taste of his skin—fresh and exotic, scented with her own soap. She bore down on him with enthusiasm, licking and sucking while he writhed. His lungs dragged back a deep and excited breath, and she knew he was getting close. Lifting her lips away from his cock for only a moment, Layla pivoted around and gripped his shoulders with her ankles.

  “Use your tongue,” she urged him. “Get me ready for more.”

  Murmuring his agreement, he inclined his head until his lips came to rest on the still-damp patch of hair between her open thighs. Cautiously, he slithered his tongue up her slick flesh, easing his way into her center. When he found her clit, he dabbed at it a few times, almost as though he were afraid of causing her discomfort. When she made it clear that he would not, he started with more gusto and gradually with more skill. He’d always been a fast learner, she remembered—that had made him successful in her course and no doubt in many others. Luckily for her, he carried that same dedication and enthusiasm into the bedroom.

  He went on teasing and tasting her until she felt full and ripe…and close to bursting. Suddenly, she raised up and spun around again. This time she scooted down and gripped his hips between her thighs while she lowered herself onto him. Just like before, he filled her perfectly, as though they were two halves of some exotic being that had temporarily separated, but had now made itself whole once again.

  Sweat streamed down her shoulders and beaded on her breasts as she moved up and down on him, lifting herself almost completely off his cock and then slamming back down on him. It only took a few deep strokes until her entire body seized up in a massive spasm of pure pleasure.

  “Now,” she said, the word coming out as a half-moan. “Now, now!”

  His own groan answered hers. She was sure she felt his balls swell and then deflate as he released a bolt of liquid heat up into her. As his passion melted away inside her, Layla reflected on a historical account she had once read about ancient sexual habits on Earth. In the old days, she’d learned, the partners sometimes had to encase themselves in primitive materials like rubber and latex to prevent unwanted pregnancy and disease. Though she admired their practicality, she felt sorry for her ancestors. Thank goodness modern technology, in the form of a brief and painless injection for both genders once a month, had solved those problems in her own time. She couldn’t imagine giving up the delight of him coming inside her.

  She arched her back, bucking and rocking on top of him until the final shudders passed through her body. By then he was holding onto her thighs, meeting her movements by thrusting up into her. Eventually he dropped in exhaustion, and she reluctantly slid off him. More satisfied than she had ever felt in her life, Layla drifted off into a relaxing sleep, her head resting against his chest.

  Some time later, exactly how long she wasn’t sure, she stirred awake and noticed he had gotten up. She spotted him on the other side of the room, leaning against the one-way glass that provided a dazzling view of the brightly lit campus. The room was too dark to reveal his expression.

  Stealing up behind him, she slid her arms around his waist and drew herself to him. One of her hands brushed idly over his cock, which stirred to life against her fingers.

  “I must return to my quarters soon,” he said sadly. “My roommate will wonder what has become of me and it wouldn’t do for anyone to see me leaving this structure at daybreak.”

  “I understand,” she said, letting her hand drop away. “I wish you could stay the night, though.”

  It was impossible, they both knew. A melancholy silence stretched between them.

  Suddenly Layla brightened. “I have an idea. Tomorrow. I can sign out a short-distance travelcraft and take a one-day personal leave. You can tell your friends you need to study privately. There’s a recreation and training station an hour from here. No one is using it during finals.”

  He turned to look at her, nodding. “I know the place. I took part in a survival exercise there in my first year.”

  “We can be alone there, and out of uniform…in more ways than one. I’ll bet getting away for a while will help you concentrate on your finals again, too. I can even help you study, if you like.”

  “Your suggestion has merit. I would be grateful for your assistance…academic or otherwise.”

  “All right, then. Meet me at the Transport Bay after breakfast.”

  “I look forward to it,” he said. Then he leaned over and kissed her hard…only on the mouth, for now, but she knew that was just the beginning.

  * * * *

  They flew the travelcraft to the other side of the planet, where various types of landscapes had been terraformed and domed for use as training environments. When the cadets had no use of them, Institute officials could reserve the areas for private recreation and even meditation. Making no mention of Jaret, Layla had signed out one for the day, citing her purpose as spiritual rejuvenation. That wasn’t a total lie, she rationalized. She expected both of them to come back in a fully refreshed state.

  Jaret insisted on piloting the craft and Layla didn’t object. “I enjoy it,” he explained as they hovered near the marked landing spot. “This way, I can focus only on the task at hand and free my mind for a while.”

  “You seem to have a real gift for it,” Layla observed. His skills at the controls didn’t surprise her in the least. Jaret seemed to reveal a gift any new thing he tried, most certainly including sex. She could hardly wait to see what delights they would discover today in a state of total freedom from prying eyes and Institute responsibilities.

  They left their craft on the landing strip and entered the dome she’d reserved. Once they passed through the opening and resealed it, they found themselves standing in a perfect patch of subtropical forest. The lagoon, surrounded by engineered plants bearing succulent fruit and colorful flowers, beckoned them with its sparkling surface.

  “Come with me,” she said, pulling him along by the hand. Moments later, their clothes lay on the shore while they waded into the balmy water. Since the circular shape of the lagoon prevented actual swimming, they settled for floating together, their limbs entwined among the bobbing lily pads. Eventually they climbed out and gathered a few wild fruits to take back to their blanket.

  “This is nice,” Layla said, stretching out beside him and turning her bare skin toward the sky, well, the top of the dome anyway, without shame. “Only the two of us. No uniforms. No exams. No sneaking around.”

  “No worrying about what comes after graduation,” Jaret added grimly.

  “Why are you worried?” she stroked her fingers down the middle of his chest and kept going until her hand rested on his velvety ballsac. “As I’ve often told you, you’re a brilliant student. Every commander in the fleet will be fighting to get you as part of his or her crew.”

  His troubled expression returned and Layla frowned as well. Most cadets would be buoyed, or even thrilled, by such praise. Still, she let it go when Jaret peeled open one of the thick, pulpy fruits they had picked and stroked it over her nipples. The juice left a sticky residue that tingled against her skin until he bent to lick it off.

  She gasped when his mouth swept lower, coming to rest between her legs. His lips opened and his tongue boldly teased her. At the same time, he squeezed the fruit over her and let the juices drip down to mix with her own. The combination of his probing mouth and the tang of the nectar soon had her shivering with need despite the warm air. Closing her eyes, she opened her arms to him as he moved into positio
n on top of her. He entered her with no of the hesitant fumbling or worries about causing her discomfort. He seemed to know now that he fit inside her perfectly, his cock sliding against just the right spots to arouse her fully and swiftly.

  Layla moaned, arching her back against him, her inner muscles squeezing him deeper inside. A strange idea flashed through her mind, telling her that she could have loved him in another life. Maybe a life where the two of them were wandering space brigands or just regular colonists on some distant world. Or maybe she loved him already.

  Before she had a chance to analyze that startling thought, orgasm gripped her with a powerful, flooding warmth. Instead of the quick, hot bursts she usually enjoyed, this one spread slowly through her, wrapping around her bones, attacking each sensitive nerve ending with a pure and intense pleasure she hoped would never end. Jaret joined her in her moment of bliss, burying himself inside her warmth and crying out with the force of his release. All too soon it did, though it left a peaceful feeling in its wake. Once again they lay side by side on the blanket. Layla rested her hand against his.

  “Have you ever been in love?” she asked him suddenly. “On your home world, maybe, or at the Institute?”

  Jaret’s face tightened in confusion. “No. At least, I don’t believe I have.”

  “I think you’d know if you had,” she told him, amused. “It’s not hard to figure out. First, you would think about the person all the time. You wouldn’t be able to eat or sleep.” Or study, she suddenly realized.

  “It sounds uncomfortable,” he said, “and possibly harmful to one’s health.”

  “Oh, it isn’t. It’s wonderful…even if the other person doesn’t return it, or even know. If the feeling is returned…well, Jaret, it’s the most addicting emotion Earth people can experience.”

  He fell silent for a while, considering her words. “Most of the marriages on my world are arranged,” he said at last. “Genetic engineering often plays a role. Emotional excesses would impede the work of our scientists. No wonder it is not encouraged.”

  “Will you have that sort of marriage?”

  He shrugged. “Not necessarily. My oldest brother, yes, for the good of the Thek dynasty. Since I am a younger son, I have more freedom.”

  “That’s good.”

  “Yes. I think so.”

  His mouth hardened. Perhaps some family drama lay behind his reaction. She didn’t pry. Presently, they dressed and returned to the Institute. They spoke little on the way back. Something had changed, but Layla suspected it wasn’t because they had begun to lose interest and drift apart. Quite the reverse.

  If only things were different, she mused, hating herself for her weakness. If only he had been older, or she younger. If she were free to leave the Institute and run off with him. But such things could never be. Each of them had different destinies to fulfill.

  “Thank you for inviting me,” Jaret said as they stepped out of the craft in the Institute’s docking bay. “I shall return to my work now. I have indeed conquered my fear of the exams.”

  “I know you’ll do wonderfully.” Discreetly, she reached out and squeezed his hand.

  “As to what happens after graduation. I shall remind myself not to worry about unknown quantities.”

  “Good. Things have a way of working out. You’ll have to trust me on that.”

  “I do.” He gave a brief, formal half-bow that charmed her and broke her heart all at once. “I have enjoyed our time together. You are a wonderful teacher.”

  He walked away. Layla headed back for her office to pick up some work. She didn’t think she could face her empty quarters just yet.

  She had barely entered the administrative building when she saw Xath walking toward her. He looked stressed.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked, hoping she wouldn’t hear that rumors had begun circulating about a professor and student running off together for the day.

  “A conflict has broken out,” he said. “Another brigand attack, this one much worse than the others. We will be mobilizing for war games soon.”

  Chapter Four

  Layla spent the next several hours in emergency faculty meetings. While she and Jaret had been enjoying one another in their private paradise, a fresh wave of brigands had breached an important security net and entered a quadrant rich in resources and settlers. The assembled faculty members drew in a collective gasp when the Chancellor announced that some of the colonized planets had already been plundered, while the rest were bracing themselves for violent raids.

  “Earth’s Central Command informs me that we will be stepping up our military presence all over the quadrant,” the Chancellor continued when the auditorium quieted again. His stern brow wrinkled and his chilly eyes swept the room. Though he was in late middle age now, his tall, lean frame still exuded tightly controlled physical strength and authority. “Our new graduates can expect to be put on patrol ships right away. The Institute is temporarily suspending all applications for post graduate research fellowships and tutorial posts.”

  The words made Layla’s pulse speed up. Once Jaret was assigned to a ship, she would most likely never see him again. He would segue into a distinguished military career, while she welcomed a new class of students to the Institute, and the younger cadets would move into their natural roles as upperclassmen. At least she knew that she would never get involved with one of her students again, no matter how close he was to graduating. She couldn’t think of her time with Jaret as a mistake, but she didn’t care for the ache he’d left in her heart, either. After the assembly, she and Xath walked together across the campus arm in arm. Layla couldn’t hide her sadness from him. He’d always known her better than anyone.

  “I won’t ask for any specifics,” he said, reaching up to pat the hand resting on his bent elbow. “I assume it ended badly, though.”

  Layla sighed. “No…I wouldn’t say that, not exactly. The truth is, my first responsibility is to the Institute. That hasn’t changed. I don’t suppose it ever will.”

  They stopped walking. Xath bowed his head and touched his thick, fleshy horns to her forehead in a gesture of affection. “Loyalty and responsibility are admirable traits, to be sure. Yet in some cases it is no crime to put your own happiness first. If this young man has made you feel something you long to feel again, you must reach out and grasp the opportunity with both hands.”

  The tenderness of his gesture, and the sincerity of his words, brought tears to her eyes. “That would be a bit like grasping at air, I’m afraid.”

  “Isn’t air a bit like love, though? You can never see or weigh it, at least not without specialized instruments and years of training in atmospheric simulation—you just have to have faith that our engineers have put it there.”

  Love? Funny how that word kept coming up lately—but yes. She did love Jaret. Loving him also meant respecting the future he had with Starforce, and she would not take that from him.

  When Xath dropped her off at the lift to her quarters, Layla went directly to her room, threw her uniform on the floor and crawled naked into her empty bed. She forced herself to go to sleep, her cheek resting on a pillowcase already damp with tears.

  * * * *

  She saw nothing of Jaret for the next two solar days, though his name came up several times in conversations with faculty members who praised his nearly perfect exam scores. She also heard more talk of the cadets mobilizing as soon as the graduation ceremony was complete. Rumor had it that within an hour after the last exam, each would receive orders. Jaret would get an excellent assignment befitting his skills and bravery. Of that, she felt certain.

  As she left her office on the second day, she spotted Jaret himself across the courtyard. He stood among a group of fellow seniors, male and female, all of whom had presumably just come from an exam. The cadets discussed and debated the answers they had given with animated gestures and earnest expressions she found endearing and yet tragic. In a few short days, academic conundrums and philosophical debates wou
ld be the least of their worries. They would be girding themselves for battle. Layla drew out of sight behind the side of the building until he and his friends had walked on. She was about to continue on her own way when someone loomed up behind her, startling her.

  “I’m glad to see you, Layla.” She whirled to find the Chancellor watching her, his hands clasped behind his back, his uniform crisp and buttoned up to the throat, as always. “I have been hoping we might speak privately. Will you accompany me to my office?”

  “Of course,” she said, struggling not to betray the dread she felt. Had the news of her affair with Jaret somehow reached the administration? Surely Xath wouldn’t have shared his suspicions, but rumors had a way of gaining momentum in such an insular community as theirs. Anyone might have let the wrong word slip—someone in the travelcraft bay, perhaps, or one of Jaret’s friends? The chancellor said nothing until they reached his office, where he motioned her into a seat opposite his desk. He sat twisting his fingers for a few moments.

  “This new wrinkle, with the brigand invasions….” he began. “To call it a worrisome situation is, I am sure you can appreciate, a serious understatement.”

  So this wasn’t about Jaret, after all. Layla was so relieved she almost wept.

  “Oh, yes,” she blurted. “Yes, I quite see that.”

  “We will need everyone to pull together in this time of great stress.”

  Layla nodded, wondering where in the galaxy this conversation could be going. “I suppose that’s true enough.”

  The chancellor’s eyes narrowed, jolting her pulse rate again. “It’s no secret you have opposed some of my policies with respect to the Institute taking a new direction in the face of this crisis.”

  “I don’t think we should become a training ground for warriors and mercenaries, no. This Institute has always promoted peaceful exploration and diplomacy first. I understand the need for a strong defense of our colonists, but what you’re proposing seems to go further.”