V put her arm across her shoulders. “You’re staying with me.”
“I am?”
“The director thought it might be easier on you, since my suite is set up for people from Earth.” She guided Jewel down the hall. “I have an extra bedroom you can use.”
“But how’s that going to work with my date? Will we go somewhere else?”
Shit!
She wasn’t supposed to mention her reason for the trip. 1Night Stand kept their business dealings discreet.
“I’m not aware of the itinerary for your entire stay, but if you have something scheduled, I’ll make sure you get there. Right now, I’m supposed to get you settled in and keep you entertained.”
V stopped, her arms dropping to her side. “We’re about to go in the tube. It’s a transportation system for getting around the station. I admit, it feels really weird, but it’s the fastest way to my place.” She smiled at a giant bug who seemed to have dropped from the sky. It waved a long, skinny limb before skittering off down the hall. “Since you’ve never traveled this way before, I’m going to hold your hands and we’ll go through together.”
V pressed a green button on the wall then linked their fingers. Jewel had no time to comprehend how the transport worked before they were sucked up into the air then shot through a narrow cylinder. She now knew what traveling through a shop vac would feel like. If she hadn’t been so worried about hitting someone else along the way and how she’d land, she could have enjoyed her proximity to V. No matter how much she tried to deny her feelings, she enjoyed her touch.
When they dropped out of the pipe, V reached out for her, but Jewel wasn’t ready for the impact. She crumpled to the ground, pulling the other woman down on top of her.
Giggling, V rolled off. “Thankfully, these floors are padded. I haven’t landed like that since my first week here.” She jumped to her feet then helped Jewel up.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know what to expect.” But she wasn’t sorry. Being that close to such a gorgeous woman awakened long dormant desires.
If only she was my date, my one-night stand
….
“No problem. I guess I should have explained the tube before we used it, but we had to get through while it was clear.” V grabbed her hand. “Come on, let’s get you settled. I have a lot planned.”
Planned? That sounded like she wanted to take her out in public. She knew what to expect from people on Earth, but here? She couldn’t handle negative reactions from other species. “Um, I’d rather settle in for the night.”
“Oh no, I don’t think so.” V placed her palm on a screen and after a beep, a gray steel door slid open. She pulled her inside. “You can rest for a bit, but I’m taking you to the club tonight.”
“A club?”
No way
. She’d refuse to go.
“Yes, like a dance hall back home. The music and drinks are a bit different, but it’s the same idea. You should see some of these aliens move.”
Her stomach churned. The meal she’d eaten before the day-long trip through the portal wanted to make a quick escape. “I…I don’t think I can go. I need to find the bathroom.”
“You are looking a little green.” V stuck her arm through hers. “Let’s get you to the loo.”
Jewel had no time to take in the apartment. She had to concentrate to keep the food in her stomach.
Chapter Four
V left Jewel in her spare room to rest. The poor woman had so little self-confidence. So what if her face was scarred. She still had the most appealing blue eyes and such soft, creamy skin. Her wavy brown hair would make most women jealous and men want to run their fingers through her locks. She couldn’t stop touching the petite beauty. Who on Earth had made her feel so insecure?
Well, I know what I have to do
. She would take her out, show her that she didn’t have to be afraid to be seen in public, that she truly was a precious gem.
She smiled, thinking of the surprised expression on Jewel’s face when they’d been sucked up into the tube. And when they’d landed…. Maybe she should have tried harder to keep her standing, but she’d rather enjoyed landing on top of her. She’d rolled off quickly to keep from kissing her charge. After all, Jewel had traveled there for a date, or so she said. But with whom, and why hadn’t the director included that fact in her briefing?
V grabbed the tote full of Earth food, which had come up through the cargo tube with Jewel’s luggage. Inside she found pasta, bread, cheese, garlic, red sauce and—
oh yeah!
—strawberries. Her stomach growled already. She hadn’t had anything besides replicator food in months, the portal being too expensive to start up for only Terran food.
A beautiful woman and delicious food? Perfect. No!
She couldn’t have lustful feelings for her charge. She’d make dinner—anything to distract her from slipping into the bedroom and crawling into bed with her houseguest.
It had been so long since she’d been with anyone. Gar, a Phantie she worked with at the hotel, had asked her several times to be one of his bedmates, but she’d turned him down. He didn’t understand monogamy. When she chose a partner, whether male or female, she didn’t want to share them with anyone else. Gar’s current collection of bedmates consisted of five females, each from a different planet.
She started a pot of water boiling for the pasta then opened her last bottle of Canadian Ice Wine and poured herself a glass. She had found a reason to drink it. Now, if only she could figure out a way to get Jewel to the club without making her turn green again.
***
Jewel awoke, the scent of garlic and red sauce making her stomach groan with hunger.
I’m on a space station. How is that possible?
During training, she’d been told to expect tasteless, replicated food. She padded to the adjoining bathroom and returned to dig out a fresh outfit from her luggage. Decorated in silver and blue, V’s guest room reminded her of any bedroom back on Earth, with a bed, dresser, closet, and armoire. Unlike the palm activated mechanisms in the public corridor, the door slid open as she approached.
Crossing the plush gray carpeting, she took in the view from the upper landing overlooking the living room, dining room, and kitchen, all open-concept and decorated for comfort and to resemble Earth. None of the floating furniture she’d marveled at in the concourse and hallways of the space station in sight. She followed the winding staircase’s graceful curves, amazed that such an elegant fixture would be found on a space station in the middle of nowhere.
V stood in front of the stove, tasting the aromatic red sauce. She’d changed from her drab uniform into black yoga pants and a pink, spaghetti-strap tank top. Jewel could only think of running her hands over the woman’s curves, of being underneath her once more.
Waking up to her, to such a domestic scene, felt so normal, so perfect. But it wouldn’t last. She’d go on her one-night stand with some alien who could be a creepy bug, return to Earth in a couple of days, and never see the beautiful woman before her again.
Why is life always so unfair?
V looked up and smiled as Jewel reached the bottom of the stairs. “How are you feeling?” The last time she’d been graced with such warmth was that agonizing day in the hospital when her mother said, “I love you” before succumbing to her cancer.
“I…I’m okay.” She had to fight off the memory. She wanted to enjoy as much time with V as possible before she left, even if that meant going out in public. “What are you making? It smells delicious.”
“Spaghetti. It sounds like such a simple thing, but I haven’t had Earth food in months.” V poured a glass of wine then handed the drink to her. “Dinner’s almost ready. Come, sit down.”
The Space Service had spared no expense in the kitchen, either, furnishing the room with stainless steel appliances and cupboards. Jewel sat on a matching silver hover stool across from V.
I guess she does have floating furniture
.
“This club you were talking about, what’s it like?”
Chapter Five
V tapped her fingers with a steady beat on the wall outside the guest room. She couldn’t believe Jewel had agreed to go to the club with her. Now she had to wait for her to finish getting ready and she was taking forever.
They’d shared a wonderful dinner, although she’d spent more time watching Jewel savor the meal than enjoying the scrumptious pasta herself. The food and the company made her miss Earth more than ever, but she’d signed a lifetime contract. She’d never set foot on her home planet again.
“Are you ready yet?”
“Almost. I can’t decide between the two outfits I brought with my date in mind.”
“Pick the one that’s the most comfortable.”
Or most revealing
. Hopefully the clothes would give a better view of her body. She didn’t plan on letting her sit around and look pretty, though. She would get her up on the dance floor and keep her there, letting the music control the rest of their night. And with any luck, Jewel would cancel the date she kept talking about.
Lusting over one of her charges probably wasn’t a good idea. She often escorted guests around the space station, but Jewel was the first to stay with her. And she considered it her personal mission to prove to the woman how beautiful she found her.
She gasped as the door slid open.
Jewel emerged, her hair swept up into a loose bun, a few curly tendrils falling down the sides of her face. She wore a purple, lacey camisole, exposing a mouth-watering amount of her soft skin. A black mini-skirt hugged her shapely hips and knee-high black boots gave her added height. Very little makeup adorned her face, leaving her scars exposed. “Do I look okay?” She chewed on her bottom lip.
“Wow! Do you ever.” It was all V could do to keep from reaching out to touch her. No, there’d be plenty of time for that later, if all went well.
If she even wants me
….
She considered her own attire—black leggings, long silver shirt, and suede boots. She’d worn the same outfit before and had quite a number of Phanties try to pick her up, but she wasn’t after any of them. She wanted the woman in front of her.
Trying to calm her desires, she headed toward the stairs. “Let’s get going. The club should be hopping by now.”
***
Jewel raced to keep up. The woman moved so much faster than she could, having miles of long, shapely legs. She had to follow her or risk getting lost. When they reached the tube, V hit the button then wrapped her arms around her, hugging her to her trim curves.
She barely registered the suck then push of the tube, trying not to melt in V’s arms. Her cheeks flushed and warmth pooled between her thighs. If she remained in her embrace any longer, she’d be useless for the rest of the night. Her jelly legs wouldn’t take her anywhere.
Why can’t
she
be my date?
Their landing was much smoother than the first one, with V better able to keep her steady. Then she was no longer in her arms.
“The club’s around the corner.” V took off again.
The outside walls of the nightspot vibrated in time to the heavy bass music that pounded out its open doors. Flashing lights shone through the windows and danced across the floor. Inside, floating tables and chairs lined the edges of the room. Her jaw dropped as a tray filled with beverages traveled past her, all on its own. A huge dance floor in the center of the room was crowded with a multitude of species gyrating in ways she could never have dreamed of.
“Music is a universal language. It’s probably the one thing Earth has contributed that every species appreciates.” V took her by the hand and pulled her toward a bar. “C’mon, let’s get a drink.”
Assorted creatures stood three deep awaiting service, so Jewel found an empty table and dropped into a seat while V squeezed through the crowd to place their order. A collection of hungry eyes followed V’s every move. Some elephant men left a crowd of women to pursue her. Yet, she seemed oblivious to them all. Why? Did she have someone? Had she been with those men already?
How could Jewel ever compete with the exotic figures populating the station? She was plain and damaged. The oddballs filling the dance floor held so much more appeal than her. She blinked back tears of despair.
Maybe I should go
. She’d only hold V back, prevent her from enjoying her night. After all, she had interrupted her hostess’s life. She slid off the chair and headed for the exit.
I’ll find my way back. Somehow
.
Chapter Six
V grabbed Jewel’s arm. “Where do you think you’re going?” She’d only been gone for a minute, not even time to get to the bar.
What happened?
Tears trailed down Jewel’s cheeks. “Back to your apartment.”
V laughed then covered her mouth.
Shit! She’ll probably think I’m making fun of her.
“There’s no way you’d make it back on your own. That’s why I was asked to escort you around.”
“Well, you can
escort
me back to your apartment then.”
“Why?” She refused to let Jewel feel sorry for herself. Not here and not with her.
“I see the way everyone looks at you.”
Oh no, she knew those games. “Yes, but you didn’t see everyone looking at
you
. You didn’t
see
the Phantie who followed you out, the one I had to grab and tell to go back inside.”
“Really? But I don’t want any of them.”
V lifted Jewel’s chin up and wiped away her tears. “Neither do I.”
Jewel only blinked, not seeming to understand her meaning.
V grabbed her hand and pulled her back into the club. If she’d remained where they stood, she would have ended up kissing Jewel. And she couldn’t do that. Not when she’d come to the station for a date with someone else. But who? Didn’t really matter. She’d still show her a good time, whether Jewel demonstrated any interest in her or not.
“Let’s hit the dance floor.” The drinks could wait. She wouldn’t let her guest out of her sight again.
The music thrummed, filling her to the core, preventing her from standing still. She found a spot with just enough room for the two of them. No one else mattered. With each hit of the bass, she moved her feet, her hips, her hands. She let the beat control her body and her heart.