as if she hadn't said anything, "that my being here has nothing to do with him fucking you and everything to do with not being able to get you out of my head since I saw you in Jamis’s office."
"Really?" She gave him a skeptical look. "Because that was what? Eleven days ago?"
"Ten," he corrected and saw her eyes widen in surprise. "I knew what Jamis had done and didn't want to approach you immediately after, but I hadn't planned on waiting this long. Other things needed my attention."
"You mean like a coupling mechanism unhooking on the flight deck?" She'd heard about the incident and still found it hard to believe. Zagreus Ore coupling mechanisms never wore out because only extreme heat could affect the Zagreus Ore. It came from her father’s homeworld and was the strongest metal in the universe.
"That and a few other things." He shouldn't be surprised that she'd heard about that. After all, she owned the most popular bar on the Star Base. She was bound to overhear things.
"A busy week then, Sub Commander?"
"Yes."
"So, you decided to come to The Brink for…?" She arched a delicate eyebrow at him.
"You," he told her bluntly.
"I see." She felt her nipples tighten, and her channel moisten at his blunt words. Gods' knew how it turned her on. Lifting a hand, she tapped her link and spoke. "Mae, I'll be back later."
With that done, she engaged and locked the privacy screen so her papers wouldn't be disturbed, then rose. "Follow me."
Taarig rose when she did, wondering where they were going as he took in the conservative outfit she was wearing. Well, at least conservative for her. While her top left her arms and shoulders bare, it was solid and completely covered her high, firm breasts. Her skirt was made from the same solid-black material and cupped her ass perfectly before flaring out to end just above her over-the-knee, lace-up boots.
He couldn't wait to peel that skirt off her and discover if her pale skin was as soft as it looked. His gaze traveled over the black, reflective wall she moved toward. While he had no qualms about fucking her against it, the walkway was too narrow for him to explore her lush, little body the way he wanted.
He was about to suggest they go to his quarters when she pressed her hand against the wall, and it silently slid open. The faintest of glows beneath her hand made him realize she had a bio-chip embedded in her palm. Jamis hadn't told him about that. Wasn't this little female just full of surprises?
He followed her through the doorway then came to an abrupt halt as it slid closed. Before him lay a spacious, discretely-lit corridor, one he'd never known about. "Where the ruk did this come from?" he demanded.
"I believe it came with the Star Base," she teased as she moved along it.
"That's not what I meant," he muttered but followed, taking in the quality of the finishes. Not even on the Command Level was this attention to detail shown.
"I know, but I find it highly amusing the things you and the Commander don't know about your Star Base."
"That's because Wik Corp won't give us the rukking construction designs," he said, letting her hear how that aggravated him.
"You expected them to?" she laughed at the thought. There was no way her dad would allow that.
"No, but it would be nice to know there are extra viewports and hidden corridors on our Star Base."
"What's your problem with the viewport?" she asked, not about to tell him this wasn't the only corridor he didn't know. Or viewport.
"I don't have a problem with it. I just would have liked to have known it was there. I miss being able to gaze out at the stars." He was surprised to find himself admitting that to her.
"Well, except for you and Jamis, everyone else knew about the viewport in The Brink. It's one of the reasons we're so popular." She rounded the final curve of the corridor, moving past the spot where she and Jamis had fucked, then gestured with her arm. "But only a very select few know about this one."
Taarig came to an abrupt halt as his gaze went to where she gestured. Across the room, taking up the entire width from floor to ceiling and wall to wall, was one massive viewport.
"That's… How… Gods…"
Cali couldn't help but laugh at his stammering, but she also understood it. The transparent wall gave a dramatic, unobstructed