Chapter Fourteen

MAIA'S FIRST INSTINCT WAS to rush out to the living room when she heard the door open. She could tell it was Taylor by the way the human grumbled. A clattering noise filled the small apartment as Taylor began tossing aside pieces of what Maia could only assume was her armor.

"You don’t have to stare. This stuff just feels like crap," Taylor grumbled at the armed guards outside. Unable to resist, Maia peeked past the be droom door and watched. She almost laughed when she saw the identical expressions of confusion on the guards’ faces. Apparently, they hadn’t been expecting Taylor to strip practically in the middle of the hallway. A piece of Taylor’s armor nearly hit one of them as she continued to pull off the heavy layers, and both of them edged away, wisely deciding that Taylor could handle herself.

As soon as they were gone, Taylor turned and shut the door, activating the lock code. "You’d think the whole base has no more confidence in me," she muttered, kicking aside her chest plate without bothering to pick it up.

Maia didn’t know how to respond to Taylor’s irritable mood, so she chose to remain standing with her hands cuffed in front of her. She hadn’t said a word to the guards when they had insisted on binding her wrists for the interrogation. They hadn’t harmed her otherwise, but she was still relieved when Taylor stomped over and punched in the code to release her.

"Why the hell do we even bother restraining you with these anymore?" Taylor asked, pulling the open cuffs away and tossing them onto the table. "What do they think you’re going to do while the collar’s on? Scratch someone’s eyes out?"

Maia rubbed her wrists, massaging the place where the cuffs had chafed her skin. "I think they were simply following instructions, Taylor." She walked to the couch and sat down. Perhaps if she could get Taylor to stop moving, the human would begin to unwind.

Taylor continued pacing. With no more armor to fling, she made sweeping gestures with her arms. "It’s the principle of the thing." Her hands balled into tight fists. "They act like… like…" Taylor’s pacing slowed as she searched for the words she needed. "Like you’re someone they can’t trust."

Maia frowned. "Why should the guards trust me?" The couch sagged as Taylor sat down next to her, and Maia swallowed. She felt the heat of Taylor’s thigh press against hers, and the muscles in her core tightened.

"I don’t know." Taylor seemed frustrated with her own response. "How did the interrogation go?"

"More of the same. I am afraid I could not tell them anything useful." Maia had decided it was in her best interest to remain cooperative with the humans, but none of them seemed interested in asking questions about her research or what her standing with her people was. Even when she tried to interject, they simply silenced her and moved on. Apparently, the generals had decided they wanted her as a bargaining chip, not a war asset.

Taylor’s forehead creased with concern. "They didn’t hurt you, right?"

"No." Maia paused, considering her next words before asking, "But why did the guards take me instead of you?"

"I had a few hours of leave."

"How did you spend your free time?" Maia asked, curious what could have put Taylor into such a foul mood.

"Shot some practice targets with a friend of mine. It was supposed to be relaxing."

"But it was not," Maia finished.

Taylor slumped back against the couch. Her hands flopped down at her side, her fingertips inadvertently brushing Maia’s thigh. "We argued, mostly about you."

Maia’s heart rate picked up. "Oh? Why is that?" She hoped she didn’t sound like she was prying, but she couldn’t help being curious. Knowing that Taylor had been thinking and talking about her made Maia feel a little better about her own fascination with the human.

"My friend thinks I’m crazy for trusting you, but I can’t help it. You’re…" Taylor’s words broke off as her gaze lingered on Maia’s eyes, then traveled south, staring.

Is Taylor looking at my lips? Maia wished she knew. Instead, she felt a blush bloom over her face and neck.

Taylor’s hand settled more firmly on her thigh. "You’re not a monster."

Maia leaned closer to Taylor. For what purpose, she didn’t know, but she trusted her body’s instincts. For a moment, both of them held perfectly still. Maia’s hand moved slowly to Taylor’s thigh, and the human drew in a sharp breath before blinking and standing up. She cleared her throat and took a few steps back.

"You know..." Taylor’s voice wavered as she spoke, though she rested a hand on her hip in a gesture of confidence. "The bedroom is probably more comfortable. There isn't anything to do in here anyway."

Maia opened her mouth, but closed it again. She wasn’t sure if Taylor meant to dispel the tension pooling between them, or heighten it with the suggestion, but the statement was telling. Maia stood up from the couch. She thought about objecting, but eventually decided that there was no denying the powerful draw she felt. She had to face it, one way or another. Hesitantly, she followed Taylor back into the bedroom.

Taylor flopped down onto the bed instantly, lying back and resting her hands behind her head while Maia took a hesitant seat on the edge of the mattress. It took all of her willpower to keep her eyes averted. For a moment, she wondered if she should just confess her insane attraction. Surely Taylor would realize the immediate danger of their situation and hurry to put distance between them.

Her sprawled position was already giving Maia unacceptable ideas. She longed to lean forward, to pin Taylor’s arms together and remove her fatigues. She would have the freedom to study Taylor’s naked form, to explore every inch of her with hands and mouth.

What is wrong with me? Maia wondered yet again, but there was no making sense of the fantasy. It simply was, and she found that she couldn’t dismiss it. It has to be the stress of being held prisoner here. There is no other explanation.

"Maia?" Taylor said.

Maia looked up, startled as she snapped out of her daydream. "What?" Her heart hammered with nervous energy.

Taylor rose by crunching her abdominal muscles, adjusting herself into a seated position in the middle of the bed. "You keep staring at me like you have something on your mind."

Maia tried to speak, but her voice stuck in her throat. This was an unwise decision to say the least. Logically, she knew that confessing was a horrible idea, but her illogical side, the part of herself she usually kept smothered with statistics, was urging her to say something. Although most of the humans had treated her with basic dignity, for which Maia considered herself fortunate, Taylor was the only one who had shown her any sort of kindness. She deserved to know.

"I must be going crazy," Maia murmured under her breath.

Unfortunately, Taylor heard. "Look, I know you're technically a prisoner, but if something is bothering you, you can tell me. I'll try and make it better." She gave Maia a soft smile. "You’ve already done the same for me twice, and you didn’t have to. I don’t think most prisoners are nice enough to listen to their guards’ problems."

Maia had no ready reply for that statement, and her face heated with a deep blush. Taylor seemed to take her silence for hesitation, or perhaps even worry. She leaned forward, making Maia's heart beat even faster.

"Is it because of the interrogation, or me? I can leave you alone, if you’d rather—"

"No. No, it is not that. I just..." She tried to explain, but her words refused to come when she needed them most.

"Just what? Has anyone been treating you badly?"

"No," Maia said, even more emphatically than the first time. With growing dread, she realized that Taylor was going to keep guessing at what the problem might be until she either stumbled upon it, or frustrated her into confessing. Maia sighed, staring down into her lap. Earlier, when Taylor had put a hand on her thigh, she had fought the urge to reach out and stroke the contours of the human’s strong fingers.

"Then what is it?"

Since Taylor wouldn’t be dissuaded, Maia decided to say the one thing that was guaranteed to stop the questions—the truth. "I find myself having strange reactions to your presence," she blurted out, wincing as she realized how awful her wording sounded.

Taylor blinked in confusion. "Strange reactions?"

Maia forced herself to continue. "When…well, it is probably the same for both species. It would not surprise me, considering our genetic similarities. Physical attraction plays a key role when selecting a person to mate with…er, that is…I mean…" Maia resisted the temptation to hide her face in her hands. She had always been awful at this sort of thing.

She finally found the courage to look at Taylor and was surprised to see that the human’s olive skin had darkened. This time, the reddish-brown tinge reached all the way to the tips of her silly and adorable looking external ears. Maia had hoped Taylor would be able to interpret her ramblings, but unfortunately, the human looked just as embarrassed as she felt.

"For reasons I cannot explain, I find myself drawn to you. I am sorry, and I understand if you wish for me to sleep in the other room tonight."

Taylor cupped Maia’s face, seemingly asking for something. Permission, maybe? Her warm brown eyes filled Maia with confusion and longing. She remained frozen, uncertain, but Taylor moved closer. She dipped her head and caught Maia’s lips, cutting off her soft gasp of surprise.

Maia stiffened at the unfamiliar sensation, but quickly relaxed as she grew used to the pressure of Taylor’s mouth. It brushed hers with a few gentle pecks at first before Taylor pressed forward with her tongue. Without conscious thought, Maia kissed back. She started hesitantly at first, but after a few moments, she grew bolder. She grabbed Taylor’s shoulders, pulling her close. They needed this. They just needed to get it over with so they could go back to being prisoner and guard.

"This is insane," she said when they finally broke apart, their faces still hovering less than a breath away from each other. Taylor laughed and nipped the fullest part of Maia's lower lip, tugging to coax her mouth open again. The tease was too much. Maia practically pulled Taylor on top of her as they sank onto the mattress together. Her hands were everywhere at once, running up and down the broad expanse of Taylor’s back, trailing over the dip in her spine, caressing her hips.

Taylor broke away from Maia’s lips, kissing along her neck. "Let’s not think about that right now," she whispered. Before Maia could respond, Taylor’s hand slipped under her shirt, trailing curiously over her stomach. Maia shivered and arched into the touch, her muscles flexing against Taylor’s palm.

"We’ll only do this once," Taylor breathed. Maia shivered at warmth of Taylor's mouth against her skin. She wanted to feel that mouth all over her body, even in places she hadn’t imagined. "Once, and then we won’t have to anymore."

Maia nodded, though part of her knew that they were making a terrible mistake. For once, the rational part of her brain had completely shut off. "Just once," she agreed before Taylor’s lips descended on hers again. Maia had very little experience with kissing, and she certainly hadn’t expected it to be like this—all heat and smoothness and bruising force that made her long for things she didn’t understand. She whimpered into Taylor’s mouth, and her hips pushed upwards against the firm thigh that had somehow wedged itself between her legs.

"This needs to come off," Taylor panted. She tugged at the hem of Maia's shirt, trying to pull it over her head. Maia raised her arms and sat up, attempting to help. She had absolutely no idea what she was doing, but Taylor didn’t seem to care. Taylor was moving so quickly that Maia didn’t have time to do anything but make encouraging noises in response. She shivered as she realized that unless she said ‘stop’ or pushed her away, Taylor would continue until she had taken what she wanted.

As soon as Maia’s shirt came off, Taylor tossed it aside. Neither of them cared where it landed. For a split second, both paused to catch their breath. Maia blushed as Taylor stared at her exposed flesh. She couldn’t remember the last time she had been naked in front of someone else, aside from the embarrassing incident outside the shower.

Taylor hurried to tug off her own shirt and compression top, and heat throbbed between Maia's legs. Taylor's skin was wonderfully soft, a different texture than her own, but undeniably pleasing to touch. She knew it would feel even better when they were both completely naked and tangled up in each other. Her eyes widened as she watched Taylor strip to the waist. Taylor was perfectly formed, all toned muscle and broad shoulders. The smooth expanse of her torso, her small, firm breasts, and the obvious line that bisected her abdominal muscles were all incredibly tempting.

Before Maia could make further study, Taylor climbed on top of her again, pinning her to the mattress and nipping at the column of her throat. In the middle of the string of kisses trailing down towards her chest, Taylor paused to bite her shoulder. Maia let out a cry of pleasure as she rocked down against Taylor’s thigh. When Taylor’s warm lips folded around the tip of her breast, Maia rolled her head back onto the pillows. Taylor’s tongue scrape against the stiff point, teasing it with the edges of her teeth, and Maia had the sudden urge to run her hands through Taylor’s hair and pull her closer. She gave in, sinking her fingers into the thick tangle of black and pulling a little too tightly.

Fortunately, Taylor was too distracted to notice. She only grunted in response before kissing her way across to Maia's other breast. "Fuck," she sighed, pulling up just far enough to stare at Maia’s flushed face. "I need you. I don’t care who you are."

Even though she knew she shouldn’t, Maia cupped the back of Taylor’s neck. She squeezed slightly, urging Taylor to keep going. "Please," she begged, shocked by the need in her own voice. Both of them fumbled to pull their pants and undergarments off, parting for a brief moment to kick their clothes away before coming back together.

Maia wrapped her legs around Taylor’s waist and rocked forward. This time, bare flesh met her own. She gasped when Taylor pushed back against her with just as much need. Her body ached for more, for something that she knew Taylor wasn’t yet doing. None of her research could have prepared her for this, an emptiness that made her throb with desperation. "Please," she whimpered again. "I need…something, anything."

Taylor's hand ran up along the sensitive skin of Maia’s inner thigh before pressing between her legs. "Oh God," she whispered. Maia shuddered as warmth spilled from deep within her, spreading over Taylor's exploring fingers. At first, she was embarrassed, but when she looked up into Taylor's face, she saw only desire reflected back at her. She shivered as Taylor spread her folds with two fingers, obviously examining her. Maia wondered just how different her own anatomy was from a human's, but she knew it wouldn’t be a problem when a confident smile spread across Taylor's face.

"I was right," Taylor drawled, looking down between their bodies. "Not too different at all."

Maia gasped as Taylor's fingers found the curved ridge of her clit, rubbing it in slow circles, coaxing it out of its delicate hood. She dug her nails into Taylor’s back, trying to draw her closer. She had no idea how Taylor knew just how to touch her, but it made her feel like her heart was about to batter its way out of her chest. Sounds she barely recognized tore from her throat, and she pushed against Taylor’s hand, quivering every time those magical fingers rolled over her. She spread her legs wider, well past caring that they should not be doing this.

Taylor's fingertips glided down, and Maia stiffened as they tested the tight ring of her entrance. Soon, she forgot her hesitation and began rocking against Taylor's hand, pleading for more with each push of her hips. Taking that as permission, Taylor slid forward, and Maia clamped down tight around her fingers, adjusting to the new fullness. The stretch burned a little, but it was also blissfully wonderful, and she wanted more. When she let out a low groan of encouragement, Taylor added a second finger and curled forward, catching against a sensitive spot along her inner walls.

Maia bucked in response to the pressure as Taylor’s mouth found her shoulder, and lights swam in front of her eyes. She clamped her thighs tight around Taylor's wrist, desperate to keep Taylor’s fingers deep inside of her. Taylor tried to adjust, but Maia could only cling to her broad shoulders and beg her to keep going. Nothing had ever felt more blissful than those fingers rubbing against her. Her body burned, and pressure pounded inside of her until she was close to spilling over, but something held her back. She needed more.

"Please," she gasped, unable to form the words she needed.

"I know. I’m working on it." Taylor redoubled her efforts, causing Maia to cry out again and lose all concentration. She tried to speak, but she couldn’t warn Taylor as the last of her control slipped away. Maia rocked against Taylor’s hand, taking her fingers as deep as possible. When the pleasure grew almost unbearable, Taylor's thumb pressed hard into her clit, curling against her inner wall at the same time.

The sensation started out as a faint throb, but soon, Maia was overwhelmed with powerful contractions. Her core fluttered around Taylor’s fingers, and she tilted her head back. Her mouth fell open in a silent scream as pleasure ripped through her, and slick heat spilled from deep inside of her, slipping into Taylor's hand. If I had known it would feel like this, Maia thought, before she was swept away by a fresh round of pulses, I would have agreed to do it more than just once.

Maia’s tremors soon faded, growing weaker each time they coursed through her body. Taylor kissed along her shoulder and up her neck, whispering soft words of comfort as she came down from her spike of pleasure. "I’m here. I’m right here." For some reason, that comforted Maia more than anything else Taylor had given her.

Afterwards, they lay together for a few heartbeats, limbs entwined and bodies covered in sweat. Both of them panted, but Maia could still feel how tense Taylor was beside her. Taylor's lips caught Maia’s cheek as she withdrew her wet, glistening fingers, bringing them between her own legs instead.

Maia’s eyes widened with surprise and renewed arousal. She had been so wrapped up in her own pleasure and release that she had completely forgotten about Taylor’s. Quickly, she shifted onto her side, cupping her palm over the back of Taylor’s hand. "No." She moved Taylor’s fingers aside and replaced them with her own. "Let me."

"You don’t have to…" But Taylor didn’t finish the sentence as Maia began exploring, hoping she could find the right spots. The alien thicket of black hair between Taylor’s legs was coarser than the hair on her head, and much shorter, and it tickled Maia’s fingers as she sought out the wetness underneath. Taylor groaned and shifted forward, spreading her thighs to give Maia more room to maneuver. "Oh God, more," she muttered, grinding against the heel of Maia’s palm.

Maia’s eyes grew even larger, and she smiled when she felt Taylor’s wetness coat her hand. She pressed hard against the hot flesh, encouraged by Taylor’s moans. The way Taylor’s face contorted with pleasure was an intoxicating sight, and knowing she was the cause made Maia feel strangely wonderful. Taylor’s body spasmed under her touch, and Maia raised her free hand, raking her nails along the human's flat stomach. She still wanted to taste that flesh with her mouth, but she put that desire aside for later.

Instead, she brought her hand to Taylor’s hip and gripped hard as she slid two fingers inside, pressing deep into the velvety smooth flesh. They moaned together as Taylor’s muscles contracted around her fingers. "So wet," she murmured, entranced by what she was doing.

Taylor rocked forward, causing Maia’s fingers to slide in and out as she worked herself closer and closer to release. But it wasn’t enough, and soon, Maia noticed the hard, pink bud standing out above Taylor’s entrance. Hoping Taylor’s body would respond the same way hers did, she swiped her thumb over it. The tight bundle twitched at her touch.

Taylor went rigid after the first pass, pushing even more urgently into Maia’s hand. "Fuck. I…I’m coming." A second later, Maia felt contractions ripple through Taylor's body. Silken heat clutched around her knuckles, and wetness trailed down her wrist, but she kept her hand in place while Taylor pulsed against her.

Finally, Taylor’s muscles went slack. She collapsed onto the mattress, breathing deeply as she recovered from the intensity of her release. Maia felt a surge of pride, and a slow smile spread across her face. Taylor smiled back, but her eyes drooped as she suppressed a yawn. "Are you tired already?" Maia asked, cupping the square shape of Taylor's jaw. Her stomach fluttered as Taylor nuzzled into her palm.

"Just a bit," Taylor said, her words thick with sleep. Maia settled against the human's side, sighing happily as one of Taylor's arms wrapped around her. "We shouldn’t have done that, but it was…so much better than…"

As Taylor fell asleep in her arms, Maia's smile faded and reality began to set back in. She had just had sex with a human. Not just any human, but the one assigned to guard her. She had probably just made the worst mistake of her life. Still, as she studied Taylor's closed eyes and peaceful expression, Maia couldn’t bring herself to regret what they had done. As impossible as it seemed, being with Taylor had meant something to her.

Maia rested her head on Taylor's shoulder, lying against her chest and listening to the steady thud of her heartbeat. Just for tonight, she would try to forget that Taylor was holding her captive. They would fall asleep together, not as guard and prisoner, but as two people who had just experienced an intense connection. There would be plenty of time to return to their usual roles tomorrow.