Del's Pirates Read online

  She was still undecided on what to do next when the door opened and someone came into the room. At first she assumed it was Del, but the person hesitated near the bed before sitting beside her and stroking a warm hand over her hair.

  “Hi, Cooper,” she whispered as guilt washed through her. Obviously, Del had already told him what had happened.

  “Hi, Avery-girl. I hear you had a pretty eventful day.” She blushed at his soft words, but his next sentence proved he was thinking of what had happened before she’d come to Del’s room. “Maybe you should consider studying medicine. I’m sure Tee-ani would be willing to take you on as an assistant.”

  She decided to follow his example. Avoidance seemed far easier than explaining why she was naked in Del’s bed. “Ruth might have a word or two to say about that. She’s always called me the worst kitchen assistant she’s ever had. I’m not sure Tee-ani would see that as a good recommendation.” The irony there was that, even though she screwed up a lot and played pranks on the older woman, when it came to actual food preparation she was almost as fanatical as Ruth. And despite Ruth’s bluster, Ruth knew it, too.

  For Avery, keeping the crew fed seemed far less scary than trying to keep them alive.

  “Scoot over, Avery-girl. I have less than four hours to get some rest then I’m back on duty in engineering.”

  After a moment of indecision Avery shuffled across the bed and made room for Cooper to stretch out beside her. He didn’t try to get under the covers. He stayed on top of the blankets and draped an arm over her middle. Guilt assailed her. Not because she felt like they were doing something wrong—they’d lain this way many times before when watching the intergalactic newsreel or entertainment on the video screen—but rather that she hadn’t explained about Del.

  “Cooper,” she said quietly, part of her wanting him to already be asleep so she could avoid the subject once more.

  “Shh, Avery-girl, I already know.”

  Unsure what to say next, Avery fell silent. She glanced at the chronometer and realized that she would need to get to the kitchen to set up for breakfast soon, so she closed her eyes and tried to sleep.

  * * * *

  Del found the two most important people in his life wrapped in each other’s arms, and despite the fact that Avery was probably still naked under the blankets, he felt only contentment.

  Perhaps it was the time he’d spent as a slave, but he didn’t feel any of the jealousy or rage that his people would associate with finding their partner in bed with another man. In fact he was pleased that his two closest friends hadn’t been alone.

  He walked around to Avery’s side of the bed and knelt beside her. She looked exhausted but somehow content and he couldn’t stop himself from pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.

  “Are you okay?” Cooper’s deep rumble affected him more than it probably should have. Del nodded and smiled at his friend.

  “I’m good,” Del said as Cooper watched him closely like he was waiting for something.

  “I’ve got another hour before I need to be on duty. Do you mind if I stay?” Cooper asked in a whisper.

  “Of course not.” Del bit the inside of his mouth, worried that he might have sounded a little too eager. Maybe he’d spent too much time with Kam, Devlin, and G’baena, but he wanted what they had. He wanted his best friends to be more than just his friends. He knew that humans were more open to unconventional relationships than Pendarians, but he’d spent more of his life away from his own culture than he had as a part of it.

  Despite the cobalt blue of his skin, in many ways he considered himself human. Of course, that didn’t necessarily mean his friends felt the same way. But when Cooper gave him a smile and held his hand out in invitation, hope blossomed through Del’s chest. He threaded his fingers through Cooper’s as he climbed onto the bed.

  Avery woke as Del settled onto the mattress in front of her. She looked adorably rumpled, but she smiled when she realized that the weight resting on her hip was his and Cooper’s hands entwined.

  He wanted to say something. It seemed such an important change in their friendship, but Cooper moved closer, pressed a kiss to the back of Avery’s neck, and then leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to Del’s mouth.

  “Get some rest,” he whispered. “We’ll talk about it later.”

  Del licked his lips. He loved Avery and he loved Cooper, and for the moment, holding them close was enough.

  Chapter Three

  Avery lay awake and wondered if she was still dreaming. This was exactly the relationship she’d wanted and it somehow seemed too good to be true. Too quickly, the chronometer ticked over to the time she needed to get moving and she lay warm between the men for a few more minutes before she realized that she couldn’t afford to be late today. Even if Ruth felt up to working she’d need someone close to make sure she was okay.

  Feeling guilty for even considering being late for her shift, Avery wriggled toward the end of the bed. But two sets of warm hands caught her as she tried to slide out from between the men.

  “I need to get to the kitchen,” she explained hurriedly. If they kissed her she just might forget, and she didn’t want to let Ruth down. Not today.

  As if they both realized, Del pressed a quick kiss to her lips, rolled her in his arms, and urged her to kiss Cooper before Cooper moved so that she could crawl out of the blankets. Momentarily embarrassed by her nakedness, her thoughts were quickly derailed by both men’s groans.

  “Please, Avery-girl, put those beautiful breasts away before I forget you need to be somewhere else.”

  Del grinned at her and it suddenly didn’t feel weird at all. She searched for her clothing, but then realized Del had likely thrown it all out, so she turned to Del’s cupboard and grabbed the nearest ship’s uniform. The pants and top were far too large for her, but she rolled up the cuffs and decided to make do. She didn’t have time to stop by her own quarters.

  “I’ve got to go,” she said, rushing back to the bed to kiss both men quickly. “We’ll talk later?”

  “Yes,” Cooper said as he smoothed a hand over her hair. “But right now, Del and I are going to get some more sleep.”

  She nodded at the subtle warning that both men were going to stay here. She didn’t really know where the relationship between the three of them was heading, but she was more than willing to find out.

  * * * *

  Cooper watched his best friend closely as he moved back onto the bed. Del looked a little shocked by his declaration, but he wasn’t running away so Cooper took that as a good sign. He knew enough about Pendarian culture to understand that while same-sex relationships were common, triads were not. In fact some of the religious aspects of Pendarian culture expressly forbade unions of more than two people.

  But Del didn’t move. He smiled and actually shuffled closer when Cooper lay back down on the bed beside him.

  “The last thirty hours have put a lot of things into perspective for me.”

  “Me, too,” Cooper said as he wrapped his arm around Del and urged him to lay his head on his shoulder. Del relaxed against him and love and affection surged through Cooper faster than he ever thought possible. They’d gone from friends to something more in the blink of an eye and he now found himself impatient to consummate their relationship. He should probably wait for a time when all three of them could be together, but thoughts of pleasuring the man he loved had him hard enough to drill holes in the deck plates.

  He shifted, turning toward Del. Moving slowly, giving the man a chance to protest, Cooper pressed his lips against Del’s. Del sighed and opened his mouth and Cooper couldn’t resist the invitation. He thrust his tongue into Del’s mouth, licking and caressing the warm cavern as his hands roamed over Del’s lean frame.

  He wanted to bury his cock deep in Del’s ass, but they didn’t have enough time to do it properly, and he didn’t want to rush their first time together. He settled for stripping the clothes from his man and gripping his hard cock in his fist.
Del groaned as Cooper caressed the hard flesh and slid down the bed to take him in his mouth.

  * * * *

  Del had dreamed of something like this for a long time now, but the reality was even more amazing. Cooper’s mouth felt incredible wrapped around his cock. Del moaned quietly and dropped a hand to Cooper’s hair, needing to touch him, needing that connection. He tangled his hands in the long, silky strands as the man suctioned his lips around him and licked the underside like he was some sort of Earth delicacy.

  Cooper groaned, his enjoyment obvious as he moved slightly and started to lick up and down Del’s cock. He fisted the base with his hand, the grip tighter than any Del had experienced before, even his own. He gasped at the intense sensation. Cooper’s hold was almost but not quite painful as he lowered his head and took more of Del’s erection into his throat. When he swallowed, Del lifted off the bed in shock. The feel of Cooper’s mouth caressing him took him to the edge. Any moment now he was going to spill his load in the man’s mouth.

  “Coop…er,” he tried to say as a warning, but the man just hummed and starting moving faster. Del was writhing against the bed, his orgasm so close he could practically feel it, but the intense grip around the base of his cock held him in check. He whimpered his need as Cooper slid his mouth all the way onto Del’s cock and then released his grip.

  Cum spurted from him immediately, the climax stealing his breath, his entire body shaking as his release seared through him like lightning. He groaned with the intensity, a deep feeling of satisfaction swelling through him, an emotion that shook him to the core as his orgasm went on and on.

  He could barely breathe from the unexpected intimacy as Cooper cleaned him with his tongue, swallowing every drop of cum, and lazily licking his softening shaft as Del finally took a deep breath and his body relaxed.

  Del wanted to say something, but words escaped him and he could only reach for his lover. He urged him up the bed to lie beside him. As a slave, Del had witnessed many sex acts that he wished he hadn’t, but he’d never imagined that something like that could be so incredibly pleasurable, or that he would want to do the same for Cooper.

  He kissed Cooper, tasting his own cum in the man’s mouth, moaning as the man thrust his tongue against Del’s own, caressing him with a gentleness that belied his large frame. Del reached for his lover’s erection and pressed his hand against Cooper’s hard cock. His eyes widened a little when he realized just how thick Cooper’s erection actually was.

  Cooper laughed quietly, pulled Del closer, and whispered, “Later.”

  Confused, Del rolled over and looked at the chronometer. Time had very literally flown by. He needed to get back to the medical bay and Cooper was probably due back in engineering soon. Cooper simply nodded almost as if he could hear Del’s thoughts.

  Reluctantly, Del rolled off the bed and onto his feet.

  “I’ll check in on Avery as soon as I can,” Cooper said quietly.

  Del nodded his thanks and his relief. His duties in the medical bay had a way of consuming every thought, and he’d often wondered how Tee-ani managed to keep her relationship with Ben and Trey happy. But the look on Cooper’s face suggested that he would not only look out for Avery but also for Del. Love swelled through him as Cooper climbed off the bed and pulled him into his arms.

  Del felt his cock harden again. Cooper laughed quietly, dropped a sharp slap onto Del’s naked ass, and urged him to get dressed.

  “Later,” he promised once more.

  * * * *

  Avery stuck close to Ruth. It was obvious by her pale color that she probably shouldn’t be working, but it was the complete absence of nagging that convinced Avery that Ruth probably needed a doctor. But the obstinate woman flat-out refused.

  “Fine,” Avery said, not even trying to hide her annoyance at the woman’s stubbornness. “When you fall flat on your face, try not to hit the counter this time.”

  Ruth laughed at Avery’s partially joking words, but she did slowly lower herself to the seat Avery had dragged into the main part of the kitchen.

  “I’m sorry,” she said in a tone of voice Avery had never heard from the older woman before.

  “Why?” Avery asked quickly, shocked by the woman’s words. It didn’t seem like she was apologizing for not going to the medical bay.

  “I’m sorry for not being able to protect you yesterday.”

  “You’re kidding, right?” Avery moved to stand closer to the woman. “You stepped in front of me when those bastards came through the door.”

  “I did?” It wasn’t like Ruth to be confused, and again Avery wondered if she shouldn’t just ignore the woman’s protests and drag her to the medical bay. Under different circumstances Avery might have, but yesterday had been traumatic for all of them and the medical bay still held many wounded crew members. “But I saw you…with the knives.”

  “Yeah, well, Del managed to save the guy so it doesn’t count.”

  The relief on Ruth’s face was a clear indication of why she’d felt the need to apologize. She’d probably thought Avery had killed the man, and Avery knew the woman well enough to know she’d blame herself if that had happened.

  “Well, look at that. Both my favorite ladies in the one place.”

  Avery smiled when she heard Cooper’s voice. He’d always been the charmer and Ruth had always liked him. Ruth, of course, looked very relieved to see him.

  “What do you want?” Ruth asked in her usual straightforward manner.

  “You,” he said with a wink. Avery smiled at Ruth’s snort and felt a little more confident that Ruth probably didn’t need medical attention after all. “Actually, G’baena asked me to come get you so that you can meet the baby.”

  “Now?” Ruth asked, glancing around the room. Breakfast had been a struggle, but lunch was mostly prepared and dinner was already organized. Avery could finish the rest on her own—assuming that she could convince the woman to take a break.

  “Yes, now,” Cooper said with mischief in his eyes. “I also am under strict instructions that if you refuse I’m to throw you over my shoulder caveman style and carry you to G’baena’s quarters.” Ruth patted her ample hips and snorted once more. Cooper just gave her a confident grin. Ruth might not be a lightweight, but Cooper was more than capable of carrying her. Finally, the stubborn woman laughed and backed down.

  “Fine, I was planning to drop by later. I’ll take some food with me, just in case G’baena isn’t quite up to coming to the dining room.” She hurried around the room collecting enough food for a party and preceded Cooper out the door.

  Cooper winked at Avery, mouthed the words “Back soon,” and then followed the woman from the room.

  * * * *

  As soon as he caught up with her, Cooper relieved Ruth of the heavy tray of food. The woman was as stubborn as they came, but she was also the closest thing to a mother many of the younger crew members had ever known. Both Avery and Del thought of Ruth that way.

  “G’baena had a girl, yes?” Ruth asked, sounding far more enthusiastic now that the decision to go had been made.

  “I believe so,” Cooper answered with a wide grin. Ruth would one day make as doting a grandmother as G’baena’s mother, Flynn, was proving to be.

  “You haven’t seen her?”

  “Not yet, but I’ve been reliably informed that she is the most beautiful child ever born.”

  Ruth chuckled quietly. “Which one of her fathers told you that?”

  “Both of them,” he said with a grin. “Did you know that Avery delivered G’baena’s baby yesterday amid all the chaos?”

  Ruth looked stunned. “She didn’t say anything.” Ruth glanced back the way they’d come. “Maybe she should be the one taking some time off.”

  “Already organized,” he said, feeling a little smug. “Avery is taking the afternoon off. She just doesn’t know it yet.”

  Ruth placed a hand on his arm to stop him. “You’re a good man, Cooper. I can’t think of anyone better to lo
ve Avery.” Cooper dipped his head, feeling the heat of embarrassment travel across his cheeks. “Or Del,” she added with a knowing smile.

  “Yes, I love them both,” he confessed quietly.

  “About time you came to your senses,” she said with a look that proved she was far more observant than many people realized.

  They finally reached the door to G’baena, Devlin, and Kam’s quarters. Ruth lifted up to press a motherly kiss to his cheek as she took the tray from him. “I’m happy for the three of you. Tell Avery not to be late tomorrow.”

  Flynn opened the door, smiled at Ruth’s latest bossy order, and gave Cooper a wink before she took the tray full of food. Cooper nodded his good-byes and headed back to the kitchen.

  * * * *

  Avery wasn’t really surprised when G’baena’s sisters came into the mess hall. The two of them had been helping in the kitchen more and more in the past few months, but with most of the crew being human and preferring the types of foods that originated on Earth, G’darlee and G’deece had needed to learn a lot of things from scratch.

  Fortunately, with almost everything done for the day, they really only had to deal with serving and cleanup—something that they were both quite capable of doing.

  “How’s G’baena?” she asked as the two young women grabbed aprons and got to work.

  “She’s great,” G’darlee said. “You did an amazing job delivering my niece. Thank you.” Avery blushed. She hadn’t really done much, but it was an experience she probably wouldn’t forget.

  “And the baby is so cute,” G’deece said with the enthusiasm only the very young or very naive could show toward a baby. Avery remembered the early days with her little brother. They’d been an exhausting blend of sleeplessness, anxiety, dirty nappies, and uncontrollable crying. Her mother hadn’t coped well at all, and most of her brother’s care had fallen to Avery. Ironically, of all of the family members she’d left behind when she’d been abducted, her younger brother was the only one she missed.