The previous night had been a revelation. He felt whole when he was with Laila—he hadn't realized how damaged he had felt before—and he didn't want to stop feeling this way. He shook his head, feet pounding on the track. But it didn't matter how he felt, it couldn't last.
Neither of them was likely to be on the Zataras for long. They would soon deploy him to the gods only knew where, and Laila would go back to Earth and the Space Force that meant so much to her.
And Zac would find a Taurean to mate… or his mother would find one for him, as was tradition. He shuddered at the thought.
Perhaps he and Laila should try to make the most of this. There was no reason they couldn't spend what time they had enjoying each other. It wasn't as if they couldn't have their fun and walk away.
They were both adults and knew how to keep their feelings in check. It sounded like an excellent solution.
Decision made, Zac felt more determined than he had in a long time. He left the running track, determined to talk to Laila.
* * *
Finding Laila proved harder than he thought, but Zac finally found her poring over star charts and battle reports in a small meeting room. He paused in the doorway, watching as she flicked charts backwards and forwards before straightening and stretching, arms raised above her head.
“Hey,” she whispered, rising on tiptoes to brush a light kiss against his lips.
“Hello,” he replied, sliding his arms around her to tug her closer, quickly forgetting where they were. Laila pulled away to reach for a tablet.
“I'm glad you're here. Have a look at this and tell me if you think I'm onto something.” she said, pointing at the star chart she had been looking at.
He rapidly flicked through the information she had laid out and shook his head, eyebrows drawn together. Laila had plotted all the battles with the Xakul, which wasn't new, but she had included the approximate ages of the Xakul soldiers killed in battle. What was most concerning was the change.
It was so gradual that nobody had noticed, at least not that Zac was aware, but the Xakul were using increasingly younger soldiers. For many years, the soldiers had been in peak physical maturity, not too old or too young. But now they were sending juvenile and elderly soldiers into battle.
“It doesn't look good for them, does it?”
“No, it doesn't. I haven't seen this before,” he mused.
Zac turned and leaned against the desk, deep in thought. Laila had noticed something that nobody else had. What would this mean for Taurus? What could this mean for Earth? A desperate enemy was an unpredictable enemy.
He turned and put the tablet back on the table. “Can I send this to Intelligence?”
“Of course. I wasn't sure if it was anything worth mentioning, but I'm right, aren't I?”
Zac nodded.
Laila tidied the reports and charts away, asking, “Zac? Was there a reason you came to find me?” She turned to face him, leaning back against the table.
He stalked towards her, a wicked grin on his face.
She laughed, “I had hoped…”
“What do they say on Earth? No time like the present?” He growled, reaching her in a few quick strides and, gripping her hips, lifted her to sit on the table in the middle of the room.
“I can't stop thinking about you. About this.” He admitted.
Deft fingers unbuttoned her jacket, and it slid it from her shoulders, hitting the floor with a soft thud. Her hands went to the hem of her white t-shirt and she pulled it over her head, her bra following quickly.
“When I’m with you…” Zac murmured as he reached up to cup her breasts, slowly brushing his thumbs back and forth across her nipples.
“Please, Zac,” Laila moaned, desperate for his touch, and he dropped his head to tease her nipples with his tongue. He alternated between little nibbles and flicks, her back arching to press into him.
One hand slid down her stomach, into her pants and into the top of her briefs, her legs spreading in invitation. He slid a thick finger inside her, curling to find the sensitive spot and thrusting against it. Laila cried out, feeling the pleasure build, Zac unrelenting in his attention. He slid a second finger in to join the first and she cried out.
“Oh! God!” Laila cried out as he dropped to his knees in front of pulling her pants down to her ankles and spreading her legs with his large hands on her inner thighs. He paused, taking in the sight of this beautiful woman, head thrown back in pleasure, leaning back on her hands, thighs spread wide.
He palmed his cock through his pants, the hard length pushing almost painfully against the taut fabric.
