Two large beds had been pushed together and took up a good portion of the center of the room. In fact, there were two of every furnishing: desks, chairs, and viewscreens. Two doors led to what she assumed were Torski-sized sanitation rooms, one on each side.
In the end, her last decision had been easy to make. “I’ll sleep here,” she announced.
“But…” Mace started to say something, but Xaber cut him off.
“The lady has made her choice. We should respect that.”
Mace grunted. “Right.”
Xaber continued to speak, this time addressing the ship’s AI. “Livy, have a bot locate the bag of goods I’m setting down on the deck and take it to the galley. It’s our dinner.”
“Of course, Xaber. Please let me know when you wish to eat, and I’ll have the items reheated for you,” Livy said.
“Thank you,” all three of them said in chorus.
Then she turned around to face the two males standing in the corridor. “I take it we’re not eating yet?”
Xaber eyed her hungrily. “Dinner can wait. Tonight, we’re having dessert first.”
Mace nodded, his expression almost primal. “And I’m having at least two servings.”
Tish turned and walked into the cabin, all the way to the foot of the bed. She sat down on the edge of the mattress and leaned over to tug off one of her boots.
They moved so quickly it seemed as if they had teleported. One second they were outside the door, and the next they were rightthere. Mace kneeled at her feet, brushing away her hands as he took over the task of removing her boots. Xaber was somehow behind her on the bed, already coaxing her to sit up and raise her arms over her head so he could remove her top.
“You two are fast.”
“You’re in our room. Sitting on our bed. Why thefraxxwould we move slowly?”
Mace’s voice reminded her of the thunder they’d heard in the bio-dome. His question made her laugh.
“I don’t have an answer to that. I shut off my higher brain functions the moment I sat down.”
“Good thinking,” Xaber murmured as he drew her top over her head. “Or, in this case, not thinking.”
Once she was free of her tunic, she twisted her upper body toward Xaber and made herself as tall as possible while remaining seated. That provided barely enough height to let her brush her lips along his jaw.
Xaber turned toward her, capturing her mouth with his. His strong fingers slid over her short hair as he cupped the back of her head and drew her in close for a hungry kiss that made her toes curl.
Mace tapped her thigh. “Hate to interrupt, but I can’t get this boot off until you relax your foot.”
She broke the kiss long enough to mutter an apology and fix the problem.
The second her boot was off, she let herself get swept away by another kiss. Xaber groaned her name into her mouth, the sound buzzing against her lips and tongue as her world went up in flames.
Time slowed as she gripped Xaber’s shirt front in one hand. A warm hand cupped her breast, and it took several lust-drunk seconds for her to realize that Mace had joined them on the bed.
His fingertips toyed with her nipple, twisting it gently as a wall of bare skin and muscle pressed into her side. While she’d been distracted, he’d stripped off his clothes. She reached for him, running her free hand along his flank. Desire burned inside her, leaving her breathless and craving their touch.
“More,” Mace growled the single word as his lips grazed her bare shoulder. “I want to see more of you.”
Xaber ended their kiss. “Lie back, Tix. Let us take care of you.”
She did. Xaber guided her back onto the mattress while Mace helped her scoot up to the middle of the bed.
Mace moved over her, his mouth crashing down on hers and his hand still on her breast. Xaber pulled back, the cloth of his shirt slipping through her fingers.
She moaned in protest. Xaber laughed. “Patience, Tix.”
