Gabriel couldn’t keep his eyes off Ilana. Looking at her was like drinking a long cool glass of water at the end of a long, hot day.
He resisted the wild urge to crowd her into a dark corner and slide his hands up that tight little dress until she squirmed against him.
He had to clear his throat to speak. “You look lovely.”
“Thank you.” Her lips curved into an enchanting smile that made him want to uncover all the secrets that she hid underneath. “You look handsome yourself.”
Gabriel had put more effort into his appearance than usual. Normally he didn’t waste time past the basics and wore the same outfit every day to save time and brainpower. But he wanted to appeal to her so he wore a dark collared shirt under a charcoal jacket. He’d left the top three buttons open, thinking about the brush of her fingers over his chest as she’d undone them the night before. He’d even freshened up his haircut.
Their hands continued to touch over the bar and he threaded his fingers through hers. They could join the others but he wanted a moment with her to himself first.
Except he was frozen without any idea of what to say. His resolve wavered as he remembered how she’d turned away from him the last time they saw each other.
But she was here. That had to mean something.
She drew back her hand, out of his grasp.
“Would you like to see my favorite room on this boat?” he said.
She seemed aloof but amiable, standing just removed from him. “Sure.”
He led her out of the receiving lounge, between the foliage to a corridor taking them towards the front of the hull. The hallway darkened then lit up with the glow of a massive aquarium on all sides, opening up to a bubble inside Maisha’s largest fish tank.
Ilana gasped next to Gabriel. Her wonder was unexpectedly validating. He realized it would have hurt had she dismissed what he’d shown her.
“How even…” she began, her drawl especially pronounced.
He liked the way she talked. Her accent reminded him of the Earthside towns where his relatives had lived. Despite spending only a few weeks per year visiting those places, he’d collected and cached most of his favorite childhood memories there.
“I like to come here when I need to think.”
Ilana ran her hand along the curved enclosure, face to face with a giant pufferfish. She gaped as a whale passed overhead. “This is incredible.”
They stood apart at each side of the enclosure. The aquarium cast Ilana’s profile into stark relief with rippling light. He couldn’t quite read her. She felt far away, guarded.
He decided to be direct. “I wasn’t sure you would come.”
She chuckled, looked down. A brilliant coral reef shimmered underfoot, teeming with fluorescent life. “I wasn’t sure, either.”
He stepped closer to her. “But you did.”
She looked up to him from under her lashes. “I did.”
He could have reached out to her but held back. “May I ask why?”
She closed the remainder of the space between them, a breath away from touching. She bit her lip, ran her hand up the lapels of his jacket. Her scent brushed his senses.
“I think you know why.”
She was like a snack offered up on a tray – how could he not take a bite? All it took was dipping his head to take her sweet lips with his.
She sighed on a moan, her soft, supple body melting against him. He gathered her up into his arms, hungry to feel as much as her as possible.
They feasted on each other in a frenzy. She grasped his ass with both hands and pulled his hips into hers. He ground into her against the aquarium glass.
Gabriel pulled back to catch his breath. “Fuck.”
Ilana breathed hard, dazed. “Yeah.”
“That was… unexpected,” he spoke without thinking.
Her tone turned quizzical. “How so?”
Gabriel nearly regretted his words as they pierced the haze of desire. But he was glad to bring it up – he’d barely stopped thinking about it since it happened.
“The last time we saw each other… you didn’t seem too pleased about it.” He hesitated. “I wasn’t sure if I’d done something that made you uncomfortable.”
“Right.” Ilana dropped her head and Gabriel backed off, but her hands remained on his jacket. “That wasn’t you.” She let go and turned to face the aquarium, running her hand up the glass to meet the mouth of a fish with her fingertip. “I have this thing about… mixing business with pleasure. When I saw you consulting with the Admiral in her lab, I… panicked.”
She must have seen the perplexed look on his face because she continued. “Admiral Nguyen had just offered me a job before you arrived.”
“Ah.” Gabriel wasn’t surprised. She’d proven herself to be quite capable. The Admiral must’ve been just as impressed as he’d been by her actions. “You took the job, I assume?”
She sighed. “Not yet.”
He blinked. “Really.”
“Yeah.” She dropped her head to rest her forehead against the glass. “It didn’t go great.”
“I’m just impressed you managed to say no to her.”
“I think she was, too, to be honest.” For a moment she made eye contact with a fish on the other side of the aquarium glass before the fish continued its quest for grub. “If not impressed, then definitely… surprised.”
Gabriel studied her. “Why didn’t you take the job?”
Ilana’s brow twisted, her impassioned tone betraying her feelings. “It’s not what I signed up for when I came up here.” For a minute her gaze turned distant, embroiled in a memory far away. When she turned back to him her face had softened. “Then again, ever since I’ve set foot in space, nothing has gone along with what I signed up for.”
He traced a strand of her hair down from her temple. “I’m here if you want to talk about it, but I also understand if you don’t.”
To his growing delight, she continued to open up to him. He was hungry for any morsel he could get of her. “You ever feel like you’ve worked so hard for something and you get so close… then something else happens to make you wonder if all the grief was even worth it?” She met his gaze. “Should you still even try or will you just end up in the same place every time?”
“I do.” Gabriel knew exactly how that felt. His entire career had involved bashing his efforts against various walls until they either gave way or didn’t.
“What do you do then?” She tilted her head and ran her hands up his jacket until they wrapped around his shoulders. Her hips leaned into his.
“It depends.” Gabriel gathered his arms up around her. With one hand he gripped the back of her neck, kneading gently with his fingers. Her eyelids fluttered as she leaned into his touch. “Have you heard of the finish-line paradox?”
“No,” she said softly. “What’s that?”
“It’s when ultramarathon runners collapse meters before the finish line. Their legs just give out.” He paused thoughtfully. “I often wonder what goes through their minds when it’s happening. Is it anguish? Or relief? Both?”
Ilana blinked at him. “Was that… supposed to be helpful?”
Gabriel laughed. “I suppose not.” He continued to hold her as dispassionately as possible. If she were to end their relationship over her career… he wouldn’t blame her. How many times had he done that himself? He stood utterly still, poised on her decision. “I understand your dilemma. I just hope I don’t play a role in your decision.”
“Why, how presumptuous of you, Dr. Fontaine.” The corners of Ilana’s lips curved into an impish smile. She stood on her tiptoes and pressed her body flush against his. One of her hands traveled boldly down to grip him between the legs, squeezing with the cadence of her words. “You think you’ve made that big an impression on me?”
Gabriel’s free hand traveled down her back to grasp the lush curve of her ass. “A guy can dream,” he muttered, trailing feather-light kisses down the side of her neck.
Another couple entered the room, speaking low to each other. Gabriel didn’t recognize them, their voices floating in the periphery of his mind. He pulled back in case Ilana wasn’t comfortable continuing their display publicly. But she gripped him close and kissed him.
Desire surged through Gabriel like gasoline on a flame. He forgot the other couple completely as Ilana opened her legs to nestle his erection between her hips.
“I like your touch,” she murmured, her breath on his lips.
Gabriel realized that she probably wouldn’t resist a dark corner. Hell, he was beginning to think she didn’t even need the dark.
Words failed him so he kissed her back instead, meeting her tongue with his. Their lips sealed together, tongues dancing.
A chime rang in Gabriel’s ear.
Maisha’s voice came through his com. “I regret nothing more than having to interrupt you right now but we’re getting close to wrapping up here.”
Gabriel took his time pulling away from Ilana’s sweet lips, nipping gently at her swollen skin. He sighed and put his forehead to hers.
“So, I know how you feel about mixing business with pleasure, but…”
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