Domestic Duet: Domestic Alliance & Asset by Cora Blu

heart, Aroc.”
    Aroc looked away.
    She closed her fingers over his on the bed to get his attention. The close proximity as she inhaled the scent of his soap stirred things low in her gut. “You’re a good father to her, Aroc. Barring what happened in the shower, you’ve lived your life for Norese.”
    “Don’t worry,” he said. “I won’t drag you into the shower for sex again. I won’t jeopardize the friendship forming between us to satisfy my feral needs. But we share my bed every night you’re here.”
    She wanted to tell him she liked the sex…a lot. Maybe he didn’t and wanted to spare her the crush to her self-esteem.
    “You need the touch of another warm body. I understand. Alien or human, some needs are universal. Even us country girls understand that, Aroc.” She laughed, then shot her head up to look at him. “How much does this job pay… spying on my boss?”
    “A career on the station includes room and board. Meals in the canteen are covered by the amount of time you’ve worked that week. Replicators in individual homes are replenished weekly by order. I share a portion of the profits with my staff so they never have to steal from me.”
    The captain had business etiquette down to a science. “And on the human station, what’s the pay?”
    Aroc peered out the window then back to her face. “Captain Holston’s a fair man. He runs his station parallel to mine. There’s a fuel charge for commissioning a shuttle for personal reasons. Most humans visit the pleasure station, similar to this station.”
    “Pleasure sounds like prostitutes, Aroc. Do karuntee have prostitutes?”
    “Karuntee don’t indulge in casual sex… our situation is uncommon.” He stared at her his eyes wistful. “Karuntee mate for life. Taking a second mate is a rarity. And I’m not searching out heartache, so this is the best arrangement for me, Sadie.”
    He still mourned his wife. She could be a friend and pack away the thought of becoming anything more to the captain.
    “Sounds as if I have a new career,” she said keeping the disappointment out of her voice.
    “Then we have an agreement. Good…now get some rest. We’ll meet Captain Ryner Holston in the morning.”
    She snuggled down in the bed, Aroc crawling in beside her. Still no kiss. “He’s human?” she asked, pressing their bodies together so she could massage his back, the other reason he wanted her, to help him sleep. Obviously, his wife had done this every night otherwise he walked around grumpy. If wrapping himself around her three nights a week and her massaging the tense muscles in his back kept her adventure alive, she could handle that for now.
    Aroc nodded in acknowledgment to her question.
    ***
    Days passed. Nights faded. Norese tunneled her way into Sadie's heart with her bright eyes and curious nature. But Sadie noticed she didn’t care for any of the female staff at the station. Whenever she took her outside, Sadie kept her close to her side.
    They fell into a contented routine of breakfast, swimming, walking the beach at night to listen to him discuss the weight he carried as captain over the clan, yet he never mentioned his wife. They never swam without Norese in the water. Side glances and awkward silence slowly disappeared, replaced with full eye contact during conversations and comfortable silence. In public, stern, and stoic, he demanded complete obedience from the other males and females roaming the station. This was a contrast to Norese’s whimsical nature when she was around those she knew. Swinging Sadie’s hand wherever they went, she felt safe. To onlookers they were a family. Sadie knew she was the nanny.
    The desire to return to Earth lessened every day, barring the harsh stares from the female karuntees.
    He introduced her to his human counterpart, Captain Ryner Holston over something they referred to as video conference. Holston was large and as imposing as Aroc, only he was human. Mexican or American Indian heritage