Excerpt of Mission Menage by Cynthia Sax

Raylee wiped at the blood dripping from her nose as she stomped up the ramp. "Ship, is everything ready for takeoff?" She hurried through the corridor, heading toward the bridge.

"You must be asking about the cargo, which is safely stowed, as I am always ready for takeoff," Ship snipped. "I am a class A freighter, the finest of our kind. I can—"

"Yes, yes." She plunked down in her comfy captain's chair, the leather worn to fit her ass perfectly. "You can reenergize in mere minutes. You are a marvel of modern engineering. You can dazzle me with your specs during the long flight." The main viewscreen was unveiled, displaying the closed docking port. "Right now, we need to leave Ungaria, heading to the planet Celia in the Spectra Quadrant. I hope you know where that is, because I sure the hell don't." She typed the information into her console. "And make it quick before the Balazoid changes his mind about boarding us."

"What is one more passenger?" Ship's question was loaded with sarcasm. All of the lights flickered as energy was redirected to the engine. "We've already been boarded by a human."

"What?" Raylee raised her head. The Balazoid searched for a human, but no, Ship would never allow an unauthorized entity to invade him, not after...not after. "Where is the human now?" The docking port opened, revealing a sky clear and perfect for flying.

"Your sleeping chamber." Ship vibrated under her ass, his engines rumbling to full capacity.

"Visual, please." A view of her cabin stretched across the screen. Sexy sat on the edge of her bed, hunched over the microchip in his hands. "That is Sexy, Ship." Raylee rolled her eyes. "Wreak your revenge on him later. Concentrate on getting us into orbit now." She pushed the thruster forward.

"Unlike humans, I can multitask. I—"

"Ship," she barked, and they shot forward, the force of their takeoff pushing her back against her seat. Better than sex. She grinned, her teeth rattling, her blood pumping.

* * * * *

"Fuck. He hurt her," Vegas fumed to his robotic twin as he reconnected the android's battle chip. "Twice. Any other damn woman would back away after the first time, but not my mate." He shook his head, torn between pride and absolute terror. "She's fucking fearless and that bastard Balazoid almost killed her."

"If you hadn't incapacitated me, I would have protected her as you programmed me to do." The android stood still, his skullcap removed, displaying an intricate pattern of electronic circuits.

"By protecting her, you would have jeopardized the mission and eliminated your entire reason for being." A spark zapped Vegas' fingertip.

"Short circuit me and I will also cease to be," the android joked.

Vegas paused. Footsteps fell in the corridor, small boots stomping on hard surface. His mate. "Silence." He shoved the android into the storage closet, amidst a collection of primitive archery equipment and a headless synthetic body. "And be still," Vegas instructed, closing the door, concealing the android.

The doors slid open and Vegas moved quickly, hugging the wall. "What a day, Sexy," Raylee sang out, her voice lilting in that way that made his body harden and his pulse rate speed up. Kicking off her boots, she pulled at the fastenings on her body concealing flight suit. "Sexy?"

She turned her head, meeting his gaze, and her big brown eyes widened. A squeak escaped her full kissable lips as Vegas grasped her shoulders, flipping her petite form around, facing her toward the wall.

"What the fuck—" She struggled, and he stretched her arms upward, pinning her.

"Shhh..." he murmured into the nape of her neck, brushing his lips against her soft skin as he spoke. She smelled of chalk powder and mechanical things, a cock–hardening scent that was all Raylee. "I have you."

"You do." She looked over her shoulder and her eyes sparkled with excitement, not fear. "I'm liking your solution to my problem, Sexy." She wiggled her ass, rubbing against his groin, torturing his already primed body.

"I'm not Sexy." Vegas curled his top lip in distaste at the name she'd given his temporary replacement. He spread his feet between hers, forcing her legs apart.

"I disagree." Her husky voice sent shivers of lust down his spine. "This is the sexiest you've ever been." She arched her back, tilting her ass upward in an invitation he had no willpower to refuse.

Fuck taking it slowly. He needed her now. "That's because I'm a man, not an android." Wrapping one hand around both of her fragile wrists, holding her in place, he parted her flight suit using his freed hand. "There's nothing I can't do and there's nothing I won't do."