Stars, Snow and Mistletoe: A Holiday Naughty List Collection Page 4

  “Hold on!” Molly giggled. Max gave me no chance to reply, taking off down the corridor. The bouncing gait he adopted was a bit unsettling, but thrilling at the same time and I felt a huge grin cross my features. Molly ran along beside us, her laughter infectious. A laugh burbled out of me and Max’s hands squeezed, a light pressure on my thighs. His every step jogged me against his back, my body rubbing on his. The sensation warming me from the inside. His scent curled up from his hair filling my sinuses with his warm, spicy smell.

  Max slid his hands further up my thighs as he galloped, brushing along the hidden curve of my tail. I groaned under my breath. The impudent male chuckled, peeking over his shoulder with a grin. The cheeky thing, I laughed at his expression. Impulsively, I leaned in and licked his ear. He stumbled, almost dropping me and I chortled as he righted us.

  “Careful Daddy,” Molly scolded, coming back to us.

  “Having fun?” He asked, eyeing me slyly.

  “I believe I am,” I answered as he followed his offspring once more. As soon as Molly’s back was turned, I buried my nose in the side of his neck and blatantly breathed in his scent. “You smell good,” I whispered, nipping his shoulder. His grip spasmed slightly, but he maintained his stride this time. Feeling brave, I drifted my lips over his skin, looking for a sensitive spot. He quivered almost imperceptibly when I passed over the area behind his ear. A second pass confirmed the first twitch and I laved it with my tongue. A pained grunt escaped him despite an obvious effort to avoid drawing his daughter’s attention.

  “You are being very naughty,” he chided quietly. I hmm’d in response and impudently sucked his earlobe between my lips. “Jeezus!” He cursed under his breath, I chuckled. My humor turned to a light gasp when his hand squeezed my tail and followed it backwards to my rump, massaging the joint obscenely.

  “That is so inappropriate!” I quietly gasped again as he dug his fingers into the responsive nerves. He soothed the area with a lighter touch, then pressed in again. I bit down on his shoulder to stifle the moan that rose in my throat. He grunted again, swallowing a moan of his own when I shifted a heel to rub at his burgeoning erection.

  “Stop, stop,” he muttered quickly, dropping my legs and shifting me off his back to stand once more. He breathed heavily and his eyes burned as he looked down at me. “We can’t. Not in front of Molly, at least. She’s too young to understand,” he said, stroking my cheek. I nodded, feeling too warm at the promise of more in his eyes and words.

  Turning at the sound of Molly running back to us again, we smiled at her enthusiasm. She grabbed each of us by the hand and practically dragged us off to dinner.

  Layalla

  Despite Molly dozing off in her seat, the meal passed much too quickly. We had talked and laughed as we ate, sharing our favorite stories and the things we enjoyed. Molly bounced in her seat, sharing her dessert and snitching from ours while we pretended not to look. It was a thoroughly enjoyable meal that had me feeling strangely complete. It was the first time I felt like something had truly been missing from my life. Saying goodnight was difficult and I watched unhappily as Maxwell carried his youngling away.

  Strolling thoughtfully in the other direction, I headed to my own home. Along the way, I considered how I felt now, compared to mere days ago. Maxwell and his child made me happy. I liked them both. I was definitely attracted to the big male.

  Letting myself in to my unit, I considered the future. I was not really a patient being. When I decided something, I acted on it as quickly as possible. And I had decided that I wanted Maxwell. I wanted him as my mate, if forming a bond with him was possible. I also wanted Molly. She was a delightful youngling. I would very much like her to be mine.

  An idea came to me and I snatched up my data-pad, scrolling through my contacts until I found the one I needed. Quickly keying it in, I paced anxiously as the call processed through. If this worked, I could still be cutting it very close. Finally, the coms connected and a groggy voice answered.

  “Layalla? Why are you calling so late?” My cousin asked grumpily.

  “Nexlin, I need you to retrieve something for me and bring it to Tulo station right away!” I blurted excitedly.

  5

  Max

  Two days after our dinner with Layalla, a loud chiming woke me well before the start of the morning rotation. Groggily, I picked up my wrist com to see who was trying to contact me before I wanted to be awake. There were several messages already, both from my supervisor and the auto-alert system, but the current caller’s ID had me awake immediately.

  “Layalla?” I answered, sitting up and running a hand through my hair.

  “The hydro-system failed early last night! I wasn’t notified until moments ago! The havaysta has been without water for too long,” she exclaimed frantically. “I don’t know what to do! I can’t get to it and the harvest will die before the pollen clears from the air!”

  “I’m on my way, don’t go in there,” I ordered, knowing she was worried enough to attempt to rescue her harvest.

  “Please hurry Maxwell.”

  “I am, I have to make a few calls, but I’ll be there asap.” I promised, grabbing my coveralls and pulling them on.

  “Ok.”

  Hanging up, I made a quick call to a neighbor who was willing to come over and watch Molly, then my supervisor who confirmed the failure had been logged by the auto-system but labelled a low-priority which was why I didn’t receive an audible alert on it. My tools were kept in maintenance so I ran there on my way to the greenhouses.

  Layalla paced outside the entry, barely dressed and worrying the edges of her robe as she walked. She spotted me jogging up and met me halfway. I’d never seen her so discomposed before.

  “Maxwell! What do we do? The blossoms will die, they’ve been without water too long,” she anxiously clutched at my sleeve.

  “Is it too early to harvest them now?” I asked, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. She snuggled into me without hesitation, seeking the comfort I offered.

  “No, but I cannot enter. The air is still thick with the plant’s scent and would cause me to lose consciousness,” she replied fretfully.

  “But I might be able to do it for you,” I stated.

  “I don’t know if it is safe for humans,” she admitted with a worried frown.

  “Humans aren’t as sensitive to smells as other species. We’ll take the chance,” I smiled. “Just tell me what to do.” She eyed me fearfully, darting glances from me to the door as she wrung her hands. Sighing defeatedly, she nodded.

  “There is a white case in the storage bay. It has multiple trays inside. There are shears in the top tray. You must clip the buds from the stems just under the actual flower. Lay each blossom in a tray without touching any of the other flowers. If they touch, they will brown prematurely and be ruined. Once the tray is full, slide it out and put it in the bottom, the others will slide upwards. There should be enough trays for all the blossoms. After they are all harvested, close the case and it will begin the drying cycle,” she said. “Keep in contact with me, if you don’t, I will call station security to retrieve you!” I chuckled at her concerned threat.

  “Don’t worry sweetness, I’m tougher than I look,” I replied, stroking her cheek. “Stand back, I don’t want you passing out if the smell comes out when I open the door.” Nodding again, she crossed the hall and watched wide eyed as I keyed the door.

  Stepping in, I slapped the button to close the door quickly and headed to the storage bay. The case she talked about was obvious, big and white and sitting right by the door, ready to grab. There was a rank odor rolling through the air, but it wasn’t unbearable. Pushing the case in front of me, I snagged a clean hand rag off the shelf as I went. The smell increased the further in I got, making my eyes water and my stomach roll. I held the rag to my nose, trying to filter some of the smell as I approached the offensive plant. The havaysta was covered in a riot of bright yellow blooms, each one the size of my thumbnail. There had to
be hundreds of the little bastards. All stinking up the air with the most unbelievably rancid pong I had ever encountered.

  Breathing as shallowly as possible, I separated the first bloom and snipped it free of the shrub. Laying it carefully in the top tray, I moved to the next. My eyes flowed with tears the smell was so bad, especially since my pruning was shaking more of the noxious pollen free. My comm chirped and I swiped across it as I worked.

  “Maxwell? Are you ok?” Layalla’s concerned voice asked.

  “This plant better be glad its flowers are good for something, cause this thing reeks!” I replied firmly. She gave a small laugh.

  “Yes, yes it does. Even after I can safely harvest it, I still smell some of its aroma,” she agreed.

  “This thing is pretty but damn!” I laughed as I worked.

  “You suffer no ill effects?”

  “No, sweetness, I’m ok,” I assured her. “Got any drinks in here though?”

  “Yes, there is a refrigeration unit in the rest area. Take anything you need.”

  “Thanks. This is going to take a while. You go on home and get some rest. I’ll let you know how it’s going later ok?”

  “What about Molly? Is she well?”

  “She’s good, she’s with my gavarian neighbors,” I answered offhandedly.

  “Oh. Good, good. I’ll go rest then,” she said, sounding a little disappointed. I wondered briefly if she’d wanted to go take care of Molly, but she looked like she needed rest more. “Call me if you need anything?”

  “I will call if anything happens. It’s going to be ok, don’t worry about a thing. This will be the best havaysta harvest you’ve ever had,” I said grinning to myself. She chuckled weakly, before signing off.

  I laughed, shaking my head over the situation I was in. Then I gagged from the mouthful of pollen I breathed in, coughing roughly. Each cough sucked more pollen into my lungs, making the cough worse. Stumbling away from the havaysta, I hacked harshly as I made my way back to the rest area and grabbed a drink out of the refrigerator. It took several minutes and a swiftly chugged drink to get my lungs clear enough to breathe properly again.

  I stood in the doorway, wiping my face with a wet rag, and glared at the blue and yellow shrub. It was still mostly covered with those horrid flowers. Sighing determinedly, I headed back into the garden, gritting my teeth at the gods-awful smell. Stupid plant wasn’t going to beat me.

  I managed to fit about 6 dozen flowers in each tray, carefully arranging them so they weren’t touching each other. I had to take a break every other tray and get away from the smell a bit. After a while it didn’t help, I was so covered in pollen, but I still needed to get away from the plant. Layalla must have set a timer; she called every half hour to check on me. The good thing about that though was each time we talked, there was a little less tension in her voice.

  During my breaks, I called my supervisor, who excused me from my other duties for the day, and had him search out the schematics for the hydro system and who installed it so poorly. I didn’t care if they’d already transferred across the galaxy, they were going to answer for this disaster. Layalla had also already filed a complaint in regards to her newly installed system failing so quickly despite my attempts to repair it.

  A quick call to check on Molly reassured me that she was well cared for. She was having a blast with the neighbors’ kids, or sucklings as they preferred to call them. I could kind of understand the nursing name if the kids were younger, but the youngest was Molly’s age. Most species referred to children in that age range as young or offspring, but every species was different.

  Sometime after mid shift, my comm chimed again. Swiping my face with the rag, I flicked the channel open without checking the caller. I was a little worn out now.

  “Maxwell?” Layalla’s sweet voice called.

  “Oh, hey sweetness.” I replied tiredly.

  “Are you well?” The concern crept back into her voice, making me wince that I was the one to put it there.

  “I’m fine baby. Just a little tired.”

  “You need to take a break. I had your coworker deliver a meal in the storage bay. He left it on the bench, but could not proceed further. He is not as strong of constitution as you are,” she stated. I chuckled at the compliment.

  “Which coworker?” I asked curiously.

  “The skinny one with the optical enhancements. I do not know his name,” she described. I thought for a minute, trying to remember which of my coworkers was skinny. I had no idea what she meant by optical enhancements though. Then I laughed.

  “I think you’re talking about Hank. He’s about six feet, red headed, pale as a bone, and wears multi goggles?”

  “Yes, that would describe the male who brought your food and clothing,” she agreed.

  “Clothes?”

  “Yes, I did not think you would want to carry havaysta pollen back to your quarters, so I asked your supervisor to send a change of clothes for you. When you have finished harvesting, you may use my cleansing unit in the storage bay.” Her voice turned a little shy and breathy sounding when she spoke of me using her shower.

  “Yeah, sure,” I replied, heading towards the promise of food. I’d been here long enough to get used to the smell. It wasn’t any better and there was no way to overlook the smell, but I wasn’t fighting my gag reflex anymore.

  “How goes the harvest, Maxwell?”

  “Sweetness, one of these days I’m going to get you to call me Max,” I teased. She made a flustered sound. “It’s going very well. I’ve got eight trays filled, about sixty-five to seventy flowers per tray.”

  “That is very well indeed. Because I cannot harvest during the peak blooming period, I do not collect quite so many viable blooms,” she stated excitedly. “How much do you estimate is left?”

  “I’m about two-thirds through, I suppose,” I yawned, stretching my back as I walked. Sure enough, a package sat on the bench just inside the door. It wasn’t much, a couple of nutrition pouches and a set of coveralls, but I was glad for it. The pouches were the type you simply opened the spout and sucked the contents out, no utensils, no mess. Quick and easy, efficient. Probably also the best way to eat while harvesting that universe’s stinkiest plant.

  I popped one open without checking the label and sucked out a mouthful. It wasn’t bad, but the snootful of pollen I was sporting gave it a mildly unpleasant tang. Still, after the first mouthful, my stomach woke up and reminded me I hadn’t eaten since last night.

  “That is good. Call me when you have finished and I will meet you outside,” she offered.

  “It’ll probably be a couple more hours,” I said apologetically. She hummed an understanding sound.

  “I know. I’d still like to see you when you are done,” Layalla stated primly.

  “Alright, sure. I’ll call you as soon as I’m done,” I agreed. She chirped a cheerful goodbye and disconnected. I smiled down at my com for a minute. She was pretty cute once she warmed up to you. I actually looked forward to seeing her later. Feeling lighter, I finished both nutrition packs and headed back to the havaysta.

  Layalla

  Three hours passed while I waited for Maxwell to finish. Three long, anxious, exhausting hours. I had to restrain myself from calling him every few minutes to check on his progress. Instead, I made myself go back to my apartment while I waited. During that time, I brushed and braided and unbraided my hair four times, never satisfied with the results; I changed my outfit at least six times, before finally settling on a pale green tunic and pants set that complimented my skin tone; I paced from my vanity to the door and back again. This was driving me crazy.

  I had no idea why I was so anxious, and yet, I did know why. The male I was attracted to was in a dangerous situation. I could do nothing and it scared me. My normally meticulous apartment was a wreck and I had no desire to clean it. Finally, finally, my com chimed and it was Maxwell.

  “I thought you’d like to know, that I just cut the last flower from t
he havaysta,” Maxwell said. I could hear the proud grin in his voice. “The final count was close to eleven hundred flowers over sixteen trays.”

  “Oh my Vren,” I breathed, invoking a commonly recognized diety. “I’ve never had such a productive harvest. By the time the pollen fades and I can harvest the blooms, there may be half that number left.” Maxwell chuckled.

  “Well, now that we know I can handle the stench, maybe I should help with the harvest from now on. The bigger the harvest the more there is for making the vaccine after all,” he suggested easily.

  “Yes, perhaps you should,” I agreed, warmed by the idea of him working with me more often. For so long, my plants had been everything. They were my work, my life, and I now realized I’d been missing so much. At the same time though, I wouldn’t trade a minute of it for anyone else but Maxwell.

  “I’m going to shower now, but I’ll be out in about a half hour,” he said cheerfully.

  “I’ll be there,” I said with equal enthusiasm and we disconnected. One last swipe of my hair, before pulling it back in a simple tail, and I headed back to my habitat.

  Maxwell was just coming out of the greenhouse as I arrived. His hair was slightly mussed from his shower and he smelled of my own soaps, which left me undeniably pleased. There was a lingering hint of the havaysta pollen but not enough to detract from the appeal of his own scent. His smile on seeing me was big and welcoming, but tired.

  “Hey there sweetness,” he grinned, setting his tools on the ground.

  “Greetings Maxwell,” I nodded, trying to maintain my calm demeanor. “I cannot begin to thank you for saving my harvest.”

  “It was nothing. Once we get the schematics located, we can find the problem and fix it permanently. For now, I got the hydro system up and running again, but it won’t last more than a day or two,” he shrugged.