Page 53 of Border Control

And it’s…nice. I'm exhausted from what feels like battling uphill all the time at work, no closer to my dreams; tired of the tightrope walk between being myself with my friends without being too myself and shocking them; annoyed with how my urges feel all-consuming sometimes.

But one thing I can do is make sure he's okay now.

Pushing past my exhaustion, I pull the blanket up higher on his chest, careful not to brush the damaged scales next to me.

He looks totally stunned as I settle back beside him, lying face to face.

“What's the matter?” I ask.

“I… I've never had someone attend to me like this,” he admits. “I've never felt such care.”

Ouch, my heart. My eyes sting with tears for him.

He gently strokes my cheek, gaze warm. “Don't be sad. Would you like me to kiss your lips again?” The smile he flashes me is positively devilish. “I enjoyed it as much as you.”

“Mm.” I recall what he's got between his legs. What if… I were suspended in his strong arms, my legs parted by his writhing tentacles, his cock sliding between my thighs in a makeshift joining that doesn’t involve penetration. I’ve done that a few times with partners and enjoyed it, and as long as he's wearing condoms, it’ll be good clean fun.

My eyes slide closed by themselves. “Shit, it's going to be rough tomorrow. I've got a final briefing before the inquiry opens, and I will have…” I wriggle my left arm free and check my watch. “Three hours of sleep. Great.”

“Then I will make sure you have optimal rest.” The big alien gently slides his arms around me, one arm underneath my cheek, one resting on my hip. I settle back against him and the contented warmth of his scales, the double drum beat of his hearts steady. Over it, the last thing I hear is a distant, “You're safe, Law-rah.”

I wake up warm,enveloped in Dom’s strong purple arms, cheek cushioned on his bicep. His scales are particularly soft here, as if butter and goose down had a baby. Sun filters through the miniscule cracks in my blackout curtains. It's quiet. Idyllic, even.

I bolt upright. “Fuck!”

Dom snaps awake and jumps straight on top of me, pulling my head under his massive shoulder.‘What is it? Where’s the threat?’

Shoving at him, I wriggle free enough to reach for my phone on the floor, just about scraping it up with my fingertips. But when I bring it to my face, it’s dead. That’s why my base bloody alarm didn’t go off.

Judging by the fact the sun is up I’m running late, but how late? “What time is it?”

Dom looks like a rabbit in headlights, then leaps out of bed.‘I’ll find out for you immediately.’

I don't know how he can, he probably can't read our fucking clocks, and I know he's scattering because I'm on the warpath. It makes me even more angry that I’m not in control, but first things first: I need to understand how much deep shit the inquiry is in.

“Please be seven am… eight, I'll take eight,” I mutter to myself, moving past Dom into the kitchen to face my doom.

And it's worse than I thought.

“It’s eleven o’clock!” I scream. “Eleven o'-fucking-clock!”

“I can tell that’s bad, Law-rah, but where’s the threat?”

“I’m late for the inquest!” I should have been there to greet victims and their relatives. I should have been there to look the Accu-care team of lawyers in the eyes and gauge their strategy. I should have been there to give John last minute briefing notes.

Dom steps in my way, but I don’t have time to talk to him anymore, don’t have time to do anything other than fire up my laptop and slam my charging cable into my phone. Fuck, fuck, fuck!

As soon as the laptop boots it starts pinging. Ten emails marked Utmost Importance. Twenty-four direct messages on our meetings app. Sweat prickles along the seam of my hair.

Eight missed calls. All from Morgan.

“Law-rah.” Dom’s voice cracks.

I can’t even look at him. This isn’t his fault, I know that, but I’m so angry at myself I can’t even breathe.

John’s messages are frantic:Where are you???? Need clarification. Starts in two hours!!!

It’s already started. He went in without whatever it was he needed. We could lose this all important first impression with the chair, all because of me.