Page 45 of Solomon's Ransom

Sol gave up. He pushed his face into the pillow, clenched around Remma’s cock, and came.

Remma let him tremble through it, then carefully pulled out and flipped Sol over onto his back. Sol let his thighs flop open invitingly, which Remma took as permission to palm Sol’s softening dick. Sol hissed through his teeth: he was too sensitive for that.

“Sorry,” Remma said. “Couldn’t resist.”

“Couldn’t you,” Sol said. He pulled one knee toward his chest, opening himself. Remma slid back inside with a groan.

It was slower this time, softer and more tender. Remma kissed Sol’s slack mouth until Sol recovered enough to kiss back. Sol wrapped his arms around Remma’s neck and enjoyed the weight of him, the feeling of Remma’s body shifting above him as he sought his pleasure. Soon Sol was hard again, although he didn’t think he would come a second time. He felt too relaxed for that, almost languid from how Remma was kissing him and gazing down at him, with a small smile on his face.

Remma loved him, probably. Sol had a strong suspicion. It was strange to think about. Sol hadn’t ever thought love was on offer, but he was so glad to have found it. He didn’t ever want to let Remma go.

“Hey,” he said to Remma, and kissed the corner of his mouth and his cheek. “Hey. I love you.”

Remma pulled back to shine a warm, bewildered look down on him. “You do?”

“Yeah. I do love you. Are you surprised?”

“Pretty surprised.” Remma’s mouth slid into a smile. “But pretty happy.”

“I love you,” Sol said again, to hear himself say it, to speak the feeling into full life and reality.

Remma dropped down again and buried his face in the crook of Sol’s neck. Sol could feel his smile. “My Solomon. I feel the same way, you know.”

Sol prodded the back of Remma’s thigh with his heel. “Don’t get distracted. You’re in the middle of something.”

Remma laughed. “Sorry. I’ll get right back to it.” He rolled his hips, and Sol moaned and held on.

When they were done, and had cleaned up enough to avoid a total disaster in the morning, Remma lay back in bed and pulled Sol into his arms and kissed the top of his head. “What should we do tomorrow?”

“Well.” Sol pretended to think about it. “You should fuck me again in the morning, and then we should have breakfast.”

“That’s it? That’s your big plan for the day?”

“Do youwanta big plan? Loden will find something for us to do by evening. Why waste your chance to do nothing?”

“Okay, fair enough. It’s true that Loden doesn’t like idle hands.”

“If you aren’t working, you’re probably causing trouble,” Sol intoned, the refrain of his childhood, and Remma laughed.

“Then let’s do nothing tomorrow,” Remma said, “and when Loden sends us out again, I’ll go gladly, and take advantage of every minute I get to spend with you.” He paused. “Do you think we’ll run into another bear?”

“Don’t worry,” Sol said. “I’ll protect you.”

“My hero,” Remma said, and they lay together close and warm in Sol’s narrow bed until Sol drifted off to sleep.

EPILOGUE

“There,” Remma said, pointing over Sol’s shoulder. “Do you see those dark shapes in the water? That’s the mother-kin.”

“There’s so many of them,” Sol said, leaning toward the window. “Wow.”

“Pods can get pretty big if the matriline doesn’t split. Mine had about thirty.”

“Do you think you’ll get to see them?”

“I hope so. Merru said he would put the word out about our visit. So maybe they’ll come in to shore.”

The shuttle glided lower. The Xerca pilot, silent throughout the trip, continued to say nothing as he—she? It? Sol wasn’t sure—guided the shuttle toward the shore and the landing pad below. Sol didn’t mind. He was grateful to the ship’s indulgent crew for so generously bringing him and Remma all the way to Tozra. And the ship was happy, back with its own people. If the Xerca didn’t want to talk to him, that was their right.