Collateral Damage

By KS Augustin

No good deed ever goes unpunished.

Meyal Lit has been alone on an orbital for the past six months, analysing the remote planet of Falcin V. It’s a lonely job but, if it means financial security for herself and her family, Meyal is happy to grit her teeth and do it. That is, until a rival exo-geologist on a station on the opposite side of the planet contacts her.

Even though they work for competing companies, loneliness drives Meyal and Waryd together. In between work shifts, they indulge in small talk and chat-sex, knowing nothing can come from their liaison. Then Meyal gets confidential news that could change the entire way she and Waryd operate. If she does nothing, Waryd dies; on the other hand, if she saves her rival, she can kiss her dreams of financial independence goodbye.

What’s a smart, introverted geologist to do?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sandal Press
• Release date: Jan 12, 2013
• ISBN: 9780987317438

KS Augustin

A writer of sf&f romance. Mostly.

Book preview

No good deed ever goes unpunished.

Meyal Lit has been alone on an orbital for the past six months, analysing the remote planet of Falcin V. It’s a lonely job but, if it means financial security for herself and her family, Meyal is happy to grit her teeth and do it. That is, until a rival exo-geologist on a station on the opposite side of the planet contacts her.

Even though they work for competing companies, loneliness drives Meyal and Waryd together. In between work shifts, they indulge in small talk and chat-sex, knowing nothing can come from their liaison. Then Meyal gets confidential news that could change the entire way she and Waryd operate. If she does nothing, Waryd dies; on the other hand, if she saves her rival, she can kiss her dreams of financial independence goodbye.

What’s a smart, introverted geologist to do?

Copyright page

Collateral Damage (Smashwords edition)

ISBN 978-0-9873174-3-8

Copyright KS Augustin 2013

Cover art: Sandal Press

A Sandal Press book

This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the authors imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to events, places or persons, living or dead or residing on a planet other than Earth, is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved. This ebook has been made available without DRM, subject to individual retailer conditions. Please don’t reproduce in any form. (An exception is the use of brief quotations for the purposes of critical articles and/or reviews.) That includes printing, photocopying, scanning, uploading to torrent sites or any other practice that is somehow meant to circumvent a royalty being rightfully paid to the author. Believe it or not, the vast majority of us authors probably earn less than you.

The author and cover artist have asserted their respective rights to be identified as the author of this book and producer of the cover artwork.

COLLATERAL DAMAGE

by

K.S. Augustin

Chapter One

Meyal dialled down the illumination in her quarters, until only the blue from the control console highlighted the naked curves of her body. She leant back in her bed, angled so she was lying on a half-incline, her torso erect, her nipples hard and thrusting forward.

Okay, she whispered. You’ve carried me to my quarters and placed me on my bunk. You’re now standing above me. Then what?

Then, Waryd’s silky voice said, I lean forward and tease your mouth with my tongue.

Mmmmm. Meyal’s own tongue darted out of her mouth, duelling in the air.

I cup those delicious breasts of yours in my chilled hands. You can feel them, can’t you? Cold and arousing against your hot flesh. I—

Hold on a sec. Meyal snapped into sitting position. You couldn’t possibly have done that yet.

And why not? Waryd’s voice was irritated.

Because you haven’t taken off my top!

Meyal—

But Meyal was adamant. If this session is going to have any effect at all, Waryd, we’re going to have to do it right.

So I have to take your top off?

Yes, she nodded. "And then you may rub some ice solution over your hands before touching me. Remember, according to your words, you were carrying me to my quarters. That means your hands would have been warm. And you can’t go for the bare breasts without even taking off an item of clothing."

Waryd’s heavy sigh whooshed through the speakers. You’re not making this easy.

It helps if everything’s accurate. I’m sorry, but that’s just the way I’m wired.

There was a heavy pause.

We’re not going to get off tonight, are we? he asked.

Meyal grimaced. No. I’m sorry. She relaxed against the bed’s firm mattress. I don’t think so.

Hmmmm. Well, I’d better sign off then. Catch you tomorrow.

Yeah, sure. Bye.

Silence filled the small cabin.

Waryd? Meyal called softly.

There was no response.

Meyal sighed. She knew it was her fault. She was the one who had called an end to their sex session. But part of her wished that Waryd had stayed on, just to talk, if nothing else. But, as he’d told her dozens of times before, they couldn’t be caught just talking for any length of time, not by either of their employers, especially when they were supposed to pretend that the other didn’t exist.

Unable to go back to sleep, Meyal rose and dressed, casually pulling on a