I wrote a book!
Spire Bound is my first published novella and is a romance/erotica hiding inside a hard sci-fi shell. You'll get to know Erica (she/her) and Lou (they/them) as they spend time together after a long time apart. Oh, and they happen to do that in a massive space station orbiting Earth. If you asked Erica for a summary, she would say, "lesbians in SPAAAAAACE-ACE-ace!"
Read on for a preview of the first chapter, or go to Amazon to get your copy!
Amazon link: https://a.co/d/aQRCJA5
2045-08-11 15:50
138 hours to departure
Erica floated near a wall, staring at her phone. She watched as the shuttle map updated, a blip coming closer and closer to the port. She fidgeted excitedly – tossing the phone between her hands every few seconds – as she imagined the fun they'd have over the next few days. Then she heard the characteristic click-hiss of the docking procedure and grinned so hard her face hurt.
A few moments later, the airlock door swung open and attendants began helping passengers out into the hub and onto the waiting train. She saw a flash of short blonde hair and kicked off the wall as she locked eyes with Lou, flying toward them and exclaiming, "you're here!"
She grabbed a handhold on the wall to suppress her motion and yanked Lou off to the side, pulling them in for a deep kiss. "God, I missed you."
Lou wrapped their arms around her and squeezed her so tight she was momentarily worried she might bruise. "I missed you too, baby! I thought you were going to meet me in the Donut?"
"I wanted to surprise you!" She kissed them again and then grabbed them tight and kicked off, aiming toward the train. "C'mon, another one won't be here for a few minutes."
The interior of the train was softly lit and each row of eight seats was arranged around a central aisle. Erica watched with amusement as most of the new arrivals chose seats on the 'floor' – ignoring that it was just a matter of perspective. As they got their lap belts fastened, she asked, "how was the trip? Why'd you end up so late?"
"The flight was fine -- short and uneventful -- but everything leading up to that was annoying as hell. The passenger trains from the Buenos Aires ring to the New York ring were down for almost a day; apparently a tether snapped and had to be completely replaced. So I had to transfer through the Bangkok ring and missed my shuttle," Lou grumbled.
Her eyes grew wide. "Wait, the entire tether snapped?!"
They laughed a bit at that. "Oh, fuck no. That would've taken a lot more than a day to fix. Just one of the redundant lines, but you know how strict they are. Either way, I'm just glad I'm finally here."
"Me too," she said quietly as she laid her head against Lou's shoulder. "It's nice being able to touch you again."
"Perv," they teased, turning to kiss the top of Erica's head. "I know it's only been a few months, but it feels like years. How's life been?"
"Pfft, takes one to know one. Honestly, it's been really good; watching this place grow and change has been amazing. And I was able to set up a few fun surprises while you're in town!" She reached over and held their hand, sighing softly as their fingers interlocked for the millionth time.
Lou perked up at that. "Oh? Like what? Can I get a hint?"
"Nope. If I give you a hint, we both know you'll figure them out. I know you're terrible at it, but be patient."
"Next stop: Euclid station, your hub for shopping, entertainment, and hospitality."
"That's the Donut, right? Isn't that where your apartment is?" Lou reached down to undo their lap belt to get up, but Erica pulled their hand away.
"Yes, but that's not where we're getting off," she replied with a smirk.
"I guess the surprises are starting early," they said inquisitively.
She kissed them on the cheek. "Damn right. I have my baby for less than a week and I'm gonna take advantage of every second."
----------
"Next stop: Spire Prime, luxury hospitality."
Erica detached her lap belt and gestured for Lou to follow suit. "This one's us!" They raised an eyebrow but didn't speak. "When we stop, just follow me."
As the train came to its stop, she pushed herself up and they both proceeded to the exit. As they left the train, they were greeted by a pair of attendants. One of them spoke kindly, "welcome back, Ms. Rae! And you must be Mx. Cruz, lovely to meet you and welcome to Spire Prime. Your luggage should be here shortly; we'll see that it gets to you as soon as possible. Would you care for assistance to your suite?"
They both smiled wide at the personal greeting. "No thanks, Tom, I'll lead the newbie," Erica said with a wink.
"Understood! Let us know if you need anything, and we'll see you shortly with your luggage."
She locked arms with Lou and kicked off the doorway, leading them towards the panoramic glass exterior wall of the module. They could see the whole Earth below them, fully illuminated, though at this distance it was impossible to make out details.
She grabbed handholds along the wall and propelled them around the module until they reached their room. She waved her wrist in front of the lock on the wall and the door opened, beckoning them in. She grabbed hold of them and the door and flew inward, past a bathroom and into the living room.
Lou had seen pictures of this place as it was being built, but they absolutely did not do it justice. They looked around the room, taking in the sights. "Wow... This is absolutely amazing. You didn't have to do all this, you know." They drifted toward the glass dome window at the end of the room, while Erica attached her purse to the wall near the couch.
She scoffed. "It's your first time on the Spire! We have less than 6 days; do you think we were just going to go hit dive bars?"
Lou twisted around to look at her. "... Are there dive bars here?"
"I mean, yeah. But they're faux-dive still. Gonna take a few years to really get them dirty; we'll work on that later. But for now, I just want you to enjoy yourself." She pushed off the wall and flew over to them, grabbing a handhold and pinning them to the window, kissing them hard. "And I want to enjoy you."
Lou's arms wrapped around her body and pulled her in tight. "I love you so goddamn much," they whispered as they bit her neck gently. Goosebumps appeared all over Erica's body and she moaned softly.
She let go of the handhold and the two entwined, kissing passionately yet slowly. They drifted in space together, exploring each other's bodies as they had so many times before.
Lou grabbed the bottom of Erica's shirt and lifted it, their eyes transfixed by the earthlight cast on her skin. They pulled it off and dropped it to the floor, then broke out into laughter.
Erica turned and saw the shirt spinning aimlessly in midair and started laughing too. "Forgot there's no gravity, didn't you?"
"It's still so surreal..."
"You get used to it. Next time, throw," she remarked with a chuckle, then pulled them back in and kissed them hard as she unbuttoned their shirt. She removed it with ease, as she had done many times before, and tossed it over her shoulder.
They each pulled off their pants, throwing them out of the way. Lou kissed their way down from her lips to her neck to her chest, finally sighing, "god, I missed this."
She put her hands on either side of their face and pulled them up to look at them. "Me too, love. But we're together now, and that's what matters." Her hands traced down their side and then across their panties. "And I haven't fucked you in far too long."
She deftly maneuvered her hand into their panties and they spread their legs. Her hand moved forward and then she slid a finger into them. Lou moaned and leaned forward to kiss her hard, clinging tight to her, lest they be separated by physics. She slid a second finger in and started to fuck them with abandon, feeling them moan into her mouth.
Suddenly, they heard a knock at the door. "Oh, fuck. The bags." She gave them a quick kiss and then shouted, "one moment!"
