WIP Wednesday - Maryam

                Ah yes, those muscles. As hard as she’d tried to not gawk, the men had been an eyeful. And then some. Kels, built for power, his body a delicious menu of strength and sinew. The smaller but no less impressive Dergan, a taut specimen of coiled force. And lovely Pana, a vision of graceful masculinity, solid but lithe. All wearing those formsuits, that left very little to the imagination.                Maryam caught herself licking her lips. “Way to prove Earth gov right about how sinful women are in their thoughts,” she muttered to herself. On the heels of that, she chastised herself for considering herself immoral even in a passing thought. Earth’s restrictions on women were bullshit. Leaving her home planet and the ridiculous but severe pseudo-religious laws had been the best move she’d ever made.                Thank goodness that Earther patrol ship had left the day before. Even in Soln space, if her own kind had noticed her in the vicinity of Kalquorian men, authorities would have hauled her in for questioning—at the very least. She’d been on the receiving end of scowls from the patrol vessel’s crew merely for lunching in public with Briel.                “Screw Earth. Those jerks would have fallen all over themselves if Briel had given them a second glance, and no one would have said a word about it.”                She sighed over the double standard. Women on her home planet had it so much worse than the men. The longer she stayed away, the more certain Maryam was that she wouldn’t return. There was nothing for her there except memories of loss and disappointment.
No release date set.