The Alliance Boxset Books 4-6

Chapter 9-1

Chapter Nine

Destin woke with a start, sitting up in the narrow bunk. A shudder went through him and he ran his hand down over his face. The nightmare still gripped him. He turned his gaze to the empty space next to him and frowned.

When in the hell did Sula leave? he wondered, dropping his hand to the covers.

He glanced around the dim interior of his living quarters. It did not take him long to realize that she was not in the room. Shoving the tangled covers aside, he twisted and sat on the edge of the bed. He was not sure how much time had passed. From experience, he imagined it had only been a few hours, because he never slept more than that at any given time.

He could only attribute his deep sleep to exhaustion from the previous night and his time with Sula. Hell, the way his body had melted after his orgasm, he was lucky he wasn’t comatose! He couldn’t remember ever having such an intense orgasm before – or being as satisfied afterwards.

“Get a grip, Destin. You’re growing soft in your old age,” he muttered out loud.

With a sigh, he pushed up off the bed and walked into the bathroom. It wasn’t much bigger than the bathrooms he was used to on Earth. Bracing his left arm against the back wall, he quickly relieved himself before turning to the shower unit and giving it a skeptical look. If this was like the other showers, it was more of a heavy mist with a soap solution in it. He learned that the water was filtered and reused on board the ships. That was a necessity considering there was no rain or places to stop and refill the tanks.

He stepped inside, closing his eyes when the shower activated. Immediately, the image of Sula materialized in his mind. The feel and taste of her still lingered on his skin and mouth. A satisfied smile curved his lips when he remembered her smothered cry and her body arching against his hands. He bowed his head and opened his eyes. Staring down his body, he grimaced. It was obvious his c**k liked the memory.

“Another first,” he chuckled.

Wiping a hand down his face, he shook his head at his errant thoughts. Over the course of the trip to Earth, he needed to focus on some of the items he placed on his To-Do list but never had a chance to take care of. He would also check in with Tim to see how things were going back home.

No sooner did those thoughts flash through his mind than his resolution to focus on them wavered, and Sula crept to the forefront again. With a growl of frustration, he opened his eyes and quickly washed the remains of the afternoon from his body. Once he was finished, he waited for the warm air from the dryer to evaporate the remaining water from his body and stepped out.

Striding back into the other room, he picked up his duffel bag and placed it on the table. He unzipped it and pulled out the clothes he was going to wear: a pair of well-worn jeans, socks, jockey shorts, and a dark blue T-shirt. It didn’t take him long to get dressed. He quickly unpacked, storing his clothing in the drawers built into the wall, and slid the duffel bag under the bed.

He sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled on his socks and boots. Once he was finished, he stood, turned, and made the bed. His fingers lingered for a moment on the covers, thinking of Sula spread across them. His lips tightened in agitation. He was used to waking up alone. Normally, he and his partner had a mutual agreement that once their physical needs were taken care of, there was nothing else to keep them together. His time with Sula a few hours ago had been different. He wanted to wake up with her in his arms, in his bed, just as he had held her tightly before he fell asleep. Waking alone now felt wrong.

A wave of irritation swept through him. This was uncharted territory for him and he wasn’t sure he liked it. He wasn’t delusional enough to think he was in love. Hell, he was not sure he even believed romantic love was possible for him. One thing he did know was that he was physically attracted to Sula in a way he had never been before. Still, that was a long way from something as undefinable as love. He knew and recognized infatuation and lust. Those two emotions he had seen and experienced. He had experienced the first when he was a teenager with a girl in their old neighborhood. Now that he thought about it, even that had probably been more lust than infatuation. In the years since, he had purposely steered away from any woman wanting a more permanent relationship. The moment the ‘L’ word was mentioned, it was time to end the relationship. That was what he had liked about Maria. She had wanted him for his body and he had reciprocated. They had scratched each other’s itch without wanting or expecting more. It had been a good, working relationship until Colbert’s insane jealousy made Maria a target.

Destin shook his head and quickly pushed the wave of guilt away. The fact that Kali had warned him and he had brushed her concerns away would always haunt him. If he had listened, he could have prevented the deaths and miseries of hundreds, if not thousands, of innocent people. It was a burden he would always carry.

Destin stepped close to the door and it slid open. A dark scowl crossed his face when he saw Trig standing outside of it with his hand raised. He didn’t miss the inquisitive glance over Destin’s shoulder and into the dim interior.

“What do you want?” Destin asked with a raised eyebrow.

“I was about to get something to eat and wasn’t sure if you were still occupied or not,” Trig replied with a slight smirk. “From your unhappy expression and biting tone, I will take it that things didn’t go well with the Usoleum Councilor. They aren’t known for their warmth, though you appeared to be defrosting this one. I’ve heard that Elpidiosian females are pretty aggressive. Ajaska warned they can be rather predatory if you aren’t careful.”

Destin shook his head. “I don’t need a babysitter, especially on board the ship. If you are going to be a pain in my ass for the next couple of months, I should warn you that I’ll probably try to stuff you in the disposal tubes,” he groused, pushing past Trig. “And my relationship with Sula is off limits. If you so much as make one derogatory comment about her, I’ll beat the living s**t out of you before I eject your ass into space.”

Trig’s mouth tightened. Destin wasn’t sure whether or not Trig was trying to keep another smart-ass comment from escaping, he was just glad when the other man nodded. Destin eyed the door next to his living quarters and paused. He wanted to see if Sula was alright, but he did not want to do it with Trig standing there pushing his nosy ass in the middle of a situation Destin wasn’t exactly sure how to handle.

“I could find out if she is in there for you,” Trig offered.

Destin glowered at the other man in exasperation and shook his head. “Please tell me you are not going to be a boil on my ass for the next few months?” he asked with a pained expression.

“What is a boil?” Trig asked warily.

“Look it up,” Destin replied. “Let’s go get something to eat.”

Trig nodded. “If it is on your ass, that does not sound promising,” he said with a grimace. “If it helps, this isn’t something I volunteered for.”

“Well, until you tell me why Razor and Hunter are so set on having you as my babysitter, don’t expect any cooperation or sympathy from me,” Destin retorted, stepping into the lift and turning to lean back against the wall.

“Noted,” Trig muttered, following Destin. “Level Eight.”