ExtremeCircumstances

Chandra
Ryan

Universal Defiance, Book Three

Julian hadn’t wanted to become a
genetically enhanced soldier. His father, the colonel, expected it. But when he
sees his commanding officer for his first mission, he admits there might be
some perks. Commander Gates is a wet dream wrapped up in a standard-issue
military uniform.

He knows better than to screw
around with an officer though. The last thing he wants is the complication of a
relationship. But when the mission goes sideways and soldiers start dying, he
realizes sex might be the best way to simplify things, especially given the
scorching encounters Gates provides. A relationship though? They’ll have to
survive the mission before they can worry about that.

Inside Scoop:
Gates and
Julian share some super-hot male/male action on a planet where gruesome
monsters deal out grisly death.

A
Romantica®
sci-fi erotic romance
from Ellora’s Cave

Julian took a deep breath as the shuttle’s thrusters pushed
against the asphalt of the planet’s surface. His heart raced and his stomach
cramped with nerves but he refused to let them show. He was a modified soldier
now—a super-soldier. His DNA had been reprogrammed to make him faster, stronger
and smarter. And super-soldiers didn’t show fear.

The shuttle shuddered as it hit a patch of turbulence and he
had to clench his hands to keep them from grabbing at his safety restraints.
Apparently braver hadn’t been included in his package though. He would just
have to continue faking that particular attribute.

He took another breath and closed his eyes against the
tingling of weightlessness that fluttered in the pit of his stomach. The
sensation was a lot like being on a ride at an amusement park. Only with an off
chance he might die. And if not during transport, the mission itself could
always finish him off.

A grimace tightened his face at the thought. He was making
this worse than what it really was. He forced his muscles to relax as the
shuttle broke free of the planet’s atmosphere. When he opened his eyes again,
only the vast blackness of space was visible on the other side of the window
portals. But after a few seconds he started seeing the pinpricks of light given
off by distant stars.

“You doin’ okay, rookie?” Commander Gates’ voice filled his
helmet and made him frown. He liked the man. What was there not to like? The
guy was all muscle in a uniform. He was the stuff of Julian’s late-night
fantasies. But as much as he liked Gates, Julian hated the fucking nickname
Gates had given him. He might be new to the team but he wasn’t a rookie. He’d
served his time before the military put him in the modified soldier program.
But he knew better than to complain about it. That’d be the quickest way to
ensure it stuck with him for the rest of his military career.

“Doin’ great, Commander.”

“It’s your first mission as a super. No one’s going to think
any less of you if you’re a little edgy.”

Sure they wouldn’t. He smirked to himself at the thought.
People loved finding reasons to think less of him. They’d been doing it his
entire life. Hell, he could probably make a drinking game of it. With his luck,
Julian would end up throwing up after his first shot and making everyone else a
winner though.

Still, accepting it happened and encouraging it were two
completely different things. He’d be damned if he handed them fodder on a
silver platter. “With all due respect, I knew what I was signing up for, sir.”

And that was the bitch of it. He
had
known what he’d
been signing up for. Modified soldiers were assigned the most dangerous
missions. It was why they had to be super. And his father had made it clear
that anything less than super wouldn’t be tolerated in his house.

One of the other men laughed. “Did you hear that, men? He
knew what he was signing up for.”

Damn. It. Could he do nothing right? “What? You think I
didn’t read the fine print?” When people were laughing at him, he kept them
laughing but deflected the punch line. Geek survival 101. “I read every single
word. Well, except where it said I’d be getting an injection in the ass three
times a week for the rest of my life. I missed that.” Actually the military
didn’t mention the metabolism-regulating injections anywhere in the contracts
the soldiers signed. Nobody knew about them until after the procedure had been
completed and it was too late to object. That was what made it funny. They’d
all been through the exact same experience. “They were happy to educate me on
that though.”

“Bend over and grab the bed. First order every super gets.”
The soldier’s voice boomed through the helmet around bursts of laughter. It set
Julian at ease. Now the men were officially laughing with him. He’d just
started becoming a member of their group. He sat back and sighed at his
success.

“But that’s why we’re on this mission, isn’t it?” Gates
asked. “So we won’t have to get those fucking shots anymore.”

“Damn straight,” echoed through Julian’s helmet.

Some scientist somewhere had developed a way to fix the
soldiers. And the military had held this mission, Covert Defenders, out like a
carrot. As soon as they completed it they’d be put on the short list for the
procedure. No more shots. And with every modified soldier clamoring for the
procedure, the short list looked awfully good. Yeah, Julian had jumped at the
carrot.

“And all we have to do is move some stasis chambers from
point A to point B. Sounds a little too good to be true.” Julian had just been
talking to himself. He hadn’t meant the rest of the group to hear him. But he’d
forgotten about the sensitive microphone inside the helmet for a second.

“Huh. Would you look at that cynicism? I take it back. The
rookie might actually have some clue as to what he signed up for.” And with
that, he’d officially been accepted. He might be fresh to the team but he
wasn’t some starry-eyed noob. Now he just had to shake the nickname and he’d be
golden.

Julian leaned back in his seat and savored the victory. He
was still flying through space on his way to a mission that scared the shit out
of him but he was no longer the outsider. That was some measure of victory and
he’d take it.

The other men continued to talk. Their voices filled his
helmet and gave him some insight into each team member. But he didn’t add
anything to the conversations. He’d learned long ago to quit while he was ahead
in social situations.

Instead he closed his eyes and let chatter lull him to
sleep. He was woken some time later by a gentle pat on his knee. “We’re here,
soldier. Time to earn your keep.” Gates stood in front of him as Julian quickly
came awake. And that was a sight he didn’t mind waking up to. The man’s
powerful thighs were at eye level and it was all Julian could do not to lick
his lips at the temptation. “The air is breathable,” Gates continued.
Apparently the man had no clue as to what was going on in Julian’s head. Thank
god. “No need for the helmet.”

Grateful for the diversion, he took off his helmet and
stashed it under his chair for the return trip before unfastening the safety
restraints. He stood and stretched as soon as he’d freed himself. It felt good
to have the blood flowing through his legs again but the world seemed a little
wobbly after the long shuttle ride. “So where are these stasis chambers?”

“This is where the fun begins.” Gates pulled a digital
reader out of one of the pockets in his cargo pants and began flipping through
screens. When he finally got to the one he wanted, he held it out to Julian.
“This is where we are.” He touched a spot on the map and then trailed his
fingertip along the terrain until he almost reached the furthermost edge of the
reader. “And this is where the stasis chambers are. They’re all sealed up in a
secured compound.”

“Shit. That’s going to take a week to hike.”

“And that’s best-case scenario.” Gates powered down the
reader and slipped it back into his pocket. “Best-case scenarios never happen.
At least, not for us.” He handed a backpack to Julian and then smiled. “I’m
guessing it’ll take us closer to two weeks. Hope you remembered to wear your
comfy shoes.”

He looked down at his feet and grimaced. Sure, his
military-issue boots were the most comfortable ones he owned but nothing could
make him look forward to a two-week hike through inhospitable land. And he’d
bet the land was as inhospitable as it got. Otherwise they would’ve landed
closer to the goal.

He looped his arms through the backpack’s straps and then
went outside to join the rest of the team. There were twenty of them in the
group. Twenty of the military’s finest standing in a pasture on one of the most
primitive planets Julian had ever set foot on. They wouldn’t have looked more
out of place had they been dropped in the middle of the national opera on
opening night.

“Are we ready, men?” Gates stood in front of them, waiting
for a reply.

“Yes sir.” The answer rang through the air and Julian’s
voice added to the chorus.

“All that stands between us and a return trip home is this
planet. I say we show it who’s boss.” Gates turned and walked off in the
direction of the compound. Julian had no doubts as to who the boss was in this
situation. Every inch of Gates rippled with authority. And his men seemed
content to follow without reservation. Julian watched as they fell into line
without comment or challenge. To get a group of testosterone-filled
super-soldiers to follow took more than raw power. It took fierce loyalty.
Loyalty that had to be earned.

Julian fell in behind the others and took the last spot in
their line. He didn’t mind being last. He actually preferred it. Yes, he had to
keep an eye out for any hostiles following them or trying to sneak up on them
but it also put space between him and Gates. He needed that to keep his body in
check.

As time went by, though, he began to wonder if this world
had any hostiles to throw at them. It appeared to be completely deserted. So
much so that he started to find the march tedious. He was almost relieved when
they made it to the jungle. Tromping through the thick undergrowth might be
difficult but at least the scenery changed and the large canopy blocked out
most of the sun’s rays. Still, even with the cover the day couldn’t be
considered chilly by any measure of the word. By the time they found a small
clearing and stopped for the night they were all hot and sweaty. But it was
better than being sunburned as well. And the muggy, stale air gave the men
something to bitch about as they set up camp and found firewood.

It was important to have something other than teammates to
complain about. It kept the men from picking on each other. Julian could
support anything that kept the peace on a mission but he remained silent and
focused on his work instead of joining the other men in their venting. He was
too exhausted from the day of hiking to waste energy bellyaching.

“The rookie did pretty good keeping up today.” The group
funnyman, Hicks, seemed to want to include him regardless of his silence. “Not
even one, ‘Are we there yet?’ or ‘I’m tired.’”

Julian rolled his eyes and then smiled. If they insisted on
calling him rookie, he could indulge in the role for a moment or two. “Okay.
I’ll give you one. I’ve gotta pee.” He made his voice high and petulant as he
shifted his weight from one leg to the other. “That better?”

Hicks laughed. “That depends. You expecting me to hold your
dick for you?” One of Hicks’ eyebrows rose sharply.

“You wish,” Julian said with a wink. “Holding my cock would
be the highlight of your day.” He heard the men chuckle as he walked into the
jungle to find a place to relieve himself.

“If you see the commander out there, tell him he’s needed
back at camp.”

“You can’t have my dick so you’ll settle for anyone’s now?”
Julian shot back.

“Ha. Ha. Ha.”

Julian shook his head at the parting words as he trekked
farther into the jungle. He didn’t think Hicks was actually into men. He didn’t
get that vibe from him. And that was why he had no problems kidding around with
him. If there were any chance Hicks would take him seriously, Julian wouldn’t
have thrown out the invitation. Fucking someone he worked with made everything
a little too complicated for his comfort. Though Hicks might provide him some
relief from his fantasies about the commander.

As if a door were opened by the wayward thought, a fantasy
scene involving Gates flittered through his head. There was no doubt as to who
would top. And though Julian didn’t usually do submissive, he could easily
imagine himself under the other man. Or sucking Gates off. Damn, he’d
practically been in the position earlier. If he’d leaned forward or if Gates
had been naked…

When he’d gone a little farther into the underbrush a
splashing noise pulled him out of the fantasy. It didn’t seem to fit in with
the landscape around him. And anything that didn’t fit needed to be
investigated. He freed his weapon from his waistband and followed the sound.
After just a few minutes he broke out of the brush and stumbled into a small
clearing. The full moon and a star-filled sky illuminated the area now that
their light wasn’t being filtered through a thick canopy. In front of him a
river emptied into a shallow pond via a waterfall. The scenery would’ve been
beautiful if he’d given it more than a glance. Unfortunately a glance was all
he could spare it when he found the source of the splashing.

He lowered his weapon almost instinctually as he spotted
Gates standing naked on a shelf of rocks with his head tipped back under the
waterfall. That image would’ve been enough to jack off to for weeks. But it
didn’t end there. Gates had his hand wrapped around his cock in a tight fist.
The cords of muscles that ran up his forearm bunched each time his hand glided
over his hard dick. And water ran over Gates’ head and down his smooth shoulders
before flowing over his flat abs. It was a fucking wet dream happening right in
front of him and, try as he might, there was no way he could look away.

Julian moaned with appreciation as he watched Gates swirl
the pad of his thumb over the swollen head of his cock. He probably shouldn’t
but Julian just couldn’t stop himself from imagining it was his tongue that ran
over the sensitive skin.

He licked his lips as he imagined the weight of Gates’ cock
on his tongue. He could almost taste the salty tang of his pre-come. All he’d
have to do is say something. Anything. And Gates would know he was there
watching him. But even if Gates were interested, Julian didn’t do members of
his team. It made everything more complicated, he reminded himself. And he most
certainly didn’t want the difficulties that came with screwing his commander.
But there was nothing complicated about watching.