Sex or Suffer [Dark Colony 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (24 page)

“Don’t. Gray and I have been best friends since before we could talk. Nothing will ever change that.”

“But he watched us—”

“He also pounded on the wall and ordered me not to let you suffer. I promise you infidelity isn’t involved in this equation. Not between Gray and me.” Nathan mentally backed up a step. He wanted to right what he considered a wrong regarding their sexual experiences together, but he wasn’t really looking for a permanent relationship. Gray must have very deep feelings for her based on the tortured expression he displayed while trapped behind the blast door.

Nathan wouldn’t ever do anything to ruin that.

“Thank you for understanding.”

“No problem. Mind if I ask how you and Gray got together?” Her brows narrowed so he added, “If it helps, he likely would have told me himself, eventually.”

“Shortly after the
Dalton
took off from Bravura, the power went out. When it came back on, my room and Gray’s reverted back to the original programming and began sharing air. So…I went to his room.” The blush which rose quickly on her cheeks was a beautiful deep crimson color. “As a matter of fact they haven’t been able to figure out why it keeps happening.”

“I know why. Gray didn’t allow a full diagnostic to run on the
Dalton’s
engines before taking off again. There are several systems which are very persnickety about regeneration time.”

“Which is also my fault because I’m in such a hurry to get to the Parsec Colony and end this agony.”

Nathan pondered the strain on the
Dalton’s
engines if he ramped the capacity to over one hundred percent and tasked his memory regarding the landing procedures for the place they were headed. “Tell me what happens when we get to the Parsec Colony.”

Penelope stared at him with puzzlement in her eyes for a few moments. “What do you mean?”

“Once we land, are you going to have the cure brought to the
Dalton
while we’re docked?”

“No. I’ll have to go get it. I have an invoice from the Bravura Science Labs with their insignia and—” She stopped in mid sentence and stricken look she gave him made his heart skip a beat in concern.

“What?”

“I can’t wear a filter mask into the Parsec Colony Science Lab without raising suspicion as to why. Once I get this cure, I’ll have to inject it and wait an hour for it to take effect.” She glanced at him. “And I’ll have to test it.”

“Test it. You mean like hang out with me in a room until—” She nodded so he didn’t complete the sentence. Nathan squeezed her hand. “Don’t worry. I’ll go with you. And you won’t even need me because you’ll be cured. We’ll do a quick dance of joy and then I’ll take you back to Gray so you can truly celebrate.”

“You’re so nice. But that’s not all.” A long sigh escaped, but she shook her head, inhaled deeply and promptly focused her gaze directly into his eyes. “The temporary fix only works for about three and a half hours.”

Nathan squinted, trying to figure out what about the problem was. Then it dawned on him. “You’ll need another temporary ‘fix’ before we exit the ship and pick up the cure.”

She nodded once. “It’s awkward. But I don’t know what else to do. My boss knows people on the Parsec Colony. I don’t want any speculation over what disease I have. Especially not this one.”

Nathan pondered the problem for a minute, trying to think of a way to make the awkward sexual act less embarrassing. “I have an idea for that when the time comes. But first, how much time do I have left from when we were in the cave? I don’t want to over stay my welcome right now.”

Penelope glanced across the room at the time piece on the wall. “At least two hours maybe more. What’s your idea?”

“I’d rather surprise you. Then you won’t be thinking about it for the next five days. I’ll call you an hour before we depart the ship and outline my plan.”

Penelope nodded and her trembling mouth was too hard to resist. Hands cupping her face, he kissed her lips with tender attention several times before he stood from the bed.

“We don’t know each other very well, but from now on and forever, I’m always your friend, Penelope. Always. No matter what happens.”

“Thank you.”

Nathan exited her room and reminded her to sterilize it once he was out of the room. He headed to the command deck with a sense of purpose. He’d pull every ounce of power out of the engines to get to the Parsec Colony as fast as possible.

Out of nowhere the notion that he’d have sex with her again pinged his mind.

Knowing what he knew now about her illness and her relationship with Gray, the idea of having sex with Penelope once again was an idea that both compelled and dismayed him.

* * * *

“You’ve been avoiding me.”

Angelica’s heart skipped a beat. Ensign Cahill had entered the command deck without a whisper of sound. He was exceptionally good at sneakiness because of all his military training. Plus, she’d been lost in thought pondering Dr. Drake’s illness and what she might do in the same situation. Likely there wasn’t anything she wouldn’t do to cure herself and sincerely hoped she’d never be put to the test.

“Yes. I guess I have.”

“I miss you, Angelica.”

She released a deep sigh. “I miss you too, Ensign.”

“Do I get to know why we aren’t seeing each other anymore or are you just done with me on general principle?”

“It’s because of Nathan. Now that he’s taken over as captain…” She paused and cleared her throat. “I just don’t want him to know. It would be uncomfortable if he found out about us.”

“Why, because you two used to have a hot sexual thing going?”

Angelica twisted in the captain’s chair so fast she almost fell out of it. “No! Where did you get that from?”

Cahill shrugged, but the expression on his face said he was relieved she hadn’t slept with Nathan. “Why can’t he know about us? The captain didn’t seem to care.”

“Captain Wyckoff is my boss, but we’ve worked together long enough that he trusts me. While he would worry about our working relationship, as long as we didn’t go for it on the command deck or any other public places aboard, he wouldn’t care.

“Nathan, on the other hand, is like a big brother to me. I don’t believe he’d be happy with anyone I chose. He definitely wouldn’t approve of us because he’s opposed to shipboard affairs. With him as acting captain, I don’t want to cause problems on this journey.”

He moved closer and his male scent greeted her first. “I
really
miss you, Angelica. There are things I’d like to do to you. Tonight. After your shift.”

The spicy muskiness of him caressed her lungs and teased her libido. She could almost taste him in the air from every breath she took. An ache formed in her core the likes of which she’d never felt before. “What do you want to do to me?” The desperate sound in her voice couldn’t be hidden.

“Make you scream in delight.”

Angelica almost moaned out loud. She took a deep breath and with it came his delectable scent again. She’d denied herself the pleasure of his touch for four days and each one had been utter torture. She attempted bravado. “And you think I miss that?”

“I know you do. I think you
need
it. Or maybe you need
me
, Angelica. Admit it.”

“Never. I don’t need anyone.”

“You’re absolutely right. You don’t need me, but tell me you’ll come to my room tonight anyway because you want me.”

“No.” But her resolve weakened with every breath she took.

“Please?” The whispered request with a hint of desperation was unexpected. She’d thought he wouldn’t even miss her, but deep down truly wanted him to track her down. He cared about her, if just a little bit. Or maybe he just missed the sex.

She stiffened her resolve. “I’ll think about it. No promises.”

“I’ll leave my door unlocked. You won’t be sorry.”

Angelica had avoided his gaze since he’d been next to her, but she looked deeply into his eyes. Mistake. She wanted him. She needed him. “I’m already sorry.”
Because
I love you, Cahill. And that’s the true problem. I don’t know how you feel.

Even though he was already too near for her comfort level, he slid even closer. Now she could reach out and touch him if she wanted. And she
really
wanted.

“I’ll never be sorry.” He sent her one last smoldering look before leaving her alone to ponder the fantasy of permanence with a co-worker aboard the
Dalton
and the inherent difficulty of such an arrangement.

Three hours later, Nathan arrived to relieve her on the command deck. Angelica planned to exit the bridge and race to Cahill’s room before he changed his mind and locked her out.

She slipped from the captain’s chair and handed Nathan the communication device.

Leveling an uncomfortable look at Nathan, she asked, “How is Dr. Drake doing?”

Nathan took the device and glanced at it before responding, “I would have to say that she’s been better. However, she’s resting. I assured her we’ve been making good time.”

Angelica brightened. “We’re running the engines at fifteen percent above capacity today. So far they seem to be bearing up to the strain.”

Nathan nodded distractedly. “Noted. I’ll keep an eye on them. Anything else I need to know?”

“Kerchner from engineering will relieve you in six hours. The rotating shift is logged in the communication device and I guess that’s it unless you have any questions.”

“Nope. Carry on, Lieutenant Brice.”

She got as far as the door when he added, “Tell Cahill he better not hurt you or he will deal with me.”

“Sir?” She took a deep breath, cleared her face of emotion and twisted around with the best quizzical expression she could master.

Nathan laughed. “You heard me.”

“I’m not sure I understand what you mean.” Angelica crossed her arms and lifted one eyebrow, daring him to explain.

“You know exactly what I mean. I can see it in your eyes, Angelica. You like him. He likes you. The truth is Cahill’s carried a quiet torch for you since he boarded this vessel. You must have made the first move because he never would have.”

“What makes you say that?”

Nathan’s gaze twinkled as if he had secret information. “Three things. His past career in the military didn’t lend itself to permanent relationships. He is cautious regarding the life he has now aboard the
Dalton
because he wants to keep it. And most importantly, I threatened him within an inch of his life if he ever did anything to upset you the first time I noticed his adoration.”

“What?” Angelica blinked and refocused on Nathan’s sardonic expression.

“You heard me. What I said still goes as far as I’m concerned.”

“My relationship, whatever it is, with Ensign Cahill isn’t in your purview, sir.” She didn’t want to be thwarted in her sensual mission tonight.

Nathan tilted his head to one side. “Perhaps you’re right, Lieutenant, but I’ve decided to amend my thoughts on the matter.”

“Oh? To include what?”

“Screw him if you must, but don’t drag it out. He doesn’t deserve to be hurt when you’re done.”

“You think that anything I did could possibly hurt him?”

Nathan fixed a surly glare on her. “I know it would. Tread lightly. I mean it.”

“I will neither confirm or deny your allegations. But I will say, mind your own business, sir.” She did a crisp about-face and exited the bridge without another word.

Interesting conversation. Angelica marched toward Cahill’s room and thought so hard about what Nathan had just inferred that she almost walked past his room.

She opened the door without knocking and stepped inside Cahill’s dim quarters, quickly closing it behind her. Across the room, he sat up abruptly in bed. “Whoa. You surprised me.” He ran a hand down his face as if he’d dozed off waiting and quickly scooted across his bunk.

“I thought you invited me here.”

Cahill threw his legs over the edge of his bed and stood. “Given your absence of late, I didn’t know if you’d show up, now did I?”

Angelica watched him emerge from his bed to see if he’d been naked beneath the sheets. He wore shorts so she sighed and said, “Nathan knows about us.”

Cahill’s eyes narrowed. “Well, I didn’t tell him anything.”

“Neither did I. He guessed. Apparently, I look at you differently now that we’re sleeping together.” She threw up a hand in the air in disgust of apparently being so easy to read.

A lazy grin formed on Cahill’s lips sending a pulse of desire streaking down her body. With a decidedly predatory gleam in his eyes, Cahill sauntered closer. The black silky shorts he wore hid nothing and she noticed his cock stiffening beneath the fly. “Is that so?”

Angelica didn’t respond. She was busy watching him approach. The muscles in his very well formed legs bunched and released with each step he took closer and closer still. Her heart pounded so hard in her chest she expected to see it exit her body at any moment.