Sex or Suffer [Dark Colony 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (31 page)

Nathan snorted. “Even with the hole in my back, I could still take you. But I’ll let you off this time. I don’t want you to be all broken and sad when you go fetch Penelope.”

“Oh, thanks.” Gray turned to his best friend. “Listen, I appreciate what you did for Penelope. I know it was uncomfortable, but there isn’t anyone else I would have trusted to help her.”

“I know. Don’t go all sappy on me. Dr. Drake is a unique woman with a very tender soul. She’ll be good for you. Congratulations. I mean it.”

Gray sent Nathan back to the ship to get the recent docking squared away and headed for Dr. Ledreder’s office to wait for his love. When she didn’t come out after an hour, he knocked on the door.

“Yes.”

Gray entered and seated himself in front of Dr. Ledreder’s desk before he could protest or stop him. “I want to see Dr. Drake.”

He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry that won’t be possible.”

“Why not?”

“Dr. Drake is ill.”

“I know all about her illness. That’s how we met.” They played a staring game for a few long seconds, but Gray won, and Dr. Ledreder looked away.

“Yes. But I thought she was involved with your first officer.”

Gray didn’t want to reveal anything that Penelope wanted kept secret, but he wasn’t about to lose her. “She and I were involved on the first part of the trip to the Parsec Colony. I got trapped on Echo Province, and my first officer had to take her the rest of the way. When the cure didn’t work, he kept her from suffering. But make no mistake. Penelope is mine.”

Dr. Ledreder paled as Gray explained, but it couldn’t be helped. “I’m sorry. However, Dr. Drake has asked for solitude. She’s in quarantine.”

“So is that your cure? Keep her in quarantine for the rest of her life?”

“No. The virus will burn out of her system in ten to twelve weeks. She asked to remain in solitude “

“Not going to happen. Take me to her.”

“No, Captain Wyckoff. I will do no such thing. She’s been through enough. Let her alone.”

Gray stood, put fists on the desk and threatened. “Let me talk to her. I took her across the galaxy and back.” What Gray didn’t say out loud had to do with a possible misunderstanding. They needed to have a private conversation.

Dr. Ledreder’s eyes widened for a moment, and Gray thought he was going to call security, but instead he relaxed. “I’ll show you to the quarantine room, but if she doesn’t wish to speak to you then I don’t want any trouble.”

“Fine.”

Gray followed Dr. Ledreder down several halls to one with several clear walled rooms on either side. One had the opaque privacy white color turned on. Penelope.

Dr. Ledreder pushed the communication button. “Dr. Drake.”

The wall flashed to clear and there she was. Gray flattened a hand on the wall and cast his gaze up and down her as if he hadn’t seen her in days.

“What are you doing here?” Her eyes watered up and threatened to spill over.

“I came to make sure you weren’t suffering.”

“Well, I am. But not forever.” Her gaze shifted to her boss. “It turns out the virus isn’t permanent. I’ll be fine in a few months.”

“Let me in.”

Dr. Ledreder huffed. “I’m not going to allow you to breach quarantine.”

“Penelope, we need to discuss a few things.” He glanced at his time piece. “I know you have at least another hour.”

“Let him in for an hour.” She nodded at Dr. Ledreder and turned the wall opaque again.

Gray went to the side where the door to her room was and before he entered it, he turned to Dr. Ledreder. “I’ll let myself out. You don’t need to hover.”

“This is highly irregular,” Dr. Ledreder muttered. “I hope you know what you’re doing?”

“I hope so too.”

Gray entered and closed the door behind him. He watched her carefully and waited to see if anything had changed with regard to her illness. She didn’t attack him so he walked forward with the intention of grabbing her so he could hold her tight.

Before he made it halfway across the room she said, “I’m so sorry.” Her face crumbled and tears spilled over her lower lids to streak her cheeks.

Gray took her into his arms. “Tell me. Why are you sorry?”

“I lied to you from the very first moment about getting you an appointment with the Trade Governor. My brother works there, but he has no pull, and I knew that when I negotiated passage on the
Dalton
.” She tilted her head back until her gaze caught his. She would have pulled away, but he refused to release her.

“You wanted a cure for yourself. I get that. I just don’t get why you didn’t tell me later on. You could have explained it to me on the return trip to Bravura.”

“I didn’t want you to know what I’d done. I was ashamed.”

“I would have understood.”

“Maybe. But I’d already asked you for too much. I fell in love with you and then had to endure you watching me have sex with another man.” She buried her face in against his chest and sobbed once. “I then left you on that planet and continued the sexual relationship for several more days.”

“You’re rehashing what I already know. I love you, Penelope. All I want is to hear you say that you love me again.”

Her head snapped up. “How can you still love me after every thing that’s happened?”

Gray shrugged. “I think it’s a chemical thing, something about your scent. You’re beautiful, brilliant and perfect. How could I not love you? I’m miserable without you. I don’t want to contemplate a future without you in it.”

“What about Nathan? What will happen when the three of us are together?”

“Nothing. Nothing will happen. Unless you want it to happen. Are you telling me you want a relationship with him?”

“No.” She shook her head. Placing her hand on his chest, she said, “I will always love him, but not in the same way I love you. Does that even make sense?”

Gray smiled and kissed her cheek. “Yes.”

“Will Nathan be upset?”

“No. He’s sort of a free spirit when it comes to women. He isn’t ready to settle down to only one. He’s not looking for permanence.”

“Are you?”

“Yes.” Gray kissed her mouth. “Let me prove it to you.”

“How?”

“How do you think? I’m going to strip you down and make love to you while I can. There aren’t any cameras in here, are there?”

“I hope not.” She laughed and glanced at the time piece on the wall. “But if you’re going to strip me down, you’d better hurry. A few more minutes and I’ll be the one taking charge.”

“I’m also okay with that, in case you wondered.”

“I love you, Gray.”

“And I love you, Dr. Drake. I think we should make our relationship permanent. What do you think about a pledge ceremony in a few months?”

“I think I’m the luckiest woman on this planet. And also that I’m very anxious for you to take my clothes off.”

“Good. But while I still have the opportunity, I’d like to go very slow.”

“Fast or slow, doesn’t matter. I just want to be with you.” Penelope threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.

There would never be any suffering over sex in their future.

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Lara Santiago is the bestselling author of over twelve books. She's an Ecataromance award winner, a 2007 Passionate Plume finalist for The Lawman's Wife, and has garnered a coveted four and half stars from Romantic Times Book Reviews for her novel, The Blonde Bomb Tech.

From her futuristic novels to her contemporary romantic suspense, she's known for her independent heroines and those compelling alpha males we all adore.

After turning in her twelfth manuscript, she came to the realization that this writing gig might just work out after all. She continues to dream up stories, keeping no less than ten story ideas circulating at any given time.
 

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