by A. Payne
“Doctor Oshiro seems nice.” Zoe nestled in closer, one leg drawing up over his. After a moment, she seemed to reconsider and stretched her leg out. Victor caught her by the thigh and pulled the limb back up.
“Known him since I was a scrawny kid. The Royal Navy denied me the first time I tried to get in.” He chuckled against her dark hair at the memory of his younger self. “I didn’t make the weight requirement. I don’t know what made him do it, but he wrote me a waiver and took me home with him. He even told them he’d have me meeting all the regs by the time they shipped me to boot.” Hell, he even lied on my psych eval. I should have failed, but he lied for me.
He inhaled again, trembling with a multitude of surging feelings that swelled to the surface as tender kisses landed on his brow and face. It instilled a feeling of peace and warmth that he craved to feel again.
“I have a hard time imagining you as scrawny.” Her trailing kisses ended at his chin. Black strands of hair tickled his neck and shoulder. “You grew up nice. Look how far you’ve come, fixing up grunts like me.”
“Yeah… Doc had a huge impact on me. I knew then that I wanted to be a doctor, but I didn’t think I’d get accepted into school. I guess for a kid who missed getting his certs, I must have scored really big on more than just my entrance exam. The commodore was on the review team.”
“And now you serve with both men who helped shape your life.”
“Lucky me, huh?” After a period of heartbreak and a rocky start to his life, things finally improved for the better. Victor sighed against her cheek and pulled her closer. Zoe laid nearly half on top of him now, but instead of trapping him, her body heat conveyed a sense of comfort.
“It must be nice, having role models and friends like that. I haven’t dealt with Commodore Bishop at all, but I hear good things. Usually, my sort doesn’t run into him unless we’re in trouble or getting an award. Tends to be better that way.”
Heh. If you knew you were raiding with him in the game… “Mm. He’s not a bad guy. Just has to set that impression around the rest of you. You should see him during liberty.”
“No, no, I get that.” She chuckled softly and turned her head to nuzzle his throat. “He kidnaps officers and forces them to have a good time.”
“I had a horrible time,” he muttered. “Some little tart from logistics tried to rub her tits in my face.”
“Torturous.”
“In this day and age, there’s no excuse for obvious false tits, hon.”
Snickers turned to full blown laughter. “Oh, you mean, um, Keita. I was on the Armstrong with her six years back when she first joined up. The girls were much smaller then, yes.”
“I figured. She should have paid a few more quid to get it done right.” Zoe, on the other hand, had a lovely pair of natural breasts that he squeezed shamelessly with one hand.
His sexual interest in her renewed briefly, only to dwindle and lapse within moments. While it was nothing unusual from what he’d come to expect over the years, his hand fell away and he rolled over onto his back to stare at the dark ceiling. The lights had automatically dimmed even further but pale fiber optic strips of red light glowed at the room’s edges.
Zoe cuddled back into his side with her head pillowed on his shoulder. “There’s no rush on anything, Victor.”
“Hm? I didn’t complain.”
“No, but you’re… frustrated about something. And I’m willing to wait ‘till you’re ready to talk. Because I know what it’s like not to want let people get close.”
Victor’s mouth became dry. Humor became the best escape during times of discomfort. “You’re naked in my bed, Zoe. Doesn’t get much closer than that.”
“You know what I mean. Would you believe that it took me a long time to feel okay with people looking at me after the accident? I thought they saw the scars and tech. Not me. Not anymore.”
“Your arm is beautiful, Zo. Like the rest of you. I can barely see a scar here.” He traced his finger over the hint of discoloration, estimating the point of fusion between her shoulder and the biotic limb. “Besides, I’m a cyberware doc. I’d have to surrender my license if I didn’t think plasteel and carbon fiber bolts are sexy.”
“Careful, doc, or I’ll think you like my arm best.” Her breath huffed with amusement against his skin.
“There’s a lot of parts of you I like,” he teased, shifting so that Zoe rolled to her back again. He needed a moment to concentrate, and he couldn’t achieve the clarity of mind that he needed while her nubile body nudged him so sweetly beneath the sheets. “I enjoy our time together, Zoe. Okay? I don’t think that needs to be said, or you wouldn’t be here with me.”
“I’d hope not.” She swept his bangs off his forehead then dropped her hand to her stomach. “I hadn’t expected this but… I like it. I like you. I just want you to know that if you ever do want to talk about something, you can. And if you’d rather I mind my business, I’ll do that, too.”
“No, I promised that if you asked again, I’d tell you. Again, I’d prefer not to ruin our night, so I’ll make it brief. I have anxiety problems. Oshiro waived a lot of issues when he met me, and I can’t show him enough gratitude for taking a chance.”
“Yeah? But you seem so confident in medical. Never flustered. Sometimes you seem a little shy, but I sort of figured that was due to your fan club. I’d hide away, too.” Zoe quieted, and in a small voice she whispered, “Someone hurt you really bad once, didn’t they?”
Twenty-six years later, those memories continued to haunt Victor. He closed his eyes and swallowed the rising lump in his throat. “A long time ago, Zo. I’ve tried to put it in the past but… every once in a while it’s there. I’ve had trouble all my life,” he confessed to her in the dark. “Even saw an empathologist once when I was twenty. I laid on a couch, talked about my feelings, and she did whatever her profession does. Nothing really worked.” Until he’d met Zoe, Ylona had been the only woman in his life to ever show him dignity and patience.
“But you were engaged once…”
“That’s why I broke it off with Hannah. I couldn’t make her happy. It wasn’t fair to her anymore. What kind of husband was I going to be if I couldn’t please her in bed?” She never failed to remind him of the time he wasted.
“There’s more to a relationship than sex, Victor.”
“It wasn’t fair to her,” he repeated.
Zoe frowned up at him. “Did she tell you that?”
“Doesn’t matter what she said, Zoe. It’s history. Last I heard, she married some admiral and retired to be a happy homemaker at the end of her twenty. Three kids in five years.”
“Seems like maybe she wasn’t the woman for you.”
“We had some great times together, so I’m happy for her,” Victor replied honestly, despite the stories she told and the rumors she’d spread following their split. After a while, he even convinced himself that he’d deserved it for stringing her along by pretending to be whole and normal.
“Because you’re a good person.”
“If you don’t want to waste your time, I understand, Zoe. I’m happy with where I am in my life, and I won’t hold it against you.”
“Didn’t we have this talk before, hon,” Zoe said, doing her best to imitate Victor’s voice and tone.
“Yeah, but I wanted you to know I mean it.”
The smile faded from her features and Zoe caressed his cheek, her golden eyes sincere. “I don’t know what this is yet but… I’d like to explore it. With you. But only if you want that as well.”
“Sweetie, I was so anxious to see you again this evening that Kathleen spent most of our shift making fun of me.”
“I, uh, ran into her this morning. In your bathroom.”
He tilted his head back to look at her, confusion apparent on his face. “You didn’t lock the door?”
Zoe giggled and turned her face against his arm. “Sorry. I’m not used to locking doors. We still use a shared space in the enlisted section. A
bunch of women fighting over three showers.”
“The bint didn’t even tell me that she ran into you. She played it dumb the entire time she questioned me.”
“Well, we didn’t talk or anything. She sort of blinked at me a few times then backed out again mumbling about not seeing anything.”
“Of course not. That isn’t her style. She must have expected me to offer it up to her.”
“That was nice of her.” Light pecks traveled up his shoulder and neck, little kisses that wormed their way into his heart and filled him with warmth.
“I’m glad you’re here,” Victor said impulsively. “I mean it, Zoe. I enjoy when we’re together.”
“I like you, too. And…” Her gaze dropped downward then back up to his face. “You didn’t have any problems at all,” she whispered playfully, moving in closer.
Victor succumbed to the sweet claiming of Zoe’s mouth. The slow, drugging kiss stole his breath as readily as her passionate and hungry displays of ardor. “Mm… what can I say? You bring out the best in me.”
Chapter 17
Eventually, Victor took Hart’s suggestion and invited Zoe to tea at the small cafe manned by the crew lounge. After a quiet month of dating in supposed secrecy, people stared at the unusual sight of Commander del Toro laughing with a lady friend in the open.
Victor casually ignored the lookie-loos in favor of biting into his pumpkin seed muffin. Once Harvest season arrived in Bromwicham, the Jemison’s homeport, they’d become inundated with stock and supplies of squash and other fresh goods. A lot of people donated to their ships, and it helped that the hydroponics lab kept a successful farm.
“Are they really so shocked to see you with someone?” Zoe murmured in a hushed voice. She leaned in close to his side and tried not to stare back at the gawkers in the ship’s pub.
Crewmembers were free to spend their own funds on a limited menu that rotated out monthly to change up the offerings. Wine and beer were also available for purchase, each member allotted two servings in a 24 hour period.
“Pretend they’re not there. That’s what I’m doing. People have spotted you in the corridor outside of my room, so you’d think the news would be well spread by now,” he joked lightheartedly.
“The news that Hottie del Toro is currently off the market?”
“Very much off the market and completely happy with that.” He kissed her cheek shamelessly, practically oblivious to the glowering eyes of envy. In reality, the reaction wasn’t as grand or widespread as expected. Most of the crew didn’t seem to care, save for a few embittered females who had tried their wiles and failed to entice him.
“Me, too.” Zoe leaned in and stole a bite of his snack.
“If it wasn’t so late, I’d get a pumpkin pie latte,” Victor grumbled. “That’s the only good thing about this damned season. You want the rest of this? I’m getting a slice of cake instead.”
“Ask for a decaf.”
“Then it isn’t coffee. It’s just dirty water masquerading as coffee.”
Zoe nearly choked on the tea she sipped to wash down his muffin. She swiped at her eyes and failed at muffling her laughter. “I learned something about you: never bring Victor decaf. Got it. Anyways, Radha glared daggers at me the entire time I was in our quarters. By tomorrow, she’ll have probably progressed to the silent treatment which, frankly, I am perfectly content with. Can’t wait.”
“I heard she’s pro-human-human. I’m surprised she’d even show me an ounce of interest unless it was all some diabolic plot to reclaim me for our race.”
“She was pretty quick with the dish on you when I first arrived, after my appointment with you. Said a cousin or someone like that served with you and that you dumped your fiancée for an alien.”
“There’s only a hair of truth to that rumor. I did leave Hannah as I said, but I never left her for Ylona. After Hannah and I split, I met Ylona while drinking at a bar in Pacifica Cove. We crossed paths again about seven months later when our ship docked on Elora. Hannah just assumed her to be at the source of our breakup all along. Too convenient, she said.”
“The Elorans are pretty…”
“They are,” he agreed.
“She must have been special.”
Victor nodded quietly at first, maintaining careful control of his emotions. Their surroundings didn’t serve as an appropriate place to have such a poignant discussion, but he couldn’t help the path that their conversation took. “I just want you to understand that I don’t have a thing for aliens as the gossip claims. I had a thing for her. I didn’t care that she was an alien. Like you said, there’s more to a relationship than sex.”
“What happened to make you two part ways?”
“She died,” he answered quietly.
Zoe took Victor’s hand for a supportive squeeze. “I’m sorry, Victor… it’s none of my business.”
“No, it’s quite all right. I… well, it’s about time that I…” Began to face what happened and accepted that the only woman to ever truly care for me also died because of me. “So, okay. I’m getting a slice of cake and a latte. You want anything?”
Her uncertain smile nagged at his guilty heart. “I’m good. I don’t see how you stuff yourself with sweets and look this good. I should count myself lucky.”
“When I’m not dragged into a raid in Spellbound or attempting to impress you with my charming wit, I spend the rest of my time exercising in my room.”
“I’ll have to challenge you to pull-ups one day.”
“You’re on.” He grinned at her and strolled to the counter to make his next order. They shared both the coffee and the cake, but only after Zoe stole another bite of his sweet pastry on the sly.
“Are you one of those girls who will never order anything of her own, but picks meager bites belonging to everyone else?
“You’re putting tempting, delicious things in my path; I caved. But I promise to eat a full meal and not peck like a bird if you take me out.”
“When I take you out,” he corrected her. “We’re coming up on our next port soon.” Although our arrival may be delayed if Ethan agrees to my idea.
“And here I thought I was going to have to beg and wheedle to get you off the ship.”
“Nope. You’ll have me all to yourself. I plan to enjoy all the R&R I can get.”
The date ended with a brief, affectionate kiss that Victor willingly initiated. Before leaving the area, he bought a capped mug and paid the barista to top it off with Ethan’s favorite earl grey, made to the commodore’s preferences.
A quick trip to the bio-farm for a treat to sweeten the pot. Ethan had a weakness for the gene-spliced chapples grown in the bio-farm. The juicy fruits had a delicious cherry-flavored center within their crisp apple flesh.
Una won’t care if I take just one… Technically, they were supposed to visit her for a Harvest Badge, but Victor only planned to pluck one. I’ll have Jem let her know in the morning. Sure, Una wouldn’t recognize a single missing apple from her beloved tree, but it was the polite thing to do.
“Oh shit! Rank coming!”
Several shadowed figures darted off and a group of over a half dozen men and women quickly scattered down the different paths. Victor raised a brow and proceeded forward and down the darkened path leading to the rear of the bio-farm’s starboard side. There, Una, the farm’s Chief Botanist, kept a 500 gallon basin filled to the brim with organic trash. The evening’s dinner leftovers from all three mess halls and the civilian deck glistened wetly. The lid was off and a pair of legs angled out of the steamy slop pile. A hand clutched at the rim beside a long rubber air-line passed along the floor for oxygen exchange.
Oh no… They didn’t. No bloody way they… Victor scanned to the left to follow the hose. A young man in evening dress attire, perhaps hoping to go unseen, crouched beside the source of the airline. His fingers were on a bold yellow sign announcing their unfortunate captive’s plight. Busted, he leapt up and snapped to attention.
�
�Sir!”
“Name and rank.”
“Corporal Danyl Speirs, sir.”
Victor sighed and set the lidded mug of tea on the nearby bench. “Who’s in the compost?”
“Etherington, sir,” the young man admitted.
“Assault of an officer is a dischargeable offense, but you’re the only one who didn’t flee when I approached. Why’s that?”
“I’m not a scared lubbard to be running away, sir. I’m willin’ to face disciplinary measures for my part in this. I know what I did was wrong.”
Etherington remained in the compost muck during their discussion. Under normal circumstances, Victor would have hauled the officer out first before resuming the conversation, but something bothered him about Etherington’s predicament.
“How’d you catch him?” Victor asked the young man.
The freckle-faced kid rubbed the back of his neck and cleared his throat awkwardly. “Well…”
“It’s okay, you can tell me.”
“With his pants around his ankles, sir.”
Holding back his snicker became an exercise in control. “What? I need details, Speirs. Start from the beginning.”
“I won’t name names.”
Victor raised one brow. Years of practice with his subordinates gave him the edge required to keep a strict poker face. “It’s admirable that you’re protecting your mates. Tell me why you did it. I want the honest truth from you and only that. Don’t sugarcoat it and don’t feed me a load of hogwash you believe I want to hear.”
“To be frank, sir, we all got tired of his demeaning attitude. I mean, I know we’re enlisted, but that doesn’t make us lazy or stupid. He was bein’ a cunt as usual, so a bunch of us got together and found a rank-tagger to lure him to the bio-farm. She did it happily.”
Ah. Victor maintained his stern countenance despite the desire to double over with laughter. “You’re dismissed.”
The corporal stared at him. “I’m dismissed?”
“Yeah. Go on, get out of here. I didn’t see a thing. Everyone was gone when I arrived.”